The scout, p.19
The Scout, page 19
It took a bit longer than I would have wanted, but I managed to catch all three of our horses, tying them up along a paddock fence, my anxiety mounting as I waited for Cian and Domhnall’s return. When the two of them finally reemerged in the darkness, I hurried over to help them carry the horses’ gear.
“Were you seen?” I asked as I knocked the worst of the dirt off Ceol before throwing his saddlecloth onto his back.
“I don’t think so,” Cian replied as he saw to his mare. “No one was watching the tack room, though there were plenty of warriors in the rest of the stable.”
Tense silence fell between us as we finished tacking up our mounts. I was careful as I lashed Rhonwen’s bow to Ceol’s saddle, a niggle of doubt making me hope I’d done the right thing in taking the weapon. There would be no way of escaping the consequences of such actions.
As soon as the horses were ready, we swung up onto their backs.
I forced myself to take a few deep breaths as I settled into the saddle and Cian led the way to the nearest side gate. The moonlight lit our way down the shell stone path we were following and I listened hard for any signs of pursuers, though I heard nothing. When we reached the gate, I was relieved to see it already open. Two warriors, who I assumed had been the guards for the night, were slumped on the ground, leaning up against the stone outer wall, while a third hooded and cloaked figure motioned for us to ride through. I recognized Mair as we rode past and my heart twisted to know just how involved she was in our scheme. I hoped she didn’t pay the price for it in our absence.
I had no time to even thank her, unfortunately, for Domhnall urged his stallion into a gallop as soon as we were through the gate, and Cian and I were forced to follow suit. We raced through the darkness, the stone walls of Clogwyn fading from view behind us as we headed for the shelter of the forest. As soon as we burst through the thick wall of trees, the underbrush forced us to slow our mounts.
“I think we should avoid the main trails,” I said as I brought Ceol abreast beside Domhnall’s stallion. “Those will be the first places someone looks. There’s a deer path that leads to the river. It lets out farther downstream. If we follow the river west, we’ll avoid Gefell and from there, we can head into the Dail.”
“So long as you’re sure you know where you’re going,” Domhnall said, pursing his lips as he glanced back at the castle.
“You forget that I grew up in these woods,” I replied, urging Ceol forward to take the lead of our trio.
As my stallion trotted through the dense forest, I squared my shoulders, my worries slowly being replaced by confidence the farther we got from the castle. We’d done it. We’d defied Father and stolen the bow. Now I just had to see this all the way through to Fianna’s defeat, no matter what.
Chapter 28
Festering Darkness
Seren
The bad storm at least waited to hit once we were out of the mountains. We were almost a full day out from the castle, a few miles from the village of Cawl, when the black sky that had been threatening rain all day erupted into a torrential downpour. The horses were on edge with the loud rumbles of thunder and the frequent flashes of lightning, and it took all of my effort to keep Ceol under control. The stallion didn’t want to be out in the middle of the raging storm any more than I did.
Domhnall rode beside me, while Cian brought up the rear. The rain fell so hard, it was almost impossible to see the rough muddy road we were following. All of us were soaked through, the horses included, and a chill had settled in the air, causing me to shiver. Another flash of lightning snaked to the ground, making the hair on the back of my neck rise and causing the horses to shy when it struck nearby, entirely too close for comfort.
“We can’t stay out in this!” I shouted as soon as we all had our mounts back under some semblance of control. “We have to find shelter.”
“The first thing we see,” Cian called back, his jaw set and his expression grim.
Despite Ceol’s reluctance, I encouraged him forward. We were in an open, hilly stretch of land, following a road that wasn’t often traveled. We had remained leery of being on the main roads, despite them offering a more direct route north, not knowing whether or not Father had sent warriors to drag us back to Clogwyn.
The wind blew the rain in sheets and Ceol lowered his head, flicking his ears back as the pelting rain began to sting my exposed skin. I pulled my cloak more tightly around me, shivering again with the damp chill in the air. Even something as simple as a rock ledge or a copse of trees would do at a time like this, something to shield us from the heavy rain and constant lightning.
