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She was lying, but not about the map, so… “You don’t know where we’re going, do you?”
She looked off to the side. “I practically do.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but she cut me off.
“If you think this is so stupid, why did you even come?”
“To talk you out of it,” I shot back.
But she didn’t turn pale blue, or even the crimson shade of anger. Her color was still resolutely navy when she smiled up at me, gesturing to my back.
“Then why did you pack?”
She had me there. Rising to my feet, I shook my head as I muttered down at her, “Have you ever tried to talk you out of anything?”
7
Lina
Iwasn’t sure if I should take Edrich’s statement as a compliment or an insult, so I settled on the former, and nodded to myself.
Is it so bad to be persuasive? Besides… What do I have to lose at this point?
I shook my head and squared my shoulders.
“Listen, Edrich. I know you have a busy life, and you probably are needed somewhere else… ” I felt my resolve harden. If I had to do this alone, so be it. “So you don’t have to go, if you don’t want to,” I added, hesitantly. “But I do.”
I patted Maggie on the head and secured her saddlebags once more, just to give my hands something to do.
Vale came back out with a dolly to load several more parcels from the wagon. He made quick work of it, looking between Edrich and me like he could physically see the tension there, before silently steering the packages through the tavern doors.
Edrich didn’t respond. His shoulders were tense, and the little crinkle between his brows was deeper than normal. When his lips parted, I expected him to disappoint me, but instead the next sound I heard was that of a bird crying out as a shadow appeared over my head.
The shadow grew larger and larger as I stared up at a stunning flash of black and white. My mouth fell open as the shape gained speed, flying closer and closer until Edrich yelled.
“No!” He said the word like an order, stepping between me and Maggie and the rapidly descending bird.
Maggie curled up into a ball, her spikes standing on end, while I peeked around the side of his boot.
The bird flew back up toward the sky, making a circle, before deciding to land on his arm. Its wings continued to flap, sending gusts of wind down on my head, making it hard to keep my balance.
Edrich used the straps of leather attached to the bird's legs to tether it to his arm.
“She’s… she’s beautiful!” I stammered, taking in each stunning, white feather, peppered with small black vees.
“She almost ate you!” He growled.
I stopped studying the bird for a moment to gawk at him.
“What? No, I don’t believe that. She wants to be friends.” I smiled up at the creature, completely in awe of her. “Spiders are the only ones who can’t be trusted. Most birds, however, can be won over, eventually.”
Magnolia, however, felt very differently. She practically rolled away, hiding behind the wheel of Chester’s wagon.
Edrich groaned and placed a small hood over the bird's head.
“That’s your problem, Lina. You think everyone and everything is as nice as you are.” He threw his head back as the sound of Maggie snorting in protest came from behind me.
“That’s not true.” I shot him a half smile. “I never think you’re nice.”
