The Last Falcon: Book 1 of the Cael Stone

CHAPTER 5

  The first thing Erynn noticed when she reached the kitchen wasn't the heat and smoke of the many fires, the humidity, or the thick smell of roasted pork and spices. It was the tension. Everyone in the large room seemed to be talking about the Galians; about why they were here and what their visit meant for Alyria. The whole room was buzzing.

  The second thing she noticed was her friend, Adena, who appeared to be the only person not engaged in conversation. She was busy peeling potatoes at Erynn's usual table on the far side of the room, her long brown hair framing a none-too-pleased face. Erynn wasn't surprised. She knew how much her friend hated the kitchen. The king had brought her to the castle with Erynn, after hearing about Jared's departure in Cold Lake, but she soon demonstrated that the kitchen was not the place for her and after numerous mishaps was sent to the stables instead. Now she didn't appear in the kitchen unless she was being punished — which happened fairly regularly since she was the only girl in the stables and wasn't the kind to take teasing from the other men lightly. Especially when she probably knew more about horses than the rest of them.

  Erynn started across the room, wanting nothing more than to talk to her friend and tell her everything that had happened. As she made her way around the other servants and tables and baskets of food stacked in the aisles, she noticed the rushing in her ears had stopped and the ache across her brow was receding. She was rubbing her forehead and thinking how curious this was, when one of the cooks reached out and grabbed her arm.

  "Wryden favors you," he said, his voice urgent. "Did he tell you why they're here?"

  Erynn twisted herself loose of his grasp. He was a big man, with receding brown hair, and had given her trouble before. The two women standing next to him had as well. "His Grace told me to get to work."

  She tried to go around him, but he stepped further out into the aisle, blocking her path. "But you were with him, weren't you? When the Galians arrived?"

  Erynn realized the room had gone quiet. Everyone had paused what they were doing to watch. Even Adena had stopped peeling. Erynn felt heat rise to her face, always hating their stares. "He didn't tell me anything."

  The cook narrowed his eyes, as if not sure whether to believe her.

  "They're here because Gareth's dead," said one of the women standing next to him.

  A whisper went around the room, but the cook just shook his head. "We'd have heard if he was dead. I don't believe it."

  "But they say the king hasn't had word from him in months," said another woman nearby. "Why else would they be here? Why come all this way?"

  "What if the war's over?" came another voice. "What if we're next?"

  Now everyone started talking, their voices growing louder as they argued over whether this might be true. Erynn could barely watch. She wondered who had leaked the news about the lack of word from Gareth. She doubted it was Faris. More likely Clay or the guards.

  "If it was over, we'd have heard about that, too," the cook said.

  "I want to know about the dragon," said the other woman standing next to him. She was older, with thick grey hair, and hadn't taken her eyes off Erynn.

  The room went quiet again.

  "Krystalix?" Erynn said. "What about him?"

  "He flew over the castle," the cook said. "Numerous times. Low enough they thought he might attack."

  Erynn gasped. Krystalix flew over the castle? Her eyes went to Adena, who nodded her head silently, and then she remembered the commotion in the throne room and the way everyone had headed for the doors.

  "What do you make of that?" the grey-haired woman asked. "I've never heard of him doing such a thing. And so soon after the Galians arrived?"

  Erynn felt strange. As far as she knew, Krystalix hadn't even been seen since the day her father died, and she couldn't recall any stories of him ever being spotted around the castle. So it couldn't just be a coincidence. "I – I don't know. I don't know why he'd do that."

  "Maybe he doesn't like Galians," Adena said.

  Everyone turned to look at her, but Adena simply shifted her eyes back down to her potato and continued peeling. For several long moments no one said a word, and then the whispers started again, a few at first and spreading fast.

  "What is going on in here?" came Mirella's loud voice from the front of the kitchen.

  A flurry of activity erupted around the room as all of the servants quickly went back to work. The headservant's eyes darted around and finally landed on Erynn and the cook.

  "We were just talking about the dragon," the cook said, stepping casually out of Erynn's path and back to his table. "We heard he flew over the castle."

  "Dragons aren't for you to worry about," Mirella said. "You're here to work. We have guests to feed and judging by what I see already there's still much to be done."

  The cook turned and went back to his work. Erynn continued on her way, finally reaching Adena and sitting down on a stool next to her. She grabbed a small knife and potato from the pile on the table and began peeling. She could feel Mirella watching her, but then the headservant turned away and started her inspection, marching up and down the aisles, tasting the food, and barking out orders.

  "King keep you late again?" Adena asked, using her foot to slide over two wooden buckets on the floor. One was half full of peel, the other almost full of peeled potatoes.

