No Peace For the Weary

Chapter Two-Banana Bread

Cadbey held the door of the carriage open for me, and gestured for me to step in. "No, it's alright, really. I should be helping you, not the other way around." I said, shaking my head. Cadbey giggled. "Oh, Harley will absolutely adore you!" He exclaimed, grabbing me by the arm and pushing me up into the carriage. He then closed my door, walked around to the other side, and hopped in.

"There we go. On our way!" He called, though there was no one that I could see that would be guiding the carriage. The horses started pulling anyway, and soon enough we were out on the main road, clip-clopping our way toward the elders' castle. I sighed, turning toward Cadbey.

"So.. who's Harley?" I asked curiously. "Oh my! Did I say Harley? My apologies, that's what I'm used calling her when we're at the castle. I meant elder, of course. Don't tell her I let that slip." Cadbey said, looking into my eyes. I could see an emotion there- pride? No, something much stronger. I puzzled over that for a moment, then shrugged it off.

"Of course. Nobody needs to know." I told him, smiling. Cadbey grinned at me. "Thank you. Now I suggest you get some sleep. It's quite a way to the castle, and sleeping for some of it will make the journey faster. It's what I'm gonna do!" He told me before grabbing a pillow from under the bench we were sitting on, leaning against the door, and promptly falling asleep.

I laughed softly, reaching down under the bench to grab my own soft pillow, something much nicer than anything I had at home. I sighed, pressing it against the door, and letting my eyes drift closed, allowing myself to slip into the darkness of unconsciousness.

I awoke with a jerk-literally. The carriage had jumped. I assumed it had hit a rock or something, walking me up from my dreamless sleep. I sighed, turning to stare out the window. There was no way I would be able to fall back asleep now.

That's when I spotted it. Rising up ahead of us, a huge silver castle, illuminated by the moonlight. Why would a Peacekeeper need that big of a castle, even if she did have her adviser living with her. Maybe I could get my family living up here with me after all. There was plenty of room, and I definitely wouldn't need all of it. I would have to ask elder about that.

We were getting closer, it seemed as though we would be there in less than ten minutes. I felt some kind of nervous excitement as we got closer. Of course I was nervous, and I wouldn't do all too well in this position, but that didn't mean I was going to pass up a chance to explore this palace. I couldn't wait to play hide and seek in it. Caleb would love looking for tiny hiding places to hide.

I frowned, feeling my mood sadden as I thought about my family. When would I see them next, anyway? I should just put them out of my mind. Now was not a very good time to be preoccupied with family thought. I stared harder at the castle, memorizing the way the soft moonlight fell on the turrets and towers.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" A voice said by my ear. I jumped, crying out and falling back in my seat, clutching my chest. "Cadbey! You scared-" I froze. Cadbey was still sound asleep, in the same position he had been in last time I looked at him. So, if he didn't say that, who did?

I shook my head. I must have imagined it. It was what I had been thinking, anyway. The exact words. I turned to look out the window again-only to see that, in the short time I had been facing away from the window, we had come much closer to the castle. In fact, we would go through the gates in only a few seconds. I turned to wake Cadbey, pushing the incident to the back of my mind.

"Cadbey! Wake up! We're here!" I said, shaking his shoulder lightly. He sat up quickly, blinking the sleep from his eyes. A grin lit his face as he looked out the window, and I couldn't help but do the same. His smiles were very contagious. "Wonderful!" Cadbey said, clapping his hands excitedly like a little boy.