It was just past noon. Footsteps pounded on the dirt as a lone man flew past the startled looking Bedoowan townsfolk. It wasn't often they saw the commander sprinting through town as though a pack of beasts was on his trail.
He reached the Town Center within minutes. Breathing heavily, he took a moment to make sure he looked presentable. Then he pushed open the door.
The three members of the Bedoowan council turned to look at him. Before they could say anything, he made his way over to the table, stretched out a hand, and showed them the delicate bundle he carried.
Their faces paled. Raig spoke. "Is that…?"
Sawil nodded, rolled up a small, small ball of it, then threw it at the ground in front of them.
Crack!
The three jumped as though the explosion had sounded like a gunshot rather than a firecracker, and while Sawil's face grew long with worry, inside he was silently exulting at a plan come together flawlessly.
Checkmate.
Nyja's face grew stony. "Then what you said was accurate. The Milago have tak, and are planning for war."
Saint Dane – Sawil – nodded. "I found their mine. There were only traces up until now, but they've just hit a massive deposit. If we do not act soon, they will have enough to wipe us all out."
Raig spoke up, alarm giving his words a sharp edge. "We cannot allow this to happen! We must call the knights, seize the mine, and halt this rebellion before it can begin!"
Tolk, the trepid councilor, nodded immediate agreement. Nyja, on the other hand, was less accommodating. "But why? I know that things have been difficult, but why would the Milago be so keen to go to war? They must have been actively seeking the tak out for months. What have we done to merit this?"
Tolk frowned doubtfully. Raig said, "Why? Because they despise us! They have never been able to let go of the injustices of the past, never even truly acknowledged that most of us had nothing to do with them! They want vengeance! Do they need any other reason?"
Nyja replied, far more mellow than her fellow councilor. "Yes. They would not go to war for revenge alone. Press told me that things have been growing tenser in the village due to fights breaking out between knights and villagers. If we want to negate this war, we must send envoys to the Milago. We must withdraw our knights, not increase their numbers. We must do this at once, or risk losing everything we have built these last fifteen years."
Though his face remained neutral, inside Saint Dane's temper flared. Of course she'd spoken with Press. And no doubt, Press had spoken to Alder when the Traveler had come to the village with his brat the other day.
No matter. He still had a trick up his sleeve. "I'm afraid it is too late, councilor Nyja. The Milago are so set on the warpath that they have deposed one of their own councilors. Grail was arrested, and both Kore and Maal seem united in their new purpose. Their people are amassing. I believe it is their intent to attack tomorrow evening."
In truth the attack would take place at noon, if all went according to plan. But it wouldn't do to have the Bedoowan too well prepared, now would it?
Tolk paled. "They have arrested Grail? But why? He has only ever had their best interests at heart."
Raig scowled. "Bah! The man was no doubt too weak for them. With Grail out of the way, nothing is going to stop them from wiping our village off the face of Denduron! We must prepare for war!"
Tolk looked upset, and even Nyja was distraught at the news. Sawil remained silent. He mustn't push them too hard now. No, he would leave that to Raig.
As if on que, the idiot stood. He picked up his gavel and said, "I put it to a vote. Should we rally the knights, prepare for the army that will be hurling fire and death at our very doors within the day, and fight to preserve all that we hold dear? Or should we sit calmly and wait to be destroyed for the crimes of the past – our very neighbor judge, jury, and executioner?"
Tolk barely paused before saying, "I…vote to rally the knights. Nyja?"
The woman leaned back in her chair to think, but Sawil needed no confirmation from her. It was two against one. Still, for the sake of formality, he stood and waited for her official position.
Finally, after a long minute of silence, she said, "I…abstain from voting. I do not approve of the plan as proposed, but cannot in all conscience deny my people the right to defend themselves."
She looked tired. Tolk seemed concerned, but Raig slammed his gavel down at once and said, "Motion passed! Sawil, fetch the other commanders and return here. We must begin planning."
The wiry commander paused, then said hesitantly, "Sir, if I may?"
Raig and Tolk both nodded. "Yes?"
He said, "I saw signs that the Milago were amassing their army, but I do not know exactly how prepared they are, nor what their numbers are, nor whether the knights in the barracks are safe. With your permission, I would take my men and go on a rescue-scouting mission. We need to warn the knights to be ready for an attack, and we need to gather more information." He nodded slightly to Nyja. "Besides, we must learn more about the situation if we are to have any chance at peace. If it seems that they are not intending to attack straightaway, there may still be time for negotiation."
