Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Hunters
And the King’s Command
Kaelan slid his arms around Bria’s waist from behind as she finished braiding her hair and pressed a kiss to her neck.
“I would much rather spend today alone with my wife.”
Bria smiled. The suggestion was tempting. Very tempting. After everything they had learned and everything they still needed to face, the thought of spending the day tucked away in their cottage with no one demanding answers appealed greatly.
She turned in his arms. “So would I.”
The smile that spread across his face was enough to make her consider abandoning all responsibility.
Almost.
“But we have questions that need answering,” she reminded him. “And war continues to creep closer.”
His expression darkened slightly. “Unfortunately.”
Bria reached up and ran her finger lightly over his lips. “We will make time for ourselves.”
“Sooner rather than later,” he said as if declaring it an edict.
He kissed her then, quick but thorough enough to make her forget what they had been discussing.
When he finally released her, he rested his forehead briefly against hers. “Very well. We shall seek answers.”
“But?” she asked, his tone telling her there was more.
“But I reserve the right to complain about it.”
Bria laughed. “That seems fair.”
“Let us start the day,” he said, taking her hand, “and see it done quickly so we can return to the cottage early, before dusk.”
Bria did not doubt they would, hearing the determination in his voice.
The moment they stepped outside, Bria sensed something was different.
The settlement buzzed with activity. Not the peaceful activity she had witnessed the previous evening. This felt restless.
People stood in small groups talking quietly. Others moved with purpose between cottages. More than one conversation stopped abruptly when Kaelan and Bria passed.
“…Hunters…”
“…should never have been allowed here…”
“…the council approved communication with the king…”
“…necessary but dangerous…”
Bria exchanged a glance with Kaelan. His concern mirrored her own.
Kaelan stopped a man carrying a basket of apples. “Do I hear right? Hunters are here?”
The man nodded. “Lord Oaken’s granddaughter arrived this morning along with her husband.” His expression soured. “He brought Hunters with him.”
Kaelan’s brow rose. “How many?”
“Ten or more.” The man shook his head. “People are uneasy about it.”
Bria understood why. The last time Hunters had entered Leighfeld, they had taken healers from their homes. Even knowing those healers had eventually been returned did little to erase the memory or the fear their arrival had left behind.
“What are they doing here?” Kaelan asked.
“That is the problem, no one knows,” the man said and walked off shaking his head.
Bria looked toward the council building. Whatever brought a troop of Hunters into Driochmor, she doubted it was good news. And judging by the growing tension in the settlement, everyone else suspected the same.
As they continued toward the building, Bria counted more Hunters than she expected.
Some remained with the horses near the edge of the settlement, while others stood in small groups throughout the grounds.
None appeared threatening yet neither did they appear relaxed.
Hands rested near sword hilts and eyes remained watchful.
The Hunters studied the settlement and the settlement studied them. No one seemed willing to trust the other.
Bria noticed villagers altering their paths rather than walking too close to the armed men. The Hunters appeared equally cautious, as though uncertain what to expect from those who called Driochmor home.
A pair of Hunters stood near the door of the council building, their attention settling briefly on Kaelan.
Bria felt his body tense beside her, though not with fear, but with assessment.
The same look appeared on the Hunters’ faces. Warriors measuring another warrior.
Then the door opened and the two Hunters immediately stepped aside.
A tall man emerged. Dark hair brushed his shoulders and gray eyes swept across the settlement before settling on Bria and Kaelan.
The reaction was immediate. The tension surrounding the entrance eased, not completely but enough.
The Hunters respected him and the people of Driochmor appeared to trust him. Few men could move comfortably between two worlds that often viewed one another with suspicion. He could be only one man… Dar, husband of Elara.
He stepped forward, his attention shifting first to Bria.
Kaelan stepped closer to his wife, not taking his eyes off the man, and spoke, “I am Kaelan of Northland, and this is my wife, Bria of Willowmere. And you are?”
“Northland,” Dar said, taking note of it. “I am Dar of Venngraith and husband of Elara, granddaughter of Lord Oaken.”
Before another word could be spoken, a familiar voice sounded overhead.
“Finally.” Fiora dropped from the sky and landed directly between them and shook her tiny finger at them.
