Wintermore (Aeon of Light Book 1) (28 page)

Deet doesn’t turn around or stop. “I need to check ahead to make sure it’s safe.”

“It’s all right, you know.”

Deet spins around and faces her. “No, it’s not. That little green man outsmarted me, and it cost us all our coin and almost our lives.”

Agna catches up to them. “That little green man outsmarts many people, don’t take it personally.”

“Yes, but I’m not most men.”

“You can’t win them all, Deet,” Preta says, and she quickly turns away, remembering who she heard say that last.

Deet scowls and clinches his teeth. “The stakes were too high not to win.”

“The stakes were high for us but not for Selenik,” Agna says. “Anytime you gamble, you may lose—and lose everything.”

Preta crouches down and leans her back against the base of a pine tree. “It doesn’t matter, we’re here now and alive, and we found another way.”

Yaz joins them. “What’s wrong with you guys? You really want to argue in little green soul-sucking man land? Let’s go.”

“I agree, time to go,” Deet says, and he turns around and ventures deeper into the forest.

“How long do you think until we get to Bielston?” Preta says, hiking close behind Deet.

“If no trouble and we make good time, maybe late tonight or midday tomorrow. If we don’t get lost and Yaz can stay upright and we don’t run into anymore trouble.”

“That’s a lot of ands,” Preta says.

“There’s a lot of ifs,” Deet says. “But we’re almost out of food, and we have no coin. We need to make good time and think of something.”

“Agna,” Preta says, “you have a daughter in Bielston, can she help us with payment for passage?”

“I didn’t want to involve my daughter in this mess. Let’s just see what happens when we get to the city.”

They hike the rest of the day through the forest. It’s dusk, and up ahead the trees thin, revealing an open wheat field.

Yaz pushes by Preta and steps out into the open. He raises his arms waist high and spins in circles, brushing his hands along the wheat chaff. “Never thought I’d be so glad to see wheat.”

Deet yanks him back into the tree line. “We’ve got to worry about being seen, so keep your wits about you.”

“There’s a road over there,” Preta says, pointing.

“No roads,” Deet says.

“But—”

“No roads, I said.”

Deet travels along the tree line between the field and the forest and drops to a knee. He motions for the others to do the same. Deet points to a grey barn on the other side of the field. Four horses chew on straw in a pen. He peeks back at Yaz.

“Would be nice not to walk if we don’t have to,” Yaz says.

Deet sighs, looking away from the barn. “You know what it means if we steal?”

Yaz shrugs. “Brother, at this point I’m so tired of walking, I really don’t care.”

Deet eyes the girls. “We’re gonna check out the barn to see if there’s anything useful we can borrow. You two, make your way down the tree line for about ten minutes. Keep your eyes on the road and make yourself invisible. When you see us near the road, come out.”

Preta and Agna nod in agreement, and Deet and Yaz creep into the field.

After ten minutes, next to a few large dead drooping trees, Agna stops. “This will do.”

They lie on their stomachs and watch the road for any signs of movement.

Ten minutes, twenty minutes, thirty minutes, still no sign. The sun is setting and a dark cover takes over the forest and field.

“Something’s wrong,” Preta says.

“Wait, be still,” Agna says.

Another ten minutes pass.

Thoughts and images flood Preta’s mind of all the bad things that might be happening to her brothers.
I can’t just lie here and do nothing.
She presses off the squishy ground.

Agna places her hand in the center of Preta’s back, pressing her down to the ground. “Keep still, keep quiet.”

Night takes root, and Preta’s vision gets murkier by the second.

Crack
—

A twig snaps.

Preta flinches.

Agna gets to a knee behind a tree and motions for Preta to do the same.

Preta peers round the tree.

A man approaches, ducking under a vine and a branch.

She readies herself and draws a blade.

The man stops and is right on top of her.

His breathing makes Preta shiver, and she imagines Lomasie standing on the other side of the tree.

The man steps past her.

Preta lunges and slashes at his head. A cool breeze clings to her wrist as the blade cuts through the chilly air. Her hand jerks to a sudden stop. The man’s hand clutches Preta’s wrist. Preta growls and snarls.

“Easy, Sis, easy, it’s just me,” Yaz says.

Preta drops her arm and hyperventilates.

Yaz lets out a wry laugh and slaps her hard on the butt, pushing her forward and off balance.

“Dang it, Yaz,” Preta says, huddled over with her hands planted on her knees.

