The Song of Eloh Saga (16 page)

“Do you really think he’ll keep his word?” Mark asked.

“I don’t know,” I rubbed my fingers through my short black hair. A few months ago I would have said an unequivocal yes. After everything I’d learned I didn’t know what to think about Kandek’s honor.

“Do you want to take the risk that he won’t?”

“Risk? You’re talking about risking the prisoners and completely ignoring the fact that Reychel’s delivering herself back into slavery. That cannot happen,” Johna said.

“We’ll figure that out too,” Mark said. “It’s a detail.”

“Detail? Just giving our Prophet of the Clouds back to a man who has used her for her entire life to forward himself politically? I won’t have it! I’ll call in the council!” Johna insisted.

“Council?” Mark and I asked.

“Of course there’s a council of gifted people, you foolish children. Do you think that we operate independently? You’re both so young and you know so little,” she sighed. She shook her head at us. I knew there would be much to learn, but time wouldn’t afford me the option to learn now.

“I’m seventeen and army trained. I’ve had more life experience in the last year than most people do in ten years,” Mark said.

“There’s only one week,” Johna argued.

“Yes,” I said. I grabbed Johna’s hand and Mark’s hand in my free hand. “That means we have seven full days to make a plan. Where do we start?”

Chapter Fourteen

For the first time since leaving Tania’s cottage, I ventured out into the world in daylight. The sun shone brightly in the clear sky, giving me chance to view the town without worrying about visions intruding. Mark and I were on our way to visit his contact with the Sons of Silence. I was more than a little nervous, but I couldn’t relate the stories of heartless thugs to Mark and I hoped his friend proved the rumors wrong too.

I resisted the urge to scratch my head under the wig. Having avoided using it in Johna’s cottage, I was having a tough time getting used to the rough netting on my head. The warm weather didn’t help either. Rather than beads of sweat, the tickles reminded me of tiny bugs scrambling around underneath the wig.

I followed Mark closely, not wanting to lose him. Though the town was small, I didn’t know my way around nor did I feel confident enough to ask anyone for help. One look at my eyes followed by a tug to my hair would reveal my identity. I gazed at the people as they walked by, noting the sadness in their faces. No wonder they’d be willing to turn me in to Kandek for the return of their loved ones. I couldn’t blame them. I couldn’t hate them.

As Mark stopped at a doorway and knocked, a lone cloud drifted into view. Before I could tear my eyes away, I saw Ivy wearing embroidered clothes and sitting in an over-stuffed chair. She looked angry as she ripped the leaves off of a flower in her hand.

I could see the whole room was filled with flowers, but Ivy wasn’t happy.

“This is for you,” a little girl said, interrupting my vision and handing me a flower. “I love your hair and I thought it would look beautiful in it.”

“Thank you,” I said, pushing the stem into my hair just above my ear. “What’s your name?”

“Sara,” she said, smiling. “Are you here to see my new baby sister?”

I looked up at Mark, not quite sure what to say.

“We’re here to talk to your dad. Is he around?” Mark asked.

“Sure, follow me.”

I smiled at the carefree little girl skipping through her cottage. All children should be able to smile and play like this. I never had, there hadn’t been time. Even as a young child, I was forced into chores and duties nearly all of my waking hours. Granted, they were easier tasks when I was little, but I couldn’t remember one day where I bounced around smiling.

As we followed Sara through the cottage and out the back door, I spied a man brushing a horse in the stables. He seemed content enough, but the way he carried himself reminded me of older slaves. Years of hard labor showed in the body, along with a resigned slouch to the shoulders. As he heard his daughter and turned to see us, I saw a huge smile break up his shaggy beard. I smiled back, glad to see that not every part of him was feeling beaten down.

“Mark! What can I do for you?” he asked, shooting a side glance at me. The two shook hands.

“I want to introduce you to my friend, Reychel. She’s someone I think you’ll want to meet,” said Mark

“Sara, why don’t you go back in the house and help your ma with your baby sister. She’ll be needing a good, strong girl like you.”

