The Threshold Child by Callie Kanno

Author:Callie Kanno [Kanno, Callie]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2012-09-20T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-eight: The Return

The next day’s travels took them out of the thieves’ forest and into the open. It seemed that they did not need the cover of the trees with the mountains shielding them from the rest of the world. They began angling east; gradually at first, but soon they were traveling more east than north.

As the days wore on, Adesina was surprised to see that she was not shunned by those around her. Instead, they did all that they could to show her their desire to help her through this difficult time.

E’nes rode close to her, sharing with her memories of his childhood. He spoke of their parents, describing them in great detail. He and Ravi would remind each other of happier times and laugh at old jokes. Adesina was grateful for the pictures he painted for her. It made her feel like she knew her family. It made her feel like she almost belonged to them.

Sa’jan was also spending a good deal of his time with Adesina. He was an excellent storyteller, whether he was recounting is experiences as a soldier, as a father, or simply as a man. They never pressed her to share any information of her own, but after a while she found herself doing it of her own accord.

Adesina talked about her dearest friend, Lanil, and her greatest enemy, Basha. She described to them what it was like growing up in a strict and constantly military environment. She spoke of what the students did to amuse themselves when the Shar were not around, what was expected when they were being supervised, and what it took to be the best among one’s peers.

Bit by bit, the other L’avan joined in these conversations. They would listen to Adesina’s stories and share tales of their own. Their journey seemed more relaxed now that they were beyond the mountain range.

Adesina kept a close eye out for any other group of travelers, but they were completely alone. When she commented on this to E’nes, he smiled.

“These lands are roamed by ferocious beasts. Travelers keep as far away as possible.”

There were a few chuckles at this remark, and Ravi rolled his eyes. She looked at the others in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Ravi spoke up. “These are Rashad lands. We protect them from intruders.”

At first Adesina didn’t see any signs of the Rashad. The lands were filled with wildlife of all different kinds, but there was no hint of any sleek black forms other than Ravi. As the fourth week of their journey from the High City came to a close, Adesina was beginning to think that they would never see anything other than the local wildlife.

They were riding their horses through the tall green grass, basking in the morning sun. Adesina was marveling at the colors of these northern lands. Everything seemed so much richer—so much more alive—than the south. She was about to comment to Ravi, when she saw him stiffen and a low growl sounded in his throat.

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