The Raie'Chaelia Page 12

  Chapter 11 - Jezebelle’s Gift

  Chalice awoke to the clicking of the bedroom door lock. She realized with a start that someone was trying to break into the room. She slid out of bed without a sound as the image of the two riders in the night formed in her mind. Nudging Jeremiah, she saw him open his eyes and hear the noise. He understood. Before she could move, he was in front of her, holding a water jug from the bed stand with one hand and pushing her back toward the washroom with the other. They were positioned behind the door, hidden and silent. Suddenly, the noise stopped.

  “Here Nolan, try this one,” a woman’s voice whispered. The clicking recommenced and then the lock snapped. As the door slowly opened, Jeremiah gently pushed Chalice farther back, and with his right arm, raised the jug just above a dark head that appeared behind the door. CRASH! It shattered over the man’s head, drenching him and knocking him to the floor. He was large and corpulent and his fall shook the whole building.

  Chalice heard the woman running away in the corridor. Before Jeremiah could stop her, she jumped over the man’s body and bolted out the door. By the moonlight from a window at the west end, she glimpsed the dark profile of a cloak disappearing around the corner into the stairwell. She leapt to pursue the woman, but halted as soon as she heard footsteps coming from the other direction.

  There are more of them?! she thought suddenly and spun in place, prepared to fight. She was immediately relieved to find Ben standing in front of her. Apparently, the crashing sound that came from their room had woken him, along with many other guests at the inn. Doors flew open and light flooded the hallway.

  “Ben!” Chalice exclaimed.

  “What happened?”

  “A man and a woman just tried to break into our room. The woman got away, but Jeremiah managed to knock the man out.”

  “Show me.” As they turned toward the room, tired faces stared at them in alarm.

  “Do not worry,” Ben said. “You can all return to your rooms. The situation is under control.”

  They complied immediately. They seemed to recognize him from the evening before and didn’t want to cross paths again. He followed Chalice into the room where Jeremiah was studying the unconscious man, holding a lamp up to his face. The stranger was scruffy and smelled of tobacco and alcohol. Ben shut the door behind him.

  “I placed a seal on this door last night before going to bed. It woke me the second it opened.”

  He knelt down next to Jeremiah and began to rifle through the man’s pockets. He pulled out a small sack of coins from the man’s inner coat and poured a handful of gold coronals into his palm.

  The coins were odd, Chalice noted. They were engraved with the Red Flame of Maalda. She reached down and plucked one from Ben’s hand to examine it.

  “These are strange. I’ve never seen coins minted this way.”

  “You’re right. Most coins in the Realm are minted with the Star of the Ielierian.”

  “The Star of the Ielierian? Is that what that is? I always thought it was just a wheel or something.” Chalice had never known what the symbol was. All she had ever known was that all the coins used as currency in the Realm were engraved with a circle that contained five lines, equidistant from one another, extending from the center of the circle to its perimeter, shaping what appeared to be a wheel.

  “No, it is not a wheel.” Ben chuckled. “It is a star that is the sigil of your house, Chalice. The coins you carry are the ones that were minted while your family was in power. These coins, however, were minted by Dar’Maalda. Most people of the Realm quietly refuse to use them for that reason and so the coins usually have little value unless they are secretly sold to a smith to be melted and re-minted. This is something I am happy to say Dar’Maalda has no control over. In any case, the fact that this man is carrying them tells me that he is an agent of the white palace.”

  As Chalice handed the coin back to Ben, she could see worry etched into his face. “What’s wrong?”

  “I am wondering how they found us so quickly?” He dumped the coins back into the sack and returned it to the pocket of its owner. Then, he rose to his feet. “We’ll have to figure that out later. Now, we must hurry. They know we’re here. Gather your things and get ready to leave. We are going. We will have to meet up with your friends along the road.”

  They swiftly collected their belongings and readied themselves for the road. In minutes, they were headed down the stairs. Halfway down, they met the innkeeper who was dressed in grey night robes, holding a lantern. His face shone with concern.

  “I heard a noise. Is everything alright?”

  “Master Duncan,” Ben said, “we will be leaving early. A man and a woman attempted to break into one of our rooms. The man is still there, but he’s unconscious.”

  “Oh my … my apologies! I am so sorry! I will be sure to take care of this immediately. Are you certain you want to …”

  “Master Duncan,” Ben interrupted firmly, “for your own safety and that of your establishment, be on the lookout for strange visitors. Make sure the inn’s strongmen are alerted and ready.”