In truth, he would need to spend the rest of the evening preparing the Milago for war. If he intended to initiate the attack by tomorrow, he would need to work rapidly, and would not have time to keep flying back and forth between the settlements.
He saw gratefulness flicker in Nyja's eyes. Foolish woman. "I think that is a good idea," she said. "The safety of our men is paramount, and we must know if it is possible to dissuade the Milago from their path."
Tolk had paused, but Raig knew better than to question Sawil's recommendation. He gestured his approval without hesitation. "Very well. Have someone else rally the troops, and set off as soon as you are ready. Is there anything else?"
"No, sir. I will try to return by tomorrow morning."
"Very well. Dismissed."
He stood at attention and saluted, the very picture of loyalty. Then he turned and departed.
Saint Dane had considered simply delivering the tak to the Milago, rallying them, and leading the attack on the Bedoowan without so much as a word of warning to them; but he wanted the Milago to meet an obvious enemy when they came, to have their worst fears confirmed in the forms of battalions of armed knights. True, the Milago would suffer more casualties as a result of the Bedoowan's semi-preparedness, but in the end their victory would be assured. He just needed the tak.
He would need to return promptly to ensure the tak vein was not destroyed. That was his greatest concern – that they would put it to flame as Pendragon had done so long ago. That was why he intended to lead the attack to capture the laboratory himself.
He made his way to the central barracks. Upon reaching it he called at once for a courier and barked, "The Milago have tak, and are preparing for war! Rally the other officers. They are to meet at the Town Center, order of the councilors. Dismissed."
The courier's face paled, but he sprang into action at once. As the boy rushed off to bring his lovely tidings of war to the town, Sawil made his way downstairs to the jail. There was still much he needed to do, but he had just enough time for a word with his old foe if he hurried.
He turned corner after corner and, upon reaching the last cell, he barked a dismissal to the guards who stood near it. "I must speak with this man alone. Leave."
They obeyed at once. As soon as they were gone, his face smoothed into a smile.
Press was lying on his back on the bunk, feet propped up against the wall. He'd been whistling, but had stopped at his enemy's approach. Saint Dane walked up to the cell and said, "Comfortable, I hope? You've spent an awful lot of time in there. I do hope it's cozy."
No reply. Press didn't even open his eyes to look at him.
Saint Dane smirked. "You'll be glad to hear that your protegee is progressing splendidly. In a mere three days she managed to find what has eluded me for months! And, being the dear thing she is, she led me straight to it. See?"
At this Press glanced at him, and at the ball of tak he'd brought along. Still, however, no comment. The man remained annoyingly silent, clearly unwilling to escalate their conversation.
Tone still level, Saint Dane continued. "You know, I must confess myself a bit disappointed with her. Quite the skittish thing, isn't she? I don't believe Pendragon was so weak-kneed when we first met."
Press yawned, closing his eyes again.
The fallen Traveler's eyes narrowed. He did not like being ignored. "Hmm. No matter. I have much to prepare. By tomorrow night, the Milago and the Bedoowan will be at war. I'll be sure to drop by and give you an account of the carnage…assuming you're still alive, that is. Tak is a terribly destructive mineral. It always leaves behind so much…collateral damage. Hopefully your little protegee will find somewhere nice and safe to hunker down. We wouldn't want her getting caught in the crossfire, would we?"
Press' eye flickered open again, and Saint Dane at last saw a glint of irritation there. Success.
Then the man resumed his relaxed impression. "Aria will be fine. Like I said, she's a lot more resourceful than she looks."
Saint Dane's lip curled in disgust. "Quite. Her resourcefulness is adequate." As an afterthought he added, "She could stand to work on her aim, though."
Press frowned in confusion. "Her aim? What?"
Saint Dane chuckled, but was already turning to depart. Sawil had been given leave to deal with his own problems; Maal, however, was sorely needed elsewhere. "Goodbye, my old friend. Until next time. Oh," he said casually as he recalled the recent report he'd gathered from his underlings. "My condolences, by the way." No doubt he would already have received the news.
