Rising quietly, she rubbed her arms for warmth and went to the window facing the slope of the hill they had ascended when climbing the mountain. She parted the curtain and rubbed a small square panel in the corner with the back of her fist to clear the glass.
Dawn was just beginning to peek through the tangle of bristlecone pine and cedar. She waited patiently, watching the horizon light up. It was a clear view to the foothills below. There was a speck on the horizon, a blot of black against the pale long grass mingled with boulders. Her heart started to pound feverishly. The blot was moving.
“Trasen,” she whispered, staring in shock. “Trasen!”
He was awake instantly, cursing himself for falling asleep. He rubbed his hand over his face and scratched the curly tangle of hair on his head. “I’m sorry.”
“Look!” She pointed, her mouth suddenly dry.
Trasen rushed to the window and squinted into the dawn. His countenance fell. “So quickly? That must be Winemiller.”
“If he’s come already, it must be worse than he thought.” She rubbed her hands together, a growing dread in her heart.
Trasen kicked the wedges away from the door and opened it, welcoming the morning air with its chill. Puffs of mist came from their mouths as they emerged on the porch. Squirrels chased one another into the trees nearby, chattering at each other playfully.
The person was still a ways off and it took time to draw near. Phae studied the shape, watching the relentless way he walked. It gnawed at her suddenly. She had expected Winemiller to go to Stonehollow first and learn what he could. That would have taken time to go there and return before venturing west into the mountains. Two days. That trip should have taken two days. How could he have come so soon?
Trasen shielded his eyes from the rising sun. “It’s difficult to see him,” he said.
A pang of nervousness slid inside of Phae. A butterfly danced on the morning air, coming in front of her. Strange to see such a creature so early in the morning. The feeling of dread intensified.
“Something doesn’t feel right,” Phae murmured.
Trasen nodded. “I agree. It feels wrong. Grab your things.”
Phae went inside and collected her blanket and gear. She saw Trasen stringing his bow and did the same herself. She tested the pull and then put an axe in a hoop on her belt. After securing her pack, she joined him on the porch.
Trasen shook his head and muttered softly to himself. “Doesn’t have Winemiller’s gait. I don’t know how the Vaettir did it, but I think he followed us. Let’s go into the woods a bit where we can watch the house. Might have to put an arrow in his leg to slow him down. I hope not, though, if he’s a prince. Come.”
They shut the door firmly and fled into the trees surrounding the small cabin, moving to higher ground. Many giant boulders had tumbled down the mountainside and finally crashed through enough trees to slow down and stop. The boulders were oddly shaped and varied in size. They were interspersed with a variety of trees—mostly stunted bur oak and bristlecone.
Trasen pointed to a cluster of granite boulders and motioned her to join him where they could observe the cabin and remain hidden.
The smaller stones allowed footholds to mount the rest and soon the two sat amidst the stones, above the ground and with a clear vantage. The stone was freezing against her palms and Phae started shivering. The feeling of dread that had eased somewhat as they walked intensified again. She was not prone to irrational bursts of emotions, but the fear and dread she experienced was quite real. She leaned close to Trasen, trying to share his warmth a little and hoping it would calm her.
It didn’t.
Phae watched the stranger approach the cabin, a man with a hood and cloak. He was dressed in browns and grays, a woodsman’s garb and not the black vestments the Vaettir had worn. This man was not a Rike of Seithrall. Looking at him caused a shiver to go down her back. He approached the cabin straightaway and tugged at the door, not bothering to conceal his approach.
Trasen shook his head worriedly. “Looks like a Finder,” he muttered.
Phae knew somehow he was wrong. She knew it by instinct. Every part of her body warned her to flee that man. “I don’t think so.”
He nodded with certainty. “They wear garb like that. Strange that he doesn’t have a bow. Lucky for us. Wait, he’s come out already.”
As soon as she saw him, Phae’s stomach turned to jelly. She began shaking uncontrollably.
“Cold?” he ventured, then looked at her face. “What’s wrong?”
“We should go. Now.”
“We’ve both got bows, Phae. He has none. If he follows our trail, I’ll give him a fair warning. I could hit him in the leg easily before he reaches us. He’s ill-equipped to be hunting us.”
“I don’t like it, Trasen. We should go.”
“We’ll be all right, Phae. It might be helpful to get some information out of him.”