Authors: Kathryn Fogleman
Keegan looked down at the ground and pulled a blade of grass, rolling it between his fingers, leaving a green stain.
Saul sighed. “Will you come back with me?” he asked.
Keegan looked up at Saul and studied his face for a moment, thinking long and hard about what could be involved with his return. He was, after all, bound to a dragon, and the Wovlen people were always known for their animosity toward dragons. How would he keep Pharrgon a secret from them? Would he keep such a secret from them? If he did not keep the golden dragon a secret, how would Saul, Brainna, and especially Alia, view him?
But his heart pined to see his sister again, and he knew that she needed him. There was no question: he had to return with Saul and see his sister again, no matter the consequences.
“Yes. I will return with you,” he nodded, “with all my heart.”
Chapter 11: The Start of the Journey
Arden brought a bundle of firewood into the house and dropped it onto the floor next to the fireplace. He dusted wood chips from his shirt and combed some straw out of his thick blond hair. He then placed a few logs on the fire and turned to walk away.
“Arden! Stack those neatly,” Keegan ordered, pointing at the pile of wood on the floor.
Arden sighed and knelt down, setting the logs straight and stacking them neatly on top of each other.
Keegan turned and gathered a few dirty bowls from the table and deposited them into the wash bucket. “Where is Saul?” he asked.
“With Susun,” Arden replied as he was stacking the last of the wood.
“Ah, so you were left to gather and stack the wood?” Keegan smiled, wiping the wash water from his hands onto his shirt.
“Yes. Though Saul did chop the wood for me, so I don’t have much to complain about,” Arden replied, standing to his feet.
“Did Layla and Tayla help Susun milk the cow?” Keegan asked, referring to the twin girls. He walked across to the door and outside into the fresh air.
Arden shrugged in reply and followed Keegan outside. “I believe so. They ran out of the barn a moment ago, chasing Telek and Marlek,” Arden said. “They have been very attentive to Susun since the river accident,” he smirked and leaned in closer to Keegan, dropping his voice low, “and in case you hadn’t noticed, Saul also been very attentive to Susun.”
Keegan grinned with a mild chuckle. He looked up to see the subjects of the conversation walking slowly to the house. Saul was walking beside Susun carrying the milk buckets for her, his eyes locked onto her and a soft smile on his face as he listened to her talk. Keegan shook his head and turned to walk up to Ardor, who was tied to the hitching post. Arden followed him, whistling lightly as he followed.
“Waste of time,” Keegan said under his breath. He was glad that he didn’t have a girl on his mind all the time.
“You are absolutely right!” Arden agreed behind him.
Keegan chuckled and patted Ardor, stroking some dirt and grass from the golden coat. Ardor bobbed his head and crunched happily on a large, fuzzy carrot as he looked at Keegan.
“Keegan! This looks like it is going to be funny to watch!” Arden whispered, peeping around the side of the house.
“Arden, you should not spy,” Keegan scolded. But he, too, walked over and peeped around the corner of the house. “At least, not by yourself,” he added quietly.
Susun walked along with Saul, smiling brightly as usual, but her step was slower and more cautious than normal. “I wish to thank you, Saul, for helping Keegan to tend to my father’s fields and for making some much needed repairs to the house while you have stayed here. We, my family and I, are most grateful to you,” she said, turning to face the tall man. “I will be packing some food for you and Keegan. I do wish that you both didn’t have to leave so quickly,” she said, staring up at Saul’s eyes.
Saul smiled and looked down at the ground, shifting his weight on his feet. “Keegan and I will be most grateful for the food,” he said. “Every bite will remind me of the gentle hands that prepared it and the sweet face that has never ceased to smile so kindly at me,” he said, looking up just a little to see her blushing face.
Keegan and Arden tried very hard to choke down the laughter that was in their throats. Arden’s body started to shake as he tried to keep the laughter down. Keegan put his arm around Arden and clamped his hand around the boy’s mouth.
