A Million Roads to Nowhere

Mother Bethan's Travelling Cottage

A large group of servants and soldiers stand outside, along with Harrison, Seamus, and the twins. Aodhan is there, his hands tied together with Runningwind holding the rope. Alistair and Morwenna are brutally screaming at each other off to the side.

"I thought she was supposed to be leaving," Aithne mutters, eyes dark despite the flames in them.

"My dragons are nowhere near here! Don't go blaming this on me! What about your little matchstick? Where is she?" Morwenna is saying, or rather shrieking.

Aithne curses and goes over to them, leaving Patrick alone to scan the crowd for Lena. He breathes a sigh of relief when he spots her next to Morwenna's changeling, Tawny. He catches her eyes and she walks over, guiding Lena by the wrist.

"Thank you for getting her out," Patrick thanks sincerely.

Tawny smiles at him and scurries off to a fuming Morwenna, reminding Patrick of a little mouse. Lena comes to his side, linking her arm with his.

"Was it Aithne?" she whispers to him.

"No, she was with me."

Patrick watches Morwenna and Tawny vanish into the woods. He doesn't think it was Morwenna's dragons. He thinks someone would have been able to see one, which seems obvious. Besides, what incentive would she have to burn Alistair's castle?

Patrick tells Lena of Mother Bethan and she seems delighted by the news. The fire is still burning strongly when Aithne finally finishes her conversation with Alistair and comes over to them.

"Good news," she cheers. "I convinced Alistair to agree to visit Mother Bethan's. That way you can hear what she has to say without having to commit to anything."

Lena beams. "Thank you, Aithne."

"No hassle." Aithne winks, looking like a cat who has just caught her mouse.

She has a plan, Patrick thinks to himself.

Alistair tells Runningwind to keep everyone in check. She looks perturbed about something; her eyes keep flicking around as if she's expecting to be struck down any second.

"What are we looking for?" asks Patrick.

"We're not looking," Aithne says cheerfully. "It'll appear."

"Appear?"

"Mhm. The cottage only appears to those who need it, and I must say, you two need it."

"Let's just get this over with," Alistair says grimly.

"Priss," Aithne tells him.

They're in the part of the woods Patrick knows and he thinks he would have remembered seeing the little cottage to his right. Patrick's not as surprised as he thought he would be to see it, sitting there as if it has always been there. The roof is of thatched straw and the walls of wooden plants, reminding Patrick of the cottages in Vertbank, back home.

An old woman sits in a wooden rocking chair outside of the cottage, bundled up in a thick woolen blanket. Wiry white hair pokes out from a hair scarf. Her skin is wrinkly and brown, like those apple head dolls Lena's sister used to make and sell at the market.

A huge python is draped over the old woman's shoulders. Patrick's never seen a snake so large, only the small rattlesnakes around his town. The snake is white with yellow splotches all over, looking heavy enough to crush the old lady settled beneath it. The snake's tongue flicks out.