The fight ended, and they all gathered around the fire to hear Sall’s update.
Sall started with the good news: He’d found someone to give him information. But when he told them the details of the Grays’ travel, the atmosphere in the camp changed.
“There’s no way we can catch them!” Tavi said. “I was hoping we’d find them on some quiet road between here and the Meadow. But if they’re switching out horses and traveling at night, they’ll probably cover twice as many miles a day as we can. Maybe more.”
“I agree,” Sall said, “but I have to wonder if they can sustain such a pace. Isn’t Camalyn close to giving birth? I’m sure the last thing she wants to do is sleep in a moving wagon every night.”
“I can assure you Konner doesn’t care a bit about Camalyn’s preferences,” Ash said.
“What can we do?” Wrey asked.
“We have to keep going,” Tavi said. “Tullen, can you give each of us rides on your back if we get tired? It might help us go a little farther every day.”
“I’d be happy to.”
“Maybe something will delay them,” Narre said. “We can always hope.”
They put out their fire, gathered their things, and began walking. As promised, Tullen took turns giving them rides throughout the day. He didn’t run, wanting to stay with the group. But his gift allowed him to carry the extra weight without tiring. When Tavi’s turn came, she was more than ready for the break.
As they traveled, she thought of home. Riding on his back along a country road was nice, but it made her yearn to fly through the forest with him. How she missed Oren’s forest. And Oren’s people. She imagined what it would be like to return home and see the townspeople she’d known all her life.
Tavi began crying so quietly that the others couldn’t hear her. But she knew Tullen probably felt the difference in her breathing.
“Hey,” Tullen said. He tapped his ears.
Recognizing their old signal, Tavi activated her hearing gift. Tullen did the same. Then he spoke to her in a voice so low, she wouldn’t have even known he was speaking if it wasn’t for the magic in her ears.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
She spoke in the same voice as him, quieter than a whisper. “Give me a minute.” She breathed deeply, dispelling her tears, and said, “I was thinking of home.”
“Missing your family?”
“Yes, and . . .” She gave herself some time to gather her thoughts, and Tullen didn’t press. “I was thinking about how Reba’s father doesn’t know she’s gone. I hate that he’ll find out by getting a letter from Tess. That man has had enough grief in his life. I didn’t like Reba; you know that. But I wish she was still here.”
Tullen continued to walk. After a minute or two of quiet, he said, “I wish she was here too. I’m sorry, Tavi.”
“Thank you.”
He gave both her legs a little squeeze where he held them. They continued their walk in comfortable silence.
The Golds walked as many miles as they could each day, often continuing into the night until they were delirious from exhaustion. Each time they encountered a town, Sall left for an hour or two, seeking information on the king and queen’s progress. The others used those times to take much-needed naps. But that meant Sall was getting less sleep than the rest of them. He got into the habit of napping nearly every day on Tullen’s back, his snores sending his traveling companions into fits of laughter.
Most of the townspeople Sall encountered were just as eager to gossip as the woman at the first town had been. But the news was never good. When the Golds had reached the first town, they’d been a day and a half behind the Grays. Three days later, they were over two days behind. They kept going, hoping something would change.
On their sixth day, soon after they’d finished their dinner of dried meat and stale bread, they came upon a town. With a sigh, Sall trudged off to enter the community and ask his questions.
Tavi woke from a too-short nap to the sound of Sall’s voice. “Wake up! Everyone, get up! Let’s go!”
He wouldn’t tell them anything until they’d started walking. When they complied, he instructed them all to walk faster. Finally they reached a pace Sall approved of, and he said, “The Grays just left that town a few hours ago.”
“What?” Narre exclaimed. “We were two days behind them!”
“I know. They spent nearly that long in that town. Camalyn was having labor symptoms, and she ended up at the town’s midwife house. The people there can’t stop talking about it.”
“Did she have her baby?” Wrey asked.
“No, her labor stopped, and they resumed their trip.”
“If they’re only a few hours away,” Sanno said, “there’s only one thing for us to do.” He began jogging down the road. “Come on!”
“We can’t run for hours!” Narre protested.
“We don’t have to run the whole way,” Sanno called over his shoulder. “Just enough to pick up our pace.”
With a sigh, Tavi began to jog with the rest of the Golds.
Chapter Forty-One
I always thought I would love traveling until I actually did it. I think my first trip from Tinawe to Oren was the worst. Two long days of walking with other travelers, all of us grouchy from the rain, mud, and biting insects. I delight in the outdoors, as long as there is a comfortable building nearby for me to return to whenever I please.
