The Ashes of Allmau: The Orfolk of Allmau

Chapter 20

Embers danced for the stars overhead, buoyed by the convections of a bonfire created to keep the men warm. 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 old access path, that ran at a parallel incline to Red Bed. It was a relatively straight path, that offered a view over the ravine from which they could look out for the girl.

At a point along this road, the ground flattened out into a large open space where they built a fire and took turns resting and scouting ahead. Euol sat beside the fire, tending to blistered and raw 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 shoe were back on, he went to stand.

Having been off his feet for several minutes, it was as if the nerves had chance to assess the damage. He flinched and fell back in his seat seconds after standing.

"Wait," said Sabian dryly, "You need to rest."

"I need to be out there," he said.

"If you can't look after yourself, how're you going to look after anyone else?" he asked.

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 Euol.

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

"I'm fine," he said.

Rory quizzed him with a look, "I just need a minute."

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

"Thanks,"

"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," said Euol.

"True," he said, "but I knew your father, she's got his adventurous spirit."

Euol shook his head, and looked at the fire, "Look, I know how you feel. I've been trying to catch up with my sister for years. After, something happened, she completely transformed. She sort of, died."

Euol glanced to Rory, who turned his attention to the fire, "You mean, Rosalyne?" Euol asked.

Rory nodded, "You're not meant to be here, are you?" he asked.

Rory shook his head, "No,"

"So, what's going on?"

"Rosalyne left the family, a long time ago. She and our father had, an argument. It was all a bit chaotic, he hurt her." He explained, "After that, it was weird. She sort just died off. All the energy and light inside her, all the hope, good intentions and empathy just – ended. She sort of fell in on herself."

"What happened?"

"Not long after, she left Langsine and moved to Iago, she joined the Scion. I never expected it, she wasn't really that sort of person. But, to tell the truth, I look at her now and feel like it's not her there, like someone else is driving and she's somewhere in the back of her own mind."

"That's weird," thought Euol.

Rory nodded and smirked, "Yeah, it's hard to explain. But everything you've seen of her, it's not the real her. I've been trying to get through to her and help her, but she doesn't listen."

Euol nodded, "Who's Meryt?"

"Meryt?"

"You mentioned Meryt was with Ahna on the train, he was an orfolk?"