Zypheria's Call (A Tanyth Fairport Adventure) (9 page)

Amber tapped a fingernail against Tanyth’s cast. “You can bluster all you want, mum. And I know you can’t stay.” She slipped an arm around Tanyth’s shoulders and pressed their cheeks together. “There’ll always be a place for you here, mum,” she whispered.

Tanyth returned the hug as best she could with only one arm and while seated. “Thank you, my dear,” she murmured. “Thank you.” Her throat closed up then and she couldn’t say anything more.

Amber released her grip and sat back, her smile no happier, but a look of understanding on her face. Without another word she stood and headed for the kitchen again.

Before she could reach the door, Frank opened it from the other side and stepped into the common room. His eyes found hers almost immediately and he gave a quick nod.

“You still here, Frank?” Jakey shouted. “I thought you’d be halfway to Foxrun by now.”

“Daylight’s burnin’ right enough, but I’m not leavin’ without a full load.”

With much good natured jeering and cat-calling, Tanyth soon found herself clambering up on the wagon seat, her pack and staff stowed close at hand in the bed of the lorry. She turned to look at the sea of faces smiling up at her, some with tears coursing down suntanned cheeks. She scanned the crowd and smiled back, feeling self-conscious with all the attention. Her free hand tugged at the sling as if to assure her that it was still there.

She twisted around in the seat looking for Frank and found him working his way through the small gathering with William, Amber, Sadie, and Thomas in tow.

Jakey grabbed Frank’s arm and they put their heads together. William stepped up beside the big wheel and leaned over toward her, Amber and Sadie right behind.

“So, you’re ready to go?” he asked. “We haven’t convinced you to stay?”

She shook her head, not trusting herself to speak.

He gave her a wistful looking smile. “I understand, mum. You’re on a strange road, to be sure, but it’s your road to walk, right enough.”

Tanyth felt touched by the understanding look in his eyes. She knew he’d had to make some of those decisions himself when they started the village that would become Ravenwood. It couldn’t have been easy to leave friends and family behind and strike off to carve a life out of wilderness.

He shared a look with his wife before reaching into his pocket and pulling out an envelope. “Here, mum. This is for you.” He held the envelope out to her. A bit of red wax and an ornate seal featuring a sailing ship and a tree sealed the flap.

She took it and saw it was addressed to a “George Pendelton, Esq.” She looked down at him with a question on her lips.

“George is our factor. He’s at the Royal Bank in Kleesport. Frank knows him and can show you the way,” William offered by way of explanation.

“But what is it?” Tanyth asked.

“It’s a draft on the village account, mum. Should be enough to get you a ticket to North Haven with a bit left over for some supplies and such,” he said.

She started to give it back, but Amber reached up and blocked her hand. “No, mum. This is something from the whole village. We all want you to have it.”

“But you can’t—” she started to say.

“Mother Fairport?” William interrupted. “You gave us this.” He spread his arms out to encompass the inn. “You and your visions saved us from Dandy Andy and his gang.”

She started to protest but he cut her off again.

“You did, mum, much as you try to deny it.” His eyes dropped to her chest for a moment before looking back at her face. “You bled for us, mum, and you nearly died protectin’ us. That’s just a bit of something to help you along the road. It’s not a lot and we have it to spare. Please, mum. Take it along with our thanks and the promise that you always got a home here.”

Tanyth looked from face to face, each earnest smile telling her volumes. She looked at the envelope once more and pulled her hand back. “Thank you, all,” she said before her throat closed up again.

William gave a small cough and nodded. “I’ll just go give Frank a hand with the team.” He gave Amber another peck on the cheek before joining Frank and Jakey.

Tanyth looked at the envelope and at the earnest faces peering up at her.

“Please, mum,” Amber said. “Take it. The village can certainly afford it and you’ve given us so much.”

Tanyth tucked the envelope into her tunic. “Thank you,” she said. She swallowed and looked around at all the faces smiling up at her. “All of you.”

