Page 7 of Salt in the Seas
“It would be good to get an update though,” Gaeren conceded. “Cyrus and I could stay behind and split up to cover twice the number of cities while you and Gullet check on the Recreants. If you think it’s too far for Gullet, you can travel south to Andel. They’ll have dozens of ships heading north along the east coast, and you won’t have to worry about running into anyone from Elanesse.”
Even saying the name of his family, the name shared by the capital city of Vendaras, gave him an odd mix of nostalgia and pain. As the prince and second in line to the throne, he’d been set up to be his sister’s throne warden. After all he’d seen, he knew his family shouldn’t be on the throne, but he wasn’t sure what the right solution was. And he still loved his sister, despite the fact that he and Riveran had last left Elanesse as traitors to the crown.
Even if he wanted to return home, he couldn’t.
“Splitting up seems dangerous,” Riveran said. “What if we both return home, then send a new delegation to check in with Cyrus? If Rildan shows up, he can stay with Cyrus at the Stargazer until we return.”
This time Cyrus argued, unwilling to miss his chance to return to Vendaras. They spent the remainder of the journey north to Gahldric Valley going in circles with their arguments. When the Stargazer’s grounds came into view at the edge of the hill overlooking Gahldric Valley, Gaeren felt a pang of homesickness. He wasn’t a stranger to the plains and valleys making up most of Lorvandas, but he missed the humid marshland he’d grown up in. As they stepped through the Stargazer’s gates and made their way toward the buildings surrounding the tower, they were no closer to a decision, but the scent of cooked apples wafted through the kitchen windows.
“A piece of pie will help us all think more clearly,” Cyrus announced, and while Gaeren didn’t agree, he wasn’t about to turn down pie.
Gullet took off for the orchard to find his own dinner, and Bartholem greeted them in the kitchens, his slow gait keeping him from meeting worshipers at the entrance. According to Cyrus, his grandfather had aged significantly in the six moons Cyrus had been gone. He was old enough that it could have been natural degeneration, but Gaeren suspected it was brought on by the loss of his wife, who’d been killed by Aeliana’s captors.
“Did you have any luck today?” The shy priestess looked everywhere but at Cyrus as she handed him a heaping plate of apple pie.
“One man thought the picture looked familiar,” Cyrus said as the three of them sat at a table.
Gaeren’s ears perked up. Why hadn’t Cyrus said anything on the road?
“But then he showed me his son and said I was welcome to take the boy off his hands.”
Bartholem laughed and patted Cyrus on the shoulder. “Tomorrow is another day.”
Cyrus dug into his pie, but Gaeren and Riveran waited for thepriestess to bring bowls of stew and plates of bread. When they’d first arrived, Gaeren had thought it was a Lorvandan tradition to eat dessert before dinner, but he’d soon learned that was unique to Cyrus. Or maybe just when his smitten priestess was baking.
Bartholem joined them, taking in half a bowl of stew and part of a slice of bread. His long white hair and beard only added to his frailness, but his face held the wrinkles of wisdom and his eyes the depths of experience.
“Bartholem, how would you go about searching for Rildan?” Gaeren asked. “If you were in our place, would you split up to cover more ground? Send someone home for aid? Continue traveling together to each city?”
Riveran leaned back, waiting for the answer.
“Splitting up might get you answers faster,” Bartholem mused, “but I would consider offering a reward. You could return to Vendaras for aid, whether it be for more people or more finances. While you’re gone, the people of Lorvandas will search for you, eager for the reward. The resources you would have spent searching could be put toward payment for information instead.”
All three men stared at each other, considering this new option.
“Are we draining the Stargazer’s resources?” Cyrus’ gaze took on a troubled look, but it didn’t stop him from pushing aside his empty dessert plate and reaching for his bowl of stew.
Bartholem chuckled. “You’ve all helped out enough here to earn your keep. But after Harvest Day, there will be little work to do and fewer resources to share.”
“I’m not sure we’ll find more in Vendaras,” Gaeren admitted. “I’m guessing Sylmar’s struggling to support the remaining army, and it’s not like I’m on good enough terms to ask my parents for anything.”
Bartholem stood, leaning on the table for support. “I had an idea about that.” He shuffled to a covered basket near the door, and they all watched as he brought it back. “I was cleaning out the storage closet, and the label on this long-forgotten basket seemed familiar. If I understood your stories of Vendaras correctly, these ought to be valuable.”
He lifted the cloth to reveal its contents.
Dozens of tiny trinkets glinted up at them, all in varying shapesand sizes. Some looked like miniature weapons, others like figures or food. Gaeren and Riveran both gasped and leaned away, but Cyrus ran his hands through the basket as if shopping for wares. “Are these what I think they are?”
Bartholem’s eyes took on a twinkle, and he sent a knowing glance Gaeren and Riveran’s way.
“The label said ‘starlocks.’”
CHAPTER 4
“How do you have starlocks?”Gaeren asked.
“They’ve been collecting dust in our stores for centuries,” Bartholem admitted. “No one realized what kind of treasure they were. But now I suspect you’ll find a purpose for them.”
“You want us to sell them in Vendaras?” Riveran’s eyes widened in horror, his hand slipping to the X on his forehead. “That would seal my death.”
