Back to Wisherton

Back to Wisherton

Book 2

Amanda Hamm

Copyright 2017 Amanda Hamm

All rights reserved. Before Someday Publishing

Smashwords Edition

Back to Wisherton is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, events, etc. are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Chapter 1 – The Plan is Ruined

Chapter 2 – The New Plan is Ruined

Chapter 3 – Familiar Places

Chapter 4 – Unfamiliar Places

Chapter 5 – An Empty Camp

Chapter 6 – Under the Wall

Chapter 7 – Over the Wall

Chapter 8 – Friend or Foe

Chapter 9 – Lolly’s Mission

Chapter 10 – Night Lizards

Chapter 11 – The Journey of Ten

Chapter 12 – A Final Threat

Chapter 13 – Three New Homes

Chapter 1

The Plan is Ruined

Six weeks. Her leg was splinted, and she wasn’t supposed to walk on it for six weeks.

I know what you’re thinking, Grandfather said, rubbing his chin.

While Yavic did know someone who could read minds, his grandfather was not that person. Yet Yavic was reasonably certain that the older man did know what he was thinking. We can’t wait six weeks, Yavic said.

His grandfather nodded, not surprised. Can you be persuaded to wait just a day or two while we see if someone else can go with you? Lord Boggs likely would.

We made it here by ourselves, Yavic said. He turned over the journey in his mind. It had been difficult, but they were better prepared this time. Much better prepared. When Yavic and his sisters left Wisherton, they had to pack in secret and didn’t know what lay ahead of them. This time they had maps. This time their grandparents had helped them pack for two weeks. This time the journey would be the easy part. Getting their mom and dad out of Wisherton, which was the goal of the journey, would be the challenge. Yavic didn’t see how it would necessarily help to bring another person who didn’t have a clue how to do it. We can go back without help, too.

I don’t doubt that, Grandfather said. This setback only makes me want to pause… to make sure we consider options.

What options? Yavic was getting impatient. He hated being separated from his parents, especially when they knew so little. He’d initially agreed to stay in Brelin for a week. Only to plan and to give his sisters time to recover. Then their grandmother had wanted to come with them. She couldn’t leave before the Autumn Festival, which generated much of the yearly income for the farm. The festival meant staying two weeks instead of one, but she promised to be ready the very next day.

Now, Grandmother Sevra had broken her leg cleaning up after the festival. They’d waited a week for nothing. Yavic was seriously impatient. If they waited six more weeks for her to heal, they would likely run into snow. Or Jaffeys. Either would slow them down and make the journey more dangerous. We’ll leave in the morning as planned, whether you approve or not. Yavic tried to measure his voice to sound determined rather than defiant.

Grandfather rested an arm on the table between them and leaned towards Yavic. A similar determination reflected in his eyes that were the exact same shade of green. Will you leave the younger girls with us?

Yavic considered that idea. His first thought was how much Lolly would hate it. Lolly was the youngest of his three sisters. She had a knack for acting first and thinking second, if at all. It was a trait that drove careful Yavic crazy. But she was tenacious and possibly more eager to return to Wisherton than anyone else. She had big plans. Lolly intended to break into Wisherton through the enormous heavily guarded wall and bring their parents out. She planned to say farewell to friends she hadn’t been able to see before leaving the first time. She planned to find Tames again, whom they’d met on the journey from Wisherton to Brelin. She planned to find his family, too, and bring them all safely to Brelin.

The more Yavic thought about his 8-year-old sister and the plans she had no clue how to execute, the more it seemed that perhaps his grandfather was right to suggest she stay behind.

The older man appeared to sense Yavic softening to the idea. We can tell Lolly and Samtry that they’re needed here, to tend to their injured grandmother, he said. That could take some sting out of leaving them.

Yavic nodded slowly. Samtry was a little more than a year older than Lolly but far more timid. She might actually be grateful to stay put. Okay, he said. Just Sevra and I will go. Lolly will be mad, but… I hope… all will be forgiven when we return with Mom and Dad. Yavic spoke with confidence he didn’t feel. The plan depended on a lot of things going right. He also had no idea how, after two weeks of talking and planning, he was going to withstand the tears when he told Lolly she couldn’t come. He knew there’d be tears.

In fact, Lolly was already crying. She sat out of sight, listening to her brother and grandfather talking about leaving her behind. She didn’t eavesdrop on purpose. She had been on her way down to say goodnight to her grandfather. A cat was sitting on the top of the stairs, and she sat to pet him briefly. Hushed voices rose to her and the cat in the still house. The intention to leave her and Samtry hit her before she knew what she was hearing. Light from the candles in the room below flickered around her feet while her emotions swirled inside. She wanted to go with her brother and sister. They needed her. She knew she could help. Somehow, she could help.