“Okay, Da.” Sara skipped back into the house.

“Hi, Reychel. I’m Roctor,” he said, holding out a hand.

“Roc!” I knew I had recognized his voice. “You’re the man who was asking Johna about your baby before she was born a couple months ago. Congratulations, by the way.”

“I don’t remember seeing anyone there that day,” he said, looking from me to Mark. “But, I think we ought to talk elsewhere. Follow me.”

We followed Roc into the stables. To the back of a tall wall of stacked hay, was a door hidden behind hanging dirty horse blankets. We stepped into a tiny room no bigger than a double-wide outhouse. Roc closed the door behind us and lit a candle.

I looked around at the tiny table surrounded by short stools. On the opposite end, I saw the wall was made of mortared logs. Clever. The opposite side must be where Roc stored his firewood. No one would even suspect the tiny room hidden in the stable.

“I don’t have a lot of time,” he said, settling down on a stool. He motioned for us to sit down. “I hate to be blunt in front of a lady, but who is she and why did you bring her here?”

“Reychel is the Prophet,” Mark said, pausing to let the words sink in. Roc stared at me with keen eyes. I had a feeling that little escaped him and he was so much more than just a normal blacksmith. “She’s also Kandek’s missing slave.”

“I had heard about that,” Roc said. “He says he’s going to let the petty criminals go if she turns herself in. But you say she’s the Prophet. How do you know?”

“She can read clouds, like the prophecy states. Johna and I saw her do it.”

“How long have you known about her?” Roc asked.

“I met her a couple months ago,” Mark said. “But we didn’t know she was the Prophet until yesterday.”

“I didn’t know myself,” I interjected. I didn’t like being talked about as if I wasn’t sitting at the table with them. “I was told I had the potential for a gift, but I never had any idea what it might be.”

“How can that be?” Roc asked, stroking his messy beard. “You should have known when you looked at the cloudy sky. It can’t be hard to miss.”

“I was Kandek’s slave since I was a baby. We think he knew about my gift because all these years I was never allowed outside unless he was with me and we were always alone.”

Roc’s eyes narrowed and bore into mine. Didn’t he believe me? Maybe I didn’t fit the hopes he’d had his whole life. Would I fit in to anyone’s idea of a great prophet? I wasn’t even sure I believed it myself.

“I would relax upon seeing the sky and he would ask me to tell stories,” I continued. “For years I believed I had a knack at storytelling. He made me believe I had a good imagination.”

Roc’s staring did not cease. I wanted to squirm on the stool but I had a feeling that convincing him would take more than just telling the truth. I needed to show my strength.

“I know it seems hard to believe, but it’s all true. I’ve been hiding at Johna’s house for the last couple of months since I was rescued by a gifted couple.”

“You aren’t the same girl I saw behind the counter when I came to get herbs from Johna a month or so ago,” Roc said. “Who was she?”

“That’s my best friend Ivy. She and I escaped Kandek’s house with the help of the same woman, who sent us to live and train with Johna.”

“Where’s Ivy now and does she know about you?” he asked. “Is she going to be a problem?”

“Ivy left,” Mark said. “She moved on already. And no, we don’t think she knows about Reychel’s gift.”

I stared at Roc just as hard as he stared at me. There was no backing down now, too much had been revealed, and too much was at stake. I would make him believe my sincerity. He dropped his eyes to his folded hands on the table. With a sigh he ran his fingers through his hair. Roc looked at me again, his hair now as wild as his beard. His lips parted in a smile.

“Well, it’s lovely to meet you, Prophet,” Roc said with a smile and a nod of his head. He took my hand in his, but he didn’t shake it. He held it gently, almost as if he was afraid of me, or unsure of how to treat me.

I blushed. I still was not used to being called the Prophet. It was hard, especially since I wasn’t convinced I was the one they were waiting for. But I pulled myself together, knowing if I didn’t have confidence in myself no one else would trust me.

