Tad nodded in agreement.
Gareth relaxed somewhat. The first voice was like a jealous ten-year-old who couldn’t have his own way with a toy. In a crowd, he could draw all attention. But he also had no restraints on what he said or did. He looked to Ann, “My mind was like that when I was young?”
“No. You sent your thoughts out for us to hear, without control, but never with the hate and rage that this person exhibits. For days, your voice was like someone shouting to us in a cave, but then you learned to tone it down. Then medication the Sisterhood provided also helped.”
“This voice uses his talent as a weapon. I felt him trying to get into my mind and take it over.”
“What would he have done?” Ann asked, her hand going to his shoulder in comfort.
“Probably he would have forced me to jump off a cliff or slit my throat.”
Both Ann and Tad reacted with open mouths and shocked expressions.
Gareth said, “Wait a second, I’m sorry. That’s what he wanted, but I fought him off. Now that I understand he can attack like that with his mind, I have blocked all but a portion of his thoughts. He’ll never get that chance again.”
Tad said, “Can you show me how to block my mind?”
“I will. We’ll begin instruction when we ride again.”
“Me too?” Ann asked.
Gareth stood and used a hand on the horse to steady himself. He hadn’t broken anything, but there were a few bruises, and his forearm was sore and scraped raw. He glanced around. The land was rolling with lots of oak and maple on either side. They had passed a few farms and one village. From the position of the sun, it was near mid-day.
As if reading his mind, which he may have done, Tad said, “I’m hungry.”
Mounting his horse, Gareth said, “Soon as we find a place we’ll eat. Right now we need to move as fast as we can and keep our supplies in reserve.”
Tad and Ann both leaped to their saddles. They continued on the road, seeing fewer travelers than expected, and when they came to a crossroads, they found a small inn. A weatherworn sign hung over the door, a crude image of a dog with spots. A boy no older than Tad emerged and offered to feed their horses.
Inside, the main room was made of stone, walls and floor. It felt almost dank and wet inside, like a cave. No fire burned, and no candles shed their light. The tables were empty and dirty. Through another door, an old woman appeared to be cleaning the kitchen, but no welcoming smells drifted to them. She turned, looked surprised and hurried to the table where they were sitting.
“You sort of snuck up on me.”
“Is the inn open for business?” Ann asked, her eyes glancing around in distrust.
“Course we are. Just got no customers at the moment.”
Ann directed her attention to the woman. “Why not?”
“Travelers are stayin’ put at their homes with the fright, and all.”
“I’m sorry, we’ve just arrived on a ship and don’t know about any fright.”
“The demon boy. You didn’t hear him talkin’ in your head a while ago?”
Ann glanced at Gareth. “We don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The old woman made a hand-sign intended to ward off evil. Her eyes flashed with disbelief, and her voice turned cold. “We don’t have any rooms for the night. Just bread and cheese to eat, so if that’s what you’re looking for, you can eat it on the road.”
Not to be pushed around, Ann scooted her chair back and motioned to the room at large. “No rooms to rent? I see you are overwhelmed with customers at the moment. And you do not offer us a table, but try to send us on our way with a loaf of bread and slices of cheese? I will tell you this, woman. Keep your food and I’ll pass on to my people your lack of hospitality.”
The old woman turned and stalked into the kitchen without another word.
Ann shrugged, “Sorry. I guess we find another place to eat.”
Tad looked upset but didn’t protest. They walked out the door and to the barn, where the boy was brushing the horses while they ate oats from a trough. He looked up in surprise that they were already leaving.
Ann drew thin copper from a pocket and held it out. “We didn’t ask for you to care for our horses so well. This is for you.”
“I can brush them all if you give me a little time.”
“No, we need to be on our way. Oh, I do have a question. Did you hear the demon-boy?”
“You bet I did. Not out loud, of course. In here,” he pointed to his temple.
Ann nodded and said, “Tell me what you heard.”
“Same as you, I guess. He said he was coming here, and we have to be scared of him, or he’ll kill all of us. Stuff like that.”
“But he didn’t call you by name. He said it about everyone, right?”
“It sure seemed like he was talking to me.”
Gareth said, “Is there another inn on this road?”
“No, but there’s a bakery in Turtle Creek,” he pointed in the direction they were heading, “Not far.”
The three rode away somewhat confused and still hungry. Gareth said, “Tad, we’ll get you some food, don’t worry.”
“I can stand it. That stable boy was almost too scared to talk.”
Ann said, “The old woman, too.” She turned to Gareth. “We are sensitives and didn’t hear a thing. Can you explain that?”
Gareth reigned in his horse. A path angled away from the road, more than the usual animal trail, more of a footpath made by people. A chill seemed to come over him, and he pointed. “No, I cannot. We leave the road here.”
Tad nudged his horse, first. Ann paused, looking as if she would say something else, then she followed. Gareth went last, but his mind was on full alert, as were his eyes and ears. When they came to a small clearing, Gareth said, “We need to stop here.”
He dismounted and walked around the clearing, his mind far away. Gareth turned to Ann. “Where is Freeport from here?”
She considered, and said, “West. And north.”
“If we had stayed with the ship and we would have traveled this same road, only further north, unless I’m mistaken.”
She nodded. “It is the same road. You’re right.”
Gareth said, “This route is a trap.”
Even Tad looked worried. Gareth let the pieces fall into place in his mind, as he planned their next move.
Ann said, “How so?”
“The people on the ship and in the first town heard nothing in their minds. People here, even those without sensitive powers heard the new voice. That tells me whoever it is, is nearby. Waiting for me,” Gareth said, masking any stray thoughts from escaping and increasing the veil he had over Tad.
“How does he know where you’ll be?”
“He knows I’ll go directly to the home of my father. He knows where I’m coming from.”
“Your father lived near here?”
“I believe this is one of only two or three roads that I’d travel to get there, and all of them are fairly close to here. They intersect not far from here.”
Ann soothed the horses that now seemed skittish. She watched Tad, too.
Gareth sat on a fallen log and said, “Keep an eye on things. I have a few things to do.”
Not waiting for her to acknowledge his request, he closed his eyes and touched the mind of the black dragon. “Blackie, have you seen any other dragons in the sky?”
“No.” The dragon hadn’t really said, no. It had simply sent a mental image suggesting a negative feeling.
“Can you sense where I am?”
This time, the feeling was affirmative.
“Fly to where you found Cinder. Do not land or go near him. Do not even go near the valley, just fly high over it.”
Gareth felt the reluctance in Blackie to return to where Cinder died, but the dragon finally took wing. First, Gareth had to tell the dragon he was not to fly near the valley where Cinder lay dead, other than to fly high enough over it that he couldn’t see the other dragon. Gareth opened his eyes and said, “Ann, can you find a rabbit or something for Tad to eat, please. This will take some time.”