  “Not to worry, Master Graeystone. We have always managed to weather the roughest of storms here.” He chuckled as if the thought amused him. “Will you be needing a stable boy to help you prepare your horses?”

  Ben moved past him and motioned the others to follow, irritated that the man was not heeding his warning. “No, thank you. There is no time. We must leave now. Be sure to remember what I told you.”

  “I am so sorry for what has happened during your visit here. I hope to have your patronage again someday. Please do take care on the road.” And with that the innkeeper rushed up the stairs, not noticing Bunejab who darted behind Jeremiah’s shadow to avoid being seen.

  Almost as soon as they reached the stable, they had the horses saddled and bridled and were on the road toward the village. The morning air was cold and damp with the dawn’s early light slowly replacing the darkness of the night. A cool breeze ruffled Chalice’s hair as the sound of the wind through the trees met the clop of their horses’ hooves.

  Their intention was to meet Kirna and Tycho along the road to the periphery, but suddenly, in the distance they heard rapid hoof beats issuing from a path within the dense thicket of trees to the right. Whoever the riders were, they were forcefully driving their steeds with total abandon. Within seconds, the dark outline of Kirna and Tycho swam into view, riding two red-brown Quarter Horses, their faces stricken with terror. Kirna reached them first, gasping and out of breath.

  “There are men … about ten of them … Draaquans we’re pretty sure … they burned my cousin’s farm … they will be here anytime,” she managed to force out, in between gulps of air.

  “This way.” Ben lifted the cowl of his cloak and heeled his mount into a gallop toward the back of the inn and over the shallow creek. Bunejab, who was seated in the front of his saddle, held tightly to the horse. The others followed quickly behind. He led them through the dense forest of silver firs that decorated the steep mountainside behind the inn and sloped upward from the stream. They crested the hill in a matter of minutes that, to Chalice, seemed like hours. Suddenly, they heard a huge explosion in the distance. Ben halted his mount at the top of the ridge and turned.

  “You smell that?” he asked, sniffing at the air.

  They did. It was an awful stink of charred flesh and burning wood. The strong smell permeated the clear mountain air. All of them turned their mounts in the direction of the inn. They could see it from their bird’s eye view, hidden in the shade of the trees. The sun’s first light was peeking out over the horizon and illuminated the terrible scene below. Many dark shapes scurried in the road, running for their lives as a ravenous blaze engulfed the inn.

  “Oh no!” Kirna cried in dismay.

  “Master Duncan! What will he do?” Chalice asked.

  Ben shook his head gravely. �
��I warned him. I feel badly about it, too, but there is nothing we can do.” He motioned downward toward the inn. “Take a good look, Chalice. Remember this. What you see here, this is the mercy of Dar’Maalda.” Then, he turned to Kirna. “Kirna, your cousin?”

  “He ran to a friend’s farm nearby. They didn’t see him.”

  “Good, at least he is still alive.” Ben paused, sighing, as he glanced down at the inferno below. “We need to press on. Follow me.”

  He reined his mount to the right and continued along the path. Ben’s stallion was a silver grey Appaloosa, strong and sturdy, with a lustrous coat. The others were amazed at the uncanny ease with which he rode his mount through the dense mass of trees and vegetation that blocked the trail. It was clear that he had made this journey before. He rode swiftly, making it difficult for the others to follow. Yet, they managed.

  Hours passed and they found themselves descending the other side of the ridge into a wide valley of heath land dotted with eucalyptus trees. A few hours after midday, they stopped by a small river for rest and water. It was uncomfortably warm, but the strong, cool breeze of the valley and the cold water of the river refreshed them and quelled their thirst. A hawk’s cry resounded in the distance, reminding them of how far they had just traveled.

  “What river is this?” Kirna asked as she bent low to plunge the mouth of her water skin into the water. Chalice, on the other hand, had pulled out her map and was searching for their position.

  “The Vayiesan,” Ben replied. “It is narrow and shallow here, but grows much larger toward the northern estuary. Fortunate for us since we need to cross here and head west.”

  As he spoke, he held a strange object to his eye that he had extracted from his saddlebag. It appeared to be an elongated eyeglass, with grooves along the tube that allowed one to fold it flat for storage. With it, Ben was scanning the horizon along the trees from which they had just come. Bunejab was standing next to him, squinting into the distance.

