Chapter 5
HUNTED
Ty felt the Priestess tremble against his shoulder, her muscles as taut as a rigging line holding a full sail. By contrast, Ria melted against his side, barely a weight under his arm. Lavinia stood in front of Ria, blocking her from view. Ty’s awareness of Ria's warmth pressed against him nearly distracted him from the danger they were in. Twenty yards out, in the bright light by the dock, a group of five Priests milled impatiently, waiting for their boat to be readied.
A Priest, who wore a long cream tunic embroidered in rippling gold and red flames over robes the color of lava, paused in his conversation. He peered around as if he sensed something. In the shadows of the alcove under the colonnade, Ty held his breath. Niri shifted further away from her former compatriots, inadvertently pressing into Ty.
The accusation that she had contrived this “accidental” meeting with a group of Priests died in his throat at the terror in Niri’s wide eyes, the paleness under her warm skin tone, and, most of all, by the tension in her body. The former Priestess seemed to be more afraid of the Priests than Ria, if that was possible.
Niri, Ty corrected himself. She is not a Priestess any longer. He wasn’t sure he believed it.
“We should walk back before they see us,” Ty whispered in Niri’s ear.
Niri shook her head. “They may see us if we move. They’ll be gone soon. It is best to just wait.”
From the tone of her voice, he would have thought her unaffected. But her body betrayed the fright she felt. Without meaning to, Ty unraveled his fingers from Ria’s, leaving her tucked under one arm. He placed his freed hand on Niri’s shoulder.
Niri flinched at his touch but then relaxed, leaning further into him as they watched the Priests order their bags onto the boat. Ria grasped Lavinia’s arm to replace Ty. Silently, they waited.
The day in the market had gone well. They had arrived exhausted in Dion just as dawn lightened the sky. Ty was accustomed to sailing at night. During the brief time at his apprenticeship, he and Ryic had been assigned the night sail for the first few months. But Ty had been running for weeks, worried about not making it home before his sister was to leave on her apprenticeship. He hadn't wished ill fate to repeat itself with her. By dawn as they entered Dion's harbor, he was so overtired he was giddy.
“I’ve never used my power before for so long or in such a way,” Niri confessed as she gripped the handrail of the bench with white knuckles as if the world spun.
Exhaustion made Ty more candid. “I’ve never heard of a Water Elemental controlling a boat before.”
Niri exhaled a laugh. “Nor I.”
Ty smiled, turning toward her, and saw in the brightening light the gleam of the robe of a novice Priestess. The smile died on his lips.
Too weary to do more than dock the boat in the merchant section, they slept until midmorning. Once awake, Ty forbade Niri to step into the open air in her Priestess robe. A Priestess would never sell goods in a merchant quarter. Niri's presence would bring the attention they were trying to avoid. Before attempting to organize the main cabin and find goods to sell, Ria cobbled together an outfit of sorts to replace Niri’s Priestess robes. In a burgundy blouse that exposed Niri’s bare shoulders and a dark skirt, the ragged hem of which revealed glimpses of her calves as she walked, Ty found it much easier to forget she was a former Priestess.
The market itself had been uneventful and profitable. Ty found the time to buy Ria and Lavinia clothes other than the dresses they had worn at the solstice ceremony. Ria danced when he handed her a heavy silk shirt the same green as her eyes, and a yellow skirt that was a poor match to the color of her golden hair. Lavinia was equally happy for the sailor’s pants, sandals, and a blue tunic that fit her perfectly. She threw her arms around Ty when she found the sailor’s knife hidden in the folds of cloth. Niri smiled at the girls’ enthusiasm, causing Ty a rush of warm guilt that he’d brought her nothing. He pushed it aside. They’d found clothes for her on the boat after all.
It wasn’t until the weary walk back to the boat that disaster struck. Rounding the last corner to the docks, he and Lavinia walked into a group of five Priests.
Luck had been with them. Niri and Ria had been a few paces behind. The Priests saw Ty and Lavinia rooted to the stones on which they stood, but not Ria and Niri. Ty and Lavinia's sudden halt had been enough of a warning for Niri to catch Ria’s elbow and swing her into the shadows of the colonnade.
Ty and Lavinia’s startled pause and proximity earned them scathing glances from the Priests. Not recognizing anything more than two youths, the Priests turned away with an air of dismissal. It took a few seconds for the four to be reunited in the alcove, trapped from retreat by the bright sun.
Still waiting, Niri leaned forward, her eyes narrowing as she watched the Priests. There was the one Fire Elemental, an Elemental from the Order of Water in violet robes and embroidered tunic set off by his dark skin, two Earth Elementals in robes of gray-blue, and a fifth Priest shorter than the others with dark hair in long braids and wearing the yellow robes of the Order of Air. Niri focused on the Water Priest, but the sight of the yellow robes made Ty’s stomach turn and he closed his eyes.
