[English] Touch of Power (Năng Lượng Thần Kỳ)

Touch of Power
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That would explain his queasiness. “When you grabbed my hand, I not only felt the magic, but I sensed what you did. Is it your power or mine that makes that…connection possible?”

“I don’t know. I’ve encountered a few other magicians, but nothing like that has happened to me before.”

“And I’ve only been around other healers. We can share power—like when I sent you a portion of my energy, but that connection has been…unique.” Except when I had been inside the Death Lily. Interesting.

Thinking about magicians reminded me of the night we had rescued Melina. “Why didn’t those two magicians who searched for us sense your power?”

“They aren’t of the forest. One is a water mage and, I think, the woman drew hers from the moon.”

The plague had decimated the ranks of magicians, as well. No wonder they traveled with seven others for protection.

“Were they powerful?” I asked.

“Hard to tell for sure.”

With every merc and bounty hunter searching for me, it seemed odd Tohon would send two valuable supporters. And where were they earlier when the Death Lily had me? I don’t remember sensing them among the mercs. Remembering what Melina had said about Grzebien, I made an unpleasant connection.

“Those two magicians aren’t from Tohon. Who else is chasing us?” I asked.

“How did you make that leap?”

I paused. Was he testing my logic or was he indeed surprised by the possibility of another faction? Probably testing me. I repeated Melina’s story. “Estrid of Ozero’s people could be hunting us, as well. She’s giving gold for information, and I’m sure she doesn’t want Tohon or Ryne to have a healer, either.” I suppressed a sigh. “It’s all a big game, isn’t it? A power struggle to see who can grab the most between the three of them.” Sadness filled me. If I wasn’t a pawn in this game, I’d be free to heal those who needed me.

“Ryne wanted to organize the survivors and help them rebuild their towns even before the plague died out. He knew if no one stepped up to enforce the laws that criminals would take full advantage, forming gangs, and marauders would wreak havoc,” Kerrick said. “If he hadn’t gotten sick, I think we’d still have Fifteen Realms.”

“But he did get sick and now he’ll need a large army and magicians to disband the mercenaries and all the other factions, and to stop both Tohon and Estrid. An impossible task.”

“Ryne will find a way.”

“You can’t know that for certain.”

“I can.” His gaze burned into mine. “I wouldn’t have spent two years searching for you if I didn’t have utter faith in him.”

The next logical question would be why Kerrick had this faith. But I squelched it. I didn’t want to know. Or was it because I was afraid to know?

I glanced away.

He said, “You’re right about Estrid. She sent her dogs to stop us from reaching Ryne. They’re moving to block the pass through the Nine Mountains as we speak.”

“I thought there are other routes across them.” All infested with dangerous marauders and ufa packs. Swell.

“Not in the winter.”

“Can we beat them there?” I asked.

“No. We’ve had too many delays.” He gave me a pointed stare.

“What’s next, then?”

“As you pointed out, the mercs believe we’re dead. If we lay low for a few weeks, then word of our demise should reach Estrid and she’ll recall her troops.”

My heart skipped a few beats. “Lay low as in hide?”

“Yes. It shouldn’t be a problem for you. You’re adept at running and hiding.” He turned and disappeared into the shadows.

Oh, joy. The nasty jab from Kerrick paled in comparison to the thought of spending even more time with him and his loyal companions.

I returned to the campfire. The others had fallen asleep. Squirming under my blanket, I stared at the clear night sky. Kerrick’s hideout would probably be inside a ****, which would obscure this fantastic view. Sleeping under so many stars felt magical. Although sleeping through an ice storm would be horrible. In that case, a **** would be welcome.

Tonight was the perfect night to see the various star patterns. I found the cluster my father had called the bull’s horns. Grinning, I remembered his story about the absentminded bull who had lost his horns. The stories had been his way of teaching us various life lessons, but at the time, I had believed poor Yegor still searched the earth for his horns. If only the bull had looked up, all would be well.

I hadn’t fully appreciated those late nights, sitting on the porch with my two brothers and my sister, Noelle, tucked in my lap, listening to my father’s stories. He’d been a romantic stargazer. Looking back, I realized it must have been terrible for him to work so deep underground in the mines. He’d taken the high-paying job so we could afford the apprenticeship fee for me.

What a brat I’d been then, complaining about having to wait a few months before I could start my lessons. Not even thanking my father for his hard work and sacrifice. And I didn’t even consider Noelle’s feelings. She’d been my almost constant companion since she was born, and I had left for the month-long trip to Galee without any thought to how she would react to me being gone. The distance between my home and Tara’s had been too great for visits, although I had planned one about halfway through my four-year apprenticeship with Tara.

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It was difficult to sleep with guilt lodged under my heart. I tossed and turned until daybreak erased the black sky.

We traveled east for five days. I was right. Kerrick stopped at a **** system close to the town of Grzebien, and proclaimed it home.

“Isn’t this Pomyt Realm and occupied by Estrid?” Loren asked. He built a fire ring as Quain and Flea fetched rocks for him. Belen had been sent out to collect firewood.

“Yes.” Kerrick sorted through his pack.

“Then why—?”

“Estrid’s searching for us.”

Loren glanced up, but Kerrick didn’t offer to explain further.

“Logically, we should head west away from the people intent on harming us.” I tossed a few sprigs of parsley into the soup—my first attempt at cooking. “Which makes hiding in her occupied lands a strategic move. I’m guessing this area isn’t well-known to the locals or used. Right?” I aimed my question at Kerrick.

“Right,” he said.

“Still seems too risky to me,” Quain said.

“Consider it from Estrid’s point of view.” I tapped the spoon on the pot. “She believes we’re intent on reaching Ryne, and she has blocked the route. When we fail to arrive, she’ll think we’re either dead, captured by Tohon or holed up somewhere nearby so we could dash across the Nine Mountains at the first opportunity.”

