Titania clearly remembered her home. She knew the way without any help on my part, and she seemed more at ease than she ever had on the road. As we made our way up the mountain path to the fortress overlooking the valley on one side and the mountain pass we’d used to escape Ceren on the other, she picked her way daintily around stones and cracks.
“So, how did you come by Landrey’s horse?” Kester asked me. “The last time we saw Landrey, she was heading south.”
“Talin purchased Titania from an innkeeper in Riaga,” I explained. “All they said was that she’d been left there, and no one ever came to claim her.”
Kester frowned. “Landrey never would have left her behind. She must have been stolen.”
“And Landrey? Is she all right?”
There was a long pause. “I have no idea.”
Unease crept over me like crabs scuttling on a rock. “That’s whose house we’re staying in, isn’t it?”
Kester nodded. She was clad in an undyed tunic and black breeches today, riding a chestnut gelding. She looked to be in her mid-forties, with skin weathered by the sun and hair cut short to her chin. “She wouldn’t mind,” she said, gentler than I would have expected. “Besides, you’ll be relocated tonight.”
“Relocated?” Talin asked.
“Roan will explain everything,” Kester said, ending the conversation.
The fortress was a large stone edifice running along the top of the mountain. It was narrow, with a walkway on top for archers and cannons, and little in the way of living quarters by the look of things. Galethians were posted at intervals on the wall. They weren’t mounted, but there were horses stationed at the bottom, ready to deploy if necessary.
A man on the hairiest horse I’d ever seen was waiting for us at the top. He appeared to be a few years older than Talin, with close-cropped auburn hair and piercing brown eyes above a slightly aquiline nose. A scar cut through one eyebrow, adding to his already rugged appearance. “Welcome to Galeth,” he said. “I’m Roan. I trust you slept well last night.”
He was speaking to all of us, which surprised me. Perhaps it wasn’t clear who was in charge.
“We recognized you girls based on your friend Samiel’s description,” Roan continued. “Without the flag, the rest of you would have been shot on sight.”
“Is Sami here?” Zadie looked around eagerly. She had been given her own horse this morning, brought over by Kester, who hadn’t seemed to like the idea of her riding double with Osius.
“He’s farther north,” Roan said. “You’ll see him soon.”
Zadie deflated a little, and I bristled on her behalf. I didn’t like the way Roan seemed to be withholding information. We weren’t the enemy.
Talin was similarly frustrated. He dismounted and approached Roan on foot and bowed, no small gesture from a royal. “I’m Prince Talin, second son of the late King Xyrus of Ilara. That was my brother, Ceren, who chased us to the border. He exiled me and—”
Roan held up a hand, cutting him off. “There will be plenty of time for that later, when our council convenes.”
“I’m sorry,” Talin said. “I was under the impression you were...”
He arched an eyebrow. “The King of Galeth?”
Kester snickered and Roan grinned, but there was no mirth in his eyes. “We don’t have a monarchy. We rule by council. I command the cavalry at Fort Crag simply because I am the best rider. Kester is my second-in-command, and she will be taking over while I escort you to our capital, because I also sit on that council.”
“Apologies,” Talin said, looking chagrined. I wished he wouldn’t. Roan didn’t strike me as the kind of person who would be impressed by Talin’s courtly manners.
“Never mind. We’ll get you properly outfitted and set out right away. Just as soon as we find a new mount for the girl.” He was staring directly at me.
I stared back. I didn’t like this boy at all. He was brusque and demanding, and Titania belonged with me. “No.”
He tilted his head to the side. “No?”
“Kester said Landrey hasn’t returned. We purchased Titania, and she has bonded with me.”
His lips twisted in another humorless grin. “If that’s the case, she won’t let me take her from you.”
Titania’s dark ears flickered back and forth, listening. “Very well,” I said finally. “Come and try.”
“Nor.” Talin had remounted and stood next to me on Xander, and there was a note of warning in his voice.
“It’s fine,” I said. “The worst that’ll happen is I’ll get another horse.”
“Something tells me that’s not the worst that could happen,” Talin muttered from the side of his mouth.
Roan was approaching on his shaggy steed, more mountain goat than horse. I had no idea what to expect. Surely he didn’t plan to take Titania from me while I was still mounted?
“Move,” Kester commanded, motioning the rest of our party to back up. Talin did so reluctantly.
Roan dismounted, and his horse wandered several feet away, picking at a few scraggly blades of grass that had managed to find sunlight between the rocks. “Titania,” he said. Her ears pricked forward immediately. “To me.” He made a flicking gesture with his wrist. I could feel her body tense beneath me, but she didn’t move.
Roan’s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. He made the same motion again, but when I didn’t respond to the gesture, Titania ignored him, instead scraping at one front leg with her teeth.
“I’m afraid I don’t understand what’s supposed to happen,” I said, scratching absently at my own arm. I couldn’t deny I was enjoying this.
Roan frowned. “All our horses are trained to obey their commanders if their riders fall. Landrey was in my unit. Titania should respond to me in her absence.” He made another half-hearted flick of his wrist.