  “Yeah, here it is,” Chalice said, pointing to a fold on her map. Kirna walked over to study it with her. “And Cedarwood should be just over here.” She moved her finger to the left on the page.

  “Kedra’Paola,” Kirna said, pronouncing it awkwardly.

  “Yep, that’s it,” Chalice responded.

  “I’m starving! What do we have to eat?” Tycho had just taken a large draw from his water skin and was wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

  “Here, Tyke.” Jeremiah pulled out a portion of bread and cheese from his bag. “Eat sparingly right now, alright? We need to ration what we have.”

  Tycho frowned down forlornly at the small morsel that Jeremiah had given him and shrugged. “Bummer.” He sighed. “Well, if anything, at least I’ll lose some weight.”

  Kirna motioned to Chalice with her fingers in a sign language they had shared since they were children. They had developed the language together during school classes so that they could talk back and forth without their Shaunta knowing. Yeah right, the hand signal said and Chalice giggled. Kirna knew him too well.

  Tycho glared. “Hey! What did you just tell her? Stop that you two!” he said and they roared with laughter.

  Jeremiah, on the other hand, had been studying Ben. “Ben, what are you doing?”

  “Curse it!” Ben removed the glass from his eye.

  “What’s wrong?” Jeremiah asked as a hush fell over all of them.

  “They are still following us.” He stared angrily in the distance toward the ridge. “How can that be?!”

  “You can see them?”

  “Here, Jeremiah, look. Just there.” Ben handed him the looking glass and pointed him in the direction of the riders. It took Jeremiah only a second to spot them – dark shapes that moved noiselessly through the trees along the ridge in the distance.

  “You’re right! I can barely see them, but they’re there.”

  “And they’re following us. They have to be. There’s no one else out here. How …” Ben paused and turned to the others, speaking in a stern voice. “Before I found you, did you meet or talk to any strangers besides the innkeeper? Did anyone give you anything?”

  “Why?” Jeremiah lowered the eyeglass and looked at him curiously.

  “The Terravail have ways of tracking people using small objects. It would be something you would carry with you, like a coin or a ring.”

  Jeremiah shook his head. “I talked to a lot of strangers in town when I was shopping, but I gave them all exact change. I wasn’t given any coins, not even from the innkeeper.”

  “What about you three?” Ben inquired of the others and Kirna and Tycho shook their heads.

  Chalice quickly scanned her memory of the past few days. All that came to mind was the blind woman on the mat. “Well, we did meet an old blind woman in Woodrock, but she didn’t give us any coins. It was the other way around. We gave her money.”

  “Are you sure? She didn’t slip anything into one of your pockets?”

  “No, she was blind … although …” Chalice paused.

  “Although what?”

  “Although, she did call me princess and at the time I wondered how she knew I was a woman. Maybe she wasn’t blind after all. I’m certain she didn’t give us anything, though. She was sitting on a cloth, knitting.”

  “She called you a princess?” Ben asked curiously and Chalice nodded. “That’s interesting.” He glanced downward, scratching his chin. “If she wasn’t truly blind and was working for Dar’Maalda, she would not have been looking for a young woman. She would have been looking for a young man, but still, that’s interesting.”

  “What do you mean? You think she knew Chalice’s true identity?” Jeremiah asked, incredulous. “That can’t be possible. Not even Chalice knew who she was.”

  Ben shot him a sharp look. “You think so? You would be surprised at what the blind can see, Jeremiah.” He turned to Chalice. “When did this happen?”

  “It was when we went into town to get supplies before dinner. We saw the old woman right before we met … right before …” she stammered as her face lit up. Her chin dropped and it dawned on her. “It was her …” she said in a low, angry voice.

  “Who? Right before you met who?” Ben asked.

  “Jezebelle!”

  “Jezebelle? Who’s Jezebelle?”

  “The spice lady that we met in town. No wonder she was so nice to us. She helped us find the shops we needed to buy supplies and while Jeremiah went off looking for them, I had a conversation with her in her shop. She gave me this.” Chalice removed the broach from her shoulder and handed it to Ben.

  “That’s right! I forgot about that,” Jeremiah added.

  “I thought it was odd that she was giving me such a fine piece of jewelry. It didn’t occur to me at the time. I should have known, especially when Master Duncan didn’t recognize her name.”

