{"id":4402,"date":"2020-08-28T10:38:29","date_gmt":"2020-08-28T14:38:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=4402"},"modified":"2020-08-28T10:38:29","modified_gmt":"2020-08-28T14:38:29","slug":"ten-05-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=4402","title":{"rendered":"Ten – 05"},"content":{"rendered":"

[This post is from Matt’s point of view.]<\/em><\/p>\n

Matt didn\u2019t look back at the sound of boots hitting the ground as most of the riders dismounted.\u00a0 Carolyn fell in alongside him as he walked while Phelan lingered behind, studying the riders with an expression that Matt knew all too well.\u00a0 There was something both appraising and curious about that look Phelan could wear, something that was oddly reassuring at the same time.\u00a0 He\u2019d seen it many times over the years and even now, it made him smile\u2014an expression he kept carefully hidden from the riders behind him.<\/p>\n

Until he could get their full measure, they still represented an unknown that could be dangerous.<\/p>\n

And yet, I\u2019ve invited them inside the walls.<\/em><\/p>\n

Sometimes\u2014only sometimes\u2014he still listened to his gut.<\/p>\n

Ahead of him, he could see Hecate and the kids standing in the gate\u2019s gap, watching them.\u00a0 He could sense her concern even at this distance.\u00a0 His daughter and nephew, though\u2014they were a mystery beyond reading the expression on their faces.\u00a0 Kailey was concerned\u2014he could tell that at this distance\u2014but Lin seemed oddly stoic and eager all at once.<\/p>\n

Not sure what he sensed or saw, but whatever it is, at least <\/em>he thinks it must be important.<\/em><\/p>\n

Behind him, Phelan was asking a question.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what set you traveling in the first place?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMore of a quest or a geas<\/em>, really,\u201d the lead rider said.\u00a0 \u201cWe rode out looking for something\u2014and for someone.\u00a0 A few someones.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you found any of them yet?\u201d\u00a0 Phelan pressed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d the lead rider answered.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s been a long ride already.\u00a0 We came from the east, from the mountains.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a long ride,\u201d Phelan said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is,\u201d the lead rider agreed.\u00a0 \u201cBut that\u2019s what we had to do.\u00a0 Said if we looked hard enough, we\u2019d find what we needed to find.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was the sound of rustling gear, then a loud thump.\u00a0 Matt spun, heart starting to hammer.\u00a0 One of the riders\u2014a woman\u2014cursed.<\/p>\n

\u201cBryant you can tell them everything you damn well want to about finding the Taliesins,\u201d the woman said, swinging down from her mount and quickly crossing around it and the one next to hers to crouch next to the crumpled figure who\u2019d fallen from his saddle.\u00a0 \u201cBut David needs a healer now<\/em> and it can\u2019t wait another second.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[This post is from Matt’s point of view.] Matt didn\u2019t look back at the sound of boots hitting the ground as most of the riders dismounted.\u00a0 Carolyn fell in alongside him as he walked while Phelan lingered behind, studying the … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[336,337,353,14],"tags":[340,150,163,171,170,354,194,345,181,149,173,148,168,147,165,200,146],"class_list":["post-4402","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ambrose-cycle","category-book-8","category-chapter-10-book-8","category-story","tag-ambrose-cycle","tag-awakenings","tag-carolyn-roberts","tag-fantasy","tag-fiction","tag-grey-company","tag-hecate","tag-kailey-astoris","tag-matthew-astoris","tag-original-fiction","tag-phelan-ocredne","tag-post-apocalyptic","tag-serial","tag-serial-fiction","tag-story","tag-thomas-merlin-ambrose","tag-web-fiction"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1EBlN-190","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4402","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4402"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4402\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4403,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4402\/revisions\/4403"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4402"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4402"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4402"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}