Warding Song

Warm air rushed over her. Eleyna turned her head aside. Another puff of hot air. “Eleyna? Wake up.” The surface beneath her shifted unexpectedly.

“Huh?” She jerked awake, clutching her stomach, and clambered off Acora’s forelimb, trying to stand upright. Acora crooned. “S’okay, I’m fine,” she insisted.

“No, you’re not. Your belly is hurting,”Acora replied matter-of-factly.

Eleyna straightened, one hand pressed against her stomach, and looked up at the dragon. “I just need some aventurine and I’ll be as good as new.”

“You need what?”

“Aventurine. It’s the crystal that humans use to heal stomach pains; and I know who might have some. Don’t worry, we can trust her. Why don’t you go catch some fish? I’ll wait here.” When Acora returned, she climbed onto her shoulders. “We need to go back to the island I was captured on.”

Acora spread her wings. “I don’t like it there,” she complained as they took off.

“I know, but don’t worry. The person I need to see doesn’t live in the town.”

When they reached Madines, Eleyna told Acora to follow the river. “Look for a tree with lots of coloured … things hanging from it.” She wasn’t sure how else to describe the shaman’s treehouse. “Like feathers and stuff,” she added.

Acora back-winged into a hover. “There’s something down there.”

Eleyna made out the vine-festooned shack that the shaman called home. “That’s it! Can you land down there, in the river?” she asked.

“I can try,”Acora said gamely, circling and dropping towards the canopy. Twigs and branches snapped beneath her weight; her claws scored the trunks and finally, with a loud splash, Acora landed in the river. Hemmed in on both sides, she lowered her head and drank from it as if nothing whatsoever was amiss.

Eleyna brushed leaves out of her hair and looked up, at the sound of footsteps thumping on wood. Brigitte appeared on the edge of the platform, staring at her open-mouthed. Eleyna grinned sheepishly and waved. Acora lifted her head, and Brigitte stumbled back. “It’s okay!” Eleyna assured both of them.

“Acora, go closer to the flat bit. I’m gonna climb up your neck,” she warned, using the dragon’s spines to haul herself up. She held on tight as Acora shuffled closer and reared up to bring her near to the platform. Once she’d clambered onto it, Eleyna turned back to her dragon. “Thank you,” she smiled.

“You certainly know how to make an entrance. I didn’t expect us to meet again, so … what happened?” the shaman demanded, noticing the bloodstained shirt.

Eleyna winced. “It’s a long story. Do you have aventurine? I’ll trade you some of Acora’s scales,” she offered. Brigitte raised an eyebrow, and gestured for her to come inside. Eleyna told Acora, “Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

She watched as the shaman mixed together aventurine powder and other herbs with a mortar and pestle. “You can explain what happened to you whilst you’re waiting. Why, pray tell, are you covered in blood?”

“I got stabbed,” Eleyna answered bluntly. Brigitte stared at her; she pulled up her shirt to reveal the scar. “After I left here, I was captured by those dragon hunters I told you about. They scared off Acora, but she followed their ship and – um, I sort of assumed she was male, but she’s actually a female.”

“Yes, I gathered. Go on.”

“Oh, right. The Imperials were gonna… ” Eleyna trailed off, throat growing tight. “My aunt’s dead. They hanged her, and they were gonna hang me too. I … I saw her body.” She shuddered. “One of the guards was an old friend of mine. He took pity on me and let me out, and Acora faced her fear to rescue me.”

Brigitte covered a bandage with medicinal paste. “I’m sorry to hear about your aunt,” she murmured, folding the bandage. “So you escaped, and then?”

“I worked out the riddle, and we were on our way, but George – he’s one of the hunters,” Eleyna added, “and he wanted revenge for Patrick’s death. He caught up with us and … Acora was busy. I’d gone exploring, and she couldn’t get to me in time.” She took a deep breath and revealed, “I almost died.”

