The Gates of Memory, стр. 65

Jace approached her rock, having been about thirty paces behind her. He passed her a waterskin, which she gratefully accepted. The sun seemed brighter here, burning unprotected skin. She drank deeply, enjoying the cold mountain water.

“You probably don’t want to sit on the highest point like this,” Jace observed.

Alena sighed. She knew that, of course. She was silhouetted from almost all directions, and spotters from leagues away might see her. But she wanted to enjoy the view, and they hadn’t seen anyone for days. They walked through a part of Toren’s maps that was strangely devoid of markings.

The Etari hadn’t had any answer to their questions about the lack of information. The Etari didn’t travel frequently to Falar, and much of the information in their maps was long out of date. But the maps indicated this was the quickest way to Faldun.

Alena believed this part of Falar was abandoned. It explained the absence of information on the maps, and it explained why they seemed alone in the wild. Jace accepted that Alena’s theory might be true, but without stronger evidence, he still urged caution.

Which sometimes made her laugh. Her brother had never known caution a day in his life.

And she just wanted a moment to revel in another summit, an accomplishment in these high places.

“Just give me a moment,” she said. “We haven’t even seen footprints on the trail for leagues. There’s no one here.”

Jace shrugged, apparently deciding it was one battle he didn’t care enough about to fight. Alena saw it as another way her brother had changed since the ambush. She was used to him fighting every fight. They hadn’t seen footprints for some time, and even the path was difficult to follow, nearly overwhelmed with vegetation at lower elevations.

The question she would have given anything to know was why. Food was plentiful and the game easy to hunt. Fresh water abounded, and the scenery, she had to admit, was spectacular. There was no reason she could see for the area to be empty.

Toren came up shortly after Jace. “You shouldn’t sit on the high point.”

Jace laughed and Alena threw up her hands. She stoppered the waterskin and tossed it back to Jace.

“Fine. I’ll rest somewhere lower.” She stood up, but as she did, she saw something off in the distance, a glint of something that caught her eye. “Hold on.”

She peered down the mountains, squinting in hopes of finding the reflection again. Toren, anticipating her need, handed her his looking glass. She brought it to her eye, then frowned.

She wasn’t going to live this down.

Far below them she could make out the exterior of a small building, then another.

A town. The first of their journey.

And the peak she stood on was in full view of several of the roofs.

Alena almost scampered down the path, but she figured any damage was probably already done. Another few moments wouldn’t hurt, and something about the town seemed off. She could only make out a small part of it, but as she watched she realized she didn’t see any movement. No one worked outside. No one went from place to place. The houses themselves seemed like shells.

Additional details only reinforced her initial impressions. Holes looked like they had been punched in the buildings, and the curtains fluttering in the windows could more accurately be described as rags. “I think it’s been abandoned.”

She handed the looking glass to Toren, who made his own study. Toren offered it to Jace, who declined. “Abandoned or not,” her brother said, “it’s a risk we have no need of taking. We should go around.”

Alena felt a pull toward the structures, but couldn’t decide if it was her own curiosity threatening to get the better of her or something more. Jace had the right of it, though. Approaching was a risk, and one better left avoided if they could. Begrudgingly, she agreed.

Their short break complete, they shouldered their packs and once again continued their journey. Alena frequently glanced in the direction of the town, but as soon as they dropped from the peak it was hidden by the mountains that surrounded it.

They dropped back into a coniferous forest, tall pine trees towering overhead, their earthy scent filling Alena’s breaths. Often her footsteps felt spongey underneath her feet, cushioned by layers upon layers of fallen pine needles.

Jace led them through this section, and Alena saw the moment he tensed. Less than a heartbeat later, his sword leaped into his hands, but after taking two steps, he hesitated and froze.

Alena’s momentum carried the rest of the scene into view. A lone Falari woman stood on the path before them. She stood almost as tall as Jace, her defining feature being her long dark hair, draped loosely over her shoulders.

As near as Alena could tell, the woman wasn’t prepared to fight. For one, her hair would get in her way. Two, she carried no sword and her bow was slung over her shoulder. Jace could kill her half a dozen times before she sent an arrow his way.

Something else prevented her concern from rising: a sense of peace emanated from the woman. Around her, they were safe.

Alena recognized the sensations, embarrassed it took her as long as it did. “Stop,” she commanded.

The woman’s eyes traveled from Jace to her. She didn’t seem surprised Alena had noticed her mental affinity. With a small nod, the feeling of peace faded. She spoke, her imperial precise. “I’m sorry. But I didn’t want him to attack before we spoke.”

“Who are you, and how did you find us?”

“My name is Sheren. I saw you when you crested the peak a league back.”

Toren grunted, as close as he would come to saying “I told you so.” Alena glanced behind her to glare at him, seeing he had a rock spinning and ready to launch.

“But I’ve been waiting for you,” the woman admitted, her comment directed at Alena.

“Me? But why, and how?”

Sheren looked to both sides of the path, as though concerned there