The Song of Eloh Saga (14 page)

I kept to the inside of Johna’s cottage, avoiding the outside world. Mark told Johna the troops were still under orders to watch for me and while they didn’t advertise it, they were all anxious to catch me. My master grew angrier by the day, though recently there had been rumors of a mistress. I hoped this new woman would take his mind off of me. Once he stopped caring about me, I might be able to live a real life.

In the evenings, when I had time to myself, I would stare out the knothole in the bedroom shutters, but I never ventured out again. Some nights I told stories to myself, like I used to do for Kandek and Ivy, but more often than not I didn’t have the interest. A story wasn’t good unless someone wanted to hear it.

Since the night Mark and I had spoken in darkness, I avoided him. If he came to the cottage, I excused myself to my room. I saw the hurt in his eyes, but I couldn’t face him. Our friendship had caused the breakdown of my friendship with Ivy. It was too painful to be around him, so I ran away whenever he came by. His visits became less frequent and we hadn’t even seen him in the last five days.

I was sure I had driven him away for good until the evening he reappeared at our doorstep. A loud knock interrupted me as I was grinding herbs at the counter. Johna waved me under the counter, a move I’d become more familiar with than I’d like. I heard her open the door and I recognized Mark’s boots through the knothole.

“Mark, what a surprise,” Johna exclaimed. “It’s been a few days. I was beginning to worry about you.”

He slammed the door behind him and his boots made straight for the counter.

“Come out now. I know you’re under there Reychel. I’m tired of you hiding from me.”

I crawled out and stood up to find him leaning over the counter, our faces nose to nose. The pain I expected to feel didn’t materialize, just a contented resign. His warm breath met my lips and nose. I couldn’t help notice the smell of toasted almonds, my favorite treat, teasing my senses. Maybe I was beginning to heal. Maybe I had already healed. I didn’t know how to find out which.

“I’m taking you out of here tonight. You’re coming with me to a tavern on the other side of town.” Mark looked at Johna over his shoulder. “No one will notice the color of her eyes in the dull firelight and I’ll be sure we sit in the shadows.”

My heart fluttered. Could I really leave the cottage and be among people without being noticed? Could it be possible? And to go to a tavern. Oh, I’d heard of them before but never set foot in one. My anger at Mark forgotten, I glanced over at Johna.

Her lips pursed, her eyes furrowed, Johna took a deep breath. “I don’t think it’s wise.”

“I’m tired of being wise. I’m sure Reychel is tired of it too. One night. One tavern. Just a couple drinks. No one will notice. It’s almost impossible to see who’s at the next table because of the darkness.”

“Please Johna,” I begged. I suddenly craved leaving her cottage more than I had ever craved my freedom in the past. It took Mark’s initiative to crack my shell and now I wanted out. “I’ve wanted so much to walk among the people and maybe this way I can. I’ve rarely been outside walls. Please can I have this chance?”

“And just who will you tell people you are? This is a small town. Everyone knows everyone else.” Johna placed her hands on her hips. “And don’t you dare,” she glanced at Mark, “tell anyone she’s a camp follower you met in the army. I will not have Reychel’s reputation besmirched even if no one knows who she is.”

“Already covered,” Mark said. “A band of gypsies rolled into town today. I can just say she’s one of them. No one will know the difference.”

“And if those gypsies are in the tavern?”

Amused by their banter, I sat down on the stool that we kept behind the counter. I didn’t care who they decided I was, as long as I was allowed to go. They continued to argue as I slipped into the back bedroom and put on a clean dress. It wasn’t a fancy dress, just a plain dark blue work dress, but I couldn’t imagine anyone else would be dressed any finer. I’d seen glimpses of common people throughout the years and they didn’t dress like Kandek’s noble friends.

I grabbed my wig off of my cot and adjusted it over my own hair. My dark locks now tickled my ears. Many days I wondered how long it would take to reach my shoulders but just as often I was happy only to have it there.

I walked back into the main room as Johna patted Mark on the shoulder.

“Take good care of her.” Johna looked over at me and a smile spread across her leathery face. “And just how did you know I was going to let you go?”

I shrugged with a smirk on my lips. Mark reached out his hand to me.

“I’ve missed you,” he said. “I was afraid you’d reject me again tonight. But I had to give it a try.”

“I’m sorry. I needed time. I think I’m feeling better now.” I put my hand in his, savoring the gentle of his touch of his hand combined with the roughness of his skin. “But I wouldn’t have known that if you hadn’t pushed tonight. Thank you.”

Mark nodded, a smile on his face, as we headed out into the dark night. The town was softly lit by candlelight streaming from open windows. Other cottages glowed from the inside, their diffused light pushing through the shutters. I took a deep breath, smelling the fresh night air, letting the coolness of it fill my lungs. Mark’s fingers laced with mine as we strolled down the dirt road towards the tavern.

“Did you blame me?” he asked. Mark did not turn to me, instead he stared straight ahead. I glanced at his profile.

“Partly.”
“And the other part?”

“I blamed myself.”

His hand dropped mine. His eyes no longer stared ahead, but instead bore into mine as he grabbed my chin and turned my face towards his.

“Yourself? Me? And what of Ivy? Do you blame her?”

I didn’t struggle against his hand under my chin, just as I didn’t struggle with my answer.

“She had feelings for you. I knew and I ignored it.”

His hand dropped to his side but I didn’t turn away.

“I knew I was beginning to have feelings for you, Mark. I should have been more careful. Ivy liked you first.”

“Ivy held no claim over me,” he said softly. “You, on the other hand, you claimed me from the moment I first saw you.”

Glad of the darkness that hid my blushing cheeks, I grabbed Mark’s hand again.

“I don’t want to talk about Ivy tonight. I’ve spent too much time thinking about her and what I could have done differently. Tonight is mine to enjoy.”