“I told you she was bonded to me. We’ve spent the past week on the road together. She alerted me when Ceren’s guards were approaching. She would sleep with me if she could.”
“Of course she would. That’s what our horses are trained to do on the road.”
I had to restrain myself from giving Talin an I-told-you-so smirk.
“Very well,” Roan said with a shrug. “You can keep her for the time being, at least until Landrey comes for her. She will never forsake her First Rider.”
“I understand.” Or at least, I thought I did. But what if Landrey never returned? Would Titania remain mine? I patted her neck, grateful she hadn’t gone to Roan. I would have let her go if I had to, but I wasn’t sure how I could ride another horse after Titania.
Roan escorted us into a supply room in the base of the fortress, where we were outfitted with Galethian saddles and heavier clothing for cold nights.
“This should fit you,” Roan said, handing me a fur vest that looked suspiciously like his horse’s coat. Talin and Grig were sifting through weapons with Kester, and Zadie was being taught more of her horse’s commands by another Galethian.
I took the vest and rolled it up, tying it to one of the many straps on the high-pommeled Galethian saddle. “Thank you. And thank you for letting me keep Titania for now. She has made this journey far easier than it could have been.”
“I didn’t let you do anything,” he replied, patting Titania’s cheek. “She chose for herself.” She nuzzled my shoulder, and Roan laughed. “She has good taste.”
I shot him a sharp look, but he had already turned away. “I know why your sister is here. She’s betrothed to Samiel. But I don’t know your story.”
“My story?” I flipped through a pile of saddle blankets for something softer. “I don’t have a story.”
“Everyone has a story.” He leaned up against the wall, folding his arms and watching me intently. He had more scars crisscrossing his forearms, and I couldn’t help thinking that they would be a source of shame
back in Varenia.
“All right, then,” I asked, mildly discomfited. “What’s yours?”
Roan didn’t seem ruffled in the slightest. “I was born and raised in Galeth. I come from the eastern border, where I quickly became the best rider in the region.” He wasn’t boasting, I realized, just relaying the facts. “When I was ten, I was sent to the capital to train, and at seventeen I became the commander of Fort Crag. I’ve been there three, nearly four years.”
“Ah, that kind of story. Yes, I suppose I do have one of those.”
Talin approached before I could continue, his expression curious, though his tone was more suspicious. “Everything all right?”
“Of course,” Roan said, pushing off from the wall. “I think we’re all set to leave. Aren’t we, Nor?”
I ignored him. I’d seen this kind of male posturing between Talin and Ceren back in New Castle, and I knew that my participation had very little to do with it. We all mounted, and I was happy to find that Zadie’s gelding got along well with Titania. It seemed a bit of a risk having a mare in the group, but Xander was a well-trained stallion and Titania was not the kind of mare to put up with unwanted attention. The other horses were all geldings and posed no competition to Xander.
We rode back across the valley, over the foothills where we’d spent the night, and into a small mountain range that fortunately didn’t ever seem to grow to its full potential. Roan was the only Galethian to accompany us, and our numbers were even now, with four men and two women. We rode two abreast for most of the day, but Titania often seemed to gravitate to Roan’s gelding, to my frustration.
“Are you feeding her treats when I’m not looking?” I blurted at one point. We were making our way through a dry riverbed, and Titania hung back as if deliberately waiting.
“She knows Duster, that’s all,” Roan explained. “Landrey and I were lovers.”
My cheeks reddened instantly at his frank declaration, but I forced myself not to look away. He was obviously trying to shock me.
I could hear him chuckling, and my embarrassment was quickly replaced with annoyance. I tried to kick Titania forward, but she only flicked her ears back at me.
“You wouldn’t like it if someone was thumping you in the rib cage either, Nor.”
“Fine.” I dropped my reins and folded my arms across my chest. “So, you and Landrey were lovers. You don’t seem particularly concerned for her.”
“Landrey can take care of herself. She was going to be made commander of Fort Blight before she left.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Your forts certainly have charming names.”
“We’re not trying to attract visitors,” Roan said dryly.
“Why was Landrey in Riaga?” I asked, sensing there was very little that offended Roan.
“I’m not sure. To trade, maybe. We sell our leather goods there, but she could have been hoping to buy something, or learn more about the situation in Ilara. We don’t get a lot of information this far north. At least not until Samiel arrived.”
“Is he all right?” I asked. “My sister has—”
“He’s fine. We would have told you if he wasn’t.”
I glared at him. “You haven’t told us much of anything.”
“We don’t even know you,” he said. “You’re lucky we let you in at all. We rarely allow strangers across our border.”
“You let Sami in.” I turned to look at him. His profile was as chiseled as a rock face. “Why?”
“He was brought by one of our men. Sami knew more about King Xyrus and the Ilareans than we ever could, and we knew he’d be killed if he remained in Ilara.”
He hadn’t said that Sami was free, but at least he was safe. “Thank you.”
Roan turned his dark eyes on me, his gaze disturbingly hawklike. “For what?”
“For letting us across the border, and for protecting us.”
