Chapter 226 The Quiet Road

Chapter 226: Chapter 226 The Quiet Road

Talia’s POV

The sun rose higher as we rode away from Blackmoor Valley, casting long shadows across the road. The pack house disappeared behind us, swallowed by the trees and the distance.

I did not look back anymore.

The road stretched out before us, winding through the familiar land I had come to love. I felt the weight of the pack’s eyes on my back, but I kept my gaze fixed forward, where the unknown was waiting.

The journey was quiet at first, and no one spoke much. It was as if everyone was lost in their own thoughts.

I could feel the tension in the air, and the unspoken worries that hung over us like a cloud. We were leaving everything we knew behind, and the silence was our own way of processing it, and thinking about what lay ahead.

I rode at the front with Kaelen, and my eyes were fixed on the road ahead. Then I touched the pendant around my neck.

The silver was warm against my skin, as a constant reminder of her. It was like she was reaching across the years, holding onto me, and telling me to keep going.

And I thought about my mother. I wondered if she was still alive, and I wondered if she knew that her daughter was coming for her.

I wondered what she looked like now, after all these years. If she had aged, if she still had the same smile, and she would even recognize me.

I had changed so much since she had left. I was no longer the scared little girl she knew, or the one hiding in a storage room after she disappeared. I was a woman, a warrior, and the Luna of Blackmoor Valley. I hoped she would be proud of the daughter she had been forced to leave behind.

Piper rode beside me confidently.

Her presence was a comfort, and a steady anchor in the uncertainty of the journey. She had been with me through so much, and I knew she would be with me through this too.

She looked at me, smiled softly, and she reached over and squeezed my hand. I looked at her, and smiled back.

"We are going to find her," she said. "I can feel it."

Her voice was filled with conviction, and I let it wash over me. She had always believed in me, even when I did not believe in myself.

I nodded, and I felt the hope rising in my chest. "I know we will."

Behind us, I could hear the soft clop of hooves and the occasional whisper of the wind. The world was still and quiet, like it was holding its breath.

I noticed that Jax was quiet for once.

His silence was so unusual that it made me glance back at him more than once. I wondered what was going on in his mind, and what thoughts were keeping him so still.

He usually filled the silence with jokes and chatter, even before we rode out, but now, he was silent.

I turned slightly to look at him, and I caught his eyes kept drifting to Piper. I saw the way his expression softened when he looked at her. It was a look I had never seen on his face before, and it made me curious.

He kept glancing at Piper, and there was something soft in his eyes.

I did not say anything, but I noticed.

Silas noticed too, because he leaned closer to Jax, and I heard him whisper.

"You are staring," he said.

Silas’s voice was low, and barely more than a whisper, but I could hear the amusement in it. He had noticed too.

"I am not staring," Jax said.

"You are staring," Silas repeated.

Jax looked away. "I do not know what you are talking about."

Jax’s voice was defensive, but there was no heat in it. He was trying to hide something, and he was not doing a very good job.

Silas smiled, but he did not push.

Piper, who was oblivious, was telling me about the supplies she had packed. "I made sure we had extra bandages, just in case. And I packed some dried meat, and I brought extra water skins. I also packed a small pouch of herbs, for tea."

She was completely unaware of the attention she was getting, because her focus was entirely on the journey ahead. It was heartwarming, the way she threw herself into being prepared.

I smiled. "You thought of everything."

I meant it. She had always been the one to think ahead, to plan for the worst while hoping for the best. It was one of the things I loved most about her.

She grinned. "Someone has to."

I glanced back at Jax.

I saw the way his eyes followed her, and the way his lips curved into a small smile when she laughed. There was something there, something I had not noticed before.

He was still watching Piper, and I saw the way his eyes lingered on her face when she smiled.

I turned back to the road, and I let myself smile.

The sun climbed higher.

The warmth of it seeped into my skin, chasing away the chill of the morning. It was a small comfort, but I welcomed it.

The road stretched out before us, as if it was trying to show us that it was a long journey ahead.

The road seemed endless, winding through forests and fields, and disappearing over the horizon. But I did not let the distance intimidate me. I had come too far to turn back now, and I had my family with me.

We were together, and we were ready.

I reached up and touched the pendant around my neck.

I held it tightly, feeling the warmth of it against my palm. It was a small thing, but it carried so much weight, so much love, and so much hope.

While I was still holding it, I sent a silent prayer to my mother.

"I am coming," I thought. "I am coming to get you mother, please wait for me just a little longer."

The wind suddenly picked up.

I could feel it against my face, cool and refreshing, carrying the scent of earth and leaves. It felt as if my mother was sending me a message. It was also like a reminder that the world was still turning, still moving, and still alive.

The trees swayed around us, and the world felt vast and endless.

I had spent so long feeling small, feeling invisible, and feeling like I did not matter. But now, I knew that I was part of something bigger. I had a purpose, and I would see it through. And I did not feel small, I felt strong.

I had Kaelen, I had my pack, and I had my mother, who was waiting for me.

The thought of her kept me going, gave me strength when I felt tired, and hope when I felt afraid. She was out there, and I would find her, no matter what.

And I would not stop until I found her.