Starborn Legacy (A Starborn Series prequel)

Chapter seven

Today was the day: the Starborn were on their way.

Phoebe sat atop the sturdy stone cairn that had been used as a wayfinder for longer than she'd been alive and scanned the trees for signs of movement. It was already midday and she'd been posted at the cairn since sun-up, assigned by her father to greet the visitors whenever they arrived. Her stomach grumbled noisily. Usually, Phoebe wasn't the type to skip a meal, but today she felt bound by duty to keep her post. Besides, she was too excited to eat.

She heard them before she saw them. The sound of hundreds of hooves plodding along the forest floor gave the impression of a low rumble of thunder, warning of a gathering storm. Phoebe, who had been passing the time by mindlessly weaving her long hair into a series of tiny braids, sat up straight and listened carefully. Every so often a horse's snort or a joyful laugh would punctuate the air as the travelers grew closer, leaving Phoebe wiggling with anticipation. Then, when she finally saw the druids emerge between the trees, her face split into a wide grin and she carefully picked her way down the stone mound to meet them.

"Hello!" she called, waving a hand overhead.

"How are ya' now?" replied a broad woman atop a bright-eyed dunskin mare at the head of the group. Like everyone else of age in her clan, the woman's round, brown cheeks were marked with a series of intricate dotwork tattoos that acted as a perfect frame for her golden eyes. Her name was Samsi, and she was Rue's mother.

She dismounted her horse with ease and gave the massive animal a couple solid pats before turning to Phoebe. Delighted, Phoebe rushed forward and let Samsi pull her into one of her crushing hugs. Relentlessly tight as Samsi's embrace was, Phoebe loved them. Samsi hugged like she meant it, and Phoebe loved that too.

"Good, and you?" Phoebe pulled back from the embrace, taking a breath of Samsi's earthy musk with her. The horse snuffled at her ear, making her laugh. "How was the trip?" She looked up at Samsi, expecting to see the creases of her crows feet deepen as she smiled, but instead found tired eyes gazing back at her.

"Long," Samsi sighed. "Grandad's health hasn't been the best lately, so we've been moving a bit slower than we're used to." She hitched a thumb over her shoulder. "Castid and Rue are at the rear with him, making sure he doesn't fall off his horse."

"I'm sorry, Samsi," Phoebe said. To her, the druid elder had always seemed particularly frail. She didn't know exactly how old he was, but she was certain that he was the oldest person she'd ever laid eyes on. That he could possibly be in worse shape than what she was used to was baffling to her. "Does he need help?"

Samsi shook her head. "No, child — he's just old, and there's not much you can do about that. I'm sure he'll be glad to have a bit of rest now that we're here though."

"Well, the path is clear and everything's ready for you. I'll help you set up his tent when we get there."

"You're a good girl, Phoebe. Thank you."

By now the rest of the group had joined muster. Phoebe glanced around, hoping to spot Rue. Samsi chuckled.

"Like I said, she's at the back." Samsi pulled herself back onto her horse. "Hurry up — she's excited to see you."

With a nod of thanks, Phoebe scurried out of the way to let the other horses through. She skirted around the edge of the group and pushed to the back of the herd where she spotted three horses picking their way slowly forward. Phoebe was alarmed when she realized that only two of the horses had riders. On one sat Rue, her voluminous hair bouncing with every step her steed took. She held the reins of the riderless horse in her hands, leading it like a small and easily distracted child. Her father, Castid, rode bareback beside her. It took Phoebe a moment to realize that Rue's grandfather, frail-faced and bundled up despite the warmth of the afternoon, was also seated on the horse with Castid. He sat slumped against his son's back and wrapped in place with a sash. It made Phoebe think of the way parents wore their babies in slings, and she was embarrassed for the old man.