“You don’t dash across those mountains,” Kerrick said.

“That’s beside the point.”

“And what is the point?” Flea asked.

“You tell me,” I said.

He chewed on his lower lip. “This is probably the last place she’d search for us?”

“That’s right.”

“I still think it’s dangerous,” Quain said.

“Dangerous would be getting too close to Tohon,” Kerrick said.

“Or trying to go around the mountains,” I said.

Kerrick shot me a surprised glance as if he hadn’t considered that idea before.

“No,” I said. “It would add months to the journey and the Ronel Sea is treacherous even in the summer. It would be suicide in the winter.”

When he kept his contemplative purse, I added, “And we’d have to cross Pomyt. It’s one thing to hide out just within the border, but to travel in the open…”

“Is asking for trouble.” Quain supplied.

“Who’s asking for trouble?” Belen asked. He entered the **** carrying a huge pile of firewood. Dumping it in a corner of the ****rn, he collected a handful of thin branches.

“Guess,” Quain said. He smirked, pointing to me behind Belen’s back.

Belen bent over the fire ring, building a lattice of kindling around a few thicker branches. Without looking at Quain, Belen said, “I’d say you’re looking for trouble, Quain. Because that’s what you’ll get if you keep teasing Avry.”

Unaffected, Quain challenged. “From who? You or Kerrick?”

“From Avry.” Belen straightened. “She can hold her own, don’t you forget that.”

My turn to smirk. Quain opened his mouth to retort, but Kerrick silenced him with a single raised eyebrow.

Belen had the fire roaring in no time. The smoke vented through a natural chimney in the ceiling. I wondered how Kerrick had found all these ****s. Water had eroded parts of the bedrock, forming them. I’d think sensing holes in the ground would be part of a rock magician’s skills and not a forest mage’s. However, I wasn’t an expert. I’d learned the eleven different types of magic—forest, earth, water, fire, air, life, rock, death, moon, sun and healing—but my education hadn’t gone beyond the basics.

I could ask Kerrick, but that question would have to wait until we were alone. Not likely now that we were “home.” Considering he hadn’t said more than a few words to me since that night we talked about Ryne, I doubt he’d talk to me.

“We’re getting low on supplies,” Kerrick said. “There’s a market in Grzebien, but a few of us would be too recognizable.”

“The monkeys can go,” Belen said.

“Except they made quite an impression on the town watch the last time we were here.”

The monkeys exchanged confused glances.

“Whiskey Wendi,” Kerrick said.

“Oh, yes,” Loren said. A slow smile spread on his lips. “That was Grzebien? Wow that was…a wild time.”

“That was also over a year ago before Estrid and when the Booze Baron ruled the town. Do you really think the people would remember us?” Quain asked.

“Whiskey Wendi,” Loren repeated, looking at Quain with a gleam in his eyes.

“Oh, yeah.” Quain grinned. “Yeah, they’d remember.”

“We have enough provisions for a week,” Kerrick said. “Then Flea can take her if…” He focused on me. “If she can learn how to move through the woods without sounding like a buck protecting its territory.”

“I think she sounds more like a brown bear defending her cubs,” Loren said.

“You guys are nuts,” Quain said. “She sounds exactly like a troop of watchmen after some poacher.”

With a wide grin, Flea joined in the teasing. “When I hear her, I’m always reminded of when we were chased through Horse Shoe Forest by that pack of wild dogs.”

Everyone turned to Belen. “I think she does pretty good considering she hasn’t had any training.”

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“Thank you, Belen,” I said, giving him a sweet smile.

The rest groaned. Quain threw a rock at him. Belen caught it in one hand. While the men joked, I added the remaining ingredients to my soup. I fished a few hot embers from the fire and placed the pot over them. As I stirred the liquid, my thoughts returned to Kerrick’s comment. My excitement over the chance to go into town warred with the unappealing prospect of Kerrick teaching me how to match the forest’s song. Perhaps Belen could instruct me instead.

When the soup was done, I made a show of letting Belen try it first since he had defended me.

“Fine with me,” Quain quipped. “He’ll also be the first one to keel over, killed by Avry’s cooking.”

“But what if I used a heavy poison?” I asked. “One that sinks to the bottom and only kills the men who eat the last couple of bowls?”

Quain stared at me as if he wasn’t sure if I joked or not. “You have an evil mind,” he hedged.

“Thank you.” I grinned.

“Aren’t healers required to take an oath not to harm anyone or something like that?” Loren asked.

“After we complete our apprenticeship, we travel to the Guild House and work there for a year, demonstrating our knowledge to the Elders. At the end of that year, we graduate. During the ceremony, we swear an oath not to intentionally cause harm or death to another.” Unless in self-defense.

“But you zapped Flea, and hurt the merc leader,” Loren said.

“I didn’t graduate. Therefore, I haven’t taken the oath.”

My revelation caused a ripple of…not quite concern, but unease. Belen’s hands suddenly went to his throat. He wheezed and gasped, then slumped over.

Everyone but Kerrick jumped to their feet. I knelt beside him. Was he allergic to parsley? His body shook and I touched his shoulder. He was laughing.

I played along, fussing over him, apologizing for not waiting long enough for the poison to sink.

When the three men inched closer, he sat up. “Gotcha!”

They yelled, then scolded him for his prank.

Still laughing, he said, “I can’t believe you fell for it. Why would Avry poison us when she could have let me die, and Flea get eaten?”

“Besides,” I added, “I wouldn’t want to waste good poison on you guys.”

“Ha. Ha. Not funny,” Flea said.

“Is there such a thing as a good poison?” Loren asked.

“Actually, there is,” I said. “The fulip plant is poisonous, but if you dry it, crush it and mix it with ginger water, it becomes a remedy for an upset stomach.”

“You seem to know what you’re doing. Why didn’t you graduate?”

“The plague came before I finished my apprenticeship.”