“Sister.” Yaz giggles. “It’s just me.”

“Shut up, it’s not funny, stop laughing.”

Yaz coughs between chuckles. “Sorry, but it kinda is.”

“Yaz Penter, you scared the crap out of us,” Agna says.

“What did you want me to do, yell out your names? Come on, quit complaining and follow me.”

They trail Yaz past the barn and head to the A-frame stone cottage with a dark-grey tiled roof. Smoke snakes out of two fireplaces, and the porch’s wooden planks creak.

Yaz knocks five times, stops for five seconds, and knocks three more times.

Deet opens the door. “Come inside and sit,” he says, strolling by a large oak table.

An old stoic man with a shiny bald head on top and bushy thick grey hair on the sides stands across from Deet; and a plump, elegant woman with rosy cheeks and a pleasant smile of similar age sets a steaming pot of stew on the table.

The old man holds out his hand. “Come, come, sit and eat.”

“Rufus—Edna,” Deet says, “this is my sister, Preta, and my brother, Yaz, and Aunt Agna.”

“Nice to meet you all,” Rufus says with a nod. “Looks like we’ve got a full house tonight, Edna.”

Preta and Yaz sit next to Deet.

Deet squeezes Preta’s thigh under the table to get her attention. “Preta,” Deet says, “I was just telling Rufus and Edna how bandits robbed us on the way to Kirkton and we fled into the Yelton and got lost. We crossed the Rivers and came out in Rufus’s field.”

“Yes, yes, quite an ordeal from the sound of it,” Rufus says. “Amazing you made it through alive. Strange things go on in that there forest.”

Yaz holds out his fork, aiming for a thin piece of pork. “You can say that again, Rufus.”

“Smells great,” Deet says.

Edna scoops stew into the bowls and hands them out. “I hope you all like it.”

Rufus rips off a hunk of bread from a crusty loaf.

Preta’s mouth waters. Her senses go wild when the meat and stew melt on her palate. Her mouth and brain tell her it’s the tastiest thing she’s ever eaten. A deep, warming sensation rises within, her head slightly dizzy from the shock of delicious food after days of oats, iron, cold, wet, and blood.

Deet swallows hard and sets down his spoon in the bowl. “Edna, this is wonderful, absolutely delicious.”

Preta and Yaz both quickly nod while chewing with full mouths.

Edna shakes her head in disgust and puckers her lips. “I don’t know, too much salt, I think. I may have overcooked it a tad.”

Preta continues piling in the food, not letting her mouth be alone for more than a second.

“Nonsense, very good tonight, dear,” Rufus says. “So where are you all headed? Back to Kirkton I presume?”

Deet takes a sip from his water cup. “We may catch a skiff from Bielston since it’s closer.”

Rufus smiles and points his fork at Deet. “I’d be glad to take you into town tomorrow if you’d like.”

“We’d be forever in your debt,” Deet says.

“Would be glad to do it, and I have to go into town tomorrow anyway; besides, what would this world be if we didn’t help those who needed it.”

Edna extends the pork platter toward Preta. “Would you like more, my dear?”

“
Uh-huh
,” Preta says.

Edna eyes Yaz. “You too?”

“
Uh-huh, uh-huh
.”

Agna leans forward and clears her throat. “So how far is it to Bielston?”

“Not far, about thirty minutes by carriage,” Rufus says.

“We sure appreciate the hospitality, especially after the last few days.”

Rufus stands up and slips his hands into his pants pockets. “No problem, Aunt Agna. Tonight you’re more than welcome to sleep in the barn—should be a welcome change from the cold, wet Yelton. The crapper and washhouse are out back, and all of you may freely use both.”

Deet extends his hand in gratitude. “Thank you again.”

Rufus shakes Deet’s hand and strolls to a recliner next to the fire and lights a pipe.

Preta finishes the rest of her meal and leans back in her chair. She rubs her belly as her head sways. Eyes drowsy, Preta, light-headed and tired, she’s drunk on food.

“No sleep yet, Preta,” Deet says, “go out back, and wash up then to the barn and bed.” Deet strokes Preta’s hair and stares at Agna. “Can you deal with this?”

“No problem,” Agna says.

Preta gives Edna and Rufus a kind smile. “It was great meeting you both, and the food was delicious, thank you.”

Edna smiles back. “You’re a sweet girl; it was very nice to meet you as well.”

