The Source (Creasan #1)

Chapter 7

Thea's trip home was arduous, to say the least. Though Lief had taught her how to navigate using the sun and the stars, she was anything but a skilled navigator. Carac was slightly better than her at it, but they were still mostly lost in the forest.

Thea had decided a long time ago that The Source's headquarters had to be moved out of Vuterra. It had taken a lot of convincing since Vuterra was where it had all began but eventually the rest of the group had seen the logic in not staying somewhere they could be so easily caught. It was Thea's mother who had led the expedition into the woods and set up their new lodging. But although The Source had been operating in the forest for the last two years, Thea was still rubbish at finding her to it.

After two full days, Carac led them to the mouth of a cave that Thea thankfully recognized. They were home.

The maze of the cave was much easier to figure out than the one of the forest, and Thea led the men in. After several twists and turns, torches began to light the way into the darkness of the cramped tunnels and they descended lower. Then the tunnels opened up onto a bustling center of activity.

It was an open chasm that The Source had turned into a town center. When they'd first moved in, there were only tents set up. But now, houses had been built, stores in place, chapels rectified with the carving of a dragon on top. It looked like a town because it was a town. A happy, functioning town, not beholden to the horrors of King Favian's reign.

"Merek, go see the healer. Carac, call a meeting," Thea said, striding toward stairs which had been chiseled into the side of the chasm. "I have an idea I'd like—"

"No." Merek gently took Thea by the arm and pointed in the opposite direction from where she'd been heading. "You need to see the healer too, before any meetings."

"Merek, we've already lost so much time while in the king's clutches—"

"Carac will see to it that everyone is waiting for you in the meeting room, but you'll do no one any good if you can never fight again." He looked pointedly at her oddly angled hand.

She couldn't deny that the pain had gotten so much worse in the past couple days. "Fine. But as soon as—"

"They'll be ready," he assured her, meeting Carac's eyes firmly. Carac nodded and was about to rush off to see it done but he was stopped by a shout.

"Carac!" A young boy, about sixteen or so, was waving his arms wildly in the midst of the activity. Peronell's face was drawn open wide in a smile, but it fell when he saw the state of Carac's still wounded face. His eye wasn't as swollen anymore, though it was definitely still black and blue. Peronell started shoving people aside in his quest to get to Carac.

Peronell had been part of The Source before Carac. But Thea had frequently thought his allegiance was split between The Source and Carac as they'd been in love since they were children. She'd told him as much and warned him that there'd come a time when he'd have to make a choice. He'd heard her loud and clear and recruited Carac into The Source just a few months prior. While it had been a risky move, Thea had been proud to welcome another member into their midst.

Carac was beaming. "Thea, before I call the others...?"

"Of course. Go say your hellos. But once Merek and I have finished with the healer, I expect to see everyone in the meeting room."

He nodded quickly and then bolted across the chasm to wrap his arms around Peronell. Peronell drew back from him quickly, inspecting his face. Carac would need to see the healer soon too but he'd be all right for the time being.

Thea smiled warmly at the sight, and then Merek and her went to do as they'd promised. The healer, Isolde, clucked her tongue as soon as she saw them. She gestured for Merek to sit on the bench in front of her and Thea the chair next to it as she went in search of the correct medical supplies. Isolde was just a few years older than Thea, about twenty years old or so, slightly younger than Merek, but she always seemed to act like a mother goose whenever anyone got injured.