  "Sort of," Erynn muttered. "She also caught me in the throne room."

  Adena raised a brow. "What were you doing in there?"

  Erynn was trying to keep an eye on Mirella, who was still making her way across the kitchen and leaving a seemingly endless stream of complaints in her wake: the meat was too tough, the stew too runny, the bread too stale. Erynn knew she was headed in her direction. She was just taking her time about it. "I was looking for Faris. It's a long story."

  "Another letter?"

  "The second today."

  "Second?"

  Erynn finished her potato and dropped it in the bucket. She wasn't sure it was safe to say anything with Mirella around, not wanting to get into even more trouble for gossiping when she should be working, but she felt she might burst if she didn't say something. So as she reached for another potato, she leaned close to Adena and told her about Lord Caden. Her friend's eyes grew wide and she appeared about to say something, but Erynn shook her head and motioned to Mirella. "I'll tell you the rest later."

  Adena looked disappointed that she had to wait, but eventually she nodded and went back to her work.

  Several strips of peel missed the bucket, but Erynn didn't bother to pick them up. She kept her head down, peeling two more potatoes and starting on a third, when she finally sensed the headservant's presence.

  "How long were you in the throne room before I found you?" Mirella asked.

  Erynn flushed, instantly aware of both the letter tube she had slipped into her apron pocket before entering the kitchen and the fact that everyone in the room was watching her again. "A couple of minutes."

  "I was going to sentence you to a week in the crypt," Mirella said. "But since we need all the help in the kitchen we can get right now, you'll do the dishes instead. All of them. On your own. For the rest of the week. Until every last one is cleaned and dried and put away. Is that understood?"

  "Yes, ma'am," Erynn replied right away — because she knew there was nothing else she could say. Part of her was relieved that she wouldn't be stuck working in the crypt, but the other wasn't exactly looking forward to a week's worth of dishes. Especially with the extra guests. And the upcoming banquet.

  Adena looked up at Mirella, but Erynn shot her a warning glance.

  "You have something to add, Adena?" Mirella asked. "Perhaps you'd like to stay and help your friend? Or have you already caused enough trouble for one day?"

  "No, ma'am," Adena said. She sat up straighter and shifted her attention back to her peeling.

  When Mirella was gone, heading off toward other side of the room to continue her inspection, Erynn dropped her shoulders and sig
hed.

  "One of these days you need to tell her where to go," Adena whispered.

  Erynn knew that would only make things worse, and right now Mirella was the least of her worries. What was she going to do about the letter — and her father's killer — if she was stuck in the kitchen the entire time he was here?

  She finished her potato and tossed it in the bucket. As she reached for another, she raised her head and noticed Marik standing in one of the doorways to the great hall. He appeared surprisingly casual, a mug of ale in his hand, but didn't seem at all interested in dinner preparations. He was staring at her. And just as she realized it, he winked.

  Erynn looked down at her hands. Had he talked to Faris? For a second she couldn't move, wondering if he was going to come over and ask her for the letter — the same one she'd already told Mirella she'd given to Faris. Then she tried to continue peeling, but her fingers wouldn't cooperate.

  "He's watching me," she whispered.

  "Who?" Adena said, glancing up.

  Erynn cringed, not really wanting her to do that. "Marik. Over by the door to the hall."

  "I don't see him."

  Erynn raised her head. Adena was right. Marik was gone.

  "Why's he watching you?" Adena asked. "Because of Lord Caden?"

  "Not exactly," Erynn said. She started peeling again, but still felt rattled. She wanted to tell Adena everything, especially about the letter and what was going on in the falconry, but Mirella was still in the room. "Wait until she's gone. Tell me why you're here instead."

  Adena was quiet, sending more long strips of peel into the bucket. Then she shrugged. "I got into a fight."

  Erynn wasn't surprised, but thought she noticed something different in her friend's voice. "What did they do this time?"

  Adena sent a few more strips of peel into the bucket. "One of them called Jared a traitor. Said he was probably working for the Galians, just like my father."

  Erynn paused and looked over at her friend, but her head was down and her long hair hid her face. She shifted her eyes back to her potato, but couldn't bring herself to resume peeling. Jared's desertion in Galia was still a bit of a sore issue for her, one that she and Adena had argued about before, but she also knew how much her friend missed her brother and was worried about him. "It's not true, Adena. About Jared anyway. I don't think he'd do that."

  "I've heard the rumors about my father, Erynn."

  "And that's all they are. Rumors."