I had just begun to worry that there would be no shelter to be found when I caught a glimpse of a small cottage nestled on top of the hill we were climbing. It was just off the road and I could see smoke rising from the chimney. I didn’t particularly want to expose us to strangers, but we couldn’t stay out in this storm. I called to Domhnall and Cian, fighting to be heard over the crashing thunder as I pointed up at the cottage. They both nodded in return and we urged our horses up the muddy hill, diverting off the road when we reached the top of it.
Wood fencing surrounded one side of the cottage, filled with sheep who were huddled under a large lean-to. On the other side of the cottage, there was a small barn and a decent-sized garden. The homestead belonged to herders, from the look of it, and I prayed to the Spirits that they would at least be willing to let us ride out the storm in the barn.
We swung off our horses, Cian offering to stay with our mounts while Domhnall and I sought out whoever lived here. Rain streamed off the hood of my cloak and I tried to ignore the squishing of my soggy boots as we walked to the front door. I didn’t think I’d ever been so soaked. Domhnall knocked and I started as another crack of lighting lit the sky behind us, followed by a booming roll of thunder. I anxiously looked over my shoulder, relieved to see that despite the increasing storm, Cian had managed to keep control of the horses.
The door to the cottage creaked open and I saw a wide-eyed woman, not much older than myself, standing on the other side. She didn’t open the door fully, but I could tell that she was dressed in the simple clothing of a herder, her shirt and pants made of dark-colored, earth-toned cloth that was well-worn but equally well mended. Her brown hair was pulled back and there was clear skepticism in her brown eyes as she looked up at Domhnall and me. We’d all dressed as plainly as possible when we left Clogwyn, but despite currently resembling drowned mice, I knew our attire spoke of us being more than just herders or farmers. From somewhere deeper in the house, I heard the loud laughter of a young child and the woman’s shoulders visibly tensed.
“We’re travelers seeking shelter from the storm,” I said. “If we could perhaps take shelter in your barn, we’ll leave as soon as the storm passes.”
“We can pay,” Domhnall added. “Handsomely.”
I cast him a sidelong glance, wondering just how much coin he’d brought with him on our little venture. I knew his mother had made certain he’d come to Clogwyn well off, but I didn’t need him flaunting such wealth and making us the target for robbers and thieves. Not that the woman in front of us looked like anything of the sort, but it wasn’t unwise to be cautious in a situation such as this one. The woman pressed her lips together, glancing over her shoulder as a tall, blond-haired man came to stand just behind her. His stance was wide and his expression far from friendly as he stared down at us.
“You’ll have to find shelter elsewhere,” he said, crossing his arms.
“If we can just stay in your barn,” I replied, allowing a bit of the desperation I felt inside to color my tone. Spirits only knew how long it would take to find some other shelter in this open stretch of land and we couldn’t risk staying out in the storm. “We won’t be any trouble and we’ll be gone the moment the weather clears.”
“These parts are too troubled of late to be taking in any strangers.” The man shook his head.
“You would turn away the Ri’s daughter?” Domhnall’s cheeks were flushed, his eyes narrowing. “Your future Ri.”
I silently cursed both his temper and his carelessness. I hadn’t wanted to go around telling anyone and everyone who we were. I didn’t believe for a moment that Father wouldn’t send warriors after us, and we didn’t need to make it any easier for them to find us. The woman paled at Domhnall’s words, her grip on the door tightening while the man’s stance grew even more rigid.
“Please,” I said, softening my tone. I didn’t want to intimidate them and I didn’t appreciate Domhnall’s attempts to try to. It was too much like what my father would have done. “We mean you no harm. We only seek shelter from the storm.”
The man began to speak but the woman cut him off, holding up her hand.
“You swear you mean no harm?” she asked.
“Yes,” I answered, holding her gaze.
She let out a shaky breath before stepping back and fully opening the door. The man began to protest again but she stopped him with a few sharply muttered words.
“You can put your horses in the barn,” she said, focusing back on me. “We have space for you and your friends inside the house.”
“Thank you,” I replied, unable to hold back a soft sigh of relief.