“Oh. Well. Thank you,” Susun smiled shyly at Saul and turned on her heel, putting a hand up to one of her red cheeks as she walked the rest of the way into the house.
Saul followed in behind her, changing the conversation to something else just before closing the door behind him.
Keegan turned Arden loose then, and the boy sank to the ground, crossing his arms over his belly as he laughed loudly, “That was hilarious! ‘Every bite will remind me of the gentle hands that prepared it….’ Ha!” Arden repeated Saul’s words in between gasps of air through his laughter. “Oh, and the red in Susun’s cheeks! I’ve never seen her red like that!” he continued, trying to quiet his laughter but failing.
Keegan smiled and turned back to Ardor. “Better not let them hear you, Arden,” he said. “You won’t be laughing so hard if Saul and Susun start chasing you. Might I suggest going to check on the younger children?” he winked at the boy.
Arden picked himself up, still chuckling heartily, and he ran off to the field where the younger children were. Keegan looked out to the field and watched the young ones play with Arden. He especially watched Arden, enthralled with how much the boy had grown and changed. Something was very different about Arden from the last time Keegan had seen him. He could not decide what it was that was different, but something in Arden had changed.
Keegan sighed and looked away. He felt dreadful for leaving Jormand’s family so soon. He knew that Arden looked up to him and that this family needed his help desperately, but he was desperate to see Alia, his sister, his blood relative, that he had not seen in thirteen years. Keegan looked back up to watch the young ones play. As he watched, his mind wandered back in time to a beautiful meadow near a dark forest where he had once played ball with a group of children.
He snapped out of his memory and cringed as guilty thoughts of leaving this family nagged at him. He shifted his weight on his legs as he reconsidered going away. After all, Jormand was ill, Marthien was gravely ill, and his leaving would be abandoning Susun and Arden to take care of both parents, two sets of twins, and a working farm alone.
“Don’t you even think about it,” interjected a firm voice from behind, breaking his train of thought.
Keegan turned and faced Jormand. “How do you know what I am thinking?” he asked, a small smile breaking across his face.
“I could tell by the way you shifted your feet and cocked your head that you were thinking about staying, instead of going,” Jormand chuckled as he came up and patted Ardor.
“I feel like I am abandoning you and your family,” Keegan explained as he turned again and watched the little ones play in the green field.
“Well, you are,” Jormand said with a wry smile. “But it is necessary abandonment,” he chuckled, but then he began to cough again.
Keegan stared at Jormand with concern. “Your cough doesn’t sound much better from the other night,” he remarked.
Jormand waved his hand at Keegan dismissively. “No! It is not as bad as it sounds. In fact, it is much better than it was before,” he said hoarsely, clearing his throat slightly before changing the subject. “I have a question for you. After Susun’s accident, why did you press the poor, little healer so hard about the man that sent her?” he asked.
“Poor little healer? Hardly!” Keegan scoffed as his mind wondered back to the excitement of the other day. “But in answer to your question, I was suspicious that I knew the man who she said had sent her to our aid,” Keegan answered.
“And were your suspicions confirmed?” Jormand asked.
Keegan shrugged with a sigh. “From the small description that she gave me, I think so.”
“And where did you meet this strange man, if I may ask?” Jormand inquired.
“We met at the crossroads. I found him to be a very talkative old man who seemed to enjoy speaking in riddles,” Keegan explained with a shrug.
Jormand nodded his head, seeming lightly amused. “And, what was this man’s name?” he asked.
Keegan looked up in thought as he tried to recall the name of the elder. “Well…. Oh, yes. His name was Walneff.”
Jormand choked and began to cough suddenly, making Keegan look at him with worry. “You should come inside,” Keegan said, taking Jormand by the arm. Jormand shook his head but continued to cough.
“Father!” Susun appeared, concern written on her face as she walked up to her father’s side. “You should listen to Keegan,” she admonished, placing her arm around her father, ushering him to the house with Keegan following behind.
When they were inside, Jormand walked into the dark room where Marthien was at and silently shut the door, leaving Keegan alone with Susun who looked on with utter despair showing on her face. Keegan placed his hand comfortingly on Susun’s shoulder, wondering why Walneff’s name would have been such a shock to Jormand.