Brigitte raised an eyebrow. “Yet here you are, and seeing as you aren’t a petramort, I assume you survived in some other way.” She wrapped the bandage around Eleyna’s middle and pinned it in place. “Correct?”

She took a deep breath. “I’ll tell you, but I don’t think you’ll believe me.”

“I am a shaman who speaks with the lespri. I’ll suspend my disbelief.”

“George stabbed me, and I passed out … then I was somewhere else. It looked like a throne room; except it was derelict, with the columns all cracked and the floor covered in dust. There was a skeleton on the throne … it called itself the King of All, but the King isn’t supposed to be a skeleton, and there’s meant to be a Judge and a Knight too. Brigitte, do you know who the skeleton was?”

“I have no idea. I’m a shaman priestess of the lespri, not of your gods.”

“Never mind. I was this close to being judged and sent to the other side; then I got yanked back into my body. I woke up and I – I could understand Acora,” she revealed. “I didn’t realise what was going on at first, but I can talk to her now. She did this … she calls it the heart bind. She used it to save my life.”

“Interesting,” murmured Brigitte. “I’d like to know more about this heart bind. Do you think your dragon friend would be willing to explain it to a stranger?”

“I’m the only human she can understand,” Eleyna replied, “but I’ll ask if she’d mind me telling you.” The aventurine took effect; her stomach hurt far less.

“That’s fair. Did you return here only for healing crystals?”

“I did need some aventurine. Thank you. But I need to get my locket back, or I’m not – I can’t get to the treasure. Uh, I don’t suppose you have some dark clothes I could borrow?”

Eyebrows raised, Brigitte replied: “I have a cloak; but I expect to have it back when you return,” she warned. Eleyna nodded. She’d not lose the items – unless she was caught, but perhaps it was best not to think about that.

“Good. Now go and collect dragon scales for my payment,” Brigitte prompted, handing her a cloth bag. Eleyna pushed her way through the curtain of beads. Acora was still sitting in the river, grooming herself. Eleyna climbed down the tree and explained, “I need to trade your scales for the crystals.”

“What does trade mean?”Acora wondered, as Eleyna picked up fallen scutes.

“It’s like … so, if I have something that someone else wants, and they have something that I want, I give them a bit of what they want, and they give me a bit of what I want. Here, let me get the rest of those loose scales,” she offered.

“But why does your friend want some of my scales?”

“A lot of people want dragon scales, they’re really valuable.” She took the opportunity to check Acora’s musket-shot wounds. They had scarred over, and there was no sign of infection, much to her relief. Once she’d filled the bag, she asked Acora to lift her back onto the platform. Brigitte was waiting. Eleyna handed her the bag of scales, and she gave Eleyna a folded cloak.

“Return it when you can,” Brigitte reminded her, “and good luck.” She smiled and saluted before jumping down onto Acora’s shoulders. “If you go further down-river, there’s a clearing where Acora can spread her wings!”

“She says there’s more space further down. Just follow the river.”

Officer Rowles stood to attention, back ramrod-straight. He kept his eyes fixed on a spot on the wall as the commander read through his report on the dragon rider’s escape. Finally the commander put down the papers, stood up and moved around to the front of his desk. Rowles turned to face him and saluted.

He returned the salute, but did not give permission to stand at ease. “You have served the Imperial Navy for over a decade, and performed your duty with admirable efficiency. Thus it is all the more disappointing that you have failed, on multiple occasions, to apprehend this … dragon-riding thief.”

Rowles was well aware of that. “I don’t need to tell you what a disaster it will be if the girl and beast continue to run amok,” his commander went on. “Mass panic, property damage, lives lost; all of which have already occurred. Perhaps if you kept a closer eye on the girl when you first took her from that pirate ship, none of this would have happened. Do you agree, officer?”

“Yes, sir. It was a regrettable lapse of judgement and duty on my part.”

