CHAPTER ONE

There was a definite taste of spring in the air, for all that the wind off the ocean was still brittle-cold. Owyn stepped down off the front stoop and shoved his hands into his coat pockets, heading toward the center of Terraces and the healing complex. He needed gloves, he reminded himself. He should really stop by the dispensary. He made a mental note, and then promptly forgot all about gloves as he started to review his running checklist.

Finish the assessment of which houses had been too badly damaged by the winter storms to be immediately habitable. That should be finished today.

Determine which of those houses could be repaired, and which needed to be demolished. He’d told Jehan that he could have that report ready within a week of finishing the assessment. So far, he expected to be on time.

Arrange repairs on those houses that could be finished first. He needed to work with Marik on that — he had a better idea of who could do what in Terraces.

Seal off the houses that were going to be demolished. See what could be salvaged from them. That needed to wait for spring and warmer weather, he thought. So did the repairs. But having a list of which to do first would be a good thing.

Convince Aria that she was wrong. An ongoing project, and one with no end in sight.

Find Aven. Another ongoing project.

Overthrow Mannon and see Aria on the throne as Firstborn. Tabled until he finished the last two.

He sighed and hunched down into his coat as a cold wind trailed down the back of his neck. It had never gotten this cold in Forge. He’d never seen snow like they’d had this past winter. Or storms, for that matter — one right after the other, with no respite to repair damage or bring in supplies. There were still a lot of people living in the shelter caverns beneath the healing complex because their homes weren’t safe. And they’d stay there until he finished his job. Which meant that he needed to get to work.

He sighed again, his breath billowing and reminding him of the smoke in the vents where he’d learned to dance. Reminding him of Memfis, who was Mother only knew where. Still alive, Owyn thought. He hoped. He looked up at the icy-blue sky and thought of spring. Spring meant that Aven and Del would be coming back soon. They were only supposed to have been gone for a season. So they were coming back soon.

They had to be coming back soon. The houses in Terraces weren’t the only thing falling apart. He turned at the marker and headed for the healing complex. They’d changed houses after Aven and Del had left — Aria couldn’t stay in Fourteen Southwest, not without having screaming nightmares. And she’d refused Owyn’s offers to hold her while she slept, the way he had on their first night in Fourteen. So he’d arranged with Jehan and Rhexa for them to move. They lived now in a slightly larger house that faced Rhexa’s own, on the first ring of the Northwest spoke. It was closer to the healing complex, which was convenient for Treesi and Alanar. Aria had insisted that her Earth had to live under the same roof with her, and since Treesi was no longer a student, she could live where she liked. But she’d refused to let Alanar live alone, and had dug in her heels until Aria had invited the other healer to join them. Privately, Owyn was glad of it — he shared a room with them, and they listened to him when he vented his frustrations at how things were falling apart.

Rhexa listened, too, and offered advice. Aria had been hurt, and was trying to protect herself so that she wouldn’t be hurt again. Owyn needed to give her time. Which he understood — he’d been there. He knew what Rhexa meant. He could give his Heir the time she needed. He could give her the support she needed. He could give her any damn thing that she needed...provided that she let him. Which she wasn’t doing. She wouldn’t talk to him, wouldn’t listen to him. She hadn’t spent any time with him since the Turning, when they’d welcomed the new year with gifts. She’d made him this coat, and he loved it. He thought it meant that she’d forgiven him for letting Aven go. But since then, the coat had been the warmest thing he had from Aria. Lately, she wouldn’t do more than say good morning to him when he came into the kitchen, and she would leave immediately after.

She was making it very clear that she didn’t want to be around him, and didn’t know how to tell him to go. Not that she really could. He was her Fire, after all.

Things were falling apart, and he was seriously starting to doubt that he’d ever see the last item on his list finished. Not that he’d tell anyone that. He wouldn’t even say that out loud to Trinket. Saying things out loud made them real. If he didn’t say it, it wasn’t real. And if it wasn’t real, it was safe to keep trusting Aria. To keep loving her. Because she wasn’t going to leave him the way everyone else had.

He swallowed and looked up. Right at this moment, he wasn’t sure where Aria even was. She hadn’t been in the house when he’d gotten up, which was unusual — he got up early to make sure everyone else ate before they went off to their duties. But when he’d gone to see if he could make breakfast for her, her room had been empty. She might be with Jehan or Rhexa. Probably. There was just so much to do! He headed into the healing complex and waved to the assistant at the front desk.

“Morning, Malani,” he called, keeping his voice low. “Where is everyone this morning?”

“Senior Healer is in his office, and I believe the Heir is with him. Healers Treesi and Alanar are on their morning rounds.” Malani looked past him and smiled. “And Administrator Rhexa is standing behind you.”

Owyn turned and smiled as Rhexa stepped forward, her arms open. He was still getting used to being hugged multiple times a day, but it was a good thing to get used to. She stepped back and studied his face.

“You’re not sleeping,” she pronounced. “I can see it in your eyes.”

“Too much to do, Auntie,” Owyn answered. Too much worrying to do was closer to the truth, but he wasn’t going to say it. She nodded.

“I understand. How is the assessment going?”

“I should be done today,” Owyn answered. “Assuming it doesn’t snow again.”

“I hope it’s done,” Rhexa said. “I think we’re finally past that point. I hope. Except for late snow. If it’s very windy at night, it comes in off the water. But that sort of snow doesn’t tend to stick.” She snorted. “I think you have to be born here to understand the weather.”

“And even when you are, every winter is a surprise,” Malani added with a giggle. “This year has been pretty awful, though. But spring is coming.”

“Yeah. It is. And I have a lot of work to do before it gets here. So I need to run.” On a whim, Owyn leaned over and kissed Rhexa’s cheek. At least someone was happy to see him in the morning. “I’ll see you later, Auntie,” he said.

“Come for supper,” she called after him as he hurried away. He waved to show that he’d heard, then turned the corner and headed toward Jehan’s office. It was more central than the offices that Rhexa and Risha had kept — Jehan said that the Senior Healer needed to be accessible to everyone, at any time. So his offices were right off the entryway of the healing complex, just around a corner. As Owyn reached the door, he realized that Malani had said that Aria was with Jehan. So he did something he hadn’t done since he’d left Forge — he stopped outside the door and listened.

“I can’t convince you otherwise?” Jehan asked in a gently voice.

“No,” Aria answered. “I’ve made up my mind.”

“At least tell him.”

“You know what his answer will be. I cannot.”

Owyn swallowed, suddenly sorry that he’d listened. He knocked on the door and waited until he heard Jehan call, “Come in!”

He opened the door and looked in. “I’m not interrupting, am I?” he asked. “Malani said Aria was here.” He smiled when he saw her sitting in one of the chairs that sat in front of Jehan’s desk. “I was wondering where you were. You weren’t there when I came to see what you wanted to eat this morning.”

She looked up at him, but didn’t smile. She looked impossibly sad, and he was torn between the need to hold her, and the desperate urge to scream at her until she told him the truth. “I was up before the sun,” she said. “I needed to fly this morning. Then I came here.”

“Then you haven’t eaten?” Owyn asked. “We can go back. I can cook something for you. We have that cheese you like.” He hated that it sounded as if he was begging, but he knew that he really was. He knew that what he was really saying was “Let me back in. Let me take care of you. Love me again.”

If she understood that, she gave no sign, shaking her head. “No, thank you,” she replied. “I really am not hungry.”

“Aria, you’re not eating,” Owyn pressed. “I’m not entirely sure you’re sleeping, either. You never sit down with us. You never talk to me anymore.” He forced the words out. “I’m worried about you.” He looked down, shoving his shaking hands into his coat pockets. “About us. About everything.”

He heard her get up, but didn’t look up. He couldn’t look up. He hadn’t meant to say anything. Saying it made it real. Now...well, it had been real before. But now he’d said it. Now it was really real.

“Owyn.”

She was standing in front of him. He could see her boots, her legs, and the bottom of the long coat that she’d made for herself. He couldn’t look higher, and shuddered at the touch of her cold hands on his cheeks. She raised his face, met his eyes, then kissed him gently enough that he wanted to cry.

