With one nod to the others, the horn sounded and the horses began to ride. Leaving, they rode back toward the city. Maija stood in the dust cloud they kicked up, shouting at them to come back and listen to her, but it was no use. The horse people of Aquina would make up their own minds and she feared they would stay in the heart of the plains, right in the path of the evil soon to come.
Cursing to herself, Maija climbed onto Raffa’s back and took to the skies. They continued on their journey to Brookside where Anders and the largest fighting force of Westland awaited her return.
Chapter 81
Mastering Magic
“You’ve been at it for a while. Let me take a turn,” Bo said, taking a seat on the roof of Rune’s medical practice.
Anders forced himself to look away from the open sky as he asked, “I thought you were still healing?”
“What’s that got to do with watching the sky for dragonriders?” Bo asked.
Anders sighed and stood on the second story rooftop, “You’re not wearing the crystal?”
Bo shrugged, “I don’t need it anymore. Last night was proof.”
Anders raised a questioning eyebrow.
“It helped in that one instance, but it’s not mine to have. Besides, my back feels pretty strong.”
“Strong enough to take on a demon by yourself?” Anders asked, looking out at Brookside’s port. With Britt’s crew taking the lead and Helga’s help organizing soldiers into work crews, they had made more progress than Anders thought they could in such a short time.
“The crystal’s with Thomas now,” Bo answered, taking a seat where Anders had been acting as lookout.
Brushing aside the information, Anders asked, “Have you seen Kirsten?”
“Yeah, um, she went to the docks to help,” Bo said, sounding slightly irritated.
“Great, thanks,” Anders said taking notice of the touchy question. He started toward the ladder he’d used to climb to Rune’s roof, then stopped. Anders knew his sister had caused a rift between the two brothers, and though he hadn’t spent much time with Bo, he knew how hard Bo had fought for their survival while Anders was in the Everlight Kingdom. “Hey, how much do you know about these?” Anders asked, pulling one of the inhabitance crystals from his pocket. It was the one he had taken from Kirsten shortly after the battle, before she’d gone to find Rankstine’s.
Bo eyed the blue-hued stone in Anders’ palm, then rubbed at the back of his neck, saying, “All I really know is what I've seen and felt them do.”
Anders nodded, “Want to try to use it?”
“Um, I don’t think they work for me,” Bo said, staring at Anders’ palm as though he was looking at a deadly snake about to strike.
“I ask because I’m going to start training Kirsten to use them and, well, I saw the Poudrettite work for you, so I thought you might be able to use an inhabitance crystal.”
“I don’t know,” Bo said. “I’m still learning the sword. I think we would be better served if you saved it for Kirsten. The more weapons she can use, the better she’ll be protected.”
“Okay, I just thought I’d ask,” Anders said, turning to leave.
“Thanks,” Bo said.
Anders stopped, “Thank you, Bo. I mean it.”
“What are you thanking me for? I just turned down your offer.”
“Taking care of my cousins,” Anders said. “I don’t just mean last night. I mean looking after Kirsten when she wasn’t able to do it herself. Britt and Max told me how vigilant you were in looking after her while she was affected by the goblin venom. Even Thomas said you were more concerned about her than he was, and that’s saying something.”
Bo let out a chuckle, “I was just helping a friend.”
“Just a friend,” Anders said with the shake of his head. “We both know it’s more than that.”
Bo started to stammer but Anders cut him off, “I’m okay with it, not that you need my blessing.” He felt suddenly as though he was acting out of place. “But seeing as her father’s not around and I’m the oldest in the family, I just wanted you to know, I’m all for it.”
“Thanks,” Bo said smiling and again rubbing the back of his neck.
Anders left the conversation before he made it even more awkward for either of them. As he climbed down the ladder, he reached out to Zahara. Zahara, I’m leaving my lookout. I’m going to find Kirsten. How are things going out there?
The soldiers have taken their positions around town. I have been searching but see no sign of him or the winged creatures.
Any sign of Maija or Raffa?
No, she said, and Anders could feel that she, too, was worried about them. If all had gone well, they should’ve returned by now.
When you’re ready, meet us at the grove I showed you late last night, Anders said.
I’ll be there, she replied.
When he reached street level, Anders had to push his way through a crowd of people who were gathering near the docks. Word spread quickly, he thought to himself. All along the street bordering the docks, civilians were pitching in and helping haul supplies onto the ships. Scanning the crowd, he found his cousin aiding Max in securing cargo.
Wading through the human chain passing boxes of food and crates of supplies, he stopped alongside the ships. Anders called her name, but over the noise of the workers, she didn’t hear him. He made his way to the boarding ramp. One of the many townspeople helping handed him a crate containing two chickens. He took it, thinking that he recognized the young man who’d handed it to him. Before he could ask, others behind him nagged him to move along. Anders came onboard the ship where Kirsten and Max were working and set aside the crate, the chickens inside squawking as he placed them on a pile of rope. As he worked his way across the deck toward the cargo pile where Kirsten was working, she turned and saw him, waving him over.
Finishing off a knot and tossing the other side of the rope to Max, Kirsten addressed Anders, “What’s brought you down here? I thought you were busy guarding the town, not resting like the doc told you to.”
“I got some sleep,” he said.