He sensed only minor irritation from his age-old adversary as he exited the jail. No matter. He couldn't be expected to leave a mark on every visit. Press was no easy target. Aria, on the other hand…still so sensitive to his presence. He hoped she would not grow callous too quickly. Her reaction in the lab that morning indicated that he had little to fear on that front.
His finger's twitched at the memory. She had yielded to him like a hare dodging the wheels of an oncoming train, throwing herself out of harm's way without hesitation. And him without his gun, too.
Pathetic. Pendragon would have stood his ground. What kind of adversary had they presented him with?
Bah. Never mind. Perhaps once he gained control of Denduron, the girl would creep back home in shame and he could deal with a true opponent. Perhaps the boy, Theron.
He reached a quiet area where he could take to the sky unseen and turned to fly in the direction of the Milago village. He was quite fond of his raven form, almost as fond of it as he was of his typical human form. It was comfortable, highly effective, and allowed him to blend into almost any territory. He'd never had any reason to be displeased with it, aside from one unfortunate incident involving a chance encounter with a hunter some months earlier. He'd been traveling between the villages on a routine trip when he'd suddenly sprouted an arrow from his chest.
The incident caused quite a stir in the village. When the amateur hunter had gone to retrieve his most impressive kill, he hadn't been able to find it. What he had found was an extremely ornery bear, which had mauled him half to death before vanishing into thin air. Imagine that.
The fool could have shot any bird in the forest.
Ever since that fiasco, Saint Dane had taken to flying over denser parts of the canopy, out of line of sight of the ground, unless he was actively searching for something.
He glanced up at the suns, and was pleased to see that he was making good time. He'd dropped by the Milago village earlier, just after retrieving the tak, before heading to the Bedoowan town. He'd dropped off half of his tak sample, knowing that he would need to have it on hand when he returned in order to convince Kore and the others of their impending demise. Then he'd sought out his assassins. It had taken him nearly an hour to find them, but he'd done so at a particularly opportune time. They'd only just managed their last task. No doubt the body had still been cooling as they'd delivered their report.
At this point it was vital to shut down communication between the Milago and the Bedoowan, so he'd ordered them to patrol the forest between the two settlements and stop anyone who attempted to get through. Immediately following the order he'd flown to the Bedoowan town. He'd sensed the presence of the remaining Travelers beneath him as he'd flown but had ignored them. He'd been on a strict timetable. He still was, and was eager to get back to the Milago village and set the rest of his plan in motion.
As soon as he arrived, he would inform them of Grail's death. Now that he had the location of the tak mine, it was vital to incense them as much as possible. He would tell them that he had found the tak vein, and Grail blown to pieces nearby. He would take care to describe it in loving detail, perhaps –
He trilled as a delightful idea popped into his head. He did not want the girl, Aria, interfering more than was necessary. If he could keep her away from the Milago, it would make her so much more manageable. And it was always beneficial to drive a wedge between Press and whatever people he was seeking to help. Yes, he would lay the blame for this plot with them, perhaps aligning them with one of the foreign tribes who lusted after the glaze found in the mines, and who would love to see the Milago enslaved once again to get their hands on it. As for Grail's death, he would lay that squarely at Aria's feet, implying her to be under the direct order of the Bedoowan leadership. It would, perhaps, be difficult it convince them that such a young girl would be capable of such a heinous crime, but he felt confident he could pull it off. After all, Maal was by far their most trusted councilor. And once he proclaimed the girl guilty she would be totally cut off from the Milago leadership.
He thought forward to the coming speech. He would round up as many of the Milago as he could before delivering the news. They would go all but mad at the news of Grail's death, the icing on the cake of all they had endured the last few months. He would use whatever was necessary to rile them, to enrage them, to compel them to the wild retribution he required of them. That done, he would return one more time to the Bedoowan, to ensure their forces were armed, but not ready for an attack. Then he would return to the Milago. Maal would lead them into glorious battle and, armed with raw tak – scooped straight from the walls, if necessary – they would march on the Bedoowan and obliterate them. Then they would obliterate the Lowsee. Then the Novans.
No tribe on Denduron would be able to stand up to them, and it would not take long for every tribe to fall under Milago rule. And in time…his.
Before long, Aria and Jani had reached the memorial.
Aria had thought that Alder might meet them there, but no go. He wasn't anywhere to be seen.
Jani groaned in exasperation and said, "Do we really need him? Can't we just go to Kore without him?"