Leaving Jakey, Frank walked around the team—up one side and down the other, speaking softly to each animal in turn, giving each a pat on the neck or a smoothing stroke down the croup, checking each buckle and shackle of the harness as he passed.

When he made it all the way around he turned to William. “Looks like we’re ready, bossman.” He stuck out his hand.

William shook it. “Take it easy, ole timer. We need them horses back safe and sound.”

Amber handed Frank a folded pack of paper. “Shoppin’ list. No gingerbread this time,” she said and leaned in to give Frank a peck on the cheek. “Come back safe.”

He smiled and nodded. “I’ll do my best,” he said. He nodded at Tanyth, “She’ll protect me at least on the ride into town.”

Tanyth couldn’t think of anybody who needed less protecting than Frank Crane, but she laughed along with the villagers.

With a heave and grunt, Frank climbed up beside her and took his seat, a foot on the brake lever and gathering the broad leather ribbons that guided the team. He looked to her with a boyish grin. “You finally ready?”

She laughed in spite of the weight in her heart and looked around. “Where’s Rebecca?”

“You mean Robert?” Frank asked, a quizzical expression on his face.

“Robert? No, Re—”

Her words cut off as a figure carved through the small group gathered around the wagon. Rebecca in her full kit strode around the side of the wagon and slung her pack over the low sideboards before vaulting aboard. She stood there, leaning against one of the clay barrels, hip-shot and grinning. Tanyth saw the pommel of a dagger gleaming under the edge of the woman’s vest. A quiver full of arrows hung on her back and she carried a bow slung over her shoulder.

“Robert,” Frank said.

“Robert,” Tanyth repeated.

“’At’s me,” the young woman said, her voice the practiced tenor that shouldn’t have sounded so fitting coming from her mouth.

Frank looked over his shoulder at Rebecca. “Well, boyo, you’re gonna wanna find a seat. We got a few rough patches to get through before we get out on the Pike.”

“Can you use that thing?” Tanyth asked, jerking her chin at the bow peaking over Rebecca’s shoulder.

“Ask him,” Rebecca said, pointing at Thomas.

Tanyth looked to Thomas who nodded. “She’ll do. Make her practice on the way to Kleesport. If she don’t get enough game to feed ya, make her go hungry.” He winked at Rebecca. “Keep your gut dry, and your eye on the target.”

“Anything else?” Frank asked, a smile that carried equal parts understanding, sympathy, and urgency pasted on his face.

“You always this excited to get on the road?” she asked him.

“Only when I’m with you, mum.”

“That eager to be shut of me then?” she asked.

He shook his head. “Get you away from this rabble so’s I can have you to myself,” he said loudly enough that the people in the back of the crowd could hear.

“Hey, I’m still here!” Rebecca said.

“You’ll be huntin’,” Frank said over his shoulder and waggled his eyebrows in Tanyth’s direction. “Now, siddown a’fore ya fall down. We’re rollin’.”

With that, Frank lifted his foot off the brake lever and gave the reins a gentle snap. It was enough to get the lead horse moving and the rest ambled along behind. The team with its heavy wagon eased around the bulk of the inn, crunched across the newly graveled yard and rolled out onto the Pike. A flock of children ran along beside, Riley in the lead waving and shouting, “Goodbye. See ya in a moon. Goodbye.”

Tanyth turned in her seat to watch the village disappear, a small group of adults—William and Amber, Thomas and Sadie among them—waving as the screen of trees blocked her line of sight and they disappeared from view.

She straightened around and looked up at Frank, settling her hat firmly on her head. “Well,” she said.

He glanced down at her with a half smile before turning his attention once more to the backsides of the horses ahead of them. “Yeah,” he said.

“Oh, I can see you two are going to be loads of fun on this trip,” Rebecca said, clambering over the back of the seat to plop down beside Tanyth. She leaned forward and grinned at them both. “How long before we get to Kleesport?”

Frank laughed. “We ain’t there yet. Be a while.”

“How much of a while? Ten days?”

Frank shook his head. “Two weeks, more like.”

Rebecca nodded. “Good.” She sat quietly while the horses clopped along, their heavy hooves sounding hollow in the still morning air.

