The Sins of the Father

Chapter Fourteen

"You know," Alexis commented as she plucked the leaf off her apple. "If Herobrine has been looking for an Aether portal and hasn't found it yet, how are we supposed to find one first? He has a decent head start."

"His method doesn't seem to be working for him." Stephen pointed out as he grabbed an apple for himself. "Threatening people and killing them, that is. Maybe just asking would have a better result."

"Right, because going out in the open to interrogate people certainly wouldn't reveal our location." Cafos grumbled, sitting against a tree. He had refused the apple that Alexis had offered him, but now seemed to be reconsidering.

"Not interrogate," Alexis corrected. "Ask. Did you 'interrogate' people when looking for us? Did you interrogate Hugo?" Cafos stared at her, and Stephen supplied,

"The innkeeper."

"Oh. No." Cafos considered this for a moment. "I suppose... I could use my authority as a valkyrie in order to get information."

"But we would have to know who to ask." Stephen mused. "So who would know where an Aether portal was?"

"A valkyrie." Cafos answered. "But it would take a... convincing cover story to explain why we don't know where one is."

"Why don't you know where one is?" Alexis asked. In response, Cafos lifted his good wing.

"We can fly, princess." He said, ignoring the funny look the redhead gave him. "We don't need a portal to travel to the Aether. And I've never left the camp before."

"Unfortunately, your ability to fly is out of commission for the foreseeable future." Stephen frowned at his apple, deep in thought. "Would you be able to carry both of us, even if you could fly?" Cafos gave them an appraising look, one at a time.

"Maybe." He said at last. "Probably not. It's a long way."

"We could say we need to warn Notch about Herobrine." Alexis suggested.

"I'm sure he already knows." Stephen said. "It's his valkyries that are being killed."

"But we have more information."

"Maybe that would work, maybe it wouldn't." Cafos shook his head. "And if it doesn't, word of our location could make it back to Lucius." Stephen grimaced a bit.

"What... well, who else would know?"

"A nobleman might." Cafos mused, now gazing at the apples in Alexis's bucket. "And I would probably be able to exert authority over him - or, at least convince him that I need to know."

"So we find a nobleman. That shouldn't be too difficult, right?" Alexis asked tentatively. Cafos shook his head.

"One lives quite close, if my memory is correct. Lord Giles of Blackhaven."

"Then we pay him a visit." Stephen dragged himself up, stretching and wincing as his joints popped. He was still fatigued from teleporting too much in a short time, but they didn't have the luxury of waiting around. The longer they waited, the more lives his father would take. "Which way?"

"West." Cafos dragged himself upright as well, flinching and tucking his injured wing against his back. "If we start now, we might be there by noon."

"Alright." Stephen offered Alexis a hand and helped her to her feet. "Let's go."

~~

It was, in fact, midmorning when the Blackhaven manor came into view. Apparently Cafos had greatly underestimated the speed at which one could travel on foot, which was understandable since valkyries traveled almost exclusively by air. Stephen was silently glad for this, as it was likely a significant factor in how successful he had been in tracking them down.