Falbaash
It was thoroughly dark by the time Falbaash arrived. He came in and plonked himself in the same chair by the fire that Gobiir had used the previous night. “Only three passengers today. And no parcels at all. At the present rate, I’ll have to cut the service back to a three day round trip, like I did last winter. Can’t feed a family like this. What’s a man to do?”
“Thank your luck that you don’t ply the Laanoha to Gorb route, or up to Veglid?”
“Thanks for that kind thought, Biilam. At least they can charge a good price there, they know no-one’s going to try to compete. My old coach wouldn’t handle those roads, though. Put four horses on the front of it and try to pull it up a hill? It’d fall to bits.”
“That’s reassuring words for your passenger, Falbaash.”
“Oh? Have I got a passenger for tomorrow already?”
“This young man here, Owen. Actually, he wants to talk to you tonight, while there’s only us around.”
I can talk myself, Biilam, but actually, I’m very happy if you do the talking for me if you want to. You know this man, I don’t.
Falbaash turned and looked at me. “You’re a quiet one. I know, it’s hard to get a word in with Biilam around.”
Biilam didn’t say anything. Ah well, it’s up to me then.
“I’m trying to find my young lady. I don’t know if you remember her. A young woman, not one of the regulars, about three weeks ago. Small, slender, wearing a black cloak with a hood.”
I’d only found out what she’d been wearing from Gobiir and Kiimi. I’d never seen her in a black cloak.
“You’ve already said plenty, there’s not often strangers on my coach. Yes, I remember her. Jumped on me at the last minute, as if she’d only just decided to travel. Didn’t even know where I was going, had to ask. Paid for the whole way to Karrem, but then at Griimi she asked what it was called, and said not to wait for her, she’d stay there. I gave her half her money back, and she was grateful. Most folks would have wanted two thirds back. I told her she’d only gone a third of the way, too, but she was happy. Pretty girl.”
“Has anyone else been asking after her?”
“Not that I’ve heard. Why? Is she in trouble?”
“Quite likely, but I’m not certain. If anyone else does ask, can you tell them you’ve never seen her?”
“Well, yes, but how do I know whether it’s you or the other fellow she’s trying to get away from?”
Biilam answered that one. “She stayed here four nights, Falbaash. She talked about Owen, and we’re sure it’s him all right.”
“She’s stayed in Griimi? Not been on the coach again?”
“Maybe, I don’t know. No, she’s not been on my coach, neither back here nor to Karrem, but I’m not the only coach that stops at Griimi. There’s two coaches that run between Laanoha and Karrem, too. You’ll have to ask Preysh and Kaasham if she caught either of them.”
Of course. I’d forgotten about the map Kemmina helped me make. I’ll have another look at that later. Kaasham? I’ve heard that name before.
Ah. Workshop man in Briggi of course. Seems so long ago already.
Falbaash and I were alone together later in the evening, and I quietly told him about my meeting with Tomaam and the others at the other inn. He nodded, and said he knew who he could trust and who he couldn’t, and that there really wasn’t any need to say any more. “Better not to. Not here.”
I spent some time studying the map. I wondered how much of it I’d actually need.
My dreams were full of Aila. One moment she was high on the cliffs, with an impossibly large bag full of eggs, standing on a narrow ledge and leaning out, nonchalantly hanging on to her rope with one hand; the next she was out on the rocks, skirt tucked into her knickers, collecting ekraahi; then she was running along in the water, trying to reach the shore before the tide overwhelmed her. Then she was running alongside Peyr’s engine, but we were going too fast, and she slipped as she jumped to get in. I tried to grab her, but she slipped out of my grasp. I woke up sweating. Falbaash was snoring, so at least I hadn’t been shouting – or if I had, I hadn’t woken him. I couldn’t shake off the feeling that the tide was overwhelming her, although I knew in my head that I’d been dreaming, and that anyway she knew what she was doing when it came to tides.