Rufus raises his pipe and doesn’t turn away from the fireplace. “Get some sleep, and have a good night, all.”

Preta picks up her pack and follows Agna out the front door.

In the privy, Preta relaxes, releasing three days of burden, then she goes to the washhouse.

“Not yet, Preta, follow me,” Agna says.

Without thinking, Preta follows Agna to a lantern hanging from a metal post.

Agna twirls her finger in front of her. “Turn around.”

“
Why
?” Preta furrows her brow, unsure of what Agna want’s from her.

“Please, don’t give me a hard time; it’s late, and I’m tired, just do as I ask.”

“Fine, fine.” Preta turns, and Agna grabs a fistful of Preta’s hair at the base of her skull. She cuts through the tangled mess with scissors, jerking Preta’s head back and forth. “Ouch, hey, stop doing that, what are you doing?”

Agna lets out a faint chuckle. “What’s it feel like I’m doing? Now hold still, it’s got to be done.”

Preta’s face twists from the pain.

Done with her butchery, Agna pets Preta’s head. “All done.”

Preta strokes her head, hair cut down to a few inches long. “Done, or gone?”

Agna smiles. “Done. Now you can go to the washhouse.”

Preta pouts and mumbles swear words under her breath. Inside the washhouse, she tosses her clean clothes into the corner then prepares the buckets and sets them next to the trench. Preta peels off her dirty clothes and washes her grimy body. With her old clothes held out at arm’s length, she turns up her nose and exits the washhouse. “I think I need to burn these.”

Agna points at a dead tree, and next to it, a large wooden barrel labeled:
Wash
. “Scrub and rinse your clothes and hang them outside to dry.”

Agna goes into the washhouse and comes out as Preta finishes cleaning her clothes.

“Are you done and ready for bed?” Agna says.

“Am I ever.” She hangs her clothes over a whitewashed wooden fence and then goes inside the barn.

Agna points to a hay pile in the corner, and Preta lies on the straw bed.

She settles into her blanket, curls into a ball, and falls asleep.

REMINDERS OF HOME

“Time to get up,” Yaz says, shaking Preta’s arm.

Preta wakes, brushes the hay off her body, grabs her pack, and steps out of the barn. She yanks the semi-clean clothes off the fence and smells them. She twists her face from the rank odor. Preta takes another whiff and sneers back and forth between her clothes and her bag, trying to decide if it’s worth keeping them.

Yaz smacks Preta hard on her butt as he passes by. “
Ha
, they’re not gonna smell any better the second time, Sis. Put them in your pack and let’s go.”

Preta contorts her face, packs them, and heads to the cottage.

Inside, Deet is in deep conversation with Rufus about politics, and it appears one side convinced the other about something. Though who convinced whom, Preta can’t discern. She sits next to Yaz at the oak table and feels more human than any time in the past few days.

Edna carries a pot of porridge and blueberries and scoops it into a bowl in front of Preta. “How’d you sleep last night? Looks like your hair got attacked.”

“Well, other than that…” Preta sneers at Agna. “I slept very well, thank you.”

“It’s nice having kids in the house again—been a while since the two boys left.”

“Edna,” Deet says, “you’ll make these two never want to leave if you keep feeding them like this.”

At the same time, with mouths full of porridge, both Preta and Yaz suck air in and out, trying to cool the oats before swallowing.

Yaz mumbles, “
Don-temp-me-rother.
”

Preta swallows and brings her next spoonful up to her mouth and blows, cooling it off.

Yaz swallows and immediately replaces it with another steaming spoonful, disregarding the heat. He sucks in air in short snorts. Yaz gulps down a glass of milk to push down the hot oats.

Agna joins them at the table.

Preta scowls at the hair thief who violated her.

Agna winks at Preta and sticks out her tongue.

While putting another spoonful of oats in her mouth, Preta stares at Deet.

Deet raises his eyebrows and shrugs.

With empty bowl, and Preta not getting any sympathy for her loss, she gets up and goes outside for some fresh air.

Yaz follows her and belches while holding his stomach. He stretches his arms out high above his head and belches again. His eyes widen as something deep within his soul shakes him. “
Hmm—
I think I loosened something.” Yaz’s face twists, and he curls his lip as the sensation is realized. “Yup, definitely loosened, I’m going around back.” He scoots off in a funny, stiff-legged speed walk toward the privy.