Sarabande: River of Falcons Book 4

37. Darkness at the Keep

When Arty emerged from the spell, it was dark and he found himself stumbling awkwardly in a spiral formed by stones. His first thought was that they had not done the spell correctly and were right back where they had started. He stopped abruptly and looked around. Jasper bumped into him from behind.

"What is it?" Jasper whispered.

"Um, where are we?"

"The Keep. Look." Jasper pointed and Arty turned to examine the tall, shadowed building looming over the edge of the field. It had lights in some of its windows and crenellations on its roof where archers could hide. "Spirits!" he hissed, ducking, as a large shape sliced silently just overhead. "Oh. It's just an owl," he said as it pounced on a field mouse that had appeared nearby, then took to the air again, the mouse's body dangling from its talons.

"We have to conceal ourselves," Onuma whispered from somewhere nearby, "Or something a lot worse than that will come for us." She started to chant the concealment spell. Arty heard Nighthawk's voice joining in. He began to say the words of the spell too, but paused. Something was glittering on the edge of the woods on the far side of the field, in the direction the owl had flown. Whatever it was, it flickered out of sight. He shrugged and started to chant again.

"Let's go hide in the woods," Nighthawk whispered. "We can wait there until we see them coming."

"No, it's better to go down the road and meet them," Jasper said. "The further from the Keep we are, the better. "

"Jasper's right," Onuma said, her whisper coming eerily out of the air nearby. "You really ought to get as far down the road as you can before you encounter them. And don't strike unless you're sure you have the advantage. I don't want anyone to be injured. Safety first."

"Aren't you coming with us?" Nighthawk asked.

"No. I'm going to find Arnica and get her out. We'll join up with you just as soon as we can."

Jasper turned and stared at where he thought her voice was coming from. "Is that wise, Onuma? Onuma, where did you go?"

She tapped him on the arm. "I'm pretty good at concealment spells," she said. "You didn't notice me coming, did you?"

"I still can't see you," Jasper agreed, "not even with my spirit-sight, and I didn't hear you, either."

"I'm sorry to leave you, but I have a feeling that Arnica is in serious trouble."

"Please be careful," Nighthawk said. "It won't help if you get caught, too."

"There are only three of you, so if the wagon is well guarded, stay hidden and let them pass. We don't even know for sure what's in that chest. Unless you can completely disable them with your first strike, just observe them and see what you can find out. You are spies in enemy territory. You must be very careful. Promise?"

"Okay," Nighthawk said. "If you will."

"Agreed," Jasper added. "Where do you want to meet?"

There was no reply.

"I think she's gone," Nighthawk said. "I hope she'll be all right."

*

As Arty, Nighthawk, and Jasper headed across the field and found the dirt track that lead toward Ferndale, three pairs of eyes watched them curiously from the woods. The eyes belonged to Sasha, Summer and Zibellina, who had arrived a few moments earlier. They had flown cautiously in from the north, made a wide circle around the Keep, and landed in the woods in front of it. The area had seemed strangely quiet.