After a few moments the wagon rolled by a distinctive looking tree beside the road. Tanyth tried to remember why it looked so familiar, until a dark shadow soared silently through the woods and landed on an outstretched branch with a flare of black wings.

“Think she knows?” Rebecca asked, nodding at the bird.

Tanyth stared for a long moment, trying to remember what it was like to see through her own eyes and the bird’s eyes at the same time.

“She knows,” Frank said.

Curious, Tanyth turned to him. “How can you be so sure?”

He smiled down at her. “She’s here.”

The rumbling crunch of wagon wheels filled the gaps between hoof beats as they watched the raven watching them. Long after they’d left the bird behind, Tanyth thought she heard the hoarse
caw-caw-caw
that reminded anything within earshot that she owned those woods.

“Hope Thomas remembers to give her a rabbit now and again,” Tanyth said.

“He will, mum. He will,” Rebecca said, patting Tanyth’s forearm. “He likes her almost as much as you.”

Frank snorted a short laugh but offered no other comment.

As the afternoon sun began sliding down behind the trees, Rebecca sat up in her seat, startling Tanyth out of a sleepy revery. “I don’t know how you two can sit on this hard bench,” she said, shifting back and forth.

“You can always get down and walk,” Frank said. “I do sometimes.”

“Can I?”

“Sure, you can probably walk faster than the horses anyway. Grab your bow and get in a little practice, if you want.”

The surface of the Pike was level enough that she didn’t have any problem clambering into the bed of the wagon. Taking up bow and quiver, she lowered herself from the tailgate, letting the wagon roll away from her while she strung the bow.

“Be careful, Robert,” Frank called.

Rebecca raised a hand and stepped off to the side of the road, vanishing into the undergrowth.

“Will she be all right?” Tanyth asked.

Frank shrugged. “Thomas thinks so and she’s been hunting with him all spring.”

“How do you know he thinks so? He tell ya?”

“Where ya think she got the bow?”

Tanyth looked over her shoulder to the place where “Robert” had disappeared into the woods. “Oh.”

He grinned and sidled closer to her. “Now that I’ve got you alone, old woman...”

She grinned and wrapped her good arm around him, leaning against his comforting warmth.

“Can’t leave you two alone for a minute, can I?” Rebecca said, stepping out of the bushes just ahead of them. As the wagon rolled by, she tossed a spring-mottled hare over the side of the wagon. “How hungry are you?”

Frank eyed the hare. “That’s enough for me. What’ll you eat?”

Rebecca grinned and disappeared back into the woods.

“This was a good idea,” Tanyth said.

Frank cuddled a bit closer. “Yes, I think so, too.”

She blew a small laugh through her nose and hugged him back. “Yeah, but I was talkin’ about her.” She jerked her chin at the woods. “She’s been huntin’ with Thomas?”

Frank’s eyes followed her gaze and he nodded. “After Birchwood, Willam and Thomas thought it be a good idea to have another archer or two trained. Thomas asked a couple of the boys in Jakey’s crew but they couldn’t spend the time. She heard about it and talked Thomas into teachin’ her. Took to it right sharply. Even made Thomas give her some exercises to build up her arms so she can hold the draw.”

Tanyth sighed, “And now she’s leavin’ the village to go with me?”

“She’s never really been at home in the village, I think.”

“She seemed to fit in well enough.”

Frank shrugged. “Mebbe. I’m just an old fool myself, so what do I know.”

She hugged him again. “You’re the smartest old fool, I know.”

He looked down at her, pulling away slightly to get a good look. “How many old fools do you know?” The mock seriousness on his face made her giggle.

“Well, not that many. Mostly just me—besides you, that is.”

He resettled beside her. “Beside me is just where you belong, I think.”

The noises of horses hooves and iron-shod wheels on gravel hid the sound of his sigh, but Tanyth felt his frame expand and collapse. She closed her eyes and nuzzled his shoulder, drinking in the musky scent of him, the texture of his sleeve against her cheek. She wanted to remember him on the cold, lonely nights that lay ahead.