She glanced at him and smiled, as if sensing his mood. Her expression mirrored his. Within the next two days they would be wed, barring any unforeseen interruptions.
The line exiting the city was sparse, but already travelers from the surrounding villages were pouring into Alba. Beggars had already claimed their spots along the wall. Dirty children squatted, sleepy-eyed and yawning. Normally they swarmed the travelers, begging for coin, but in this early hour the children were just waking up.
A man in rags sitting with a woven basket gave a weak wave to Malachi when he passed. The monk returned his greeting and then turned his attention forward, toward the mountains. A sense of self-importance rolled from Malachi. Perhaps now that the Bringers had brought him into the fold, the monk finally felt like he had a purpose in life. Siban thought about the man’s life. Each day he’d stood at the city gates, predicting the world’s doom, and each day he had been treated as an old man who had gone insane. Now that the Bringers had given his prophecy credence, Malachi’s behavior had become less erratic.
Outside the city walls the land opened to an expansive and barren plain. Ruts cut deep into the hard packed earth from the constant flow in and out of the city. People carried baskets strapped to their backs, their wares piled high inside. Brightly painted wagons rumbled past them. Some were completely enclosed like those of the nomadic Splinters. Some were two wheeled and open, being pulled by their owners.
They traveled across the plains and entered the pass. Narrow walls surrounded them and the group thinned to a single-file line. The air grew cooler than out on the plains but the mountain blocked the wind. Slender waterfalls plummeted from above the rise and splashed onto flat slabs of slate at the base, causing a fine mist to hover within the pass. More wagons and people on foot passed them on their way to Alba. It looked like it would be another busy day at the market.
At the top of the pass the ground leveled out. A river ran along the trail and when the sun shone high in the sky the party stopped to partake of provisions Nattie had packed for the journey. Siban found a spot near the river for him and Rell. Most of the party joined them, letting the horses drink and graze while they ate.
“I can see no matter where we stay, we’ll not go hungry.” Rell pulled chicken wrapped in an oil cloth from her pack. “How Nattie stays so thin is a mystery.”
Siban reached for a chicken leg. “She too busy ordering everybody else around to eat.”
Rell added several chunks of hard cheese and a half a loaf of round bread to their pile. “It looks as if she’s given each of us a feast.”
Jade plopped down beside her and flinched. “I’ll never get used to riding. Good old-fashioned walking is what I prefer.” She began rifling through her own pack. “I’m starving.”
“How long until we get to the inn?” Meran dropped her pack next to Siban and squatted. “Is it much farther?”
“A few more hours.”
“Thank the Saints!” A loud groan squeezed from Malachi when he lowered his round body to the ground. “I’ve not ridden Penelope this much in years. Though she does appear to be faring better than I.”
“I promise you’ll have a comfortable bed when we arrive at Dragon’s Head, Brother.” Rhys knelt by the river and washed his hands before joining them. “It’s the finest inn north of Alba.”
“I’m a bit nervous.” Jade took a bite of bread and chewed.
“Me, too.” Despite Rell’s outward calm, Siban could sense her trepidation about meeting their new and numerous family members. “There’s just so many of them.”
“You’ll love every one of them,” Ravyn said.
Jade swallowed. “What are they like?”
A grin spread across Ravyn’s mouth. “They are very exuberant.”
Rell frowned. “That’s not very reassuring.”
“Once you’ve met them you’ll wonder why you were ever nervous.” Ravyn pulled a chicken wing apart. “Then you’ll never want to leave the inn. It’s a magical place.”
Siban looked at Willa’s daughters. “Rhys has only spoken well of your family. I’m sure they’ll welcome you with open arms.”
“I hope you’re right,” Jade said, and then took another bite of bread.
From that point on they spoke of lighthearted things, each seeming to only focus on the positive and not weigh down the first part of their journey with foreboding and the what-ifs of what awaited them at the Frost Lands. The small reprieve from doom was welcomed by Siban. He’d rather live in the present and focus on the good things around him.
After packing up their meal, and a joint effort to reseat Malachi on his donkey, they mounted the horses and continued on their trek. The sound of the sea grew louder, its roar their constant companion until they exited the trees onto rolling plains. The sea stretched out to their right, its undulating water crashing against the shore in a continuous assault of waves.
Small rocks and boulders lay strewn over the open plains but the trail was clear. On the other side of the grasslands they entered a forest. About a hundred yards in, the taint of Bane prickled against Siban’s skin.
Rhys pulled the line to a stop, twisted in his saddle, and directed his question at Siban and Rell. “Friend or foe?”
The familiar sensation signaled Icarus’s presence, but Siban turned to Rell to confirm his guess.
“I believe its Icarus.” She paused. “But we should make sure.”
Rhys nodded.
“Call to him,” Siban said.
Rell cleared her throat. “Icarus?”
A second later the heavy down stroke of wings sounded and Icarus landed on the trail in front of them. The horses reared and instantly Siban sent his Tell out to encompass the riders, and soothe the animals. The horses calmed.
“We wanted to make sure it was you who followed us and not another Bane,” she said.
“You have not been followed.” His muscular body blocked their path. “I’ve not felt another Bane from the time I left the area Faela.”
The thought that no demons followed them delighted Siban, yet made him uneasy. For the last month the Bane had seemed to be growing bolder. Why limit their activity now? Since they were moving north, surely their party should be encountering more demons. For the first time having Icarus near gave him comfort.
“We journey as far as the Dragon’s Head Inn today,” Gregory said. “Be warned, the area around the inn is warded. I wouldn’t want to see you injured by attempting to approach.”
Icarus tipped his head. “Your concern is touching, brother.”
Siban couldn’t tell if the demon spoke truthfully or was being facetious. He glanced at Rell. A trace of a smile played around her lips. Siban relaxed slightly, trusting her mood to be an accurate indicator of the situation.
“I will be near.” Icarus flared his wings. “If you need me.”
With a graceful leap, he launched himself into the air and disappeared above the canopy of the trees. Siban hoped, for all their sakes, that Icarus had their best interests in mind.
…
The rest of their journey was pleasant and uneventful. Near sundown they rounded a bend and were greeted by a myriad of smells and sounds.
Ravyn turned to Rell. “The inn.”
The smells from the cooking fire and the evening meal blended with shouts and laughter, bringing with it a comfort she’d not felt for thirteen years. A flutter of excitement skittered through Rell and her palms began to sweat despite the cool, late-afternoon air. In a few minutes she would meet her mother’s new family.
She glanced at Jade, who sat with a stiff spine in her saddle. More than ever, Rell was grateful for her sister. They’d been through so much together and now, when they were about to meet their half brothers and sisters, their connection only felt stronger. No matter what, she and Jade were Bowen and Willa’s daughters. No matter what, they would always stand united.