CHAPTER XV #2
Cal looks conflicted but ultimately steps away to let me close the door. I move back into the room and pull on my boots, strapping my blades within.
“I need to have a private conversation with the Knowledge men this morning,” I turn to Golem and Storm quietly, “I ask that you both remain here until I return after our exercises.”
Golem watches me with a sad expression while Stormfall does the same. The Bird of Ash caws when I give them my back, my own gaze turning heavy when I take in the state of my emerald cloak.
It’s completely ruined.
The full of it is tattered and bloodied from all of the events of the past fortnight. Fitting, really, given everything that has happened.
I rummage in my travel packs and pull out my original brown Knowledge coat, pushing my arms through the sleeves as I head for the door.
“Alexis, what happened?” Cal eyes me carefully.
“Let’s pick up Holis and Mana.”
Cal frowns and walks into the main room and towards the twin’s door. I knock quietly and wait for both men to appear, the twins ready with their weapons strapped against their backs until they take a look at me.
“I’ll explain,” I turn to leave, “but let’s get outside first.”
The twins follow Cal and I through the common room, the four of us moving outside and into the cool morning. The men are tense and concerned, their moods reading off my own as they wait for me to explain.
“Events happened last night after dinner that gave me this cut,” I keep my eyes trained on the road as we leave the courtyard, “I’m okay and was not in harm’s way, but I cannot disclose exactly what those events were…”
All three men watch me in seriousness as I continue, “what I can disclose are my next steps in moving forward, steps that I hope the three of you will take with me.”
Cal nods immediately, as does Holis and Mana.
“We need to ride for Bardot as quickly as possible. I intend to speak with King Zander immediately upon my arrival. I wish for all three of you to be present during that meeting.”
“We will join you,” Holis replies steadily.
My nod is hard, “we are now in Disce lands and we know the route back home. While I intend to travel with the Princes to Gaumond, I do not want to spend excess time playing court in the capitol. We will spend tonight there and set out first thing tomorrow morning, taking the same route home that we took out.”
“We can do that,” Cal states quietly.
“Thank you,” I nod again, “once the conversation with the King is complete, I’d like to set out for Woodlands Court with haste…”
I stop in the middle of the road and look at the three men standing in front of me with a shake of my head.
“I do not know how else to explain this except to do so plainly. Woodlands is not what we think it to be. They do not treat the humans there properly or with dignity. We will travel to their lands with the sole purpose of understanding the relations between the Discerni of that Court with its human population, and, if needed, help as many humans as we can in the process.”
All three of them look at me with bewilderment.
“When you say they do not treat humans properly…” Holis eyes me quietly.
“I cannot explain because I have not been there myself to confirm. What I do know is that the Court of Warriors and its leaders have assisted in the relocation of the humans from Woodlands to Knowledge and Warrior. It was brought to my attention at the beginning of this trip.”
“Relocation…” Mana muses.
“To get them out of Woodlands?” his brother asks.
“Yes. I plan on finding out why.”
The twins remain silent as Cal strokes his beard in thought.
“My travel to the Court is also sanctioned by the Ancient. Hirovale has requested that I see what is going on for myself.”
“Then we will travel to Woodlands,” Holis nods without hesitation.
“And after?” Mana prompts.
I shake my head, “I have no plan after Woodlands. Bardot first and Woodlands after, as soon as we can make that happen.”
“We are with you, Alex,” Cal responds.
“Yes,” Mana nods.
“Agreed,” Holis replies.
I take a deep breath and look at the men with gratitude, “thank you. It has been a damn interesting trip so far but I am ready to be home.”
I move through the morning exercises with the same determination that gripped me earlier.
Cal and I are sweating profusely by the end of our hand to hand session and quickly move on to practicing with my larger dagger.
I begin hitting the target from my position at every throw.
It’s not as close to the middle of the target as I would like, but it’s also not at the edge or on the ground.
I quickly thank Cal and move on to Holis who sets me to work with two quivers of arrows this time.
By the end of our session I’m hitting the red ring sitting in the middle of the target at every loosed arrow.
“If I spot any tracks on the road to Gaumond we can take a small detour and trail them,” Holis says, “otherwise, we’ll continue with tracking in the Bell Grove once we’re home.”
“Thank you,” I nod and begin walking back to the inn by myself, “I’ll see you all when we saddle up before breakfast.”
