“So, you’re building on?”
His grandfather joined him. “Yes. Your father thinks we should stop here, but I say add another couple of feet. What do you think?”
“Well, if you’re going to do that, you might as well extend it to that branch out there.” Talas gestured to a limb some ten feet away.
His grandfather laughed and clapped him on the back again. “Now you’re talking.”
Talas winked slyly at his father, who shook his head, but looked more amused now than perturbed. Such exchanges were no doubt a regular occurrence in the Folkan family.
“But enough about the porch. I want to know more about your friends,” Varn said. “Let’s go inside.”
They all turned for the door again and gathered in the living room. Thel joined them, as did Trenna, who appeared as eager as her grandfather. The other women hovered nearby, listening but not fully participating. They discussed all the happenings in and around Landale. Kaden was particularly popular and fit right in. Toward midafternoon, Tress brought them a tray of soft, nutty cookies. By this time, she seemed to have warmed to their presence.
Perched on a small stool at the edge of the group, Trenna said excitedly, “We should give everyone a proper welcome and have a celebration at Flat Point.”
“Good idea,” her grandfather agreed. “A proper welcome for the king. It will give the people a chance to get to know him, and perhaps raise their sympathies toward the struggle in Arcacia and Samara.” His gaze swept the group. “Do you think he would like that?”
“I think he would do anything that might help gain support for Samara,” Talas said.
“Good. I will talk to the Darqs. They’ll help set it up. The Silvars and Almeres too, I would expect.”
“Lord Vallan, I’m sure, would make a contribution to the preparation.”
His grandfather nodded, and plans seemed set for an upcoming celebration.
Her eyes full of excitement, Trenna turned to her brother, the small beaded braids in her hair swishing across her shoulders. “Oh, Talas, we must take them to see Glimmer Falls!”
Talas grinned as he eyed the group. “Anyone willing to get up before the sun tomorrow morning?”
Jace stepped out of the darkened room with the others and left most of their companions still asleep. He wasn’t so sure about this pre-dawn excursion of theirs since waterfalls meant heights, but Kyrin had seemed eager to go. Only he, Kaden, Michael, and Marcus had gotten up when Talas came to wake them. He couldn’t blame the others for wanting to sleep this morning, especially those who had spent the previous day at the citadel debating. Though there may have been a slight shift in Balen’s favor, none of the clan leaders had changed their position yet.
Just down the stairs, Talas knocked on the room Kyrin and Leetra shared. “Hey, Lee, are you two up yet?”
The door opened, and Leetra stepped out. “We’re up.”
Kyrin came out from behind, her eyes bright and eager.
“Where is everyone?” she asked.
“We couldn’t get them out of bed,” Kaden answered, “but we did manage to drag Marcus along.”
“This had better be good,” Marcus said, his voice still hoarse from sleep. “I could use more rest after yesterday.”
“Who knows if we’ll get another chance to visit Dorland again? We’d better see everything there is to see.”
They continued downstairs to the living room, where Captain Darq, Glynn, Novan, and Naeth all sat as if they had been up all night. Naeth rose to join them, and they trooped outside. Nighttime darkness still rested over the forest, however, the city already buzzed with activity. Jace doubted that cretes even knew what sleeping in meant since they only needed a couple hours of sleep a night.
Talas took the lead, and they followed the same bridges they had traveled when they’d first entered the city. When they reached Dragon Rest and circled around to the top, they found Trenna waiting for them with a sleek female dragon.
Talas led them all into one of the many caves where the cretes had stashed their saddles. When Gem spotted Jace, she trilled and met him with a hot breath to the face. He chuckled and patted her on the neck. “Missed you too.”
After all, he was much more comfortable at this altitude when he was with her.
Once everyone finished saddling their dragons, they gathered and mounted up.
“Just follow us,” Talas said.
In a flurry, they all took to the air, following Talas and Trenna eastward toward the nearby mountains. The sky stretched out above them in a deep, purplish blue where the stars had begun to fade. Ahead, the horizon glowed with the first hint of orange sunlight. Leaving all signs of the crete city swallowed up by the vast forest below, it was as if they were the only souls for miles around. A shiver raced through Jace from both the chill of the morning and the wonder of just how big this land and its terrain were.
Twenty minutes later, a rumbling noise grew over the sound of dragon wings, promising of something magnificent. They soared over the top of a ridgeline, and just to their left, a river at least a hundred yards wide gushed over the edge of a cliff and plummeted hundreds, perhaps a thousand feet straight down into a deep ravine.
Still at the head of the group, Talas and Storm dove downward with the waterfall. Jace let Gem follow with the others, but his stomach did a flip on the way down. He would never get used to these sharp dives. Halfway to the bottom, a rocky point jutted from the mountainside not far from the falls. They all landed there and dismounted, gathering in a close group to hear each other.
“Just give it about ten minutes and you’ll see what we came to show you,” Talas shouted over the roar of the water.
He walked toward the farthest end of the point. Everyone followed, but Jace stopped before he came too close to the edge. Kyrin stayed at his side. Michael tried to follow Kaden and Talas closer, but Marcus snagged the back of his jerkin to stop him. His face turned deep red as he cast a glance at Trenna.
