went to school?"
"Emma’s right, Thomas." Mum clutched at his arm. "I wouldn’t know how to help Seth with his lessons."
Dad nodded, throwing an uneasy look up at the ceiling toward Seth's room. "I suppose it's the least we can do for Anne. You’ll promise to send for me if McCloud gives you any problems at all, won’t you, Emma? My boys and I are a brisk walk away."
"I think we should try to send word to Seth’s father. He must know."
Riley’s ears pricked up. What was Mum talking about? Seth's real dad had died before he was born. He and Seth had made a crude headstone along the fence of the cemetery when they were boys. The small act seemed to have helped Seth cope with his life in the headmaster's house.
His parents joined the others at the table. The doctor poured more liquor into small glasses. They sat in silence for a long moment. Private thoughts kept them silent, pushing Riley's patience to the edge.
"What do you know about him?" Doctor McFadden finally asked.
"Anne didn’t speak much about Seth’s father," Dad told them. "She did tell us once he was in the Andarian Army. Their families didn’t approve of the affair for some reason."
"Foolishness." Mum wiped at her eyes and took a rare sip of spirits. She didn't approve of drink. "Such things mean nothing once the babies start coming."
"Did Anne tell you the father’s name?" the doctor asked. "I know it wasn’t Seth. The night her son was born, I asked Anne if she would name the boy after his father. She said she'd been told to name him Seth."
"It doesn’t matter now. The boy is alone in the world. He needs his father." Dad threw back his glass and downed the liquor in one gulp.
"Very well." Emma nodded. "Anne had a confidant south of the mainland who knew about Seth's father. I’ll send word and hope she can help us."
"Eavesdropping, are we?" Paddy boomed behind Riley on the stairs. He held the scruff of Riley’s neck in his hand as they propelled into the room.
"Here now, boy!" Dad gripped at Riley’s ear. "What did you just hear? Enough, I'd wager. You listen to me, Riley. Not one word to anyone about Seth’s father. That includes Seth."
"Why? He should know his father is alive."
"Not a word to anyone. Use your head. How do you think people like the elder would take the news about Seth's father being alive, and he and Anne never married? Well, just imagine how Seth would take it and right after his mother died? Give me a chance to find out what's what first. We don't even know what manner of man Seth's father is now, do we?"
"Aye, Dad," Riley muttered, seeing the sense in it now.
"I must check on Seth." His mother patted Emma on the hand. "Get some rest. I’m here now."
His dad kept a restraining hand on Riley as his mum followed Emma up the stairs. Grief kept them to a slow pace. They all were saddened by Anne McCloud's untimely death, but Mum had lost her best friend tonight. Things would never be the same again.
"You're to stay here with Seth. Understand? You tell Paddy or the doctor if Mr. McCloud bothers Seth, won’t you?" Dad shook his head and followed his wife up the stairs. "I should have thrown the bastard off the cliff when I had the chance."
Chapter Seven
Legends spoke in quiet tones of the fall of the last great civilization inhabiting Andara. In their obsession to harness the magic of their so-called “technology,” the ancients had split the lands asunder. The world had tilted upon its side, spinning awkwardly around an angry sun. Mankind vanished from their cities as nature rebelled. Then the Creator gave the abandoned world to the Jalora and its rival, the Sarcion, to rule as they wished. Mankind returned, but in the new order their worship was demanded, not offered.
The death of the old world and the rebirth of the new left many inhospitable locations on Andara. Julian had found one such place on the rocky shores of the Northern Buells. Days away from the nearest outpost or village, these shores were safe
"Emma’s right, Thomas." Mum clutched at his arm. "I wouldn’t know how to help Seth with his lessons."
Dad nodded, throwing an uneasy look up at the ceiling toward Seth's room. "I suppose it's the least we can do for Anne. You’ll promise to send for me if McCloud gives you any problems at all, won’t you, Emma? My boys and I are a brisk walk away."
"I think we should try to send word to Seth’s father. He must know."
Riley’s ears pricked up. What was Mum talking about? Seth's real dad had died before he was born. He and Seth had made a crude headstone along the fence of the cemetery when they were boys. The small act seemed to have helped Seth cope with his life in the headmaster's house.
His parents joined the others at the table. The doctor poured more liquor into small glasses. They sat in silence for a long moment. Private thoughts kept them silent, pushing Riley's patience to the edge.
"What do you know about him?" Doctor McFadden finally asked.
"Anne didn’t speak much about Seth’s father," Dad told them. "She did tell us once he was in the Andarian Army. Their families didn’t approve of the affair for some reason."
"Foolishness." Mum wiped at her eyes and took a rare sip of spirits. She didn't approve of drink. "Such things mean nothing once the babies start coming."
"Did Anne tell you the father’s name?" the doctor asked. "I know it wasn’t Seth. The night her son was born, I asked Anne if she would name the boy after his father. She said she'd been told to name him Seth."
"It doesn’t matter now. The boy is alone in the world. He needs his father." Dad threw back his glass and downed the liquor in one gulp.
"Very well." Emma nodded. "Anne had a confidant south of the mainland who knew about Seth's father. I’ll send word and hope she can help us."
"Eavesdropping, are we?" Paddy boomed behind Riley on the stairs. He held the scruff of Riley’s neck in his hand as they propelled into the room.
"Here now, boy!" Dad gripped at Riley’s ear. "What did you just hear? Enough, I'd wager. You listen to me, Riley. Not one word to anyone about Seth’s father. That includes Seth."
"Why? He should know his father is alive."
"Not a word to anyone. Use your head. How do you think people like the elder would take the news about Seth's father being alive, and he and Anne never married? Well, just imagine how Seth would take it and right after his mother died? Give me a chance to find out what's what first. We don't even know what manner of man Seth's father is now, do we?"
"Aye, Dad," Riley muttered, seeing the sense in it now.
"I must check on Seth." His mother patted Emma on the hand. "Get some rest. I’m here now."
His dad kept a restraining hand on Riley as his mum followed Emma up the stairs. Grief kept them to a slow pace. They all were saddened by Anne McCloud's untimely death, but Mum had lost her best friend tonight. Things would never be the same again.
"You're to stay here with Seth. Understand? You tell Paddy or the doctor if Mr. McCloud bothers Seth, won’t you?" Dad shook his head and followed his wife up the stairs. "I should have thrown the bastard off the cliff when I had the chance."
Chapter Seven
Legends spoke in quiet tones of the fall of the last great civilization inhabiting Andara. In their obsession to harness the magic of their so-called “technology,” the ancients had split the lands asunder. The world had tilted upon its side, spinning awkwardly around an angry sun. Mankind vanished from their cities as nature rebelled. Then the Creator gave the abandoned world to the Jalora and its rival, the Sarcion, to rule as they wished. Mankind returned, but in the new order their worship was demanded, not offered.
The death of the old world and the rebirth of the new left many inhospitable locations on Andara. Julian had found one such place on the rocky shores of the Northern Buells. Days away from the nearest outpost or village, these shores were safe
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