Holis and Mana turn to Cal with earnest eyes as I walk away from the three of them. Cal quickly runs up next to me, his hands darting through his thick auburn hair.
“Is everything okay, Alex?”
“Yes, just ready to be home,” I state again.
“You seem…” Cal peers at me quietly, “different.”
“Different?”
I nearly scoff. I certainly feel different.
“Quiet and thinking. Too quiet. We want to help you.”
“And I want your help,” I turn to give him a small smile, “we started these travels two years ago with the four of us. Let’s continue and end them with the four of us.”
Cal grimaces at the comment but continues walking with me all the way to the inn, never leaving my side. I push through the door and catch Dnes behind the pub counter and request a hot water for a bath as Cal does the same.
“I’ll see you in the courtyard,” I give him a small goodbye and move down the hall to my room. Golem is standing quietly in a corner of the wall when I walk in, Storm perched on the bedpost with his head and wings tucked into his body and sleeping.
“I’m going to bathe and pack, then we’ll meet everyone in the courtyard to set off for Gaumond,” I tell him.
He quickly walks up to me and grabs my shoulders, brown eyes searching my face.
“I’m alright, Golem,” I nod and move past him, spending a long time soaking in the bath. Once it grows cold I step out and begin packing, purposely letting my hair dry straight and forward as an ode to the human of me. I don’t think I’ll part from that style for a while.
After throwing my travel bag across my shoulder and feeling Golem’s jar nestled against Willem’s old green marble set and a few books, I pull on my brown coat and gently wake up Stormfall, placing him in the crook of my neck.
“I’ll be atop Millie for the ride to Margaret’s but I can unscrew you once we get there,” I glance to Golem.
He nods at me silently before I let my fingers dip down into my bag, closing his jar.
Cal, Alanna and Barnes are already situated atop their horses when I walk out of the stables with Millie, as are Desmond and the Prince.
Both glance at me with calm and cool eyes at the same time, their features settled into Discerni indifference.
I give Desmond a small nod in greeting and then bow to the Prince, walking Millie next to Cal before hopping in the saddle. Holis and Mana join just shortly after.
“This is everyone,” Keane states, moving Ash to the middle of our group. I look around, noticing that we’re missing the three human soldiers, Lord Daniel and Claymore from the original group.
“It has come to my attention that our Knowledge friends would like to make haste to Bardot as quickly as possible…”
My eyes narrow on him.
How can he possibly know that?
Is it because I didn’t have Golem with me this morning, didn’t have his added protection from scrying eyes? Either Keane was listening in on our conversation and I didn’t feel his location summoning, or Desmond used his scouting, whatever that entails.
“We’ll forgo breakfast at Margaret’s, though she’s kindly offered to pack up the food for us so we can eat along the road. We’ll ride faster today with a smaller group and take a brief lunch in the woods. We should be in Gaumond before sundown. Court will be held.”
I roll my eyes and watch Keane flick the reins on Ash. His own eyes dart to the cut on my face, a small scowl gracing his lips as he leads the group out of the courtyard with Desmond at his side. Alanna and Barnes follow behind the brothers, then Holis and Mana, while Cal and I bring up the rear.
Margaret stands waiting for us at edge of her café with bundles of food packed for travel. She hands me a small canteen in addition to my breakfast, the smell of her freshly brewed coffee making me smile.
“Thank you, Duhni,” I nod from atop Millie.
“Until next time, then, Lady Alexis,” she smiles, eyes moving to the side of my face to land on Stormfall.
“Until next time,” I urge Millie forward.
Our group rides through the village and is nearly at the end of the road when I hear Willem’s voice yelling at me from behind.
My heart drops.
“Wait, Lady! Lady Alexis!”
“I’ll meet up with you shortly,” I tell Cal.
I turn Millie towards the little boy running in the road, watching as he stops with his hands on his knees to catch his breath.
“You’re leaving again already?”
“Yes,” I give him a small smile and hop out of my saddle, “I’m not from here. I need to get back home.”
Willem stands up tall and looks at me with a frown, “then when will I see you next?”
“I don’t know,” I shake my head, taking a knee in front of him so that we’re at the same level.
“But you can visit, right?” he asks.
“I can try,” I nod.
“Then I know what favor you’ll owe me, Lady!”
I stare at the boy and let his enthusiasm lift my heavy heart, nodding again. “Okay, then. Let’s hear it.”