Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 105132 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105132 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
Dravic lifted his chin and with a deep scowl, pointed to Ernach’s cottage.
Realizing her mistake, Adira bobbed her head and turned to Ernach.
The old man smiled and slipped his arm around hers as they headed to his cottage.
Ernach slowed as they approached Vachel’s cottage. Villagers had gathered outside, speaking in hushed voices or standing in silent prayer.
“A moment,” he said, stopping. “Vachel and his family need all the comfort they can get.”
Ernach knew she could not hear, but he had come to believe in the short time since meeting her that she understood far more than anyone realized.
Ernach headed to the door and Adira followed him inside.
The warmth of the hearth did little to chase away the sorrow that clung to the small space. A woman knelt beside the bed, her tear-streaked face buried against the small hand she held so carefully. A man stood behind her, one hand resting on her shoulder though his own grief bowed his head. Neighbors filled the room, some whispering prayers, others simply standing near, offering the only comfort they could.
Adira stepped to the side and remained in the shadows near the wall.
Ernach went directly to Vachel and his wife, resting a gentle hand on the father’s shoulder. He spoke softly to them, then guided them a few steps away from the bedside. Neighbors immediately gathered around the grieving couple, offering quiet words of comfort and prayer.
Living with Feena, a healer, Adira was no stranger to seeing sickness and pain. But she had never seen hope slipping away quite like this.
The young lass lay still beneath a patchwork quilt. A bandage wrapped around her head, blood staining the linen. Her breathing came slow and shallow, each breath seeming to ask more of her than the one before.
No one needed to tell Adira the child would not survive the night, the grief already settling over the room told her.
Her gaze lingered on the little lass.
Help.
Adira’s eyes widened, the whisper faint though she was sure she heard it.
Help.
The whisper came again and this time the plea carried a heart-wrenching sorrow.
She found herself moving before she realized she had taken a step.
The villagers didn’t notice as she approached the bedside. They were too busy consoling the parents, offering kind words and a hot brew.
Adira slowly lowered herself into the chair beside the bed. She stared at the lass’s peaceful face, realizing the whisper had come from her. But how was it she heard it?
Without thinking, she rested her hand upon the quilt, only inches from the lass’s, and waited to see if she heard more.
A tiny movement caught her eye. The lass’s little finger twitched. Then slowly… her hand stretched across the blanket until her small fingers barely brushed against the side of Adira’s hand.
The touch was so slight it could easily have gone unnoticed, yet Adira felt it.
Once again, the whisper came.
Help.
The single word wrapped around her heart with such pleading that her breath caught. The room around her seemed to fade. There was only the lass. Only those tiny fingers that barely brushed against hers. Only that desperate plea echoing where no voice had spoken.
Dravic walked a short distance away from the cottages, motioning for the Hunter to join him. Once they were beyond curious ears, he turned to the barrel-chested man.
“Your name?”
“Seger, my king.”
“You said you bring important news.”
“Aye, my king.” Seger stood straight. “Percy found us shortly after we captured a Drogath spy.”
Dravic’s head snapped toward him. “A Drogath spy?”
“Aye. My men and I were preparing to bring him to Caerith when Percy arrived. He believed you would have reached Driochmor and having only one guard, he feared for your safety.”
Dravic frowned. “So, you abandoned the prisoner?”
“Nay, my king. Percy remained behind. I took only enough men to ride here at once. The rest continue here with the prisoner. Percy accompanies them.”
“When will they arrive?” Dravic asked, eager to question the man.
“If the weather does not worsen, tomorrow.”
Dravic folded his arms across his chest, his eyes narrowing. “No ships cross the Sea of Shadows in winter. He reached Scotara before the sea turned. Which means he has been here for some time and…” He let his words drift off not liking what he thought.
“There is a good chance he did not come alone,” Segar said.
“Aye.” Dravic nodded. “One spy gathers little. Several gather an army’s worth of knowledge. They will be watching our ports, our roads, our defenses, and seeking those willing to betray Scotara from within.”
Dravic said no more. He didn’t need to. They both knew the truth. The war had already begun.
Adira sat in a chair near the hearth, watching the king speak with the Hunter and his lone guard.
She had barely finished her warm brew when Ernach had gone to the door. One of the Hunters had entered, bowed respectfully to Ernach, then motioned for her to follow. Moments later, she had found herself in another cottage where the king was already deep in discussion with his guard and another Hunter.