Pursued - Entire book

Chapter 71

Klair stared down at his bowl of soup. It was the only way to not be obvious about letting it cool as he stretched out his senses. He was in the city Penostat. One of the places pinned on Maken's map. He sat in a tavern on the outskirts of the city. The room was filled to capacity, as people talked while they ate their meals. He sat alone in a shadowed corner of the room.

Mounted on all the walls was hundreds upon hundreds of snake skins. Each was missing their heads. Their hides were all colors, lengths and sizes.

Klair grinned.

The city took care of their own problem obviously.

A family in the center of the room was laughing together.

Their humor made him yearn for the shared friendships around the campfire with the Whistler men. Before Bejja, Klair thought he might be ok spending so much time alone. Now, his loneliness felt more pronounced.

Poral was willing to offer his family business in payment to Klair's work in Koova.

Just because his own life was messed up, Klair knew it would be wrong to take away the livelihood of the man's son.

Everyone was with their families except him. He couldn't go back to The Whistler without finishing what he'd started. Trenny was still a threat. Was he ever going to save his mother? Even after what he'd done in the forest, he couldn't stop his sense of uselessness in finding her. He couldn't blame Poral or the others for not being able to help him. They had their own families to worry about. His stomach clenched.

He was running around in circles.

He was so thirsty. Klair drank greedily from one of the three mugs sitting at his table. He'd had an unquenchable thirst since the spell up in the tree. The shakes, he had earlier, were gone. He was glad his thirst was finally lessoning.

He looked at the family. The mother was feeding her infant daughter.

Wherever his mother was, she now had Scov. Would they start a new family? He felt a pang of jealousy. At first, he thought if she fled, she'd most likely go to the places which she was the most familiar, like where they'd previously lived. That would be what he'd do.

But with Scov with her, the miner knew places too. He may take them there.

Klair didn't know where they'd go. That would be the best hiding of all. Scov had obviously abandoned his mine and fled with her so he's chosen his priorities.

With the Kapawn looking for his mother, he wondered what their full motivation was. Could Thorn have any affection for her? Did any of the Kapawn have any sense of obligation toward the mothers of their seedlings? He worried it might be only to gain leverage over Klair that her possession would ensure?

If the wizards searched for her, Klair was sure MeTherion sought her as well.

Both probably knew Klair would do anything to get her back.

Was Klair's own search making it harder for her? Constable Trenny was also after her. Having failed in his first attempt, wouldn't he just head for Fist? The man had dedicated multiple six-days in the plot of revenge against him. The threat had to be addressed. Besides that, the Kapawn needed to prevent the Seiun from learning about Sheenay metal. Anvil would certainly lose the next war with the wizards incapacitated or killed.

His mother may not even be aware that so many were looking for her.

Who else did Klair know who could be in threat? If the Seiun ever learned of his feelings of those at The Whistler, especially Sticks, would they too be in danger?