companions were smiling as if I were saying something mildly amusing.
“A Caller,” said Fingal. “Maybe we’re starting to realize what that is. And maybe it’s more than any of us expected.”
IT WAS HARD TO LEAVE SHADOWFELL. FOR SO long I had been without a proper home, without the certainty of enough food and a roof over my head at night. For years my only purpose had been keeping my father out of trouble and surviving one more day. Now I had a purpose so grand it hardly bore thinking about, and it was time to move on with the journey.
The plan was to seek out the Hag of the Isles, then head northward to find the Lord of the North in time to get home to Shadowfell before autumn storms made the mountain tracks impassable. An ambitious plan, with little allowance for the vagaries of the weather or the possibility either Guardian might choose not to cooperate. But it was the only one we had.
Sage and Red Cap, with the child, were already gone, heading west toward their home forests and their own people. They would carry the message out among the Good Folk in their Watch. As for the Folk Below, once they hadmade up their minds to help us, they had startled us with the efficiency of their preparations. They had organized their clan into groups that would set out soon to spread the word across the Watch of the North. Bearberry had been up the stairs many times, often with Hawkbit or Woodrush, to discuss strategy with Regan. The rebels had various missions to undertake before midsummer, when folk would return to Shadowfell to report their progress. Regan and Fingal were heading south to meet with a rebel group in Corriedale.
Regan and Fingal. That had been a shock to everyone, and most of all to Tali. She always traveled with Regan as his personal guard, standing at his right hand, keeping him safe. Always. Her presence by his side meant Shadowfell’s leader survived to inspire and invigorate us. There was no doubt his stirring speeches, his bright-eyed enthusiasm, his unswerving dedication to the goal were what kept us all strong.
But when the time had come for Regan to allocate tasks to his team, he had announced that in view of the vital nature of my mission, Tali would be going with me as my guard and protector. Tali hadn’t said a word. It was not her way to lose control in public. But I’d seen her face turn sheet-white. I’d seen her clench her jaw and curl her hands into tight fists. I doubted she’d heard what Regan said next, about how my safety was his first priority, so he was giving me Shadowfell’s most able and versatile warrior as my companion on the road. Had there been any chance Flint would reach Shadowfell in time, he would have been the one to travelwith me; but he had not come yet, and we all knew it was unlikely he would be here at all. Regan did not include him in the plans.
There followed some challenging days. Regan and Tali argued behind closed doors. Tali stalked about with a face so shuttered and grim that nobody but Fingal dared speak to her, and when he did, she snarled at him. Our bedchamber was a place of tight silences and averted eyes. Tali was like a storm confined in a small space, near bursting with wounded fury, but too proud to talk about it save in her private protests to Regan. It was not that she objected to the job of guarding me, Fingal told me, but that she believed Regan would not be safe without her. Since Fingal himself was to be Regan’s guard now, that suggested Tali had a lack of faith in her brother, and I could see that Fingal was somewhat put out by this.
“At least, if Regan is hurt, he’ll have you there to patch him up,” I told him, attempting a joke. Shadowfell was too small to hold Tali’s rage, and everyone was edgy. The only good thing that could come of this was that Shadowfell’s warriors would head out on their expeditions in top fighting condition, thanks to the extreme rigors of their current training. An angry Tali made a fearsome
“A Caller,” said Fingal. “Maybe we’re starting to realize what that is. And maybe it’s more than any of us expected.”
IT WAS HARD TO LEAVE SHADOWFELL. FOR SO long I had been without a proper home, without the certainty of enough food and a roof over my head at night. For years my only purpose had been keeping my father out of trouble and surviving one more day. Now I had a purpose so grand it hardly bore thinking about, and it was time to move on with the journey.
The plan was to seek out the Hag of the Isles, then head northward to find the Lord of the North in time to get home to Shadowfell before autumn storms made the mountain tracks impassable. An ambitious plan, with little allowance for the vagaries of the weather or the possibility either Guardian might choose not to cooperate. But it was the only one we had.
Sage and Red Cap, with the child, were already gone, heading west toward their home forests and their own people. They would carry the message out among the Good Folk in their Watch. As for the Folk Below, once they hadmade up their minds to help us, they had startled us with the efficiency of their preparations. They had organized their clan into groups that would set out soon to spread the word across the Watch of the North. Bearberry had been up the stairs many times, often with Hawkbit or Woodrush, to discuss strategy with Regan. The rebels had various missions to undertake before midsummer, when folk would return to Shadowfell to report their progress. Regan and Fingal were heading south to meet with a rebel group in Corriedale.
Regan and Fingal. That had been a shock to everyone, and most of all to Tali. She always traveled with Regan as his personal guard, standing at his right hand, keeping him safe. Always. Her presence by his side meant Shadowfell’s leader survived to inspire and invigorate us. There was no doubt his stirring speeches, his bright-eyed enthusiasm, his unswerving dedication to the goal were what kept us all strong.
But when the time had come for Regan to allocate tasks to his team, he had announced that in view of the vital nature of my mission, Tali would be going with me as my guard and protector. Tali hadn’t said a word. It was not her way to lose control in public. But I’d seen her face turn sheet-white. I’d seen her clench her jaw and curl her hands into tight fists. I doubted she’d heard what Regan said next, about how my safety was his first priority, so he was giving me Shadowfell’s most able and versatile warrior as my companion on the road. Had there been any chance Flint would reach Shadowfell in time, he would have been the one to travelwith me; but he had not come yet, and we all knew it was unlikely he would be here at all. Regan did not include him in the plans.
There followed some challenging days. Regan and Tali argued behind closed doors. Tali stalked about with a face so shuttered and grim that nobody but Fingal dared speak to her, and when he did, she snarled at him. Our bedchamber was a place of tight silences and averted eyes. Tali was like a storm confined in a small space, near bursting with wounded fury, but too proud to talk about it save in her private protests to Regan. It was not that she objected to the job of guarding me, Fingal told me, but that she believed Regan would not be safe without her. Since Fingal himself was to be Regan’s guard now, that suggested Tali had a lack of faith in her brother, and I could see that Fingal was somewhat put out by this.
“At least, if Regan is hurt, he’ll have you there to patch him up,” I told him, attempting a joke. Shadowfell was too small to hold Tali’s rage, and everyone was edgy. The only good thing that could come of this was that Shadowfell’s warriors would head out on their expeditions in top fighting condition, thanks to the extreme rigors of their current training. An angry Tali made a fearsome
Similar Books