  “Are you talking about that lady who was behind the counter in the shop?” Kirna asked and Chalice nodded.

  Ben held the stone in his closed palm and shut his eyes. The stone on the cord around his neck glowed a soft grey and light shone all around it. A few moments later, he said: “Yes, this is just what I thought. It is a daietych. That spice lady you met was one of Dar’Maalda’s spies. That is how they found us.”

  Kirna slapped her forehead. “Of course! In the shop, you told me where you and Jeremiah were staying. You even gave me the room number. Remember, Chalice?”

  Chalice nodded. “It’s also how they knew where you and Tycho were.”

  “That’s right. I told you where we were staying, didn’t I?” She paused and ran her fingers through her hair. “Stupid! I’m so stupid! I just wasn’t thinking. I was so excited to see you and I just wasn’t thinking of it.”

  Ben looked sternly at all of them. “There’s no way any of you could have known or even suspected, but let this be a lesson. Be wary of strangers, don
’t accept anything they give you, and certainly be careful what you say around them!”

  “Whaffa daiefik?” Tycho asked through a mouth full of food as he walked over to Ben to look at the blue stone.

  Ben smiled. “A daietych is an object that can only be made by a Terravailian. It consists of the same crystal as a daieoden except for one difference. The daietych contains another material as well and the two crystalline substances are folded in on each other, forming the object.” He held the broach so Tycho could see it clearly. “This other material is imbued with power that allows the daietych to serve a certain function, that function being whatever its maker wants it to do. In this case, the mother of pearl embedded within this broach has been sealed with a tracking power so that whoever holds the broach can be tracked by the creator of the object. That person will be able to feel where the object is at all times. This is how they have been able to follow us.”

  Tycho stuffed the rest of the bread into his mouth and held out his palm to Ben. Ben handed him the broach and Tycho examined it closely.

  “I have an idea,” Ben said. “Jeremiah!”

  “Yeah?”

  “Can you find me a bundle of sticks and few long, thin strips of eucalyptus bark?”

  “Sure, I’ll be right back.” Jeremiah handed his reins to Chalice and ran off toward a knot of trees in the distance.

  Ben glanced down toward Bunejab. “Go with him, will you?”

  The little Chinuk squeaked in acquiescence and scurried off.

  Chalice felt like she had a rock in her stomach. Is it my fault? she wondered. It was, after all, because of her actions that the destruction of the past couple days had occurred. She turned to Kirna.

  “Your cousin’s farm and now Master Duncan’s inn. I feel terrible.”

  Seeming to read her thoughts, Kirna put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s not your fault, Chalice You didn’t burn them. They did. Ben’s right. There’s no way you could have known.”

  Chalice glanced up at her best friend and fiery vengeance shone in her eyes. “I would like to see Jezebelle again someday. Next time I meet up with her, I will remember the price of her gifts.”

  “That’s the spirit!” Kirna smiled and hugged her.

  After a few minutes, Jeremiah and Bunejab returned with the bundle of sticks and strips of bark. Ben gathered them together and assembled a tiny makeshift raft, intertwining the sticks with the strips. He placed the broach on top and rolled the layer of sticks over it, making a small wooden cylinder that gripped the stone inside. With the last strip, he tied the bundle tightly together and tossed it into the water. It bobbed up and down a few times before settling on the surface and moved north with the current of the river.

  “There. That should get them off our trail. It will lead them north while we travel west. We need to move on now. The horses have rested enough.” After placing Bunejab in the front of his saddle, Ben mounted his steed and clicked the young horse into motion. “Tycho, did you get enough to eat?”

  “Well, no, but I’ll live,” Tycho answered, scowling.

  “Aw, poor baby,” Kirna said in a patronizing tone and smiled at him. Then, she brushed the top of his head with her hand as she walked past to mount her horse.

  They crossed the river slowly. It was narrow and shallow, but the current was still strong and the river bottom was strewn sparsely with sharp rocks. Finally, they reached the opposite bank and after passing through the forest thicket that lay on the other side, the ride to Cedarwood progressed smoothly.

  Within hours, they entered the Cedarwood forest where the shadows were lengthening and the air was cool and calm due to the late afternoon hour. The forest offered a clear, broad path upon which they rode side by side, slowing their mounts to a walk. After many minutes, the path wound upwards around a large, steep hill. As they moved along it, Chalice glanced toward the sky to see tall, grey spires of an enormous fortressed castle peeking out from beyond the tall cedars that blocked it.