Domhnall went and told Cian the news, my cousin offering to see the horses to the stable for us. I was tempted to go with him, but I also didn’t like the thought of letting Domhnall go into a stranger’s home on his own, especially after our initial chilly welcome and his show of temper. The woman ushered the two of us into the cottage, water dripping from our cloaks and boots onto the wood floor as we entered.
“You can hang your cloaks in front of the fire,” she said. “The great room should fit the three of you comfortably. I’m Betrys and this is my husband, Eurig.”
With Domhnall having already blown any chance at anonymity we would have had, I decided to stick as close to the truth as possible without offering much in the way of details.
“Seren,” I replied before motioning to Domhnall. “And my companion, Domhnall. My cousin, Cian, will be joining us shortly.”
As Domhnall and I shed our wet cloaks, Eurig and Betrys shared a hushed conversation before he hurried off to what I assumed was the great room. Betrys gave us a nervous smile, then motioned for Domhnall and me to follow her. She escorted us into a decent-sized room, one that would be considered large compared to the rest of the house, from what I could tell. There were three wooden chairs in front of a large hearth, and two hide windows let in the faintest of light. Across the hallway, I spied what looked like a kitchen of sorts, but it wasn’t the trappings of the house that drew my focus and piqued my curiosity.
A young girl was seated on the floor in front of the hearth, playing with a well-loved stuffed wolf and a few hand-carved wooden blocks. From her dark hair, brown eyes, and facial features, I suspected her to be Eurig and Betrys’ child. Eurig had knelt down beside her and was coaxing her into gathering up her toys. When he heard Domhnall and me come into the room, he tensed, looking up at us with a wary expression.
I felt a slight twist in my stomach at his reaction. There was clearly something off here and yet at the same time, I didn’t feel as if Betrys and Eurig necessarily meant us harm. If anything, I’d begun to wonder if they were afraid of us. Betrys showed us where to lay our wet cloaks out so that they would dry while Eurig helped his daughter finish picking up her toys before ushering her out of the room.
“I can get you something to drink to help warm you up,” Betrys said, a note of forced cheer in her voice. “Please, have a seat.”
“Something to drink would be wonderful,” I replied. “Thank you.”
She gave me a tight smile before walking off into the kitchen. I settled into a chair in front of the fire while Domhnall pulled another one close and took a seat.
“I’m not so sure we should be drinking anything they offer,” he said, casting a dark look in the direction of the kitchen.
“I don’t think they mean us any harm,” I replied. “Honestly, I think they might be more worried we mean them harm.”
He scoffed. “If they’ve nothing sinister to hide, they have nothing to be worried for.”
My thoughts flitted back to the child and the way that Eurig had almost seemed to shield her from us as he had hurried her out of the room. She looked to be around the age that most children began to show signs of their giftings, if they had them at all. I shook my head, pushing the speculative thoughts aside. Giftings were not so common. What would the odds be that we had stumbled across a child that had one?
There was a knock at the front door and Eurig strode down the hallway. I heard Cian’s low voice drift into the cottage and a few moments later, he joined us in the great room. After discarding his own cloak by the fire, he took a seat in the last empty chair.
“The horses are settled,” he said, leaning back in his seat and stretching his legs out in front of him. “Storm is still raging.”
“I think we’ll be safe enough here until it passes.” I bit my lower lip as I heard slightly raised voices come from the kitchen.
Domhnall frowned, glancing across the hallway. The voices stopped, but the loud bang of a slamming door followed. I shifted in my seat, Domhnall and Cian exchanging an uneasy look. By the Spirits, I hoped I hadn’t made a mistake in insisting we take shelter in this place. A few moments later, Betrys walked into the great room carrying three steaming mugs. Her smile was still forced and her hands weren’t quite steady as she passed us our drinks.
“I hope I didn’t make it too warm,” she said as I took my mug of what appeared to be some sort of cider.
“I’m sure it will be fine,” Cian said, giving her a gracious smile. “Thank you.”
“Of course,” she replied. “Is there anything else I can get you?”
