Chapter 20
As soon as day breaks, we head north, following the directions Samuel received from Keller. With Samuel’s injury, I estimate it will take a good day and a half to reach the others.
“Are you sure the directions are right?” Aerin asks me.
“I’ve never found Keller to be a reliable source of information,” I say, “but we don’t have anything else to go on.”
“This could lead us nowhere.”
“It might.” I think about it for a moment. “I don’t think so, though. Keller is a nut, but he doesn’t tend to come right out and lie. If he said north, he at least believes it himself.”
“What if someone from Hilltop fed him false information?”
“Keller would never listen to someone from Hilltop, and he’s pretty good at spotting an outsider.”
“Even if his information is right,” Aerin says, “we can’t let them head out west. They won’t find anywhere to live there.”
“I know. I’ve been thinking about that. We’re going to have to tell them.”
“Now?” Arein glances over her shoulder at Samuel and Will trailing behind us.
“Not until we find the others.”
We continue on, going as fast as Samuel’s leg will allow. We have to stop frequently, but after nearly two days of walking, we reach the bend in the river.
“They should be near here somewhere,” Samuel says.
“See that line of trees up on the hillside?” Aerin says, pointing. “That would be a safe place to gather.”
“They might have stayed closer to the river, too.” I point farther north. “It looks like the river is shallow there and a good source of water. Camping just out of sight behind those rocks makes sense.”
“It’s getting late. We’re going to lose light soon. I’ll check the trees; you head for the rocks, and I’ll meet you there if I don’t find anything.”
“Sounds good. Trekking up the hill isn’t going to be easy, so I’ll keep Samuel and Will with me.”
Aerin nods quickly and runs off up the hill while I take the other two and move closer to the river.
“I need to rest a minute,” Samuel says. He uses his walking stick for balance as he lowers himself onto a large rock by the river. “You two go ahead. Come back and tell me what ya find.”
“Yell if you need me,” I say. “We won’t be far.”
Will follows as I make my way around the river bend and through a stand of reeds. Some of the reeds have been recently cropped at the base, and I crouch down to get a better look. The ends are sharp, not rough like they would be if eaten by an animal.
“I think they might be close,” I say.
“How can you tell?”
“The reeds have been recently cut with a knife. Someone is nearby; that’s for sure.”
As we reach the shallow part of the river, I see a few footprints in the mud and show them to Will.
“What if it’s the Thaves?” Will asks. “We have no way of knowing who is out here.”
He is obviously still wary of me, and I don’t blame him. In an attempt to put his mind at ease, I place my hand on his shoulder and smile at him.
“If Keller’s information was correct, this is where they should be. There aren’t any settlements occupied by Thaves in this area, and if we do run across anyone else, I’ll take care of it. It will be all right, Will.”
He nods once, then suddenly narrows his eyes and tilts his head, studying my closely.