some tea.”
“That would be welcomed,” Freya replied.
As Freya sat down, Kaitlyn filled a pot with water and set it over the fire. “Sorry I haven’t been able to visit more often,” Freya said.
Kaitlyn turned toward her with a pouch of tea leaves in her hand. “To be honest, I’m surprised you’ve been able to come as often as you have,” she replied. Taking two cups and the tea kettle off the shelf above the counter, she brought them over to the table. Then she deposited some of the tea leaves into the kettle before sitting down across from Freya while they waited for the water to come to a boil.
“Have you heard of that stranger in town?” Freya asked after a moment’s silence.
Stiffening, Kaitlyn nodded. “Yes.” Neither she nor Elle had told anyone about their meeting with the man except Elle’s husband. They had agreed to keep it to themselves so as not to exacerbate the situation by starting rumors.
“He and another man who is here with him have been asking around about Riyan, Chad, and Bart,” she explained.
“Oh?” questioned Kaitlyn. She sat there quietly as Freya talked.
“Seems they’re awfully curious about them,” she stated. “Who they are, what they do, that sort of thing.” She paused a moment to see the effect her words were having on Kaitlyn. When no reaction was forthcoming, she asked, “Have they been out here to speak with you? Being Riyan’s mother and all I would think you would have been the first person they would have talked with.”
Kaitlyn sat there a moment not sure what she should say. Finally, she nodded her head. “Yes, one of them came to see me shortly after their arrival,” she said. The questioning look in Freya’s eyes prompted her to say, “He was looking for the boys and hoped I would know where they were.”
“Why?” Freya asked.
“There’s a matter of some importance with which he needs to discuss with them,” she explained. When Freya started to ask another question, she held up her hand to forestall her.
“They say Riyan, Bart, and Chad found something in the mountains before they left,” Freya said. “The rumor going around is that they found a stash of the King’s coins.”
Kaitlyn nodded. “I heard that too,” she replied. “But if they did, Riyan never said a word about it to me.”
“But we all wondered how they managed to enter the Warriors Guild,” continued Freya. “If they had found some of the King’s coins, that would explain it.”
Just then the water over the fire began to bubble and steam. Kaitlyn got up and brought it over to the table where she filled the tea kettle with hot water. She then returned the pot to the fire and situated it so it wouldn’t be directly over the flames, just close enough to keep it hot without boiling should they desire more. She let the flavor of the tea leaves permeate the water for a few moments before filling their cups.
As Freya took the cup offered her, she took a sip and said, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” replied Kaitlyn.
“Not just for the tea,” she said. “But because you’ve always been there for me.” When Kaitlyn looked up at her with caring in her eyes, Freya said, “You don’t know how much it means to have a place to go where no one is pushing for the engagement, or talking about it.” Setting her cup down, she looked to Kaitlyn with tears forming in her eyes.
Coming out of her seat, Kaitlyn quickly moved around the table and took her in her arms. For the next hour, she held her as all the emotions Freya had kept locked inside were suddenly released.
Some miles west of Quillim, two men leading a pack mule were walking through the forested hills near the base of the mountains. Despite the snow coming down, they have been combing these hills for several days.
“Maybe it’s further toward the mountains?” suggested one man.
The other shook his head. “No Kelby,” he said. “The shepherd was with his flock when he found the coins.
“That would be welcomed,” Freya replied.
As Freya sat down, Kaitlyn filled a pot with water and set it over the fire. “Sorry I haven’t been able to visit more often,” Freya said.
Kaitlyn turned toward her with a pouch of tea leaves in her hand. “To be honest, I’m surprised you’ve been able to come as often as you have,” she replied. Taking two cups and the tea kettle off the shelf above the counter, she brought them over to the table. Then she deposited some of the tea leaves into the kettle before sitting down across from Freya while they waited for the water to come to a boil.
“Have you heard of that stranger in town?” Freya asked after a moment’s silence.
Stiffening, Kaitlyn nodded. “Yes.” Neither she nor Elle had told anyone about their meeting with the man except Elle’s husband. They had agreed to keep it to themselves so as not to exacerbate the situation by starting rumors.
“He and another man who is here with him have been asking around about Riyan, Chad, and Bart,” she explained.
“Oh?” questioned Kaitlyn. She sat there quietly as Freya talked.
“Seems they’re awfully curious about them,” she stated. “Who they are, what they do, that sort of thing.” She paused a moment to see the effect her words were having on Kaitlyn. When no reaction was forthcoming, she asked, “Have they been out here to speak with you? Being Riyan’s mother and all I would think you would have been the first person they would have talked with.”
Kaitlyn sat there a moment not sure what she should say. Finally, she nodded her head. “Yes, one of them came to see me shortly after their arrival,” she said. The questioning look in Freya’s eyes prompted her to say, “He was looking for the boys and hoped I would know where they were.”
“Why?” Freya asked.
“There’s a matter of some importance with which he needs to discuss with them,” she explained. When Freya started to ask another question, she held up her hand to forestall her.
“They say Riyan, Bart, and Chad found something in the mountains before they left,” Freya said. “The rumor going around is that they found a stash of the King’s coins.”
Kaitlyn nodded. “I heard that too,” she replied. “But if they did, Riyan never said a word about it to me.”
“But we all wondered how they managed to enter the Warriors Guild,” continued Freya. “If they had found some of the King’s coins, that would explain it.”
Just then the water over the fire began to bubble and steam. Kaitlyn got up and brought it over to the table where she filled the tea kettle with hot water. She then returned the pot to the fire and situated it so it wouldn’t be directly over the flames, just close enough to keep it hot without boiling should they desire more. She let the flavor of the tea leaves permeate the water for a few moments before filling their cups.
As Freya took the cup offered her, she took a sip and said, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” replied Kaitlyn.
“Not just for the tea,” she said. “But because you’ve always been there for me.” When Kaitlyn looked up at her with caring in her eyes, Freya said, “You don’t know how much it means to have a place to go where no one is pushing for the engagement, or talking about it.” Setting her cup down, she looked to Kaitlyn with tears forming in her eyes.
Coming out of her seat, Kaitlyn quickly moved around the table and took her in her arms. For the next hour, she held her as all the emotions Freya had kept locked inside were suddenly released.
Some miles west of Quillim, two men leading a pack mule were walking through the forested hills near the base of the mountains. Despite the snow coming down, they have been combing these hills for several days.
“Maybe it’s further toward the mountains?” suggested one man.
The other shook his head. “No Kelby,” he said. “The shepherd was with his flock when he found the coins.
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