Authors: KateMarie Collins
Chapter Seven
T
he sound of the blacksmith’s hammer rang through the open window and into Mistress Bryn’s office. Logan wasn’t at the candle shop today. He and Cavon were closeted with some of the older men, researching how they might control their abilities. Talia was long gone. A search of her home had led to the discovery of letters, proof of her collusion with Domine Elsa. Had things gone Talia’s way, the mechanism that kept them safe and hidden would have been destroyed. Domine Elsa would have walked in with an army at her back, and Sanctuary would’ve been leveled.
A rustling of papers at the desk behind her was enough to let Arine know that she had been noticed. Mistress Bryn’s calm voice cut across the silence in the room.
“Arine, I have someone I need you to fetch for me.”
***
Arine all but ran through the streets once Mistress Bryn gave her the name of who she was to bring back. Mestra was being given the details and would run lead on the assignment. She
didn’t like it, but Arine knew why it had to be so. Mestra knew enough of Arine to keep her from letting her emotions get the better of her.
Dodging around the last corner, she pushed the hood of her cloak away from her head as she made for the door halfway down the alley. There was a lit candle in the lantern above the door.
Good
, she thought,
he’s home
.
“Logan!” Arine called out breathlessly as she sidled through the door. Her fingers were taking the cloak off before the latch clicked home behind her. She tossed the garment towards a vacant hook, not caring if it caught or not. “Logan!” Damn it, she couldn’t keep the excitement out of her voice.
The smells and sounds of the house told her he was in the kitchen. Another
voice caught her ear. Cavon must be eating with them again tonight
. She darted into the kitchen, pulling up short in the doorway.
Logan was near the stove, stirring a pot of something. He turned and looked her way, concern all over his face. “Arine? What’s wrong?” Wiping his hands carefully on a towel, he crossed the room to her.
Arine smiled. “Nothing. Nothing will ever be wrong again.” She paused, taking Logan’s hands into hers. “Mistress Bryn’s sending me and Mestra out together. A joint retrieval.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “She found him, Logan. She found Ian.” Unable to control her joy, Arine leapt into Logan’s arms with a laugh.
A cough brought her back to
the room. Cavon sat at the table, puzzled. “Who is Ian?”
“Ian’s my brother, Cavon. My mother sold him while I was away on a supply run over ten years ago, before I came to Sanctuary.” She gave herself a moment to catch her breath. “I need to put my gear together. I’ll tell you more at dinner.” Turning, she started to leave.
“When do you leave, Arine?” Logan called out to her.
Arine turned her head briefly. “Tonight. There’s a storm coming in. The extra clouds will make the night even darker.” The excitement started to build in her once again as she headed towards the bedchamber.
Her pack was always out, ready to grab at a moment’s notice. Mistress Bryn often got information that needed to be acted upon immediately. Some things, such as daggers, rope, and bandages, stayed in the pack constantly and were replenished as needed. Arine
started throwing in some tunics when she noticed her hands trembling. Heavily, she sat on the edge of the bed as the truth began to really sink in. This was why she accepted the offer to join the Sisterhood. The possibility of finding Ian, being able to bring him here to Sanctuary, drove her each time she went out. Every time she went on a retrieval, Arine would pray she arrived before it was too late. Her blue eyes caught the corner of a piece of paper jutting out from the chest of drawers. Rising, she crossed to the chest. She opened the drawer slightly before pulling the paper out. The rolled up page was secured with a small scrap of ribbon. A tear rolled silently down her cheek as she untied the ribbon. With great care, Arine unrolled the page and looked at it.
Her younger self stared back at her
. None of
the cares she now
shouldered were impressed
down on that face. It was a face full of hope and excitement. Ian had drawn it. Drawn it while she was gone on the supply run for the village, and then left it for her when their mother sold him.
“I know you’re there, Logan,” she whispered. She wiped at the tracks left on her cheeks from the tears that had escaped, but didn’t turn around.