He nodded. “You and your sister are welcome in Galeth. Talin and the Ilarean guards will have to face the council.”
I was about to say something in Talin’s defense but bit my lip at Roan’s hard expression. My pleas on his behalf were worthless.
“Are you lovers?”
I turned back to face Roan, only to find he was looking ahead at the trail again. “Wh-what?” I sputtered.
“You and Talin. I thought I detected something between you, but perhaps I read the signals wrong.”
I was so flustered it took me a moment to find words. Of course there was something between us, but it wasn’t defined. And whether or not we were lovers was none of Roan’s business. “No. I mean yes. You’re wrong.”
He arched an eyebrow and laughed before clucking lightly to Duster. “Come on. We have a lot of ground to cover before nightfall.”
* * *
We reached a large rustic cabin just before dark. I had spent the rest of the ride next to Zadie, avoiding Roan’s amused glance. I had the feeling that whatever he meant by lovers was not the same thing I did. Or at least, it was not considered taboo or forbidden before marriage the way it was in Varenia and Ilara. Yes, Talin and I had kissed and slept side by side, but we hadn’t done anything beyond that. He had made it clear he wouldn’t until we were wed, and considering we hadn’t been alone together in days, romance was the last thing on my mind. Or had been, until now.
After leaving the horses in a stable stocked with hay and grain, we entered the log cabin. It was enormous inside, with a massive fireplace and a dozen small beds lined up against one wall. There were cupboards full of supplies and even a large metal tub for bathing, though I noticed it lacked any kind of privacy.
“These cabins are all over Galeth,” Roan explained as we unpacked our bags. “Travelers can stay here whenever they wish. The idea is to replace the supplies you use the next time you pass through.”
“And it’s safe?” Grig peered around the open space, as if someone might be lurking in the shadows.
Roan puffed out a sardonic laugh. “Of course.”
“Everyone in Galeth is good and honest?” I asked skeptically. “There are no bandits or robbers in the entire country?”
“I wouldn’t say that.” Roan pulled off his boots and sat down on one of the beds. I noted the location so I could pick one as far away as possible. “But there isn’t much worth stealing. And if they need something that badly, none of us would deny them anyway.”
I remembered what the kite seller and Talin had said about women traveling alone in Ilara. But in Galeth, where the women seemed just as capable as the men, I wondered if that was still a concern. If I had been trained to ride and fight from birth, things at New Castle might have gone very differently. “That’s nice,” I said, eliciting a strange look from Talin. “I only mean it’s nice that you help each other.” In Varenia, we had always looked after family, but everyone else was competition for dwindling resources.
Roan nodded and rose to his feet. “Right. I’ll get the supper started. Zadie, Nor, do you want to get us some firewood? It looks like the stock is a little low. You boys can help me.”
Talin, Osius, and Grig blinked at Roan as if he’d just spoken a foreign language. Grig, who had helped Zadie cook during our journey, moved toward the kitchen, but Osius shook his head.
“It’s dark out, and we’re in a foreign land. The ladies should stay inside while we get the firewood.”
“The ladies look perfectly capable to me,” Roan said. Talin’s cheeks turned a shade I’d never seen before, and I grabbed Zadie’s hand and hurried out before he exploded.
“What was that all about?” Zadie asked when we reached the side of the house where the firewood was stacked.
“I have no idea. Roan asked if Talin and I were...” I trailed off, embarrassed. Zadie and I hadn’t ever talked about this before.
“If you were what?” she asked.
“Lovers,” I muttere
d.
“Lovers? As in, if you aren’t, then he’d like you to be his?” Her eyebrows had risen to her hairline. “That was brazen of him.”
I twisted my lips to the side. “Maybe? Although I suspect that’s perfectly normal here. I suppose we shouldn’t assume that customs are the same as what we’re used to everywhere.”
“I suppose not,” Zadie said, clearly lost in thought.
I nodded for her to step farther from the house with me. “What about you and Sami?” I asked. “Are you...you know?” It felt like something I should know about my own twin, but things had changed since I’d left, as Zadie often reminded me.
She smiled, blushing. “We’re not ready for a child, if that’s what you’re asking. But we’ve done other things.”
“Where? How?”
She shrugged. “The boat.”
“Zadie!” I nearly dropped the wood I was gathering. “Weren’t you afraid that Mother would find out?” Mother had always made it clear that our “virtue” was one of the considerations for being the chosen girl, and even after, that it was to be saved for marriage.
“Nor, after everything that Sami and I have been through in the past few months, I’m not afraid of anything anymore. As soon as I have him in my arms again, I don’t plan to ever let go.”
I flushed and stared at my sister with new eyes. “I see.”
She started toward the log cabin, glancing once over her shoulder at me with a knowing smile that only made me blush harder. “You don’t yet. But you will soon enough.”
I stared after her, wondering what exactly she meant. Did she assume that Talin and I were headed down the same path she and Sami were on? Did Talin? Before I left Varenia the first time, I hadn’t given much thought to my future there. My daydreams were all about the world beyond my village. And since then, I hadn’t dreamed about anything beyond a secure future for the people I loved.
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