Eeland stepped forward and read the official decree to send an emissary of peace to the Biski, naming those involved who would ride in honor of the queen. He finished the lengthy speech, and then Arlene stepped forward.
“Go with our blessing, Lord Buree,” Arlene said. “May your words sway our would-be allies and bring you home safely.”
“Your Majesty, you honor me with this task. I promise I will help to unite our forces with those of the Biski, and together we shall be an unstoppable force against Danhad!” Lord Buree declared, and the crowd roared in approval.
Arlene nodded and then turned to me. I met her dark gaze; her expression was unreadable. Am I safe to leave you here? Did I make the right choice in assisting you onto the throne?
She was silent for a moment longer, and it felt as if it were an eternity. We were not quite friends, and I was not even certain if she trusted me any longer, but she smiled, or something akin to it, and bowed her head to me.
“Lady Diranel, I commend you for your service to the throne—for your part in helping me claim my rightful place, and I wish you safe travels on your journey.”
I was shocked by her public announcement. Many who had been involved in the uprising knew the part I had played, but it had never been recognized, until now.
“For helping me win my crown, I give you a boon. Anything within my power, I will grant you.”
I could not answer straight away. It had to be a trick. She regarded me with what seemed to be a sincere expression. The only thing I wanted, she could not give to me. My one wish was to have Johai back and whole.
“Your Majesty, I have nothing I can ask of you that has not already been given.” I bowed my head again in deference to her.
She smiled one of her rare true shows of pleasure. “Think on it then, and when you have come to a decision, I shall grant your heart’s desire.”
I could not refuse her offer, so I tucked it away for later. It did not hurt to have a queen indebted to you, I supposed. If she can keep her throne.
The rest of the party was given thanks, and finally a priest came to bless our venture. The sun was high in the horizon by the time the ceremony had finished. As we made our way through the city, we received a mixed reception. Many called out to us, wishing us well, while others hissed and called down damnation on Queen Arlene. It troubled me to be leaving Damara and Hilliard behind in such a tumultuous situation, but the call of my destiny weighed upon me, and I turned my back on the palace and put the problems of court behind me.
That first day we made it a few leagues beyond the city limits. We camped out beneath the stars. I collapsed on my hard sleeping roll, exhausted from the long ride. I would never ride anywhere again, I had decided. When this is all over, I am going to settle in one place and I will never leave. The thought helped me drift off into a dreamless sleep. The next morning, we broke camp. Unlike my previous journeys, we had soldiers to bundle the tents and pack the horses. I had to do little more than roll my sleeping mat up and stay out of the way.
Elenna shared a tent with me and insisted on breaking the tent herself. It flustered the young soldier who was assigned to help.
“My lady, the commander gave orders that you and Lady Diranel are not to do any of the manual labor,” the soldier said to Elenna as she rolled the canvas tent.
“I have been living on the road my entire life, and I can do this myself, thank you,” she said to him in her honey-smooth voice.
The soldier turned red but did not argue further with her. Instead he turned around and went to help his fellows, who were laughing at him as they saddled the horses.
I walked over to Elenna as she was slinging the tent over the saddle of a pack horse. She glanced up as I approached, and she was smiling after her triumph.
“Why do you insist upon packing? The men are more than willing to do the work,” I said.
Elenna pulled the strap of her saddle taut, and her mouth turned down a little at the corners. “Yes, Commander Bellhue seems to think a woman is not fit to saddle and feed the animals. But I have been saddling and travelling a very long time. I do not need him telling me what I can and cannot do.”
I peered in the direction of said commander. He was young, given his position. He had broad shoulders and a square jaw. He had curly hair like most Neaux and a wide mouth that was set in a perpetual scowl. He was taller than Elenna, which seemed a feat in itself. He was talking with the soldier who Elenna had chased away, and his mouth was a straight line. He looked over towards us before dismissing the man with a barked command and an impatient wave of his hand.
“I think you have drawn attention to yourself,” I said to Elenna as the commander came over to us.
He stomped over and stopped a few inches from Elenna, who was saddling her horse.
“What are you doing?” he said in a rumbling baritone.
“I thought you would know, I am saddling my horse,” Elenna said with a sweet smile. Her voice was low and husky as she spoke. I had seen her speak to men like that and they were like putty in her hands, but not the commander.
“You have been instructed to stay out of the way of my men. They are trained soldiers, not women players. We are on a schedule, and I cannot have you holding us back with your frivolity.”
Elenna ignored his jibe about her past as a player. She was not one to be easily ruffled. “Then it is a good thing I know how to saddle a horse, is it not, Commander?”
He narrowed his eyes at her and then looked to the horse that had been saddled and readied. “Did you do this?” He pointed at me.
I was lost for words for a moment. I looked over my shoulder. He cannot mean me. Beau was just behind me. He’d crept up as the commander and Elenna had been arguing. It was him that the commander was addressing.
“No, sir,” Beau replied.
The commander ground his teeth and growled. He swung back to look at Elenna. “Stay out of the men’s way. If you fall behind, I will leave you along the roadside.”
