The Vaetra Chronicles: Book 01 - Vaetra Unveiled (12 page)

"You're the boy's mother?" I asked.

"Yes! I'm so sorry, Mister Forester. Where are my manners? I'm Greta Overland, but please call me Greta. My husband is Jergen Overland, and Tam is our son. Tam went out with his friends last night and never came home. He's never done this before."

"Try not to worry, Greta, I'm here to help you find him. And please, call me Jaylan. Calling me 'Mister Forester' will have me looking over my shoulder for my father. So, what about the other boys? Did they make it home last night?"

"Yes. My husband went over to the Wright's home last night, and Tam's friend Alain said they had gotten separated in the forest. They assumed Tam had returned home without them." She dropped her gaze to the floor and frowned.

I could tell she wasn't convinced by the boy Alain's story. "You don't believe him? You think he's lying?"

She looked back up at me, her eyes wide. "I don't know what to believe! Those two boys are so close, I can't believe Alain would come home and leave Tam behind."

"Do you know where they went? Or what they were doing?"

She sighed and shook her head. "No, I don't. My husband was the one to speak with Alain and his father, and I'm afraid he can be a bit...intimidating. Particularly when he's angry, and he was certainly angry. It wouldn't surprise me if Alain said as little as possible. He's probably concerned about getting Tam in trouble."

I lowered my voice. "I don't mean to be insensitive, but I can't help but wonder why you hired Raven Company to deal with a missing boy." I watched her face carefully.

She took a deep breath and blew it out. Then she straightened and looked me in the eye. "My husband has a business to run. He can't waste the day traipsing through the forest looking for a rebellious boy." She bowed her head and mumbled, "Even if that boy is his own son."

"I'm sorry, but I had to ask," I said, and she nodded. "I gather Tam and his father were having a disagreement?"

She snorted. "Don't all teenage boys disagree with their father?" She grimaced and went on with a disapproving tone. "But yes, Tam has this fantasy of becoming an Imperial Guard and traveling the Empire. He has little interest in following in his father's footsteps."

I nodded. "I think I understand. Well, I should probably speak to your husband and then see what I can find out from Alain as soon as possible. I may be able to do a little searching today, but I'm afraid Tam may be spending another night in the forest."

She placed her hand on my arm. "Oh, please don't interrupt my husband. I've already told you what he knows. You can report straight to me." She released me and reached into a pocket of her skirt. "I have your fee right here." She opened a small coin purse, extracted two gold crowns, and held them out to me. When I opened my hand to receive them, she pressed the coins into my palm and closed my fingers around them, holding my hand closed with both of hers.

She looked directly into my eyes, with tears beginning to pool in her own. "Please find Tam. This is very unlike him, even if he was angry with his father. I'm worried that something bad has happened."

I patted the top of her hand with my free one and reassured her. "Try not to think like that. We don't really know anything yet." I nodded over my shoulder at the door. "Tam could walk in at any moment."

She looked down, blinked the moisture from her eyes, and released my hand. "I hope you're right. Well, I suppose I shouldn't keep you. Will you be staying the night in Delta?"

I nodded. "I was hoping to. Can you recommend a place to stay?"

She nodded and pointed north. "Yes, go to the Eagle's Rest just up the road. My friend Penny runs it. Tell her I sent you and that I'll take care of the charges. It's a small boarding house, but you'll be comfortable."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "Thank you. That's very generous."

She waved my thanks aside. "Penny could use the business. If you like it there, perhaps you could spread a good word for her."

I smiled and chuckled at Greta's irrepressible focus on business. I was sure that the success of Overland Mercantile was not all her husband's doing. "It's a deal," I told her.

***

I left Overland Mercantile feeling much better about my finances and a little better about the contract. I learned that Jergen Overland had directed his wife to manage the search for Tam and to keep it quiet. Greta didn't share all of the details with me, but it seemed that her husband didn't want everyone to know just how wide a rift had developed between him and Tam, and he was convinced that Tam had run away, not just gotten lost. The five crown fee made much more sense if I was going to have to pursue the boy across the province. Jergen still hoped to secure the future of his business, and the confidence of his suppliers and customers, by convincing Tam to take over for him one day.

Before I departed, Greta gave me a description of Tam and told me where I could find Tam's friend Alain. The boy's father was the local wainwright, and Alain worked for him.

Patches perked up his ears and gave a soft nicker when I came out of the shop to collect him. He seemed to have recovered from our hasty trip down here. I patted him on the neck and promised a treat later. The wagon shop was just down the street, so I didn't bother riding. Instead, I led Patches down to a stand of trees next to the shop, and I left him there to graze in the shade.

As I approached the big open doors at the side of the shop, sounds of industrious sawing and hammering greeted me. I inhaled deeply, enjoying the smell of freshly cut wood. The shop had plenty of windows to admit as much natural light as possible. Each pane was dimmed somewhat by a thin layer of sawdust. Inside the shop were two wagons, two large work benches, and a collection of metal tools stored along the back wall. One of the wagons was a well-used buckboard that was getting a wheel repaired. The other wagon was being newly built and was still just a frame on stands at this point.

When I stepped up to the doorway, a stout, clean-shaven man looked up from marking measurements on a new wagon frame and nodded toward me. "Afternoon. What can I do for you?" he asked. A thin young man looked up from his work repairing the broken wheel.

I introduced myself to the older man and told him that the Overlands had hired me to find Tam. I asked if I could speak to Alain for a few minutes. He looked over at the younger man, and his son glanced back at him. The man sighed. "Go ahead, but don't take too long. That wheel won't finish itself."

