Kaelan shrugged. “I don’t know. Perhaps the reason was lost through the years.”
“Yet the blame still remains.”
“I doubt King Dravic will ever forget or forgive. He was young when his parents died and that leaves a child with a memory that can never be forgotten.”
“Aye, a sorrowful memory for sure.”
“Why the interest in the Wise,” Kaelan asked.
“You mentioned them, then Winnie said something?—”
“What did Winnie say about them?” he asked, not letting her finish.
“The purple flower,” Bria said, not ready to be truthful about it just yet. “I mentioned it to her, and she told me about the Wise and how none are believed to exist any longer due to the king’s edict of death.”
“I would not be surprised if some survived. Such power would not allow itself to be destroyed. No doubt some still exist.”
“But where?” she asked, unable to ignore the strange pull the question stirred inside her.
Kaelan leaned back slightly on the bench. “If any still live openly within Driochmor, the council would know.”
His response didn’t surprise Bria. It always came back to the council. Everything in Driochmor seemed to lead back to them somehow.
“They must hold considerable power,” she said.
“From what I understand, they rule the forbidden land,” Kaelan explained.
“My ignorance of Driochmor led me to believe that it was an untamed place where magic ran wild and danger lurked everywhere.”
“Tales run rampant not just of Driochmor but of magic as well. If you are told something repeatedly, you begin to believe it. Unless, of course, you have the wisdom to judge it for yourself.”
“Aye,” Bria agreed. “I have seen strange things, but the strangest of all is seeing a village and its people so much like thevillages in Leighfeld and throughout Scotara. Oddly enough, it makes me want to find out more about Driochmor.”
Her own words surprised her. Barely hours ago, she was anxious to return home, and yet now, she wanted to remain here and find out about the Wise and any connection she might have to them.
Kaelan sensed that Bria’s sudden interest in Driochmor had something to do with what Winnie had said to her. That she didn’t share it troubled him. At least, her willingness to remain in Driochmor for a while allowed him time to accomplish his mission. A mission that she should not be involved in.
“We could find out how to locate at least a council member for you to speak with,” he offered.
Bria’s eyes widened at his unexpected suggestion. “But you said you needed to hunt the beast first.”
“I do, but it would be better done with you tucked away someplace safe while I continue to hunt him”
The words struck her harder than they should have. “You would leave me with strangers in Driochmor?”
Kaelan’s brow furrowed faintly at the question. “Only if I knew they were trustworthy. Besides, it isn’t safe for you to continue to hunt the beast with me.”
Bria straightened slightly on the bench. “Why not?”
“There is no telling what dangers I may face, areas I may need to enter, creatures I may meet.”
“And what if you never return?” she asked, fright sending a shiver racing through her at the mere thought of it.
Anger stirred in Kaelan as an ache settled in his gut. “I would not let that happen.”
“That is not something you can be sure of,” Bria argued.
“Aye, I can,” he insisted. “We will leave Driochmor together, on that you have my word.”
