“That’s him isn’t it?” Lilith asked, her voice barely below a whisper.
It had to be. How many snowy haired knights ran around Northall?
“In her letter, she said that they were together again, didn’t she?” Rhea asked.
Florian nodded. Yes, that was the strangest bit. Keira had written that they were taking time to get to know one anotheragain, but she’d sounded hopeful. So why in the Fate’s design was he walking arm in arm with a beautiful, and rich, young woman, who was certainly not Keira?
“We’ve got to find her,” Rhea said, seeming to sober almost instantly as she straightened to her full, considerable height. “Something isn’t right.”
“Someone’s got to go and give him a piece of Stormhaven justice is what!” Lilith said.
“We don’t know the whole story,” Florian protested. “We need to find Keira first.” Even as he spoke, his eyes were following Caspian. He was going right to the blonde man who had turned. They spoke only for a moment before Caspian left alone. The man’s eyes as he left were frozen over with anger. Florian’s brow furrowed as he puzzled over the exchange. Absentmindedly, he glanced back to where the red haired woman stood. His chest stilled as she looked up and he caught the first glimpse of her face. He saw brown eyes and a sharp little nose. But what captivated him was the sadness about her that only seemed to grow louder the longer he looked.
And then she was gone.
Here one moment and then vanished.
Gone.
Florian blinked.
“What are you looking at?” Rhea gave him a nudge with her elbow.
He rebalanced himself, shifting his focus back to the matter at hand.
“We need to find Keira!” Lilith said impatiently.
He turned and nodded. Finding her was the first step in untangling this web of intrigue,and finding out who his fox was. Florian pushed the errant thought away, slightly appalled it had even come to him at all.
His mind remained willfully focused on their goal as they returned to the Bear’s Brew Tavern. They’d purchased the last two rooms likely in the whole town as soon as they’d arrived that morning, putting off a garishly dressed merchant who’d arrived only moments after. He likely would have caused a scene if Gareth hadn’t stared him down until he looked about ready to be sick. When the rest of them had left that evening to enjoy the festival, they had left Knox and Gareth behind with enough coin and ale to keep them occupied in their absence. Rhea decided it would be the best course to go back and retrieve them, rounding out their numbers before they started to search in earnest.
What Florian had not been expecting was to find Keira already there. He hadn’t seen her at first. The tavern was more crowded than Florian had anticipated, filled to bursting with revelers in various states of inebriation and in some cases undress. Amidst it all, Keira was tucked away at a small table in the corner with a mug of ale and Knox of all people. Thaddeus was perched on the back of her chair. Knox leaned forward, speaking too quietly to be heard through the chaotic atmosphere, and Keira looked up to where they stood by the door.
“Florian,” she said, her posture lifting at the sight of him. Her eyes soon flicked to Rhea and Lilith behind him.
They all took seats until they were positioned shoulder to shoulder at the small table.
“I’ll go and get fresh ales,” Knox mumbled before leaving them, his form quickly absorbed into the fray.
“You got our message, I suppose,” Florian said, glancing up at Thaddeus who ruffled his feathers in a manner that could only be described as imperious, as if insulted that he would impugn his abilities as a messenger.
“I really wasn’t expecting you all to actually make the trip.”
“Lilith wanted to see the snow.” Florian shrugged.
“I suppose it is a change from Stormhaven,” Keira agreed, looking down into her empty mug.
“Enough about the fucking weather!” Lilith burst.
“Keira, what’s going on?” Florian agreed, though his tone was more subdued.
She looked up at them, lips parted but silent.
“Do you mind telling us why Caspian was strutting around the village with princess snowflake?” Lilith pressed, waving dramatically at the door and nearly smacking a passing woman in the shoulder.
Keira paled. “Priscilla,” she said. “He was going to marry her before I came back.”
“And now?” Florian asked, interrupted by the arrival of the ales.
