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: Rilyn's Visit

        The next morning when Caden woke up, he was feeling better. He didn't feel tired, and his body didn't ache anymore. When Sam came in with breakfast, he had already washed and gotten dressed. She smiled when she saw him up and moving. She set his breakfast down on the dresser and felt his forehead and cheeks.

        "You're fever finally broke," she said.

        "Yeah," Caden said. "I feel great."

        "I'll let people know that you're feeling better. I'm sure you'll have a couple of visitors today." Sam guided Caden back to bed. "But I want you to take it easy for at least one more day."

        Caden ate his food while Sam checked his bandages.

        Caden was feeling restless. He sat in bed and stared out the window. When he got tired of sitting, he stood up and walked circles around his room. He promised Sam that he'd stay in for one more day, but he was finally feeling better, and he was anxious to get out. He wanted to leave again and find some dragons, so he could help save Keilee. 

        He looked out past the buildings, trees, and bluffs. How close were the Dragon Knights to finding the Queen? With the church reporting attacks on temples, they'd know which way she went. Once they find her, how long will it take to kill her? Caden needed to talk to Sir Eric, find out how much time he has to join them.

        It was still before lunch time when Rilyn came to visit. He opened the door and saw Caden standing by the window. He knocked. Caden turned around and saw Rilyn standing in the door frame, holding the door.

        "Hey, Rilyn," Caden said. "Come in, have a seat."

        Rilyn closed the door. "Hi. I came to see how you were feeling."

        "Really good. How long have I been in here?"

        "About two weeks. We got you home, but you had a fever," said Rilyn. "I came by a couple of times, but you were asleep or delusional."

        "I guess that explains the weird dreams."

        "If we see Su again, I need to appologize to her." Rilyn sat down on the foot of Caden's bed. "She saved your life."

        "I know, Sam told me. What happened?"

        "After you fell, I managed to stop the last two before they could attack you further. We tried to stop the bleeding but the cuts were too deep. That's when Su showed up, she just came out of the woods. She knows a lot about healing and was able to bind your wounds. If she wasn't there, you would have bled out."

        "I need to thank her it seems."

        "You'll need to find her. She disappeared again."

        "What do you mean? She was here last night."

        "I haven't seen her since we returned to Erdon."

Chapter 10: First Visitor

        Caden laid in bed. He spent most of his time resting. When he was awake, it was when Sam came in to redress his wounds or help him wash. When he was asleep, he would dream of forging a chain in Tony's smithy. Sam brought him food three times a day. He wasn't always able to eat, but ate what he could.

        While Sam was cleaning his wounds and changing his bandages, she would hum. It was an old nursery rhyme. Caden tried to remember the words to it. But he couldn't. Still, thinking about the nursery rhyme kept him from thinking about Keilee. He was safe in bed, being cared for by family. She was trapped somewhere, cold and alone. He didn't want to think about it.

        His father never came in to check on him. Caden thought it was strange. He wanted to see him again. He wanted to hear his father lecture him about running away from home. But he stayed away. When Sam was there, he could see something in her eyes. She was right there, warm, smiling, and humming. But her violet eyes were distant, sad. Caden could tell that she wanted to tell him something, but didn't.

        Caden lost all sense of time, drifting in and out of sleep. Sometimes he was up and eating in the middle of the day. Other times it was the middle of the night and he just found some cold food set out next to his bed.

        Su walked into the room. Caden was asleep. She closed the door, careful to not make any sound. She kneeled down next to Caden. She held his hand. He stirred and smiled. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Sam..." Caden mumbled.

        "Who's Sam?" Su said.

        Caden woke up. "What?"

        "You just said Sam in your sleep," she said. "Do you dream of men named Sam."

        Caden rolled over, "What? No, she's my sister," he said. He looked up and saw Su. "Su, hey!" Caden sat up. "When did you get here?"

        "I've been around."

        "Do you believe in fate?"

        Su thought about the question. "No," she said. "I think we make our own choices."

        "Of course we do," Caden said. "But if we didn't stay at the Blue Fox, we wouldn't have heard the mob. And if I didn't decide to help you in judgement, you never could have saved my life."

        Su smiled. A tear rolled down her cheek. "You saved my life, Caden. I saved yours. That's not fate. We're connected by something much greater."

        "Fate is a chain that we create with our choices," Caden said. "There's nothing more binding then that."

        Su grabbed a stool and sat down by Caden's side. She held his hand and felt his head. His forehead was burning. She blew on her finger tips and touched Caden's brow. His skin glowed blue. Caden felt a cool sensation run down his body and he fell asleep. Su stayed by his side and continued to hold his hand.

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.