“Owyn,” she whispered his name. “I’m sorry. I’ve been horrible to you.”

“You needed time—” Owyn stammered. She kissed him again, silencing him.

“This is something different. And I will explain. But not now. I ask that you trust me.”

He looked at her golden ember eyes and nodded. “I trust you. Just…”

“Please.”

He swallowed, not moving as she moved past him and out of the office. The door closed, and he closed his eyes and shook his head.

“I…”

“Sit down, Owyn,” Jehan said softly.

Owyn shook his head. “I...no, I’m not going to be long. I...I’ll have that assessment done for you tomorrow. That all right?”

Jehan nodded. “That’s fine. But I thought you’d have it done today. That’s what you told me yesterday.”

Owyn nodded. He took his hands out of his pockets and rubbed them up and down on the quilted cloth covering his chest. “I...I need to take a ride. I’ll be back in a few hours. So I might have it done today. But more likely tomorrow.”

Jehan frowned slightly. “You’re going out to Serenity Bay to see Danzi?” When Owyn nodded, he sighed. “I was wondering when you’d go again. It’s getting on to being spring. He’ll be coming back soon.”

“He needs to come back now,” Owyn blurted. “Before everything falls apart!”

Jehan closed his eyes. He licked his lips. Then he nodded. “Don’t be long,” he said. “The weather can change in a minute at this time of year. I don’t want you caught unprepared.”

“I’ll be careful,” Owyn said. “Jehan? He is coming back, isn’t he?”

Jehan didn’t answer.

***

Before he left, Owyn needed to talk to Treesi. Which meant finding Treesi — the assistants pointed him in the right directions, but all of them were one or two steps behind her, until at last Owyn bumped into her as she was coming out of a ward room. She brightened immediately when she saw him. Until she looked at him more closely. Then her eyes widened, and she grabbed his arm and dragged him into an empty room.

“What’s wrong?” she demanded.

“I’m going up the coast,” he answered, not answering the question she asked. “I’ll be gone a few hours. I wanted you to know.”

She frowned. “Something happened?” she asked. “Owyn, tell me what’s going on, or I’ll put you to sleep and tie you to the bed.”

“Save that for later, and do it in reverse,” Owyn answered automatically. The mock-threat and response had become almost rote, and it usually made them both giggle. This time, though, there was no laughter. “Treesi, we’re losing it. We’re losing everything. I can’t get through to her, and I don’t know what to do!”

“Her. You mean Aria,” Treesi said. “Owyn, you talked to her?”

“Just now, yeah,” Owyn answered. He ran his fingers through his hair and winced when he hit knots. “Well, a little while ago. Before I came looking for you. She was with Jehan when I got here. I offered to cook for her, because she hasn’t eaten yet today. And...yeah, I told her I was worried about her. And about us.”

“What did she say?” Treesi asked.

“She asked me to trust her.” Owyn looked at Treesi, then turned away to look out the window. “And I do. I do trust her. But...Trees, she’s closed me out, and I can’t...I don’t know what else to do!”

Treesi came up behind him and wrapped her arms around him. “Owyn, I wish I could be more help. I feel like I’m not helping at all.”

“She talks to you, though,” Owyn said. He turned in Treesi’s arms and put his arms around her. “She talks to you. So maybe it’s just that she can’t talk to men?” He frowned. “Or she’s still mad at me. I thought we got past that.”

“She’s not mad at you,” Treesi insisted. “She was hurt when she found out. But she’s not mad. I don’t think she ever was.”

“Easy for you to say. She didn’t throw things at you.” Or stop talking — it had been weeks before Aria had spoken a word to Owyn after she found out that he’d been there when Aven and Del had left for the Water tribe. What had finally broken the silence was Owyn’s gift to her for the Turning — a rose made from finely worked iron. Owyn had traded his labor at one of the forges in Terraces for the materials and the time to make it, and it had been worth the early mornings and the late nights to see the look on Aria’s face. She’d cried on him after, and apologized. It should have been over. But it wasn’t. It still felt as if nothing would ever be the way it had been.

However, Aria kept the rose on her dressing table, in a vase that sat in the circle of the cord of Aven’s water gem. Also in the vase was the gray pearl that Aven had left behind, the one that he’d told Owyn he meant to give to Aria the morning after their first night together.

Treesi sighed and rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. “Owyn, I understand. I do. You show people you love them by taking care of them. And she won’t let you. But that doesn’t mean she doesn't love you.”

“I do what?” Owyn asked. She giggled.

“You take care of us. You fuss at us to eat, and you make sure we sleep, and you keep the house in order. You make sure that Alanar has the lozenges that he likes when he gets a cough, and you make me the tea that I like when I have to be up late reading.” She kissed him gently. “And we’re not even going to mention the bread.”

“I like making bread,” he protested.

“You do it every morning, no matter how late you’ve been up the night before. You’re always up with the sunrise, so we have fresh bread for breakfast.” Treesi met his eyes. “Owyn, you show us how much you love us by taking care of us. And it’s killing you that Aria won’t let you do for her.”

Owyn took a deep breath and blew it out. “I’m going up the coast. I want to see if the Water tribe traders have started coming in. Marik said they’d come in the spring. It’s spring, mostly. I need to see if I can get a message out to Aven.” He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against Treesi’s. “I...I can’t fix this. I think I might be making it worse. But maybe I’m not supposed to fix it. I’m not the Heart. Aven is. He can fix it. We can all be the way we were before. But he has to come back.”

She sighed and kissed him again, then stepped back, out of his arms. “I’ll walk with you to the stables.”

“No, Trees,” Owyn said. “Not that I wouldn’t mind the company, but you have work to do. Go on, tell Alanar where I am, and that he’s not to worry about me. I’ll be back by the evening meal. Auntie Rhexa says to come for dinner.”

“I’ll walk you to the door, anyway,” Treesi said. She took his hand, lacing their fingers together. “Owyn, be careful out there.”

“I’ll be careful.”

“Take your whip chain.”

“Yes, Treesi,” he said with a laugh. “You take care of me just as much as I take care of you.”

“And for the same reason.” She squeezed his fingers. “I love you.”

They stopped in the entryway, and she stepped into his arms again. “It’ll be all right, Owyn,” she said into his ear. “You’ll see. We’ll be fine.”

He nodded. “Keep telling me that, love. I need to hear it. I need to hear it until I believe it.”

She shifted and cupped his face with one hand, kissing him deeply. “It will be all right,” she repeated. “We’ll be fine.” She grinned and kissed his nose. “Now go, before it gets so late you’re coming back in the dark.”

CHAPTER TWO

Owyn still wasn’t used to coming and going in Terraces. Leaving meant that he had to find a tunnel guide to take him through to the stables and then out. Thankfully, the first tunnel guide he found was Marik.

“Going to visit my ma?” Marik asked, smiling at Owyn. He pushed off from the wall where he’d been leaning and looked up. “The swallows say the winds are good. Warm up high. So it’ll be a nice ride. Mind if I tag along?”

“Mind? Never,” Owyn said, and meant it. He honestly liked Marik and enjoyed spending time with him. They started walking, with Marik taking the lead through the tunnels. Owyn stayed on Marik’s right — despite Pirit and Jehan’s best efforts to save it, Marik’s left eye had been too badly damaged in Teva’s murderous attack. He was still getting used to it to the loss, and the patch that he now wore.

“You’re going to check and see if he’s coming back yet?” Marik asked. “The winds have changed. It should be soon.”

“Keep saying that, will you?” Owyn said. “Maybe it’ll come true. Because Jehan won’t answer me straight when I ask him.”

Marik took a deep breath, and slipped his hands into his pockets. “He’ll come back. He can’t stay away. He’s drawn to her like a magnet draws a compass needle.”

Owyn snorted. “I like that. It’s accurate.”

“That being said, she’s being a bit of a bitch,” Marik continued.

“Hey!”

Marik shrugged. “She’s my Heir. I do care for her. But she’s treating you and Trees like dirt, and she’s done worse than that to her Water.” He turned to look at Owyn. “You told me you liked it when I was honest with you.”