“However,” the commander went on, “For the past ten years you've had a completely spotless record, which means this case is clearly an outlier. For both our benefits – and records – these events and your responsibility will be wiped from the slate, and I will assign the fugitive to someone else.”

Rowles cleared his throat and inquired, “Permission to speak freely, sir?”

“I wish to request the assignment to apprehend the runaway myself, sir.”

The commander pursed his lips, and sat down. “Is that so?” he questioned. “You have nothing to prove or redeem. I can wipe the records, leaving you with a clean slate. Nobody needs to know your part in letting her loose.”

“It’s not about my records or reputation, sir, but honor and justice. I showed the girl kindness, and she not only betrayed me, but took advantage of it and ended up killing a man. I feel it is my responsibility to bring her to justice.”

The commander interlaced his fingers. “Very well, I will assign you to the task. You can use all the necessary resources and take as much time as you need. I realise that capturing someone who rides a dragon around will not be a simple affair,” he remarked dryly. “Regardless, I wish you luck, officer.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Yes, quite. You’re dismissed.” Rowles saluted, then turned and left the room. Further down the corridor he sighed in relief. That went better than he’d expected. Now he had to make the necessary arrangements, and get in touch with those dragon hunters again. First, however, he had a letter to send.

O’Brien was reviewing the monthly budget, when a knock sounded at the door. “Come in,” he prompted, without looking up. A messenger came in.

“Two letters, sir. One is urgent,” he announced, holding out the envelopes. O’Brien saw the black wax seal. He quickly stood up and leaned over the desk to take the letters, dismissing the messenger with a flick of his wrist. He broke the seal on the urgent letter, slid it out and began to read, frowning.

I regret to inform you that despite apprehending the dragon-riding criminal on Madines and taking her to Atanes for trial, the dragon itself evaded capture and attacked the fort in which the prisoner was being held. She escaped her bonds and reunited with the dragon. Their current whereabouts are unknown.

I have personally volunteered to take on the responsibility of tracking down the fugitive and bringing her to justice. My sincere apologies if this brings you any inconvenience, but given you’ve also had dealings with the fugitive, I felt it prudent to keep you abreast of this development. I will continue to get in touch if and when more news arises, and you are welcome to contact myself in turn.

O’Brien looked away briefly, and reread the letter, as if it might have changed. It remained the same. He set it aside and kneaded his temples. “Of all the bloody … Mayor Sebayades isn’t going to be happy about this,” he muttered.

O’Brien nearly forgot about the second letter, but when he stood up it caught his eye. He paused to open it and gave a nod of satisfaction; at least that was good news. He left it on his desk and then made his way to Town Hall.

He requested a meeting with Mayor Sebayades. There were benefits to being Captain of the Guard; one of his own men went to pass his request on, and returned to announce: “The mayor says he can give you ten minutes, sir.”

“That’s all I need.” He was escorted to the mayor’s office. O’Brien approached the desk, his boots sinking into the plush carpet, and gave a stiff salute.

Mayor Sebayades looked up from his papers. “Yes, Captain, what is it?”

“I’m afraid I have some bad news. You remember that thief and the dragon she rides?” O’Brien inquired. “It seems that they’ve … escaped, sir.”

Sebayades scowled. “What d’you mean, escaped? They’re still not caught?”

“It seems she was arrested, but the dragon attacked the fort where she was being held and she used the distraction to get out of her cell,” he explained, holding out Rowles’s letter. Sebayades read it, and his scowl deepened.

“Let me get this straight. Not only did they fail to keep the girl in check, but they didn’t capture the dragon at all?” he demanded. “In your last report you said Officer Rowles was working with a crew of professional dragon hunters.”

O’Brien nodded at the letter. “As you can see, he plans to track the fugitive.”

“Never mind her. It’s the dragon I’m after; it’s head, to be more exact, mounted on my wall. I want you to summon the Informer of Dragons,” he ordered. O’Brien was too disciplined to wince, but he did briefly hesitate.