She heard the door close and the even tread of his feet across the wooden floor. His arms encircled her waist. She leaned back, grateful for the extra strength. “Mestra’s here,” he told her quietly.
Arine took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. Her fingers absently traced the signature at the bottom of the portrait. “I’ve waited so long, Logan. What if he doesn’t remember me?”
A deep chuckle rumbled from Logan. Arine could feel it through his body. “I may be a little biased, Arine, but you tend to stick in people’s minds.” She turned to face him. His face was alive with both love and excitement for her. “This is why you do what you do. To find boys like him, or me and Cavon even, and keep us from those who would use or abuse us. I can’t say what his life has been like for the last ten years, but I doubt he forgot about his big sister.” Arine buried her head in his chest for a moment, glad for his understanding. Perhaps now, once she had Ian home, she could put the ghosts of her past to rest at last and be able to put Logan before her job for a change.
Raising her head, Arine smiled up at Logan. “So, do I have time to eat or is Mestra already trying to push me out the door?”
He smiled down at her, his ice blue eyes filled with mirth. “You have time to eat. Though I think Mestra is as anxious to get on the road as you are. I’m not sure why else she’d be here so early if she wasn’t.” He turned, heading towards the door.
Arine knew why Mestra was here, though she kept it to herself. Her friend had fixed her eye on Cavon almost as soon as they’d arrived in Sanctuary. She knew Mestra well enough that she would wait for Cavon to settle into his new life before really pursuing him.
Quickly, she finished her
preparations and
closed the pack tight against the storm. Hefting it over her
shoulder, she left the room to rejoin the others in the kitchen.
She dropped the pack on the floor near the door. Mestra sat at the table, listening to Logan give Cavon cooking advice. The young man had been given a small apartment but was in serious need of learning how to take care of himself.
Arine slid into a seat at the table. “So, where are we off to?” Try as she might, she couldn’t keep the curiosity out of her voice.
Mestra paused, sipping at the mug of steaming cider in front of her. Her green eyes refused to meet Arine’s blue ones. Instead, she watched Cavon’s back. “Later, Arine. I’ll tell you once we’re on the road tonight.” She paused, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Mistress Bryn has her reasons for keeping you in the dark for a bit longer, Arine. If it wasn’t for the fact that your presence might help us convince Ian to come with us, she would’ve left you here. She was very adamant about what you can be told, and when.” She lowered her mug to the table, one finger absently tracing the rim. Looking up, Arine could see how hard it was for Mestra to keep secrets from her. “There are reasons, Arine. Very good reasons. Or things would not be as they are. I do not do this to cause you pain.” Arine nodded. It was one of the things Mistress Bryn had spoken of her often. She was so emotionally invested in finding Ian that it could easily blind her to dangers. That was something that could get her or others killed in her line of work.
Logan and Cavon put steaming bowls of stew in front of her and Mestra, followed by a platter of dark bread in the center of the table. Arine waited for them to sit as well before starting her own meal. The group ate in silence, each lost in thought.
As the dishes were being cleared, Mestra placed a hand on Arine’s shoulder and nodded towards the door. Nodding once in understanding, Arine quietly slipped out of her chair. The pair moved towards the front door. Not a word was said as they put their packs on, followed by heavy cloaks. Mestra slipped out the door first. Arine paused, glancing back at the kitchen with a small pang of guilt. She’d never snuck out like this, not since she’d met Logan. There had always been some kind of farewell between them. But, she wasn’t lead on this retrieval. She turned towards the door and sidled through, closing it silently behind her.
Chapter Eight
T
he rain was warm for this time of year, which helped Arine’s mood. Warm rain was infinitely better in her mind than a cold rain. The dark night helped keep their visibility down. Arine deftly darted behind Mestra, following in her steps as much as possible so any trackers only thought there was one instead of two.
As soon as they’d left Sanctuary, Mestra headed
to the south
. That was towards Domine Grace’s lands. And the seaports. Arine had never seen the ocean, but heard tales of the vast body of water, the women who sailed it, and of lands on the other side. Mestra was originally from one of those seaports. Having her as lead made sense to Arine,
though she still wanted to know everything that
Mestra knew about Ian.
