9. Elian

Pitchvale was in disarray. The people had never seen two Wielders in their village before, and it showed on their distraught faces as they clung to their loved ones and stood outside their homes in the cold, waiting for the raid to be over.

It had been an easy ride from Milarc's border, and with only Rhielle and Lou in Elian's party, it was easier to pick up and continue rather than linger and have to worry about others. Their trail to find Owen had first led them to an inn, where they got a tip that some weary looking travelers were headed east.

Along the way, Elian met with an old man and his mute grandson, who were frightened by their presence, and he pointed them toward Pitchvale. And now here they were. But neither Owen nor his companions appeared to be in the village, even after Elian's men had ransacked the shops and homes.

Since Owen had destroyed Elian's Core on the road in Milarc, Elian used Amias's, which was an older model that didn't glow blue when it neared Astrans. This was a setback for him, but they also had Lou's Core to back them up. It had glowed blue not long ago, but now it had dimmed, and it seemed no Astran was here in Pitchvale.

He winced as he looked around as pain coursed through his left jaw. The wound that Owen's female companion, Gilda, had inflicted on him with her spiked knuckles had his face constantly aching. Luckily, the two punctures had been stitched in Covehaven before they departed, and the healer had given him a month's supply of medicine that only the elite could afford. Hopefully, as his hair grew on his face, it would help conceal the stitches.

Lou emerged from the last house he'd searched and walked toward Elian, the tails of his brown coat flapping in the wind. "That's all of them," he said, his voice deep. His blue eyes searched the area cautiously, and a few strands of black hair blew around his face.

Elian sighed and turned toward the inn, where the innkeeper stumbled out with two young girls and his wife clinging to each other behind him in the early dawn light.

"What is the meaning of this?" the man started. He was a large man, but the fear was evident in his wide eyes.

Elian turned to him, standing an inch or two taller, and glowered. He pulled out a thick medallion chained to his belt, its metal engraved with the emblem of a Core. "We're looking for fugitives who have escaped from Milarc. It is crucial that you hand over any information you may have about them."

The innkeeper shook his head and looked away. "We haven't had anyone in these parts in a week," he said.

What a terrible liar he is.

Elian glanced over as Rhielle came out of the inn.

"Found something, sir," she reported. So far, Rhielle had proved to be the most reliable apprentice he'd taken on. She stood tall with her chin raised high and green eyes observing quietly, as she always did.

Elian glanced at Lou. "Bring him in with us." He nodded at the innkeeper, and Lou grabbed the man and shoved him toward the door.

"Thomas!" the innkeeper's wife cried.

The innkeeper eyed her. "Martha, stay with the girls."

Elian gestured for the door, and Lou pushed the man through, Rhielle walking ahead of them. Inside, the open room of the inn was dark and empty. Rhielle led them into a hallway to the right until they came to a storage room. Inside, she removed a rug on the floor to reveal a trapdoor.

"Well, look at that," came Lou's voice from behind. "And what could we be hiding down here?" He pulled up the trapdoor, and the hinges creaked. A few steps led down into a dark cellar.

"Go down," Elian said, nodding for Thomas to go first, then he followed after him. "We need a light."

Lou rumbled down the steps, carrying a lantern and match. Elian took it, lit it, and held it out around the hall. There were shelves on the wall with various trinkets on it and two doors on either side of the tiny passage. Elian opened one and looked inside, but found nothing. There was no trace of someone having been here. The cots inside were made, and the small table empty. The other room across the hall looked the same.

Coming back into the hall, Elian sighed. He avoided Thomas's eyes. Seeing frightened people only got him worked up, and the last thing he needed was to feel pity for anyone.

"Owen Greene, Colt O'Malley, Gilda Woode, and Brom Flynn. Do any of those names ring a bell?" he asked.

"No," Thomas replied.

"No one came by your inn recently asking for rooms?"

"I had the usual passersby, but not that many people in any group. Only an older gentleman and his grandson some days back."

Lou cleared his throat and looked around impatiently. He wasn't used to how Elian questioned people. Instead, Lou seemed in favor of more aggression.

When the floorboards creaked upstairs, they all looked up to see a young boy around seven or eight standing at the top beside Rhielle with a look of dread on his face.

"Papa?" the boy asked.

"Go back to your room, Seth," Thomas said, his voice nervous.

But when Elian nodded at Rhielle, she grabbed the boy and forced him down the steps instead. The boy grunted and struggled to get out of her grip until they came to the bottom.

Lou strode up to Seth and bent down to his level. "Is this your grandfather, boy?" he asked.

