Chapter 10 #2
Stone cottages with moss-covered roofs rested among gardens and narrow winding paths.
Smoke curled lazily from chimneys while villagers moved about much as they did in Willowmere or any other village in Scotara.
Children carried baskets. Women hung herbs to dry.
An older man split wood beside one cottage wall.
For one startled moment, Bria forgot she stood in Driochmor at all. Then she noticed the silence. People had seen them.
Conversation faded quickly as wary eyes turned toward the strangers emerging from the forest.
Bria instinctively moved a little closer to Kaelan.
The little creature paid the tension no mind whatsoever. He suddenly gave an excited bark and raced ahead across the clearing.
An older woman near one of the cottages gasped sharply. “Tibby!”
The cry rang through the village.
The little fellow bounded toward her at once, leaping into her arms so eagerly the woman nearly lost her balance as she caught him tightly against her chest.
“Tibby,” she cried tearfully. “I thought I lost you forever.”
The little creature whined happily while licking at her face, his entire body wiggling with excitement.
Warmth touched Bria at the sight and tears stung her eyes.
The woman looked up then, her gaze settling first on Kaelan and then Bria as she hurried toward them, still clutching Tibby close.
“Thank you, kind sir,” she said to Kaelan, her tears slowing. “Thank you for bringing Tibby home.”
Kaelan inclined his head slightly toward Bria. “It was her doing.”
The woman’s eyes shifted instantly to Bria.
Before Bria could answer, the woman caught hold of her hand.
“Then I owe you more thanks than I can poss—”
The woman stopped abruptly. Her eyes widened slightly. Something passed swiftly across her face before she masked it just as quickly.
But Bria felt it.
A strange connection stirred the instant their hands touched, faint yet undeniable, like warmth moving softly beneath her skin. Not the deep comfort she sensed from others. Something different yet familiar.
The woman released her hand carefully.
“You are welcome here,” she said softly, though her gaze lingered on Bria a moment too long. Then she smiled warmly once more. “I am Winnie.”
“Bria,” Bria returned.
“Kaelan,” he added.
Winnie nodded before lowering Tibby carefully to the ground. “Come. You both look in need of food and rest.”
Several villagers still watched them cautiously as Winnie led them through the settlement.
Bria felt the weight of those stares keenly now.
“They do not trust outsiders,” Winnie explained quietly as though sensing her thoughts. “Few ever cross into Driochmor willingly, and fewer still are welcomed.”
Bria glanced around uneasily. “Then why welcome us?”
Winnie smiled faintly. “Because Tibby returned home with you.”
The answer sounded simple enough, though Bria sensed there was more left unsaid.
Winnie pushed open the door to her cottage and ushered them inside.
Warmth greeted Bria instantly along with the scent of herbs and fresh bread.
Bundles of drying plants hung from the ceiling beams while shelves lined the walls filled with jars, woven charms, and strange stones unlike any Bria recognized.
It felt oddly comforting.
“Tibby was taken about a week ago,” Winnie explained while setting a kettle above the fire. “I feared I would never see him again.”
“The man who had him claimed Tibby belonged to him,” Bria said carefully.
Winnie snorted softly. “He snatched him right away from me and walked off. I tried to follow but he was too fast. Others helped search for days, but we could not find easy tracks to follow.”
Kaelan’s expression darkened slightly at the remark. “He’s not from Driochmor?”
Winnie shook her head. “He is not from here.”
“Why would he take Tibby?” Bria asked.
“Tibby’s kind can scent well. Give them a scent and tell them to follow and they will follow it until they reach the origin of the scent.”
Bria looked at Kaelan. “He did say he didn’t need Tibby anymore when we refused to let the man keep him.”
Winnie shivered. “I am so grateful you rescued Tibby. The man would have used him until he had no strength left.”
“Do you know what the man was doing here in Driochmor?” Bria asked.
Winnie busied herself gathering bowls before answering. “Most likely searching, thinking he would find answers here or he could be looking for power.” She turned to Kaelan. “Others bring danger with them.”
For a moment, Bria thought that Winnie believed Kaelan had brought danger with him. Then she smiled and Bria’s worry vanished as quickly as it had come.
Winnie’s smile softened any tension. “Still, not all outsiders are unwelcome. Elara comes and goes freely enough.”
“Elara, the herb-scribe?” Bria asked, recalling hearing about her.
“Aye, she is an herb-scribe from beyond the border and granddaughter to one of our council elders.” Winnie’s smile deepened slightly. “And far more tied to Driochmor than she ever realized.”
That was news Bria did not know, and it shocked her. “Elara’s bloodline traces to Driochmor?”
“Aye,” Winnie said, “though I doubt the king announced that. She and Dar, her husband, a Hunter, remain here as emissaries of the king. There are whispers of what that might mean.”
Bria’s first thought was that Driochmor may no longer be considered the Forbidden Land.
Kaelan rose suddenly, interrupting any further discussion on the matter. “I will speak with your village leader now.”
Winnie studied him carefully for a moment before nodding once. “You will find Elder Kilham near the council hall beyond the eastern path.”
Kaelan inclined his head politely. “My thanks.”
“You have not eaten,” Bria said quietly.
“I will when I return.”
His gaze lingered briefly on her then, as though reluctant to leave despite his own decision.
The cottage grew strangely quieter as soon as the door closed behind him.
Winnie set a warm loaf of bread upon the table before turning slowly toward Bria.
The older woman’s gaze softened in a way that suddenly made Bria uneasy.
Then Winnie smiled gently. “Welcome home, Bria.”