The Ashes of Allmau: The Orfolk of Allmau

Chapter 13

Tizeal wafted her hands through the steam of several pots and pans, combing the scents in her culinary conjuring's to determine that breakfast was, "Nearly done. You and Ahna can take the leftovers to those sailors later. I'm sure they'll appreciate some real food before their journey home."

"Very true." Sybble agreed, taking in the scent of sugars and spices, "I'll go get Ahna," she said, leaving Tizeal to finish.

Having been Sybble's morning routine for several years now, she stepped out of the dugout home, and into autopilot. She walked straight past the tent, where within Euol still slept, and started towards the common. She spared a glance and the white tents that sat upon the knoll in the middle of the dale. For a moment, this odd sight broke her from her trance, and she couldn't help but feel an odd energy in the air. She shrugged it off, everything would be back to normal by the next morning.

She strode to the back of the common, past Elyth's home where the town matriarch could be seen out on her terrace waking up with the sun. A few visitors walked along the paths to the common, foreign sailors with local ladies, carrying flowers in their hands. Sybble smirked knowing full well the rumour mill would be in full spin by the afternoon. The dales opened onto the common, the mist had settled around the brambles and there was a lulling peace.

"Ahna?" Sybble called out, making her way through the long grass to Ahna's usual vigil.

She wasn't there.

Sybble stared at the spot, as though Ahna was there but invisible. She shook her head and looked up, wondering for a moment whether she was in the right place. Had she walked out of the wrong exit? She peered down the common. The unending natural road meandered onwards without a soul in sight.

Her heart skipped a beat, she turned sharply and looked up the common, a route that ran past every other town in the Seven Sounds. A few traders wandered by, but that was all. No one amongst the grass.

"Ahna?" Sybble called again, a sudden dread filling her naturally anxious soul.

Euol lay in his hammock staring up at the ceiling of the tent in a half-asleep state, dreaming of smuggling himself onboard one of the ships and sailing off to Eymier. Leaving all this behind, 'this' was. His mother and father were great people, nobles of Langsine, the idea of lounging around here, waiting for something to change had become detestable. Nothing changed in this place, it was wayward of the real world. He wondered what Langsine was like. He was far too young to remember anything from there. The only thing he could get out of Sybble were memories of a constant grey drizzle. Both had been so young when their parents decided to uproot and move to the Seven Sounds. With such a world taken from him at such a young age, and then to be abandoned in these Sleepy Sounds – it all felt unfair.

With a burst of cold air, Sybble entered the tent.

He huffed and groaned, "I'm awake." readying himself to move.

Sybble said nothing, her unwavering gaze was focused on Ahna's plumped hammock. Euol glanced over to her, her expression wrought with anxiety - more so than usual.

"Ahna?" She asked calmly.

Euol said nothing. He glanced to his little sister's bed and noticed how it was unnaturally still. Sybble strode across the yurt to the hammock. She pulled away the covers and after a pause, wilted away from the bed, holding in her hands one of the pillows that had lined the hammock.

Sybble looked up at him from the pillow, Euol frowned, "What is it?"

"Where's Ahna?" she asked.

Still waking up he shrugged and shook his head, "Isn't she on the common?"