ABC tales part 5

A sound made him turn and he saw that they were all gathered at the doors of their caravans; the entire family; all watching him silently, as if expecting something of him though he was at a loss as to what.
‘If you won’t stop him then I insist you tell him!’ His mother stormed charging down the steps and over to the old man.
‘Whst woman! You know how it must be.’
Mateo looked from one to the other. ‘Tell me what?’
His mother faced him drawing breath to answer.
‘Be silent!’ Grandfather roared startling both Mateo and Jayna. He pulled Mateo round to face him once more. ‘Mateo. Don’t go north, there have been others who have felt as you do now, they went north and none have ever returned. Turn away, stay with your family, find a wife and settle down.’
Mateo looked at his mother’s anguished features and once more he found himself questioning his decision; there was nothing in the north for him, no reason… ‘I-I can’t, I have to go.’ He could feel the pull, like the magnet’s influence on iron and like iron he couldn’t resist.
The old man nodded, releasing him and turning to Jayna. ‘We can do no more, it’s his choice, don’t belittle him by questioning it.’
‘But it isn’t his choice is it?’ Jayna hissed and before Grandfather could silence her again. ‘I know I can’t turn you from this path but I want you to remember what happens next. Give me your father’s knife Teo.’
Without thinking about it he gripped the hilt of the knife to draw it out and pass it to her. His fingers flexed on the hilt but he made no effort to draw the blade.’
Jayna nodded, casting a scowl at Grandfather. ‘Tread carefully my son and come back to me.’ With tears flowing down her cheeks she ran back into her caravan.
Mateo turned a questioning look to Grandfather but he had brushed past him.
‘Back to bed now, we’re moving on in the morning .’ He said gruffly to the watching family.
His words seemed to break the spell and with a few waves and calls of farewell they disappeared back into their caravans until there was only Grandfather left.
He turned back to Mateo. ‘You will face things…’ His words faltered and there was an agonised expression on his features. May the last step of your journey be as easy as the first.’ He finished in the age old farewell of the Journeymen. Before Mateo could respond he ducked back into his own caravan.
Part of his mind knew there was more; that he should ask his mother, Grandfather… But the shear exaltation that filled him drove the thoughts away and without so much as a glance back he set off, despite the darkness heading due north.

Sara tossed the pen onto the desk and leaned back a dark frown marring her beautiful features. It was the fourth attempt at the report and she’d got no further than three lines.
It was said by some that the Journeymen wielded magic; that they could cast a glamour. She’d always scoffed at the idea but the way he had just walked back into her life; the way she felt… She was beginning to believe there might be something to it after all. No matter how hard she tried to concentrate his face kept forcing its way into her thoughts, dragging back the memories. She blinked – she was doing it again! She stood up so abruptly that the chair toppled behind her. She was just bending to stand it upright when her adjutant came through the door.
‘Is anything wrong Lieutenant?’
‘Just a little clumsy today.’ She waved off his concern.
He nodded, ‘Must be contagious, we’ve two personal in the infirmary, had a car accident.’
Sara turned to face him, ‘Was it serious?’
‘As I understand it they were just a little banged up , medic says no serious damage.’
She nodded, ‘What about the vehicle?’ She had men aplenty but the vehicles were in short supply.
‘As fat as I know there’s no information on it, I could check.’
‘Do that for me will you?’ She stared down at the unfinished report on her desk. ‘Don’t bother, I’ll do it myself.’ Anything not to have to sit staring at a blank sheet of paper.
She’d just left her office when she came face to face with the Magister, Kiva Raeger.
‘Ah lieutenant, I was just coming to see you.’
‘Sir?’ Though he was a close friend of her father Sara had no real liking for the man.
‘I understand the Gröeder boy came back into the town last night, that he was harassing you?’
Sara felt a spike of anger; there was only one way Raeger could have found out about Mateo’s return. Silently she cursed Krieger’s big mouth.
‘He is back sir, but he wasn’t harassing me; we’re… acquainted and he merely wanted me to know he was back, that’s all.’
Raeger nodded, seeming to consider her words.
‘Well, let me know if he does start bothering you, I don’t care who his father was he’s a Journeyman and we can’t have one of those filth harassing the citizens of Black Bay, especially not a lieutenant in the local militia.’
Sara watched him bustle on his way. He cared enough while Karl Gröeder was alive, spent half his time fawning over the man. He would’ve never dared call Mateo ‘filth’ in earshot of another then.