Wandering to Belong Read online

Home is Where the Heart is

  Aneira's feet hurt. She'd been on the go with little rest for over two days and there was still more to do. The village was another mile away and night had already fallen. Her thoughts had mostly been on the dragon though. She realised she still didn't even know if he had a name.

  If she didn't have the burns on her clothes to prove it, she would have wondered if the last few days had actually been a dream. Meeting a dragon was one of the most epic things that had ever happened to her, and she had just promised never to tell anyone. It made her feel even more alone. Not only was she the only one of her people left but she couldn't even tell anyone the most important thing that had ever happened to her.

  When she reached the outskirts of the settlement she stopped for a moment. Everything was shut up again, and she wasn't sure where to go to let them know they were free from the goblins. She walked to the well in the centre and stood there for a moment. As she pivoted around she noticed a light spilling under the edge of the tavern's door.

  If she could have picked anywhere, the tavern would have been her choice, so she ran up and knocked. A minute later Merrion opened the door to her.

  “Aneira! We didn't expect to ever see you again, no, we didn't.”

  “Well, I'm back and the goblins are gone.”

  “Gone? As in not comin' back?”

  “As in dead. There might be one or two roaming around but the horde and its leader are dead.” She smiled as his mouth fell open. Suddenly his wife appeared behind him and nudged him aside to get a look at her.

  “Come in outta that cold night air.” She flapped like a mother hen and ushered Aneira into the warm room. No one else was there, but it was already late enough that they might have just gone to their homes a little early.

  “I'll let the chief know. He'll want to speak to you 'bout it, I'm sure.” Merrion walked out the door and closed it behind him, leaving her standing awkwardly in the middle of the room.

  “You liked my pie, didn't you, young'un?”

  She nodded enthusiastically, hoping this meant she was about to get fed.

  “Well sit yourself down then, you're making the place look untidy.”

  Two minutes later she was sat at the same table as three days earlier, eating some more pie, mash and veg, covered in steaming gravy.

  Before she could finish, Merrion returned with the village's chief. The slightly chubby man came and sat down in front of her.

  “Is it true?” She nodded and carried on shovelling her mouth full of food. “You must be a pretty fine warrior?”

  She still didn't answer but shrugged. No part of her really wanted to come out and say the lie the dragon had asked her to. While she continued eating the chief looked her over, and by the time she had finished her food she felt like she wanted to crawl out of her own skin and hide.

  “How old are you, Aneira?”

  “I don't know, but I think around eighteen. I'm not sure exactly. I can't remember when my birthday is.”

  “Have you thought o' settlin' down somewhere? O' course you have, that's a dumb question, ain't it? I think you should stick 'round here, Aneira. You're old enough t'be some man's wife, and you've got lots t'recommend you.”

  Somehow, she wasn't sure this was a good thing, but the chief had a look in his eyes that made her keep quiet.

  “Now, I'd best go tell everyone the good news, especially those five young'uns who are waitin' to be sacrificed. Thanks to you they can go back 'ome tonight.”

  She smiled as he got up and left, but it was only out of politeness. As soon as the door was shut Heulwen came over to her and patted her hand.

  “How 'bout we get you into somethin' a little less tatty? The chief has his eye on you and I don't think a girl like you could make a better match. He's one fine man.”

  Before she could protest to these ideas the woman had rushed off up the stairs. Her stomach turned at the thought of marrying someone like their chief. For starters, he was a good bit older than her, and he just wasn't the sort of man she'd ever dreamt of marrying. Not that she'd really ever dreamt of marrying anyone, but if she had, it wouldn't have been him.

  She knew she had to get out of there as quickly as possible.

  “Merrion. Could I have some more pie please?” she said as she pushed the plate towards him and gave him her biggest smile.

  “O' course you can.”

  As soon as he'd left the room she got up, grabbed all her stuff and bolted out of the door. Without looking back, she ran into the night, up towards the mountains, and didn't slow down until she was over a mile away.

  “That was a close thing,” she said out into the night and walked onwards.

  As dawn was breaking she saw a rabbit up ahead. Like lightning she notched an arrow to her bow and very little time later the animal was knocked onto its side, the same arrow right through its skull.

  As she fetched it, she felt the first few patters of rain, and it wasn't long before the heavens opened. Within minutes she was drenched and could think of only one place to stay dry. She jogged towards the main entrance of the ruined fortress and ducked under the first archway. Already there were the remains of a fire, and her tinder had dried out enough since her swim in the lake that she managed to get a spark.

  With a small blaze going she prepared her rabbit to cook. Even if she didn't eat it just yet, it would keep better cooked than raw.

  She'd just suspended the carcass over the flames and sat down with her back against a dry wall when she felt her eyelids droop. After two nights of no sleep she was powerless to stop herself drifting off.