Alora_The Wander-Jewel Read online

  “Alora, I wanted to find out what kind of transports you might feel comfortable attempting should we come to a battle.” He smiled kindly. “To be honest, I wouldn’t ordinarily ask you to do anything at such an early stage in your training. A few days with Raelene hardly constitutes a beginning for such a powerful wander-jewel. But, you seem to be able to do more than we’d hoped for.”

  “Father, I was hoping we could use Alora to move Beth and Arista to safety. She could take them to Laegenshire.”

  “That is in line with my discussion with Nordamen and Morvaen. Can she do something like that?” Graely nodded.

  “Yes, I feel certain she could easily make that transport,” Kaevin assured his father.

  “Excellent,” Graely said, “I’ll tell—”

  “Excuse me!” Alora said, angrily. “I’m sitting right here, while you’re talking about me in third person. I’d like to have a little say in what I do around here.”

  Kaevin stiffened behind her, and Graely raised his eyebrows in surprise. “We only want to protect you.” Graely’s voice sounded like he was speaking to a child.

  “I have no problem with taking Beth and Arista to a safe place. But if I understand correctly, Vindrake’s men outnumber you. So I have no intention of hiding in Laegenshire when I could be useful in the battle. Surely there’s something I could do to help. What does a bearer usually do?”

  “Alora, with the pressure of the battle, it might be difficult to do your transports. You haven’t had a great deal of practice.” Kaevin argued.

  “I get it—you think I’ll make a mess of things.”

  “That’s not what I said.” But Alora could hear the doubt in his voice. He didn’t believe in her. She felt an overwhelming sense of insecurity. When had she let this happen? She’d always been independent and fairly self-confident, except maybe about her appearance. When had she become dependent on Kaevin’s approval for her own sense of self-worth? She tried to edge forward, away from Kaevin’s touch, but he held her firmly. “Alora... please,” he said. “I’m simply trying to be practical. You don’t understand the pressures of battle.” But she resisted his entreaty, wishing fervently she didn’t have to ride pressed against him. She wished she had her own horse to ride.

  “Brightness!” yelled Graely. “Where did that come from?”

  Kaevin halted their horse at the sudden appearance of a large paint-colored horse directly in their path.

  “Willow!” cried Alora. “That’s my horse from home. Now, I don’t need to ride with Kaevin,” she told Graely as she quickly dismounted and moved to the waiting horse that seemed somehow unaffected by the sudden transport.

  “Alora, wait,” Kaevin said.

  She ignored him and looked up toward Graely. “Mind giving me an arm up?” Graely moved alongside Willow and obligingly boosted her onto the horse’s back. She wound her fingers into the mane, trying to hide her nervousness at her first attempt to ride without a bridle.

  Kaevin scowled. “Did you bring Willow here on purpose, or was it another accident?”

  “I called Willow here on purpose,” she spat back, hoping no one could detect her lie.

  “But you don’t know how to ride without a bridle.”

  “I think I’ve got it figured out after riding with you. I’m sure I’ll be fine,” she said with a confidence she didn’t feel. She had to act more self-assured than she really was. She couldn’t let anyone know she was afraid.

  Graely wore a broad smile. “That’s amazing! I’m certain transporting a horse is quite difficult. Perhaps you could do more for us than we originally thought. Let me consult with Nordamen and Morvaen.” He held up his palm toward Kavein. “Don’t worry. We’ll still send her to a safe place before her life is in danger.”

  *****

  “Willow is missing,” Charles told Raelene when he came inside from tending the horses. “Didn’t Alora ride to Beth’s house in Wesley’s truck?”

  “Yes, I’m certain of it. Wesley was taking Alora to Beth’s home, and then he and Kaevin were going to his home, so they could leave before dawn on their hunting trip.”

  “I was so glad Alora and Kaevin were going to have a few days without being joined at the hip I didn’t ask a lot of questions. Maybe she and Beth rode over together and picked up Willow.”

