to see if there was anyone else around, but saw no
one.
“ You want to borrow our horse, my
dear?” The old man asked kindly.
Lana stared at him,
apprehensively, in shock to have run into someone, let alone be
offered a horse by the stranger. She couldn’t seem to find the
words to say.
“ We hear a war is coming so we are
leaving, this gal’s an extra… I think he would be more use to you
than us.” Said the old man.
“ Cyra has begun evacuating?” Lana
asked, surprised at how quickly the Sterlings had gotten word out
to all their people, warning them of the Rami near by. Somehow
enough time had passed that some were already heading out of the
city.
The old man giggled. “Oh no my
dear, is that what Cyra Sterling plans to do?”
“ Then how do you know to leave?”
Lana asked, confused as to how the old man seemed to know what was
going on.
He held up his hand and a small
black and white lizard with a bit of red crawled across his
palm.
“ Your Aorra?” Lana asked with a
gasp. It was the same lizard that she had seen earlier that day.
Never had she seen an Aorra like this before.
“ Yes, my dear.”
Had he been eves dropping on their
conversation at the council meeting with his Aorra? Unease twisted
inside of her. Lana eyed at the three of them before her. Nadina
had Nila hanging in a pouch beside to her. Lana could see fear in
both her and her brother’s eyes. Their grandfather didn’t seem to
be bothered at all.
“ Thank you, but I have no way to
pay you for the horse.”
“ No need, take it, perhaps we can
travel together, though we will not go into the Rami camp with
you.”
Lana’s eyes grew
wide. How?
“ I have my ways
of knowing things, young Casteel.”
And then she
remembered his Aorra. Was it in the castle listening when she was
talking to Ardin? Were they speaking out loud? That little thing is a spy. How's it get around so
quickly? Lana thought. Anxiety came over
her, this man knew so much of what was going on, yet she knew
nothing of him, but a horse would help cut time and save her some
energy.
“ I suppose, though
it may be dangerous.” Lana was reluctant to have them travel with
her. She planned on doing this alone, not wanting anyone to get in
her way, nor did she want to cause them to get hurt. But if they
were to turn around and head away before they came upon the Rami
then perhaps it would be okay.
“ A little danger can be good for
the soul.” The old man said with a shrug of his shoulders and a
small sparkle in his eye.
“ Thank you for
your kindness,” Lana replied, suspiciously keeping her eyes on him.
She approached the all white horse. The mare was magnificent and
already saddled with a beautiful leather saddle. She climbed onto the horse. The saddle seat fit
to her perfectly. If the old man gave her the horse so freely then
did he know she would come this way, did he have it saddled for
her? This was the most peculiar thing.
“ I must urge you to go to safety.”
Lana spoke to the bearded man.
The old man shrugged “Where is there safety
today? It's a relative term. We will be ok with you, council
woman.”
Lana’s lips pressed in to a thin line. They
were not safe, and they knew that, yet he still was willing to go
with her towards danger and with two children.
“ I do not even know your
name.”
“ Donn” he said with a smile. Lana
looked at him expecting more, a last name perhaps but he did not
give it.
“ Donn, very well, we should get
going.” Lana began riding with the three following her. They rode
fast, but in silence.
You are being awfully quiet,
traitor.
What? Ardin replied as if he had no idea what Lana was
referring to.
You knew the old man and the
children were up ahead and you let me wonder straight to them, no
warning.
Ardin would have
heard or felt the people up ahead, but he did not warn Lana of it
in hopes that the strangers would stop her, ruin her plans. The
plans he found irrational. To her luck that is not how
one.
“ You want to borrow our horse, my
dear?” The old man asked kindly.
Lana stared at him,
apprehensively, in shock to have run into someone, let alone be
offered a horse by the stranger. She couldn’t seem to find the
words to say.
“ We hear a war is coming so we are
leaving, this gal’s an extra… I think he would be more use to you
than us.” Said the old man.
“ Cyra has begun evacuating?” Lana
asked, surprised at how quickly the Sterlings had gotten word out
to all their people, warning them of the Rami near by. Somehow
enough time had passed that some were already heading out of the
city.
The old man giggled. “Oh no my
dear, is that what Cyra Sterling plans to do?”
“ Then how do you know to leave?”
Lana asked, confused as to how the old man seemed to know what was
going on.
He held up his hand and a small
black and white lizard with a bit of red crawled across his
palm.
“ Your Aorra?” Lana asked with a
gasp. It was the same lizard that she had seen earlier that day.
Never had she seen an Aorra like this before.
“ Yes, my dear.”
Had he been eves dropping on their
conversation at the council meeting with his Aorra? Unease twisted
inside of her. Lana eyed at the three of them before her. Nadina
had Nila hanging in a pouch beside to her. Lana could see fear in
both her and her brother’s eyes. Their grandfather didn’t seem to
be bothered at all.
“ Thank you, but I have no way to
pay you for the horse.”
“ No need, take it, perhaps we can
travel together, though we will not go into the Rami camp with
you.”
Lana’s eyes grew
wide. How?
“ I have my ways
of knowing things, young Casteel.”
And then she
remembered his Aorra. Was it in the castle listening when she was
talking to Ardin? Were they speaking out loud? That little thing is a spy. How's it get around so
quickly? Lana thought. Anxiety came over
her, this man knew so much of what was going on, yet she knew
nothing of him, but a horse would help cut time and save her some
energy.
“ I suppose, though
it may be dangerous.” Lana was reluctant to have them travel with
her. She planned on doing this alone, not wanting anyone to get in
her way, nor did she want to cause them to get hurt. But if they
were to turn around and head away before they came upon the Rami
then perhaps it would be okay.
“ A little danger can be good for
the soul.” The old man said with a shrug of his shoulders and a
small sparkle in his eye.
“ Thank you for
your kindness,” Lana replied, suspiciously keeping her eyes on him.
She approached the all white horse. The mare was magnificent and
already saddled with a beautiful leather saddle. She climbed onto the horse. The saddle seat fit
to her perfectly. If the old man gave her the horse so freely then
did he know she would come this way, did he have it saddled for
her? This was the most peculiar thing.
“ I must urge you to go to safety.”
Lana spoke to the bearded man.
The old man shrugged “Where is there safety
today? It's a relative term. We will be ok with you, council
woman.”
Lana’s lips pressed in to a thin line. They
were not safe, and they knew that, yet he still was willing to go
with her towards danger and with two children.
“ I do not even know your
name.”
“ Donn” he said with a smile. Lana
looked at him expecting more, a last name perhaps but he did not
give it.
“ Donn, very well, we should get
going.” Lana began riding with the three following her. They rode
fast, but in silence.
You are being awfully quiet,
traitor.
What? Ardin replied as if he had no idea what Lana was
referring to.
You knew the old man and the
children were up ahead and you let me wonder straight to them, no
warning.
Ardin would have
heard or felt the people up ahead, but he did not warn Lana of it
in hopes that the strangers would stop her, ruin her plans. The
plans he found irrational. To her luck that is not how
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