Owyn scowled. “I just...wouldn’t have called her that. She’s been through a lot—”

“We’ve all been through a lot. We’ve got a lot more to go before she takes the throne.” Marik shook his head. “She’ll get there, if she stops reacting and starts thinking again.” He turned to Owyn again. “Uncle Jehan says she’s a little spoiled. She’s used to getting her own way. He told me about how they convinced her to learn to swim.”

“She hasn’t told me that story,” Owyn said. “Neither did Aven.”

“Aven threw her into deep water,” Marik said. “And then had to save her when she panicked. He broke his own change cycle in doing it, and Uncle Jehan had to put him into trance because he was in pain.”

Owyn stopped short. “You’re telling me that Aven did to himself the same thing that Risha did? And it was Aria’s fault?”

“Not quite what Risha did,” Marik answered. “He hadn’t finished changing from land to sea, and reversing it in the middle is painful. At least, Uncle Jehan says it is.” He shrugged again, and started walking; Owyn hurried to catch up. “But what happened after is that Aria was so contrite over hurting Aven that she did exactly what they needed her to do. So…”

“So if she finally sees how badly she’s hurting the people she loves, then she’ll start thinking again?” Owyn asked. “And here I was thinking that yelling at her would be a bad thing.”

Marik laughed, the sound echoing off the tunnel walls. “I don’t think yelling will do it,” he answered. “I think it’s going to take a long, hard conversation.”

Owyn nodded. “I...yeah, she has been avoiding me. Maybe that’s why. All right. I’ll sit her down when I get back. Tell her everything.”

“If you need help keeping her in one place, I can be there,” Marik offered. Owyn shook his head.

“I think this needs to be the Heir and her Companions. Me, Treesi and Aria. But thank you.” He looked around. “We’re almost there, right?”

“I’ll make a tunnel guide out of you yet.”

They reached the stables, and had to wait while horses were saddled for them. Owyn laughed when he saw his horse. “Freckles!” he called, and took the reins from the groom. He let the horse sniff him, then scratched Freckles’ forehead. “They treating you nice, yeah?”

“He eats his head off,” the groom says. “And doesn’t like to be saddled. He’ll work on a lunge, though, if he feels like it. And if there’s an apple in it for him.”

“Really?” Owyn clicked his tongue at the horse, watching Freckles’ ear flick toward him. “Hey, behave yourself. And no fussing at the grooms. They’re taking care of you.”

“I think he misses you is the problem,” the groom said. “Right, old man?” He slapped the horse on the shoulder. “He wants his man.”

Owyn grinned. “Well, we’ll have a good long run today, on the way back. What do you say?” He stepped to the side and swung up onto Freckles’ back, following as Marik led the way on his own horse, a big gelding named Hurricane. They made their way through the tunnels and out into the sunlight.

“You said something about wanting a run?” Marik called.

“On the way back,” Owyn called back. “I don’t want him to strain himself on the way there.”

“Fair.”

They rode in silence for a while, then Owyn drew Freckles up next to Hurricane. “Marik, do you really think he’s coming back? Really? You’re not just saying it to make me feel better?”

Marik looked over at Owyn. “You know him better than I do, for all that I’m related to him. Yes, I think he’s coming back. You don’t?”

“I don’t know,” Owyn said. “I really don’t. I...it broke him, I think. What happened, and then having Aria turn on him like that. It broke him. I don’t know if he’ll come back because I don’t know if he can.” He looked down at the reins in his hands. “He promised he’d be with me. With us. We promised each other, the three of us. And...she broke the promise.”

“And now you feel like you’re bailing a leaky boat.”

“And my pail has a hole in it,” Owyn added.

Marik grimaced. “Owyn, I can only tell you what I know. And from what I know of Aven, he’ll be back. He just needs time to heal. The same way Aria needs time to heal. And when he comes back, that might be the thump that she needs to start thinking again.” Marik shrugged. “Which is why I’m coming with you. He needs to get back here before she does something really stupid and alienates the entire tribe.”

“You don’t think she will, do you?” Owyn asked. “I mean...what would she have to do?”

“Not a lot, to be honest. Aria is walking on eggshells already, especially outside of Terraces where people don’t know her, they just know that the Heir has wings. The word is getting out about her, now that we’re not locked down. When I went for supplies the last time, they were talking about her down south in Cliffside. Mostly good, but there are still people out in the tribal lands that think that Air folk aren’t human. Risha set those seeds in Terraces. And you’ve seen the results. It’s like a strangle vine. You can pull it, but it keeps coming back.”

Owyn let the thoughts churn around in his head for a while as they rode. They were just coming over the last ridge before the long trail down the sea and the village when he spoke again, “I’ll talk to her when I get back. And...here’s hoping we’ll have some good news when we get to the village.”

***

There was a certain rhythm to how things worked in an Earth village — even in a blended village like Serenity Bay. If you were there for reasons other than market day, you arrived, and were greeted by the highest ranking person — in this case, Marik’s mother, Danzi. They welcomed you to the village, and you sat down with them for a welcome drink, usually a pot of tea. If the weather was fine, you sat outside, where everyone could see you. If the weather was foul, you sat in the visitor’s hut, which had large, wide windows so that everyone could see you. While the water was coming to a boil, you discussed the weather, the state of crops or the height of the snow. While the tea was steeping, you discussed the advent of whatever season was next to come, and tallied births, deaths, and marriages. And when the tea was finally poured into cups the size of your average thimble, you made polite, nonsensical small talk until the pot was empty.

It was enough to drive Owyn to distraction. It was nothing like the way things were done in Forge, where you made decisions and agreements in the forge and sealed them on the Master Smith’s anvil. Usually, he could contain his impatience long enough to at least enjoy the tea, but this time? As Danzi set the kettle over the flame, he cleared his throat.

“Could we...maybe not do the whole ritual today?” he asked. “It’s…I don’t know if I can sit still that long.”

Danzi smiled. “I can tell. The kettle isn’t the only thing coming to a boil.” She took a seat across from him at the table. “What troubles you, Owyn?”

He took a deep breath, and the words came out in a rush, “Have you had any news? Any word from the deep water?”

Danzi folded her hands on the table. “Traders with gossip. Nothing more than sea foam, as my man would have put it. There’s word of an army being raised on the waves. A war leader. But nothing that I can point to and say that this is certain. And I haven’t heard anything that speaks of my nephew by name.” She frowned. “I did hear that there was a canoe of Arana’s line beached further up the coast. There’s another village. Shadow Cove. It’s about three hours ride north along the coast. Less than that by canoe, but I seem to remember you don’t go by water?”

Owyn shook his head. “No, I don’t. Three hours?” He’d have to overnight there, or come back in the dark. But if there was someone there from Aven’s family canoe, someone who might have more news. Who could carry a message…

“You’re going, aren’t you?” Danzi asked. “I’ll have something put together for you for the road.”

“And tell Marik to go back. I’ll go alone,” Owyn said, still ordering his thoughts. “I don’t want to worry them. I won’t be able to make it there and back before dark. I’ll have to stay the night.”

“I’ll send a letter of introduction with you,” Danzi said. “I’ll put it together now, so you can get underway. And I’ll tell Marik to bring the message back. Do you want to leave a message with the traders that are here?”

“Yes, please,” Owyn said. He looked up and smiled. “Thank you.”

Danzi led him out of the visitor’s hut and down to the shore, where there were several canoes, and a number of very large men. One of them glanced over, saw Danzi, and came toward them. He bowed slightly.

“Mother Danzi, we should be ready to sail with the tide. Thank you for your custom.”

Danzi bowed her head slightly. “I’ve one more thing to ask you, Huri. To carry messages.” She gestured to Owyn. “This is Owyn Fireborn, Companion to the Heir. He seeks to get a message to a son of Arana’s canoe.”

Something flickered in Huri’s eyes. “To whom?” he asked.

“Aven, son of Aleia,” Owyn answered. “If you’d be kind enough?”

“If I can, yes,” Huri said. “What message?”

