{-Farrar-}
He hadn’t really expected to wake up to silence, but it didn’t immediately tell him that something was wrong, either. Then, when he didn’t immediately see Rhenei, he assumed she’d wandered off somewhere nearby. It was only after making sure he had everything that he realized some things were missing from his bag—and none of her things were there.
He thought back to all the letters and, for a moment, considered if she’d been taken. But that didn’t make any sense. His father was the one paying for all of it and Farrar would’ve been brought back, too. And then there was the stuff that went missing; no one who’d just taken her would’ve brought any of it.
Which means she must’ve left on her own, which didn’t make him any less concerned.
He’d been with her long enough to know that she had no practical skills whatsoever. She was just going to get herself killed out there. She should’ve realized that, right? So why did she leave?
Then he considered the way she asked about the letters. The looks she gave him, that odd silence.
“Shit,” he sighed the moment it all came together. He should’ve known she’d be the type to drastically jump to conclusions.
Farrar quickly gathered up everything he had, trying to think of the best way to figure out where she went. She’d taken the map with her. He had a feeling, then, that she hadn’t intended on following the path… which just made him that much more concerned. She was going to end up getting herself robbed or killed if she stayed on her own.
He walked up to a group of merchants that must’ve come in sometime earlier this morning. “Hey, I’ve been traveling with a teenage girl around my age. She probably would’ve had a bag of stuff with her. Have you seen anyone like that?”
They looked between each other and, after a moment, almost collectively shook their heads. But one of them seemed to have some helpful information: “I think I might’ve seen someone like that, right when we were arriving. She went off in that direction.”
“Thanks.” He left before they could ask any more questions. The last thing he needed was to waste time here.
While he started off in that direction, he tried to understand how she intended on traveling. He had a feeling she wouldn’t have strayed far from a straight line, at least not intentionally. She probably decided not to go on the path because it would make her too obvious. She must not have realized that going off it made her just as easy to follow; once he was able to find a trail that obviously didn’t belong to a wild animal, he was able to follow it to a lone house.
A house with a window that, for a fleeting moment, he saw Rhenei in. He suppressed a sigh as he knocked on the door.
The presumed owner opened the door. He was younger than Farrar would’ve imagined, living in a place where any neighbor must’ve been at least an hour away. He was also, well…
Farrar took far too long to realize what he was doing and made it no better once he did. “I’m staring…”
“Yes, you are,” the owner said rather casually. Despite how rude it must’ve been to him, he still moved away from the door. Once Farrar came in, he shut the door with magic. “I’m guessing you’re a traveler? A lot of them get lost around here and end up finding me. Do you want some tea or snacks..?” He paused. “I’m Calum, by the way.”
“Farrar,” he mumbled back after a while. His eyes wandered around the room and he couldn’t stop himself from asking, “Do you live alone here..?”
Calum maneuvered his way to what must’ve been the kitchen and started messing with things in there. “For about three years now. My hometown is about an hour away from here, so I’m not too far from my parents.”
Farrar, unable to quell his curiosity, walked over to see Calum work in the kitchen. “Looks like you’re using a lot of magic.”
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“I’m lucky enough to have a talent for it.”
“Ever worried you’re going to end up using too much?”
“No, it’s never really been something I think about. I know my limits.”
Calum came back carefully balancing a tray of tea and treats, setting it on a table before going to his own position. He gestured for Farrar to have a seat and asked, “So, what brings you here? Lost and need some directions?”
“I’m looking for a girl around my age.” Seeing Rhenei’s stare from a gap in one of the doors, Farrar looked away and added, “If she’s been around here, you’d probably notice she talks to herself. Well, I guess it’s not really to herself, but…”
“You’re the first traveler that’s found their way here this morning,” Calum replied.
“I just saw her behind that door.”
“I don’t just tell anyone who comes here and where they end up going.”
“I’m pretty sure that whatever she told you, I have a perfectly good and reasonable explanation for. If it isn’t just a lie.”
Calum shrugged and decided to change the subject. “You know, I think I’ve seen someone like you before…”
Farrar rolled his eyes and couldn’t help the annoyance that slipped into his tone. “Let me guess, you see lying, deceiving people like me every day, right?”
“That’s actually not what I meant. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen your face before. Have you ever been on one of those papers the church hands out?”
Farrar knew where this was going to end up going. And, honestly, he’d wished it would’ve been about what he first assumed. “No, I haven’t.”
He gave a cautious look to the door where he saw Rhenei. She’d have to hear all of this… perhaps it was just a better reason to try to get out of it.
Unfortunately, Calum persisted. “Traveled around here at all?”
“This is the first time I’ve been this far from Hyasari.”
“So you live in Hyasari?”
Knowing there was no point in hiding information, Farrar nodded.
Calum considered it all more before asking another question. “Do you have relatives in Hyasari, then? Ones who looked like you?”
“Yes.”
“Who are they?”
“I don’t feel the need to answer that.”
“Alright then, let me think,” Calum mused. “I can perfectly think of who you remind me of. I saw her when I was young and everyone in my family went to the capital for New Year’s. If you aren’t going to tell me her name, then maybe I can remember it. I think she introduced herself to my parents…”
Farrar knew almost immediately who Calum was undoubtedly thinking of, yet hoped the name was different.
Calum was quiet for a moment, then snapped his fingers and confidently asked, “You’re related to Reseda Munro, right?”
Farrar’s expression must’ve been enough of an answer but, with another sideways glance at the half-open door, said, “She was my mother.”
“I knew there was some connection! You look a lot like her. Not just from my blurry memories but from those pictures, too, that they—” Calum, in that moment, must’ve completely remembered the fate that was tied to that name. He let out a nervous chuckle. “I suppose that’s not the polite way to approach the topic, huh..? I remember hearing what happened to her. It was a real shock, even for someone like me who didn’t really know what it all meant…”
“I really don’t need your condolences. I don’t remember her.”
“Really, I think that just makes it worse. She was a young mother and could’ve had a long life. My mom has a bunch of close friends that worked in conditions like hers, so she paid close attention to everything that happened after. It sounds like that, from the moment Queen Kyra heard of it, she made sure that no one else would suffer the same kind of fate.”
“Gotta appreciate the fact she didn’t just solve the problem at its root,” Farrar remarked sarcastically. “Stop nobles from taking advantage of people’s magic like that and I’d also happily pretend like it still doesn’t happen.”
Calum still kept a casual tone. “You can’t deny that everyone needs their ways of making sure ends meet. My parents had the same thought. They assumed someone else was making Queen Kyra’s decision, after what happened to her sister.”
Farrar gave him a wary glance. “And what do you think about it all? Sounds to me like you’re just repeating what you’ve heard.”
Calum shrugged. “You could say I’m impartial to the whole thing. I understand the thoughts and reasoning behind each side to the story, but I don’t have a side of my own.”
It took a moment of silence for Farrar to be assured that it was really over. He saw Rhenei through the door again. “Well, you know that about me now. Anything else you’re interested in asking? Or are you done with the personal questions?”