As I walk through the beginning path to Allein, I regret not having Doyle come with me to help find my dad. Allein is filled with people. It is the biggest trading port in all realms, and if you are looking for one person in the crowd, the odds are not in your favor. It is hard for me to get through the crowds of people trying to sell products in their various ways.
It is very loud, with everyone shouting across the paths at people who are buying from their competition. Yet through the loud sounds of the bartering businessmen, I still hear someone call really loudly,
"Thief! Filthy street rat! Get back here!"
And then I see the crowd split far away from me as a girl runs through the crowd, followed by about eight men chasing her. She dodges through the crowds, but the men are not going to stop chasing, and the crowd is getting over their stupor and beginning to realize they have the chance to catch a thief themselves and possibly get a reward. The girl runs around the corner and that is when I realize she needs help. There is no one around where I am standing because I have not yet entered the designated market area. When the girl runs out of the crowd, the guards are confused for a moment and I grab her arm and pull her down behind an empty stall.
"Be quiet!" I snap and she realizes I am not trying to get her caught. The guards pass, not expecting that a fugitive would stop so suddenly, and soon run out of sight, splitting apart to cover more ground.
"Thank you," the girl says, talking low.
"You're welcome. Why were so many people chasing you? What did you take?"
The girl holds up two loaves of bread.
"They were all chasing you because you stole a little bit of bread?"
"The sultan is worried about having a famine," the girl says.
"There's a sultan in Allein now?"
"He's just traveling through, he doesn't rule here. But he has brought the news of famine from his land, and now every land he goes through is becoming worried about whether or not their fate will be the same. So even here, in the nicest trading port of the Enchanted Forest, stealing loaves of bread is a crime."
"I think they're gone," I look out from behind the stall.
The girl stands up.
"Where are you headed to?" I ask her. "Do you live around here?"
"No, I just kind of go by myself right now. I'm looking for someone."
"Parent?"
"Brother," she replies. "His name is Al. I know he's alive. And everything is pointing to the sultan."
"Well, good luck...?"
"Geni," she shakes my hand.
"Ashton. I hope you find Al."
"Thank you, and thank you for saving my butt. I don't think being locked up is how I want to get my brother from the sultan."
"Yeah, that's probably not the best idea." I thought of something. "Hold on one second."
I went over to the nearest merchant stall and handed him some money. I walked back over to Geni, who is watching me carefully.
"Here," I hand her some more bread and a bit of fruit. "So you don't have to steal for a bit. Be careful."
"Thank you. I owe you."
"Well, if we ever see each other again, you can buy me some bread."
She smiles, "Deal."
Geni looks both ways down the aisles of merchants and runs off in the opposite direction of the guards.
It bothers me why the sultan would be traveling to the Enchanted Forest. That is not normal unless something is wrong, but at the moment, the thought of problems of this matter did not phase me. I did not even think about it, I just wanted to be home. When I walked through the market stalls, and past the citizens bartering for goods, I finally felt relieved. The Jolly Roger, resting in the next port over from the one Doyle dropped me off at. It was still the same, beautiful, resting in the blue waters. When I walk onto the familiar planks, not a soul is on the ship. They must be at the bar. I decide going to the bar seems like a movie where I get left behind again, so I wait on the ship. It is all peace and quiet too, until something decides to land on my arm and scare me half to death.
"Bloody hell!" I curse as I look over at a white pigeon on my arm. I know birds do not just land on your arm for fun, so it does not surprise me when I look at its foot and see a small piece of paper attached.
"What do you have?" I take the paper off of the pigeon's foot.
"Ash!" Finally.
I turn and hug my dad who is clearly very happy to see me.
"Are you okay? Smee said you had gone off somewhere and then you did not come back to the port. I figured you had run off or..."
"I didn't," I cut him off before we replayed any unwanted memories. "And I'm fine."
"What do you have there?" He looks at the piece of paper I am holding in my hand.
"Oh, I don't know yet. Some carrier pigeon just landed on my arm with this attached." I hand him the piece of paper.
Dad opens the piece of paper and reads it.
"Oh, bloody hell, it never ends," he whispers.
"What does it say?" I ask. He hands the slip of paper over to me.
Go back, get Emma, give her back her memories!
The pigeon has a small vial on its other leg.
"We can't get back to New York without a magic bean, right?" I ask.
"Well, Allein is the place of trade. Let's see if we can find a way to get there, aye?"
I nod. But if I can get a magic bean, that means I can get back to Devin.
Next update might not be as soon. My birthday is today and parties/traveling is keeping me busy :-)
Liz xx