  “But wouldn’t she come in and tell you?” asked Raelene. Then her eyes narrowed. “Was Willow’s bridle gone?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Donning their coats, they went out to check the stable. Charles found Willow’s stall empty, the door closed and locked. Her bridle was hanging neatly in its normal place. Further investigation revealed a distinct lack of hoof prints in the fresh snow outside the stable.

  “She’s transported her somewhere,” said Raelene. She raised her eyebrows. “Impressive, but worrisome. That’s a lot of mass and it takes considerable power, depending on how long the transport was. We need to warn her to get plenty of food and drink. Sometimes the fatigue comes upon you suddenly. As a young bearer I fainted often, until I became accustomed to the amount of food needed to sustain my transports.”

  Charles pulled out his cell phone to call Alora. “Hmmm. No answer. She might be out of range somewhere.” He left a message on her phone, and tried Beth’s number. With no answer on either girl’s phone, he decided to call Beth’s mother.

  “Yes, Janice. I was just calling to leave a message for Alora. What? Isn’t she staying with Beth at your house this weekend? They said what?” His face was stormy. “Yes, I think I know what this means. It means they went on a camping/hunting trip with the boys. I can’t believe she lied to me! She’s never done anything like this before. What? Yes, Janice. I’ll let you know if I hear from them, but I think we won’t see them until Sunday. I have no idea where they were going to go. Obviously, somewhere out of cell phone range. Yes, please call me if you hear anything.”

  He hung up, fuming, with his blood pressure rising by the second. “I can’t believe her! She never did anything like this before she met Kaevin. I’m gonna lock her in her room and throw away the key!”

  “You feel certain they went camping?” asked Raelene.

  “Sure. Why? Do you think they went somewhere else?”

  “I hope not. But I think it’s possible.”

  “Why? What are you thinking? Where else would they go?”

  “To Laegenshire,” she said, as she began to pace. “I don’t have any real evidence, simply a feeling. When they came in to pack their belongings, Kaevin appeared extremely upset and worried, as did Alora. I didn’t think anything of it at the time. I thought they were perhaps having a little spat.” She stopped to look apprehensively at Charles. “But now, I’m afraid they might have gone to Stone Clan.”

  “But wouldn’t they have come to you if they had concerns?”

  “I’m afraid they don’t quite trust me, since I refused to support them in their claim to be soulmates. I tried to explain it to them, but I’m not certain they accepted my explanation.”

  “I don’t understand what difference it would make, whether you believed them or not.”

  “They would correctly assume I would send Kaevin back alone, not risking Alora when she’s such a fledgling bearer. I’m afraid our home can be a very dangerous place. Alora’s father, Vindrake, is evil, and he has killed many.”

  Charles swallowed an awkward reply when he noticed tears in her eyes.

  “I’m sorry about your daughter. She was very beautiful.”

  “I forgot you met her.” Raelene turned her face away, blinking rapidly. “Do you mind sharing the story with me?”

  “My wife and I were in Yellowstone National Park. We were off by ourselves when she just kind of fell onto the ground in front of us. She was holding Alora in her arms.”

  “What did she say?”

  “She begged us to take Alora and hide her from her father, but she didn’t say his name. We figured he was some kind of criminal.”

  “And was she in pa
in?”

  “I don’t think so.” He hoped he’d be forgiven the little white lie. “She was only there for like sixty seconds before she disappeared.”

  Raelene nodded, wiping her coat sleeve across her face.

  “This man ... Alora’s father ...”

  “Vindrake.” Her lips curled in distaste.

  “Vindrake. Why is he so evil, anyway? Is he some kind of monster or possessed by a demon or something?”

  Her eyes focused far away. “No, I met him when he was young and his father was chief of Water Clan. The clans didn’t quite trust each other, but we weren’t at war as we are now. He was a quiet, handsome boy and quite gifted. He stood behind his father, emulating every gesture. It was so sweet. Something happened to change him. I don’t know—perhaps it was the death of his father and brother. But his evil is so strong now, it’s palpable.”

  “Do you think he’s so evil he would hurt his own daughter?” Something sick and heavy landed in the pit of his stomach.

  “Yes, I believe he’s capable of anything.”