"Yes, sir." Alain set down the hammer he was using and stepped around his workbench. As he came outside, the late afternoon sun lit his shock of unruly, bright red hair and emphasized the freckles on his face and sawdust-sprinkled arms.

Alain wiped his palms on the heavy apron he was wearing and we shook hands. He waited for me to speak first.

"I spoke with Tam's mother a few minutes ago. She couldn't tell me much, and she's very worried. What can you tell me about what happened last night?" I asked him.

Alain chewed his lower lip and glanced back in the shop at his father before responding. "I'm worried too. We always stick together, so I wasn't sure what to think when Tam didn't return to the clearing with us."

I shook my head and held up a hand. "Let's back up a bit. Tell me what happened last night from the beginning."

He nodded and took a deep breath. "Tam, our friend Jess, and I went out into the forest yesterday evening. We explored a few trails and then headed home. We got separated on the way back, but when that happens, we normally just meet up at the clearing where we started. But this time, Tam never showed up. It was getting late, so we couldn't go back and look for him. We left his belongings in the clearing in case he came back after we left."

Alain's recounting sounded rehearsed and a little hollow. I was fairly certain I wasn't getting the whole story. "Why go out into the forest and explore trails at night? How do you see where you're going?"

His green eyes darted around as he answered me, and he glanced back at his father again. "The moon was nearly full last night, and once your eyes adjust, you'd be amazed what you can see. The forest is different at night. It's beautiful."

That part rang true, if somewhat strange. "So, you boys go hiking at night because it's what? Exciting?"

He finally looked me fully in the eyes. "Oh, yes sir. It's like nothing else. Different animals are awake. The scents are different. The moonlight shining down through the trees is...magical."

I raised my eyebrows at his sudden intensity and nodded. "Okay. If you say so."

I looked up at the sky to judge the sun's position. I had maybe three hours remaining before dark. "Do you have any thoughts about why Tam hasn't returned yet?"

Alain furrowed his brow and shook his head. "No, sir. We've gone out into the forest at night several times and this has never happened before. Tam was always careful about getting back before his father would start to wonder where he was."

"Can you tell me where this clearing is? I'd like to see what I can learn before the day is done."

Some of the tension eased out of his stance, and he nodded. He seemed relieved that our interview was almost over. "Head back on the road toward Northshore. Right after you pass the part along the slough, you'll see a road that goes out onto the peninsula. Do you know where I mean?" He paused, and I nodded for him to continue.

"Take that road until it jogs to the right. You'll see a sign there that points the way to Buckwoods Village. Behind the sign is a trail that will take you into the forest and to the clearing. It isn't far. You should be able to look around and get back by dark."

I nodded my understanding of his instructions. "Thanks, Alain. I'll go see what I can learn."

"Good luck, sir. I hope you find him and bring him home." He looked over his shoulder at his father again. "If that's all, I need to get back to work." He held out his hand.

We shook hands again and I smiled at him. "Thanks again for your help." He nodded and went back into the shop.

I walked over to Patches, gathered his reins, and slowly climbed into the saddle, thinking through what I'd discovered. I had never been to Buckwoods before, but the peninsula it was on certainly narrowed down the area I had to search, assuming Tam was still around there somewhere.

I turned Patches onto the main road and headed out of Delta to see what clues might await me out on the peninsula.

S
ulana stared at Talon's back as he led the way up the steep rocky trail. She hated this part. Their horses threaded along the narrow path across an open area created by an old rockslide. She felt like she was perched on the side of the mountain with a looming mass of unstable boulders above her and a hungry cascade of sharp-edged teeth below her. She cringed when her horse kicked a loose stone and sent it skipping and clattering down the face of the jumbled rocks until it disappeared into the trees.

She had to admit the view was spectacular, though. To her right was an incredible vista of trees and mountain peaks for as far as the eye could see. An enormous eagle rode the air currents with hardly a flap, rising in circles higher into the sky. It soared to land on the top of a tall snag where it screeched an echoing cry. Crows flew from tree to tree, cawing at each other and then suddenly swooping over a ridge to the next crease in the mountain.

At least her team was making good time, Sulana thought. They had left Northshore yesterday afternoon after interrogating Raleb, and they had gone as far as they could before nightfall. They made camp in the valley last night, and got up at dawn to head up the trail into the mountains this morning. She expected to reach their destination before nightfall, or at least she hoped they would. These mountains could become unfriendly at night.

Sulana breathed a sigh of relief when the horses left the open scree and entered the trees once again, but she also tensed a little and looked carefully around through the thick trunks that limited her visibility. As they had ascended into the mountains, their journey had become more shadowed by the clouds that gathered around the upper elevations. The clouds were a blessing for their horses as they slogged up the trail, but it made the forest understory seem darker and more sinister.

Daven closed the gap between their horses. "Sulana, you never told us. What does the ring do?" Barek and Talon perked up at his question, and cocked their heads to hear her answer.

She considered his question for a moment. She didn't remember receiving any instructions regarding secrecy among her own team, and these men were all trusted by the Archives. They wouldn't have been sent with her if that weren't the case. As a general rule, information about sorcery was withheld from the mundane, but her team had put their lives on the line for her, and they probably deserved to know why.

Before she could reply, Daven's disappointed voice came from behind her. "Okay, fine. Don't tell us."

"I'll tell you," Sulana chastised. "I was just thinking, that's all."

Talon spoke over his shoulder from his position at the head of the group. "Give her a break, Daven. You know there are some secrets she can't share with us non-sorcerer types."