10. Keelan

Chapter ten

Keelan

T he sleepy sun took her time rising over the mountains.

My dreams were plagued with concerns we were moving too slowly, that we were going to arrive too late. I saw the cart bearing Tiana rattling down the road, its ceaseless progress playing a dirge in my mind. I tried not to let that show as I led the team on a winding trek. A small stream trickled nearby in its rocky bed. Flashes of silver darted in and out of the rocks as Sil stopped to refill her skin with the crystal-clear water.

By the time we reached a clearing near the mountain's peak, the sun was well into her downward arc.

Atikus tossed his pack on the ground, slumped against a large boulder, and rubbed his neck. "I'm too old for all this hiking. "

"Guess it's a good thing we'll be stuck here a while. Sil, what do you need us to do?" I asked.

"Nothing, really. I just need to look around, see if I can spot anything flying up here. It doesn't take more than a few seconds to bond once I've found the right bird."

Another hour passed.

Sitting in one place for so long was making me antsy and my arse sore—and did little to easy my reeling mind. I couldn't shake the feeling we were losing precious time, time we didn't have to lose—time Tiana didn't have.

At last, Sil pointed toward a small moving dot in the distant sky. We watched as it came closer and resolved into a majestic golden eagle, wings spread wide as it glided toward the peak. Sil sat, crossed her legs, and closed her eyes. A heartbeat later, the massive bird burst into the clearing and settled before her. The bird shook itself, then stretched its tawny wings to their impressive four-foot span before tucking them and inclining its head in her direction.

Sil reached a hand toward the eagle's head. It hopped forward and nuzzled her palm. There was a moment of eye contact between them, then the bird took flight and vanished from view .

"That was better than I'd hoped." Sil stood and dusted off her breeches. "Eagles are highly intelligent and have excellent eyesight."

"That might be the most incredible thing I've ever seen. That eagle was huge." I gawked at Sil while Atikus grunted in agreement. A light flush colored her cheeks as she shrugged, clearly uncomfortable at the praise.

"How long will it take the eagle to reach the search area?" Atikus asked.

"I would guess a little more than an hour, maybe less if he catches the right wind."

"Any reason we can't start back down the mountain?" I asked.

"No. The link is strong." Sil shook her head. "Oh, one other thing, if we can't locate the cart before it gets dark, we'll have to wait until tomorrow. Eagles have keen day vision, but they can barely see what's right in front of their beak at night."

The trek down the mountain was much easier than the climb up. The sky was filled with orange brilliance when I called a halt and Sil contacted the eagle again, this time with Atikus's hand holding hers to provide a steady flow of additional magic. She opened her eyes after a few moments.

"That was amazing. I've never bonded with an eagle before, and this one likes to fly high and fast. Spirits, it felt like I was really there." Her childlike smile was infectious, and Atikus grinned.

"The extra trickle of magic can be euphoric, too. You were channeling a lot of power, probably more than you realized," Atikus said.

Sil wiped the grin from her face, and her Guard mask snapped into place. "We spotted a cart that matched the description, complete with two men wearing dark clothing. Details weren't great, probably more because of the strain from the distant bond than the eagle's vision, but I'm fairly confident they were our kidnappers."

"Where were they in relation to Huntcliff? Could you tell?" I asked.

"They weren't as far along as Atikus thought. Probably seven leagues from Huntcliff. Distance is really hard to make out through a bond, though."

"That's the first good news we've had in a while. Based on what you described, they'd have another four or five days before reaching the fork, right?"

Atikus nodded, then turned to Sil. "Could you see anything of the troops headed toward Huntcliff? If we can get a sense of numbers, I'll contact the Arch Mage again."

"I saw long columns headed east. The eagle didn't go low enough to get any sense of numbers or composition, but we can definitely do that tomorrow. With his vision, I should be able to get you a solid estimate."

As we settled in for another night on the mountain, my mind raced through the days to come. We really were leaving Melucia, the only home I'd ever known. A part of me wanted to bolt from these mountains and race back to Saltstone, never giving a second glance over my shoulder. I hated to admit it, but the prospect of venturing into the Kingdom terrified me.

Grasping for anything to calm my racing heart, I forced my thoughts toward planning. We would have to cut across a lot of open ground before reaching the road. On foot, which would probably take a week. From there, I hoped we could buy horses from a farmer or in one of the villages that dotted the countryside.

I tried to distract myself, to tempt my restless mind with sleep by counting the stars. But my mind refused to focus on the glittering lights above. It kept drifting. To my brother. To Ayden.

To Tiana and the trials ahead.

I hardly slept that night. I was fairly certain it would be the same for the duration of our journey to come.

Sil crossed her legs and closed her eyes. Only a sliver of the dimmest yellow had entered the darkened sky. Atikus and I packed our bedrolls and sat quietly.

More than a dozen minutes passed before Sil stirred again, looking surprised to see Atikus and me sitting on the ground beside her, watching impatiently.

"We were starting to get worried. You haven't taken that long before." I placed a steadying hand on her shoulder as she nearly toppled over.

"The eagle had flown north to rest for the night, almost to the coast. He had to fly back and then locate the cart. Based on where we found them, I doubt they stopped for the night. At this rate, they may reach the fork within a couple of days."

I blew out a heavy sigh. "So much for our good news. We may have to take some extra risks and find horses along the way. What about troop movements?"

"No real change in the troops. There's still a long line coming in, but they're in no hurry. It was weird to see how they left the road to let the robed men's cart through. It almost looked like they were afraid of them."

Atikus nodded. "The Children are a tiny cult, but they have an almost mythical reputation. We think of them as a story to scare children, but people in the Kingdom still fear the legend of their power following the Kingdom War."

"A thousand years ago? Seriously?" Sil asked.

Atikus shrugged.

"That might explain how they made it through the border so easily. I wish we had a few of those robes. It might clear some of the challenges from our path." My wheels were turning. "Unless either of you has a better idea, I still think we need to move across the open land toward Rutin. We'll probably make it halfway by the time the cart reaches the crossroads, but that would get us past the army and in a position we can pursue them from."

The others nodded their assent, so I stood and helped them to their feet.

By midmorning, we had made it to the bottom of the mountain and into the vast, open land of the Kingdom's eastern edge. To the south and west, grassland stretched for many leagues, empty and undisturbed. Soft rolling hills carpeted in emerald were adorned with yellow and pink flowers that thrived in the cool near-winter days. No wildlife stirred, save flocks of pale gray birds soaring overhead toward their winter retreat.

Several leagues to the northeast, the haze of the army marred the chromatic sky. We had walked more than six leagues when the sun finally set, and Atikus struggled to keep up.

"We should rest for a short time but then continue traveling into the evening," I said, determined to put more distance between us and the army's camp.

A few hours and two additional stops later, the old Mage could walk no further and insisted we make camp for the night. We moved with haste, and Atikus was snoring before Sil could even offer him something to eat. She smiled and covered him with a blanket before getting herself settled.

As I gazed at the stars in the crisp night sky, my mind again drifted to Tiana in her pale blue smock. I could see her bright eyes and warm smile. My thoughts shifted to her empty, ransacked infirmary, and my own smile vanished. I remembered the tapestry adorning the wall of the foyer, the last vestige of her father still present in her practice. An unfamiliar moisture bloomed in my eyes as I thought of my failure to protect her, my failure to bring her home .

I welcomed sleep, hoping it would rescue me from the waking visions that pained my heart, but I soon learned that visions of the Healer haunted my dreams as well.