Free Embers at Galdrilene by A. D. Trosper Page B

flicker back to its source, yet somehow the path remained inaccessible. Could the Foundling be strong enough to erase the mental path?
    She almost dropped her food when the face of a young woman swam before her vision, blotting out the fire. A face framed by rich chestnut hair with dark eyebrows arching over violet eyes. Before she could grab hold of the image and trace its origins, it was gone. Shaken, Emallya set her food down. The young woman must be the one she caught the faint threads of power from. Why couldn’t she follow the traces back to the girl? Could the girl really be that strong?
    Emallya thought of the silver egg in Galdrilene. Could the girl be the person to hatch that egg? She obviously used Spirit magic and had enough strength in her power to be a rider. She ran her teeth over her lower lip. Galdrilene needed a silver.
    She glanced at the sleeping mounds around her and shook her head. Her embers. With so many gathered already, they had to be the embers her long ago vision spoke of. She had to get these Foundlings to Galdrilene first. The girl could be anywhere. Emallya sighed in frustration. Why couldn’t she trace the girl’s power?
    The others stirring awake pulled her from her thoughts. She checked the tea and finding it ready, poured it into four cups and handed them to the boy and the rest to the Foundlings. She acknowledged their mumbled thanks with a nod and poured herself a cup, savoring the hot liquid as it warmed her insides.
    After they finished their meal, Emallya looked around at them. “I will have your answers now. Have you decided which direction you will go?”
    Vaddoc stood. “You know I will travel with you.”
    Serena hesitated only a second. “I will come.”
    Kellinar nodded. “I’ll come.” He paused for a second, then gave a small chuckle and climbed to his feet. “Where else in this dragon-blasted world can I go? This is the bag I managed to steal, time to open it up and see what’s inside, I guess.”
    “I’m going where Kellinar goes,” Loki said firmly, as if afraid they might change their minds and send him back to Trilene.
    “Then let us get ready and go,” Emallya said. “We have a lot of ground to cover. We will ride double until we find a village where we can buy additional horses. Loki, you can ride in front of me.” She swung into her saddle and held her mount still while Vaddoc helped Serena clamber up behind her and sat Loki in front of her. Then he climbed into his own saddle and did his best to help Kellinar up behind him.
    Once they were settled, Vaddoc turned to Emallya, “Which way do we go from here?”
    Emallya paused, the skin on the back of her neck tightening. Someone watched them. She felt the prickle of energy again. Almost as soon as she felt it, the sensation began to fade away. She tried again to follow the path of the power, but it was gone.
    “Is something wrong?” Vaddoc asked.
    Emallya let the incident go and turned her attention back to the three Foundlings waiting on her. “We follow the road for now. There is a small village we should reach by this evening. After that, we ride cross country. We will still keep along the road’s course. We will be harder to find if we do not stay on it. I doubt the Benduiren will try to follow us right now. However, I would like to leave it behind as soon as possible, just in case.”

    They reached the village that night. Emallya secured two rooms at a small inn nearly identical to the last one Serena and Kellinar had tried to stay at. Serena took advantage of the chance to wash some of the travel grime from her hands and face. She wished there was a place to bathe. She ached all over from the day spent riding. But the tiny inn had no such accommodations. She made do scrubbing with the soap and water in the wash basin in the room.
    The dinner that evening, although rather meager, was nonetheless appreciated by them all. The traveling cakes Emallya provided were nutritious and kept hunger at