“I’m afraid Mr Dexter quit. He said something about starting a new business.”

The mayor scoffed. “That imbecile couldn’t start a business if he tried, but he’s the only lead we’ve got. Prise whatever scraps of knowledge about dragons you can from his thick skull, and send the information to Officer Rowles. Tell him – Rowles, that is – to tell those hunters that I’m still willing to pay handsomely for the dragon’s skull. Just think of how imposing it would look!”

“Yes, sir,” O’Brien saluted. He took his leave. Personally he was of the opinion that trying to get anything useful out of Timothy Dexter, much less any information about dragons, would prove to be a fruitless endeavour.

It took a few days to get there, but Amohanes came into view at last. The sun beat down overhead and Eleyna slumped in relief. Acora stayed high above the island until they were right overhead, then folded her wings and plunged downwards. She landed with a thump on the slopes of the valley where they’d landed before. Eleyna could see Pueblo de Juan from here, and Mendo’s farm.

Her stomach rumbled. She had food, but Eleyna’s mouth watered at the thought of devouring a nice juicy papaya. She could visit Mendo and make sure he was okay. It felt like the least she could do after he’d helped her before.

Acora slowly made her way to the river, head turning to search for any sign of danger. There was nothing around but grazing sheep and goats. The ones on this side of the river gave Acora a wide berth, bleating in fear. “Are those prey-beasts for humans?” she asked curiously. “Can I hunt one too?”

“What? No! You can’t eat livestock, Acora. They’d notice if their sheep went missing; and besides, I think these ones belong to someone I know.”

The river was brown. Acora paid the dirt no heed and lapped at it thirstily. Eleyna grimaced and sipped from her bottle instead. The water had warmed in the sun and tasted foul. They’d have to find a clear stream to refill it.

“You remember when we came here before, and you hid in that grove of trees? I know someone who lives near there. I want to go and see him.”

“Trees? Oh, you mean the tall plants,” realised Acora. “I remember where they are.” She let Eleyna climb back on, then half ran, half flew back up the slope, running along the ridge until she could skid down right behind the copperwood trees. Her nostrils flared as she sniffed deeply for any humans within.

No one was there. Eleyna took off her cutlass and rucksack, then piled her hair into a loose bun. “I won’t be long,” she told Acora. “Stay here and don’t let anyone see you. I promise I’ll be careful too,” she assured her anxious friend.

Eleyna splashed across the river, and walked down the dirt path alongside. The farmhouse came into view. There was no sign of Mendo’s cart. Perhaps he was at the market, but he had a wife who might tell her what happened.

She approached the door and knocked. From inside came the sound of footsteps, then a woman opened it and asked her, “Yes, can I help you?”

“Um, hello. I was just wondering if Mendo was in, or … not … ” Eleyna trailed off.

Mendo’s wife raised an eyebrow. “He’s at the market in town. He’ll be back this afternoon, or you could go and find him. What do you need him for?”

It was enough to know he hadn’t been arrested, or worse. “I just wanted to say hello,” Eleyna replied, forgetting to ask for some fruit. “But it’s not important, sorry to bother you. Have a nice day,” she smiled, and turned to leave.

“Wait! I know you,” the other woman said sharply. “You’re that thief the guards interrogated my husband about last week!” Eleyna struggled not to cringe.

“Please don’t tell anyone you saw me.” The older woman frowned. “I’m sorry I got your husband in trouble; I came to make sure he was okay. I’ll leave, but please don’t tell the guards I was here. You’ll never see me again, I promise.”

From inside the house, a girl’s voice called: “Mama, who are you talking to?”

Mendo’s wife looked over her shoulder. “It’s fine, sweetheart, nothing to worry about!” She looked at Eleyna. “Mendo took a liking to you, so for his sake I’ll give you an hour to get away. You’d better keep that promise, girl. I don’t want you near my family or this farm ever again. You’ve given us enough trouble.”

