They continued on throughout the night. Eventually the moon was replaced by the sun, and her surroundings began to feel familiar. She was close to her meadow.
“This was my home for a very long time,” she explained to Loinnir, though she was still unsure if the unicorn actually understood her words, or somehow just sensed her desires. “I hope we can find the correct spot,” she continued. “It might be a bit difficult to distinguish now that no tree stands there. We might be digging for quite a while.”
Loinnir flicked her mane, but did not otherwise reply. Her ivory horn was still hidden by magic, so she just appeared a rather fine white horse. Neither of them should draw any extra attention as they passed the small farms leading to her previous home.
She was pleased to see the first stream of chimney smoke as they neared. These people, at least, were yet to be chased off by the Faie or An Fiach. A few moments later, an elderly farmer came into view, tending his crops, though the cold had withered them seemingly beyond repair.
The sight plucked at her heart. So many had been affected by the recent chaos, not just her. She’d venture to say they were affected even more, not less. She had never known a life of true peace, barring when she was a tree, and so, she had no true peace to lose.
She began to search her meadow as they neared, attempting to pinpoint the exact place she’d stood as a tree. Eventually her eyes found àed’s small stone hut. No smoke rose from its chimney, and the entrance was overgrown with vines. She tried not to cry. He might not be where she’d hoped, but she would find him. She had to.
Turning her gaze away from the hut, she thought back to her first walk there, just after she’d turned back into her current form. àed had found her in the middle of the field, and had helped her hobble to his hut as she slowly learned how to use her legs.
Loinnir walked along unbidden, ambling serenely across the meadow. Finn observed each tree she passed, hoping for something familiar, then it hit her. As if sensing her revelation, Loinnir suddenly halted.
“This is it,” Finn gasped. She turned her gaze to the distant mountains, then to a large boulder several paces away. Loinnir’s hooves had landed on the exact soil where Finn had once taken root. She felt it with every nerve ending in her body.
She dismounted, then fell to her knees as Loinnir moved out of the way. Though rain and wind had mostly repacked the soil, it was still a little more loose in this area, with less yellow grass threatening to take hold.
Her entire body trembled with excitement as she began to dig.
Iseult slumped in the saddle, defeated. Bedelia had been the first to fall, dropping to her knees, unable to move any further. He went not long after. Now, they were both too exhausted to put up any fight. Though their chains remained, they were finally allowed to ride.
Naoki had led them in a direct line southwest, no matter what lay in their path. Once they’d had to change course to walk around a wide lake, and for several hours after that fought their way through a forest thick with wild brambles.
They’d long since crossed the Sand Road, and continued on the other side. By Iseult’s estimation, they’d bypassed Garenoch, which was further south. It was only a day’s journey from Garenoch to Greenswallow, which meant Finn was not far off. He could only hope she would find the shroud and flee before Oighear reached her, but he knew it was unlikely. Once Finn found the shroud, she would try to find him, which meant either waiting in Greenswallow, or Garenoch.
In the state he was in now, he would only be able to watch on as Oighear confronted her. He honestly did not know which of them would win the battle, but Oighear had the upper hand. She was cruel and cunning, no stranger to using her powers for harm. Finn would hesitate to cause any damage, just as she had with the assassins.
He stiffened his back, realizing Oighear was watching him from her mount, smiling.
“Don’t worry,” she purred. “Once the Cavari girl is gone, you can follow a real queen.”
Iseult simply stared at her, too tired to exchange insults, for what little good it would do.
“Watch him closely,” she said to one of the Aos Sí. “He’s bound to try something foolish.”
The Aos Sí riding around them nodded. Iseult slumped forward in his saddle once more. Even if he could somehow defeat Oighear, he would then have to deal with ten Aos Sí warriors. Part of him wished they would just kill him now, as there was little hope of saving his soul, or Finn. Yet, he would not ask for death. He’d been on this journey his entire life, and he was about to see it through to the bitter end.
“Are you sure about this?” Kai asked, his heart thundering in anticipation.
Ealasaid nodded, her face grim. “If this will help Finn, we have to do it.”
Anna, Sativola, and Maarav stood nearby, weapons ready.
Kai swallowed the lump in his throat. He’d only meant to tell Anna and Sativola that he was leaving to lead the riders astray. He couldn’t risk Finn coming to Garenoch, unaware of what awaited her. He lifted his hand to the sore spot on his jaw where Anna had punched him for being a fool. She’d used many other choice descriptors, before Maarav and Ealasaid had interrupted. With little explanation, they’d urged Anna, Sativola, and himself to follow them to the edge of town were a group of magic users would be waiting. It had seemed utterly ridiculous at the time, yet here they all were.
Kai shuddered and brought himself back to the present, surrounded by strangers with a horse at his side. Anna and Sativola waited amongst the strangers, weapons gleaming in the early morning sun.
An old woman named Grelka, who he’d learned had orchestrated the early morning congregation, spoke in hushed tones to Ealasaid. Kai watched as Ealasaid frowned, then nodded to some quiet question. Both women turned then their gazes forward.
One by one, more townsfolk showed up to gather around Ealasaid and Grelka. As their presence grew, an odd tingle began to circulate through the air, or perhaps it was just Kai’s imagination. They were all magic users, secretly banding together to protect not only themselves, but their kinsfolk.
“This will work,” Ealasaid muttered, quietly reassuring herself as she moved to Kai’s side, followed by Grelka. Ealasaid repeatedly clenched and unclenched her hands, as if warming up her magic.
A sandy-haired boy Kai had not met stepped out of the crowd, grinning from ear to ear. “I, for one, cannot think of a better way to recruit more members to An Solas. Once others see what we can do, they’ll be flocking toward us in droves.”
Grelka chuckled, then turned her gaze to Ealasaid. “Do not worry. This is the right choice. Everything will be as it’s meant to be.”
Kai frowned at them, not understanding half of what they were talking about.
“Grelka is a seer,” Ealasaid explained.
Kai nodded in acceptance, though he didn’t really see it as much of an explanation. Anna’s visions of immediate danger were one thing, but no one could truly know the future. Still, Grelka thought his task of the utmost importance, and he wasn’t sure why. Upon his arrival to the group, she’d said to him the same thing she’d just said to Ealasaid. “Everything will be as it’s meant to be.”
“It’s time,” Grelka suddenly snapped.
Ealasaid raised her arms skyward, along with the sandy-haired boy, and the other gathered townsfolk. Many more townsfolk lingered near the buildings at the edge of town, awaiting whatever spectacle was about to take place.
Anna met Kai’s gaze and nodded. It was time for him to prepare as well.
He led his horse a few paces away from the group, then slung himself into the saddle. He lifted his free hand to grip the locket still at his throat and turned his gaze outward.