Valek pulled on his hat and gloves before wrapping his cloak around him. He did a perimeter check and scouted the road from the southeast—the direction their pursuers would use. Everything remained quiet and still. He returned to the horses in their mini stable. They dozed fitfully and he trusted their sensitive hearing.
He sat on the stack of straw bales in the corner and, thankfully, out of the wind. To stay awake, he thought of Yelena, wondering where she was and what she was doing.
Yelena and Fourth Magician Irys Jewelrose had taken the children Mogkan had kidnapped from Sitia with them. They planned to find the kids’ families. However, the magician had locked up their memories prior to their kidnapping, so it would be a difficult task.
Adding to the complication were all the children Mogkan had reduced to mindless vessels so he could steal their magic, enhancing his own. Those unfortunate victims remained in MD-5 and their families would not have a happy ending. Anger coursed through Valek over not knowing this beast was in Ixia for the last fourteen years, and for not killing Mogkan as soon as he confirmed he was a magician.
It would probably take seasons for Yelena and Irys to figure out which child belonged to which family. As one of the children kidnapped, Yelena would eventually discover her own family. Mogkan had mentioned Yelena’s connection to the Zaltana Clan. They lived in the Illiais Jungle, which was at the southern end of Sitia—as far away as a person could get from Ixia. Yelena liked to climb into the treetops. Perhaps that was another clue to her heritage.
Hopefully, Yelena would end up at the Magician’s Keep—a school that taught young magicians how to control and use their magic. The school was located in the Citadel, and they officially started classes at the beginning of the cooling season. The Citadel was only a two-and-a-half days’ ride from the Commander’s castle. It was the capital of Sitia, and where the Sitian Council held their sessions.
It didn’t matter where Yelena was located. Valek planned to be with her exactly one year after she left Ixia. By waiting a year, he would have fulfilled his promise to Irys to not be a distraction.
Valek checked the perimeter every thirty minutes or so to keep warm and for peace of mind. When his shift ended, he went inside to wake Ari. He, Janco and Ute had opted not to sleep on the bunks. Instead, they had spread their bedrolls right next to the hearth. Already awake for his shift, Ari fed a few logs to the fire. It blazed merrily, beckoning Valek closer.
Ari gestured to his bedroll. “Use mine.”
“Thanks.” Valek pulled off his boots but kept his cloak on. By the time Ari left the shelter, he was fast asleep.
* * *
The morning dawned clear and bright. Ute boiled water for tea and Janco fed the horses. All had been quiet during the night—the good news. Valek calculated their location and estimated it would take them seven days to reach MD-5’s manor house—the bad news. They would have to stop for supplies, as they hadn’t wanted to burden the horses with the extra weight of feed bags during their escape.
Word would eventually reach Franis and Tesso as they traveled south. There was no avoiding it. Instead of worrying about the generals’ responses, Valek concentrated on making it difficult for anyone to find them. Having traveled all over Ixia on missions for the Commander, both before and after the takeover, Valek was very familiar with the landscape.
As they journeyed, Valek bypassed the main roads, and overnighted in little used travel shelters. They stopped in small towns where Valek had assigned agents who could purchase supplies for them.
On the second day after leaving Franis’ manor, they crossed into MD-4, and on the fourth day, a few hours past noon, they encountered a caravan of eight wagons. It was unusual since most merchants avoided riding over the rutted, bumpy secondary routes. But they exchanged a friendly hello with the drivers, and all went on their merry way. Except, Valek couldn’t stop wondering why they weren’t on the main roads.
“Oh no. He’s got that look,” Janco said.
“What look?” Ari asked.
“The one where someone is about to get into trouble.”
Valek glanced at Janco.
“Not me. I haven’t had to take the pain powder in days.”
“Something’s not right about that caravan,” Valek said. "I’m going to circle back and see what they’re transporting.”
“In broad daylight?”
“If I get the chance. If not, then when they stop for the night.” He turned to Ute. “This road will take you to our next shelter. I’ll meet up with you there.”
“You need backup. Commander’s orders,” Ari said. “We always travel in pairs.”
Except Valek rarely worked with a partner.And look how that turned out in Sitia.
“I’m quiet,” Janco said.
“We both are,” Ari added. “Comes with being a scout.”
“All right. Janco, you’re with me.”
“Yes, sir.” Janco wisely kept from gloating.
“How long do we wait for you?” Ari asked.