  “Who lives here?” she asked Ben, pointing toward the towers. The others were gaping in the same direction.

  “The Farahs. They are dear friends of mine. They are a very old and wealthy family. Their castle used to be a Naeonic school until it was shut down eighteen years ago by Dar’Maalda. Now, it is used in secret as a shelter for those in need of help and as we are in need of help, it is a fitting place for us to rest. We’re almost there.”

  “A Naeonic school that was shut down? Why?” Jeremiah asked.

  “Think about it, Jeremiah,” Ben replied. “Why would someone like Dar’Maalda shut down a school?”

  “Because he doesn’t want young people being educated unless he is in control of it?”

  “Precisely. After he won the battle against the Royal Legions, he shut down Cedarwood University because he knew that the Naeon of this area were too loyal to the Ielierian. Since then, many other universities have been shut down as well. The ones that are still functioning are being run under his tight rein. Fortunately, he cannot control everything that goes on in the smaller Naeonic villages. There, children are given an education by their parents and elders.”

  “That’s right! In Canton, we attended school with our Shaunta,” Kirna said.

  Ben nodded at her comment and then looked up. “Ah, here we are.” They had arrived at a tall, stone wall that surrounded the entire fortress.

  Chalice noted that the shape of the wall around the castle was odd. Instead of extending straight out to a corner, it was angled to the left about fifty spans down and stretched out into the trees.

  “The shape of this wall is strange,” she remarked.

  “That’s because this is a bastion fortress,” Ben answered and she shot him a questioning look. “A star fort. The outer wall around the structure is built into the shape of a star for better protection.”

  “Oh, right. I see.” She nodded although she had no idea what that meant.

  A wide gap in the wall was given to a massive, wrought iron gate, large enough for several wagons to pass through side-by-side. Above the gate, hung a large bell under an arch that supported it. A thin rope that stretched from the bell to the wall hung from a hole carved into the stone next to the gate. Ben pulled it twice and the bell rang loudly.

  “Now we wait for Charleton,” he said.

  “Charleton?” Tycho asked. “Is he the doorman … or, I mean, the gateman?”

  Ben smiled. “Yes, Tycho, he is the gateman, among other things.”

  As they were waiting, Chalice’s skin itched and she knew immediately what the strange sensation meant. She glanced upward and there it was.

  “Jeremiah!” she called out.

  Jeremiah didn’t miss a beat. As soon as he saw her gazing toward the sky, he unlaced his bow and nocked an arrow. His reaction was so swift and his skill so practiced, the arrow was loosed before anyone knew what was happening. It flew true, right to its target and the red falcon plummeted from the sky, landing a few paces away down the path.

  Ben’s face tightened in alarm. They all dismounted and led the horses over to the fallen bird to find that the arrow had pierced its chest. It was dying quickly. The red color of its feathers and of its eyes began to fade into a tawny brown as its life drained away. Curious, Chalice stretched out her arm to reach down and touch it.

  “Chalice, no! Don’t—” Ben shouted, but it was too late. When her finger met its wing, she felt a powerful jolt that shook her entire body. She fell to the ground. Darkness engulfed her and she saw two red, gleaming eyes that burned into her fiercely with an indescribable hatred. She knew the eyes could see her and it filled her with dread. She did not want to look at them, but she could not turn away.

  “Chalice! Chalice!” a terrified voice said and she woke suddenly, afraid of what she would see. But instead of eyes that were red and hateful, she was soothed by those that were brown and tender and desperate to see hers. She was lying on the gr
ound in Jeremiah’s arms. The expression on his face calmed her and she immediately forgot about what she had seen. Her whole body felt as if she had been hit by a falling boulder. She tried to move and get up, but couldn’t. Fortunately, she could still speak.

  “I can’t … I can’t move, Jeremiah,” she said weakly. Her voice was shaky. Jeremiah lifted her from the ground, cradling her in his arms as he walked. Other faces swam into view, those of Ben, Kirna, Tycho and Bunejab. They were all there.

  “What was that, Ben?” Jeremiah asked, trying not to show any fear and wishing Chalice would learn to be more cautious.

  “I don’t know and that is what bothers me. I have never seen anything like this before.”