The humorous mood faded in an instant. The plague had ruined all our futures. I served the rest of the soup, but noticed everyone but Belen waited until I swallowed a few mouthfuls before they ate. Joking aside, they still didn’t trust me.

“Stop overthinking it. Your head is getting in the way of your feet,” Kerrick said.

“That makes no sense,” I said, stifling my frustration.

I had been walking through the woods all morning and getting nowhere. Back and forth outside the ****, I tried to copy Kerrick’s silent movements.

“It’s all in how you step and how you distribute your weight.”

He watched while I made another pass.

“Use your h*ps more.”

“Like this?” My h*ps swayed with each step. I felt ridiculous.

“No. Not like that.” He came up behind me. “Let me show you.”

When Kerrick grasped my hips, his magic flowed over me, igniting a tingling warmth in places it shouldn’t.

“Why are you pulling power?” I asked.

“Am I?” He sounded surprised.

“Yes.”

“Habit, I guess. Keeping my connection with the forest just in case. Ignore it.”

Easy for him to say. He didn’t have someone leaning against his back sending him distracting vibrations.

“Walk like you did the last time,” he said.

As I stepped, he corrected my gait. We did a couple passes. I understood what he had been trying to explain, but when he released me, I wasn’t so sure.

“That’s better. Try again.”

I did. Again and again and again. All afternoon, which normally would have been unpleasant, but there was a big difference in personalities between Kerrick the teacher and Kerrick the leader.

“That’s it,” he said. “You got the technique. Now you need to—”

“Practice.” My words to Flea had come back to haunt me.

“Right. I’ll give you two days.”

“And if I don’t improve?”

“I’ll go with Flea to the market. But if you do improve, you’ll graduate.” Humor lit his gray eyes—they had changed color to match the winter forest.

“As long as graduating doesn’t involve swearing an oath.”

“Oh, no, wouldn’t want to do that. Besides, you’ve been true to your word. That’s all I need.”

I spent the next two days practicing in the woods on my own. It was refreshing to be by myself for a few hours. And without the pressure of someone watching me, I could focus all my energy into listening to the forest’s song. Once I knew what sounds to listen for, I wondered how I had missed them before.

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After my two days of practice, Kerrick announced we’d all play a game of hide-and-seek. “If she can find everyone, she wins.”

“Sweet,” Flea said.

“The rules are…” Kerrick waited for everyone’s attention. “You can’t stay in one hiding place too long. You have to switch spots to give her a chance to hear you.” He paused dramatically for a moment. “Ready. Set. Go!”

Chapter 10

The game of hide-and-seek was on. The men scattered into the woods. I turned my back to the forest, facing the outer rock wall of the ****.

“And no cheating,” Quain called. “Make sure you count to a hundred before seeking.”

“Don’t forget to shout out the ‘Ready or not’ at the end,” Loren said.

Half of me felt foolish, the other half reverted to my childhood days—when no other worries sullied the pure thrill of the hunt. I embraced my childish side, pushing away the dull adult sensibilities. I counted faster. Long-forgotten strategies surfaced in my mind. Too bad all the…boys—couldn’t call them men when playing this game—wore gray, black or dark brown clothing. It made sense for blending in with the winter landscape, but it gave them an advantage for now.

“Ready or not, here I come.” I spun around, hoping to catch a flash of movement as one of the boys dashed to a hiding spot. Nothing. Not even a branch swayed. I listened to the forest for a moment. Off to my right, an unnatural off-note sounded.

Despite the cold air, I removed my cloak. I wore my black clothes, but I had taken the time to smear gray clay I had found at the bottom of a shallow pool in the ****s over sections of my shirt and pants, equalizing the playing field.

Instead of going right, I walked with the special—what to call it?—gait straight for a while before veering right, hoping to come in behind the unnatural spot. I stopped often to make sure my quarry hadn’t moved. As I drew closer, I noted a dense little thicket that would be perfect to hide behind. I stood nearby and waited. Sure enough, Flea slipped out, searching for another spot. I followed.

Once Flea found a place to hide, I crept up on him and pounced. His yell of surprise echoed throughout the forest.

Sputtering with indignation, he said, “You didn’t have to scare me!”

I feigned innocence. “I thought you heard me.”

“Yeah, right. You have that evil gleam in your eyes. Have you’ve been pretending to be noisy all this time?”

“No. But you don’t know everything about me. Like the fact that when I was younger, no one could hide from me. I was Queen Seeker.” I had grown up in a small city, but a few of the strategies for seeking someone in an urban environment worked out here, as well.

Flea grumbled, but I shooed him back to the ****. “Hurry up so I can find the rest.”

“You won’t find Kerrick,” he said.

I waited until the forest settled, then honed in on another off-key area. This time I caught Quain.

“At least I’m not the first one,” he said. He wore a gray wool cap over his bald head. “You’re a fast learner, but you won’t find Kerrick.”

If Quain and Flea had been trying to discourage me, they failed. I continued to stop and listen. But when I encountered the perfect hiding spot—a dried creek bed hidden under the branches of a fallen tree, I knew one of the boys wouldn’t be able to resist this place. I squirmed below the thickest part of the branches and pressed against the bank. My years on the run hadn’t been a total waste. A couple of the skills I had learned aided me today. The biggest one was patience.

After twenty or thirty minutes, Loren slid under the tree.

“Ah, hell,” he said. “I should have known this spot was too good to be true.”

Three down, two to go. I made half-circle sweeps farther and farther from the **** and, on my tenth pass, I sensed a strangeness. Boulders jutted from the ground. A few were in mounds while others stood alone. As my gaze traveled over the area, something seemed wrong. Not the color, not the size, but one shape kept snagging my attention. One large boulder had soft lines and a symmetry to it.

When I touched the boulder, it chuckled. Belen peeked out from under his cloak.

