Chapter 30: Clear Waters II

Leo stumbled, falling and landing half on the soft ground and half on top of bony limbs. He jumped back up to his feet and jerked around, glaring down at Ivan, his fist clenched and ready to lunge.

“What the fuck is your problem?”

The Hound rose as well, clothes now stained with dirt, and he met Leo’s glare with equal venom.

“Are you crazy?” he hissed. “Do you have any idea what happens when you touch the water?”

Leo opened his mouth to respond, an angry retort already on the tip of his tongue. But just before it could escape, he paused.

Now that he looked at the Hound again, he didn’t just seem angry. Ivan’s eyes were blown wide, frenzied and wild in a way that seemed utterly at odds with what he’d seen of the man so far. He looked genuinely panicked, and he recognized a painfully familiar emotion bubbling under the sharper and more burning ones.

Fear.

The anger fizzled out before he could think about it. Leo studied the man, attempting to reconcile that visible panic with the mental image he had of the Hounds.

“…It’s not like I was planning on jumping in or anything,” he finally said. “I just wanted a closer look.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

Ivan released a shaky breath, and the Hound visibly attempted to calm himself. A few seconds passed, and finally the tense line of his shoulders slackened a little. When he spoke again, his voice was much steadier than before, and it carried with it a deep weariness that seemed to actively age him.

“Look, I don’t know what you’re planning and I don’t really care. It doesn’t concern me.” Ivan exhaled. “But for the love of god, don’t mess with things you don’t understand. You have no idea how dangerous that lake is.”

Leo stared at him. “Don’t care? You’re a Hound. You’re keeping us hostage. You’re one of the ones who brought us to Sonia in the first place!”

Ivan frowned at that. He glanced around, checking that no one else was nearby. The group of Hounds from earlier had left sometime during Leo’s prayer, and only the boat they’d deposited remained on the shore. Ivan stepped closer and lowered his voice.

“Believe me, none of us are happy with this situation. But as long as you three keep your heads down and don’t mess with Sonia’s plans or the lake, you’ll be fine.”

You’re the one who told her about the fragment, Leo wanted to say, but that would reveal too much of his knowledge. Instead, he swallowed down the words and took a deep breath. Leo’s eyes darted over to the shining waters, then back at the Hound.

“Is it really that dangerous? I didn’t even touch it.”

Ivan’s lips thinned. “It drives people mad. I’ve seen people walk straight in even when they know better.” He shook his head. “Haven’t you heard the saying? ‘Clear waters drive men mad.’ It’s the same on Zelyra’s coast.”

“I’m not from around here.” Leo had actually heard the phrase, but like most sayings, it was hard to know how much of it was based in reality. Besides, it was most often associated with Zelyra, not Avel’s Glass Lake.

The [Fragmentholder] noted that Ivan’s hand still shook slightly, and his brows furrowed. He didn’t know how much to trust that the Hound was also “unhappy” with the situation; it could easily be an attempt to get him to lower his guard and accidentally reveal something. His [Foresight] skill was also damning in Leo’s eyes. Whether or not Ivan had wanted to tell Sonia about the fragment, he was technically responsible for all of this.

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Still, Leo couldn’t help but ask, “Why’re you with the Hounds anyway?” Ivan didn’t look like the classic mercenary type, and with a personal skill like [Foresight], there had to have been better options. People would kill for that skill no matter how “vague” or limited it was.

Hell, Leo was shocked the Council hadn’t already taken him in. Even countries outside of Avel might try to recruit him if they got wind of that skill—the Empire would certainly love to have it.

“I owe Sonia and Douglas.” Ivan’s response was simple and curt, and he didn’t offer any additional information. He simply turned away, closing off again.

“That’s enough. We’re returning to Clearside.”

Leo studied the Hound’s retreating back for a moment, then with a final glance at the lake, he moved to follow.

—

Allan and Spade were waiting at the designated rendezvous point. By then the sun had fully risen, and a number of boats stood lining the shore. A few feet away, Douglas watched stoically, occasionally directing a Hound one way or another. When the man’s eyes landed on Leo and Ivan, he frowned and stepped over.

“Is everything alright?” He eyed the dirt stains suspiciously. Ivan jerked a thumb back at Leo.

“He slipped and almost fell into the lake,” he muttered. Leo bit down an instinctive retort and just grunted in agreement. That was a much easier explanation.

Behind Douglas, he met eyes with Allan and Spade. The latter had an eyebrow raised, while Allan looked more concerned than anything. Later, Leo mouthed, and the [Healer] nodded.

“—should rest more,” Douglas was saying. “I’ll let Sonia know.”

“I’m fine,” Ivan said. “I’m escorting them back to the village.”

Douglas nodded. “Alright,” he said. “But be careful.”

The other Hound looked somewhat exasperated and even a little embarrassed at the man’s concern, but he nodded and gestured for Leo, Allan, and Spade to follow.

Leo wondered what the connection between the two Hounds was. They didn’t look alike enough for him to suspect a blood relation, but their interactions did seem almost familial in nature. Hazel eyes lingered on Douglas’s retreating back. He’d never known his own parents, but he’d seen enough whole—if not necessarily happy—families to recognize the similarities.

He shook his head, shoving the thoughts down. The subject matter was getting dangerously close to that, and he couldn’t afford to think about it right now. He didn’t want to.

The group stepped away from the shore, leaving the lake a shining line on the horizon intersected by the dark silhouettes of anchored boats and Hounds. The wind felt visibly softer away from the water, and as they approached Clearside’s perimeter, Leo took a second to eye the location he’d spotted earlier.

From here, the boat that had been moved there was indeed obscured both by the sharper slope and the swaying grasses. From other angles it would be more visible, but it seemed like their best bet.

Leo turned back to the village. By now they were approaching the back of Irving’s home, the buildings a little sparser here. There were still Hounds standing guard, but now that so many were dealing with the boats by the lake, the streets were significantly emptier than they’d been that morning.

The group moved around the home to the front door, and Leo frowned as he heard two voices that sounded like they were in the middle of a whispered argument, the volume raising steadily with each new word.

As they approached, he soon recognized the two voices.

Standing at the front door, still behind the doorway, Irving glared up at Fergus, the man’s fingers tight around his cane and shoulders tense.

The Hound, meanwhile, loomed over the elderly man, his shadow cloaking the doorway. His axe was held firmly in one hand, and he gestured as he argued, the blade swinging threateningly around as he stepped closer and closer. Irving eyed the weapon warily, but he didn’t seem intent on backing down.

Their voices got louder, and Leo heard Ivan curse under his breath and rush forward. The [Fragmentholder] was just behind him, his heart pounding. Had Irving given up the directions? Were they too late?

Just as they approached, Fergus seemed to give up on keeping quiet. He released a frustrated yell and grabbed the man, yanking him out of the home.

Irving stumbled onto the street, barely managing to keep upright. The cane dug deep into the dirt, and Leo’s eyes widened as Fergus raised his axe above him.

Ivan shouted something, but the [Fragmentholder] didn’t hear it. He was already bolting forward.