Stricken, Eleyna nodded. “I promise,” she repeated quietly, backing away. Then she turned and walked to the gate, closed it behind her, and up the path.

She ran, sandals beating against the hard-packed dirt and splashing through the river, until she reached the copperwood grove. “Are you okay?”Acora wondered as Eleyna panted heavily, sweat dripping off her brow.

“I … ” She caught her breath. “We need to … find somewhere to hide until dark. Near a spring, or something.” Her mouth felt like it was full of sand; despite the unpleasant taste of warm water, she gulped it from the bottle.

She climbed onto Acora’s shoulders, using the cloak Brigitte had given her as a makeshift saddle. They left the grove and returned to the hills, until they found a ravine with a stream running through it. The water here was much clearer than down in the valley. Eleyna refilled her bottle and drank from it.

“What happened?” asked Acora. “Did you find your friend?”

“He wasn’t there, and … I can’t see him, anyway. It would get him into trouble, and I promised his wife I’d leave them alone.” She knelt at the edge of the stream, looking at the water but not really seeing it. Acora nuzzled her.

“Don’t worry about me,” she smiled. “I’m gonna eat something and have a nap. Wake me when it gets dark, okay?”Acora nodded. Eleyna devoured a meagre lunch, then curled up on the grass. Just for a short rest …

When she awoke, Eleyna unwrapped her bandages, slipped the pin into her pocket – mindful of the locks that may soon be in her way – then stowed her rucksack behind a bush. She strapped the cutlass to her back instead of hanging at her hip. “We’ll come back for my stuff afterwards, okay?”

Acora pawed at the ground. “I don’t like this. Going into that human nest is dangerous. What if you get caught? What if we bothget caught?”

“Youwon’t get caught. They won’t have nets or chains that could hold a dragon, and you can fly. We just need a place for you to lay low and wait for me.” The town was built on a floodplain, with not much in the way of cover. “We’ll think of something,” Eleyna decided after a moment’s thought.

“It’s still dangerous. Maybe we don’t need the Great Knower’s hoard.”

“Oh no, we are not giving up. Acora, think of everything we’ve been through! It’ll be worth it if we get that treasure. Yes, this is dangerous. I’m scared too,” she admitted, grimacing. Mendo’s wife had probably told the guards about her by now. They’d be on alert. What she needed was a way to …

“That’s it! Acora, I need you to do me a favour. I’ll go into town to get the locket, and you draw their attention away. Fly around, roar a lot – just don’t hurt anyone, or set anything on fire. The guards won’t be able to look for me if they’re trying to fend you off. And if I do get captured … the heart bind, can it help you find me? Let you know I’m in trouble?” Eleyna questioned.

“Yes. I’ll sense where you are and come rescue you.”Acora squirmed and questioned, “Are you sure these humans won’t be able to capture me?”

“Trust me, there’s nothing to worry about.” Eleyna forced a smile and patted Acora’s snout. “I know you’re scared of humans, but you can be brave for me, right?” The dragon hummed in agreement. “Thanks. Now let’s get going. By the time we get down there it’ll be completely dark, and easier to hide.”

There was a building on the far side of the marketplace. Eleyna winced as a fence crunched to splinters, but after that Acora picked her way over them more carefully. At last they reached the back of the barn. Acora’s snout wrinkled in disgust. “It stinks of dung. I can hear prey-beasts in there.”

“You can’t have one,” Eleyna muttered. Her stomach was tying itself in knots. “Okay, here’s the plan. You distract everyone for as long as you can. When I’m ready, I’ll come back to wait for you here, so keep an eye out for me, okay?”Acora nodded, and padded into the darkness.

At last she heard a familiar roar from the far side of town; the distraction was underway. Eleyna drew the cloak around herself, and set off around the field to the edge of Pueblo de Juan. She walked beside the fence encircling it, so as not to be out in the open. The closer Eleyna walked, the quicker her heart thudded in her chest.

