The Ashes of Allmau: The Orfolk of Allmau

Chapter 19

Embers danced for the stars, buoyed by the convections of a bonfire created to keep the men warm. Throughout the afternoon they'd followed the tracks to the train and discovered Ahna's prints in the silt basin of Red Bed. Rather than following the meandering river along its wild ravine, a few keen eyes had found an overgrown access path that ran parallel to Red Bed. It was a comparatively direct path that offered a view over the ravine from which they could look out.

At a point along the road, the ground flattened out into a large open space where they built a fire and took turns resting and scouting. Euol sat beside the fire tending to his blistered feet. He struggled to keep still long, knowing full well that Ahna was close by. Sabian helped clean and bandage the wounds. Not a second after his shoes were on, he went to stand. The pain was still raw, he flinched and fell back.

"You need to rest." advised Sabian.

"No," he argued, "I need to be out there."

"If you can't look after yourself, how're you going to look after your sister?"

Euol sighed and leaned back, "Five minutes."

Sabian rolled his eyes, glancing to Rory who smirked. He then went off to find some food and water leaving Rory to distract the impetuous boy.

"How're you feeling?" Rory asked, nodding to his feet.

"I'm fine," he said, "I just need a minute."

"He's right," Rory added, "It's all well and good wanting to save others, but if you can't look after yourself, you're just a liability."

Euol gave a flat "Thanks," and looked away.

"We'll find her," Rory added, "Probably tonight, the suns gone down I can't imagine she'll go too far."

"You don't know her,"

"True," he agreed, "but I knew your father. She's got his spirit."

Euol shook his head and stared into the fire, Rory continued, "I've been trying to catch up with my sister for years."

Euol glanced to Rory, "You mean, Rosalyne?" he asked.

Rory nodded.

"You're not meant to be here, are you?" Euol asked.

Rory shook his head, "Nope."

"So, what happened?"

"Rosalyne left the family a long time ago. She and our father had, an argument. It was all a bit chaotic." He explained, "She left Langsine and joined the Scion. I never expected it, she wasn't really that sort of person."

"What was the argument about?" Euol asked, thinking back to his own moment with Ahna.

"Ah," Rory paused and thought, "I can't remember how it all started, but it all boiled down to him not being there for us."

Euol huffed a deep breath, "He was absent in a different kind of way." Rory explained, "Your dad was much more engaged with us, especially Rosalyne and me."

"Anyway, things were said. My father lost his temper and he struck her down, in front of everyone."

Euol flinched at the sound of that, "Then what happened?"

"Rosalyne was always very calm in stressful situations. She got up, composed herself, and then just left."

"She left?"

"Yep," he said, "She just left."

"Where were you?"

"Hiding." Admitted Rory, "Our father used to scare me. Don't get me wrong. He had some great moments, but as time went on, he was just consumed more and more with what was happening in the wider world. It transformed him."