“With my size, I didn’t have a lot of choices,” he said.

“You blended in,” I said. “But one thing I did learn as a healer’s apprentice was to be observant. A rash could be just an ordinary rash, but if it had blurry edges, it was a sign of a more serious illness.”

“I knew you were smart, so I’m not surprised you found the four of us. But—”

“I won’t find Kerrick. Everyone seems to delight in telling me that.”

“Don’t take it the wrong way,” Belen, ever the peacemaker, said. “His ability to disappear in the forest is impressive. We’re just proud of him.”

As Belen returned to the ****, I wondered if they’d still be proud of him if they knew about his magic.

I considered the problem. Kerrick wouldn’t make any noise, and the forest wouldn’t give him away with out-of-tune notes. He would be camouflaged, but not by magic. That wouldn’t be fair unless he used it unconsciously, keeping contact with the forest just in case. I might be able to feel it and follow it to him.

Except I only felt it when we touched. Skin to skin. I searched my memories. Something Kerrick had done…when he knew about the mercs… An image formed in my mind of him crouched down, touching the ground with his hand.

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I pressed my palm to the earth. A slight tingle rolled along my fingers. Was it going in any certain direction? Concentrating, I thought it might be coming from my left. Which didn’t help since I couldn’t crawl because he’d hear me. I needed to stay on my feet. Of course!

Sitting down, I pulled my boots and socks off. I stood, cringing as my soles touched the cold ground. After my skin adapted to the temperature, I felt that tingle pointing to the left. I’d have to find him before my feet froze and lost all sensation.

The vibrations intensified as I walked. I covered a good bit of ground before the tingle stopped. Which probably meant Kerrick had seen me with bare feet, figured out what I was doing and ceased using magic, or my feet were numb.

Kerrick must be close. I turned in a circle, scanning the forest before remembering he wouldn’t stand out. Frustration swelled, but I shoved it down. What were my options? I couldn’t use sight, touch or sound. What’s left? Taste and smell.

Not about to taste the dirt, I sniffed the air. The cold damp scent of earth with a slight rotten taint filled my nose. With no other options, I returned to the **** and did sweeps again, but instead of listening, I drew in deep lungfuls of air. Ten, twelve, fifteen, twenty, twenty-three sweeps later, I caught a hint of spring sunshine. Like a hunting dog, I followed it, sucking in so much air I was dizzy.

The scent increased and I focused all my energy into staying with it. It led me to a huge briar full of thorns. I remembered when Kerrick had rolled me right through the underbrush. But then he had used his magic. Of course, he could have pulled power to get inside, then stopped. Except his scent wasn’t coming from the patch, but seemed *****rround me. Odd.

I circled the briar a few times, puzzling over the inconsistency. No brilliant solution came to mind. I’d lost him. That one word—lost—jolted me. Yegor the bull had lost his horns. I scanned the trees above my head.

Kerrick lounged on a limb. His amused half smile grew into a full-blown grin. “What took you so long?”

“Well, I napped a couple hours this afternoon so the boys would believe they were hard to find.”

“Ah, yes, the fragile male ego. Always good to keep it intact.” Kerrick swung down from the limb and landed beside me without making a sound. “So what gave me away? My magic?”

“At first, but you stopped using it.”

“Once I realized I’d connected to the forest, I had to stop. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been fair.”

“Uh-huh. Keep repeating that, and maybe one of us will eventually believe you.” Now that the game had ended, I relaxed and woke to other sensations. The cold air assaulted my exposed skin. My hands and feet were numb. I retraced my steps to where I’d left my boots.

Kerrick followed but kept quiet as I pulled on my wool socks. I shivered. My cloak was back at the ****. Of course Kerrick had gone the farthest.

We headed back “home.”

After a few minutes, he said, “You didn’t answer my question. How did you find me?”

I feigned confusion. “I didn’t answer? Odd. Doesn’t sound like me.”

“You’re not going to tell me, are you?”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because if you tell me, I might change something and you won’t be able to find me next time.”

And I was too embarrassed to tell him I sniffed him out. I shouldn’t know he smelled of spring sunshine, shouldn’t care and shouldn’t tell him a damn thing. But, knowing him, he would pester me for an answer.

I asked, “Remember when Belen was injured by the mercs?”

“Hard to forget.”

“You distracted them while Flea and the monkeys positioned themselves up on the rocks. It was a good strategy. People don’t usually look up. When I lost your trail, I remembered it.”

“Interesting.” He didn’t say anything else for the rest of the trip.

The others waited for us outside the ****. Their expressions remained uncertain as they looked from me to Kerrick and back, searching for some hint of what had happened. They hoped I’d failed. After all, they had boasted about Kerrick’s superior forest skills.

Finally, Quain asked, “Well?”

“You were right,” I said before Kerrick could open his mouth. “I couldn’t find him.”

I endured a few “told you so’s” from the monkeys and Flea. They whooped and were obnoxious. Belen, though, gave me a shrewd look. I met his gaze without flinching or glancing down. I’d learned to lie while on the run. My life had depended on it. Funny, my mother didn’t even have to see my face to know when I’d been lying.

Once the boys were done crowing, they returned to the **** for a special surprise. I grabbed my cloak and moved to follow, but Kerrick clasped my shoulder, stopping me.

“Explain,” he ordered.

“I couldn’t disappoint them.”

“That makes no sense. I let them down. Not you. Besides, it’s just a silly game. And they won’t let you forget it. You did boast you were Queen Seeker.”

“It may have been a silly game to you, but not to them. You’re their leader. They have complete confidence in you, which they should. Any doubt, no matter how small or silly, can be detrimental to their trust. You’ll be ordering them to risk their lives, not the Queen Seeker.”

Kerrick stared at me so long I grew uncomfortable and wondered what he was thinking about. I almost swayed in relief when he glanced away.

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He swept a hand out, gesturing to the entrance to the ****. “After you, your majesty.” He bowed.