Yavic waited until the morning to inform two of his younger sisters that they would not be coming on the journey. He told Sevra first, the oldest of his sisters. She was twelve, but it wasn’t her few extra years that made bringing her make sense. Sevra had the gift of strength. She could lift boulders and break trees in half. The gift had been useful on the first trip and would help on the way back. It would particularly help getting past the wall. But only Yavic would go inside. The people of Wisherton feared gifts. The Say siblings had left Wisherton to prevent Sevra being sentenced to death for having one.

The children now stood in front of their grandparents’ skinny house in the morning sunshine. The house was three stories tall but had only one room on each floor. The front of the house was narrower than the side and it towered behind them as Yavic explained the new plan. Yavic and Sevra Say stood facing their younger sisters and the house.

Lolly and Samtry Say looked almost as alike as two sisters could without being identical. They had dark hair with a red tint. Though Samtry’s eyes were green and Lolly’s were brown, they were the same shape with the same thick fringe of lashes. They both had straight hair that skimmed their shoulders in cute bobs.

Their reaction to the new plan was very different and neither could be described as cute. Samtry stomped on Yavic’s foot before she fled into the house. Sevra was surprised by it because she expected a drawn out farewell with lots of tears and hugs. Yavic preferred having his foot stomped on by someone half his size to a drawn out farewell with lots of tears and hugs.

Lolly’s reaction more closely lined up with expectations. She stared hard at her brother while her mouth worked to open and close producing no words. It looked as though she was trying to decide exactly how angry she wanted to be.

It makes sense for you to stay and help Grandfather, Yavic said. Their grandfather had weak joints that needed frequent rest, which was why no one suggested he escort the children.

He didn’t need help when Grandmother was coming with us, Lolly retorted.

But now he has to work the farm and tend to Grandmother.

She doesn’t need tending. Lolly rolled her eyes. She has crutches!

That might have sounded callous, except that Yavic was certain a broken leg would barely slow Lolly down. Why would she expect it to get in anyone else’s way? You can be a help to both of them, Yavic said.

"I want to help you! Lolly turned her eyes to her sister. Sevra? Will you let me come?"

Sevra sighed and looked between her siblings. Lolly was attempting to channel her anger into pleading, but it wasn’t working very well. Her request came out softly. Her eyes chased it with an expression that clearly said, Or else.

Yavic had both hands on his head, fingers spread with dark red hair shooting up between them. It was never difficult to tell when he was frustrated. Sevra was torn on who should get her sympathy. She kind of wanted Lolly and Samtry to come for their company. She kind of wanted them to stay behind so she didn’t need to worry about keeping them safe. But it was their grandparents’ idea for the younger girls to stay, and Sevra chose to respect that. I’m sorry, she said to Lolly. We’ll come back as soon as we can.

As soon as you can? As soon as you can? Lolly’s voice rose towards a scream as she repeated the words. I want to come!

No. Yavic picked up his backpack and pushed his arms through the straps. He’d set it down because he figured there would be hugs. Lolly was looking more likely to run away than hug anyone. He almost wished she’d just stomp on his other foot and get it over with.

Sevra bent and gave Lolly a quick squeeze while she continued to glare at Yavic over Sevra’s shoulder. Goodbye, Lolly. We’ll miss you. She picked up her own supplies, a bag bigger than she was.

Sevra’s words had sincerity. Yavic nodded in agreement as he waved and began to walk backwards. He wanted Lolly to say goodbye. She kept glaring at him as though the discussion was not over. But he and Sevra were leaving. The discussion was over.

Lolly turned suddenly and walked to the house. Yavic and Sevra turned as well. Leaving made Yavic sadder than he expected. He suddenly wanted to reconsider and take all his sisters with him. Then he heard Lolly slam the door. She opened it and slammed it again and again and again.

The trip was expected to take five or six days there, as many back and however long it took to get their parents out. It would be far longer than Yavic had ever been away from Lolly or Samtry. He would absolutely miss them. But the racket Lolly was making at the moment made him smile and that helped.

Sevra walked down the dirt path that had already become familiar in their short time in Brelin. She knew the family who lived in the first house they passed and looked forward to seeing their friend Peppo on the way out of town. If they could succeed in getting their family back together, this would make a nice new home.

Peppo’s family lived in the last house. It was spaced farther than the others. He helped look after the herd of fewls. The