  “Now that co-ed camping trip doesn’t sound so bad.” Had he driven her to this by refusing to accept her relationship with Kaevin? He had to do something—he couldn’t bear to lose her. “What can we do? Can’t you go and fetch them back somehow?”

  “There was a time, in my younger days, when I could do that. But I’m afraid my time has passed.” He saw tears puddling in her eyes. “My heart has a really bad feeling.”

  She didn’t resist when he pulled her against his chest, wrapping his arms around her, while blinking away tears of his own. “They’re smart kids. Maybe they’ll be okay.”

  “But she’s too young, too immature to make the decisions she needs to make. And she’s never faced this kind of danger. Kaevin, at least, has grown up with it.”

  “She’s all I have left. I can’t lose her. I refuse to let that happen.”

  They stood crying together until the cold seeped through their coats. Then they returned to the warm house, which felt strangely empty.

  *****

  Alora was pleased she and Willow quickly got the hang of riding without a bridle, aided by the fact they were riding in a large group. She had a bit of a headache, but she assumed it was from lack of sleep. As she grew more comfortable guiding Willow with her knees, her mind wandered to more important matters. How could she use her gift to aid in the upcoming battle? Stopping for their first break to water the horses, Alora cornered Beth.

  “When the battle starts, I’m going to take you and Arista back to Laegenshire. I don’t think it’s safe to go all the way back to Montana without Kaevin, but it probably won’t take much energy to go to Laegenshire.”

  “No, you’re not,” she objected. “The whole reason I came was so I could use my first aid training.”

  Arista overheard Alora. “I’m not going back either. I’m better with a bow and arrow than most of the warriors here. Wesley and I have a plan, and Morvaen already approved it. We’re going to a high vantage point and shooting from a distance with Wesley’s special bows, using my arrows.”

  “Morvaen likes that we’ll be out of the shooting range for ordinary bows,” Wesley added. “So it’s not that dangerous at all.”

  “Perhaps Alora’s idea would be for the best, Arista. Sixteen years is too young to be in battle.” At the sound of Jireo’s voice, Alora turned to find him and Kaevin, wearing stern expressions. Well, Kaevin can just keep that sour face—I don’t want to hear what he has to say.

  “You had fifteen years when you were in your first battle,” Arista scoffed. “And you have only seventeen now.”

  “My father is the chief of Stone Clan,” said Kaevin. “It’s up to him to make these decisions. Since our whole goal is to prevent Alora’s capture, it only makes sense to get her away to a safe place. And since they’ve already mistaken Arista for Alora once, she would also be in danger if she remained.”

  “And Beth could return after the battle,” Jireo added.

  “Jeeze, guys! Can’t you see you’re ticking them off? I’d keep my mouth shut if I were you.” Wesley backed away.

  “Wesley’s right,” said Beth, staring up with narrowed eyes. “You boys just need to worry about yourselves.”

  Alora noticed her head pounding. It couldn’t be hurting because of separation from Kaevin, because they’d been in contact for an hour before she transported Willow. And Kaevin’s head didn’t seem to be hurting at all.

  “Hey, Beth,” she whispered. “Do you have any Advil in that first aid kit?”

  “Does your head hurt?” she asked. “Maybe it would be better if you rode with Kaevin.” She dug though her kit and found pain medication, handing her two pills.

  “No, that can’t be the problem. He’s not having any symptoms. I think it’s just lack of sleep.”

  “Maybe,” said Beth. “But be careful, okay? I know you’re mad at him, but don’t cut off your nose to spite your face.”

  Traveling at a fair pace, stopping only to rest and water the horses, the expedition group reached the canyon just after sunset.

  “Do we have any way of knowing for sure if Vindrake’s men are coming? Or how far behind us they are?” Graely asked Nordamen.

  “My power to sense gifts is only effective when people are in close proximity. If only we hadn’t lost Valor.” Nordamen’s jaw flexed. “His discernment was strong. He had the ability to detect gifts from a league away. We’d at least have a bit of warning.”

  “Not to mention, he left behind a wife and young family. All because we refused to change our customs.” Graely’s gut churned with guilt.