“That he needs to return to the Heir. We miss him, and we need him back. Stress the word ‘need,’ please, when you tell him? Maybe grab him and shake him?” He mimed shaking someone. “We need you back!” he said, and looked at Huri. “Like that?”

Huri grinned. “I’ll do what I can. Mind if I don’t shake him, though? If it’s the Aven I’ve heard of, he’ll put me on my tail.”

“You’ve heard of him?” Owyn gasped. He looked at Danzi, who shook her head. “What have you heard?” he asked.

“Hunter. Warrior. Navigator. Right hand of the War Leader. Short temper,” Huri answered. “If I can reach him, I’ll tell him. But I won’t shake him. I like living.”

“If you’ve heard of him, then have you heard of Del, too?” Owyn asked.

Huri smiled. “Him, I’ve met. Del the Silent. Very canny trader.”

Owyn grinned. “Really? I wouldn’t have thought it of him. Well, tell him he needs to come back, too.”

Huri nodded. “I’ll pass the message on, Fireborn. As soon as I reach their waters.”

Owyn offered his hand, and clasped the trader’s wrist the way Marik had shown him. “I appreciate it. Can I do anything for you in return?”

Huri looked thoughtful for a moment, then shook his head. “If it’s for the Heir, then there’s nothing more I need. War Leader says we follow the Heir.” He grinned. “We don’t argue with the War Leader.”

“Sounds like it might be painful if you tried,” Owyn agreed. He let go of Huri’s hand and looked at Danzi. “Thank you. Now, three hours north, you said?”

“Follow the coast road. Your supplies should be ready by now.”

Owyn smiled. “Thank you.” He headed back up toward where the horses were being tended to. Halfway there, Marik caught up with him.

“Three hours north?” Marik asked. “Why?”

“Because your mother said there was a canoe from Aven’s family beached up in Shadow Cove.”

“So you’re going off to Smugglers Cove,” Marik asked. “Just like that?”

Owyn stopped and turned to face him. “She said it was Shadow Cove.”

“Shadow Cove is what’s on the map. Smugglers Cove is what we call it,” Marik said. “And that’s because that’s what it’s been for years. So if there’s someone from Arana’s canoe there, then there’s definitely something wrong. You’re not going alone.”

Owyn shook his head. “You’re going back to Terraces. Someone needs to tell them where I’ve gone.”

“We can both go back, and go to Smugglers Cove tomorrow. We’ll be able to be better prepared—”

“And they might sail on tomorrow morning’s tide, and I’ll have missed the chance,” Owyn said. “No, I need to go now. I’ll be fine, Marik. But you need to go back so that Treesi and Alanar don’t worry about me.”

Marik frowned. “Not Aria?”

“Marik, I’m not sure she notices when I’m there. I don’t think she’ll notice if I’m gone.”

Marik’s jaw dropped. “She loves you, Owyn. She’s just...mixed up.”

“And that’s why I need to go. So I have some chance of unmixing her before it’s too late!” Owyn dragged his fingers through his hair. “I need to go. I’ve got my whip chain. I’ll be fine. And if I don’t come back by tomorrow night, then you can come looking for me.”

“Because a trail that’s two days cold is so easy to track,” Marik grumbled. He rolled his eyes. “Fine. Be careful.”

“I’ll be careful,” Owyn assured him. “Remember, I grew up on the streets. I can handle myself.”

Marik snorted. “There are no streets here, Owyn.”

“You know what I mean!”

“And I know you’ve gotten the shit kicked out of you, so be careful!” Marik shook his head, then squeezed Owyn’s shoulder. “If something happens to you, Alanar will take me apart. You know that, right?”

Owyn grinned. “You’re scared of Alanar?”

Marik looked confused. Then he nodded. “You haven’t seen him really angry yet, have you? He’s got the most patience of anyone in Terraces. Until he snaps. Yes, I’m scared of Alanar. If he wants to hurt you, you will know exactly what hurting really means.”

Owyn blinked, completely taken aback. “We...we are talking about the same Alanar, right? He gets that angry?”

“It takes him a while, but yes,” Marik said. “Teva used to tease him, back when we were all young. Alanar put up with a lot until Teva went too far. He set up a prank. If it had worked, Alanar would have gotten a bucket of muddy water dumped on him. But it got cold and the water froze, and Malani triggered it. She ended up in the healing complex with a broken skull. Alanar found out and got mad, and Teva learned the hard way that it’s not a good idea to rile up a healer.” Marik folded his arms over his chest. “Owyn, he broke both of Teva’s arms. Just by touching him.”

“What?” Owyn gasped. “He didn’t!”

Marik nodded. “He did. He got into so much trouble with Gran. He said he’d do it again, too, if Teva ever tried something like that again.” He frowned. “I don’t think I could even imagine what Alanar would do if he ever got his hands on Teva now.”

Owyn’s eyes widened. “I...fuck. That’s a scary thought. I’ve seen a lot, and I have no idea what he’d do. I can’t even imagine what he’d do. That’s scary.”

Marik grinned. “Isn’t it, though? In a good way. I don’t have any clue what Alanar would do, but I’d love to find out.” He shook his head. “But for now, I’ll carry the message back. You go see what you can find out.”

Owyn nodded. He held his hand out to Marik, and pulled the taller man in for a quick embrace. “You be safe,” he said as he stepped back.

“You, too,” Marik said. “Now go on. The sooner you get there, the sooner you’ll be back.”

CHAPTER THREE

It had been a long time since Owyn had last had three hours alone and silent. Working with Rhexa meant that he was meeting with people all day, and in the evenings, well...any house with Treesi in it was rarely quiet for very long. He hadn’t been alone with his thoughts since…

Since they first got to Terraces. Since he’d left the house after arguing with Memfis. Since the last time he’d seen his father in the flesh.

Memfis was alive. He was certain of that. He wasn’t sure where, but he was sure that Memfis was alive. Maybe he should add that to his list — find Memfis. It was a good idea, but he also wasn’t sure of what would happen after he found Memfis. He wasn’t sure if anything would be the same anymore. No matter how much he wanted it to be.

“Maybe it won’t change too much,” he said to Freckles, watching the horse’s ears pivot toward him. “He’ll grovel. I’m pretty sure he’ll grovel. And...yeah, I’ll forgive him. But it’ll be weird after. Because I’ll forgive him, but it’s not like I can forget what he said.” He scowled down at his hands, then looked up. No one on the road. Nothing but snow and gravel and birds overhead. “He needs to explain. That’s what I need. I mean, Rhexa’s ideas about him being afraid he was going to start drinking again make sense, but I need to hear it from him.”

Freckles sneezed and shook his head, and Owyn grinned.

“Yeah, I’ll deal with that when we find him,” he said. “I’ve got bigger worries to deal with right now. I really don’t know what to do about Aria.” He fell silent, listening to the birdsong and the sound of the wind whistling through the cliffs. “I love her, Freckles, but I don’t know how she feels anymore. I thought she loved me.” When was the last time she’d told him that she loved him? He wasn’t even sure anymore.

Had she ever, really? Or was it just that the Mother was pushing them together because there was no time?

“You know,” he said to the sky. “If that was your plan, it failed miserably. We’re not together anymore. We’re not doing anything anymore. We’re falling apart. We’re supposed to be a whole. We’re not. And we won’t be until we have Aven and Del back, and until Aria changes her mind. So maybe you can help me out? I’m trying my best here, but nothing makes sense.” He sighed. He’d danced, but his visions had been jumbled, as clear as mud. “I know my best probably isn’t much,” he continued. “But that's all I’ve got.” He looked down at his hands, wondered if he should say anything else. If he’d said too much. If things were already too far gone.

No, there had to be something. There had to be something else he could do, something he hadn’t tried. Something none of them had tried. Or maybe, something that someone else could try.

It all came back to the fact that the Companion bond had been shattered. And...who else could reforge it but a smith? He just needed all the pieces.

“Think we can go a little faster, Freckles?” he asked. The horse snorted, and picked up his pace.

***

Treesi looked up from her charting to see Aria in the door. She smiled. “I’m almost done. Come in and sit down.”

