A Good Man Awakens

Chapter 17: The Farming Life

Nearing the farm, Reece slowed the wagon down and shouted back to me. "The Arcana are at the farmhouse. Looks like they're inside—I can see their horses tethered up outside. When we're back, you untie Loly and take her for a drink. The trough's just behind the farmhouse. Try to stay out of sight and don't talk to the Arcana. Do you understand?"

I grunted in response, sinking deeper into the barrels, their rough wood biting into my back. There was definitely something more going on here. Reece's insistence on keeping me away from the Arcana felt... off, the same as when we'd crossed paths with them on the road. What was he hiding? Or was it something about me?

The wagon jerked to a halt at the rear of the farmhouse. Reece dismounted, his boots landing heavily on the ground as he made a straight line for the farmhouse door. I stayed behind, doing as I'd been told, removing the harness from poor Loly's back. The leather had left deep indentations in her side, a stark reminder of the hard life these farm animals endured. I patted her nose, offering what little comfort I could as I led her for a drink.

The quiet moment with Loly allowed my mind to wander. My thoughts swirled with the day's events. That strange energy I had felt in the orchard, the tendrils of power that seemed to connect everything—the trees, the apples, even Reece and me. It was still buzzing under my skin, like a current of warmth I couldn't quite grasp.

I absentmindedly grabbed an apple from one of the barrels, intending to share it with Loly, but when I bit into it, the taste was bitter and rotten, despite its outward appearance. I spat it out, disgusted, and went to toss the apple aside when Reece's voice snapped at me from the corner of the barn.

"What do you think you're doing? Those are for the collection. They're not for you—put it back."

I dropped the apple, turning to face him. Something shifted in the air between us. The tendrils of energy I had sensed before seemed to flare up again, now clearly visible as they flowed in and out of him, flickering like embers. My confidence swelled—I was going to confront his behavior, once and for all.

But before I could speak, Reece's tone softened, his earlier hostility replaced by something more cautious. "Da wants you inside. The Arcana are gone."
"What?" I stumbled over the word, momentarily thrown off. I had been so focused on what I was going to say that his sudden shift caught me off guard. "The Arcana are gone?"

"Yeah. Da wants you in the farmhouse," Reece said, avoiding my gaze as he busied himself with untying Loly. "I'll take care of her. You're a strange one, Rags, that's for sure. Now go on, hurry up. There's still plenty of work to do when you're done."

Feeling a twinge of unease, I headed inside, my heart pounding in my chest. Ged was seated at the table when I entered, his massive frame somehow smaller than it had been earlier in the day. His once broad shoulders slumped with weariness, and the deep lines on his face seemed more pronounced. His gray beard, streaked with white, covered much of his weathered face, but his eyes—clear and sharp—were fixed on me.

"Ragan, my lad," Ged began, his voice low and gravelly. He nudged a chair toward me with his boot, the old wooden legs scraping against the floor. "Come and sit down for a moment. We need to have a little chat."

"Reece said you've been a great help this morning. That's great news, my lad."
I raised an eyebrow at that. Had Reece really said something nice about me?
"Just trying to help," I said, forcing a smile. "You know, pay my way."

Ged leaned forward, his hands clasped together on the table. "Did you see the Arcana outside?"
"Not outside, but me and Reece met them on the road to the orchard. I didn't speak to them much, Reece... well, Reece did most of the talking." My fingers brushed against the side of my head, still tender from where Reece had struck me. Even though he'd lashed out, I couldn't bring myself to tell Ged. I don't know why, but it felt... wrong.