When she reached the other side, Eleyna watched for any sign of a patrol. There was no one else in sight. She darted across the gap, pressing her back against the nearest house. After a few slow breaths to settle her nerves, Eleyna set off into the maze of streets, trying to retrace her steps to the shop.

She made her way across town in stops and starts, keeping to the shadowed alleys. Acora’s distraction must have been working, as guards left their posts to head for the other side of town. More than once, Eleyna had to duck out of sight as they rushed by. She was grateful to have Brigitte’s black cloak.

The surrounding houses started to look more familiar. She found the alley she’d stolen these clothes from. The pawnshop wasn’t far from here. Eleyna picked her way towards it, eyes and ears pricked for any hint of pursuit.

The pawnshop was the fifth building down. Eleyna went into the alley behind it and counted them off until she found a back door, checked no one was watching, and took out the pin. It was no lockpick, but it would have to do.

She slid the blunt end into the keyhole, carefully edging the pin underneath the lock-cylinders and levering them upwards one by one. Her heart was in her throat, biting her lip. She had to be extremely careful. If the pin snapped …

For tension, she bent the handle down as far as it would go. Suddenly it gave way. Eleyna stumbled, almost falling in. The pin broke off. She quietly closed the door. It was pitch black, but gradually her eyes adjusted to the darkness.

There was a large safe, locked boxes on shelves, a desk and a stairwell that undoubtedly led up to the owner’s flat. Eleyna made her way over to the desk and found a large book. It proved to be a ledger, to keep track of who had pawned what and for how much. She opened the cover and began to read it.

Or at least she tried to, but in the gloom she could barely make out the pawnbroker’s spidery scrawl. There was a lantern on the desk. Eleyna bit her lip and glanced at the dark stairwell. She found a box of matches and struck one, using it to alight the oil-soaked wick of the lantern before blowing it out.

Then she held the lantern up and began to study the ledger. There were dates written in; Eleyna carefully turned the pages to find the date she had pawned off the locket. Her eyes strained to find what she was looking for. At last she found the right page and read closely, tracing her finger down the list of exchanges until she read: Broken locket. 15sueltos. Confiscated by guards.

Eleyna gripped the edge of the desk. Upstairs, something creaked. Eleyna closed the ledger, blew out the lantern and stole over to the back door. She carefully slipped out into the night, closed it behind her, and fled.

In the distance she could hear roars, shouts and musket shots. Eleyna hid behind a tree, peering out at the town hall. By her standards it was overly fancy; a wide veranda supported by large columns, arched and filigreed windows, elaborate carvings on the walls and towers on either side.

She hoped the guardhouse would be the same, or close enough, to the guardhouse back in San Nicolas. She and her friends had been escorted there once or twice as children after getting nabbed by guards, for a stern talking to.

There was bound to be something in the captain’s office to tell her where the locket was being kept. She went to the back of the building. There was a window on the top storey; better still, it was ajar, and there was no light shining from it. A securely-attached pipe ran down the wall from the gutter.

A lone guard was on sentry duty. Eleyna tucked the cloak’s hem into her shorts, then picked up some pebbles and flung one as hard as she could, startling the guard. “Who’s there?” He went to investigate. She ran to the pipe and climbed, feet braced against the wall. Footsteps made her freeze, clinging to the pipe, hoping no one was watching. She chanced a peek downwards.

It was only the guard returning to his post; she heard an irritated mutter of “stupid alley-cats.” Eleyna slowly kept climbing. At last she hauled herself up over the gutter and onto the roof, staying down to keep out of sight.

After flying with Acora, the guardhouse roof seemed absurdly low. Soon she was right above the window. The sentry was right below it. She flung another pebble. He didn’t take the bait, so she threw a rock in the opposite direction. Someone cried out. Eleyna winced. She must have accidentally hit a passerby. The guard hurried to their aid, and she forced herself to move.

