The Phoenix Stone

Chapter Ten

I looked at him with a shocked expression on my face. I'd never met another Phoenixborn but I had known that both my mother and my father had been Phoenixborn. "You're Phoenixborn," I repeated, making sure that's what he'd said and I hadn't heard him wrong.

He grinned. "Yep. That's what I said."

"Show me your Phoenixmark," I demanded. I was so distracted that I nearly let go of the pot and let it float down the river.

"If that's what it takes for you to believe me then sure." He pulled his collar down and turned towards me slightly. Sure enough, on his collarbone there was a small Phoenixmark.

Before I realized what I was doing I reached out to touch it. He flinched at my touch and quickly covered the mark up again.

My eyes were shining when I looked at him. "I've never met another Phoenixborn before! Do you know what your best skill is?"

He shook his head. "Nope. But I'm good at everything which makes it better. Do you know what yours is?"

"No. I haven't really been able to try anything other than magic and healing 'cause my grandmother couldn't teach me." I stood up and rubbed the pot dry. "We should probably get back to the campsite before they start to worry about us."

He agreed and we walked back to the clearing. As I'd predicted, Kael and Izel were starting to worry about us and were relieved when we appeared. We packed the final things up and started back off. Kael was desperate to get moving again because he said that we were probably going to be around a day late already and we couldn't lose any more time.

As we walked through the forest we chatted casually and admired the beautiful forest around us. The Eagle Lotuses were in full flower and absolutely covered the forest floor with magnificent pink and yellow blossoms. The lone boulders scattered throughout the woodland were covered in a soft blanket of bright green moss and there were flowering vines creeping up some of the trees. It didn't feel like very long before we left Brimsbury Woods and came to a tiny harbour village called Stillford. It was so small that it only took us fifteen minutes to walk across the entire town. We stopped for a little while to buy some food before heading to the port.

When we approached the ferry manager, Kael said quietly to us, "Let me do the talking. Let's just say, he and I have a bit of a history." He changed his volume and yelled to where the ferryman was sitting on the porch of a rundown shack. "Hey, Newt, old buddy. I'm back!"

The ferryman looked up from where he was sitting reading an outdated newspaper. "Back so soon, Kael? I thought you'd stay a little longer this time. Y'know, with all that's happenin' down in the Nolyra Province."

Kael frowned. "I'm not running from this fight, Newt. Maybe one day you'll come back to the army?"

Chuckling coldly, Newt answered, "Never." He waved his stump of an arm in the air. "This showed me that I could never ever be a soldier, no matter my feelings for the cause." He stood up shakily and stretched his back. "So it's a ride you need, eh? Come with me. I'll see what I can do for you folks." He led us down to the dock where a small ferry boat was tied, waiting for its next journey. When he saw our skeptical looks he looked indignant. "I promise it's safe! You trust me don't you, Kael?"

Kael didn't answer.

When no one said a thing, Izel pulled Kael aside. "Listen Kael, this is the only way we're going to get back to the Mainland." She glanced at the boat distastefully. "Like it or lump it, it's what we've got and we probably can't do any better so let's just pay him and be on our way."

He nodded and turned back to Newt. "We'll take her."

"Brilliant!" he beamed. "Boys! Get 'er ready for a trip! On the double!"