She heard Claywick burst through the front door of the orphanage.
“Cally! Are you here!? We’ve found him!” His excited voice boomed up the stairs to the boys’ bunk room, where Calandra was changing bedding.
“Up here!” she called out, and rushed into the hall as his heavy footsteps pounded up the stairs. “Where is he!?”, she asked breathlessly as he rushed to her and reached for her hand. “Adso’s, and he is going to need you to heal him up.” He began to lead her back down the stairs.
“Adso’s? The hobbits lodge? You couldn’t have possible been there and back already! That’s a half day each way!”
“No, no, the eagle said he would be there soon and he’s hurt.” Clay urged as he continued to try to lead her down the stairs. She nearly stumbled as she pulled against his grasp to get him to stop.
“Eagle!? What are you on about?”, she demanded, finally getting him to turn and look up at her. “What eagle!?” Before she could form a question about talking eagles, he leaned his face up towards hers with pleading in his eyes.
“Elf-sister’s eagle, Cally! He found Cutch and then he found the Elf and I as we were leaving town. He said Cutch was up on Ost Barandor, hurt but on the move and heading to Adso’s on foot. Something about a ruined eye! We have to get there!” Clay resumed trying to lead Cally down the stairs, pushing her need for details about Seregrian’s talking eagle aside for concern toward an injured Cutch.
She scampered down the rest of the stairs behind Clay and into the kitchen while he rushed into a storeroom. Unlocking a high cabinet, she surveyed the healing supplies within and called out, “What else besides an injured eye?”
Clay rummaged about in the storeroom, gathering torches and poles and skins for a tent. He called back, “Burns. Cuts. Seven Stars, just bring everything!” As he emerged from the storeroom with arms full, he asked, “Where are the children?”.
She glanced out the window before answering. “In the back yard with Fetcher. It’s picnic day for dinner, and she’s in charge.” Pulling a pair of rough cloth bags from under the counter, she swept the various bandages, ointments, salves, and potions into them. “Borrow a horse from the Watch station and load everything up. Tell one of them to keep an eye on the place while we are gone. I’ll go tell Fetcher and the children that we will be gone for a day or two and that Fetcher is Mom until we get back.”
Clay nodded in silent agreement as Cally assumed command of the preparations. He hauled everything out to the neighboring Watch stable while Cally went to the children in the back yard. Some were done with their cold picnic meal, and were resuming games reluctantly interrupted to wolf down as little as necessary to make Fetcher, the oldest at fourteen, relent to their pleadings to return to their vital play. “Fetcher!”, Cally called with her motherly authority, “gather the children here. We have news about … “, she paused, deciding not to reveal ‘Mr. Cutch’s’ return from the dead until more time would allow the torrent of questions. “Mr. Clay and I have an errand to run”, she continued as Fetcher finished gathering the children. “We will be gone for a day or two, and Fetcher will be Mom while we are gone.” Some of the more vocally curious began their collective inquisition, but she waved them to silence. “And the Watch will be around, too, so no going out on the roof.” The admonishment was punctuated with a stern but loving look into each small pair of eyes.
“Alive!?”, Greenshoot shouted the question as Clay carefully unloaded his full arms on the stable floor. “Little Man is alive? But the Shire shirriff reported...”
Clay interrupted the Watcher. “He was wrong, Tal, and we still need that horse for baggage. Pick me out one strong and quick. Cally and I will need to get to Adso’s before it’s too deep into the night.” As Clay saddled his and Cally’s horse, Tal led another out from its stall and began to load the baggage. “Sounds like Torry and Millie are on a fool's errand, then, eh?”. Clay nodded, with displeasure pursing his lips, wondering how many other waves he had caused, and would they somehow swamp the rescue mission.
With horses prepared for the ride, Greenshoot held their reins while Clay bounded up the porch steps to get Cally. Just as he opened the door, Cally stepped through, pulling on gloves. She looked around and then up at the gloaming sky. “We better get cracking … where’s Teahesto?”
As Cally and Clay mounted, clay answered, “He and the eagle have gone back to help Little Man get to Adso’s.” Tal relinquished the reins and stepped back with wave as the riders heeled their horses forward. Clay returned the Watcher’s gesture then, to Cally, said. “We should set up camp there. If Cutch and the Elf have not made it in, I’m going after them.”
Cally held her protest. It would be well into the night by then.
