Echoes Read Free Page B

Had her father walked this path? Had he perhaps placed a foot on this very spot?
    You’ve got to move on, Dearra. He’s gone.
    Dearra uncurled her fingers and stared blankly ahead. If he had walked this spot, perhaps his presence remained. Maybe there was the whisper of his scent. She held her hand to her face and breathed deeply, searching for the aroma of soap, leather, and sea, normal, everyday fragrances that, when combined, were the essence of her father, but she inhaled nothing but dirt.
    Phillip needs you. I need you. Darius needs you. Will you leave us? Don’t you know that we are grieving too? We can help you; please let us.
    Dearra lay down on the ground and pressed her ear against the moss, still damp having been kissed by the morning dew. His scent was not there, but maybe, if she listened closely, she would hear the echo of his step. Her heart pounded in her ears, and when she closed her eyes, she could almost imagine the thudding she heard was the sound of her father’s foot as he strode proudly down the path, but then it faded and became only her heartbeat once more.
    Dearra? Dearra?
    Dearra spread her arms wide and tried to hold fast to the earth beneath her, willing the sound of her father’s steps to return.
    Darius stepped from the shadows and knelt beside her. He stroked her back with his hand, but she gave no indication she noticed his presence. He put his hands under her and lifted her from the ground. She thrashed wildly and struck him with her fists repeatedly. Darius stood up with her in his arms, ignoring her as she lashed out at him again and again. He strode in the direction of the keep whilst carrying her, never breaking stride.
    By the time they reached the castle, Dearra had ceased her attack and laid placidly in his arms. The people in the bailey looked away as they approached. Dearra was supposed to be alone, but they understood, or tried to understand, what she was going through and that she needed help. Darius carried her to her room and set her on the cushioned chair in front of the hearth, before starting a fire to take the chill from the room. He wrapped one of the blankets around her shoulders before leaving her to find Carly and Daniel. Maybe they would know what to do.
    He entered Daniel’s room and found the weapons master working on a sword at the whetstone.
    “That’s an elegant looking blade, Daniel,” Darius said, trying to make conversation. “Is it new?”
    “Yes. I had to have something to replace the weapon that was lost in Darak. This should do well enough. It still feels wrong in my hand, but I’ll get used to it, I suppose. I had better; I’m going to need it. You should have Wayland begin work on something for you as well. The Breken will certainly come, and when they do, every sword will be needed.”
    “I already spoke to Wayland. He says he has something in mind. I’m afraid you’re right, though—the Breken will come. They won’t let Falco’s death go, not that they really care one way or another, but they will need to act for appearance’s sake, if nothing else. Besides, it’s given them the perfect excuse. There have been rumors of a strike against Mirin Tor since I was a child, but it never came to be, as it was too hard to get them to agree on anything. Now they will all come.”
    “How many do you think?” Daniel asked, laying aside the weapon he was working on.
    “If they can persuade all of the cities? Forty thousand. Maybe more, maybe less.”
    Daniel ran his hand through his hair. “In Cyrus’s name. They will crush us.”
    “We won’t be able to make any kind of stand here on the island, that’s for sure.”
    “You can’t be serious, Darius. Even when they’ve come to the mainland in the past, it was never more than a thousand at a time. They wouldn’t have enough ships to carry them all.”
    “They won’t come on the regular ships. They’ll come on warships. They use sails and oarsmen both. Those ships can hold four hundred