Jack raised his eyebrows. ‘Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I know you want to find your family.’
I wasn’t sure why I was so angry with Jack.
‘You’re right,’ he said walking back to me. ‘I know you’re tired. I’m tired too, but you trust me, right?’
I grumbled.
‘Right?’ he pressed.
‘I guess.’
‘So, five more minutes, I promise. Okay?’
I began to whine, but Jack held a finger to my lips.
‘No more complaining.’
‘All right, all right,’ I conceded. ‘But you’re doing the cooking tonight.’
‘Deal.’
We walked for another five minutes. Jack kept checking the map and the position of the sun as it disappeared over the horizon. I had the sneaking suspicion that he was searching for something, but I wasn’t quite sure what.
Finally, we reached a path and I could see blinking lights at the bottom of a gently sloping hill.
‘Is that a house?’ I asked, pointing forwards.
‘Better.’ Jack smiled at me. ‘It’s a lodge, only a few miles away and it’s dark enough now. Hawthorne can fly us.’
I let out a sigh of relief, ‘You mean I can sleep in a bed?’
Jack nodded. ‘And with the coins that woman gave us – I’ll even buy you dinner.’
I had to stop myself from clambering too hastily up on Hawthorne’s back. He too was tired and looked at me sadly when Jack got on his back as well.
‘I’m sorry, boy,’ I said to Hawthorne. ‘I promise I’ll make it up to you, okay?’
With an audible sigh of discontent, Hawthorne launched into the sky and flew us towards the twinkling lights of the lodge only a couple of miles away.
It didn’t take very long before we were circling the roof of the building, looking for a place to land safely. Jack pointed out some stables only a few meters away and we landed behind it in the long grass of a field. Concealed by the night, we left Hawthorne behind the stables, but not without a goodnight kiss from me. I could tell by the look in his eyes that he was awfully displeased with the trip thus far.
Feeling guilty, Jack and I made our way over to the lodge, where a pleasant elderly couple greeted us. They were more than happy to give us a room for the night, but to my surprise Jack asked for two rooms, instead of one. I felt funny when he requested this. I had imagined us staying in the same room for some reason.
‘Let’s wash up in our rooms first and then meet up for dinner,’ Jack suggested as we ascended the stairs to our rooms.
‘Okay, sure,’ I said, stopping outside my door and fumbling with the key. Jack’s door was right next to mine and we entered our rooms at the same time.
It wasn’t a big room by any means, but it was far more cosy than anything I had enjoyed over the last year. With the exception of the time I had spent at R?ven’s when I was poorly. There was a small washstand in the corner of the room, which I almost ran for. I felt extremely grimy and unattractive after two days of solid walking. I was dirty, my hair was tangled and there were blisters on my feet. Clearly I was in desperate need of a good wash.
I spent a solid hour cleaning every inch of myself. I assumed Jack was doing the same for he did not knock on my door to ask if I was ready for dinner.
However, I was mildly surprised to find that he was not in his room when I had finished getting ready. Hurrying downstairs, I saw that he was already in the dining room, eating sausages, egg and toast, accompanied by another guest at the lodge. He appeared to be talking rather animatedly to the stranger, whose face I could not see. The guest had long caramel hair that cascaded down her back in loose curls. As I walked to the table and stood behind Jack’s chair I was annoyed to find that she was an extremely beautiful girl of about twenty-one, with larger than average amber eyes.
‘You started without me?’ I said to Jack, taking a seat next to him.
As I sat, the girl’s eyes snapped to me and narrowed.
‘I was starving,’ Jack waved it aside as though it was no big deal. ‘Oh, this is Georgia.’ He pointed to the longhaired beauty. ‘Georgia, this is Avalon my -’
He paused, unsure what to say.
‘Your sister?’ she prompted. For some reason, this irritated me.
Jack laughed, ‘No, no. She’s my friend.’
‘Oh.’ Georgia threw her head back and laughed. ‘You two look so alike; I thought you must be related. Black hair, blue eyes, masculine.’
I clenched my teeth together, but Jack cut in before I could retort. ‘Georgia was telling me that she is on her way to Concord City too.’
‘Is that so?’ I said. ‘How nice.’ I didn’t find it nice at all.
There was no mistaking my tone. Jack noticed, however Georgia did not seem to pick up on it.
‘Oh yes,’ she said with a radiant smile. ‘Your friend was telling me what a trek you’ve had! I’ve been travelling for only a few hours. I’m from Black Town, you know? It’s just over the mountain. Of course the journey is easy with Altair, my horse.’