“Do you know him?” Ty hissed to Niri.
When she didn’t answer right away, Ty opened his eyes to look at her. It was the first time he had been so close to her and really paid attention. Surprised, he realized that she was barely his senior, maybe a year or two older. With her serious air he had thought her far closer to thirty.
“No ... I thought maybe. But they are all full Priests, not novices.”
“What do you think they are doing?” Ria whispered from Ty's other side.
“Going to Mirocyne,” Niri answered.
“To look for us,” Lavinia finished.
While they watched, the Priests formed a tighter knot. The boat was nearly ready and a sense of purpose infused the men. Their conversation became louder as their expressions hardened. Over the sounds of the busy harbor and city streets lined with carriages, donkeys pulling wagons, boats docking, and folks shouting, Ty only caught a few words from the Priests, such as “threat,” “aberration,” and “traitor.” Niri winced with the last word, but did not look away. Finally, the five boarded their boat. Wind filled its sails almost before it was untied from the dock.
“We need to get further away from Mirocyne, I think,” Ty whispered as the Priests’ ship maneuvered into the harbor.
“Do we have enough to cross the sea yet?” Even with the threat gone, Ria had not moved from the protection of Ty’s arm.
Ty shook his head, his lips lightly brushing Ria’s forehead. He didn’t think he intended that. “No, but we could try Kyrron. There is a bigger market there. It may take a day or two, but it should get us enough.”
Lavinia bit her lip, looking away from him. Ty felt his sister's thoughts even if she said nothing yet. Explanations tumbled through his mind in preparation as they finally made their way back to their ship. As Ty pushed the Grey Dawn away from the dock with his foot, Lavinia's thoughts spilled into words.
“Ty, we can’t keep running like this. You and Niri look exhausted. I think we need to stop for a day.”
Ty pulled his attention away from raising the sail to glance at his sister. Her sober blue eyes stared into him as she sat with her hands clasped before her. It reminded him so much of their father that he had to blink to bring her into focus.
To Ty’s surprise, Niri answered. “Not while we are only a day’s sail from Mirocyne. We need to get farther ... from the Church and the Curse.”
Lavinia frowned and looked away. That would be our mother in her, Ty thought with a hollow tug.
“It’s okay, Vin. It has only been one day. We’re all tired, but Ty will be fine. He’s the only one who can sail us to Kyrron,” Ria said, reaching over and putting a hand on top of Lavinia’s. Ria cast a fond smile toward Ty. He was so surprised that he didn’t smile back.
Ty had been enamored of Ria sinc
e childhood, in love with her like every boy in Mirocyne. But these last two days were the first she’d shown any acknowledgment of him. He was still struggling to catch up to the change.
“I could help, too,” Lavinia said in a muffled voice.
Ria’s vote of confidence made Ty feel all the more tired. He ached. Even when he dreamed, it was a yearning for more sleep. Despite having grown up sailing, and having sailed this same boat in the months past, he still felt the pull of the rudder from the night before in his shoulders. Even now, with the boat slicing through the busy harbor, the pitch induced by the full sail twinged the muscles of his back. His body felt far older than his years.
But Ty had grown used to odd pangs: hunger, sore muscles from unaccustomed work or uncomfortable places to sleep, guilt. He was surprised he wasn’t numb to it yet. Worry churned in his stomach so that he doubted he would rest even if he could lie down. At its best, sleep was an oblivion earned through overwhelming exhaustion.
It was the last thing he wished for his sister. They held each other’s gaze, the same blue locked together across the deck. Looking at the slight shadows under her eyes from the night before crushed his heart more than he thought possible. He could reconcile Ria being on this journey. It was saving her life. He had always wanted to be her protector in some way. But his sister did not have to be here.
Lavinia should be home, safe, preparing for her apprenticeship. That thought reminded Ty of why he had come home in the first place. He swallowed and looked away, finding no easy answer.
“Ty, why do you know how to sell in the market?” Lavinia’s question made Ty close his eyes. Even waiting for it, he still wasn't ready.
“It isn’t important.”
“Then why not tell me?” Lavinia rose to her feet.
“You want to know? Ask her.” Ty tossed a hand in Niri’s direction.
“I don’t know what you’re referring to,” Niri replied in confusion.
“Don’t you? Maybe it is just Air Elementals and not every member of the Church, then,” Ty spat the words at her, his anger sudden and venomous.
“Ty,” Lavinia began, tone apologetically embarrassed.
“Fine, if you want to help so much, Vin, then you can sail until it gets dark. Head southeast and try not to hit anything.”
Ty turned and stormed across the deck, letting the sail fly loose. He was down the stairs to the cabin before Lavinia managed to grab the line and correct their course.