“Commander, if I delay you in any way, I will gladly stay behind,” she replied. “But I will not have your city-trained boys handling my gear or saddle. I do not wish to be thrown from a horse and killed due to their negligence.”
The commander clenched his jaw as if he were holding back, just barely. “So be it, saddle your own horses and pack your own tent. You’re not my problem anymore.”
He turned on his heel and marched away. Elenna watched him go with a bemused expression. I would dare say she was proud of herself.
We mounted and rode not long after that. Our party travelled at a good pace, and the countryside ran past in a blur of fields and farmhouses. We came across a village the second day, and once more we camped out in an empty field. No more soldiers came to help us pitch the tent or unsaddle our horses. It seemed Elenna’s squabble with the commander had extended to me as well. I helped the best I could, but Elenna and Beau were much more efficient than me at making camp. The landscape had already begun to transform from mountains to low hills. We were perhaps a few days’ ride from the border with Danhad; we would skirt along it on our way south. I recognized landmarks we had passed on our way to Sanore. It seemed an eternity had passed since then; it had been close to six months ago I had been sleeping beneath the stars with Johai and Beau.
There were several campfires at night. Lord Buree invited us to dine with him most nights, and this night was no exception. He also invited the commander, who sat stone faced across the fire from Elenna, who ate with gusto, ignoring the commander. Beau sat beside me as we took our meal. He did not say anything, but he was often nearby—he never ventured far from me, and I appreciated his dedication.
“You should be careful, these border towns often have Danhadines, and you risk being recognized. Stay in the group and do not stray,” he told me in a low voice so our companions could not hear.
I smiled at him. His concern was warming. I often wondered why he stayed with me. What could my quest for understanding my powers benef
it him?
“Thank you, I will be careful.” I paused to stir the contents of my bowl and chase a piece of indistinguishable meat with my spoon. “I do not know where I would be without you at my shoulder.”
He nodded.
We were both silent for a few moments. Across from us, Elenna and Lord Buree were talking about the theater. The fire crackled and popped, which contrasted with the low murmur of conversation. It was a tranquil night. A few fires away, a few of the soldiers were singing a Neaux marching song. It seemed surreal to be going through these hills again with a royal escort on my way to the wilds of the Biski lands.
“I remember coming through the hills. Weary and freezing, we all had to huddle together for warmth,” I said.
Beau did not respond, not that I expected him to. I bit back my indecision and asked him what was on my mind.
“I know it’s too late now, but you could have stayed in Sanore. I am sure Damara could convince Arlene to bring Sabine back to Sanore so you could be together.”
Beau looked at me, and he pierced me with his sharp gaze. He was a rather plain man with brown hair and brown eyes. Yet Sabine loved him and Beau her. “She wouldn’t want that. She has too much honor. She is bound by her vows to Adair and to Keisan. Besides there is the child...”
It was the first time I had heard Beau mention Sabine and Adair’s child.
“Do you think she no longer loves you?” It was rude to ask, but I was curious.
He did not respond, and I did not expect him to.
I continued on, “If you doubt her devotion to you, why continue on with me? Why do so much to protect me?”
“Because it is the right thing to do,” he replied without hesitation. “Whatever Sabine’s feelings for me may be, I know that what you are doing is for the good of both kingdoms.”
I was surprised by his answer because a part of my motives were selfish. I wanted Johai back, I wanted to capture those brief moments when we had been happy. I wanted to build a life with him, one without the threat of the specter hanging over us. It was true, I wanted to save the kingdoms, but more than that, I wanted to live a normal life, one without politics and one without worry. This was the only way I knew how to obtain that. It struck me that perhaps that’s what Beau was looking for as well.
“Thank you,” I said, and we said no more. There was nothing left to say.
I went to bed on the second night, and unlike the first, I dreamed. Moonlight fell on a sea of grass as it swayed in the wind like the ocean. A tent stood against the dark night sky. Lanterns inside illuminated it, and the designs on the canopy came to life, aided by the flickering lantern light. Ox, goats, horses, and dogs danced along the fabric. The reds, blues and greens of the fabric were jewel bright against the inky sky. The door was a hanging flap, which parted as a woman poked her head out.
“Who goes there?” she called out into the dark.
“We have come to see Aland,” a gruff voice replied.
The woman stepped outside the curtain. She wore a long tunic dress in bright red. The hem of it was blue and decorated with small dogs chasing each other around.
“You were not to return for another moon’s turn.” She placed her hand on her hip as she regarded him. She narrowed her dark eyes at the bearded man, and the moonlight made luminescent highlights in her dark wavy hair.
“I was aching for the warmth of your arms and your bed, Laena.”
She rolled her eyes. “One solstice pairing and you act as if I shall wear your clan cloak.”
“It was undoubtedly a night you have not forgotten, and when I establish my own clan, you can be my first wife.” He grinned as he reached for her arm.
She snorted and dodged his touch. “More like one I wish I could forget. My father will not be happy to see you back here womanizing so soon.” She was turning to walk away when she saw the man standing behind him in the shadows. “Who do you have with you?” She nodded to the shadowed man.
“A powerful man who wishes to speak with Aland,” the bearded man said. His voice had lost its playful banter, and his back was rigid.
