Pursued - Entire book

Chapter 69

"Klair you ask the impossible." Poral said as he sat opposite him in a crowded tavern. "You don't know where you mother is but you want Koova's woodsmen to leave their livelihood in search for her? For how long and where?"

"I don't know. That's why I'm asking for your help." Klair countered and his voice turned accusatory. "Thanks to you, I've got Kapawn and Seiun constantly following me." He leaned forward. "Why did you have to deliver a start to Taaken? I may have remained anonymous hadn't you pointed the Kapawn right at me."

Poral stiffened.

"Finding a way to save an entire forest shouldn't be kept secret. They were very excited about it. Jerkanis was relieved to finally be able to leave Taaken." The man straightened. "Besides, you were eager to share your solution with the starts you sent to the over provinces." He snorted his tone lighter. "Who would have thought the refuse of wormwood would actually be in demand."

"That's not the point, I want—"

"Nothing to do with magic apparently," Poral finished waving his hand to Klair's head. The cords of Klair's apprenticeship as wood crafter hung loosely about his disheveled hair. In spite of the appearance of fast travel and weary features, the Seedling's hair remained its standard black sheen. "When I got you message, with the Whistler seal at the bottom, I wondered...

Kerrida would like to see you."

"No."

"You want to know why we directed you to Taaken." Poral's voice hardened to match Klair's. "You were adrift when we first met. Others usually choose their apprenticeships long before sixteen. You used magic quickly enough at the square. You risked your life to help us and I don't mean just by being buried."

At the tightening of Klair's lips, the woodsman admitted, "Kerrida told me about the worms inside you." He pressed on. "Even before that, we thought you would be more comfortable with—"

The woodsman stopped at Klair's hardening gaze.

Klair wanted to curse but restrained himself. He needed to persuade the woodsman's to help, not offend him. He rubbed at his sore hand. He had been scrubbing at the blue stain ever since he left the priests in the quicksand. He hoped he had removed most of it.

Weariness tugged at his body and the efforts of containing his rages were becoming frayed. The last two six-days were exhausting. Klair was determined to walk the distance instead of buying a horse. Any animal he was in close physical contact with let him sense their mood, like the cat in heat or a horse that was going lame. He didn't want the extra stimuli. He smiled at the familiar streets of Koova. It's a good distance between Poddle Flats and Koova. Seiun wouldn't know where he went.

"Let's get back to the business at hand," He said tapping his finger against the table. "You owe me."

Poral nodded. "We do." The woodsman threaded his hand through his braided hair. "Klair the men and women of our craft have families to support. We can't abandon them to wander around the country side to who knows where or for who knows how long." He placed his palm on the table. "We owe you but we can't just leave for such a long time." He leaned forward. "If you could give us specifics..."

The workers at The Whistler were helping. Klair felt a pang of guilt. They'd been away from their families for six days. Once Sticks confided she missed her family back in Petta? No wonder she got mad.

Klair fisted his hands under the table, trying to keep his temper in check. He'd let it reign far too easily of late. He knew it might be impossible to get all the woodsmen and women of Koova to abandon their homes to help him. The request or demand was unrealistic. What else could he do?

It was hard enough keeping ahead of the Seiun.

Should he just wander from city to city until he found her? He shifted. That may be his only option.

An alternative was to transfer the entire wealth of the Whistler to hire strangers to help search for her. But the employees of the workshop had their livelihood invested in the shop. And how could he determine that a stranger he had hired was truly working for him and not someone else.

Make the search big and obvious could concentrate unwanted attention to her and Scov when it would be better to seek them out quietly.

Who else could he ask or establish an alliance or barter with to get their help? His thoughts briefly touched upon the Kapawn but he tossed the idea away. They're as bad as the Seiun. Yet they sent searchers after Trenny and to find his mother after Klair torture. But, Ilock and Northrum were a bunch of Wogs.

The Kapawn lady seemed nice as long as he never touched her.

He stood up with the woodsman looking at him.

There was clear regret in the other's eyes. Poral seemed to be struggling with something. His face was a mix of emotions.

"What else can we do, Klair? Do you need money?

Klair snorted, feeling the weight of his money purse snugged close to his body. He'd been willing enough to give it to Ravenna had she agreed. She wanted a different payment. Would things have happened differently in Merrsain had he complied?

"I've got money."

The second offer came less quickly, but Poral was intense as he said it. "I'll commission my workshop's seal to you, if you wish it." A seal of a business was only given to the inheritor of that business.

Klair looked at him. Poral should be an elder of Koova with how much he loved and sacrificed for the city and land. He said instead, "Let Nerrideem keep his inheritance. I'm leaving."

Poral stood up. "Where?"

The Spawn studied him. "I don't know."

He left the tavern.

Leaving the city, Klair recalled how the Kapawn had already started their search for his mother. They might have already taken her to Taaken and he wouldn't know. If she didn't want to go, Scov will put up a stink. The minor had done a lot for her already. Obviously both Scov and Thorn wanted his mother safe. Each had friends to help.

The only way Klair would know if she was already in Taaken was to go there.

I don't want to stay. Could I leave afterwards?

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