I punched his arm. “Don’t start. I’ll take the ribbing from the boys, but not from you.”

“Who said I was teasing?”

Now it was my turn to stare at him.

“Hey, what’s taking you so long?” Quain called. “Can’t Avry find the entrance?”

Laughter erupted from inside the ****.

“I warned you,” Kerrick said.

“I grew up with two brothers. I can handle harmless teasing. Besides, laughter heals the soul. You should try it sometime.” I walked into the **** without looking back.

Cheers and a few good-natured taunts greeted me. The men stood in a line with their hands hidden behind their backs, fidgeting like kids who had been caught stealing sweets. Their attention focused on Kerrick, who had followed me inside. He nodded.

“Okay, boys. What’s going on?” I asked.

Belen stepped forward. “We decided that even though you didn’t find Kerrick, you did catch the rest of us and should graduate. Congratulations!” They hooted and hollered.

“Thanks. Now stop blocking the heat, I’m frozen solid.”

“Not so fast,” Belen said. “We still need to give you our graduation gifts.”

“But—”

Belen approached and brought his hands forward. With a dramatic flourish, he opened them, revealing a pair of black gloves. “I noticed you didn’t have a pair.”

“Where—?”

“They were mine, but they had holes in the fingertips. I just cut them down for you and sewed them.” He gave them to me. “Try them on.”

They fit, but all I could say was, “You sew?”

“After two years on the road, someone has to. Do you like them?”

“Yes. They’re lovely…thanks.”

Quain and Loren presented me with a piece of leather rolled up and tied with twine.

“Untie it,” Loren said.

I had to take off my gloves to loosen the knot. Unrolling the leather, I exposed the inner side. Pockets lined the material. I puzzled over it.

“It’s for your plants and herbs,” Quain said. “You can store them in separate pockets and, when you roll it up, you can carry it in your knapsack.”

“That’s…” Unbelievable. Unexpected. “Perfect. Thanks.”

Flea came up next. With a shy smile he flourished three rocks and proceeded to juggle them. He performed a whole routine, with high throws and low throws, ending the show with one rock going up to the ceiling while he spun around in a circle before catching it behind his back.

The others cheered and clapped. I couldn’t speak for a long moment. When the **** grew quiet, I said, “You’ve been practicing.”

“A little,” he said.

“Wow, that was…amazing. Thank you.”

Kerrick handed me a piece of paper. I squinted at the words with suspicion. Was this an oath? But it was a list of supplies.

“Things to buy at the market,” he said. Then he dropped a pouch full of coins in my hands. “You and Flea can go tomorrow. I suggest you wear your green skirt and tunic to match the market crowd.”

“And clay-caked clothes are so last year,” Quain said.

Lying in my bedroll that night, I couldn’t sleep. The unexpected gifts from the guys had shocked me. They didn’t think of me as just a healer for Ryne like Kerrick. They cared about me. All those years I had avoided forming close relationships because I knew they would make it difficult for me to keep moving on. Eventually, I would have to leave the guys and that would cut deep. Damn. I hated being right.

Even knowing Kerrick and company crouched in the nearby woods just in case we ran into trouble, I planned to fully enjoy the day. Another bright cold morning had arrived with the dawn. I wore the skirt and tunic to keep the peace, but my cloak covered the clothes, anyway, so there was no real reason to wear them.

Located in the center hub of the city, the market bustled with shoppers, merchants and various undesirables seeking to prey on the unwary. Most of the merchants had set up their tables in three-sided huts with wooden roofs. Others hawked their wares from wagons, carts and blankets spread on the ground. Children dashed between legs. The general noise of voices arguing and haggling blended together into a happy, prosperous hum. I basked in the market’s energy, filling my lungs with the heady smell of fresh bread.

Flea and I walked a circuit first to orient ourselves to the sellers and goods available for purchase. Although we had agreed to stay together—well, Kerrick had insisted—I held the list. I also brought along my remaining coins, hoping to secure a few needed items.

At one point, Flea touched my shoulder. “See that kid?”

“The girl with the red hat?”

“No, the boy with the long black hair.”

“Yes, I see him by the applecart.”

“Watch.”

When the customers around the cart captured the owner’s full attention, the boy pocketed as many apples as he could before slipping away unnoticed.

“Nice technique,” Flea said.

“How did you know he was going to steal?”

“Coat too small. Pants threadbare with holes. No hat or gloves. Plus he had that look.”

“A hungry look or an I’m-about-to-do-something-illegal look?”

Flea laughed. “He doesn’t consider what he just did illegal, Avry. It’s survival. He had the worried look. Worry over where he’ll find his next meal. It’s constant. It doesn’t stop even when you have a full belly and a few slices of bread tucked away.”

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My enjoyment of the day faded. “You’d think with the town back on the mend, no one would starve.”

“You might think that, Avry, but I know better. Even before the plague, people starved.” Flea glanced around. “At least there’s no immediate danger. According to Belen, it was pretty much every man for himself when the Booze Baron ruled the town last year.” Flea gestured to a pair of well-armed soldiers, watching the market with keen interest. “Estrid’s men.”

“Then her presence here is good for the town.”

“If everyone is so happy, then why are there so many soldiers around?” Flea asked.

I peered at him with suspicion. It sounded like Kerrick had schooled him on what to say to me today. “You have a point,” I said. “But we can’t linger too long or Kerrick will have a fit. I suggest we purchase the lighter items first and save the heavy stuff for last.”

“Now you have a look,” Flea said.

“What kind?”

“The shopper’s glow. If I were still a street rat, I’d try to pick your pocket before you spent your money.”

“Good thing you’re no longer one.”

“Thanks to Kerrick.”

Ignoring Flea’s comment, I strode to the merchant selling jerky. We moved from stand to stand, buying the items on the list—basic supplies and travel rations. Flea caught one of the street rats before she could steal the bag of coins from my pocket. He admonished the girl for her poor technique and pointed her toward an easier mark.

