She was still thinking that when she felt Orlando slide down next to her and put his arm across her body. It was nice to have him back, she thought, as she drifted off.
♦ ♦ ♦
The room was dark when she woke, although her internal clock told her that it was only late evening. Orlando slept soundly and never stirred as she slipped out of bed, found her clothes and tiptoed from their room. Minutes later she was entering her office in the main tree of the compound.
To her shock, Samuel was still at his desk, organizing, signing, filing and who knew what else.
“Why are you still here?” she asked.
He looked up at her, his normally bright eyes bleary. “Oh, Lady Shireen. I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you coming.”
“Never mind that. What are you doing here?”
“There was work to catch up on, my Lady. A House as large as this one never stops, and there is so much that still needs to be put in place and repaired after the fight.”
Shireen shook her head. She admired dedication and felt a strong dose of it for her House herself, but Samuel was going to kill himself if he kept this up.
“You need to get out of here,” she said.
“My lady?”
“No, I’m serious. You’re done for tonight. And you know what? Tomorrow, too. I don’t want to see you in here until the day after.”
“But…there’s still…” The look he gave her was almost pathetic in its appeal, which only strengthened her resolve.
“That’s final. What good will you be to yourself, me, or this House if you work yourself to death? I’ll manage for a day on my own. You get some rest, come back all the stronger. Hey! Why don’t you go look at some birds or something?”
She meant it as a helpful suggestion, but his expression told her it came out differently.
“I mean that,” she tried again. “I admit, I don’t get the fascination, but it’s something you enjoy. Go do that for a day.”
Samuel sighed and put down the paper he was holding, the sides crinkled where he had been squeezing it. Absentmindedly he smoothed it out. “Perhaps you’re right,” he said. “I am quite tired. And this time of year is perfect for nesting birds of certain orders.”
“There you go! Now get out of here and have a day of fun tomorrow.”
This job really was getting to her. A day of fun? She’d never used those words in her entire life before. Not even when she was having one. Of course, those days were usually in the saddle, far from the compound, out in the untamed places with Orlando. Most people still called that work, but for her it was about as perfect as it could get.
“Good night then, Lady Shireen. And thank you.”
He gave a slight bow of his head and walked off.
Shireen shook her head as she entered her own office and let out a small groan.
It was as she feared. The stack of papers waiting for her attention had grown.
Chapter 19
The light was barely bright enough for Solomon to see as he jogged along, keeping his sight on the ground in front of him. Whatever that figure in white was, it was no spirit, as if he needed more proof of that. The signs it left of its passage were subtle, but Solomon was an excellent scout and could follow the trail. Not easily, but he could do it.
He didn’t rush, going slowly enough to stay nearly silent, in case he came upon the thing, which was exactly what he didn’t want. It was better for it to run all the way to this mysterious town, Dunfield, and leave a trail for Solomon to follow. That was better than trying to find any landmarks that Gan-Rowe would have given him.
Before he left the Mar-trollid, Yag-Morah had given him a tea that she said would help fortify him, even without the benefit of breakfast. After the first sip, Solomon had agreed, and between that and the adrenaline flowing through him at the thought of being near to Celia, he was wide awake and fully aware.
The land he travelled through now was scrub pine and tall weeds. Meadows, maybe even fields that were once tilled and now allowed to slowly return to a wild state. Birds greeted the burgeoning light with a cacophony of songs, and a deer and her fawn watched him cautiously as he passed by.
It was almost idyllic; a place Solomon would have loved to linger for a while if his quest wasn’t so urgent. But given what Gan-Rowe told him of Dunfield, and the fact that the monster he fought a short hour ago was heading in that direction, he had no time to dawdle.
Perhaps when he found Celia and she was safe they could return here. Spend a day walking among the wildflowers and listening to the birds. Visit the Mar-trollid and find out more about them.
It was a nice thought that wasn’t going to happen. He had responsibilities back home, in the Greenweald. He’d promised Shireen that he wouldn’t be long. While the idea of being Head of House wasn’t very appealing to him, he knew it was galling to her. Being the best person for the job didn’t automatically mean you wanted it, after all.
The sky gradually brightened as he ran and soon it was daylight. With the rising of the sun, the trail he was following disappeared completely. One moment he was able to track it, clear to his trained eyes, and the next
