One Day More - a Sartorias-deles fanfic

Chapter 40

Alaraec would not allow himself to dwell on Iris, though that was all he wanted to do. She was safe. That would have to be enough for him. Instead, he committed himself to tracking down Cetus and Cassiopeia Theren. It was a way to help Iris, even if she never knew he did it. And he would be catching two criminals who plotted to kill his parents. If they did not have the connection with Iris, Raec would still search for the Therens. Night and day. He owed that to his parents. He owed it to Remalna's residents. Ad he owed it to himself.

He couldn't solve all of Iris's problems. He couldn't even solve most of them. But he could solve this one...somehow.

Raec stood against a fence, watching one of the trainers work with Enda's horse. The filly wore Bren's special saddle as she trotted around the open round pen, head bent as she arched her back upward. The trainer was giving the animal subtle physical cues to move certain directions, to which the horse swiftly obeyed. Once the filly had stopped and faced him, he approached and tapped her shoulder three times. She lowered to the ground, and the trainer fed her a treat.

"You're good with her," Raec said.

"I'm only solidifying what you and your father have taught her," the man said. He pulled his fingers through tangled hair and pulled it all away from his face. "I worry about her, though. She's too smart for her own good, and I don't know what she'll do with a rider on her back."

Raec crossed his arms. "No one light enough?"

"Not really, no."

"You've tied a couple sacks of grain on her?"

He nodded. "Yes. She didn't do anything. No bucking. No running. No spooking. I've tried lying over her back, too. Putting pressure in the stirrup. Everythign but actually riding her. Nothing. Not once."

Raec climbed through the fence and bent to scratch behind the filly's ear. He moved to tap her shoulder, and the animal stood. She licked her lips and sighed. "She's confident. Trusting. And maybe a little too intelligent for her own good."

"I'll keep working with her, sire."

"Thanks."

Raec left him to check on Twilight and Joy, neither of whom had acted the same since Iris left. Twilight was in a pasture across from her stall, but Joy? Raec could not find him. He frowned, wandering the stable grounds until he located the palomino gelding. One front leg was propped up as Bren tended to the horse's hoof. Bren's shirt clung to him from his sweat. Raec did not bother interrupting them, as he could see Bren's mouth moving. He and Raec were similar in that way—they talked to their horses. Horses kept secrets better than any human, and they were the best listening ears because they never talked back. They never commented. They simply...well, they listened.

He left the stables at that point. Enda, he had no doubt, was in the library or in town, but Raec had other things on his mind—the Therens.  He sought out his parents instead, who were in one of the sitting rooms. They were both standing behind a desk, studying a map. Meliara had a wrinkled brow, a sure sign of contemplation. Vidanric was pointing at something, and Mel shook her head.

"Is everything all right?" Alaraec crossed the room to stand across from his parents.

"I think we found the Therens," Vidanric said.

"What?"

"We have searched every town, including one we believe was Iris's home. You said she spoke of someone named Tobias?" Meliara asked.

Raec rubbed his forehead. "Maybe once or twice, but only in passing. I believe he was her librarian."

Vidanric nodded. "We spoke to him. He confirmed that the Therens once lived there with their daughter, but he had not seen any of them in over a year.  Azmus spoke with the town's leadership, and they suspected the Therens were nearby."