Aria nodded and came into the charting room, taking the chair where Alanar usually sat. Alanar was currently in a conference with Pirit, and had told Treesi to go on ahead and get her charting started.

Treesi looked down at her paperwork, carefully wrote out the last few lines, then closed the folder and put it into her bin for the Senior Healer to review. She cleaned her pen, set it aside and corked her inkwell. Only then did she look across at her Heir. Aria had lost weight. That wasn’t good, given everything. She looked pale, and there was something strange about her wings.

“Aria, are you losing feathers?” Treesi asked softly. She glanced at the door, then concentrated. No, there was no one within earshot. Good. “Is that...normal?”

Aria shook her head. “No. And yes.”

“It’s not normal to lose feathers, but it is normal?” Treesi frowned. “I don’t understand.”

Aria met her eyes, then looked away. “I am not losing feathers. I...I’ve been preening too much.”

Treesi’s eyes widened as she remembered something Marik had told her once about birds when they were under too much stress. “You’re not pulling out your own feathers? Aria!”

Aria looked down, and her voice was quiet. “Treesi, I...I need to go.”

Treesi got up, came around the table and knelt down next to Aria. “Go? Go where?”

“I need to leave,” Aria whispered. “And...I need for you to come with me.”

“What? Leave?” Treesi gasped. “And go where?”

Aria turned in her chair and took Treesi’s hands. “We’re going to Forge. To my grandmother. I need to be someplace where I can think. I...I can’t do it here. I need to be away. I spoke to Jehan. He doesn’t like it, but he won’t stop me. And I need you to come with me because I need someone who I can trust.”

“Are we all going?” Treesi asked. “You, me and Owyn?” Aria lowered her eyes. It answered Treesi’s question more clearly than words. “You’re leaving him behind? Aria, why?” She shook her head. “You can’t. It’s already hurting him so much that you’ve closed him out—”

“I know,” Aria said softly.

“You’re going to lose him,” Treesi pressed. “You’re going to lose him, too.”

Aria shuddered. “I’m losing everything. Everyone. I’m losing myself. I...I need to find myself again. That has to be my first step. And I cannot do it here. I have to go.” She looked at Treesi. “I asked him to trust me.”

“He needs to know you still love him,” Treesi said. “He’s been trying to care for you. And you’re pushing him away…” Her voice trailed off as she realized something. “Aria, you haven’t told him, have you?”

Aria shook her head. “No. I wasn’t sure…”

“I told you weeks ago!” Treesi protested.

Aria continued as if she hadn’t heard. “Once I decided I needed to go, I knew that if he knew, he’d never let me leave his sight.” She smiled. “He’d wrap me in blankets and smother me to protect me. And I can’t do that, Treesi. I need to take a step back, and find my way again. Before I can’t.”

Treesi squeezed Aria’s hands. “He’s gone to Danzi’s village, to look for news about Aven. You should wait for him to come back. Tell him. Tell him everything. He’ll understand. He’ll understand that you’re scared. We’re all scared. You can’t just leave him in the dark. He’ll shatter like glass if you abandon him. If we abandon him, since I’m going with you. Tell him what you told me. Tell him everything. And once he understands, if you ask him to, he’ll let you go. He might insist on riding with us to Forge, but he’ll leave you safe in your grandmother’s house. That’s more than I can do. I’m not a fighter. He’s your warrior.”

Aria looked thoughtful. She took a deep breath and pulled her hands out of Treesi’s. “If he returns before we have to leave, I will tell him.”

Treesi nodded and got to her feet. “All right. When are we leaving?”

“Tomorrow morning at dawn,” Aria answered.

“Then we should go and get something to eat. You’ve got a long talk to have, and you’ll need to sleep.” She held her hand out to Aria. “Come on. Owyn made soup last night. I think there’s still some left. You like his soup. And there’s bread from this morning.”

Gently, she coaxed and goaded Aria out of the healing complex and back to their house, making her sit at the table in the kitchen. There, Treesi added a log to the stove, and put the soup — a thick vegetable and grain stew — to heat. She cut bread and cheese, and set them both in front of Aria. “You’re going to eat. You’re not eating enough. If you don’t eat, we’re going nowhere.”

Aria stared at the bread as if she’d never seen such a thing before, then picked it up and took a bite. A second bite. A third, and Treesi turned back to the soup, stirring it so that it wouldn’t stick and scorch.

“Who is going with us?” she asked as she stirred the soup. “We aren’t going alone, are we?”

“I don’t know yet,” Aria said. “Jehan said he would have riders go with us, but not who.”

Treesi nodded, and started ladling soup into bowls. Maybe she could have a word with the Senior Healer and make sure that one of those riders was Owyn? It was a thought. She’d have to find him sometime tonight. Maybe she could ask Alanar to stay with Aria while she went out.

“Anyone home?”

The familiar voice echoed down the corridor from the front room. Treesi turned and looked at the door.

“Marik?” she called. “You’re inside? We’re in the kitchen!”

A moment later, Marik appeared in the doorway. “I’ve been looking for you,” he said. “I went down to visit my mother with Owyn. She had some news for him—”

“What news?” Aria demanded. “What did she say?”

“That there was a canoe from Arana’s line ashore up in Smugglers Cove. About three hours past Serenity. He couldn’t not go. He asked me to take the message back to you, that he was going. He’ll be back sometime tomorrow, he says.”

“Tomorrow?” Treesi repeated. “Oh, but—”

“Thank you, Marik,” Aria interrupted. “I appreciate that you came to tell me.” She turned and looked at Treesi. “Is the soup ready?”

“Not...not yet,” Treesi answered.

“Then I have time.” Aria rose from the table, smiled at Marik, then left the kitchen. A few minutes later, Treesi heard a door close. And, no doubt, if she’d been closer, she’d have heard the click of the lock.

“I’m missing something,” Marik murmured. “What just happened?”

“Possibly a disaster,” Treesi answered. “Marik, if you would please go find the Senior Healer? I...I’m not sure what to do right now. I need to talk to him.”

Marik looked over at the door, then stepped closer to Treesi. “What’s happened?”

Treesi shook her head. “I just need for you to find the Senior Healer. Please.”

Marik nodded. He closed his eye for a moment, then smiled. “He’s outside. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He turned and hurried out of the kitchen. Lacking any idea of anything else to do, Treesi went back to stirring the soup. She ladled it out into bowls, set them on the table, and sat down. She should probably call Aria to eat. But then she’d have to wait to talk to the Senior Healer, and she needed to do that now.

She heard footsteps, and Jehan came into the kitchen, closely followed by Marik. Jehan looked worried. “What is it?”

“Aria told me that she’s leaving tomorrow morning,” Treesi said in a soft voice. “That we’re leaving tomorrow. I managed to talk her into waiting so that she could tell Owyn the truth. She was going to do it when he got back. But he won’t be back until late tomorrow, and now I don’t know what to do!”

Jehan looked startled, turning to Marik. “Where’s Owyn?”

“He went north. Smuggler’s Cove. Ma said that there was a canoe of Arana’s line there, and he went after it.”

“Arana’s line? This close to shore?” Jehan snorted. “It’d never happen. She’d never allow it. Can you ride out? Bring him back?”

“Only if I want to be laid on my arse,” Marik answered. “He’s pretty set on going. Senior Healer, he’s got it in his head that the only person who can fix what’s ailing our Heir is Aven.”

“He might not be wrong,” Jehan muttered. He slumped down into Aria’s abandoned chair. “You got her to agree to wait?”

Treesi nodded. “Maybe I can convince her to wait until Owyn comes back?” she said. “Jehan, if she leaves him behind, it’ll kill him. He’s already feeling abandoned, and she hasn’t even left yet.”

“Why is she leaving?” Marik asked. “And where is she going?” He frowned. “And who exactly is we?”

“Aria says she wants me to go with her,” Treesi answered. “She said Jehan would pick riders. Can you...not?” She turned to the Senior Healer. “Can you tell her that we need to wait until the day after? Owyn will be back tomorrow!”

