Drift: River of Falcons Book 1

The Old Garden-House

A tall iron gate loomed up ahead of them, partly overgrown with vines. It had in its center a circle containing an eagle with a sword in the talons of one foot, and a long-stemmed rose in the other. As they approached the gate, Summer grasped Drift's shoulder and pulled her to a stop.

"Should we turn around?" Drift asked. "Well?" she demanded when Summer did not reply.

"I've just recalled that there is an old garden-house quite nearby. It's so far from the Palace itself that I can't imagine they'd bother about it. We can take a quick look, and if it's empty, we'll shelter there until the storm wears itself out. It would be lovely to see it again after all these years."

"Are you sure?"

"I feel we might be protected within that garden-house. I used to play there when I was a girl." Summer pushed the creaking gate open and stepped through.

Drift hesitated, glancing back at the forest, but Summer took her hand and tugged. "It's almost like I'm going home," she said. "I can't wait to see it again."

"Are you all right?" Drift asked.

*

The storm had not reached all the way down the river to The Garden. Within its tall stone walls, the weather was mild and pleasant, although it was getting dark, especially behind the stucco walls of the private little yard in which a heavy-set, heavily cloaked elder stood beside the trunk of a thick tree.

"I need a favor," a deep voice said. It was speaking to the elder through a large knot on the tree. The elder was Nautilus, and the cottage belonged to her.

"No favors!" Nautilus spat. "I don't want to get involved in your sordid plots. Go away, and in the future, don't summon me unless it's something useful to me."

"Your truce with the sorcerers is a delicate balance," the disembodied voice pointed out. "Vultan still doesn't realize you took in that wolf girl. What would he do if he found out?"

Nautilus tapped a toe. "June? You can have her back for all I care."

"He'd still be mad."

"What do you want?"

"Just this," the voice said. "Reach out to the Silvan Spirits who live near the Palace, and ask them to—"

"It's late in the day," Nautilus interrupted, "and they're leagues away. It's going to be difficult to rouse them and get them to do anything."

"Actually, I want you to tell them not to do anything."

"To do nothing? But that's what they prefer to do at night anyway, especially in a storm." She glanced to the north, where heavy clouds loomed. "Besides, you've interrupted me as I was about to be served my evening tea."

"This is more important than tea. Someone may ask the Silvani for help in the storm, and we don't want them to get involved. We're trying to—"

"Don't tell me! I shudder to think what you might be up to."

"Very well. Just send a soothing message letting the Spirits know they need not get involved in human activities this evening. Can you do that?"

Nautilus shrugged. "If I must. It will take a lot of power to control the Spirits from this far away, but as the head of the Fena, I can. It's a matter of chanting. If it truly is essential to my peace and quiet?"

"Trust me. It is."

Nautilus sighed. "Very well. But keep in mind, this means you owe me a favor!"