Chapter 213 The Faithful and the Faithless (1/2)

Iah had waited all afternoon for her sister to return. She'd kept telling herself that the figure she'd seen on the cart couldn't possibly be her sister, but the nagging feeling in the back of her mind was persistent. Because, what if it was? Her sister never lied to her so what reason could Sharli have for not doing as she'd said? Olly's warning echoed in her mind.

Poised on a cliff...Poised on a cliff.

Cannot follow...Cannot follow.

It had distracted Iah all day, and she'd barely gotten anything done. She'd even manage to cut herself on the papers she was arranging for when they were to take their next lesson.

Finally, as she was preparing dinner. Sharli returned. Iah almost breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the basket with herbs in Sharli's hands, if not for the distant look on her face.

”Hey, are you okay?” asked Iah, ”You've been out all day, did you get held up or something?”

Sharli turned to her sister, shaking her head as if throwing her thoughts aside, ”Uh? Yes, there was quite a wait for the herbs. I think there must be something going around”.

Sharli put down the basket and took off her scarf, moving to help Iah in the kitchen, ”Get anything good at the market”.

Iah smiled, ”Well somebody insisted that we were unintentionally feeding a family of mice with our cheese so of course we would need more”.

Sharli turned to where Meg sat at the table, munching on a small wedge of cheese. She smiled warmly, ”I see, well then of course we can't let the family starve”.

”Of course not,” Iah nodded in agreement.

”Where do you need help?”

Iah pointed at the vegetables to the side, ”I'm making some vegetable soup if you could help with the chopping”.

Sharli got to work.

”Funniest thing, I could have sworn I saw you at the market earlier,” Iah said.

”Oh?” Sharli asked, her knife hesitating as she went to peel the potatoes.

”Yeah,” Iah said, ”There was this woman on the cart, could have sworn it was y-”

”Ah!” Sharli hissed as the knife sliced at her finger.

Iah rushed over quickly, ”What are you doing? Careful!”

She pulled her sister over to the sink and turned on the tap. She'd been so grateful to Rassa for the running water.

She looked over at Meg, who was looking over worriedly, ”Go and get the bandages please, Meg”.

Meg put down her cheese and hurried to comply.

”I'm fine, it's just a little cut,” Sharli insisted.

Iah sighed, ”Where is your mind? You seem distracted”.

Sharli shook her head, ”I just need some sleep. That's all. I'll be better in the morning”.

Iah could practically see her sister's walls go up. She sighed. Fine, if she couldn't get her to talk now, she'd try again in the morning when she didn't have the same excuse.

”Fine, maybe you should go rest then. I'll bring some food up to you later,” Iah said, ”Besides, I'd rather not have you bleeding all over the food”.

Sharli nodded as Meg returned with the bandages. Meg helped her bandage the cut before Sharli disappeared up to bed.

”Is Sharli okay?” asked Meg.

Iah smiled, ”Of course, she's just tired is all. She'll be better in the morning”.

Meg nodded and sat back down with her cheese.

***

Iah was pretty sure the sun had yet to rise when she was roused from a deep sleep. The movements were only quiet, barely audible apart from a faint rustling, yet the movement alone was enough to push her consciousness to the forefront. She opened her eyes, heavy as they were from her sudden wakefulness. She squinted in the dark across the room to her sister's bed.

”Sharli?” Iah mumbled.