The Dragon and His Rider

Chapter 25

The fringes of the Kingdom of Guerin are in sight. Eedris has grown to the size of a medium sized dog and now has to walk in his own.

"Jovena, you will have to walk from here. You know the plan." Beadurinc says. "Oscar, come on."

Jovena and Jifunza get off their horses and put on the black hooded cloaks that Beadurinc brought with him. They fasten them around themselves and then walk into the kingdom, leaving Oscar, Beadurinc, and Eedris behind.

"Remember." Eedris says to Jovena. "That I am here if any trouble happens to spring upon you."

"Thank you." Jovena says. "Now you need to focus and let me focus as well."

"Alright. Good luck." Eedris says, then they are both silent, becoming enriched in their assignments.

"Jo, where is your mothers house? I believe we are nearing the richer sections." Jifunza says after walking for a while.

"Yes we are. But she's staying at my fathers house, which is in the second level of the kingdom." Jovena tells her.

"Wonderful." Jifunza says. Jovena nods.

"Okay. It's time." Jovena says. Both girls pull their hoods over their heads and then turn off the main road into an alleyway. Jovena goes first, climbing from the wine barrel and pulling herself up onto the roof, and then Jifunza climbs up herself. They stand up and lightly walk across the roof. They jump from roof to roof, placing their feet in the most precise of places until they are just accross the street from Jovena's parents house.

"That's the house." Jovena tells Jifunza. "Let's go."

Jovena going first, they slide off the roof and into the alleyway, full of empty chicken boxes and old wine barrels. They peek out from behind the shop and then dart accross the street into the alleyway next to Jovena's old home. They sneak around to the back of the building to find a locked door. Jovena takes out Daithi, cuts around the lock, then pushes open the wooden door. They tiptoe inside and separate. Jifunza goes to the front door and locks it, making sure no one can come in. Jovena silently goes upstairs to the living quarters.

Her father she finds first, drunk senseless in a chair at the dinner table, asleep. She walks past him into the kitchen, where no one is. Jovena pulls out Daithi and then goes into her parents room, the only other place her mother could be. And she is correct.

"Stand." Jovena says, pointing her sword at her mothers back, which is curved since she is leaning over something.

Her mother jumps in suprise and swirls around to see her daughter. "Jovena?" She asks. "I must be having a nightmare. Goodness, me."

"No, mother, you are not. But you are coming with me or I will kill you." Jovena says harshly.

"In front of your little sister?" Jovena's mother says with a fake innocent expression on her face. Jovena scrunches her face in confusion.

"I have no sister." Jovena says, squinting her eyes. "No sister that I know about."

"Well, of course you don't!" Jovena's mother says happily. "Put the sword away now, dear."

Jovena looks at her mother consciously but puts her sword away due to curiosity. Her mother steps aside and behind her is a basket packed with furs and a baby wrapped in a pink blanket. Jovena kneels down next to the basket and looks down at the baby staring up at her with big, brown eyes.

"Why are her eyes brown? Both your eyes and fathers eyes are blue." Jovena asks, picking the baby up and cradling her in her arms.

"I think I was just a little to kind to one of the Royal Guards after you left..." Jovena's mother says bashfully.

"I've only been gone for two months." Jovena says, confused.

"Oh, yes, I know. The apothecary on the corner in the upper level of the kingdom I went to had a witch for a wife. She conjured a potion to get Jonet out of me in just a month." Jovena's mother says, then sits on her bed.

"Why did you want her out so fast?" Jovena asks.

"So I could give her away faster." She tells Jovena.

"What!" Jovena exclaims, snapping her head towards her mother. "Give her away!"

"Yes. She's been sold into maid-ship already." Her mother says. Jovena pulls out Daithi with one arm, holding Jonet in her other arm.

"Get up. Let's go." Jovena says, pointing Daithi at her mother. Quickly, she stands up and is directed by her daughter at sword point past her husband, down the stairs, and into the shop to Jufunza.

"We have a change of plans." Jovena says to Eedris, placing Jonet into Jifunza's open arms. "A big change."