“There you are. What took you so long?” She cringed.
“Never mind, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know what you were doing.
But you have kept everyone waiting long enough.
Now hurry your pace, important matters need to be discussed.
” Her wings fluttered impatiently. “Like, why Hunters are wandering all over the settlement.”
Dar’s smile faded, his response surprising. “Aye, so would I.”
The moment Bria stepped through the door, raised voices greeted her.
“This is unacceptable.”
Lord Oaken stood at the far end of the room, his silver hair nearly gleaming in the morning light pouring through the windows.
Across from him stood a broad-shouldered Hunter. Unlike Dar, there was little warmth about the man. Impatience radiated from him.
“We were given orders,” the Hunter argued. “My duty is to carry them out.”
“Your duty,” Lord Oaken said sharply, “is to remember where you stand.”
The Hunter’s jaw tightened, his hand inching toward his sword handle. “I stand where the king sent me.”
The room fell silent.
Kaelan’s hand settled along Bria’s back as they entered. The gesture appeared casual, but Bria knew better. He had already assessed the room and decided he did not like what he saw. He intended to stay close to her, ready to protect her.
Bria’s glance hurried across the room searching for her great-grandmother. She did not stand far from Lord Oaken, and Seren stood beside her. She was safe, for now.
Dar hurried to stand by the woman near the hearth… Elara, his wife.
The Hunter noticed Bria and Kaelan but dismissed them almost immediately and returned his attention to Lord Oaken.
“I was sent by Cadmus, Chieftain of the Venngraith, with orders from King Dravic to locate the Wise woman and escort her to Caerith.”
“Escort?” Marek asked dryly. “That is an interesting way to describe taking someone against their will.”
The Hunter ignored him. “The king impatiently waits her arrival.”
“The king should learn patience,” Lord Oaken said. “And he evidently needs to be reminded that he does not rule Driochmor.”
The Hunter bristled. “The king rules all of Scotara.”
Lord Oaken raised his voice. “The king does not rule magic.”
A reminder of where he stood had the Hunter visibly shaken.
Dar stepped away from the hearth, drawing attention. “If I had known your true purpose, you would never have entered Driochmor.”
“Your father feared that, which is why he ordered me to give the message directly to Lord Oaken and the council.”
“And if I don’t comply?” Lord Oaken asked.
The Hunter looked around at everyone there. “Then the king will have his answer… Driochmor refuses to stand united with Scotara.”
“Magic can be a powerful ally and even a more powerful enemy,” Marek warned.
“The king will not suffer a threat,” the Hunter said.
Marek was quick to reply, “No threat, an observation.”
Without thinking, Kaelan moved slightly in front of Bria. Not enough to hide her. Just enough to remind everyone present that anyone wishing to reach his wife would need to go through him first.
Wynn noticed. The faint smile that touched her lips lasted only a moment.
“You either comply with the king’s command, or you don’t,” the Hunter said. “The Wise woman comes with me or I and my troop leave alone. I will give you time to discuss it and return for an answer by midday.”
The Hunter left the room without saying another word or glancing at anyone in particular.
Silence lingered after he departed.
No one seemed eager to be the first to speak.
It was Dar who finally broke the silence.
“My apologies,” he said. “Had I known the reason for their arrival, I would have never brought them here.”
“No apology is necessary,” Lord Oaken said, though his tone remained sharp. “The deception was not yours.”
Dar ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “My father sent word that an urgent message needed to be delivered directly to the council. I still do not understand why the king did not simply entrust it to Elara and me.”
A humorless laugh escaped Marek. “Perhaps the king trusts you less than you believed.”
Dar snorted. “The king trusts no one.”
“A wise habit for a king,” Rowan said.
“A lonely one,” Seren countered.
The room fell silent again, but only briefly.
Then Kaelan spoke. “Bria and I encountered Hunters searching for the Wise woman just before reaching here.”
Every eye turned to him.
“And they openly admitted their purpose?” Dar asked.
Kaelan nodded. “They believed we might have information.”
A troubled look crossed Dar’s face.
“Then why send another troop?” Marek asked, trying to make sense of the strategy.
“Tell them about the spy from Drogath you encountered and Ogga the witch,” Lord Oaken urged.