“No, thank you,” I told her. “We appreciate the shelter. As soon as the storm is over, we’ll be on our way.”
Betrys nodded, her nervous smile crossing her face again. “I have some work do in the kitchen. I’ll be in there if you need me. Eurig has gone out to check on the flock.”
She bid us farewell and I took a quick sniff of my cider after she left the room. Not smelling anything suspect and half-heartedly scolding myself for being paranoid, I took a sip. It was more flavorful than I was expecting and I wrapped my hands around the outside of the mug, letting its heat warm my chilled skin. The storm continued to rail outside, the sky growing even darker as evening slowly settled. We didn’t have time to be delayed, but none of us had control over the weather and traveling in a storm like this posed too many risks.
“We’re still alive, you know,” Cian said, drawing me out of my thoughts. He was speaking to Domhnall, who was still staring into his drink with a scrunched-up brow and a suspicious expression. “It’s not poisoned.”
Domhnall let out a huff before taking a tiny sip of the cider.
“Well, not with anything fast-acting, at least.” Cian shrugged one shoulder.
Domhnall spit his drink back out into the mug, half choking on it as he cleared his throat. I attempted a half glare at Cian, who gave me a wry look in return, but really, I was fighting to suppress a chuckle.
“Very funny,” Domhnall grumbled, wiping the back of his mouth with his sleeve.
A crash of thunder rumbled so loudly that it made me wince. If anything, the storm outside seemed to be getting worse, not better, which was the last thing we needed. Who knew what actions Fianna had already taken in the north? A shiver passed down my spine as my thoughts flitted to Bran, the raging forest fire, and the deadly fighting I had seen in my vision.
My grip on my mug tightened and I let out a long breath, trying to calm my growing fears. There had been multiple outcomes in all of the visions I’d seen, reminders that the future was ever changing. It was not set in stone that Bran would die or that the warriors of Blaidd would be slaughtered by Fianna’s ilk. I had to keep reminding myself of that. When the three of us finished our drinks, I offered to take our empty mugs back to Betrys in the kitchen.
“Are you sure you should be going in there on your own?” Domhnall asked with a frown.
“If Betrys means me any harm, it isn’t as if I’m not armed,” I replied, motioning to the dagger strapped to my waist.
He tightly pressed his lips together but gave a stiff nod, passing me his empty mug. Cian passed me his mug as well, and I left the great room behind, crossing the hallway into the kitchen. It was a simple space, with a large hearth for cooking, a few chairs, and a long table. Betrys stood over the table, scrubbing a dirty pot in a basin of water. She turned when she heard me enter, starting slightly.
“Thank you, for the cider,” I told her, holding up the mugs. “Where would you like these?”
“Right here is fine,” she said, nodding to a spot on the table next to her. “I’ll get to them next.”
An awkward silence filled the room as I went and set the mugs down where she had indicated. I stepped back from the table and had started to turn and leave when Betrys cleared her throat. I paused, turning back toward her. She fidgeted with the pot, splashing a bit of dirty water onto the table before taking a deep breath.
“You will have to forgive Eurig,” she said, not quite meeting my gaze. “He… worries. About our daughter.”
An uncomfortable feeling settled in the pit of my stomach and I gave a slow nod. “These are difficult and dangerous times.”
“One day,” Betrys said, her voice wavering as her hands began to shake, “she was out playing with Eurig. She loves to play in the mud near the sheep pens; she always has. We only turned our backs for a moment, but when we looked back at her, we knew.” She paused, a sheen of tears coming to her eyes. “And in that moment, I knew what it was to live with the fear that someday, someone would come and take my child away from me.”
My throat tightened as her words settled over me. I knew what she wasn’t saying. Her daughter was a shifter and by my father’s decree, she would be sentenced to death if anyone learned the truth of what she was. Part of me was stunned that Betrys had even confessed it; and to me, of all people. And yet even as my heart broke for her, anger coursed through me as well. This was the world my father had created. This was the darkness he had allowed to fester and grow in every corner of Blaidd. No parent should have to live in fear of losing their child. That was not the kind of future I wished for my people.