When Seth nodded, Elian eyed Thomas, whose face drained of color.

"Now, he has nothing to do with whatever you're doing here," Thomas said.

"Shut up!" Lou hissed, and both Thomas and Seth flinched. Then the boy began to cry. "Don't worry, boy, it's not you who'll be beaten for all this, but your grandfather will unless you speak up for him."

Elian's chest tightened at threatening such a young boy, but what choice did they have? The fate of the world was hanging in their hands unless they found Owen.

Seth glared up at Lou with fierce brown eyes, but there was also fear there. "I saw the four travelers," he got out. "They were here last night and left. They met my grandfather's friend. His name is Rem."

Lou cocked his head. "And where did they go?"

"I don't know."

Nodding, Lou patted the boy's head, then he shoved Thomas into one of the rooms. "Leave me with him," he said, eyeing Elian. "I'll get word out of him about where our fugitives are going."

Elian caught Thomas's wide eyes before Lou shut the door, cutting him off from seeing anything else. But Elian knew Lou's tactics. He'd use the Core on the man, and it wouldn't take much for him to spill his secrets.

"He won't hurt him, will he?" came Seth's voice.

Elian looked over at the boy, his heart tugging in pity. "Come on." He gestured for Rhielle to take Seth upstairs, and Elian followed. When he came outside into the cold air, he sighed in relief, though there was still uneasiness buried deep, perhaps guilt for ransacking this village.

As Rhielle let the boy go, he ran to Thomas's wife and hugged her, and she held Seth close.

"Where is my husband?" she demanded, her brows knitted in worry.

"He's being questioned." Elian didn't look at her. "If we get what we came here for, we'll let him go."

The woman let out a soft cry, but Elian put on his outward mask to veil the sting of hearing her sobs.

He glanced at the boy, and when he saw the streaks of tears running down his face, he knew why he was feeling so torn about this whole thing. His jaw clenching, Elian rubbed the leather bracelet he wore beneath his sleeve and thought of Rose. She had been around the same age as Seth, but she'd had her life taken by the Legion. All for being Shadowborn.

Just like Owen.

As Elian came to his horse, Tuck, he patted his sleek black nose before looking back. This was a huge risk they were taking, trekking into Avathon with winter not even a month away. It had been a rash decision to leave Covehaven before Elder Isham sent guidance to Elian about what they should do, but Elian had to stay ahead of everyone and keep Owen within his sights. The only measure within his power was to sweep through towns or villages and demand information, as he did now, or perhaps use the local prison, if he ever caught up to Owen and Colt.

Word may already be spreading about Owen's escape, and hopefully, the Elder would send reinforcements soon. And if not that, then Elian hoped a dispatch would arrive in Luthien in the coming weeks instructing more Legion soldiers to look for them.

After ten minutes or so of waiting, Lou came outside. As soon as he stepped out, the innkeeper's wife rushed inside. Elian made his way forward with Rhielle and met the other Wielder, eager to know what the man had found out.

"Got a tip," Lou said, spitting on the ground and glancing around. "Seems this place is part of the Silent Road."

"The network for refugees?" Elian asked.

"And fugitives," Rhielle added.

Lou nodded. "Whoever is up this way will lead people in and out of the village late at night. This man, Rem, is often seen slinking around the inn and a few others as well."

Elian considered this information, "So we find the stopovers along the Silent Road and we find Owen?"

"There could be many locations, along many different routes. Apparently, there are a number of destinations along this Road."

"And he didn't give them, did he?" Elian asked, brows furrowing.

Lou raised his chin, a smirk on his lips. "Nope. A rather tight-lipped bastard, even after using Effie on him." He held his Core up, then peered back at the inn.

Elian looked away. He had heard of the Silent Road, but he knew little about it. Legion officials typically had little interest in those traveling this road, as most of them were refugees who came from Arcmere during the war. The Legion in Avathon was more concerned with finding and branding Astrans.

But fugitives too? Who else uses this Road?

Elian sighed. This was no regular cat and mouse chase. This was dangerous, and Elian had thrown himself into it all, following a path of destruction. Or perhaps causing it. He wasn't sure.

Despite Elian's disdain for it all, there was no other choice here. If Owen was with a man who was part of a network that aided criminals and refugees, then it would make finding him even harder. They couldn't leave Pitchvale until they knew of all the locations of the Silent Road. They would have to use the people of Pitchvale to their advantage.

Nodding, Elian said, "If the Core won't get to him, then we'll use other means to threaten him. We'll start with the innkeeper's wife."