  He placed his hand on Chalice’s head and his stone glowed softly. Chalice felt a warm sensation rush through her like hot tea into her belly. It flowed down and heated her body.

  Ben frowned. “I can’t heal this. I don’t know what it is. Come on. We need to get her inside, quickly.”

  As soon as he had spoken, the enormous gate behind them opened and a handsome, dark-haired, young man in fine clothing emerged.

  “My Lord? My Lord Graeystone!? Is it you?” The young man paused in shock. “It is you!”

  Lord Graeystone? Chalice wondered. Her thoughts were slow and she tried to focus. He is a Lord?

  “Charleton! Charleton Farah! My good man, we need help. First we need to get this young lady to a bed where she can rest and receive treatment. The horses need to be tended and we need to sup before anything else. I will explain everything.”

  “Absolutely!” He turned toward the gate and shouted. “William! Tremmon! Make haste! We have guests and their horses need to be stabled.”

  Two burly men in smocks came running. They were both large, muscular and smelled of horses. Charleton continued giving instructions.

  “Please place their belongings in the quarters of the North Wing, in Lord Graeystone’s apartments.”

  “One moment,” Ben said to them as he removed a large cloth from his bag and wrapped it around the dead bird, lifting it into a sack that he attached to his saddle. “Be careful with this,” he warned.

  “Here, let me escort you into the North Wing. Come. This way.” Charleton motioned to them and they followed.

  Cradled in Jeremiah’s arms, Chalice peered upward to the towering turrets that reached high into the cedar tops. The castle was immense, made of smooth, dark grey Tusquaran stone, handcrafted by the Musquoni, the Tusquaran masons of the east. Dark green ivy curved along every wall and the structure held a patina of a bygone age, an age of chivalry and noblesse. As they entered the angled bailey within, a young, beautiful, raven-haired woman ran to meet them, breathless. She wore a dark green velvet, evening dress with lace at both the neckline and the cuffs.

  “Wha … what’s happening, Charleton?”

  “Naeren, get mother. Tell her we have new guests for tonight. This young woman is ill. I’m taking them to Lord Graeystone’s quarters.”

  The young woman glanced down at Chalice with concern. Her eyes were as dark as her hair and her face was fair, smooth, and oval. It carried a touch of confusion as she darted back across the bailey and ascended the short staircase to the main entrance of the manor house.

  Charleton led them to the left, around to the north side of the castle. They entered through a thick wooden door into a long hallway. An open door to their left revealed the plush and sumptuous apartments of the North Wing. The enormous room through which they passed was a large dining and sitting room, with a huge table, polished and gilded, that lay along the length of it. At the opposite end, a large, grey marble fireplace blazed with a warm fire. A circle of settees and small polished tables sat in between.

  They quickly moved through into a bedchamber that offered a large canopied bed, draped with grey silk, supporting a feather mattress. Jeremiah gently laid Chalice on the bed and covered her with a blanket. As soon as they were settled, Bunejab quickly got to work. He placed his medicine bag on a table nearby and shuffled through it.

  “We will need a cloth, a basin of hot water, and a goblet,” Ben told Charleton who immediately left the room to collect the items requested. “How do you feel, Chalice?” he asked, taking a seat in a chair next to the bed.

  “Like I fell from the Praeceps.” And she did. She felt like ten years of her life had been wrung out of her. She was unable to move and barely able to think.

  “That good, huh?” joshed Tycho, in an attempt to lift her spirit. “How do you always manage to get yourself into these situations? What are we going to do with you?”

  He attempted a mock shake of his head, but Chalice knew what he was doing. Both Kirna and Tycho had taken a seat on the opposite side of the large bed and Kirna was looking at her, trying not to show her worry.

  Chalice managed a weak smile. “I don’t know, Tyke. I need … to be more careful,” she muttered through a heavy, laborious breath.

  Just then, a tall, beautifully elegant woman entered the room. She was dark of hair and eyes and dressed in a wine red evening gown. She bore a striking resemblance to the young woman they had seen in the courtyard. Her grace and air immediately caught everyone’s attention and she greeted them warmly.

  “Hello, friends. Be welcome to Farah Manor.” Then, the elegant woman turned around to gaze tenderly down at the face of her old friend and shook her head in disbelief. “Benjamin Darren. I don’t believe it. I thought we would never see you again.”