She also sobered. Perhaps she sensed the powerful aura about the stranger. It was hard to say.
“I will see if he is willing to see guests.” Laena disappeared inside the tent. Her shadow could be seen within, moving over to a figure silhouetted against the canvas. The seated figure seemed large, with his great shadow filling much of the tent wall. The woman spoke with wide arm gestures. The man reached up to stroke his beard before nodding.
She returned and held open the flaps of the tent and let the men inside.
“Later perhaps,” the bearded man said to Laena.
She hummed, but her eyes were glued to the stranger. He had pulled back his hood, and his bright white hair was loose and flowing down his shoulders. Laena grasped for a talisman at her neck and whispered a prayer.
Inside, the tent was spacious. It was covered in goat hide, which also made the flooring. The far corner hosted a bed with pelts and other furs and a down sleeping mat. Aland sat on the floor with his legs crossed in front of him. He had dark hair in a braid at the base of his neck. His beard was long and black, and tied in it were turquoise beads. His arms were thick with rippling muscles, and he was wide chested. He had a pewter kettle in front of him along with a steaming cup. He watched the men approach.
The two Biski men who escorted Johai bowed to Aland, putting their fists to their chests. Johai followed suit, but instead of dipping his head down, he kept his gaze fixed on Aland. The two men levelled their eyes at one another. I suspected, unlike his men, Aland was not to be easily swayed by superstition and old legends.
“Jomeg, Gerand, you return early. I did not expect you back so soon. My daughter tells me you have brought a man with you. Who is he?”
They spoke as if Johai was not there at all. I wondered if it was an insult or just their way.
“We have. We rode here as quickly as we could. This man wishes to speak with you. He has good tidings.” Jomeg, the bearded man, spoke for the two of them.
“Oh?” Aland stroked his long black beard. It was speckled with silver hairs.
Johai stepped forward. “Greetings, elder, I am Johai of the clan Slatone.”
Aland’s eyes narrowed. “You know a bit of our culture, I see. But I am not ignorant of your cultured ways.” He waved his hand over rolls of parchment and stacks of books that were near the back of his tent. “I, too, understand the written word.”
Johai bowed his head. “That is why I have chosen you to lead the way back into the Mother’s lands.”
He laughed. “You choose me? We are making our own path; already the impure fear us. My clan is nearing five thousand strong and growing. Soon the Biski will no longer be divided. At the next solstice, I will bring them together as one, and we will sweep through the north and bring the great castles tumbling down. Why would I need you?”
“Because I have the power to pave the way for you.” Johai spoke in a low tone, and Aland had to lean forward to hear him properly.
He sat back and laughed. “What can a beardless man like you do?”
“This.” Johai clicked his fingers, and the stacks of books erupted into flames.
Aland jumped up, screaming for water. The men scrambled, shouting commands, while Laena went and grabbed a pitcher of water from the far end of the tent. When she went to pour it on them, the flames froze. The four Biski stared at one another, befuddled. Then they turned to look at Johai. Aland’s eyes had grown large as saucers.
He swore under his breath. “You are spirit touched.”
Johai inclined his head in acknowledgment. The crystalized flames disappeared, and the books and scrolls remained unharmed. Aland stared at them for a long moment before sitting down in front of his kettle.
“What you are is forbidden among my people. It is one of the gravest of sins,” he said while staring at Johai and tugging at his beard.
“I know.” Johai remained standing. He loo
ked down at Aland, who drummed the fingers of his free hand on his thigh.
He shook his head and ran his hand over his face and down his beard. “Sit down. I do not like you hovering over me,” he said at last, motioning for Johai to sit.
Johai sat down smoothly. His actions seemed effortless. His mannerisms were so unlike Johai that it was easy to forget they were the same person. But his voice, the way he held himself, it was all him, but the words were so unlike him. It was as if I was looking at an exact copy of Johai with all the wrong actions.
“My people would curse me if they knew I let you sit down beside me. What you are, it is forbidden and against the Mother’s laws.”
Johai stared at him placidly without reply.
The other two men shifted uneasily by the door, and Laena clutched the empty bucket to her chest.
“What means more to you? Your superstitions or the power you crave? I can see you desire our culture. You wish for a more civilized way of living. I can help you get that. Danhad and Neaux are both ripe for the picking. They are at the precipice of war. If you were to attack before the fall comes, you could create such chaos as to ensure a new kingdom for your clan, a new way of life. No more travelling. No more starving in the winter months.”
Aland’s face gleamed as Johai’s words created a picture for him. An image of Aland sitting upon a throne attended by his many wives while he wore fine silks in a castle as large as ten tents. He wanted it. He desired it more than anything since he had been a young boy and his father had taken him to a trade agreement with a Neaux merchant. Johai could read this from Aland’s thoughts, and through him, so could I.
“I can help you and guide you to obtain all of this,” Johai continued.
Aland nodded, seemingly in Johai’s thrall.
“How do we know we can trust you?” Laena spoke up. It seemed she was not as easily captivated by Johai’s words.
Johai was unperturbed by her question. “You cannot know.”
Her hard expression faltered into one of confusion.
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