“No,” Aria said from the doorway. “I am not waiting. I am going. I am leaving tomorrow. And if you do not come with me, I will go alone.” She folded her arms over her chest. “I am already failing. I have already destroyed what I was set to do. Why would it matter if I turned away from all of you?”

“Aria,” Jehan said, his voice gentle. “You haven’t failed.” He got up and went to her, resting his hand on her shoulders. “Aven is going to come back. He loves you—”

“And I broke his heart,” Aria interrupted. “I was stupid, thoughtless, and heartless, and I broke his heart! He thinks I do not love him anymore, that I do not want him anymore. And he left me. He left his gem behind and he left me.” She stepped back, away from Jehan. “I turned away from him, and from Del who has caused me no harm, because of something neither of them can control. Because of who they were born. It makes me no better than Risha. I need to go and be alone. I need to think. I cannot go back to my mountains, so I am going to my grandmother.”

Jehan shook his head. “You’re nothing like Risha. The fact that you’re regretting your mistake now shows us that.” He smiled slightly. “You didn’t tell me where you were going. Or that you met Meris. I didn’t even know she was still alive.”

Aria smiled. “I like her. Very much. And I think I will be safe with her, so that I can think and best decide where to go and what to do from here. And if Aven returns while I am gone, he knows the way to come and get me.”

Jehan took a deep breath. “You can wait a day. For Owyn’s sake.”

Aria shook her head, and spread her wings. Outspread, the places where there were feathers missing were very obvious.

Jehan’s jaw dropped. “Aria!”

“I cannot wait,” she said. “I have to go, before I damage myself beyond repair. You cannot make my feathers regrow, Jehan.”

Jehan sighed. He held his arms open, and when Aria stepped into them, enveloped her in a tight embrace. “I didn’t realize it was so bad,” he said, just loud enough that Treesi could hear. “I’ll make the arrangements. I do wish you’d wait, though. Just one night.”

“I don’t have the time anymore,” Aria mumbled into his chest.

“Uncle?” Marik said. “I’ll go with them.”

Jehan looked over his shoulder at Marik. “I’m not sending you, Marik. You’re not fully acclimated to losing the eye yet.”

“I have eyes,” Marik insisted. “If there are birds in the sky, I have eyes.”

“And if you’re attacked on the ground, you have no depth perception. You’re still learning how to fight without it,” Jehan countered. “I’m not sending you out to get hurt again, Marik. You’re still not fully recovered.” He shook his head. “You’re staying here and training, at least until summer.” Jehan turned, keeping one arm around Aria’s shoulders. “Marik, I know you want to help. But getting yourself killed won’t help anyone.” He ran his other hand over his face. “I need to decide who I’m sending.”

Treesi moved toward them and held her hand out to Aria. “The soup is ready, and you need to eat.”

Aria followed docilely and took her seat, but didn’t pick up her spoon. “I want you all to know something,” she said. She didn’t look up, staring at her bowl. “I have decided that it is best for me to take myself out of Terraces, and away from everyone, so that I can better recover from what happened and decide what next I must do. If there is no one to ride with me in the morning, I am still going to leave.” She raised her head. “So there will be no juvenile ‘I have no one to ride with you, so you must wait,’ ploys to make me wait for Owyn, in the hopes that he will be able to talk me out of leaving.”

“You’re not being fair to Owyn,” Marik protested. “He loves you. He just doesn’t know how to help you right now.”

“He’s right,” Treesi agreed. “If you leave him, I don’t know what he’ll do. He’s getting more depressed by the day.”

“He has Alanar,” Aria says. “He seems to prefer Alanar’s company.”

“Because you won’t spend any time with him!” Treesi snapped, and Aria jerked in shock. “You’ve been closing him out ever since Aven left. He’s convinced that you hate him because he let Aven go. If you leave him now...you might lose him, too.” She swallowed and looked at Jehan. “He’s gotten so dark over the past months. I don’t think he’ll hurt himself, but you’ll have to watch him.”

Aria’s face went pale. “He thinks that I hate him? And you’re worried he might hurt himself?”

Treesi sat down. She buried her face in her hands and tried to collect her thoughts. Then she folded her hands on the table. “When you came to Terraces, it was very obvious to me that you and Aven were the center of Owyn’s world. When we came to get you, when the storm was coming, and he found you were gone, he panicked.”

Aria nodded. “He does that, yes. It is hard to calm him. You saw, after he fought with Memfis.”

“I did,” Treesi agreed. “And this time, he calmed himself. Because you needed him. Because you called him your warrior, and he needed to be that to save you. He is who and what he is now because you needed him to be that. He’s a warrior, and yours to the tips of his fingers.” She sniffed, and touched the brown and gold gem at her throat. “We all are. The Companions. You are our reason for being. And when you close us out, yes, it hurts. I’m not as bad as Owyn is, because he’s had you longer. But you’re pushing us all away, and Owyn isn’t the only one who feels it. Do I think he’ll hurt himself if you leave him behind?” She shrugged. “I’ve been watching him get more and more quiet, and nothing I can do brings him out. He brightens a little, for Alanar, but not much. And the rose...He worked for weeks on that. He started over twelve times, because it wasn’t good enough. He told me that he hoped it would be enough. He didn’t explain what enough meant, but when he gave it to you, and you smiled at him? It was like you gave him everything he’d ever wanted, all in a basket with fancy silk cushions.” She met Aria’s eyes. “And then you didn’t talk to him for a week. You avoided him at the table. You didn’t even touch the bread—”

“What does bread have to do with anything?” Marik interrupted. Treesi ignored him. She looked at Aria, and saw only confusion and hurt.

She didn’t understand.

For a moment, Treesi wondered if shaking her Heir would be considered blasphemy. Instead, she closed her eyes and got up from the table.

“Eat your soup, Aria,” she said softly. “If we’re leaving in the morning, I need to pack.”

She left the kitchen without another word.

***

Someone tapped lightly on Treesi’s closed door. She didn’t answer, but they didn’t leave. They tapped again. Then the door opened and the Senior Healer came inside. He closed the door behind him and stood with his arms folded over his chest.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were worried about Owyn?” he asked softly.

“Because we were handling it, Allie and I,” Treesi answered. She set down the tunic she had just folded. “When he was working, he was distracted. It was only really at night that he started getting dark, and we were handling it. And the closer we got to spring, the more hopeful Owyn got. Because Aven was coming back, and Aven would fix everything.” She turned to face him. “Aven isn’t coming back, is he? We’re broken beyond repair."

Jehan shook his head. “I don’t know, Treesi. I want to say yes, he is coming back. But there’s never been any kind of test on the Companion bond before. Not like this.” He took a deep breath. “I know my son. I know how much he loves Aria. I don’t think he’ll come back because she’s the Heir. I think he’ll come back because it’s Aria.” He snorted. “And is he ever going to have a surprise when he gets here!”

Treesi rolled her eyes. “Aven’s surprise isn’t the problem here. It’s Owyn. He’s fragile right now. When he comes back and finds we’re gone, he’ll shatter like glass, and I won’t be here to put him back together. It’ll be on Alanar.” She frowned. “Where is he, anyway?”

“Mother had some specific training she wanted him to take,” Jehan answered. “Which, knowing my mother, means that she’s instructing him on the art of putting broken Companions back together.”

“It might have been nice if she’d started that months ago,” Treesi grumbled.

CHAPTER FOUR

Three hours, Danzi had said.

She hadn’t considered the state of the roads. Or the lack of them — there was an entire section of the coast road that could only be called a road if you were being very, very generous. Owyn ended up backtracking, then leading Freckles over an area of rocky terrain that was entirely too close to the cliffs for Owyn’s liking, and that left them both sweaty and shaking. They stopped for a rest then, and Owyn sat and ate some of the supplies that Danzi had sent with him, looking at his map. He wasn’t looking forward to the ride back — maybe he’d be able to go further inland. He’d have to find out once he got to Shadow Cove.

In the end, it took Owyn nearly five hours to make the trip, and the sun was touching the horizon when he finally rode into the town. There was a welcome party waiting for him — he’d seen the sentries in the rocks, so it wasn’t a surprise. He dismounted, and took the letter of introduction that Danzi had written from his belt.

