Chapter 11-4: Can't return home

        Caden left the tavern. He smiled and whistled the whole way home. As he approached the bakery, he was greeted by the warm, sweet smell of baking oats. His trip to the tavern gave him a new look on the town. He wondered why he felt such a strong desire to leave.

        He walked into the warm kitchen. He looked around, Sam was eagerly working to fulfill all of the Kitchen duties. Caden looked around at the kitchen, it seemed empty. He turned to Sam. "Sam?" Caden asked. "Where's my father?"

        Sam set down the dough she was working on. "I don't know how to tell you this," she said. "I've been trying to avoid it." 

        "What aren't you telling me?"

        "When you left, your father was worried."

        "I would have thought he'd be angry."

        "No, I think he knew you were going to go," she said. "The next day, he packed up and went looking for you."

        "What?"

        "He said that if he didn't catch you by the time he reached Tinate, he would send word." Sam checked on the bread in the ovens. Caden helped her rotate the loafs. "I was worried when I didn't hear from him. But then you came home injured, and he was still gone."

        "So what happened to him?"

        "No one knows." Caden ran out the back door. "Caden, wait!" Sam called. She followed him out. 

        Outside, Caden ran into Rilyn sitting by the well. "When I heard about your father, I knew you'd try and do something stupid."

        "I need to leave, Rilyn. You're not going to stop me." Caden walked to the stable.

        Rilyn tripped Caden. He landed with his face in the mud. "You got lucky the last time. I really don't want you to come back to Erdon in a box next time."

        Caden pushed himself up and knelt in front of the well. "What's your plan?"

        "Give me one month. After that, we can set out again." Rilyn looked at Sam standing in the door. "Or you can leave..." Rilyn pointed at Sam. Caden looked back at her. "And maybe never come home."

Chapter 11-1: A New Day

        When the sun rose the next day, Caden walked into the kitchen. Sam was busy baking. Caden looked around. Sam was baking all by herself. His father wasn't in the kitchen.

        "Hey," Caden said.

        Sam turned around, "Caden, you don't have to be up." She wiped flour off her hands with a towel. "I can take care of all this by myself."

        "I've been home for two weeks, and haven't completed the morning deliveries once." Caden smiled. "My father must be tired of listening to Valron complain by now."

        "Yeah, Valron..." Sam placed several lumps of dough on a large wooden paddle. She loaded them into the stone oven and pumped the bellows. She used the wooden paddle to turn other loaves. She removed other loaves that looked done. She tapped on the crust and listened to the echo. "Okay, Caden. These are the last loaves for the morning baking." She buttered the crust and moved them to a basket. "Do I need to tell you where everything goes?"

        Caden laughed. "No, I think I can remember everything. Need anything from the market?"

        "No, we're good."

        Caden took the basket and two sacks, and walked out the door.

        Caden was surprised at the changes in Erdon since he left. Buildings were still being rebuilt. The hollows had simple bridges built over them. Water from the lake ran down the hollows. It felt like a new town. 

        Caden walked out to Valron's manor first. He used the heavy iron knocker to bang on the door. Valron opened the door. "Caden?" He grasped Caden by the shoulders. "It's good to see you're alright."

        "Has it been an hour?"

        "What?" Valron looked at the rising sun. "No, it hasn't. You're on right on time." He smiled.

        Caden gave Valron his breakfast, and left. As he walked through town to his next delivery, he smiled and whistled.

Chapter 10: Home at last

        Caden woke up with the sun shining in his eyes. He felt warm soft hands moving over his stomach, followed by a slight pulling sensation on his side. He blinked and looked around. He was in his own bed, and sam was kneeling by his bed, changing a bandage over the stab on his stomach. He reached up and touched her wrist.

        Sam jumped at the touch. She looked at Caden. Her light blue hair glowed in the sunlight. She smiled at Caden. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were awake."

        Caden groaned. "Am I dead?"

        She shook her head. "No, but you were close."

        "What happened?"

        "The priest brought you home. He said you were attacked by something he called the 'Dread Knights.' You're injuries were serious, but you got lucky."

        "You saved me then?"

        Sam shook her head again. A tear ran down her cheek. "No, it was the woman you were traveling with."

        "Who?"

        "Don't you remember? She said you were traveling together a lot, to the Dragon Knight camp and back."

        "What's her name?"

        "Suzidan. Don't you remember her?"

        "Yeah," -Caden groaned and sat up-- "we've just been separated since the Dragon Knight camp."

        "Don't move too much." Sam grabbed Caden and supported him while she adjusted the pillows to support his back. "She's still in town. I'm sure she'll come by to talk when she hears you're feeling better."

        Caden leaned against the head board. "Thanks for taking care of me."

        "Well, I haven't been able to do much. I'm not a healer like my mother." Sam took a cloth from a steaming bowl next to the bed, and started washing Caden.

