from what she wanted to tell him. "I'm sure it couldn't have been your fault. It was probably easier to blame you than himself."
He turned to meet her gaze, and she saw how much he wanted to believe her. They sat there with their eyes locked for a few moments before he spoke, his voice soft and thoughtful. "Maybe you're right. I don't know."
She thought about what he had said, and the words he had used caught her attention. "He's passed now, isn't he? Your father, I mean."
Tavis nodded and again, she saw him hesitate before answering. "He got sick a few months ago and I guess all that drinking took a toll. It didn't last long, at least. I suppose I should be grateful. I’m free of him now, to do what I want, to be who I need to be. I sold the farm a few days ago. Couldn't stand the idea of staying." He paused for a moment and shook his head, scowling. "I don't know why I'm telling you all this. Can we talk about something else? What about this mentor of yours? I guess that he's in Voleno. Do you miss him?"
His casual comment nearly made her cry. Dropping her gaze to her lap, she struggled to hold it back, not wanting to make him feel as bad about this as she did about her own questions. "I do miss him. But he- he's gone."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't-"
She waved a hand without looking up, wanting to show him she was all right, even though she wasn't. She just couldn't stand the concern and distress in his voice. It somehow made her feel worse still.
Several minutes of silence passed as she tried to collect herself. Eventually he cleared his throat and said, "Fay, I was thinking. You know, we could travel together, at least until you need to turn off the highway. It would be safer for you that way, a woman traveling alone. I mean, I know you're a Magicia, but I just can't let you go off alone without offering, especially since we're going the same way."
She hesitated, the confusing rush of joy caused by his suggestion making it difficult to think the offer through. She was used to doing things alone, so she didn't understand why the idea of company was so thrilling to her. It might be safer for her, but she knew traveling with Tavis could put him at risk. She wasn’t even sure what danger she might be in, and what she would be exposing him to. That thought almost made her decline at once, but a practical consideration occurred to her. If she wasn't traveling alone, she might feel safe enough to sleep, and then she would be better able to sort out whatever she was suddenly in the middle of. She hadn't forgotten Brinds' words when he had barged in.
More than any of these factors though, she found she enjoyed talking with Tavis more than she remembered with anyone else she'd ever met. Maybe it's his unassuming manner, she thought. She realized that it might also make the grief in her heart bearable to have Tavis with her, even for a while, rather than being left alone with it. That idea pushed her to a decision. She nodded. "I'd like that, but I was planning to leave first thing in the morning, you know. I need to get to Harkol right away."
He smiled more broadly this time and again she responded in kind without thinking about it. "Well then, I guess it's a good thing I kept my horse from the farm. That should help me to keep up, unless you're walking there."
She surprised herself by laughing. "That would definitely take too long. We'll have to see if your horse can keep up with mine."
He laughed with her, but there was something in his eyes, a spark that she didn't quite understand. He reached out placed his hand on hers. "In the morning then. I think I'll go to bed now, if we're leaving so very early. Will dawn be early enough for you?"
It occurred to her that farmers often woke very early in the morning, so that would likely be easier for him than her. His light sarcasm acted like a challenge though and she raised her chin, trying to project a confidence she didn't feel. "I'll head off myself, I think. Traveling is
He turned to meet her gaze, and she saw how much he wanted to believe her. They sat there with their eyes locked for a few moments before he spoke, his voice soft and thoughtful. "Maybe you're right. I don't know."
She thought about what he had said, and the words he had used caught her attention. "He's passed now, isn't he? Your father, I mean."
Tavis nodded and again, she saw him hesitate before answering. "He got sick a few months ago and I guess all that drinking took a toll. It didn't last long, at least. I suppose I should be grateful. I’m free of him now, to do what I want, to be who I need to be. I sold the farm a few days ago. Couldn't stand the idea of staying." He paused for a moment and shook his head, scowling. "I don't know why I'm telling you all this. Can we talk about something else? What about this mentor of yours? I guess that he's in Voleno. Do you miss him?"
His casual comment nearly made her cry. Dropping her gaze to her lap, she struggled to hold it back, not wanting to make him feel as bad about this as she did about her own questions. "I do miss him. But he- he's gone."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't-"
She waved a hand without looking up, wanting to show him she was all right, even though she wasn't. She just couldn't stand the concern and distress in his voice. It somehow made her feel worse still.
Several minutes of silence passed as she tried to collect herself. Eventually he cleared his throat and said, "Fay, I was thinking. You know, we could travel together, at least until you need to turn off the highway. It would be safer for you that way, a woman traveling alone. I mean, I know you're a Magicia, but I just can't let you go off alone without offering, especially since we're going the same way."
She hesitated, the confusing rush of joy caused by his suggestion making it difficult to think the offer through. She was used to doing things alone, so she didn't understand why the idea of company was so thrilling to her. It might be safer for her, but she knew traveling with Tavis could put him at risk. She wasn’t even sure what danger she might be in, and what she would be exposing him to. That thought almost made her decline at once, but a practical consideration occurred to her. If she wasn't traveling alone, she might feel safe enough to sleep, and then she would be better able to sort out whatever she was suddenly in the middle of. She hadn't forgotten Brinds' words when he had barged in.
More than any of these factors though, she found she enjoyed talking with Tavis more than she remembered with anyone else she'd ever met. Maybe it's his unassuming manner, she thought. She realized that it might also make the grief in her heart bearable to have Tavis with her, even for a while, rather than being left alone with it. That idea pushed her to a decision. She nodded. "I'd like that, but I was planning to leave first thing in the morning, you know. I need to get to Harkol right away."
He smiled more broadly this time and again she responded in kind without thinking about it. "Well then, I guess it's a good thing I kept my horse from the farm. That should help me to keep up, unless you're walking there."
She surprised herself by laughing. "That would definitely take too long. We'll have to see if your horse can keep up with mine."
He laughed with her, but there was something in his eyes, a spark that she didn't quite understand. He reached out placed his hand on hers. "In the morning then. I think I'll go to bed now, if we're leaving so very early. Will dawn be early enough for you?"
It occurred to her that farmers often woke very early in the morning, so that would likely be easier for him than her. His light sarcasm acted like a challenge though and she raised her chin, trying to project a confidence she didn't feel. "I'll head off myself, I think. Traveling is
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