Kaelan did, though he did not mention Braden. It was his responsibility to handle Braden, not anyone in Scotara.
Bria listened for a few moments, but she had heard it all before, and she had lived it. Yet only one thing truly mattered to her at that moment… Wynn.
Her gaze found her great-grandmother seated apart from the others. This was the perfect time to speak with her.
Bria slipped away from Kaelan and crossed the room, the discussion continuing behind her. No one seemed to notice. Or perhaps they understood exactly where she was going.
Wynn looked up as Bria approached. A gentle smile touched her lips, and she stretched her hand out to her.
Bria smiled, took her hand and settled beside her. “There is so much I want to know.”
Wynn smiled, though sadness touched her eyes. “There is so much for you to learn, and I fear there is little time to teach you.”
The words struck Bria harder than she expected.
Little time.
She had only just found her. She had believed she had no family left. Her parents were gone and now, suddenly, she had discovered a great-grandmother she never knew existed. The thought of losing her before she truly knew her tightened painfully in her chest. And another fear quickly followed.
Her parents had sacrificed much for her. Would Wynn do the same? Would she willingly place herself in danger to protect Bria?
The thought unsettled her.
“You speak as though you are leaving,” Bria said, not hiding her worry.
“Nay.” Wynn squeezed her hand gently. “I speak as one who has lived long enough to know that fate rarely asks permission before changing a life.”
Before Bria could argue, Wynn continued.
“The Wise are among the oldest tribes in Driochmor. In truth, we are among the oldest people in all of Scotara. We were here long before kings claimed the land as their own. Much like those from Venngraith.”
“The Hunters?”
Wynn nodded. “They lost their way as have some in Driochmor, but the council has hope with Dar regaining his heritage with the land. As for the Wise, our gift begins with sight. Not merely seeing what was but understanding it. The past leaves echoes. Those echoes help guide us toward where the future is going.”
Bria thought of the visions Wynn had spoken of. “Is that why the king fears the Wise?”
Wynn smiled faintly. “People often fear what they do not understand or believe tales they are told when they would be wise to learn more.” Wynn continued. “As our wisdom grows, so too does our ability to sense those around us. Eventually a Wise no longer needs touch to feel what others feel.”
Bria frowned. “You mean emotions?”
“Aye.”
The thought alone sounded exhausting.
Wynn nodded as if reading her mind. “It can be overwhelming if you are not prepared for it. Joy. Fear. Anger. Grief. The emotions of others can crash over you like a storm. As a comfort healer you know how to quell some of those emotions, but you must touch a person to do that, seek their permission. And that is not possible with strangers.”
Bria immediately thought of the heartache she had felt through the woman from the mist and shivered.
“Then how do you endure it?”
“We learn to shield ourselves. A barrier of the mind.” Wynn tapped a finger lightly against her temple. “Without it, the emotions of others can consume your own. You must learn how to protect yourself from that.”
Bria glanced toward the council still deep in discussion. Her eyes landed on Elara, and they both smiled.
“There is another who understands what it is to have her life changed by forces she never expected,” Wynn said and waved Elara over.
Elara remained smiling as she approached. “I hope I am not intruding.”
“Nay,” Wynn said. “I was just telling Bria she should get to know you.”
Bria stood. “I am pleased to meet you, Elara. I know of your skills as an herb-scribe.”
“You are so brave to come to Driochmor. Most would have turned and run the other way,” Elara said, just before giving her a hug.
The moment Bria’s arms closed around her, the room vanished. A rush of emotion struck her: fear, grief, love, desperation, then darkness.
Elara lay motionless. Dar’s voice echoed with agony.
An ethereal woman hovered over Elara. Long golden hair shimmered around her like sunlight. Her beauty seemed almost unreal, her presence filled with both immense power and profound sorrow.
Bria knew her.
The woman placed a hand over Elara’s heart. Light flared and life returned.
Bria gasped. The vision vanished and she found herself staring at Elara.
Concern filled Elara’s eyes. “Bria?”
But Bria barely heard her, her thoughts on the woman from the mist. The woman who had wept with such heartbreaking sorrow. The woman who had appeared because of the pendant.
She had saved Elara. She had returned her from death.