Henry said, “I’ve never seen coins like these, but I haven’t seen many. This is a fortune.”
Shell said, “One of those gold coins would buy your farm. In fact, I sold your farm for a few like those silver ones, and your share of the future crops.”
“That’s so strange to me. A flat, little circle of metal can be traded for a farm or house,” Henry ended with a shrug. “They buy food for a winter. Can you imagine how much that whole bowl will buy?”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The fire in the clearing didn’t take the chill away from the three people who sat around the fire. The cabin stood as a black shadow in the dark, a mute reminder of where they were. All three were quiet as if each waited for another to speak. Shell wanted to avoid what he suspected was about to happen. They would question him about things he couldn’t explain, but saw no way to avoid it. While he hadn’t done anything wrong, the other two were sure to ask about subjects he didn’t feel ready to share, even if he knew all the answers.
But they would need at least some answers. The problem was to decide which, and how little he could say and get away with. His best choice might be to plead ignorance and speak to Camilla alone to form a believable tale, but if he tried, Henry would know.
Camilla said, changing the subject of what the bowl of coins would buy, “There is nothing that I found inside to tell me who any of the victims were. Not a paper, a name carved into anything, an inscription on the jewelry, or even a slip of paper with a city. It’s like they got rid of anything that might lead to the victims.”
Shell said, “Yes, they probably destroyed anything like that to avoid others accidentally finding out about them. When we leave here in the morning, we should follow the road and see if there’s a person of authority in the nearest village. Maybe word of missing people has reached him, and he can help find the families.”
He saw Camilla glance at Henry before speaking. “That sounds like a good idea, but how do you know there is a road? Besides dragging those men into the trees, you haven’t been out of our sight.”
The tone was sharp, and he resented it. Instead of telling the truth, he waved a hand at the cabin and said, “The builders of that cabin had to come from somewhere. A road is only logical.”
She didn’t believe his weak story, and it showed in her expression. “If we give the money and jewelry to the local sheriff . . . Well, when he cannot locate the rightful owners, he will be a wealthy man. Not all constables and officials are honest, you know.”
“Are you suggesting we keep it?” Shell asked. “And what jewelry are you talking about?”
“Didn’t you notice? On the small table by the door? I put all the valuables there. We should hand them over to a family council when we find one,” she said.
Henry asked, “What’s that?”
Shell turned to Camilla to let her cover up her verbal blunder about mentioning the Dragon Clan family council to an outsider. “The council?” She hesitated as if suddenly understanding that nobody had mentioned Henry being part of the Dragon Clan, and she had not seen his back but must have assumed he was one of them. “Well, some villages have a council instead of a single leader. We should consider giving what we’ve found to them.”
Henry snorted in derision. “I know I’m young and all, but not totally stupid.”
Shell and Camilla exchanged worried looks. For fourteen, the boy had insight, if not education.
Henry drew a breath and continued, “Unless other places are different than the valley where I lived, whatever you give to them will end up in the rich pockets of those in charge.”
They relaxed somewhat. He had misunderstood their concern about the Dragon Clan council and silently, and mutually, agreed to let it continue. Shell said quickly, “I think he’s right.”
“Then, what do we do with all of it?” Camilla asked. “You need to imagine carrying the weight of it, as well as the money in that bowl on your back for a few days.”
Lifting the bowl explained her concern. It was heavy. Shell placed it back down and said, “I think we take it with us, at least. And, the jewelry. We can carry it is we split it between. Henry is right. If we leave it and the locals find it, they will put it in their pockets.”
“It is not rightfully ours,” Camilla said firmly, her arms crossed over her chest.
Shell said, “I can’t argue that. If there is a way to give it to the rightful owners or to even find out who they are, that’s the right thing to do. What do we do otherwise?”
Camilla nodded her head a few times as if considering his words and the alternatives, which were few. “It’s not like we stole it. Well, I guess if you look at it from a different angle, we are stealing the money and jewelry, so that’s the wrong way to say it. But, we don’t have a choice, and we certainly didn’t set out to steal anything.”
Shell nodded. “We split it up and carry it until we find an elder we can trust to tell us what to do.”
They sat in silence, and Shell waited for the subject the shift to more uncomfortable areas. He expected Camilla to begin. Henry busied himself with adding wood to the fire and poking it with a stick while watching the sparks rise into the air.
Camilla turned to him. “Myron really didn’t send you after me?”
Shell shook his head and decided to tell part of his story. “He told me which way you went. Not to chase after you. He said we have the same destination and goals, so we might work together, but that’s all.”
“That sounds like him.”
Trying to get ahead of the questions sure to come, he said, “There’s more. There is a friend I met while leaving the grasslands, a family member I didn’t know before leaving, and I traveled to your village with him. We got there with the help of a man named Trace, Dancer’s brother.” He had stressed the word family, wanting her to understand it meant Dragon Clan. At her nod, he continued, “Quester, my friend, remained in your village to share information Myron wanted to send to other villages. Myron was going to send messengers right away.”
“It must be important news,” Camilla said. “But you came on. And you say Myron didn’t send you after me to babysit or look after me. That’s hard to believe, only because I know him as a father.”
Shell shrugged. It was time to tell the whole truth for that part or face her consequences later if she ever learned the truth. “Look, I only met Myron a day before, so I don’t know what he was thinking, and maybe that was part of it after all. I’ve heard your childhood story repeated for years and wanted to meet you, I admit. But my reason for leaving home was to join in the fight with Breslau, and I wanted to see dragons.”
“Finally, that has the ring of truth. But not all your story. I think you went to my village because you wanted to meet me. Why?”
He hung his head and looked at a spot between his feet and the fire, before raising his head and eyes to meet hers. Tell her the truth or she will know it. “I’m not married.”
“Why not? You’re probably eight or ten years older than me.”
“I never found the right one. Not that there a lot of women to choose from near my home. I wouldn’t settle for just anyone.”
“So you thought chasing after a wildling orphan who lived alone for most of her life is the right person for you. Why?”
“No, I thought meeting a girl who is a hero to her family is attractive. I’ve done nothing in my life that would be considered worthy. My mother said men are probably clearing new paths to reach your door and court you, and Myron said something similar, but I just wanted to meet you, that’s all.”