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“Should we start planning what we will do after we reach the new land?” Muir asked.
I looked over my shoulder to meet his gaze. He was a few feet behind me, but when I nodded, he quickly caught up. Brigid kept walking on my other side, listening.
“The food won’t be an issue,” Muir started. “The other camp has found some cattle and will be bringing them along the journey. We can breed them. We have former farmers eager to settle and start sowing the land. We have water and we have enough warriors to protect ourselves from any intruders. I was thinking we will need some teachers.”
I nodded absently. It was clear that Muir had been thinking about this for a while. For some reason, that made me feel guilty. I hadn’t done any thinking about what would happen to the fae once we reached where we were going. Almost as if I thought I could abandon them once they were safe...
“Teachers?” Brigid sighed wearily. “There were only five children at camp when we left them.”
“There will be more,” Muir said.
Muir was planning a new society. Although I believed that he might be getting ahead of himself, I did not want to squash his hopes by saying that to him. And listening to his idealistic plans was somewhat calming.
“We will build mills and we might even be able to trade with border villages in secret,” Muir said. “We can produce things to sell them and use that money to trade for items we cannot produce ourselves. It would be nice if we could set up trade agreements with the two kingdoms bordering ours, but...”
“I’m pretty sure the Queen of Light will not recognize our sovereignty,” Brigid said.
“If Prince Kieran and Princess Fiona take back their crown...” Muir started.
“Sure,” I said. “When that happens, we will arrange trade relations with the Unseelie. We can even settle on the Unseelie lands. Kieran already offered.”
“That won’t work,” Muir replied. “We do not want to submit to the Unseelie crown. We already have a queen.”
I didn’t like the sound of that, but before I could object, Brigid intervened.
“Perhaps, you’ll have a king as well,” Brigid said, smirking as she met my gaze.
“The monster folk will decide what to do,” I replied, ignoring Brigid completely. “If they decide to settle in the in-between lands, we can arrange for trade relations with the Unseelie.”
“Good,” Muir said, his excitement obvious. “If we can trade with the Unseelie, we will have the resources necessary to build a new society. Luckily, we have you to lead us.”
“I can’t stay with you for long, Muir,” I hesitated. “I have to go and save my brother from the queen. Then, I can come back to help, but to lead you...”
“You are the natural leader,” Muir said, his tone leaving no room for discussion.
“But I’m not a leader,” I said. “I don’t want to... I mean... I do want to help, but... Why do we need a leader? Can’t we just live like this?”
“We?” Muir asked, his lips curling with a tiny smile.
“I am not keeping myself apart,” I said. “I have nowhere else I wish to go, and the monster folk does feel like family since I’m connected to you all. I have no qualms about being a part of your new society. I just...”
“You just don’t think you should lead them,” Brigid said.
“Yes,” I said.
“That sounds like cowardice to me,” Brigid said.
Her tone surprised me. I turned away from Muir to look at her. The clean cloth she had over her face prevented me from seeing her gaze, but her lips were pursed in disappointment.
“What?” I asked.
“You can say you don’t want to help,” Brigid said. “But what I hear is that you're afraid of taking responsibility. I get it. You don’t want to lead the monster folk into destruction. You don’t trust yourself to do what’s right.”
“I don’t...” I started, but Brigid put her hand on my shoulder for emphasis as she attempted to go on.
But she could not.
My yelp was abrupt, even for me. As the pain swelled where she touched, Brigid jolted and released my shoulder.
