Malik was almost done grooming his stallion, and tossed the brush he was using into a bucket. Patting the horse on the neck and whispering to him gently, Malik tried to remember the last time he had attended to his own horse. It had to have been when he was weeks on the road, under his father's orders. So, years. His horse nudged him gently, and Malik turned to make sure he had enough hay. A hostler was bustling towards him, a large bale of hay in hand
"Here ya grace, lemme help ya with that." Malik was about to protest, but the hostler had dropped the hay at his feet and began to fuss. As he did, the man grabbed Malik's hand, and placed a small, folded piece of parchment in it. Frowning -
"Oh, my grace, I didn't mean to drop it on Yer feet like that, please forgive me!" He was being intentionally fussy. Malik backed up, waving off his apologies and letting him feed his horse. He left the stables, and turning where no one could see, he read the note.
The hawk waits in the Harbor. There was not a harbor yet! But there was a small pier the larger ships used to tie up the tenders. Malik made his way to the water.
Ian sat on the edge of the pier, fishing pole in hand, and a pipe in his mouth. He looked totally relaxed. Like he had been there forever.
"How the devil did you get here so fast?" Malik sat and picked up the proffered fishing pole from Ian. Casting his line, Ian took a long drag from his pipe and tapped out the ashes.
"I have ways of getting around in a hurry when there's need." Ian glanced over,
"There was a need." It was not a question, and Malik sighed.
"The messages from the Grey. They are odd, those. They are … love letters. To your sister, Kora. They all speak of her heart. Knowing what I do now, with the message ya got to me- I understand they are not love letters no more." Ian set his pole down and handed Malik a stack of parchment.
"The boys in grey are after Yer friend, Ben. They want him badly. Had you all tracked to the last village, and then nothing. My people were watching. We have seen no one of concern at each stop. So, how they are tracking you is a mystery as well, but now they will know when those mages show up back in the capital without you, where they must have sailed from. My guess is: You have about a month before they get here. If time is on Yer side." Malik read over the translations of the papers, before shoving them into his shirt. Ian looked at him, waiting.
"The leader of the grey, he wants Ben to bate Kora into giving up her heart willingly." Malik was looking out at sea. It was to the man's credit that he did not react at all to Maliks confession.
"Ya knows, strange thing to want a heart that isn't hers to give any more." Malik started then looked at Ian.
"What do you mean, its hers, it beats within her chest." Malik did not understand.
"That girls' heart is Ben's mate. She gave it to him the moment she put that ring on. If those love letters were any inclination- there was a part of her he could never touch. If she's in love with Ben." Malik thought it over, could love be enough to stop this Drew from stealing his sister's heart? There had to be something that they were missing.
"Wouldn't Ben be fae, if he possessed Kora's heart fully?" Malik's mind was turning, the possibilities were too many to count.
"No. Who knows if there is any way to obtain the power of a fae. What the main thing here is, that boy in grey thinks there is, and that is enough to cause a problem. People go to war everyday over what they believe." The men sat in silence when the line on Ian's pole began to jerk.
"Well, lookie here, I got a bite!" Malik grinned and clapped the man on the back.