“His name is Gregor Lithum and he resides at Macada Castle,” she told the others.
“Oh, crap,” Darium said under his breath. “Anywhere but there.”
“What’s the matter?” asked Stone.
“That is where the evil King Sethor resides. He is the enemy of all the magical beings of Mura,” Darium explained.
“You can’t go there, Darium. Please,” begged his wife, trying to stop him.
“It seems important to this dying couple. We must do it. For their sakes. It will be fine,” Darium told his wife, giving her a hug.
“It sounds like the exact place where a thief would hide.” Stone nodded and rubbed his chin in thought. “Yes, it is. I will go with you to Macada Castle, Darium, because I am tracking two men from Taelgonoth that I believe could be hiding there. And I am sure Aithrod will want to join us, too.”
You need to go as well, the old woman told Persimmon, but Persimmon pretended not to hear her.
They might not be able to find Gregor. We can guide you to him, said the man.
Please. He is all we have left in this world. The woman clung to her husband, looking as if she were about to cry.
“I guess I’ll go, too,” Persimmon blurted out before she could change her mind.
“Sister, nay. It is too dangerous,” warned Lira. “Stay here at Kasculbough where you’ll be safe.”
Persimmon struggled with her decision, but realized both Darium and Stone were doing what they believed was for the best. She had done nothing to help save this couple’s lives, but mayhap she could help bring about justice for their senseless deaths if they perished.
“It is my decision, and I want to go, too,” said Persimmon with conviction.
“Then what are we waiting for?” Darium led the way out the door. “I will take Murk with us and send him back with word on what is transpiring. He’ll let the rest of you know if we should happen to encounter trouble.”
“Persimmon? Are you ready?” Stone’s hand was on her arm again. She flashed him a smile and headed out the door, hoping that after this she would never have to see a ghost or a spirit or be asked to scry using her crystal ball ever again.
Eight
“Come on, Fang,” Stone called to his dog as he mounted a horse that King Rhys had offered.
“I should come along with you,” said Rhys. “My strength might come in handy.”
“Nay, Brother, that’s not a good idea.” Darium mounted a horse as well. “There are already too many of us in this traveling party. Your presence as King of Kasculbaugh will only put Sethor on defense. If he sees you, he’ll order an attack before he even knows why we are there. I am not as big of a threat to him as you are. I have also done sin eating for him before, so hopefully he’ll trust me enough to at least let me in the gate and listen to why we are there. So you see, I am the one who needs to go.”
“We’ll tell him he might have a thief hiding inside his walls,” said Aithrod from atop his horse. “Any king would be anxious to catch such a person.”
“Not this one,” said Darium in a low voice. “Knowing King Leofric Sethor, he’d probably side with the thief you are searching for. I wouldn’t doubt your hunted man will be convinced to do the king’s bidding while he is here in Mura.”
Stone saw Persimmon just standing there, doing nothing to prepare for the journey. “Please hurry, Persimmon,” urged Stone. “Mount your steed. We need to leave at once. Time is of the essence.”
Persimmon stood there staring at the horse, not even touching it. Then her body stiffened. “I can’t,” she said from the ground, making Stone believe she had changed her mind about going along with them.
“That’s fine. I understand, if you changed your mind and don’t want to go. It’s all right,” he told her. “You can stay here where you’re safe. It’s better that way.”
“Nay, I do want to come with you. That’s not what I mean at all.”
“Then what is it?” asked Stone. “I don’t understand.”
The girl shifted from foot to foot, seeming very uncomfortable.
“I can’t ride,” she finally mumbled.
“Oh, you want a lady’s saddle?” asked Rhys who was there to see them off. “I can arrange that. My wife likes to ride astride so I’m just used to saddling all the horses that way.” He raised his hand to call over the stable boy, but Persimmon stopped him.
“Nay, please, don’t bother. The saddle won’t help,” she told him. “I have never ridden a horse before and I’m not even sure I can do it.”
“What?” Stone laughed, thinking at first she was jesting. But when he saw the tears in her eyes, he realized she was being serious. “Oh, you really can’t ride,” he said, clearing his throat. He had never heard of anyone who was as old as she who had never been atop a horse before. It seemed ridiculous to him. Then again, he was in a strange land now. He wasn’t sure if sorceresses, or whatever she was, could even do such things.
“You’d better stay here then,” suggested Darium.
“Nay. I need to accompany you. The old couple insisted I go to find their son,” protested Persimmon.
“They insisted?” asked Stone. “How? Through the gazing ball?”
“It doesn’t matter how I know,” she said, her voice cracking. “All I can tell you is that it is very important that I accompany you on this journey.”
Stone could see the turmoil on the girl’s face. He could tell it was really important to her to do as the dying couple wished. Or what she thought they wished, anyway. Stone wasn’t sure he was buying any of this about the girl being able to see the future or talk to dying people through that damned ball. Then again, if not, he wasn’t sure why Persimmon would make up something like this that could actually get her killed. However, joining them on the trip to Macada Castle didn’t seem to terrify her half as much as the thought of getting on a horse.
“She can ride with me,” he told the others, reaching down for the girl. “Grab on, and I’ll pull you up.”
“I’m not sure,” she said, being hesitant to take his hand. Stone didn’t give her a chance to object. He grabbed on to her and lifted her up in front of him atop the horse, wrapping his arms around her waist, still holding the reins. Fang barked and ran in circles below them. “We’re ready,” he told the others with a nod. “Let’s go catch our thieves.”