But I stopped her before she could dash off. “Here.” I gave her a few of my coins—I didn’t really need a comb or new undergarments; the ones I had would last a few more months. I still had enough to buy another set of travel clothes.

She stared at me as if I had lost my mind, then nodded a quick thanks before disappearing into the market’s crowd. Flea peered at me, as well.

“What?” I asked.

He didn’t say anything.

“That’s one meal she doesn’t have to worry about.”

“No. That’s five or six meals.”

“All the better. Come on.”

We shopped for the rest of the morning. I was surprised that only a few people wore the red acolyte robes that marked them as devout believers in Estrid’s creator. Perhaps she had relaxed her laws.

At one point I asked Flea, “Do you think Kerrick would mind if I bought a few spices? Herbs are going to be harder to find as it gets colder.” The winter season was in its infancy. The real nasty weather lurked a few weeks in the distance.

“If it improves the food, no one will mind.”

Almost finished with the list, we waited for the beef merchant to settle with the elderly lady in front of us. My arms ached from carrying our purchases. Flea was also loaded down. Now I was glad Belen and the others waited nearby.

After the lady paid for her rib eye, she turned toward us and stopped in astonishment. “Noelle! I thought they took you. When did you get back?” she asked.

“I’m sorry. You must be mistaking me for someone else.” Named Noelle, like my sister.

“Oh, sorry, dear. With my old eyes, you looked just like her. But now I can see you’re older.”

My insides turned to ice. “Do you know where she’s from?” I asked. The woman appeared uncertain, so I added, “I have a cousin named Noelle. She’s about fourteen, and my family lost track of hers during the plague.”

“Oh, yes. So many lost.” The woman tsked. “I know she was on her own. She’d do odd jobs for me, such a sweet girl. But when Estrid of Ozero’s army arrived, they recruited the young men and women without families.” She lowered her voice. “More like conscripted.” The wrinkles on her face doubled when she frowned. “That’s why I was so startled—I thought she escaped. Bah! More bad times.”

“Did she say anything about her family?” I asked.

“No. She never said a word about anyone. Just did the work, thanked me for the coins and left. When the money ran out, she’d show up, asking if I had any work for her. I sure miss her. My legs are getting too old to be gallivanting around the market.”

“Thanks for your time,” I said.

The woman waved goodbye and headed home.

“Do you really have a cousin named Noelle?” Flea asked me.

“No, but I have…had a younger sister by that name.”

“You don’t know?”

I told him a condensed version of my arrival home from Tara’s. “For all I know they could be buried in the mass grave in Lekas.”

“That’s tough.”

I tried to shrug it off. “Lots of girls have that name. The odds that it’s her are low. Besides, you heard the lady—the girl’s gone.”

“Still…” Flea scanned the market. He put his packages down. “Wait here. I’ll go make a few inquiries for you.”

“We don’t want to attract notice by asking a bunch of questions.”

“I won’t. The street rats don’t care about politics. I’ll be back.”

Before I could protest, he slipped into the flow of people and was gone from sight. Various emotions churned in my stomach as I waited for him.

What if she wasn’t my sister? Then I’d return to wondering where she might be.

What if she was my sister? Nothing I could do. Estrid’s army had her. Unless she wasn’t taken. Then we might be able to find her in town. Hope wanted to grow, but I squashed it flat. Hope led to despair.

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What if Flea was caught? Kerrick would kill me. No. He would make me wish I were dead.

Unable to just stand there, I organized our purchases, redistributing the heavier items to make it easier for us to carry. Flea still hadn’t returned by the time I finished. Worry swirled. My muscles itched for action, but I forced myself to remain in place.

What if Flea didn’t come back? Do I search for him? Get Kerrick? I sorted through my meager options when Flea appeared.

“Where have you been?” I demanded.

“I’ve been gone for ten minutes,” he said.

“Ten torturous minutes.” I drew in a deep breath. “These are yours.” I gestured to a pile of packages. “Let’s get moving before Kerrick comes looking for us.”

He gathered his half. “Don’t you want to know what I found out?”

“I do. But move first.”

We headed toward the road leading east. When we had put the market behind us, I asked Flea what he’d learned.

“Lots about Estrid’s army. The people they gathered were mostly street rats. And they’re all being held at a training camp about five miles north of town.”

I sensed he had more. “Don’t keep me on edge, please.”

“Noelle was one of the street rats taken. No one knew much about her. But they knew where she came from.”

I stopped to face him. “And?”

“She’s your sister. No doubt about it.”

Chapter 11

“How can you be so sure?” I asked Flea.

“The street rats kept mistaking you for her—except the one who tried to pick your pocket. They said she was from Lekas. That’s in Kazan, isn’t it?”

“Why did they tell you all this?” I’d been searching for any sign or clue to my family’s whereabouts for three years. For this to just pop up now…seemed suspicious. Perhaps a trap?

“I was a street rat.”

“Uh-huh.”

“And I spread a few coins around. Happy?”

“That makes more sense.” I kept a firm grip on my emotions. Flea might not doubt who she was, but I did. “Did you learn anything about the training camp?”

“It’s guarded, but not locked tight. Let’s face it, most of the recruits went from worrying about their next meal and where they would sleep when the snows came to having food, shelter and warm clothing.”

“But they have to fight for Estrid.”

“Like I said before, street rats don’t care about politics. Treat them good, and they’ll be loyal. Besides, it’s not like anyone’s at war or rebelling or doing much of anything.”

“Now. What happens when Tohon and Estrid decide they want to occupy the same town?”

Flea didn’t respond. He put a finger to his lips just when I heard the sour rustle to our left. I grabbed the hilt of my knife, but relaxed when Belen emerged from the forest. We were soon surrounded by the others.