Mestra kept up a quick pace, which made Arine keep focused on her footing over the questions filling her mind. What if Ian didn’t recognize her? Or her him? Would he come willingly with her? And, what had he become over the last ten years?
Dawn began to break before Mestra stopped. “There’s a cave up ahead. We’ll take a rest in there. Few travel this way, and the cave is deep. We won’t be disturbed.” The woman looked Arine in the face. “You will get some information then, Arine. Our destination and what I was told of Ian in order to find him. But we have to get there first.” Arine nodded, anxious now to reach the cave. Mestra’s braided brown hair swung almost violently as she turned and darted forward again. Arine’s own coppery braid followed suit as she chased after Mestra.
The cave was perfect. Arine followed Mestra into the depths of the cavern. They were deep inside before Mestra lit a torch. The tunnel twisted several more times before Mestra found a smaller tunnel leading
to the left. “We’ll go this
way,” Mestra said calmly. “There’s a small room off of here that I’ve used several times. Most people don’t come this deep. Those who do tend to ignore this passage. It gets pretty narrow right before the room, so we’ll have to pass the packs through by hand.” Arine shrugged her pack off, and then took the torch so Mestra could do the same. She handed the torch back, nodding her readiness.
Following the glow of the torch, Arine moved carefully through the passageway. Suddenly, the walls closed in towards each other. Mestra stopped before a very narrow slit in the wall. Arine’s small frame would fit easily, though it would be a tight squeeze for a man. Mestra dropped her pack, motioning Arine to do the same. “Take the torch, Arine. I know where I’m going. It’s not narrow for very long. I’ll get in, then hand me the packs one at a time. Once they’re through, you come through.” Mestra moved towards the opening, sliding through the tight space.
Arine waited, her ears alert to any sound outside the crackle of the torch. Mestra’s hand appeared, and Arine handed one of the packs to her. It disappeared into the rock. A few minutes later, the process was repeated. Taking a deep breath, Arine squeezed herself into the small crevice. She felt someone take the torch from her, freeing her hand to help propel her forward. Slowly, Arine emerged into a larger cavern.
Taking a moment to look around, Arine stared in amazement at the thousands of crystals that reflected the torchlight. The green and purple gems glittered all over the ceiling and walls. The floor itself was clear of them, except for a single large clear gem in the center of the room. It shone brighter than the rest. Mestra stood near it, the packs at her feet.
“What is this place?” Arine whispered, her voice tinged with awe.
“One of Sanctuary’s best kept secrets. The miners who found this were among the first to come to Sanctuary. They thought to protect their claim against Domine Grace’s taxes. They still come on occasion, taking a few gems at a time as is needed to do trade for themselves or Sanctuary.” Arine watched as Mestra bent down and placed the torch in a set of iron rings rising from the ground. “We can rest here without any concern. It’s best we keep traveling at night for a while yet.”
Arine pulled herself away from the glittering walls and followed Mestra’s lead, pulling out her bedroll and some food. “Where are we going, Mestra?”
“The port city of Dawnbreak, Domine Grace’s main seat of power.” Mestra paused, pushing at a stray lock of brown hair. “Ian’s there. Mistress Bryn wasn’t certain if he was within the palace itself or just in the city, however, so we’ll have to do some looking.”
Arine nibbled at some bread, trying to resist blurting out all her questions at once. “Why is he there? Did Mistress Bryn say where he’s been or anything?”
“From what she could tell, the caravan Ian was sold to went to the Far Lands. Domine Grace is hosting a celebration in honor of the marriage of Domine Elsa. She brought in people from the Far Lands to provide entertainment. Ian was among those who came.” Arine started to ask a question, but Mestra held up a hand to stop her. “No, Arine, I don’t know what kind of ‘entertainment.’ Nor does Mistress Bryn. She was able to learn there was a young man that had great talent as an artist with them. He met Ian’s physical description, was mute, and would be the right age to be your brother.”