Aria kept looking around, as though he would simply appear at any moment. "I guess we should, but this is important. He needs to know what's going on."
Jani sounded irritable, and Aria wondered if her injuries weren't bothering her. "Look, if it's so important to you, why don't we split up and look for him, and meet at the Town Hall at noon."
Aria glanced up. Judging by the positions of the suns, noon would be in just under an hour. Enough time for two people to make a decent search, but not enough for Saint Dane to make much headway. Hopefully.
Still, she didn't like the idea of leaving Jani alone with her injuries. "Your leg is hurt. Would you be able to run if something happened?"
Jani rolled her eyes. "From what? I'm in the middle of the village in broad daylight. You think Saint Dane is just gonna run up and start stabbing me?"
"Okay, okay, I see your point. I'm going to check the barracks, okay?"
Aria was still uncomfortable with sending Jani off alone, but for some reason, she'd begun to get a bad feeling about Alder. He'd struck her as more reliable than this. "Fine," Jani said. "I'll take the marketplace."
The two split up, and before long Aria was on her own once again.
As she walked through the village, she noticed that it was oddly deserted. A few people were walking around here and there, but the throng of life she'd seen on her first day was nowhere to be found. Maybe it was Denduron's Sunday? Or was everyone out and about, looking for Grail? She really hoped Alder had found him. If he wasn't dead, it would make the whole peace thing a lot more attainable.
She reached the section of forest that she was fairly certain separated the village from the barracks, and for some reason, a chill ran up her spine. Was she being followed?
She turned around quickly, but she saw no one aside from a Bedoowan knight leaning against a barn door, chatting casually with a farmer. They looked like they were having a friendly conversation. Nothing to explain the anxiety she was feeling.
She decided to jog to the barracks. She didn't want to be in a largely unpopulated part of the village by herself for too long with this kind of creepy feeling hanging around her. She started into the woods at a light run. She was pleased to notice that her injury wasn't bothering her in the slightest.
As soon as she was past the tree line, she heard a familiar voice call to her softly. "Aria!"
Aria whipped around and saw Alder walking towards her, clutching his side. Alarm rang in her head. He looked injured. "Alder! Are you okay? What happened? I have a lot to tell you–"
"No time," he gasped. "They will be back for me soon. I managed to get away long enough to find you, and that is all that is important."
Aria eyed his wound. A bit of blood was trickling through his fingers, but it wasn't bad. It could be fixed. She tried not to sound panicked as she said, "Let's get to the medic. Or the barracks. I can fill you in on what happened, but you need to get off your feet."
Alder shook his head. "No. There is no time." There was a resolve in his eyes that scared her very much, but his tone became soft. "Aria. I know that you did not ask for this responsibility. I know that you have been through a great deal already, and that you are going to go through much, much more. But you must listen to me. Denduron's fate rests with you. Tarek will help you now. I have trained him well. Stand together, and you will be able to defeat Saint Dane."
Then, he held out a hand as though offering her something. She reached out to take it, and he dropped a ring into her hand. The same sort of ring he always wore, silver, set with a grey stone. "Give this to Tarek. Tell him that I am proud of him, and that I know he will shoulder this burden well."
Aria's heart was pounding. Why did it sound like he was saying goodbye? "Your injury isn't that bad," she said firmly.
But Alder just shook his head. "There are assassins after me and I do not have the strength to fend them off, nor can I involve my fellow knights. They will return soon. You must go."
Aria's eyes widened in horror. Then, she remembered something. "Wait! I…I have a gun. I took it from Saint Dane, do you know how to use it? You can–"
Alder's gaze darkened, and his voice became harsh. "No! We must only use what the territory has to offer!"
That was what Press had told her, but she felt like she'd heard it somewhere else as well. Why did it strike her so suddenly now? "But I can't just leave you to die," she said desperately.
Alder's stare fixed on something behind her. She turned. At once, she relaxed. It was the Bedoowan knight who had been talking to the farmer. She turned back to Alder and said, "There! He can help you, and we can get others from the barracks. I can go get Tal."
Alder spoke sharply. "Aria. Leave, now. Do not return. Find Tarek, and do what you can to prevent this war. Go."