“You were gone longer than expected,” Loren said. “Did Avry have a hard time finding the market?”

Quain chuckled.

I glanced at Kerrick to gauge his mood. Nothing. I’d get more information staring at a stone. Belen tried to take all my packages, but I kept a few. Loren and Quain helped Flea.

Finally, Flea said, “We had an opportunity to discover a few more details about Estrid and her forces.” He explained about the training camp as we headed to the ****. “And we need to rescue Avry’s sister.”

This last bit was met with stunned silence, including me. Then the questions started. Flea told them about Noelle.

“There’s no proof it’s her,” I said.

“We’ll do a reconnaissance first,” Flea said. “We’ll verify she’s there, then we’ll sneak in—”

“No. It’s too dangerous,” Kerrick said, as if that ended the discussion.

I had been thinking the same thing, but when Kerrick said no, my first instinct was to argue with him. “It wouldn’t be that dangerous to go have a look. If it’s her, then I don’t have to keep wondering if she’s alive or dead.”

“We’re not going near the camp. You can come back after…” An evil gleam shone in Kerrick’s eyes. “Promise you’ll heal Ryne, and we’ll take a look and see if it’s her.”

I felt as if he shoved his sword deep into my chest. Perhaps this was payback for making him choose between Belen and his prince.

“No deal,” I said. Proud my voice didn’t squeak, I increased my pace so I led the group back to the ****. So they couldn’t see the tears blurring my vision.

We returned and the others unpacked the supplies. It was my turn to cook, and I focused on the task at hand. With fresh ingredients, spices and herbs it would have been difficult to ruin the meal. Loren, Quain and Flea made appreciative noises. Belen proclaimed the roast the best he’d ever had. But I had no appetite, and I slid into my bedroll as soon as I could.

My thoughts returned to Noelle. If she was the missing street rat, being able to see her or even talk to her would be beyond wonderful. She probably knew the fate of Allyn and our mother, although just the fact she was alone meant bad news. They would never leave her if they were alive. Unless they had gotten separated by unexpected circumstances. Too many questions without answers. Were they worth my life? If she trained with Estrid’s soldiers, then she was relatively safe. And what if I’d promised to heal Ryne, and the girl wasn’t my little shadow?

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I’d made the right decision. Although the desire to sneak away to see the camp for myself throbbed in my heart. Even if I hadn’t given my word not to escape, I wouldn’t be able to go very far before Kerrick dragged me back.

The knowledge that my choice was based in logic failed to remove the sharp knife of pain in my chest. Over the next couple days, I picked at my food, and stayed under my blankets as much as I could.

On the third day, Belen hauled me to my feet and cajoled me into leaving the ****. I squinted into the bright sunshine as fingers of cold air stroked my face and ruffled my hair. Loren and Quain practiced sparring with sticks instead of swords. Flea napped in a patch of sunshine. Kerrick, of course, was gone to I-couldn’t-care-less.

“See that target?” Belen asked.

A red circle had been painted on a tree trunk about forty feet away. “Yes.”

“Here.” Belen handed me my knives. “Even though my memories are fuzzy, I seem to recall someone needs to work on her aim.”

I stared at the daggers. Both gleamed. I wondered which one had embedded into that man’s thigh.

“That someone is you, Avry,” Belen said. “Try to hit the target with the knife.”

“I’m not in the mood for this. Maybe later…”

He refused to take the weapons or to move out of my way.

“You’re not going back to the **** until you hit the target,” he said.

I glared, but he remained unaffected. “Fine.” I grasped the end of the blade and threw the knife. It missed. So did the next one and the next and the five after that. Frustration welled. Focusing, I pushed all distracting thoughts and problems to the side and concentrated on the red circle. The knife hit the target and bounced off.

“There. I hit it.” I moved to leave.

Belen’s huge hand clamped onto my shoulder, stopping me in midstep. “Not so fast. It has to stick.”

“That wasn’t part of the deal.”

“Too bad. So sad. Try again.”

My aim had improved, but none of the blades would pierce the bark. “It’s too far for me. I’m not strong enough.” My voice whined. Normally, I would have been appalled. Not today.

“No. You’re not putting enough heat behind it.”

“Heat?”

“Yeah, heat.” Belen scratched his arm as he searched for the right words. “Heat like energy, desire, emotion. Think of that target as a giant spider and then throw the knife.”

“I like spiders.”

“Then think of it as something you don’t like. A snake or a Death Lily. Anything.”

I aimed at the red circle and imagined an image on the tree’s trunk. Anger and annoyance in equal measure flowed through me. Whipping the knife, I put heat into the throw. A satisfying thunk sounded.

“That’s what I’m talking about,” Belen said. “What did you think of? The Death Lily or the snake?”

“Neither.” Could I do it a second time? Conjuring up the feelings the image evoked, I sent the second blade deep into the trunk next to the other.

“Nice. See, you are strong enough.”

I pulled the knives from the bark, returned to Belen’s side and buried them both again.

“You got it. What gave you the motivation?”

“Kerrick’s face inside that target.” I sucked in a deep breath. Pain no longer stabbed quite so deep. Perhaps I needed to throw a few dozen more knives right between his eyes.

“That’s not nice,” Belen scolded.

“Too bad.” Thunk. “So sad.” Thunk.

“At least you’re smiling again. Think you can hit a moving target?”

“Maybe.”

“For any task, you need two things above all else. Confidence and practice. When you have those two, you can do anything.”

“A cheesy motivational quote. Kill. Me. Now.”

“Being nasty will only prolong your knife-throwing lesson.”

I shrugged. “Not like I’m doing anything else.”

“You could be running laps to get into shape. Climbing the Nine Mountains is strenuous in any weather, but particularly difficult in the winter.”

Ugh. “Sorry. How do you plan to mimic a moving target?”

“Quain rigged up a board with some ropes. Quain, are you ready to take a break?”

