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Rhiannon moved to Kaylin's side. Leo pulled up front with me.
"We ready? Let's push toward the bottom of the ravine."
I showed Leo how I was inching my way down, stepping sideways on the steep and frozen hill. Then, I'd test my footing before putting full weight on my leg. He followed suit. Every few feet I called, "Check," and Kaylin echoed it back to me. After another ten minutes, I could hear the sound of tinkling water. The stream sounded muffled, and I guessed it was partially frozen over.
"We're almost at the bottom." The fog was so thick at our level that it caught in my lungs, making me wheeze. But sure enough, in another moment we were standing beside the channel through which a rolling stream flowed. Or did, under a thin layer of ice.
"Now what?" Rhiannon asked.
"Now, we cross the stream and head up the other side." This was taking longer than I thought it would. I hadn't counted on the mist, or on being attacked, or on just how rough our footing would be. We still had at least another hour--maybe two--of walking, according to the directions Grieve had given me.
"We need to pick up the pace."
"Here's a stepping-stone bridge," Kaylin said, pointing to a series of smooth, flat stones that had been placed across the stream. They were wet and iced over, but they were an inch or so above the water and if we balanced carefully, we might not end up calf-deep in the stream. I lightly crossed to the other side and the others followed suit.
"Now, up the hill and on to the Marburry Barrow," I said.
But even as the words left my mouth, a noise to our left alerted us and we turned. There, hiding behind a tree, stood Chatter, looking petrified. And Grieve was nowhere in sight.
Chapter 15
"Chatter? Chatter? I see you!" As I headed toward the tree, he looked about ready to run. I held out my finger, shaking it at him. "Don't you dare!"
Rhiannon glanced at the tree and a huge smile washed across her face. "Chatter! Please, don't go!"
He slowly stepped from behind the tree, eyeing the four of us nervously. After a moment of scuffing the ground, he bowed to Rhiannon. "Miss Rhiannon, it's good to see you again. And dear Cicely . . ."
"What are you doing here, Chatter? Were you watching us?" I took a step toward him. He didn't worry me nearly as much as Grieve. Grieve was a member of the Indigo Court. Chatter still seemed like . . . Chatter.
He blushed and shook his head. "I can see why you would think so. No, Miss Cicely. I'm not worthy enough to be used as a spy." By the tone in his voice and the lowering of his head, I could tell whatever self-esteem he used to possess had been beaten out of him. I prayed Grieve hadn't been on the other end of the stick.
"Chatter . . . my friend. What are you doing here?" I held out my hand and he slowly took it. As I pulled him close and gave him a hug, he relaxed just enough to tell me that he was as afraid as we were.
He winced, then shrugged his head to one side. "Just . . . trying to stay out of the way of the Queen and her Court. Grieve's not around today to protect me."
That figured. I had the feeling that life at the Indigo Court hadn't gone easy on Chatter. In fact, it occurred to me we might actually have a better in to the Court through him than through Grieve. Of course, if Myst found out . . .
"I bet life isn't very easy now that the Queen of Rivers and Rushes is gone. I'm so sorry. I liked Lainule." I held his gaze, wanting to take away some of the pain I saw behind those limpid brown eyes.
"No," he whispered, a light flashing in his eyes. "Life's been harsh the past few years. I miss the Queen. She was fair and just."
"Will you tell us what happened?" Rhiannon asked. She placed a light hand on his shoulder. He gazed at her, a slow sadness filling his eyes.
He likes her, Ulean whispered.
I nodded, slowly. I could see it in his face. Chatter shivered under her touch as she stroked his arm lightly. I glanced at Leo, who was not looking pleased.
"We need to know what's going on. My mother's disappeared, and a friend. We don't know if they're alive or dead."
Relieved she didn't spill Grieve's secret and let on that he'd already told us they were alive, I relaxed for a moment.
Chatter closed his eyes. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry about all of this. I wish you hadn't come back, Cicely--not to face this mess. And Miss Rhiannon . . . your mother and your friend . . . I wish I could help."
His eyes misted over and he hung his head. "We fought them. So much death. So much blood. We fought and fought. Grieve led a band of us deep into the Barrow and we tried to sneak the women and children out through the portal to the other side. But they caught up with us. There was so much blood and screaming, and little children torn to bits." He wiped his eyes with one hand, but the catch in his voice was like a rusty hinge and I knew he'd been broken.>"Okay, let's head out." Taking a deep breath, I plunged into the ravine. The path was level for the first twenty minutes of walking, then slowly began to descend. When Rhiannon and I'd been children, we'd usually stayed on this side of the ravine, in the wood near the house. But today, we had quite a hike in front of us.
The mat of needles and leaves beneath the snow scrunched as I led the way into the thick copse. Throughout the woods, the call of crows echoed from tree to tree, and one lone bird sang to announce the coming storms. I listened to the breeze that had picked up, but Ulean warned me from playing in the slipstream too much.
A storm's on the way, with heavy snowfall behind it. This is an unusual winter and Myst might be behind it.