Her stomach dropped, and she turned back to see the knight. He was still just standing there, arms crossed. His expression was fixed on Alder, mouth smiling, eyes empty. His helmet was under his arm. She felt cold, and began to tremble.
Alder grabbed her shoulder. He looked her in the eye. His gaze cut through the fear, the doubt, the terror. For an instant, there was calm.
"This is the way it was meant to be," he said. "Now, go."
He shoved her towards the village, and the trance was broken.
Aria stumbled, and the Bedoowan knight began to approach Alder. Out of the trees, two more appeared from different sides.
Aria stepped backwards, away from them, and heard something behind her. She turned, and another knight was standing there, face covered by a helmet.
He looked down at her coldly. "Leave, and do not speak of this, unless you wish to die."
Aria shook, still disoriented. How could she leave? How could she leave Alder?
But his words, his calm, still echoed in her head. He had told her to go, and she had no other choice.
Aria bolted past the assassin.
An angry cry sounded behind her, but the knight who had stared her down said, "Leave her. Our orders are for him alone."
She ran, heading back towards the village. Alder's strength stayed with her just long enough to get her to safety. Then, the cold, harsh reality of the situation came flooding back, and her legs gave out.
She'd reached the barn, and she crawled just inside the open door. The farmer was gone. She hunched up against the wall, trembling. The ring felt cold in her hand.
She wanted to throw up. She wanted to curl up and die. She'd left Alder. She'd left him to be killed.
The gun in her pouch suddenly burned against her leg, and felt a million times heavier. Any calming influence Alder's words had had on her dissipated. She'd left him, and she'd had the ability to save him.
But what would she have done? Shot the assassins? Killed them? Could she have? Could she have possibly?
No. Of course not. But she could have run to the barracks for help.
If you had, they would have killed you, her rational side told her calmly.
She could have tried.
You would have died.
She forced herself to her feet. No. She couldn't hide here and wait to see what happened. Maybe she could just…frighten the assassins off. She pulled out the gun, clicked off the safety, and stumbled out of the barn. She ran back to the woods where the assassins would be.
She heard nothing as she approached. It wasn't too late, was it? She'd only been gone a minute. It couldn't be too late. Why had she left in the first place?
By the time she reached the clearing, the assassins were gone. A figure lay face down in the grass. Alder.
A low moan escaped her throat. Her legs felt weak, but she made her way over to him, knelt beside him, placed a hand on his back, and reached for his neck to find a pulse.
Warm. He was warm, but…
She lifted her hand. It was covered in blood. She looked at him, really looked at him, and realized that the wound she'd touched was over his heart.
He was dead.
She'd left him, and now he was dead.
She lurched back, revulsion welling up in her. She crawled backwards, turned, and vomited.
When she was done she looked down at her hand. It was covered in blood, and was still holding the ring. All she could smell was blood. All she could see was blood. She dropped the ring in her pocket and wiped her hand on the grass. It didn't help much. She wiped her hand on her clothes. Her hand was still red. Now the leathers were, too.
She clamped her teeth together, knowing that if she cried out now, the assassins may hear her. They might come back, and that would be the end of her.
For a moment, she felt like she deserved it.
She forced herself to her feet and as she did so, a choked cry sounded behind her.
She looked and saw Tal standing beside a tree, looking between her and Alder's body with horror. Aria was panting heavily from being sick. She wanted to speak, to tell her what had happened, to explain why Alder was dead.
But she couldn't. Her throat closed up. She knew why Alder was dead. She knew exactly why.
She turned and ran back to the village.
Barely seeing anything through the haze of tears that had sprung up to blind her, she sprinted past homes and gardens and huts and lights, faster than she had ever run in her life. She was now glad the village was deserted. She couldn't talk to anyone, couldn't face anyone.
She made it to Jani's house with no interference. She walked past the withered vegetables, past the dreamcatcher that hung dusty from the roof, and pushed on the door. It was unlocked, and swung open. She went inside. Everything was covered in dust. She tried inhaling through her nose. It was clogged with mucus, but if it hadn't been she was sure she'd be sneezing right now.
She looked through the small home. It had three rooms. One was a bedroom with a large bed, another a small bedroom with a hammock covered in furs and blankets, and the entrance room seemed to be a kitchen and living room combined. There was one small closet in the back.