He and Loren finished their bout.

“Yeah, I’m tired of winning,” Quain said, wiping the sweat that dripped off his smooth head.

“You call that winning? I’d call it barely keeping up.” Loren’s red face and damp tunic told another story.

Flea woke, stretched and yawned. “Yep, that was a super exciting match. I’m glad you guys invited me to observe—I needed to catch up on my sleep.” He ducked as they flung their sticks at him.

We all walked to an area that had a long thin line of sight. At the end, a square piece of wood with a red circle on it hung down from the trees. Quain wrapped his arms and legs around a tree’s trunk and climbed into the lower limbs.

“Ready,” Quain said.

“Start slow,” Belen ordered. “Side-to-side motion.”

Quain yanked on the ropes, causing the board to sway.

“It’s all in the timing,” Belen said to me. “The aim and throw are the same, but now you need to release the knife at just the right moment.”

Flea and Loren watched. Guess I would have an audience. Yippee. Gripping the blade, I counted beats as the board swung one full circuit. No real reason why, just seemed like the thing to do. It didn’t work. After a few misses, I clipped the wood. I adjusted my timing and had another near hit.

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When the knife’s tip stuck inside the circle, the guys cheered. Quain increased the pace of the swing. Again, I struggled to find the right release point. Eventually, I hit the mark. Then Quain became creative with the motion. Pulling on the ropes, he resembled a puppeteer. The board moved up and down and side to side. Once I hit the target, he changed the speed or the motion or both.

I hated to admit this, but I enjoyed the challenge. Belen no longer offered advice. Either that, or I didn’t hear him. My world shrank to me, the knives and the moving red circle.

When the light faded, Belen stopped the session. “That’s a good start.” He clapped me on the back and almost knocked me to the ground. “Kerrick was right. You are a fast learner. Soon, you’ll be dangerous with those knives.”

“As long as my opponent stands forty feet away,” I said.

“One thing at a time. After you mastered the art of throwing, I can teach you how to fight with and defend against a knife.”

We returned to the ****. My arms ached from the exertion. My stomach grumbled for the first time in days, although my appetite soured when Kerrick entered. Mr. Ghost of the Forest. He could run circles around that training camp with no one the wiser, yet he wouldn’t. Bitter? Who me?

I forced half a bowl of Loren’s stew down my throat before crawling under my blanket.

Voices whispering intently woke me sometime later. I guessed by the low light that the fire had burned down to embers. After a few minutes, I identified the voices as Kerrick’s and Belen’s. No surprise.

“…never agree to heal Ryne if you don’t show her some kindness,” Belen said.

“What do you call teaching her how to move through the forest, or how to throw knives?”

“Survival skills because we put her in danger.”

“And locked in a jail awaiting execution wasn’t dangerous?” Despite the whispering, his sarcasm rang clear.

“You know what Tohon’s capable of. I’d rather she go to the guillotine than be captured by him.”

A flurry of fear swirled at his words. That didn’t sound good. Not at all. No answer from Kerrick, which made it worse. I wished I could see his face.

“I helped her find that girl,” Kerrick said in a more subdued tone.

“Doesn’t count since Avry made a deal with you.”

“But she’s being so stubborn. And we’re running out of time. Every day he’s trapped in stasis is another day Tohon and Estrid have to strengthen their armies.”

“Even if we reached him tomorrow, it won’t matter. She’ll refuse to heal him and then what do we do?” Belen asked.

Silence.

“It’d be better to take the time and show her what happens to the people under Tohon’s rule.”

“No. Too dangerous.” Kerrick sighed. “There has to be another way. She’s too smart to believe those rumors about Ryne, but I don’t know why she won’t agree.”

“There’s another reason why. We need to find out, but she won’t open up with you being all stony silence and brooding anger. Jael’s been gone for four years…she’s not—”

“Don’t start.” Boots scraped on the ground. Footsteps faded.

Belen settled into his blankets with a muttered curse. It didn’t take him long to fall asleep. I wish I could say the same thing. Their conversation replayed in my mind.

I wondered who Jael was. Although it was better for me if Kerrick kept being a cold heartless bastard. He made refusing to help Ryne easy. Belen had been right; I had many other reasons to hate Ryne besides the rumors.

When I’d apprenticed with Tara, she told us about the time when Queen Alvena had requested her to heal King Micah. After traveling across the Nine Mountains, Prince Ryne blocked Tara from seeing his father, claiming healers were unnatural and upset the world’s balance. Disease and sicknesses were nature’s way to regulate our population.

Ryne’s reasons had sounded like bull**** to me. Ryne wanted his father’s throne, not natural order. Tara had said he’d been nasty, rude and had his guards escort her from the castle even though it was late at night. He hadn’t allowed her to talk to his mother, either.

It was pointless to share this story with Belen. He’d been countering all my objections about Ryne, explaining away all his bad behavior. I wondered if he knew about Ryne’s dislike of healers even before the plague. But, if I thought about it, it wasn’t up to Belen or the others to change my mind about Ryne. That was Ryne’s job. Too bad he couldn’t speak for himself.

My thoughts blurred until sleep took over. Images of Noelle at various ages haunted my dreams. I tried to reach her, but giant flowers kept blocking my path. She yelled for me to save her. Shoving petals out of the way, I muscled closer to her. When I was about to grab her, vines circled my wrists, stopping me. I struggled but they tightened, pulling me back. The vines grew from Kerrick’s arms and twisted around me until I couldn’t move.

My dreamworld melded with reality when I woke.

Kerrick knelt next to me, holding my flailing wrists. “Easy. It’s just a dream.”

I stopped fighting.

He let go and sat back on his heels. “Nightmare?”

“Something like that,” I mumbled, still half-asleep.

“Is your sister’s name Noelle?”

“Yes, why?”

“You were yelling her name.”

“Oh.” What else could I say to that?