A fine mist from the waterfall landed cool and soft on Jace’s skin, but the powerful rushing of water vibrated in his chest. He could only imagine its crushing force when it hit the riverbed below. His mouth turned cottony with the unwelcome thought of the ledge they stood on giving way.
They waited, engulfed in the thundering of the water. The sky brightened overhead until the first rays of sunlight spilled over the opposite ridge. Light struck the mist, turning it into a shimmering, undulating gold cloud. A rainbow appeared above them, and everyone gazed at the sight, mesmerized. Perhaps Jace should have tried to get Rayad and Holden to join them. They would be sorry they missed it. It was worth the early hour and even his discomfort of standing over such a deep ravine.
The sight lasted about twenty minutes before those first golden rays of morning faded as the sun climbed higher. Though still a spectacular view, the light show ended. Moving slowly, still casting looks back at the falls, they returned to their dragons and followed Talas up to a plateau above the ravine where they dismounted again. The rumble of the falls still rose around them, though much quieter up here, and they could actually hear each other without shouting.
“That was incredible,” Kyrin breathed, her hair and face damp.
Talas grinned, and they all gazed down at the falls shrouded in white mist. The rainbow was still visible, even up here. Then Talas led them to the other side of the plateau overlooking the thousands of miles of forest stretching out below them.
“This place is amazing,” Kyrin said.
Trenna looked at her. “It’s a popular spot for picnics and courting.”
She and Kyrin shared a grin, and Jace felt Kyrin’s hand slip into his. He squeezed it, enjoying the moment, despite the heights. It would make a romantic area for a picnic, especially at sunset.
“It’s hard to believe you have a whole city down there,” Marcus said. “No one would ever know unless they’d been there.”
Trenna and Talas agreed, and Kyrin said, “It’s easy to see why so many of yo
ur people don’t want to get involved with the war against Daican. You do feel so isolated here, and it would be hard to imagine the emperor ever being able to reach you.”
Jace could see it too and could understand how the cretes felt. After Kalli and Aldor died, all he’d wanted was to lose himself in the wilderness and pretend Daican and Arcacia’s troubles didn’t exist or concern him. He would have if Rayad hadn’t convinced him to go to Landale.
“But they are wrong,” Trenna said quietly. “We aren’t untouchable. That kind of arrogance will get us all killed.”
Silence settled over them. The cretes’ stubborn pride was just as strong as Jace’s lack of concern had been for what went on outside his own life. He’d had to learn to look beyond himself, but how long would it take for the cretes to learn the same lesson? What would it take?
“Well, we should get back for breakfast,” Talas broke into the silence. “If we’re still not needed at the citadel, I thought we could explore the city today before the celebration tonight.”
Once they had made it back to the Tarn’s, Sonah had another delicious breakfast prepared for them of eggs, bacon, and warm bread with jam. The eggs were different from usual chicken eggs. They were much deeper in color and had a richer taste. When Jace inquired about them, Novan explained that they were from a breed of large quail that were plentiful in the mountains.
After breakfast, everyone who did not accompany King Balen to the second round of meetings with the crete leaders remained at the Tarn’s for a time. Talas, Trenna, and Naeth happily entertained them with stories from their childhoods. Many of these tales included rather harrowing mischief.
“How do any crete children survive childhood?” Jace had to ask at one point.
Talas laughed and said, “By learning very early on to be mindful of our surroundings. When not inside, young children who are too young to understand usually wear a harness and are tied to something secure. I can tell you many a crete child has learned from experience not to wander near the edge.”
Jace shook his head. He was willing to bet Talas was one of those children. How did their parents survive raising them?
Midmorning, when everyone headed out on a tour of the city, Timothy excused himself. He had something he needed to take care of now that he was back in Arvael. There was no telling when he might visit again after this.
On his own, he walked to the opposite side of the city, greeting and nodding to everyone he recognized. He didn’t quite fit in with his shorter hair and brown eyes, but he’d spent enough time in the city two winters ago for most to know who he was. Cretes had excellent memories when it came to remembering their friends and neighbors.
In a quieter area south of the city, he arrived at a particular house and paused at the door. Closing his eyes, he breathed a quick prayer. Even after the many times he’d thought about this, he still didn’t feel entirely prepared. Still, he pulled his shoulders back and knocked on the door.
A minute later, it opened, and a middle-aged male crete looked out at him. “Timothy.”
“Mister Almere.”
The strong-faced man invited him inside.
“You’re here alone?” Raias Almere closed the door and looked at him curiously, his vibrant blue eyes holding a hint of stormy purple like Leetra’s.
“Yes. If you’re not busy, I would like to speak with you.”
Raias peered at him as if sizing him up and then nodded. “Come with me.”
They walked deeper into the house and met Raias’s wife along the way. She had Leetra’s youngest sister balanced on her hip while the other five children were scattered around playing. She said his name in surprise, and he greeted her kindly.
Raias led Timothy back outside to a private covered porch where the sound of children inside was only a low hum. Though chairs sat around the perimeter, neither of them took a seat. They both stopped, and Raias faced Timothy.