“Yes,” Mark smiled. “Yes it is.”

He guided me in silence for a few more minutes. Along the road we passed other travelers. Most nodded a head in our direction, a few smiled knowingly at our entwined hands. None of them could see the color of my eyes.

Even before I saw the sign for the tavern swinging atop the doorway, I knew we had reached our destination. The noise pulsed from inside and broke free every time a reveler passed through the doorway. I couldn’t believe I was about to enter my first tavern and sit among free people. I knew I would treasure this night forever.

The smell of mead overwhelmed me as we pushed through the wooden door. Mark pulled me over to an empty table near the corner, away from the fire. I worried at first that we might be cold, but the humid atmosphere leaking off the bodies packed into the tavern kept us warmer than I’d imagined.

A juggler sat in the corner, tossing everything from balls to pins. When the innkeeper’s wife wasn’t looking, he grabbed three mugs and tossed them in the air. Much to the delight of the onlookers he didn’t drop one. Yet when she turned around and saw her precious property flipping about she screamed, “You put those down gently now. Do that again and you’ll have to find yourself another tavern!”

He winked at his audience as he set them down, one by one, on the bar. Men hooted with laughter and women stamped their feet on the floor in approval. I laughed, as I’d never laughed before, feeding off the energy of the other patrons. I noticed Mark didn’t even glance at the performer, he simply watched me. Too happy to feel embarrassed by such obvious attention, I flashed him a big smile.

“Thank you,” I mouthed at him. He smiled and dipped his head towards me. I couldn’t have been happier seeing how my people lived and how they laughed in their free time. After years of slavery I didn’t realize that somewhere outside my little world people were allowed such simple freedoms.

I opened my mouth to ask Mark a question about the juggler when the door burst open and four heavily armed guards marched in the tavern. I hid my hands under the table and glanced away to the fire. My heart beat so hard I was afraid it would leap out of my chest and give me away. Mark’s hand grabbed mine under the table.

“Citizens of Keree, for weeks we have been looking for a missing slave, one our master will not cease searching for. To ensure your cooperation in finding her, he has issued a proclamation. If she is not found by his wedding day, seven days from now, he will begin executing petty criminals, including men from this town.”

My gasp joined that of the patrons around me. How could Kandek do this? Execute men who’d stolen bread or poached deer from his land to feed their families to force someone to turn me in. My stomach twirled like a trapped snake.

“If she is returned, your family members will be set free the day of his wedding as a goodwill gesture towards his loyal subjects.”

I held back the tears that threatened to burst forth. Mark squeezed my hand so hard I feared the bones might break, but I sat still not wanting to give myself away. I glanced around at the other people in the tavern, trying to gauge their reactions. I saw the joy on the faces of men whose brothers would be released, but I also saw fear. They knew without finding me their loved ones might be in jeopardy for crimes that normally carried only a fine or a sentence of thirty days in prison.

Now they faced death simply because Kandek could not let me go.

Chapter Twelve

The party atmosphere dissipated when the guards left. Mark tugged my hand and we blended in with the other villagers heading for the door. Their reactions ranged from anger at Kandek’s blackmail to worry for their families. They whispered about how unfair it was that they were being held accountable for the actions a girl they didn’t even know. It broke my heart to be among them so visible, yet hidden, knowing that I was the cause of their concerns.

Once we were away from the crowd and headed back to Johna’s cottage, Mark put his arm around my shoulder.

“Don’t let it get to you,” he whispered in my ear.

I glanced around, most of the people were having their own conversations and were oblivious to the two of us.

“How can I not be upset? This is my fault.”

“It’s Kandek’s fault.”

We walked in silence, arriving at the cottage moments later. I walked in the door and made eye contact with Johna, who was still hard at work grinding herbs.

“What’s the matter child?” She wiped her hands on her apron and scurried over to me. I flung my cloak on a nearby hook and sank to the bench.

“Kandek’s going to kill petty criminals if Reychel isn’t turned in within the week. He’s getting married and used his wedding as a deadline,” Mark said, placing a hand on my shoulder.

“Oh no,” Johna cried. “What is it about you that he needs so? You must figure out what makes you so valuable. Think, child, think. What happened during your time with him?”

“Nothing,” I said, balling up my hands. “I’ve thought about it over and over but I still have no idea.”

“Ivy said you had private audiences with him. What happened during those meetings?” Mark asked.

“He would ask me to tell stories; that’s all. There was nothing special other than those were the only times I was allowed to look out the windows. He kept me confined otherwise,” I said.

“Why weren’t you allowed outside except in his presence?” Johna asked.

“I don’t know,” I insisted, pushing my hands on the wooden table as if a secret panel would appear and give me answers. I received nothing more than a painful sliver in my palm. “I never understood it.”

Johna sank to the bench across from me, resting her hands on the table to steady herself. She stared at the table taking steady breaths. A sharp gasp from her mouth startled me to attention. Johna lifted her eyes to mine, gazing intently.

“Great Eloh. Could it be true? I never put it all together,” she muttered. “It’s beginning to make sense now.”

She stared into my eyes. “May I read you, child?”

“Read me?” I asked. “Use your gift to hear what I’m thinking?”

“It’s more complicated than that and only partially related to my gift. I’m going to merge my thoughts with yours. It will allow me to search your memory for anything you may have forgotten but still remains.”

“Is this something any gifted person can do?” I was still amazed at the range of abilities.

“Not all, but some. I am not the most powerful, but I have been known to find nuggets of truth otherwise hidden from the person who bears them.”

“Of course,” I said. “I trust you.”

I sat next to Johna on the bench staring deeply into my mentor’s eyes. If Johna could find anything in there that I didn’t know, then I was more than welcome to let her sort through my mind.