I lost track of time as Jack and I walked through trees, flew at night and waded our way through streams. My boots were so worn it felt as though I was wearing no shoes at all. I could feel every stone and every twig that I stepped on. No matter how many times Jack healed my feet, they would be red raw again within a few hours. Hawthorne was mad at me and avoided eye contact at all costs. Jack tried to keep my spirits high by reminding me that I would be able to see my family again soon.
Luck turned our way on the sixth day and we were able to hitch a ride on a gentleman’s cart, which was loaded with barrels of hay. Of course, the owner of the cart was not aware that we had hitched a ride.
Hawthorne was able to disguise himself amongst the yellow straw and Jack and I were thankful for the rest under a woven tarp as the cart trundled along.
According to Jack we were only fifteen miles away from Concord City – and now that we had a ride, we might indeed arrive earlier than expected. Every half an hour Jack would poke his head out of the tarp to inspect our surroundings. The driver seemed to have a horrid hacking cough and did not hear us whispering.
I was anxious. A week had passed since I had learned of my family’s arrest. I didn’t have a plan on how to find them once I reached the city. All I knew was I needed to find the Human Registration Office, wherever that was.
Jack told me it would most likely be at The Realm Headquarters, which wouldn’t be difficult to find once we arrived.
‘We’re getting close. Only another hour,’ Jack whispered a while later. There were dark circles under his eyes. I imagined that I must look quite a state too, for I had not washed properly in three days. I felt as though a layer of grime covered my skin.
I could not keep my eyes open. Night had fallen and I was soon fast asleep, leaning on a haystack, my head lolling from side to side with the swaying of the cart. I slipped in and out of lurid dreams and was vaguely aware that Jack was snoring, but the sound seemed distant.
It felt like only a few minutes had passed, but I woke to Jack shaking me gently by the shoulders.
‘Hey,’ Jack’s face loomed in and out of focus. ‘Wake up.’
‘Mmh?’ I was groggy and for a moment forgot where I was or what I was doing.
‘We’ve stopped,’ said Jack in a hushed voice. ‘I think we are here.’
‘Where is here?’ I asked, disoriented.
‘He’s stopped for a bathroom break,’ Jack said peeking through the tarp. ‘He’s gone into the trees, but I can see lights ahead. I say we get off this thing before he realizes we’re here.’
‘Good idea.’ I said, before turning to Hawthorne and poking him awake, ‘C’mon, we’ve got to get off this cart before he finds us.’
Hawthorne, thoroughly upset, slid past me and let himself off of the cart. He vanished into the darkness within a matter of seconds.
‘You next,’ said Jack, still keeping an eye out for the driver. ‘Go now, I think he’s coming back.’
Hurriedly, I edged my way to the end of the cart so my legs dangled off the side. I could hear boots crunching through the grass not far away; the driver was returning. Quietly, I slid from the cart and slinked into the nearby bushes. From there, I watched as Jack dismounted the cart and followed me into the same bushes. Together we watched the cart driver mount his carriage and trundle off down the winding road, coughing and wheezing as he went. When he was out of sight, all three of us straightened up and stretched.
‘That’s it,’ said Jack, pointing at the twinkling lights of the city. ‘Concord City, home of The Realm of Mages; the keepers of the peace.’
‘You mean the disturbers of the peace,’ I scowled.
Jack wrapped an arm around my shoulders, ‘Cheer up, Red. Your family is there. Let’s go and find them.’
So Jack, Hawthorne and I set off down the road towards Concord City. We could see it’s enormous iron gates, flanked by huge torches burning in their brackets in the distance. There were no guards outside the walls of Concord City, unlike Frost Arch. Huge stone gargoyles sat upon columns on either side of the wrought iron entrance. The gates were wide open in welcome, yet I felt as though I were walking towards a giant mouth, which would lead to the stomach of a monster.
The trail turned into an even stone path and my boots clicked loudly upon the surface. Hawthorne’s wings fidgeted uncomfortably and he was looking towards the gates apprehensively.
‘It’s all right.’ I put my hand on his furry shoulder. ‘you can go. I’ll come to you if I need you.’
Hawthorne looked at me sadly and guilt weighed heavy on my heart.
‘Don’t look at me like that,’ I told him, stroking his face. ‘You know I don’t want to be apart.’
‘You can’t go where there are other people,’ Jack added. ‘You will cause a riot. People would be afraid.’
Hawthorne eyed the gates wearily. As usual, I could guess what he was thinking as though we were connected.
‘I’m not neglecting you.’ I wrapped my arms around his wide neck and hugged him. ‘Once all of this is over we will settle down. No more hiding, no more travelling. I promise. It will be just you and me Hawthorne.’
‘And me,’ Jack chimed in.
‘And Jack,’ I agreed, giving Hawthorne a kiss on the nose. ‘But you’ll always be number one,’ I whispered.