“It’s wonderful to meet you too, Roc. Mark said some lovely things about you last night. He told me that you’re leading the Sons of Silence here. Do you think there’s some way you can help us?” His approval meant so much to me. How could I fulfill this supposed destiny if people didn’t believe in me?

“Reychel wants to turn herself in to Kandek.” Mark put his hand over mine. “She wants to protect the petty criminals in his custody.”
“We can’t let the Prophet turn herself in,” Roc said. Mark’s hand on mine did not go unnoticed, as Roc’s eyes flickered down quickly. “Not when we’ve just found her.”

“That’s almost exactly what Johna said,” I said.

“Of course, Johna. I knew there was something off about her. Well, off in a good way.” Roc smiled. “She’s gifted, I suppose.”

“Yes, she is,” Mark said.

“Now that doesn’t surprise me,” he said. “I think there are probably more gifted people out there than anyone realizes. If we were free, people wouldn’t hide it anymore.”

“And that freedom is what we’re here for. I can’t stand the thought of letting those men languish in prison if there is a way to free them. They did so little wrong. They were only trying to provide for their families,” I said, leaning forward. “We have to find a way for me to surrender and then escape Kandek. I think once he has me back, I’ll be no better than a prisoner.”

“How long do we have?” Roc asked.

“It’s six days until his wedding,” Mark said. “The deal expires then. Reychel has had visions of people massing together to hunt her down. We need to plan, but we also need to keep Reychel safe.”

“That can easily be done. I have use of a maid in my house since my wife is busy taking care of the children. Reychel’s safer here with me to protect her than at Johna’s house,” Roc said. “Unless Johna can shoot fireballs from her hands or something.”

We all laughed.

“Hardly,” Mark said. “She can read minds.”

“Useful, but not much good in a battle,” Roc answered.

Chapter Fifteen

When Mark and I arrived back at Johna’s to collect my few possessions, we were surprised to find the cottage door locked.

“I didn’t even know she had a lock on the door,” Mark said, jiggling the handle.

I reached around him and knocked.

“It’s a common way to get someone’s attention when a door is locked rather than yanking on the knob,” I said with a wink.

The door opened just enough for us to see Johna’s right eye peeking through a crack.

“Is it just the two of you?” she whispered.

“Yes,” I whispered back, intrigued by all the secrecy.

“Go around to the back door,” Johna whispered. “It’s unlocked.”

I shrugged as Mark followed me around to the back door. We opened it and were whisked inside by a few sets of reaching arms.

“Close it, quickly,” I heard a man say. I gasped in fear. I’d never seen so many people crowded into the cottage before and most of them were angry-looking men. I felt Mark’s arms encircled my waist.

“Johna,” he yelled, craning his neck and peering through the masses. “Are you okay? Where are you?”

“Stop yelling, child, I’m right here.”

Johna pushed through the crowd, jostling elbows and even stepping hard on one man’s foot. He responded with a grunt, but Johna ignored him.

“I told you I had to consult with the council,” she said. “They’re all here. All eleven of them.”

The scene lost its menacing atmosphere once I realized they were friends and not enemies. And only eleven people? They took up so much space in her little cottage! I wriggled out of Mark’s protective embrace, giving him a little smile.

“Reychel,” a familiar voice said, “I didn’t know when I’d see you again!”

“Tania,” I exclaimed, looking for and then focusing in on the face of my friend who was hidden among all the men. “I’m so happy to see you too.”

We hugged and as I stepped back, I pulled off my wig. It was irritating me so much and I couldn’t bear to wear it any longer. If everyone here was in the council, then they all knew my story. I was safe among them.

“It’s beautiful,” Tania said, giving my hair a little ruffle.

“Thanks,” I answered with a smile. I wondered how many of them had been slaves before. I knew about Tania, but she couldn’t be the only one.