I Can See Clearly Now by R. J. Davnall

I Can See Clearly
Now
    Episode 1 of Van
Raighan's Last Stand
    A Story of the Second
Realm
    By R.J.
Davnall
     
    Published by R. J.
Davnall at Smashwords
     
    Copyright 2011 R. J.
Davnall
     
    Smashwords Edition
License Notes:
    This free ebook may be
copied, distributed, reposted, reprinted and shared, provided it
appears in its entirety without alteration, and the reader is not
charged to access it.
     
    Also by R.J.
Davnall:
    The Non Agency
    Heaven Can
Wait
    Some Kind of Angel (coming soon)
     
    http://itsthefuturestupid.blogspot.com/
     
    Contents
    I Can See Clearly Now
    About the
Author
     
Van Raighan’s Last Stand
1.
I Can See Clearly Now
    Wind blasted up
the hillside and shattered into whispers on the hedge that lined
the canal path. It was impossible to forget how near the Second
Realm was. Rel shifted the leather strap of his backpack, trying to
loosen his already-stiff shoulder. His boots slapped in the puddles
and sucked in the mud of the path.
    Ahead, the
canal turned slowly North towards the brow above Federas. Rel
blinked, squinting against the wind. There were three - four? No,
five - women coming his way along the path. Four wore stout
travelling dresses in brown and green, but the fifth looked to be
wearing purple. An odd group, and an odd time to be leaving
Federas, with the trap awaiting Van Raighan still unsprung. Unless
they’d been lucky and he’d come early. Or something had gone
wrong.
    Rel ground his
teeth. Far more likely something would go wrong, even after he’d
been right to the Court to hone his Clearsight. Twice. Both times,
the Clearviewing had shown Van Raighan’s entry to the town, right
through to his capture. It stopped, though, almost the moment that
the guardsmen surrounded the master thief. Rel would be there,
would have to do something. Clearsight never showed you your own
part in events.
    So Rel had
perhaps another hour - clouds covered the sun, but he thought it
was still well shy of noon - to get back to the town, talk Sheriff
Pollack around again , and get settled in before Van Raighan
was due at the Warding Hall.
    He resisted the
temptation of using Clearsight to see who the women were. The
Second Realm was close enough still that it would be easy, but this
close he might see something more than faces. He would see who they
were soon enough.
    A plastic
bottle bobbed in the brown canal water. One of the small, white
ones shaped with a handle, and a green lid. Rel thought about
stopping to fish it out - it was filthy, but if it was watertight
enough to float it was worth at least a good meal and a drink. But
he didn’t have his fishing rod with him, and trying to reach it
with a broken-off branch would risk falling in. If he turned up in
front of the Sherriff sopping wet, he might well get sent to Dora
in case he caught cold, and then there was no way he’d get free in
time for Van Raighan.
    Maybe the
bottle would still be there later. Rel glanced at the sky, counting
hours of daylight remaining against how long the excitement in town
was likely to last. Out across the valley, darker cloud and grey
haze spoke of another shower closing in. Maybe the bottle would
still be there tomorrow.
    He hissed
through his missing tooth, then caught himself as he realised how
close the women had got. He didn’t know the lady in purple - purple linen , not wool - or the plainer-dressed woman next to her,
but the other three were familiar. Dora walked in the middle of the
group, tiny and slight, her fair hair straw-like and wild as ever,
the Four-Knotted cord cinching her faded green robe almost tight
enough to give her hips. The only thing not completely
underwhelming about her was her eyes; even as she nodded gently to
Rel, cheeks rounding slightly with a smile, her eyes were flint and
diamond all at once.
    Beris Webberat
and Notia Tollan made almost as strange companions for the Four
Knot as the two out-of-towners. Both scowled at him as they passed.
There was no question of stopping to