The Rise Of The Morningstar (Eng. Version)

Chapter 39 - Memories of a Time Long Gone

Chapter 39 – Memories of a Time Long Gone

"I still don't think that's a good idea," I growled through clenched teeth. Anger, fear and excitement boiled in my blood; a dangerous mix. I was struggling to keep my voice under control.

"We both agreed to come here," Jace replied, trying to sound as diplomatic as possible, unlike me.

The nature of Idris spread out in all directions before our eyes. We had left Alicante early in the morning by order of the Inquisitor. Out here, far from Nephilim civilization, the snow had not shied away from the sun. The perpetual white covered valleys and hills, forests and fields, even one or the other lake was still sealed by a thin layer of ice. The trampled path the Shadowhunter escort was moving south ahead of us was all that could be seen beside the snow. At the moment we were riding on a rise, so I had a view of the further course of the path. When the ice melted and Alicante farmers drove back out to work their fields, the trail would turn into a wide road, hidden beneath the winter weather. We were not moving on any of the main trade routes connecting the city with the surrounding villages. We hiked off the beaten path, on a path that was only used to transport goods in good weather.

A snort escaped my throat and the horse below me swerved in confusion. I rubbed its back soothingly as I tightened the reins. The animal had sensed my anxiety ever since I had mounted it in the Lightwoods' stable. I hadn't bothered to remember its name. "I had no choice, as usual."

The Inquisitor had tasked us with locating my father's estate and checking the surrounding area for any trace of his whereabouts. At least that was the assignment Aaron Wrayburn, the mission's commander, had received from her. My presence was desired simply because it was my family's property and I had lived there for the past eighteen years. Since I was the last person in my bloodline not to be dead or charged with treason, the estate and all other Morgenstern lands technically belonged to me now. I wasn't proud or happy about it. I loathed the thought.

Every fiber of my body begged me to clear off and return to Alicante immediately. With every step the horse took, the panic of what I would find in my old home spread further through my veins. Did they leave me a message? Had they burned the entire property to the ground like my father had burned the house of the Fairchilds, my grandparents'? All I knew was that this place would bring up memories I'd been trying to bury deep in my memory since Jonathan's transformation.

"I know," Jace said, and sighed to himself. He had the hood of his coat pulled low over his face and, like me, was staring straight ahead most of the time. His grandmother had sent him along to keep an eye on me; as usual. At least he wasn't thrilled about it any more than I was.

Together we brought up the rear of the escort and rode at the end of the line of ten horses, all of whom broke into a trot now that we had finally reached the woods at the foot of the rise. The property was in the back half of the trees, so there were only a few miles to go and both the animals and we were exhausted from the journey, which had taken us almost a full day's walk. Though we were still a long way from the borders of Idris, the estate was in a part of the country away from the mansions of the other Shadowhunter families. The odds of encountering a wolf here were higher than encountering a Nephilim. But that was also partly due to the wards of Valentine, which we had passed about half an hour ago. Now that we knew where we were going, overcoming the spell hadn't been a problem.

"But look at it this way, you can get some of your stuff," Jace added after several minutes of silence. During the entire ride we had hardly spoken to each other. My frustration at being here and having to face my emotions had stopped him after a few attempts at conversation. To be honest, I had to admit that I was surprised how after one day of this friendship story he hadn't yet fallen back into his old pattern and ignored me. Nevertheless, I could not read him and his true motives out of him. Jace was difficult to read. Sometimes when he put on his mask of emotionlessness, like now, it bordered on the impossible and even my father's guidance didn't get me anywhere.