Ventus by Karl Schroeder

Karl Schroeder / Ventus / Page 43
“I see.” He heard, rather than saw, her smile in the sound
of the words.
The lady appeared to be thinking. She glanced about
herself, then said firmly, “I heard voices a ways back. Was
your sister going to meet someone?”
“No…” But what if she had met Allegri, or someone
else coming from the priest’s house? “Where did you hear the
voices?”
"This way." She held the lantern high, and walked back
the way she’d come. He followed, hopeful that they would
meet Emmy coming back from the priest’s house.
The lady paused at a fork in the path. The way to the
priest’s was on the right, Jordan knew. The left way led deeper
into the forest. She stepped onto the left-ward way.
“Wait!” He hurried forward. “She wouldn’t have gone
this way. It doesn’t lead anywhere.”
“But one of the voices I heard was that of a girl,” said the
lady, frowning. “And they came from down this way.” She
stood hipshot, radiating impatience. “You are keeping me
from my own errands, young man. I need not help you at all,
you know.”
“Of course. I’m sorry.” He followed her onto the lesser
of the two paths.
This way was half-overgrown; the lady seemed to have
no trouble seeing the path ahead of them, but to Jordan every
way quickly came to look the same. He glanced behind them,
and saw only a thatchwork of tree trunks and ferns, framed in
black.
“Are you sure this is where you heard the voices coming
from?” he asked after a few minutes.
“Of course. Look, there’s a footprint.” She lowered the
lamp for him to see. Jordan peered at the ground where she