Moonshadow (Book 1 of the Torrent Skies Saga)

Chapter Seventeen: Exception to the Rule, Pt 1

Katerin did her best to keep her thoughts away from the night before as they traveled towards Ky'lei'mei. She did not want to think of what would await her in the town. Did not want to wonder whether she could trust Fykes, or if she would be reduced to hiding in the forest. He had been more than willing to put his life on the line for her in any fight so far, but she knew he had deep loyalties to Sahn-Raidar and spoke of them like family. She would not name him as someone to betray his loyalties so easily.

This whole trip was turning out to be more complicated than she had ever guessed. Her mother had to be in Ky'lei'mei. It was the only place she had left to search, so it was Ky'lei'mei, or a corpse in a forest, and she would be damned if she ever let Lugaria be correct in his assumptions of her life.

Their camp that night was far more relaxed than the previous one, though no one spoke of the library, and furtive glances were still cast towards Brazen. Ra'liel tried to ease their tension by telling them stories of Ky'lei'mei, its people and their way of life. It seemed they were very close to the natural side of life through their magic and even they way they lived, though Ra'liel seemed reluctant to share too much.

The only one not speaking much was Fykes, but he kept his expression polite, never letting his charismatic charade falter. Later in the evening, just as the moon was rising, he stood abruptly and grabbed his weapons. "I'm going hunting," he said, moving toward the edge of the firelight.

"You want a hand?" Katerin offered, moving to stand.

"No," he said, looking down at her through his hair. "I won't be long." With that, he left the camp and disappeared into the dark.

Katerin sighed inwardly and scrubbed a hand across her face.

Arjiah patted her shoulder. "He'll be fine," she reassured, glancing over the pot that held their dinner. "And he's right; we'll need more food come tomorrow."

Katerin gave her a pained look.

Arjiah only smiled in response, looking as though she wanted to laugh.

Katerin said nothing as she desperately tried to push Fykes from her thoughts. It mattered little what he thought about the library, so she should not care if she upset him or not. She would handle whatever consequences she had to in the town, and she would be leaving as soon as she found her mother. It was the only damn reason she was here.

Still, worry nagged at her until a few hours later, when he walked back into the camp holding up two rabbits and carrying a parchment-wrapped hunk of meat.

"Food," he said cheerily, holding up the rabbits.

"You seem to be in a better mood," she said. "You didn't eat any purple mushrooms, did you?"

He sat and began skinning the rabbits, never looking from his work. "I met someone interesting." When they all looked to him to elaborate, he continued, "Big hairy guy. Had a bear with him." His voice held a cheerful tone.

Ra'liel turned wide eyes to him, incredulous. "The Watcher... he spoke to you?"

"The Watcher?" Katerin asked.

Fykes shrugged as he worked. "His name was Auglier." He gestured to the paper wrapped hunk of salted meat near his side. "He found me in the woods, shared that. Just wanted to know why we were out here."

"Auglier," Ra'liel said, testing the word in her mouth, still staring at him with wide eyes. "The Watcher. He never speaks to us."

"Well, he didn't seem like a man of many words, to be fair." Fykes shrugged, "Different guy, maybe?"

"Not if he had a bear with him. He is the only one we know." Ra'liel scrunched her brow, before turning to Katerin. "He is a good man. Never leaves the forest. Watches over it, like us." Her tone revealed her admiration and respect.