made everything nice when you buried her.”
“Of course. Orion, what's wrong?”
“Someone tore the cabin apart. It's gone!”
Eleven
“What?” Enda crouched behind a tree stump. Orion had his back against another nearby.
“The ring. My mother's ring.”
“She had a ring?”
“She hardly wore it. Most of the time it was hidden. A lot of good that did.”
“Oh, I'm sorry, Orion. It would have been nice to remember her by.”
“You don't understand. It's the ring she mentioned.”
“What?”
“The thing I'm to take. The thing that will prove who I am in Avallonë.” They had been crouching behind a tree throughout this back-and-forth. With a sigh Orion sat down against a rotting log. He put his elbows on his knees and stared at his clasped hands. “Without it I'm a homeless wanderer.”
“Oh.”
The sounds changed. The pair listened as the horsemen roused Kerdae from his work. Orion felt Enda pinch his arm at the elbow with her grip. “Orion. What are they doing? They didn't bother him before.”
She thought he had the answer for that? My father killed one of their horses. Kerry knocked Riley out cold and outclassed them on the slopes. They can't hurt him anymore and they can't find me, so your father's the next best. He sighed.
It would sound even worse out loud. His troubled mind tried pushing away yet more unanswered questions as he tried to ignore the ring and merchant.
He focused on the tumult. It grew quieter as the raucous band left the blacksmith. He breathed out, relieved. They weren't mad enough to endanger the blacksmith. Yet. Just him.
And Enda, if they found her unprotected.
Some time passed. Orion crept back towards the smithy. “They're gone for now.”
She joined him at the edge of the forest. “What are you going to do now?”
“I don't know. I thought I'd sleep in your attic, if it's okay.”
She smiled. “Oh of course. I mean now with them here and the ring gone?”
“I don't know. Hide, I think.” His head throbbed with take ring queen a-sparrow to the beat of hooves. What did his mother mean?
Supper tasted horrible. Some dried meat, bland vegetables, and broth that was mostly water. How could the meat be too dry and too wet at the same time? At least it was hot.
Kerdae told them what happened. “They're looking for you, Brian. Said a lot of things about you and your father. I don't know what's gotten into them, but you better not let any of them see you.”
He nodded. “Stupid horse.”
“What's that?”
“There was an accident, daddy. A horse died when Devlin did, or something like that.”
“Oh.”
That night Orion tried sorting everything out. He couldn't imagine leaving Darach now. His parents lay buried, further than eye could see apart, but he couldn't let them sleep. His father's death was a freak of chance. Why him? Why not one of the others? Why now? Was there any sense in it?
But his mother's death was worse. It had no explanation, no cause.
He played her last words over in his head. How could she know? Had she not spoken, the mystery would not have been so dark. But to know that she saw Devlin's death—Enda could not have known—that made it impossible to understand. He'd heard of people dying in their sleep. Older people. But that, strange as it was, could make sense.
He felt he couldn't bear to leave his parents. Shock immobilized him. But as he thought some more, he realized he must leave their bodies behind. How else could he lay them to rest? His father—so close, so trusted, yet the father he knew wasn't a man to draw dark looks. His mother—of a different people, dying with his father.
Was that what she meant when she flirted with Devlin? “My life is yours and only yours.” Could her love be so strong that she could not, would not live without him? He'd heard that sort of thing in ballads around a cozy campfire. It sounded good and well then, but did those lovers have any children? It seemed horribly selfish
“Of course. Orion, what's wrong?”
“Someone tore the cabin apart. It's gone!”
Eleven
“What?” Enda crouched behind a tree stump. Orion had his back against another nearby.
“The ring. My mother's ring.”
“She had a ring?”
“She hardly wore it. Most of the time it was hidden. A lot of good that did.”
“Oh, I'm sorry, Orion. It would have been nice to remember her by.”
“You don't understand. It's the ring she mentioned.”
“What?”
“The thing I'm to take. The thing that will prove who I am in Avallonë.” They had been crouching behind a tree throughout this back-and-forth. With a sigh Orion sat down against a rotting log. He put his elbows on his knees and stared at his clasped hands. “Without it I'm a homeless wanderer.”
“Oh.”
The sounds changed. The pair listened as the horsemen roused Kerdae from his work. Orion felt Enda pinch his arm at the elbow with her grip. “Orion. What are they doing? They didn't bother him before.”
She thought he had the answer for that? My father killed one of their horses. Kerry knocked Riley out cold and outclassed them on the slopes. They can't hurt him anymore and they can't find me, so your father's the next best. He sighed.
It would sound even worse out loud. His troubled mind tried pushing away yet more unanswered questions as he tried to ignore the ring and merchant.
He focused on the tumult. It grew quieter as the raucous band left the blacksmith. He breathed out, relieved. They weren't mad enough to endanger the blacksmith. Yet. Just him.
And Enda, if they found her unprotected.
Some time passed. Orion crept back towards the smithy. “They're gone for now.”
She joined him at the edge of the forest. “What are you going to do now?”
“I don't know. I thought I'd sleep in your attic, if it's okay.”
She smiled. “Oh of course. I mean now with them here and the ring gone?”
“I don't know. Hide, I think.” His head throbbed with take ring queen a-sparrow to the beat of hooves. What did his mother mean?
Supper tasted horrible. Some dried meat, bland vegetables, and broth that was mostly water. How could the meat be too dry and too wet at the same time? At least it was hot.
Kerdae told them what happened. “They're looking for you, Brian. Said a lot of things about you and your father. I don't know what's gotten into them, but you better not let any of them see you.”
He nodded. “Stupid horse.”
“What's that?”
“There was an accident, daddy. A horse died when Devlin did, or something like that.”
“Oh.”
That night Orion tried sorting everything out. He couldn't imagine leaving Darach now. His parents lay buried, further than eye could see apart, but he couldn't let them sleep. His father's death was a freak of chance. Why him? Why not one of the others? Why now? Was there any sense in it?
But his mother's death was worse. It had no explanation, no cause.
He played her last words over in his head. How could she know? Had she not spoken, the mystery would not have been so dark. But to know that she saw Devlin's death—Enda could not have known—that made it impossible to understand. He'd heard of people dying in their sleep. Older people. But that, strange as it was, could make sense.
He felt he couldn't bear to leave his parents. Shock immobilized him. But as he thought some more, he realized he must leave their bodies behind. How else could he lay them to rest? His father—so close, so trusted, yet the father he knew wasn't a man to draw dark looks. His mother—of a different people, dying with his father.
Was that what she meant when she flirted with Devlin? “My life is yours and only yours.” Could her love be so strong that she could not, would not live without him? He'd heard that sort of thing in ballads around a cozy campfire. It sounded good and well then, but did those lovers have any children? It seemed horribly selfish
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