        Caden just relaxed and felt her gentle hands caressing his arms and chest. After she finished giving Caden a sponge bath she helped him lay back down. Caden thought it was strange, his bed felt so familiar, yet so different. He rarely slept in his own bed, but something about being in it then just felt better then before. He couldn't understand it, but it did feel nice to be home. He could smell the baking bread coming from the kitchen. The subtle aroma of baking oats mixed with the sharp smell of rye. He looked around, Sam was gone. He didn't notice her leaving.

Chapter 2: The daily grind

       Caden woke up early. His father kicked him in the side. "Come on, boy," he said, "you're in my way." Caden rolled over and crawled away from the stone oven. "Why don't you ever sleep in your own room." He loaded more wood and stoked the fires.

       "It's warmer in the kitchen." 

        "Well, get cleaned up. You're going to have deliveries to make."

        Caden stood up and walked outside. He pulled a bucket of water from the well. He washed his face with the cold water, and used the bottom of his shirt to dry off. As he rubbed his face, he remembered the stranger in Sir Eric's boat.

        The morning baking was done by sunrise. Caden returned to the kitchen to pick up the fresh baked goods. His father's apprentice, Sam, handed him two butter rolls for breakfast. "Okay, listen," his father said. "Take the meat pies and honey loaves to the tavern, the..."

        "I know," Caden interupted. "It's the same every morning."

        "Well, I have to tell you again. Valron came by yesterday and said he didn't get his breakfast delivered." His father wiped flour off his hands. "Now, the meat pies..."

        Grumpy old Valron, Caden thought. His apprentice probably brought them to his study and he forgot them in there. Caden looked Sam rolling out the dough. Maybe if he delivered to Sir Eric last, he could meet the stranger.

        "Now after you make the deliveries, go to the market. Get two fish for dinner," Caden cringed at the mention of fish, "and a bushel of potatoes. Oh, and Harron said his daughter was going to be in town today with fresh cream and butter. Don't leave it in the kitchen this time, take it down to the cellar. I also need you to..."

         Keilee is going to be in town! I wonder if she'll go to the town social with me.

       "You got all that?" 

       "Yeah, yeah." Caden grabbed the two sacks, swung them over his shoulder,  and lifted the large basket under his arm. He walked out the door. Sam looked at him and smiled.

        Caden walked through the town square. Both sacs were empty and rested in the basket next to the oat bread for Sir Eric. The ground around his feet swelled up and engulfed his legs to the knees. "Caden!" yelled Valron. "Where's my breakfast?"

       "I just gave it to your apprentice." 

       "It's late," Valron walked up and stood in front of Caden. "I want my breakfast an hour after sunrise."

       "Your manor is on the other side of town." Caden struggled against the earthen embrace. "I have other deliveries before you."

       Valron raised his hand, and the ruby on his ring glowed with fire.

        "Now let me go. I'm not done yet."

       "Your father will hear about this." Valron waved his hand. The earth and stone crumbled away from Caden's legs. Caden ran off.

        Freak. Caden stopped running and looked where the sun was. How long is an hour anyway?

         When Caden got out to Sir Eric's house, he could see movement through Sir Eric's bedroom window. "Sir Eric," Caden called. "I got your order." Caden waited till Sir Eric answered the door. He looked up and saw someone looking out the window.

         Sir Eric opened the door. He had a straight slice across his unshaven cheek. He was holding a rag up to stop the bleeding.

        "How'd you cut yourself?"

        "Shaving." Sir Eric took his bread from the basket. He went back inside. He looked at Caden as he closed the door. "Do you need anything else?"

        Caden moved to see inside. "Well..." I can't ask about the stranger, he'll know I followed him last night.

       "Then go home. I'm busy." Sir Eric closed the door.

        Caden walked away. He looked up and saw the stranger in the shadows of Sir Eric's room.

        When Caden got to the market, he walked past the fishermen. He didn't want to smell like fish when he talked with Keilee. He looked for Harron's stall and ran over to it. Mika, Harron's youngest daughter was working. She was two harvests younger then Caden. She smiled when she saw him.

        "Hey, Mika," said Caden. "Where's Keilee today?"

       "She's helping Mom spin the wool." Mika twisted her toe into the ground. "Hey, Caden, do you..."

       "I'm kind of in a hurry today," Caden interupted. "Can you just give me a stone of butter and a cask of cream?"

        "Sure." Mika turned around and fetched Caden's request.

       Caden took the butter and cream and walked to the fishermen. He looked around the stalls. He knew his father wanted something else, but nothing looked right.

        Caden opened the cellar doors. "Caden, bring the cheese into the kitchen." His father yelled. Caden cringed. He put the butter, cream and fish away, before going into the kitchen.

        "Hey, sorry." Caden said. Sam looked at him. "They didn't have the right kind of cheese today." Sam shook her head and smiled.

        His father scratched his beard. "I'll have to give the Mayor something else then." He threw the dough to Sam. "See if you can make something else with that. So when did the woodcutter say he was coming by?"

       "Woodcutter?" Caden looked at Sam. She cringed and drew a spoon across her neck. "You know... He didn't say. I'll just run back and ask him." Caden ran out the door.

       His father looked at Sam. She started beating the dough with her spoon.