  “It’s not your fault, Graely.” Nordamen squeezed his shoulder. “No one on the council wanted to change the rule about leaving our weapons at the door.”

  “Let’s not forget who’s truly to blame. It was Vindrake who attacked us in our own council hall.” Morvaen’s voice moved with his heated pacing.

  “And we won’t be safe until Tenavae is rid of Vindrake’s scourge,” agreed Graely.

  “It galls me we must once again defend ourselves from his unprovoked attack.”

  “I think we must be half a day ahead, at least. Let’s plan and ready our defense and then eat and get some sleep.” Morvaen pivoted without altering his pace.

  Graely saw Alora approaching with tentative steps. “I was trying to think how I could help. Is there anything or anyone I could fetch from Laegenshire?”

  “An excellent idea, Alora!” Morvaen gestured with flailing arms, increasing the length of his strides. “Yes. We weren’t planning for a battle. You could bring more arrows. Of course, they could only be wood-tipped. And a few more warriors could be very helpful.” He stroked his beard, never missing a step.

  “I’d forgotten how useful a bearer could be.” Graely couldn’t hide his enthusiasm. Am I wrong to take advantage of her gift when she has so few years? “You’d need to make several trips. Do you feel strong enough?”

  “I’ve been eating like a horse all day. I should have plenty of energy. I just have a bit of a headache, but I think it’s from lack of sleep.”

  Kaevin interrupted. “Father, wouldn’t it be best if Alora remained in Laegenshire during the battle? We don’t want her within reach of Vindrake.”

  “You can’t order me around.” Alora narrowed her eyes at Kaevin and crossed her arms.

  “I can’t, but Father can.” He returned a fierce frown.

  “Son, we’ll be certain Alora is away from the thick of the battle. She can always transport to safety. My thought was to keep her with Beth, so if things go badly, they could both move to Laegenshire.”

  “See you later, Kaevin. I’ve got work to do.” Alora gave Kaevin an I-told-you-so look. And she disappeared.

  Kaevin found Beth near the campfire. “Hey, Kaevin. Did you see what Alora managed to do? She made three trips and brought nine more men with supplies and food,” she said excitedly. “And she’s gone back for three more.”

  “That
’s great,” said Kaevin sarcastically. “She’s going to be too exhausted to move herself to safety when Vindrake attacks.” He rubbed his forehead.

  “Is your head hurting?”

  “Yes, it’s been hurting all day. And it’s getting worse. I thought I might see if you had some potion in your magick kit.”

  “Alora’s head was hurting, too. It’s probably the soulmate thing.”

  “But we’ve been in contact today already.”

  “Yes, but that was before she moved a fourteen hundred pound horse. And now she’s made a bunch of other transports. Didn’t we decide she drew power from your soulmate bond or something?”

  “That mostly made us tired. This is much more painful.”

  “I highly suggest kissing again.” Her lips curved in an innocent smile.

  “She won’t even speak to me. I greatly doubt she’ll agree to kiss me.” He grabbed his head as a sharp pain hit.

  “She’s transporting to Graely.” Beth gripped his arm. “You’d better go stand beside him and wait for her.”

  Kaevin’s vision blurred as Beth led him, stumbling, to his father’s side.

  “Just a moment, Kaevin. I’m discussing the placement of the wards with Morvaen and Nordamen. This might be a good opportunity for you to learn some strategy.”

  Kaevin sank to the ground by his father’s feet, dropping his head in his hands.

  “What’s wrong?” his father cried. “Are you sick again?”

  Kaevin tried to answer, but the pain in his head flashed so intensely, he couldn’t form coherent thoughts. Finally, he croaked out, “Alora.”

  “What about her? What about Alora? She’s due back any moment now.”

  “She’s back!” said Morvaen. “And look—she’s brought four more warriors at once!”

  Kaevin lifted his head in time to see Alora crumple in a boneless heap. He tried to call her name, but the ground rushed toward his face and knocked him out.

  Chapter Nine

  Nordamen rushed to Alora. “She’s overtaxed herself again! We’ve got to get her awake to eat and drink something.”