Aria lumbered over to the smaller bedroom, went to the hammock, pulled back the blankets, collapsed onto the giant pelt that covered the bottom, and pulled the blankets over her head. She curled up, feeling the metal and stone of the ring pressing into her hip beneath her, and started to cry.
This wasn't a frustrated, rough-day-at-school kind of cry. Nor was it a I-had-a-really-bad-dream-that-freaked-me-out kind of cry. It was the throat-wrenching, guttural, pillow-soaking kind. It was the kind that just kept coming and coming, the kind that seemed to get worse rather than better. It was the kind that left you hoarse and weak and aching when you were done.
Why? Why had Alder told her to leave? Why hadn't he gone to the knights for help?
Probably both for the same reason. Unlike her, he wasn't willing to risk his friends' lives to save his own.
She shook, and as she sobbed she heard a strange noise coming from outside. The heavy pounding of a drum. It sounded important, like some sort of call to gather, maybe for an important meeting.
She found that she couldn't make herself care. She covered her ears to block the sound out, and after a while it stopped. Not long after, another series of sounds had followed – a several, distinct BOOMS, like crashing thunder. Kahlin must have destroyed the mine entrances, then. Again, she felt utterly detached.
She didn't know how long she lay there under the blankets, head pounding from the force of her misery and also, probably, from oxygen deprivation. It was at least an hour. Eventually, however, a voice said, "Aria? Is that you?"
Aria hiccupped. She slid her head out and took in a gasp of air. Jani was standing across the room looking tense, and seemed to be favoring her uninjured leg.
She didn't relax much upon seeing her face. Her eyebrows scrunched up, her expression as close to concern as was probably possible for her. "I didn't see you at the Town Hall. I didn't know where you were, so I just came back here. What happened?"
Aria's throat was still clenched shut. She tried to speak, but couldn't. She just gaped. Jani said, "Wait here."
She turned, rifled around in the kitchen, and came back with a bowl of water, which she handed to Aria. She took it and sipped very slowly. Water trickled down her throat, and finally her vocal chords loosened.
"Alder. Alder is dead."
Jani's eyes widened, and she seemed to notice the blood on Aria's hand. "How? What happened?" She asked again.
Aria dropped the bowl as her shaking redoubled. "I did. I happened. I left him. There were assassins there. And I left him. I ran. Just like in the lab. I ran like a coward. I left him there to die. Why am I such a coward? Why am I so weak?"
Jani stood there, staring down at her. She didn't say anything. She just picked up the bowl, went back into the kitchen, came back, and handed it to her again. More water.
Aria drank it slowly. It tasted bitter in her mouth. Maybe the bowl was just dusty.
She hiccupped again, and Jani said, "There was a Town Hall meeting. That's what the drums were for. It…wasn't good." She paused, perhaps trying to organize the information in her head. "Saint Dane went to Kore as Maal and showed everyone the tak. They panicked. He told them that you and Press were responsible for arming the Bedoowan with it. That you two had been working with them to re-conquer us." She paused. "Kore put out a death-warrant for both of you, and Maal gave them a pretty good description of what you looked like."
Aria looked up at her in horror.
Jani continued, "Almost everyone is at the Town Hall. I couldn't get close – they mentioned me by name, that I might have been helping you guys. Tarek, too. I was hiding behind a crate to listen, and I took off once the meeting was done. Came back here." She paused, then said, "They're preparing for war."
Her voice was flat. Aria struggled out of the hammock and said, "I can't do this."
Jani didn't say anything.
Aria wiped her face on her arm, covering it with snot and tears. Not only did her face still feel disgusting, now her arm did, too. "I'm sorry. I can't do this. I can't handle this. I need to go home."
Jani just said, "Can you make it back from here?"
Aria nodded. "The way back is near the top of the mountain."
"You could probably make it to the base before sunset. Be home by tonight." Her voice held no inflection.
Aria stood up and said, "I'm sorry. I…I tried to help. I really did. I'm sorry."
Jani didn't react to the apology. "Come on. We need to go before people decide to start looking for us here. Everyone knows where I live."
Jani turned to go, and Aria followed meekly. They left, taking care to head straight for the tree line to avoid prying eyes.
They'd been walking, fast, for ten minutes before Aria realized that she was really doing this. She was giving up. Going home.
She felt for the whistle around her neck, and dully noted that it was still there. The two walked in silence for the entire trip.
