Page 33 of Keeper of the Word

She smirked. “I am a StarSeer, Sir Tolvar. Try me.”

Tolvar remained quiet.

“Sir Tolvar?”

“I find I cannot quite muster the proper description. ’Twas as if a shower of light rained a curtain between us and our pursuers. Stars, ’twas bright. Blinding. It blocked them long enough to give us a strong lead. Then it disappeared, and we have not detected them behind us since.” He paused. “That was when your fever began.”

Elanna took in his words. The Light of Siria. She had not truly called upon the power of the brightest star, had she?

Chapter

Fourteen

ELANNA

When the sun was in the midday sky, they rested. Elanna’s behind ached, her legs wobbled, and her head throbbed as she found a spot behind a collection of trees to use the privy.

No one had mentioned Hux, and she wondered if Tolvar was gladdened to be rid of his man-at-arms. She still hadn’t Seen anything of the Deogolian. Why did that bother her?

Even with the stars veiled in the daylight, Elanna found a serenity in this open land. Under the blue sky devoid of a single cloud, fields stretched as far as she could peer, the tops of butterwheat stalks swayed in the breeze. There was no sign of anyone in any direction. She took it in.

Stars, the world is enormous.

“What is our plan, Sir Tolvar?” she asked when she sat with the others eating dried venison and wild stellaberries that Gus had discovered. Stellaberries were the first fruit of the spring season. They were white and speckled with tiny black seeds. Despite their name, they were shaped like a lumpy bell. The taste was juicy sweet unless they were picked too soon, which made them tangy and a bit tart. These berries were not early, but not inedible.

“We cannot go near Garreth,” Tolvar replied, referring to Ashwin’s border city. “We’ll cut northeast of there and journey through the south country of Askella. We shall stop in Karutown and mayhap Tam’s Ford. As it is my land, we should have a reprieve if we’re still pursued. I’ve no doubt we are. But I dare not go so north as Thorindale in case the Order of Siria goes straight there. We’ll cut through the Emryn Forest and into the province of Anscom.”

“Not to Blagdon?” Elanna asked. That city was near the size of Asalle. Though mayhap being in a bigger city was better. Elanna suddenly grew hot. These places Tolvar spoke of, she’d Seen them, aye, but ne’er seen them.

StarSeers aren’t meant to act.

She’d considered the enormity of the world moments ago simply peering around a field. And they were still in Ashwin’s province.

“Most likely not Blagdon. Coe seems like a safer bet, but I shall decide once we are on Anscom’s land. From Anscom, ’tis a four-day journey, at most, to Asalle.”

Elanna nodded, her smile feeling false. But it grew confident. She had Seen herself in Asalle, the city towering over her as she rode through the streets to the sovereign’s castle. True, she was overcome, but her fortune lay before her now; the stars positioned a path—like invisible stepping stones—she could not yet See, but trusted all the same.

“What about Hux?” she asked before she could stop herself. There was no reason for her to concern herself. Except she felt responsible he’d been left behind, of course. And there was an unusual quality about him that she had yet to finish deciding upon.

The others passed each other knowing glances.

“In truth, we hoped he would connect with us here,” Tolvar said. “We shall give him another hour, but then we must press on.”

“There are two more rendezvous places where he may yet meet us, but if he doesn’t appear, we may have to assume the Order of Siria captured him,” Joss added.

“Mayhap,” Tolvar said. “Or mayhap he is in the wind now.” He shook his head. “I should ne’er have brought him here.”

No one responded. Had Elanna Seen something of Hux’s future she would have tried to put Tolvar at ease. Mayhap she hadn’t Seen anything of the Deogolian because there was nothing, whether it meant that they would never meet again or worse, that there was no fortune to See because his path of life had ended.

The Order would not kill him, would they?

“You four take rest before we must be on our way again,” Tolvar said. “I shall take watch.”

The clapof thunder was practically on top of the lightning that flashed as they entered Tam’s Ford. Elanna could not keep her shoulders from slumping. Tired. She was so tired. And now she was soaked through. Her traveling cloak had done naught in this storm to protect her. The shift under her gown was heavy with rainwater.

They dismounted at the inn, the wooden sign naming this place “The Draggy Hollow” swinging in the wind. The torch affixed next to the entrance had long been doused by the rain, as had many of the lanterns along the town’s main road. Another flash of lightning lit the faces of Elanna’s companions, and she was relieved that Gus and Barrett appeared as exhausted as she.

“Take the horses,” Tolvar said, handing Valko’s reins to Barrett. Elanna gave over Rasa’s to Gus. “We shall meet you inside.