-From Midwife Memoirs by Ellea Kariana
For an hour, the Golds kept a brutal pace, with only short walk breaks in between long running sessions. Tavi didn’t think it would have been so bad, had she not been already so exhausted from days of travel.
“Can we . . . take a break?” Narre panted.
“As soon as we reach the top of this hill,” Sanno called cheerfully. He was leading the pack and was the only one not acting like it was killing him. Well, the only one other than Tullen, who’d kept his stride gift active the whole time and was offering short rides to anyone who wanted them.
Sanno reached the top of the hill first and stopped. He turned around, holding up his hand. Everyone else halted. “We’ve found them,” he said. Ash took a step toward the top of the hill, and Sanno said, “No! We don’t want them to see us. I hope they didn’t spot me. They’re not moving; they’re pulled off the road. Three wagons. The only people visible are six royal guards.”
Energy filled Tavi. We’ve found them! “Tullen, you and I should listen a bit,” she said. “Try to figure out who’s in which wagon.”
Ash pointed at a group of trees that sat off the road at the top of the hill. “If we stand behind some of those trees, we can probably watch them without being seen.”
They all agreed and made their way that direction. When they neared the top of the rise, they all dropped to their bellies and crawled through tall grass. Tavi tried not to think about what animals and insects might be lying in wait and counted herself lucky that she didn’t encounter any snakes. Once they reached the shade of the trees, they made themselves comfortable hiding behind trunks.
Tavi and Tullen activated their hearing gifts.
“I heard Aldin’s and Camalyn’s voices in the wagon on the right hand side, in the back,” Tavi said.
“What did they say?” Narre asked.
“He said, ‘Have some bread,’ and she said, ‘Thank you.’ ”
“I don’t hear anyone in the front wagon,” Tullen said. “That’s probably where the guards are traveling.”
“The guards must be pulling double duty as drivers,” Sanno said.
“What about the last wagon?” Sall asked.
Tavi looked at Tullen. “Can you hear anything there?”
“No, I was hoping you could.”
“It reminds me of how things were at the palace,” she said.
Tullen sighed. “I was hoping it was just me.” He explained to the others, “There’s a complete absence of sound. It’s different than the front wagon, though it’s hard to explain. But it’s li
ke my gift won’t even enter the back wagon.”
“Exactly,” Tavi said.
“You said it was like that at the palace?” Sanno asked. When they confirmed it, he groaned. “Chief Minister Burrell hired a touch-blessed man who can prevent magic from being used in a building. The man protected the palace every day. I didn’t realize he was coming on this trip. He and Chief Minister Burrell must be in the third wagon. He can only protect one location at a time, because he has to set the guard, then stay in that location with his gift active. I’m surprised he’s protecting Chief Minister Burrell instead of the king and queen.”
Ash and Wrey both said, “I’m not.”
“A man who can quench magic,” Tavi said, shaking her head. “I’ve heard of such a gift, but I’ve never seen it used. Is he a Gray?”
“Yes,” Sanno replied.
Tavi grimaced. “I don’t want to confront Konner if I can’t use magic.”
“His protector has to sleep eventually,” Sanno said. “He can’t keep his gift active all day and night.”
“We can’t wait for him to sleep,” Tullen said. “We’ve got do something as soon as we can. If they get back on the road, we probably won’t catch up again, especially if they keep switching out their horses.” He turned to Sanno. “You mentioned some of the other royal guards don’t like the king and queen. What about the guards down there now? Do you think they’re all loyal?”
“I see two who would stop Konner and the king and queen if they could,” Sanno said. “They’ve told me how much they wish things in Cormina would go back to normal. But two of the others are definitely loyal. I’m not sure about the last two.”
“It would help to have even one guard on our side,” Wrey said.
As they continued to talk, a plan formed. While Konner was their biggest concern, they had to stop Relin and Camalyn as well. In fact, they reasoned, if Relin and Camalyn didn’t make it to the Meadow, it would be that much harder for Konner to lead his troops into war. Today’s goal would be to separate Relin and Camalyn from Konner.
They discussed the details and were soon confident they had a good plan. They wanted to act immediately but decided they should wait until it was dark, which wouldn’t be too much longer. Sanno offered to keep an eye on things while the other Golds got a short nap. Tavi lay on the ground, her arms under her head, and immediately fell asleep.
When they all rose, the sky was black as coal, with just a few stars shining. Tavi activated her hearing gift and confirmed that Konner’s wagon was still inaccessible.
The Golds went over their plan in detail one more time. Sanno, whose sight gift gave him sharp night vision, lamented that he couldn’t use his magic since someone might see the glow. But other than that, he seemed comfortable with his part of the scheme.
