HENEXTday Taren returned once again to the temple ruins. The storm of the night before had left him feeling pensive and more restless than usual.
“I sense something has changed in you,” Vurin said as he joined him a few hours later.
“Something Ian said made me think that perhaps the goddess has spoken to me.” He still wasn’t sure he believed she had.
“The goddess cannot tell you what you desire,” Vurin said, as if he’d sensed Taren’s unspoken questions. “She can only lead you to your heart. But if you choose not to listen to what your heart tells you, she cannot help you.” Vurin pressed his lips together and leaned back on his hands. “Your heart has spoken, hasn’t it?”
“I don’t know.” He knew Vurin would sense the lie, but he knew just as well he would not press him further.
“Let me help you, then.” Vurin got to his feet and gazed out at the ship floating in the cove. The Phantom looked a bit forlorn, like a woman awaiting her lover’s return. The crew had taken the sails down and some of the villagers were working to repair them. “I have asked Ian to sail to the Gateway Islands in search of the rune stone.”
“You… what?”
“We cannot let the rune stone fall into the hands of those who might use it against us.” Vurin’s eyes remained fixed on the ship. “You of all people understand this.”
Taren’s jaw tensed, and the helplessness and fear that always possessed him when he thought of the stone spread through his body like icy water. He shivered. “No one has seen the stone for hundreds of years. Perhaps it’s better to leave it be.”
“You and Ian are meant to find it, Taren. The goddess has shown me this.”
“What did Ian say when you asked him to find it?” Taren was pretty sure he knew the answer.
“That the choice must be yours.”
Four
The present
I ANWATCHEDfrom the foredeck as the Phantom limped toward land. The scouts had transformed and circled Cera, the largest and closest of the Gateway Islands, in search of an isolated cove where they could anchor the ship away from prying eyes. Ian had been tempted to swim with them in hopes of locating Taren, but he knew his place was with his crew, who were licking their wounds and mourning the loss of their comrade. Already, Renda prepared for the ceremony to send Crian to his final rest in the goddess’s arms, gathering long strands of the frilly derat plant from the ocean floor as well as flowers from the island forest.
“Captain,” Barra said, bringing Ian back to himself. “Permission to take two men into town and search for news of Taren once we anchor.”
“I…,” Ian began, taken aback by Barra’s concern. “Do you think you’re well enough?” Barra had been thrown overboard during the battle and injured while in his Ea form. Renda had healed him, but he still looked a bit under the weather. True, Barra had looked tired even before they’d left Callaecia. He had relatives still on Ea’nu, and Ian guessed Barra feared for their safety now that he’d sworn allegiance to Vurin and the mainland Ea. Barra wasn’t the only member of the Phantom ’s crew who worried their loved ones might be at risk.
“Renda’s given me his permission. And I… well, I know Taren and I got off to a bit of a rough start, but….”
“Permission granted. But be careful. We don’t know who the enemy is. They may be on the island as well.”
Barra nodded. “Aye, sir.” He began to walk away, then stopped and said, “I’m sorry, sir. If I’d known he was in the water, I would have—”
“You have nothing to apologize for.” Ian squeezed Barra’s shoulder. “We’ll find him soon enough.”
“Aye. That we will.”
E ARLYTHEnext morning, after Renda had completed his work on the enchantments meant to hide the Phantom from being discovered, Ian transformed as he dove into the warm water from the port side. He’d barely made it out of the cove where they’d dropped
“I sense something has changed in you,” Vurin said as he joined him a few hours later.
“Something Ian said made me think that perhaps the goddess has spoken to me.” He still wasn’t sure he believed she had.
“The goddess cannot tell you what you desire,” Vurin said, as if he’d sensed Taren’s unspoken questions. “She can only lead you to your heart. But if you choose not to listen to what your heart tells you, she cannot help you.” Vurin pressed his lips together and leaned back on his hands. “Your heart has spoken, hasn’t it?”
“I don’t know.” He knew Vurin would sense the lie, but he knew just as well he would not press him further.
“Let me help you, then.” Vurin got to his feet and gazed out at the ship floating in the cove. The Phantom looked a bit forlorn, like a woman awaiting her lover’s return. The crew had taken the sails down and some of the villagers were working to repair them. “I have asked Ian to sail to the Gateway Islands in search of the rune stone.”
“You… what?”
“We cannot let the rune stone fall into the hands of those who might use it against us.” Vurin’s eyes remained fixed on the ship. “You of all people understand this.”
Taren’s jaw tensed, and the helplessness and fear that always possessed him when he thought of the stone spread through his body like icy water. He shivered. “No one has seen the stone for hundreds of years. Perhaps it’s better to leave it be.”
“You and Ian are meant to find it, Taren. The goddess has shown me this.”
“What did Ian say when you asked him to find it?” Taren was pretty sure he knew the answer.
“That the choice must be yours.”
Four
The present
I ANWATCHEDfrom the foredeck as the Phantom limped toward land. The scouts had transformed and circled Cera, the largest and closest of the Gateway Islands, in search of an isolated cove where they could anchor the ship away from prying eyes. Ian had been tempted to swim with them in hopes of locating Taren, but he knew his place was with his crew, who were licking their wounds and mourning the loss of their comrade. Already, Renda prepared for the ceremony to send Crian to his final rest in the goddess’s arms, gathering long strands of the frilly derat plant from the ocean floor as well as flowers from the island forest.
“Captain,” Barra said, bringing Ian back to himself. “Permission to take two men into town and search for news of Taren once we anchor.”
“I…,” Ian began, taken aback by Barra’s concern. “Do you think you’re well enough?” Barra had been thrown overboard during the battle and injured while in his Ea form. Renda had healed him, but he still looked a bit under the weather. True, Barra had looked tired even before they’d left Callaecia. He had relatives still on Ea’nu, and Ian guessed Barra feared for their safety now that he’d sworn allegiance to Vurin and the mainland Ea. Barra wasn’t the only member of the Phantom ’s crew who worried their loved ones might be at risk.
“Renda’s given me his permission. And I… well, I know Taren and I got off to a bit of a rough start, but….”
“Permission granted. But be careful. We don’t know who the enemy is. They may be on the island as well.”
Barra nodded. “Aye, sir.” He began to walk away, then stopped and said, “I’m sorry, sir. If I’d known he was in the water, I would have—”
“You have nothing to apologize for.” Ian squeezed Barra’s shoulder. “We’ll find him soon enough.”
“Aye. That we will.”
E ARLYTHEnext morning, after Renda had completed his work on the enchantments meant to hide the Phantom from being discovered, Ian transformed as he dove into the warm water from the port side. He’d barely made it out of the cove where they’d dropped
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