Inara ran her hands around her belt, checking the Moonblade amongst her other items and small knives. “Always,” she replied. “It’s highly likely that Alijah still has Reavers patrolling the town.”
Kassian shifted the holster on his thigh so his wand was better concealed within his coat. “The last time I was in Vangarth there were quite a few of them,” he remarked. “Seekers too,” he added gravely, aware that all three of them reeked of magic.
“That doesn’t surprise me,” Inara replied. “Vangarth is the biggest town in all of Felgarn. Only Lirian would have more of the wretches.”
Adan, who had been standing as still as the trees, announced, “We should go. The currents continue to fade.”
Inara gave a nod to Athis, their personal farewells private. Kassian was only too glad to stretch his legs and leave the dragon behind for a while.
Thanks to Adan’s uncanny ability to navigate the maze-like forest, they eventually found themselves on the southern border of Vangarth.
It was quiet on the edge as families settled down for the night, smoke rising from their chimneys. Warm light poured out of windows here and there. Kassian knew from his last visit that Vangarth was a sprawling town, the majority of buildings single storey. Even from the ground, the guard towers could be seen on the periphery, looming over the people. At its heart lay the Great Lodge, the largest building in the town, where countless governors had dwelled during their reign.
“That is my destination,” Inara informed them, looking to the Great Lodge at the end of the main road. “I suggest you take the western streets and enter the forest again in the north.”
Kassian agreed. “Be careful,” he warned.
“I will meet you in the forest when I’m done,” she said, stepping out from between the trees.
“You can track us?” the Keeper asked in disbelief.
Inara looked from Adan to Kassian. “I can track you.”
Kassian wanted to argue but she was probably right. Instead, he watched her disappear down the main road, her red hood draped over her head. For just a moment, the Keeper felt real concern for her going off into the town alone, but then he remembered who he was concerned for. Inara was called the Guardian of the Realm for a reason, and she didn’t need a dragon by her side to claim it.
With Adan by his side, the pair cautiously entered Vangarth. Kassian kept his scarf wrapped around his neck and half of his face while the Drake concealed his shaven horns inside a dark hood. Unfortunately, the first people they came across were not people at all.
A pair of Reavers, clad in their usual black suits of armour, were patrolling the street around the corner. Kassian whipped his arm out and kept Adan pressed against the wall before either could walk into view. Without speaking, he directed the Drake to an alley that would take them the back way to the western streets.
From the next corner, they could see more Reavers standing guard at the top of the nearest tower. Exiting the base of the tower was a lone Reaver, accompanied by a pale Seeker on a lead. Kassian took Adan by the arm and dashed out of the alley and further up the street. A quick glance over his shoulder informed the Keeper that the Reaver and its pet were taking the same route. Kassian cursed and guided the Drake further west, putting a row of buildings between them and the enemy.
They passed a tavern, the windows brimming with firelight. It wasn’t the liveliest place Kassian had ever seen but it was full enough that they could disappear inside and blend in with the patrons. But the presence of the Seeker kept his feet moving and his heart pounding. If their trail was followed into the tavern, they would have no way out but through the Reaver, creating a ruckus that would surely bring more down on them.
No, he decided. They kept walking through the gloomy streets, though the Keeper began to worry that they would never end. One street led to another which led to another. He had them heading north as soon as the path became clear but, more often than not, the Reavers emerged from the shadows as if birthed by the darkness, forcing them to take the long way around.
By the time they reached the northern edge of the town, Kassian should have been very aware of the freezing temperature, but he remained oblivious. Every ounce of his focus was on the dark corners and high towers. So close to the forest again, they opted to run, making a mad dash for the cover of the trees. They kept up their speed until Kassian’s human lungs demanded rest.
“I would suggest a little further,” Adan remarked, his reptilian eyes surveying the hidden wilds.
“Fine,” Kassian agreed, his chest heaving. “But we might have to walk.”
Grateful for a slower pace, the Keeper followed Adan’s lead as they pierced The Evermoore and left Vangarth behind. He couldn’t say how long they walked for, but the evening’s clouds had moved on, replaced now by a shining moon and sea of stars. They finally came to a stop in a small clearing, illuminated by the hanging moon above.
“Here,” Adan’Karth announced.
“What now?” Kassian asked.
The Drake approached the nearest tree and placed his hand to the bark. The Keeper noted it was not the hand affected by his interaction with the mountainous tree in the realm of magic. As he had done then, Adan closed his eyes and communed with the tree, a conversation that remained entirely undetectable to Kassian. He simply waited, calling on what patience he still possessed.
It was in times like this, quiet moments where he had nothing to do, that he would dwell on Clara, often reliving her death. He was pleased, however, to find his memories cast back to their playful games, when he would try to find
