Chapter 8
“Please do not disappear again.” Ian’s voice was so quiet he was not sure it could be heard above the sound of the rain. His hands were icy cold, and his tired mind was instantly transported back to that misty dawn when he had watched her ride out of his life.
In that moment, he had wanted nothing more than to chase after her, to shout and beg for her to stay, to at least lift his arm in farewell.
But he had felt completely helpless to do so.
His father had made it clear that this was the best course of action for Robin, and for Ian, and for Iseldis.
“She is a wonderful young woman, but her actions concern me greatly.” His father’s words had repeated over and over in Ian’s head for seasons.
At first, those words had helped him to rationalize away his broken heart.
But they had remained long after he had given up on that endeavor, bouncing around in his mind unbidden and unwelcome.
Until finally, time and avoidance had erased them.
Now, in this moment, as he thought of her leaving again, his father’s words crashed back into his mind.
He would give anything to inhabit that fifteen-year-old body again and take any action other than standing there in miserable stillness as she walked away.
He had known then how much pain her absence would cause, and he had chosen to abide by his father’s wishes. He would never make that mistake again.
“I am coming with you,” Ian said. “You can blindfold me.”
Robin flipped her hood back over her head and stepped out into the rain.
Ian followed.
She stepped past the inn and onto the road, moving toward the short cliffs above the shoreline.
“Do we not need to pay for Rowena’s care?” Ian asked. “Or at least warn the innkeeper that she is there?”
Robin shook her head, stepping onto a stone stairway carved into the rock. “The innkeeper knows me well. He will ask no questions.”
Ian carefully followed her down the wet, slippery stones.
The innkeeper was likely a part of the River’s Talon network, especially if the location Robin was leading him to had anything to do with their work of saving the Majis.
He knew very little about the secret organization, but he was beginning to guess that it was much larger than he had previously assumed.
Down on the sandy shore, Robin led them further and further from the city.
They trudged along in the wet sand until they had passed even the final remote cottages outside of the city itself.
There was nothing else in sight except for the lapping waves on the left and the crumbling cliffs on the right.
While it was still dark, the open ocean reflected the diffuse moonlight that shone through the clouds above, making the sand easier to navigate than the forested road.
When they came to a small stream that flowed across the sand into the ocean, Robin turned to the right and followed the stream up into the valley it had carved into the sandstone cliffs.
Following her around a stone outcropping, Ian saw a small rowboat that had been pushed up out of the water.
Robin went up to the back of it and then pushed it back toward the stream.
Ian lent her his weight, and they guided the boat back down the stream toward the open ocean.
Robin jumped into the small boat and settled herself on the back bench.
When Ian jumped in after her, she held out a folded piece of fabric. “It should be clean,” she said. “Mostly.”
Ian unfolded the handkerchief, shaking it out in the rain. “Do you need me to help row?” he asked.
“No,” Robin replied. “I can get us there easily.”
Sitting in the rocky boat, Ian folded the square cloth and wrapped it over his eyes, then tied it behind his head.
Because the night was already so dark, the blindfold made very little actual difference in his vision.
But as Robin rowed them out into the gentle waves of the bay, his stomach turned uncomfortably.
Eventually, the low hum of the constant ocean waves receded, replaced with the echoes of the creaking oars and water lapping against the boat.
“Are we inside a cave?” Ian asked. His whispered voice sounded oddly hollow in the new space.
“Yes,” Robin replied. “We are nearly there.”
Moments later, Ian rocked forward as the boat ran up against a hard surface, coming to a stop.
“You can remove the blindfold now,” Robin whispered.
Slipping the piece of cloth up over his eyes, Ian blinked in the darkness. A few small glowing dots shimmered below the surface of the water, lining a path into the murk behind the boat.
But he could make out nothing else in the cave ahead until Robin struck a flint, holding up a small lantern.
From the small sphere of light, Ian could make out a low ceiling overhead. Large stalactites dropped low enough to scrape against his head if he was not careful. He could not tell how wide the space was, though, as the lantern light only fell so far before disappearing into complete darkness.
“A smuggler’s cave,” he said, finally understanding why Robin had not wanted to bring him here. What other unlawful activities did this woman engage in?
