Lost notes
Trying out a new icon, it's Rothan, Teigan's sister.
Note: Tazhka is the Kamenan word for "dad"
Kayrin's stomach sank.
It wasn't there.
She took a deep breath, maybe she left it in her saddle bags. Silently she pulled on her shoes and slipped out of the house, careful to close the door quietly. The moon was nearly full and she crossed the space quickly by its pale light out to the barn. The space was so familiar she didn't bother lighting the lamp hanging outside the doors and pulled open the tackroom door once she found the handle.
She felt into her saddle bags, checking all the pockets and crevices. She always put it in the bag over the right flank, but it wasn't there. She checked the left, ran her fingers inside the cantle bag and then across the seat to the smaller bags on either side of the pommel. Nothing. It wasn't there. Krands. All of her notes. Missing.
It had to be in her room somewhere. She always put it back in the same spot. Always. There would be no reason for it to not be where she had put it. It wasn't something she dragged around everywhere. It was in the saddle or in her room, tucked away where no one would look.
Apprehension building she retraced her steps back to the house. If it wasn't where she left it someone took it. If someone took it ... she shook her head and silently mounted the steps. Her hand stopped just shy of the handle. A light came on inside. Krands. She ducked under the window and crept towards the front where the house was still dark. Carefully opening the front door she moved towards her room, skirting the light leaking out from the kitchen.
She stepped into her room with the single candle she left burning.
"What could you be looking for in the dark, Kayrin?" Her father asked, standing just inside the door.
"O gosh, Tazhka, you startled me," she stepped back and looked up at him. "I thought I left something in the barn, that's all. I didn't want to wake anyone."
He frowned down at her, looking even more severe in the flickering light of the candle. He unfolded his arms and revealed he was holding something. "Were you looking for this?"
It felt like her heart stopped. Even in the dim light she immediately recognized the small leather-bound book. Her translation notes, all of it in that little book clutched in his hand. It was the last place she wanted them to end up. "What is this Kayrin?" He questioned, anger creeping into his voice, shaking the book for emphasis when she failed to answer.
"It's mine and nothing you need to concern yourself with," she replied and reached for it, but he jerked it out of her reach.
"Is this what I think it is?" He looked at it, scowling at the tiny book.
"I don't read minds, father, you will have to tell me why you are upset." She glared back at him, her fear shifted to annoyance as she settled in for the argument to come.
"Don't take that tone with me, young lady." He stepped into her space. "You have to stop this. You're crossing the Milash River alone, aren't you? Or worse, you're helping them cross South. What do you think you're trying to do? Start a war?" He wagged the book at her.
"No." She took the opportunity to snatch it from his hand and slipped past him into the room. "I'm trying to prevent one."
"You're going to get hurt!" He didn't try to reclaim the book, it was more about the reason she had it. "You can't trust them!"
"If it wanted to hurt me it would have let the Kinus get me." She countered, tucking the book away.
"What?" He asked in surprise.
"On the gather this past spring, when I came back late with the strays and I said my horse went down in a hole and I fell off, that's not actually what happened." She grudgingly admitted.
Dayfid stared at her with hard, narrowed eyes. "What happened?"
"A kinus went after my horse and I jumped off. By the time I got back to my feet the kinus and my horse were gone and ..." She thought very carefully about her next words. "There it stood, shaped like a human."
"Part of their deception." Dayfid mumbled, Kayrin glared at him.
"The Klamon got my horse back for me and made sure I got back to camp in one piece. If it weren't for the Klamon I might not be here, or at least would have been a lot worse off without it." It was not something she would have admitted to Teigan, but she needed to make her point. "It protected me and helped me. If the Klamon intended to do me harm it would have done it already."
"What, you feel indebted to this creature, then?" He asked, his voice full of distain.
It was all Kayrin could do to hold her tongue. Her lips twitched with what she wanted to say, but instead she glared at him, creature. They acted more human than Dayfid Hillenbohn. "You're the one pushing your animals across the border, invading their land. I was just following your orders, same for the rest of your men. Every time we crossed we were being watched. They've been watching for years and doing nothing when they would have every right to protect their land and resources.
"It didn't have to protect me at all. I was trespassing. It could have let the kinus get me, it could have chased me back to the Milash, but instead it helped me. They are people, they just aren't Humans."
Dayfid scowled back. "If they knew you are my daughter, they would change their mind about you."
"They know I'm your daughter." She countered firmly.
He softened somewhat and sighed. "No, you don't understand." He shook his head, and frowned again. "What do you think you are trying to do?"
"I'm learning the language, that's what the book is. I'm not ready yet, I was going to tell you and your brothers when I was ready. All of us, Human and Klamon need to meet before something happens to spark another war."
"You don't understand " He repeated. "You can't do this."
"I can and I will. No one else is going to try."
"You're staying here tomorrow." He said firmly and walked out the door. "None of your disappearing the whole day. We'll discuss this more in the morning with your mother."
Kayrin was fuming, but there was no point in wasting her breath or disturbing the rest of the house. She had the book back, she'd just get up extra early and sneak out.