  "But those men in Cold Lake said my father was living at the castle in Ethlon, right? That is what Jared said he heard? Where he said he was going?"

  Erynn started peeling again. "Still doesn't mean Jared's working for them."

  Adena said nothing more and Erynn couldn't think of anything else to say that might make her feel better. So they peeled in silence for a while and when Mirella finally left, Erynn leaned in close again and told her friend everything. From her first visit to the falconry, to her conversation with Faris by the stairs. When she was finished, Adena looked stunned.

  "You have to tell the king," she said. "Let him worry about sending the letter."

  Erynn wasn't so sure. "I'm worried about what Faris said. That Holden might hurt him."

  "It's not your problem, Erynn."

  "Yes, it is. If it wasn't for the king, we'd both be on the streets. Mirella would kick me out of here for sure if something happened to him." Erynn paused. "Your father's not the only one they whisper about, you know. Why else do you think she picks on me so much?"

  "Because she thinks you're his daughter?"

  "Well, I was adopted," Erynn said, well aware that her circumstances could easily be viewed as proof of that ridiculous rumor. "And he did bring me to the castle after my father died. Did choose me to write his letters. I'm barely sixteen. Doesn't that strike you as strange?"

  "Yes, but I know you don't believe it. The king even told you it wasn't true."

  Erynn sent another thick strip of peel flying. "Doesn't matter. Mirella believes it. She was close to Queen Sera. She'd kick me out the first chance she got."

  Adena dropped her potato into the bucket. "Queen Sera died before you were born."

  "Not long before I was born. And that doesn't help, Adena."

  Adena sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Who's to say Holden will do anything?"

  "You don't know him the way I do. He's up to something with the Galians. I'm sure of it."

  "Still not your problem."

  Erynn didn't even want to talk about that any more. "What about Lord Caden? I need you to help me figure out what to do."

  Adena thought about this. Then she smiled and motioned to the cauldrons bubbling with hot stew along the far wall. "Maybe we could slip something in his stew."

  Erynn stared at her. "You're not serious?"

  "You want him dead, don't you?"

  Erynn hesitated. She had wished death upon the man who killed her father from the very moment he struck him down, but had never really thought about doing it herself. She had never even thought she'd see him again. "I guess. I just don't know if I could do something like that."

  "But surely you've thought about it?"

  "I'm not like him, Adena. And neither are you. Besides, he's a Lord of Galia now. The Dragonslayer. If we did something like that and they caught us … they'd kill us, too."

  Adena shrugged. "Just let me know if you change your mind."

  Erynn continued peeling, but her thoughts remained on Lord Caden for a while and what Adena had suggested. Finally she swept them both from her mind and returned her thoughts to the letter and how she was going to get it to Gareth. And then all of a sudden she had the answer. "What about Sheldon Birch?"

  "The old guy from the market? What about him?"

  "He always has falcons with him. And he used to be the King's Falconer. Maybe he could send the letter."

  "Have you seen him with a falcon since that new law was passed?"

  Erynn's shoulders dropped, a sinking feeling in her stomach. "I'm not sure I've seen him at all actually. Not since last winter."

  "Faris did say Marik was killing people for practicing falconry."

  Erynn felt horrible. She had always enjoyed her visits with Sheldon, whenever she was down in the market and he happened to be around, especially since he had once been a close friend of her father's. Holden's new falconry law had sounded absurd when she first heard of it, but the reality of it was now staggering. Still, Sheldon Birch might be the only chance she had. "One of us would have to go down to the village. See if he's around."

  Adena laughed. "Not with the banquet in two days."

  Erynn sighed. She doubted she could get away either, especially after what happened today, but this was important. "Maybe if I left early. Right when the gate's up. I'm not usually expected until breakfast is over."

  "If Mirella catches you she will sentence you to the crypt. As well as the dishes."

  Erynn knew she was right, but didn't see any other choice. A short time later, someone came over to fetch the peeled potatoes and they worked in silence for a while, waiting for the bucket to be returned.

  "Any idea what Holden's up to?" Adena asked when the bucket was back and they were alone again.

  "Wish I knew. Maybe it would help me figure out what to do about Lord Caden."

  "You mean spoil their plans?"

  "Maybe."

  "Doesn't really sound like justice to me."

  "Depends on what those plans are. Faris seems to think it's important, whatever it is. And besides, short of poisoning Lord Caden's stew or somehow getting Gareth back here in two days, there isn't much else we can do."

  Adena was quiet a moment. "You think it's odd that Krystalix shows up the same day Lord Caden does? Just happens to fly over the castle?"

  Erynn glanced at her. "Definitely."