“My instincts and the circumstances tell me this is about Leetra. That, and the veiled exasperation in her letters.”
Timothy hesitated, though he should have assumed Leetra would have mentioned his interest in the letters she always sent home with Darq or one of the other cretes who came and went from Landale. He cleared his throat. Though half crete, he didn’t think he could ever comfortably say whatever was on his mind. However, for this conversation, he believed it best to speak his thoughts outright.
“Yes, sir, it is about Leetra. I don’t know when I’ll be here again, and I wanted to make my intentions clear, either to gain your approval or to accept your rejection.”
Raias watched him—neither reassuring nor disapproving. “Go on.”
Timothy drew a breath and attempted to recall everything he’d rehearsed in his head on the way here. “I have a keen interest in your daughter. I desire to court her with the intention of it leading to marriage one day . . . if she’ll have me.” He paused. If only Raias would give him some sort of signal, whether or not he would approve. “However, she hasn’t been entirely open to my interest. I would like to continue to pursue her with complete respect for her feelings, and perhaps change her mind, but not without first gaining your permission.”
He couldn’t explain his feelings for Leetra, at least not in any coherent way. Even Aaron suggested he was wasting his time on her. Yet, under Leetra’s tough façade, Timothy had caught glimpses of a softer, more vulnerable side—a side he believed to be the real Leetra and a side he had quite inexplicably found himself falling in love with. He just wanted a chance to draw that side out.
Raias crossed his arms and considered him for a long moment without speaking. Slowly, he nodded as if to his own thoughts rather than to Timothy.
“Normally, I would tell you no—that if she has spurned your interest, to leave her alone—but I’m not so sure that’s what has happened, judging by her letters and her reaction when I mentioned it yesterday.”
“I will accept whatever you decide,” Timothy assured him. “I know I am only half crete and don’t have much to offer except for my love and faithfulness, should she be open to them.”
“I do not know you as well as I would like, but I do know your reputation and your devotion to your faith. I have no doubt you would devote yourself to my daughter as well.”
“Yes, sir.”
A hint of a smile claimed Raias’s face. “I do admire your courage in coming to me. Crete fathers are notoriously difficult to approach, especially if you’re not a crete.” His smile faded as quickly as it appeared. “You’re not what her mother and I envisioned for her . . . but then, what we believed was a perfect arrangement turned out to be a terrible mistake.”
“You couldn’t have known,” Timothy said quietly. It wasn’t as if Leetra had been unhappy with her attachment to Falcor before his betrayal.
“Still, it was my job to protect my daughter and see her with a man who would protect and care for her.” Raias subjected him to an intense scrutiny before finally nodding. “All right, you have my permission. You may pursue Leetra, providing you continue to respect her wishes, and if she turns you down completely, you will accept it and move on.”
Hope filled Timothy, but he remained serious. “You have my word. I will not push her.”
Raias nodded again. “You will understand if I discuss this with Talas and Verus Darq and ask them to monitor the situation in my stead. I expect you to respect them as you would me.”
“Of course.”
“Good.” Raias’s protective tone softened a little with love. “Leetra is very stubborn and has had both her pride and her heart deeply wounded. It will take great care to heal them. Honestly, I’m not sure a crete man could do it, but I think you may just have a chance if you can manage it without her pulling away. I want my daughter to be loved and happy. She’s her own worst enemy. I hope you can change that.”
“Thank you, sir, for allowing me the chance.”
They talked for a while longer, and Timothy could tell that Raias made an effort to learn more
about him. After a time, they went inside to visit with the rest of the family. Timothy loved getting to know Leetra’s younger siblings. They were a rambunctious group but took to him well.
With the approach of midday, Timothy took his leave to meet back up with the others. He bid the Almeres goodbye, and Raias showed him to the door. When he stepped outside, Leetra was just coming off the bridge to the house. She stopped and stared at him, her brows scrunching together as suspicion narrowed her eyes.
“What are you doing here?”
Timothy motioned to the house. “I came to talk to your father.”
Her frown grew even deeper, her purple eyes igniting with what might have been panic, but he smiled pleasantly and asked, “Are the others at the market?”
The question didn’t seem to register at first as she continued to stare at him.
“Yes,” she said finally, her voice cool.
He nodded. “I’ll see you later then.” And he went on his way.
Leetra stared after Timothy, her heart thumping her ribs as her mind spun with the implication of his words. She then whirled around to where her father stood in the doorway. Crossing the porch, she stalked inside and slammed the door.
“What was he doing here?” she demanded in a sharp whisper. Of all things, she hadn’t expected to see him walking out of her house. It was far too uncomfortable to consider his reasons.
“He wanted to talk to me . . . about you.”
Leetra’s blood pressure rose. “Why?”
“To ask my permission to pursue a courtship with you.”
Leetra’s mouth fell open. It was just what she feared. “And?”
“I gave it to him.”
“Father!”
“What?”
Was that amusement in his eyes? Because this was anything but funny. “How could you?”
“You don’t wish to consider being courted by him?”