Susun turned and looked up at Keegan with a soft smile. “Mother is doing much better since she has been drinking the tea that you made her. I can see the strength and color coming back to her. You are a miracle worker, Keegan,” she said, a few tears welling up into her eyes.
Keegan smiled softly and pulled the girl into an embraced. “No, I am no miracle worker. I have just learned well from those around me,” he replied quietly.
Susun pulled away from his embrace and wiped her eyes. “I had better finish packing for you and Saul,” she said.
“Don’t pack us any food. We can hunt. You and the little ones need the food,” Keegan protested in a soft tone.
“No, Keegan! I will pack food for you both, and that is the last I shall hear of it,” Susun said, turning away and walking to the fire. “We have discussed this, and there is nothing more to say.”
Keegan sighed and looked around, realizing that Saul was not about. “Where is Saul?” he asked.
Susun waved her hand toward the door. “Outside somewhere. Go find him,” she said as she began packing dried meat into some bags.
Keegan turned and walked out the door. He looked from side to side, saw no one, then he walked up to Ardor. A sudden urge came over him to go find Pharrgon and speak with the dragon. He did not know why, but he believed it would be foolish to go seek the gold dragon out at this time, so he pushed the urge aside.
The sound of plodding horse hooves broke off Keegan’s line of thought, and he turned to see Saul leading his horse up, packed and ready for the trip. Saul looked very somber, almost sad as he led his mare up, and his mind seemed to be in some place other than the present.
Ardor looked back at the bay mare and pricked up his ears, raising his tail slightly. He nickered to Saul’s horse then stepped to the side, raised his head high, and snorted loudly, every muscle in his body tightening. The mare raised her head and paused to look at Ardor for a moment before laying her ears back and uttering a shrill squeal, baring her teeth, and nipping at Ardor. Ardor squealed and kicked up his heels, then snorted again, loudly.
Saul’s horse began to prance and crowd him mercilessly, nearly stepping on his toes as she squealed and flicked her tail. He elbowed the mare in her chest then led her away from Ardor, tying her to a tree where she pranced and snorted. Saul moved away from his horse and walked up to Keegan with an apologetic smile.
Keegan smirked and pointed at Saul’s dancing horse. “A mare?” he asked.
Saul nodded and said, “She was the only horse the stable master would sell me.” He glanced back at the disconcerted mare. “She and I have gotten along fairly well. But she detests other horses.”
Keegan smiled. “How long have you had her?” he asked.
“I purchased her last month,” Saul answered as he pulled up a blade of grass and began chewing on it. “I would like to trade her in or sell her for a gelding. She is a good horse but very unpredictable at times. It would be better for her to be a brood mare.”
Keegan scanned the mare from where he stood. “When we make it to Elinralis, I am sure you will be able to make a trade. She is strong and lovely and won’t be hard to trade off,” he remarked as he observed the mare.
“She is young, and I don’t think she has had any foaling experience. She might not be as easy to get rid of as you think,” Saul said, obviously not convinced.
Keegan shrugged. “You should give it a try, though. Some folks in Elinralis will buy anything,” he smirked and looked back at Saul, “and I am not stretching the truth on that.”
Just then, Susun came up behind Keegan and placed her hand on his shoulder causing him to turn and smiled down at her. She smiled then lifted a well-wrapped parcel of food, which Keegan took slowly. “It has several days worth of food in it,” she said with a gentle smile. “I hope that it can get you to Elinralis with full stomachs.”
“It will be fine,” Keegan said reassuringly. “We should not even be taking this much,” he said offering the parcel back to her, but she pushed it back.
“Not another word about it!” she said sternly, placing her hands on her hips. “Arden will ride with you for a ways,” she said as she turned and started to walk away. She paused for a moment and looked back at both Saul and Keegan, her face twisting with some emotion. “Be safe,” she said in a quiet, sweet voice then turned and marched toward the barn.