“Hold this.” Robin handed him the lantern.
Lifting it over the side of the boat, Ian could see the shallow seawater that had carried them into the cave. A small blue dot glowed under the water, and Ian wondered what kind of sea urchin or mussel emitted light like that.
The floor of the cave stretched out from the side of the boat. It appeared to be a long stretch of slippery rock, washed smooth from the ebbing tides.
Robin hopped nimbly from the boat, tying it to a metal hook that had been affixed to the rock.
Ian followed her, climbing out of the small boat. His leather boots splashed in the ocean water when he stepped up the rock surface.
“This way,” Robin whispered as she led him into the darkness.
Ian followed, carrying the lantern low so that it shed light on the ground at their feet without blinding him. As they moved away from the water, Ian saw a faint glow up ahead.
Robin moved toward that light. “Watch your footing,” she said.
Her warning was unnecessary, Ian already moving carefully over the slick rock.
As Robin moved through the cave with ease, Ian wondered what other unlawful activities she had used this cave for.
If she used it solely for the purposes of River’s Talon, that meant she had smuggled Majis through this cave.
But how many? And why would Robin harass travelers for gold if she was working with River’s Talon?
“You can douse the lantern,” she said, cutting into his thoughts, as they grew closer to the glowing light. “It will be easier to see without it.”
After thumbing open the glass panel on the side of the lantern, Ian blew out the flame.
Robin disappeared ahead of him through a crack in the rock wall of the cave.
Ian followed her, using the glow from behind the crack to guide him.
On the other side, Ian found himself in a man-carved tunnel.
The rock face was clean and smooth. The tunnel itself was not large, but it felt well-made and was surprisingly well-lit.
Colorful pieces of broken glass, sanded smooth by sea waves, were affixed to the wall in various patterns.
The glass itself was glowing, emitting a soft warm light that filled the entire space, leaving no room for shadows.
Ian stopped at the entrance of the tunnel, admiring the beautiful sight in front of him. The small glowing rocks in the stream under the boat must have been this same type of glass.
Robin turned back toward him, her face softening into a small smile when she saw his expression.
“A simple use of harmony magic,” she said. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”
Ian nodded his agreement, reaching out a tentative hand to touch the glowing glass. It was warm in comparison to his cold fingers, but not hot.
He followed Robin down the tunnel, running his fingers across the swirls and waves of the glass patterns as they went.
This magic was beautiful.
The tunnel took a sharp turn to the right and then another, wider, to the left. Then, Robin veered off the main tunnel and led him through an arched doorway into another cave.
But Ian had very little time to notice anything about the well-lit underground room, as his eyes immediately fell upon two figures sitting on a wooden bench, wrapped together in a blanket.
“Meena!” Ian said, rushing forward past Robin to embrace his younger sister.
She squeaked in surprise and stood, spinning around in a full circle as she attempted to extricate herself from the blanket before jumping into his arms. “Ian!”
“You are safe,” Ian said. He squeezed her to him. He knew he was probably crushing her lungs, but he did not care. She was here. She was safe.
“You are here?!” Meena replied, hugging him back just as tightly. “How? Why?” She twisted her head under his arm, looking behind him. Then she loosened her grip around him, going quite still. She squeaked again.
Ian looked over his shoulder to see what she was seeing.
It was only Robin standing there behind him.
Ian looked back down at Meena, who was pulling away from the hug and awkwardly adjusting her crumpled dress.
“Welcome back to Iseldis,” Robin said, stepping forward. “I am glad to see you made it safely back.”
Sol, who by now had stood from the bench and left the blanket behind, stepped beside Meena and put his hand very protectively around her waist. He nodded in response to Robin’s words.
Ian lifted his shoulders a little, feeling them tense as he took in Sol’s hand on Meena’s back. He did not like to see anyone touch his youngest sister like that. Sol and Meena had been married just a few weeks prior, and it was a marriage in name only.
Robin continued speaking. “It is good to see you again, Princess . . . Philomena.”
Ian waited for Meena to correct Robin. She hated to be called by her full name and corrected everyone who used her full title.