“My name is Owyn Fireborn,” he called. “I’ve come from Terraces. Danzi from Serenity Bay sent a letter.” He held it up. “I’ve come looking for information.”

A man stepped forward. “Fireborn isn’t a common name,” he drawled. “Only used in certain circumstances. One specific circumstance, if memory serves.”

“Your memory does indeed serve,” Owyn answered. He tugged his coat open, and pulled his scarf down to reveal the Fire gem at his throat. “This would be the one. I am Owyn Fireborn, and I serve the Heir to the Firstborn. Aria, daughter of Milon and his Air Companion Liara.”

The man’s eyes widened. “Well, looks like the gossip is running true for a change. Welcome to Shadow Cove, son. I’m Barsis, and I’m headman here. Let’s go have us a drink, and I’ll look at Danzi’s letter.” He gestured to one of the other men. “See to his horse.”

“Freckles, you behave yourself,” Owyn murmured to the horse, who snorted at him, then let the other man lead him away. Owyn followed Barsis. “Do you think we can dispense with the whole tea ceremony thing?” he asked softly. “I don’t want to offend, but—”

“Tea ceremony?” Barsis interrupted. “Danzi’s still doing that?” He laughed and shook his head. “No, lad. I’ll give you something a mite more warming than tea to get the chill out of your bones, and you can tell me why you came all this way. We’re not much on ceremony here in Shadow.”

He led Owyn into a stone house with a low door. Inside was a single large room separated by hangings, surrounding a central fire-pit. Barsis gestured to a bench next to the fire-pit. “Have a seat. I’ll pour, then I’ll look at that letter.” He picked a clay bottle up off the table and filled two cups, then handed one to Owyn and took the letter from him. Owyn sipped the drink, which proved to be a surprisingly smooth alcoholic something, and waited while Barsis read the letter silently to himself.

“Danzi says you’re looking for information. What sort?” Barsis said as he lowered the page.

“Our Water went out to the deep for his season. It’s nearing time for him to come back, but with the weather we’ve had, we’re not sure where he’s coming ashore. Danzi said that there was a canoe from his family line beached here. Arana’s line?”

Barsis looked startled. “Arana’s line? Son, you’re chasing sea-foam. Arana’s folk, they don’t come to shore. And if the rumors are running true, Arana’s gone back to the Mother these past few months.”

“What, she’s dead?” Owyn gasped. “Oh. I...we hadn’t heard.”

“That first big storm, from what I hear,” Barsis continued. “I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Now, what’s your Water’s name? Maybe I’ve heard tell of him?”

“Aven, son of Aleia. She was—”

“Waterborn before him. I know from Aleia,” Barsis said as he picked up his own cup. “She wasn’t but a little slip of a thing when I met her, though. Years and years ago.” He nodded, sipping his drink. “Aven is her boy?”

“You’ve heard of him?”

“Heard he stands with the War Leader of the waves. Not sure how much of that I believe. War leader? Out there?” He nodded in the general direction of the sea. “It’d be like herding crabs.”

Owyn snickered. “All I know from crabs is that they bite. I mean, pinch.”

Barsis grinned. “Trust me. You can’t herd them. And getting all the canoes out there to join under one War Leader? That’s about the same.” He shook his head. “Sorry you came all this way for nothing.”

Owyn swallowed his disappointment. “Thanks. I couldn’t not chase the rumor, though. If I hadn’t come, the whole blasted canoe would have been here, wouldn’t they?”

Barsis laughed, sounding like a braying donkey. “We’d have been up to our armpits in them! Good thing you did come, then. I’d have had no place to berth all of them!” He looked around. “This is the guest house, son. You’re welcome to pass the night here.”

“Thank you,” Owyn answered. “I appreciate that. It wasn’t the best road getting here. I’m going to need to know how to get back without using the coast road. It’s gone in a few places.”

“Is it, now?” Barsis frowned. “It’s still too early for us to start sending trade goods down to Sanctuary and to Terraces. I’ll send some runners out in the morning. There’s another road. It’ll take you further inland, and closer to the blasphemer’s patrols, if any of them are out there. Sure you want to risk that? We can run you back to Terraces on a skiff.”

Owyn fought back the urge to shudder. “I can’t,” he managed to say. “I can’t leave Freckles. He and I have been through a lot. We’ll be all right.”

Barsis studied him for a moment. “Not a seaman, then?”

Owyn grinned. “No. Not a bit.”

“I understand. I’ll send a runner with you. Make sure to keep you clear of any patrols.” He nodded toward the door. “Come and have some food. Folks will want to hear about the new Heir and her Companions. How many do you have?”

“Three of the four,” Owyn answered. He finished his drink and stood up, following Barsis out to meet the rest of the village.

It was a small village, and they gathered around a central bonfire for a shared meal and news. Owyn told them about Aria, about Aven and Treesi. He told them about what had happened in Terraces, about Risha and Teva and their attempts to murder Aven and Aria. He told them that there was a new Senior Healer in the Earth tribe lands, and heard their murmured approval when he named Jehan.

“He’s another one I met, back when he was still so new to his gem that he was uncomfortable wearing it,” Barsis said. “Good man. But then, if you’re called to a gem, you have to be a good man. Or a good woman. What’s our Heir going to do now, Owyn?”

Owyn considered the question, and how to answer when he had no real idea. “We’re waiting for Aven to come back from his season,” he finally answered. “Then...once the weather turns, we’ll see. We’ve a lot to do in Terraces before we leave there. The winter hit them hard, and we’ve been throwing in to help the people there before we move on.”

“The winter hit all of us hard,” someone in the crowd called. “How is she going to help us?”

Owyn looked around the fire, unable to tell who’d asked. “How have you been helping each other?” he asked in response. “Because...you honestly don’t think that she’s going to snap her fingers and everything is going to be wonderful and kittens and puppies and double-yolked eggs, now do you? She’s the Heir, yes, but she still has to work to make things right. So do we all. And we have to do it together.” He looked around again. “That’s the problem with what Risha was telling people, you know. That there was something different about the people who didn’t look like us. That they weren’t even people. She doesn’t want us working together. She wants Water and Air gone, and she doesn’t care who she hurts or kills to do it. She’s no better than Mannon. They want what they want, and fuck the rest of you, and anyone who gets in their way.” He looked around, saw Barsis nodding slowly. “So we can’t be like that. We need to be together, work together. Work with each other. We need to be the Mother’s children, all of us. And that means helping each other. Don’t ask me what Aria’s gonna do to save you. Help her save all of us.”

He jerked in shock at the cheer that went up around the fire, and stared for a moment before turning to Barsis. “What was in that cup you gave me?”

Barsis just laughed. “If that sort of wisdom was in any brew of mine,” he said. “I’d be at the bottom of the keg every day. No, I’m seeing why you were chosen, Fireborn.” He turned to look at the villagers. “He’s right. We can’t be looking just for ourselves. We have to look out for the others. For all of the others. If we’re not fighting for all of us, then what are we fighting for?” He stood up, which seemed to be an unspoken signal — people started moving away from the bonfire, heading back to their homes. Barsis came to stand in front of Owyn as he stood up.

“You’ll do just fine, Fireborn,” Barsis said. “Come on. Mornings come early here.”

“Are there any canoes ashore?” Owyn asked as they headed toward the guest house. “Anyone I can send a message out with?”

“Someone from Tersera’s line,” Barsis said. “He was going to leave with the morning tide. We can go over now, if you want.”

For a moment, Owyn couldn’t remember why that name was familiar. Tersera? Then the memory of the body in the cave came back in a rush. “I...yeah, I should talk to them.”

“You’ve gone white as a sheet, son,” Barsis said. “What is it?”

“Just...I’ll have to pass on some bad news, too.”

Barsis led him down to the shore, where Owyn could see a long canoe pulled up on the rocks. There were several people moving around the canoe, and as they approached, a woman came toward them.

“Barsis, we’re good to sail with the tide,” she said. She looked at Owyn and arched a brow. “Newcomer?”