Arine’s heart skipped a beat. “But, who did Elsa marry? Certainly not Cavon.” She let a small chuckle escape her throat. “Or did she marry someone and insist the boy play part in her newest charade?”
Mestra laughed a bit, but there was little mirth in it. “She married James. Talia’s been appointed to her council.”
Snorting in disgust, Arine reached for her waterskin. “The Council should’ve let me kill her when I had the chance. They never should’ve given her time to run before meeting me in the Ring.”
“I agree with you there, Arine. That’s one of the reasons why Mistress Bryn sent both of us. Getting Ian out is a priority, yes, but we must silence Talia and James if at all possible. They know too much of how to get into and out of Sanctuary for us to let them go about in the world.”
Arine lowered herself to the floor, trying to put the pieces together logically. With the knowledge, she was able to put her excitement in the background, focus on the mission ahead. It wasn’t the time to give into her emotions.
She regained her objectivity, which was going to be critical during the task ahead of them. “I’ve never been to Dawnbreak. Is it as big as they say? The sea, I mean.”
“Bigger, most likely. You can’t see the end of it from the docks. It stretches out, becomes one with the rising sun. When the first rays hit the water at dawn, it’s like a million gems out on the water. I was never brave enough to set foot on one of the ships, let alone take a voyage. There’s something about not seeing land that terrifies me to the very depths of my soul. Give me dirt and grass between my toes. The ones that live on the water are a different breed of women.”
“Ian and I had never been. Mother never took us. And you say he’s part of a group from the Far Lands?” Arine struggled with the idea of her brother, barely ten, facing a voyage like that.
“That’s what Mistress Bryn found out. Between his talent to draw, being mute, and his coloring, I’d imagine he would’ve been a rare purchase at the market for visiting…” Mestra’s voice trailed off, her focus shifting to the entrance to the small enclave.
The smell of smoke reached Arine’s nose, but it didn’t come from the torch in the room. The faint glow of light filled the narrow opening. Arine was on her feet, daggers at the ready. Motioning to Mestra, they each took up position on each side of the opening. Backs flattened against the crystals as best they could, they waited for the newcomers with weapons at the ready.
The torch emerged first. Arine glanced towards Mestra, nodding once. She’d do the first attack, stunning the person coming in. Then her friend would deal with whoever followed.
Shifting her stance slightly, she reached forward and grabbed the hand holding the torch by the wrist. With a single pull, she propelled the stranger into the room. He tripped on the uneven ground, falling with a grunt. Confident that Mestra would deal with the next intruder, she focused on the dark haired man on the floor.
“I missed you too, Arine.” Logan spoke quietly from his knees. With a sigh, he faced her.
Arine dropped her guard. “Logan? What are you doing here?!”
“What are either of you doing here?” Mestra’s voice held little happiness.
Arine turned and saw Cavon pinned to the ground, her friend with a knee in his back.
“We talked with Mistress Bryn when you left. Convinced her we could help. And we can help.” Logan looked up at her, his face insistent.
“Where we’re going is dangerous for the two of you. Even if you don’t use magic, you could be exposed. Domine Elsa will be there, along with Talia and James. There
’s
going to be people who
will recognize
you. And us. You’re going to be in our way more than helping us,” Arine answered. “We don’t have time to babysit the two of you. There’s no way we could possibly get you into the city.”
“That’s not true, Arine. Now, hear me out,” Mestra cut off her protest before she could voice it. “They’re liabilities, yes. It’ll make it harder for us to maneuver. But Bryn wouldn’t have told them enough to find us if she didn’t agree to this. There’s a few precautions we can take, cover stories we can invent for the two of them during the road ahead.” She turned her focus to the two men sitting on the floor. “Let me make one thing perfectly clear, though. I’m in charge. If I tell you to do something, you do it. You do not argue, you do not question. It is done. Got it?”