She lowered her leg to catch a foot on the windowsill, dangled from the gutter with one hand, and grabbed the upper frame. Now she had to let go … but couldn’t. She was so tense her hand had gone rigid, even as her arm started to ache and tremble. She took a deep breath and forced her hand open.

Her grip slackened. She hauled herself through the window, landing in an unlit corridor. There was no one in sight. The captain’s office would be at the front of the building. He’d be with his men, trying to corral Acora. Or so she hoped. Eleyna paused and awkwardly drew her cutlass from its sheath on her back.

Any minute now she expected a door to open, but none did. At last she made it to the captain’s office. When she tried the handle, Eleyna was surprised to find the door open. She thanked the Rogue and slipped into the room. There was just enough ambient light coming in through the windows to see by.

She searched through the papers on the desk, looking for a record book. The word ‘locket’ on a letter caught her eye, and she paused to read … succeeded in opening it, and I have reason to believe this locket you sent to me is part of an ancient cult or lineage that I have been studying in my spare time.

Eleyna was almost certain this letter was referring to her locket. She slipped it into her pocket, so she could find the address tomorrow, then headed for the door and eased it open. The coast was clear … she slipped out, then hurried along the corridors. Just as she was about to turn the second corner, she heard footsteps up ahead. Eleyna flattened herself against the wall, trembling.

Someone came around the corner. Eleyna panicked and jabbed the cutlass at his bare arm. He lurched backwards, clutching at the bloodied wound, and she realised with horror that he wasn’t a guard, but a civilian; a janitor.

She ran, fumbling with her cutlass as shouts of “help!” rang out. Footsteps hammered on the staircase. Eleyna scrambled onto the windowsill and reached for the gutter, barely catching it. She dragged herself up as a hand snatched at her ankle. Below, the sentry cried out: “Intruder on the roof!”

Eleyna bruised her knees on the tiles. There was nowhere to go – the nearest roof was a whole street away, she couldn’t jump that far. A guard clambered onto the roof. “Stay where you are!” he ordered, as if she had any choice.

Just before he grabbed her, Eleyna and the guard heard a roar. They looked up – she reached out, he ducked down, and talons scooped Eleyna off the roof. She clung on tight as Acora flew away from the town, higher and higher.

Acora circled lower and lower until she landed and deposited Eleyna. “Are you okay?” she demanded, sniffing the girl all over. “I can smell blood!”

“It … it’s not mine.” Eleyna staggered over to the river and tore off the cloak, unbuckled the scabbard with trembling fingers. Drew out the blade … it was still stained with that man’s blood. She dipped it into the water. “I panicked,” she muttered, rubbing the blood away with her fingers. As soon as it was clean, she dried the cutlass on her cloak. “Are you okay? You aren’t hurt, are you?”

“I’m fine. Besides, you’d know if I was hurt.”Acora pointed out. Then she inquired, “Eleyna, what happened? Why is there blood on your metal stick?”

“My … you mean this? It’s a cutlass. I cut someone,” she admitted. “The locket wasn’t where I thought it was, so I had to break into somewhere else, and it wasn’t there either. When I tried to get out, I got cornered and … he wasn’t even a guard. Just a regular person, and I injured him. I hope he’s okay.”

Acora told her, “Everyone lashes out when they’re threatened; how else can you escape? And you had to escape, or they would have tried to kill you.”

Eleyna knew that, deep down, but it was nice to be told. “Thanks, Acora.”

“You’re welcome. So what are we going to do? If you don’t have the locket … ”

“I found a message, and whoever wrote it has my locket. I’m sure they do – they call it ‘ancient’, and the Great Knower is ancient, right?”

“Yes,” replied Acora, “but how are we going to find this other human?”

“The message can show me where he lives; but we’ll wait until morning. I just want to sleep and pretend this whole horrid night never happened.” Eleyna put the cutlass behind the bush with her rucksack, bundled the cloak into a pillow, and lay down under Acora’s wing. It was a long time before she fell asleep.