You can certainly do that , you know . You don ’ t have to be touching him .Harmony’s tart reminder startled Wrenna. If you had bothered to link with him before , you would have known there was a problem much earlier !
Shamed by Harmony’s censure, Wrenna immediately established a mental link with Trav, reassuring him that he was safe. She wasn’t sure how coherent he was but she felt the instant lessening of mental tension. Holding the link firm and continuing to comfort him as best she could, she trusted Harmony to safely lead the way to Stonehollow.
When they reached the tiny stone cottage centered in the small circular clearing in the woods, Wrenna was jarred just for a moment. The little square building looked strange to eyes used to the round adobe domed homes in Lost Market. She always had exactly the same feeling when she visited Eppie’s log cabin. Mounting the steps to the narrow porch, she knocked on the door with a firm hand.
Moments later, Dancer, dressed in just his sharda, flung open the door with an impatient frown. “What!”
Wrenna flinched, then straightened her spine and tilted her head back so she could look him in the eye. “Traveller is in the valley. He’s badly hurt. My Uncle Bishop brought him through a tunnel into the cave at circle five. Papa and the others are carrying him to our house in the village.”
“Uncle Bishop?” Dancer queried softly.
Wrenna glanced over his shoulder at Eppie who stood behind him wrapped in just a rumpled sheet before staring at him in confusion. Why did he ignore her news about Trav? Who cared about this strange uncle? “Did you hear me, Dancer? Trav is hurt! They are taking him to our house!”
“I heard you,” he replied coldly. “But it occurs to me that I’ve never known your last name. It wouldn’t just happen to be Llewellyn, would it?”
“And? So what?” Wrenna yelled before hurrying back down the steps. “I can’t stay here and talk. Mama thought you might want to come to the village and see Trav. Personally I don’t care one way or the other!”
She heard the door slam before she reached the edge of the woods. With Harmony trailing after her, she trotted down the path to Lost Market, intent on reaching Traveller.
* * * * *
Dai and Merlyn made the mistake of traveling through the village. Anxious villagers waylaid them, seeking reassurance that the visitors weren’t a danger to the valley. The warriors assigned to guard the village had hastily assembled in the center green, setting the emergency plans into motion. Younger warriors-in-training were going from home to home, alerting the occupants.
Merlyn assured the villagers that they were in no danger but by then Bishop and the others reached the village limits and the villagers descended on them with offers of help and assistance. Dai and Merlyn made their escape, hastening down the path toward Stonehollow. They noted Wrenna and Harmony trotting toward home on the other side of the village green past the communal garden but rather than exchange information with her, they decided to go directly to the bonding cottage.
Just outside the village, they encountered Micah Jollye, the blacksmith, lying on the trail with his leg twisted at an unnatural angle. Dai promptly dropped to his knees and began to block the pain while Merlyn summoned Micah’s son, Hoel, and sent him for assistance from the village. By the time help arrived and Micah’s leg was straightened and set, Merlyn’s and Dai’s uneasiness had sharply intensified. With so much time passed, they had expected to encounter Dancer on the trail. When he didn’t appear, their concern for Eppie escalated.
Together, they hurried through the thick woods, oblivious to the chatter of squirrels and birds twittering sleepily. “Have you reached him?” Merlyn demanded worriedly.
“No. He’s blocked me out,” Dai admitted reluctantly. “I’m surprised that he’s capable of that. He’s stronger than I thought,
Shamed by Harmony’s censure, Wrenna immediately established a mental link with Trav, reassuring him that he was safe. She wasn’t sure how coherent he was but she felt the instant lessening of mental tension. Holding the link firm and continuing to comfort him as best she could, she trusted Harmony to safely lead the way to Stonehollow.
When they reached the tiny stone cottage centered in the small circular clearing in the woods, Wrenna was jarred just for a moment. The little square building looked strange to eyes used to the round adobe domed homes in Lost Market. She always had exactly the same feeling when she visited Eppie’s log cabin. Mounting the steps to the narrow porch, she knocked on the door with a firm hand.
Moments later, Dancer, dressed in just his sharda, flung open the door with an impatient frown. “What!”
Wrenna flinched, then straightened her spine and tilted her head back so she could look him in the eye. “Traveller is in the valley. He’s badly hurt. My Uncle Bishop brought him through a tunnel into the cave at circle five. Papa and the others are carrying him to our house in the village.”
“Uncle Bishop?” Dancer queried softly.
Wrenna glanced over his shoulder at Eppie who stood behind him wrapped in just a rumpled sheet before staring at him in confusion. Why did he ignore her news about Trav? Who cared about this strange uncle? “Did you hear me, Dancer? Trav is hurt! They are taking him to our house!”
“I heard you,” he replied coldly. “But it occurs to me that I’ve never known your last name. It wouldn’t just happen to be Llewellyn, would it?”
“And? So what?” Wrenna yelled before hurrying back down the steps. “I can’t stay here and talk. Mama thought you might want to come to the village and see Trav. Personally I don’t care one way or the other!”
She heard the door slam before she reached the edge of the woods. With Harmony trailing after her, she trotted down the path to Lost Market, intent on reaching Traveller.
* * * * *
Dai and Merlyn made the mistake of traveling through the village. Anxious villagers waylaid them, seeking reassurance that the visitors weren’t a danger to the valley. The warriors assigned to guard the village had hastily assembled in the center green, setting the emergency plans into motion. Younger warriors-in-training were going from home to home, alerting the occupants.
Merlyn assured the villagers that they were in no danger but by then Bishop and the others reached the village limits and the villagers descended on them with offers of help and assistance. Dai and Merlyn made their escape, hastening down the path toward Stonehollow. They noted Wrenna and Harmony trotting toward home on the other side of the village green past the communal garden but rather than exchange information with her, they decided to go directly to the bonding cottage.
Just outside the village, they encountered Micah Jollye, the blacksmith, lying on the trail with his leg twisted at an unnatural angle. Dai promptly dropped to his knees and began to block the pain while Merlyn summoned Micah’s son, Hoel, and sent him for assistance from the village. By the time help arrived and Micah’s leg was straightened and set, Merlyn’s and Dai’s uneasiness had sharply intensified. With so much time passed, they had expected to encounter Dancer on the trail. When he didn’t appear, their concern for Eppie escalated.
Together, they hurried through the thick woods, oblivious to the chatter of squirrels and birds twittering sleepily. “Have you reached him?” Merlyn demanded worriedly.
“No. He’s blocked me out,” Dai admitted reluctantly. “I’m surprised that he’s capable of that. He’s stronger than I thought,
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