Inkblots: A Tale of Magic, Adventure, and Romance

XIV. Flight

She was almost to the cottage when the thumping of running footsteps echoed up the path behind her. The sound broke the monotony of her grief-hazed walk, and Alia spun around almost out of instinct to see who it was. She expected a child, maybe, or perhaps her mother running up to comfort her—but instead she found Caddock jogging along, out of breath and carrying a woman's cloak, of all things.

"Caddock?" she asked stupidly. Of Course she knew it was him, but she wasn't sure why he was there.

"Alia," he said, pausing for a moment to catch his breath and then holding out the cloak. "Kit said you need to put this on right now."

"But it isn't mine."

"He said it was important, Alia. You have to put the cloak on and come with me." Caddock looked very earnest, but Alia had no idea why he was bothering her with things right then, right when her whole world had just come crashing to pieces.

"Why?" She tried to inflect curiosity into her voice, but only mild irritation came out.

"Look, Alia, just put it on and pull the hood up. Kit said that people might be coming after you."

He held the cloak out again, and she put it on obediently, trying not to cringe at the odd smell that came off the wool. It didn't smell bad, but it didn't smell like hers either.

"Where did you get the cloak?"

"Kit had it; I don't know."

Caddock started walking then, headed away from her mother's cottage. "Where are we going?" Alia asked. They'd said she had a fiveday, but somehow it seemed imperative that she start packing up her few small belongings right now. Gods, what was she going to do? Her Mami would come with, surely. She couldn't go to a new land alone—but how could she ask her mother to leave her life behind?

"To Kit," he said, irritatingly.

"But where is Kit?"

"At the forest's edge behind the Librum."

Alia lost it. "Gods, Caddock, I don't know what you two are playing at, but frankly right now I don't care that you're Heroes or that Kit has some fancy plan. I need to worry about my own life." Surprisingly, she managed to say it without crying, but her voice shook perilously.

Caddock kept walking, looking upset, and Alia kept following him even though she didn't want to.

"Look, will you just talk to Kit?" he said finally, looking like he was struggling to express himself. "He's better at explaining things than I am. All I know is he said to make sure you put the cloak on and then to bring you to him."

Alia sighed, but stopped protesting. She didn't understand what secret plan could possibly be so important that they had to worry about people following her, but surely this had something to do with the Heroes' plan to find out where the Story had gone wrong. Did she even still want to go? There was no Book left to check the Story against. Did it matter if they could find the problem now? It was too late for the Book. But maybe the Council would allow her back in if she could prove it wasn't her fault.

Silently, she followed Caddock's quick, heavy steps up nearly to the double-gate of the Librum and then off to the left on a faint path. Kit stood against the fence, leaning casually with arms crossed, but he stood up when he saw them and came forward to meet them.

"Good, you're wearing the cloak," he said, looking serious.

Alia reached to take the hood off, but Kit held up a hand. "No, leave it on." He looked distant, almost cold, even, and his dark eyes scanned the empty land around them like he was looking for something. Not seeing whatever he was looking for, the stout man reached to the ground and picked up a pack that Alia hadn't seen before.