Five years later the events of that night haunted Alaura still. She had promised Maura to protect Isla, and after Keiron Ruckle had snatched the child from her arms, she’d promised herself to never again be that vulnerable.
As Alaura slipped into her hiding place near Keiron’s backdoor, she thought of the first time she came to spy on Isla. It had taken her two days to convince herself to do so. When she did, she discovered the overhang of the adjacent building created a cubby, and she pressed herself into the hiding spot. It became the perfect location to watch the backdoor and the fenced-in pen where a Cotswold ewe tended to her lamb and Maura’s baby.
She had been tempted to snatch the child and run, but where could she hide with a baby in Maskil? Returning to her hometown of Petra North proved too dangerous. Truth be told, she wouldn’t have gotten far. If Keiron reported the baby missing, guards at the town gates would have remembered her with the child. They’d have thrown her in the dungeon…or worse.
Night after night Alaura watched the hauflin child. She brought food and drink, and when the cold winds blew, she cuddled the orphan to her breast. Her long hours of vigil were spent preparing for the day when she could escape with her.
Over the years she sought spells to aide her task. She mastered the Cloaking Spell which hid Isla from anyone who ventured into the yard. Combined, the Bubble and Warmth Spells created a small space that maintained the conjured heat where Alaura and Isla stayed warm and dry throughout the cold season. These and many more served them well.
The spells hadn’t come from her teacher. Catriona may have convinced her to explore her powers, but another magic-maiden gave her the knowledge to sharpen them. The added confidence and skill level made her ready to face the challenges of travelling alone to Petra with a child.
The journey would begin in a fortnight.
Alaura had befriended the guards at the town entrance gates. They knew her by name and that she pulled a small cart behind her—one large enough to carry several garments she crafted and sold to those living in surrounding settlements, or large enough for a hauflin child.
She planned to deliver Isla to her brother Pym, who’d claim her as his own at Petra. Then she’d return to Maskil as if nothing had happened and continue with her life in the limited capacity available to her.
The plan contained one irritation: Corporal Darrow. Unlike any Aruam Castle guard she knew, he checked every cart, every sack and every waggon which entered and left Maskil, including his own father’s delivery waggon. Alaura had observed his steadfastness to regulations, and while he worked the gates, she avoided passing through. While he patrolled the castle wall, guards at the entrance felt his presence and carried out their duties accordingly.
In her mind, Corporal Darrow had to be off duty to improve her chances of escape with Isla.
Alaura didn’t think the corporal to be rotten. In truth he seemed amiable. His mum, Maisie Darrow, owned and operated the Forest Bakery and Herb Shop where she purchased many of the herbs to work spells and create potions. His family had become known to her, but she avoided the corporal for the potential trouble he could cause, as much as for the feelings he stirred when he smiled at her from a distance. He was a handsome and well-built man, unlike the dwarfs in the settlement north of Petra; miners everyone, they worked hard, but appeared gruff and scruffy. Corporal Darrow appeared to be anything but scruffy. Nevertheless, she couldn’t become acquainted with anyone serving with the castle because of the dangers it created.
Alaura pushed these thoughts from her mind and thought instead of Isla, who played with her stones beside the woolly ewe. A quiet child, she seldom spoke unless Alaura gave permission. In spite of her living conditions and the lack of personal contact, Isla had grown into a generous and easy-going girl.
Removing a biscuit from her sack and placing it on her palm, Alaura cleared her mind and focussed on the food. It rose, moved across the yard and dropped in the straw before Isla. The child looked toward her hiding place, but remained still. Alaura withdrew another biscuit and repeated the Levitation Spell.
Isla gathered both biscuits, fed one to the sheep and ate the other. She did the same with the oatmeal raisin cookies and apples Alaura delivered. Then she cuddled into the ewe’s warm wool and fell asleep as the sun set.
To pass the time Alaura went over her escape plan. Her solitary vigil meant no one would suspect her of taking the child. After a four-day journey, Isla would be safe in Petra North. Although she felt guilty about using her friendship with Maisie to commit an unlawful deed, Alaura wouldn’t hesitate when the woman complained once again about her youngest child’s infrequent visits. Is your son working days this week? Though a casual question passed between a regular customer and a shop owner, the answer dictated when she would leave Maskil.
With Isla protected by the Cloaking Spell, Alaura snuggled into her blanket and fell asleep.