Like Jani said, they got there well before sunset. Aria hadn't noticed, but Jani had begun limping at some point. Again, she'd been so involved in her own wellbeing that she hadn't even noticed her friend's pain.
Jani spotted the sled and said, "That yours?"
Aria nodded.
Jani turned around and said, "Okay. Best of luck. Watch out for bears." Then she turned to go.
Aria was alarmed at being left so quickly. "Wait!" She cried.
Jani whirled around, and Aria finally saw some fire in her eyes. "I don't have time for this," Jani growled. "Go home. I'll take care of stuff from here."
Aria looked at her, and remembered what she'd wanted to know about Jani from the first time they'd met. "Why did you hate me so much when I first showed up?"
Her eyes bulged, and Aria thought, for the fourth time in as many days, that she was about to get clocked. But Jani just stood there, tense, and after a minute, she spoke, voice low and quick.
"About a year ago, some stranger showed up in our village. Said he was from over the mountain. Like you did. It was before dad started disappearing. My parents were friendly people. They invited the guy to stay at our house overnight, since the inn was full for the Festival of Noab. The next day, dad and I went to the marketplace to pick some stuff. When we got back…mom and the man were both gone."
Aria shuddered, and suddenly regretting asking the question.
Jani continued. "We thought maybe they'd just gone to see the festival grounds being set up. We went there. Nothing. No one had seen either of them all day. We went back to the house. Nothing. Dad started running all around the town, asking people if they'd seen anything, mom, the man, anything at all. No one had. Finally, after a few hours, one person said he'd seen a man and a woman heading into the forest near our house, in the direction of the mountains. Dad told me to wait at the house while he went to look, but I followed him anyways."
She paused, took a deep breath, and said, "We found her pretty quickly. She'd been stabbed a bunch of times. She was cold and covered with flies. The man was gone."
When Aria didn't say anything, Jani spat, "That's why I don't like outsiders. One of them killed my mom. Happy now?"
She wasn't. "I'm so sorry."
Jani's face twisted up in disgust. "Just go home. I need to go try and save what's left of my family. Just…go…home."
And she turned and walked away.
Aria watched her go. When she was out of sight, Aria sat down on the sled. She pulled her knees to her chest, buried her face in her arms, and tried to think.
She needed to go home. Of course she needed to go home. She'd done nothing but mess up since arriving.
That's not true. No one else would have caught Jani's attention but you, an outsider, and no one but her could have helped you find the lab.
And if she hadn't, Kahlin and Steric would have been able to take the tak-light to the council without being exposed to Saint Dane.
But they wouldn't have. They didn't know how bad things had gotten, because they didn't know what the villagers were talking about. The villagers only talked freely to an outsider. Like you.
Press could have done everything. And he wouldn't have been followed, either.
You don't know that. Besides, everyone knows him. It wouldn't have been the same.
Everyone would be better off with her gone.
Press won't. The Milago are going to have tak soon, and there's a death-warrant out for him.
There was one out for her, too!
That doesn't change anything.
Yes it does!
Why?
The suns would be setting soon. It was strange how quickly they seemed to drop once they got close to the horizon.
It's strange how quickly you give up once someone gives you permission to. Why do you think Press and Alder didn't?
Another sob welled up in her throat, but she shoved it back down. Crying time was over. She needed to move. But when she got to her feet and turned towards the mountain, she couldn't seem to make her feet go.
Her parents would be worried about her. She'd already missed three days of school. She was planning on going hiking with Kar and Tommy that Friday. She needed to leave.
Press is in danger. So are Jani and Tarek. So are Tal and Chariti and her children and Kahlin and Steric and all of the Milago and Bedoowan. So is Denduron. You need to stay.
She looked up at the mountain, steeling herself.
It really was a long hike. She'd never liked mountains.
Go back.
And besides, she didn't have any snowshoes.
Go back.
And there were quig bears up there.
Go back.
And quig mountain lions at home. And who knew if the whistle worked on them?
Go back!
She reached into her pocket and pulled out the Traveler's ring. Blood had dried onto it, turning the stone reddish-brown. She turned away from the mountain, and back to the village. Back to an entire population of people who thought that she was a monster that wanted to destroy their entire way of life, and who wanted to murder her for it.
Well, good thing most of the mine entrances were well outside the town. If she hurried, she might be able to get to one of them before they were locked down.