The Road Home

Carrion threw the barn door open in a huff. The door opened with such force it almost came back to hit Carrion with the same swing. Luckily, the weight of the door slowed the swing, leaving it open. I followed with the horses in hand.

Lord Holden met us outside with a confused look on his face. Having no idea what happened inside the barn, he was trying to reason what made the ladies so secretively gregarious as they stood away from everyone and would equally make Carrion fume.

He looked at me for guidance on the matter. I shrugged my shoulders and gave a weak smile, feigning ignorance. I did not want to share details of what just transpired. Holden shared a sympathetic look with me, as if he pitied me being in the middle of some sibling quarrel. I suppose in a way I was.

But if angering Cali's brother is the price I have to pay to be with her, I'm willing to pay it. To be fair, Carrion was easily provoked so I could have just as easily have riled him up over a minor offense.

My greater worry was Alina. What must she think of me? She and Cali were talking things through. Maybe she would forgive me for not being honest when I first had doubts about our marriage. If Cali did well in smoothing things over with Alina, maybe she could work on Carrion next.

Alina and Cali kept their backs to me, making their expressions unreadable. My nerves were starting to wear thin. Too many emotions in one day.

My uncle rode up with two horses. Only one was saddled. Seeing the problem, Lord Holden took it upon himself to enter the barn and escape the ocean of teenage emotions around him. My uncle took charge of the situation as he dismounted a cream colored mare.

"Alina, you'll ride with me on one of my brother's horses. Cali, you'll ride with Holden on the other. I think we both have had more experience with fighting on horseback. Hopefully we won't need that expertise. Jack, Carrion, decide between you who will take the lead and who will take up the rear," my uncle dictated while Holden saddled the last horse.

I would have thought the idea of Holden being so close to Cali would have irked me. Somehow I did not mind. I now knew Cali's heart and no matter who she was near, she would want to be close to me.

"Sir Jacobson can lead. It's a lot harder to backstab someone from the front," Carrion challenged.

My face flushed. Is that how everyone felt about my actions? I turned from Carrion's fuming glare to see the end of the shared glance between Uncle John and Lord Holden. They weren't going to ask anything right now and risk setting off Carrion further.

Cali and Alina turned at my uncle's directions and Carrion's retort to reveal two smiling faces. I guess Cali's conversation was much more productive than mine was with Carrion.

My eyes locked with Alina's, my earnest look asking for forgiveness. Alina simply nodded, guessing at my thoughts. We were okay. I guess she had known all along.

Of course she did! Thoughts of my father's practice dummy in splinters came rushing back. How had my muttonhead not put this puzzle together sooner?

"Mount up," my uncle tried to cut the tension. I exchanged reins with my uncle and mounted the cream colored mare.

"Should we stick to the main roads to avoid them," I emphasized, hoping to not draw attention to the word Norad if any of them fell behind and were within earshot. "Or should we cut through the open land to try and make better time?"

I would have to rely on my counterparts' skill with a map if that was our course. I had only ever taken roads this far out from the capital.

"Stick to the roads until we get close to the city. We don't know if they have forces coming from elsewhere. If they are instructed to stay off the roads, we can at least have that advantage for a while," my uncle instructed.

"I agree, but that doesn't mean let your guard down. If you see anything suspicious, whistle," Lord Holden added.

That seemed easy enough. I nodded and led the way toward home. At first, every turn seemed to set me on edge and my lips pursed automatically but I would see nothing out of the ordinary.

I set off at a brisk pace. Not enough to put too much strain on the horses with two riders, but fast enough that I thought we could overtake an army on foot. Soon I settled into a rhythm and became a little less vigilant. As the hours passed, our pace slowed.

The sun kissed the horizon and the shadows drew long. The moon was full and would make traveling by night a little easier. Twilight unnerved me. I thought we would have passed the next town before nightfall. We soon came upon it and passed it just as easily.

Were we going too slow? Would we make it in time to warn the castle?

As night fell, every sound caught my attention. I never before realized how alive the countryside is at night. Owls and bats each made their own appearances making noises I rarely heard. Other unrecognized wildlife rustled bushes and scurried across the path in front of us.

We made steady progress toward the capital. The steady drum of the other horses' hoofbeats behind me kept me calm. I was not alone. I had others watching out for me.

A low whistle caught my attention and I heard the pack behind me slow. I looked over my shoulder to see Holden point toward part of the forest. I unsheathed my sword and went to examine the area.

As I approached, someone tried to scramble further up a tree. In their rush, they grabbed a branch that could not hold their weight. The branch broke clean from the tree, startling mount. She reared back. I barely kept my seat in the saddle.

The person who was watching us fell to the ground. With one look at my sword, I could see panic wash over this young girl's face. Why was she watching the road at night?