“Visitor from Terraces,” Barsis answered. “You’ve got a boy there, don’t you?”

Owyn shuddered. “I...you’re Virrik’s mother?”

“His aunt, actually,” she answered. “You know him?”

“Not...not really,” Owyn stammered. “I...I know of him. From his roommates. They told me about him.” He paused, looked down. “I...I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be the one to tell you this. Virrik’s dead.”

“What?” the woman whispered. “What? How?”

“I…” Owyn swallowed. “He...he was killed. By Risha. Because he was Water. We...we found him. Our Water took him back out to the deep. We didn’t know who he was, or why he was there, but...but Aven did what was right for him.”

He looked up to find the woman staring at him. “Because he was Water?”

“You’d best explain, son,” Barsis said. “What you told us at the fire. Tell Ketti.”

Owyn nodded, and repeated what he’d told the others. He went into a little more detail about what Risha was planning than he had at the fire, and saw Barsis’ face grow stern. When he finished, Ketti was silent for a long time.

“And what’s being done about her?” she asked softly. “About this murderess?”

“When we catch her and her partner? They’re the Heir’s to deal with.” Owyn cocked his head to the side. “Unless you want her? I think I can talk my Heir into letting you serve justice. But I get Teva, though.”

Ketti blinked. Then she smiled. “That’s very generous. Are you certain you can make that offer?”

Owyn shrugged. “Not entirely. Aria’s really angry at Risha, for what she did and what she tried to do.” When Ketti arched a brow, he added, “She tried to do the same thing to our Water that she did to Virrik. And, if you don’t mind, I’m not going to tell you what that was. It was…” He stopped. Shook his head. “No. Not saying even that much. What I will say is that it took four healers working in tandem to save Aven. So trust me, Aria wants Risha’s head on a plate.”

Ketti’s eyes had widened when Owyn mentioned how many healers it had taken to save Aven. “So be it,” she murmured. “But if the Heir just wants the head, would she mind if I claimed some other parts?”

“You and she can discuss all the gory details later,” Owyn said. “When I’m not around. Because I don’t want to hear it.”

Ketti laughed. “No stomach for it?”

“Nope,” Owyn answered, shaking his head emphatically. Ketti laughed harder.

“So be it. We’ll discuss it away from your delicate ears.” Ketti looked out over the water. “He was given back to the deep, you said?”

“Aven did what was needed,” Owyn answered. Ketti nodded.

“Thank you, for letting me know. I’ll let the rest of the canoe know he’s gone back to the Mother.” She looked at him. “You didn’t come all this way just to tell me he was dead. You had no idea I was here.”

“No, ma’am,” Owyn answered. “I came because I heard that there was a canoe from Arana’s line beached here, and I was hoping it was Aven, or someone who could carry a message back to him for me.”

“Arana’s canoes usually stayed deep. They’re not now, but I don’t know if the new clan mother will go back to being quite so militant about it. I can pass on your message, when we get back to our waters.”

“Tell him that it’s time to come back,” Owyn said. “That we need him. Please.”

Ketti nodded. “I will tell him. Thank you, Owyn.”

Barsis rested his hand on Owyn’s shoulder. “Come on, son. You’ve got a long day ahead of you tomorrow, and you need to sleep. Ketti, I’ll come see you off with the tide.”

***

Ketti was gone by the time Owyn was awake the next morning. He ate with Barsis, accepted a pack of food for the road from one of the village women, and set out with his guide, a young man named Gan. Gan didn’t seem to be one for small-talk, which Owyn was grateful for. He wasn’t in the mood to chat.

Aven had gone back to his family, not knowing that his grandmother was dead. Had the new clan mother welcomed him, or rejected him?

Had he even gone back to them at all? Why would he have?

Two people now had mentioned a War Leader. And that Aven was supposed to be working with whoever that was.

Was Aven the War Leader? The idea seemed ridiculous. But at the same time, he wasn’t sure. Maybe Jehan would know.

“Fireborn, this is where I leave you,” Gan said. “Take this trail straight south. It’ll meet up with the coast road in a few miles, and head straight back to Terraces.”

“So soon?” Owyn asked. “Where...we’ve come a long way, haven’t we?”

Gan grinned. “You’ve had an awful lot on your mind. I understand. It must be hard, doing the Mother’s work. I don’t know if I could. But I can help this much.”

“And I appreciate the help,” Owyn said. “Ah...they packed more than I can eat. Have a bite before you ride back?”

Gan shook his head. “I’ve my own supplies. Thank you, but I need to check the coast road and see where you mentioned things were bad. Go well, Fireborn.” He turned his horse back the way they’d come, and rode out of sight. Owyn turned Freckles to the south, and urged the horse on.

“We’ll stop in a bit,” he said. “Once we’re on the coast road.”

The roads met just where he thought they would — there was a small bridge over a stream that moved fast enough that it didn’t freeze. He dismounted, and let Freckles drink, then dug through the pack that the women in Shadow Cove had given to him. In with the food for him, there was a small bag of grain for Freckles. They were just finishing when Owyn heard a horse approaching from the direction of Terraces. He looked at Freckles.

“Were you expecting someone?” he asked. The horse sneezed at him, and Owyn grinned. He packed the remains of his food into his saddlebag and took out his whip chain. Just in case.

The rider came into view, and Owyn tucked his chain away and waved. “Marik! What are you doing out here?”

“Looking for you,” Marik answered. He sounded out of breath. “We expected you ages ago. And you told me to come looking if you were late.”

“I didn’t think I was that late,” Owyn said. He looked up and frowned. “Well, maybe a little. Thanks for coming after me.”

Marik nodded. “Come on. Let’s get back before it gets too much later.”

Owyn mounted his horse, and rode side by side with Marik. There was something odd about the other man, something...uneasy.

“What’s wrong?” Owyn asked. “You’re acting like you’re ready for something to jump out at you and bite you.”

Marik turned and smiled weakly. “Uncle said I wasn’t ready to come out on my own. I should have listened. It’s really strange not being able to see on my left. And the birds don’t help as much as I thought they would.”

Owyn nodded. “You don’t know until you get out, though. Now you know what you need to work on.”

“Yeah. Owyn…” Marik paused for a long moment, long enough that Owyn started getting nervous.

“What?”

“Owyn, I’m warning you now. You’re not going to like what you find when you get back. And...we all tried to stop her.”

“Stop her? Stop who?” Owyn’s heart lurched. “Aria. What’s she done?” He reined in Freckles. “Marik, if you tell me that she’s dead—”

“No!” Marik gasped. “No, she’s alive. But she’s not in Terraces. She’s left.”

“She...she left?” Owyn repeated. “She’s left? And left me behind?” Everything stopped. His breathing, his heartbeat. They all stopped, then started again in a strange cadence that just felt wrong. “Why? Why would she do that? Why would she leave me behind? I mean...I’m her Fire. She’s my Heir. I’m her warrior. She said so. I’m supposed to be with her. I’m supposed to take care of her. She...she’s not supposed to leave me!”

“Owyn—”

“No,” Owyn interrupted. “No, she can’t have left me. She can’t. Who knows what’s happening? Jehan?”

“He knows.”

Owyn nodded. Then he kicked Freckles into a gallop. He heard Marik shout behind him, but he didn’t care.

His Heir, his Aria couldn’t have left him!

Could she?

CHAPTER FIVE

For the first time since he’d come to Terraces, Owyn made it through the tunnels from the stables to the healing complex without a guide and without getting lost. He doubted he’d be able to do it again — he didn’t remember a single step he took from the moment he dismounted Freckles until he barged through the door into Jehan’s office.

“Where’s Aria?” he demanded.

The Senior Healer didn’t look surprised to see Owyn. He gestured to the chair in front of his desk.

“Sit down, Owyn,” he said.

“Fuck that,” Owyn snapped. “Where is she?”

Jehan’s mild expression turned stony. “Sit the fuck down, Owyn, and I will tell you,” he snapped back. “I will tell you where, and why. But you need to listen to me.”

Owyn blinked,

A Second Chance at Submission: Chapter 4

Ramone Quides

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