Tavi and Tullen both listened to the guards. Then all seven Golds crossed the road and kept walking. They determined the route that was least visible to the guards then crouched and made their way down the hill. To Tavi’s ears, the Golds’ careful steps sounded like a herd of wild horses galloping through the grass. But the guards remained silent. Tavi breathed a sigh of relief when the Golds reached another copse of trees, not too far from Relin and Camalyn’s wagon.
All of them but Sanno hid behind trees. The former palace guard continued walking to complete the first part of their mission: contacting one of the guards he was confident would help them.
Tavi had to remind herself to breathe. Next to her, Wrey must have been just as nervous, because she slipped her hand into Tavi’s and held on tight.
Tavi listened for Sanno’s voice. She knew Tullen was doing the same. After a couple of minutes, she heard Sanno whisper, “Leme, it’s Sanno.”
Leme, one of the guards Sanno trusted, responded with a loud, “What? Who’s there?”
Tavi’s grasped her mouth tightly with her free hand as Sanno said, “Shh! It’s Sanno! Don’t say anything!”
“What’s going on, Leme?” a woman called.
Leme gave a laugh that sounded horribly fake and said, “Sorry, I saw a rabbit or something.”
The woman guffawed.
“What are you doing here?” Leme whispered. “If the chief minister sees you, he’ll tell us to shoot you on sight.”
“I know that. I need your help. I’m here with some friends, and they’re determined to take down the king and queen. Tonight.”
Leme cursed. “That’s crazy. Tonight, of all nights?”
“Listen, I just need you to keep the other guards away from the king and queen’s wagon. That’s all.”
“What are you going to do to them?”
“We’re going to capture them. But we need time to get away before anybody notices. Will you help us?”
“Yes, but—”
The same woman as before called, “Leme, everything all right over here?”
Tavi squeezed Wrey’s hand so hard that Wrey murmured, “Ouch.” Tavi relaxed her grip.
“Everything’s fine, just got tired and was talking to myself,” Leme said.
“If you’re that bored, I’ll keep you company.” The woman’s voice sounded closer than it had a few seconds before.
“Actually, I have some cigars in our wagon,” Leme said. “We could all use a break; let’s get the other guards too. Nobody’s coming along this road at this time of night.”
“Cigars? You been holding out on me?”
Tavi let out a tentative sigh of relief as the two guards walked off. But she didn’t let go of Wrey’s hand until Sanno approached again.
“I don’t know how long they’ll be occupied,” Sanno said. “We’d better hurry.”
Wrey, Narre, and Tullen joined Sanno. The plan was simple. If the wagon door was locked, Narre would break it open. Wrey would put Camalyn and Relin to sleep, and Tullen and Sanno would carry the unconscious bodies away. It was risky, but it was the best plan they had.
As he crept away, Tullen turned, caught Tavi’s eye, and pointed at his ears. She nodded, copying the gesture. They’d agreed that once it was time for the capture, he’d listen in Camalyn and Relin’s wagon, while she aimed her hearing gift at the guards. Once Tullen determined it was a good time for them to get into the wagon, he’d start listening for Tavi in case she had any warnings to pass along.
Tavi watched her friends walk toward the wagon while she listened to the guards, who’d all happily joined Leme. Now they were choosing cigars in their wagon.
Sanno, Wrey, Narre, and Tullen approached Relin and Camalyn’s wagon. Narre’s hands began to glow golden, but Tullen held up a cautionary hand, then pointed again at his ear, his gesture visible to Tavi in the light of Narre’s magic.
Tavi’s heart was beating too quickly as she listened to the relaxed guards and watched her friends, who seemed to be stalling. Tullen was just supposed to listen for a few seconds to be sure they didn’t encounter anything unexpected; why was he making them wait?
Then Tullen began talking to his team, which made Tavi’s breaths come even faster. Through the wagon walls, the king and queen might hear him. At least the guards were still oblivious.
One of the guards’ voices sounded in Tavi’s ear. “Thanks, Leme.”
“Where you going?” Leme asked.
“Back out there. We can’t all stay in here; someone’s gotta guard.”
“Nobody even knows the king and queen are here; they’re safe!” Leme insisted.
“I’d rather smoke outside, anyway.”
“One of the guards is coming out!” Tavi whispered, hoping desperately that Tullen was listening. She didn’t dare redirect her ears away from the guards, but she could tell by Tullen’s lack of a reaction that he couldn’t hear her. He was focused on his conversation, which appeared to be turning into an argument between him and Sanno.
Tavi looked back toward the front of the camp and spied a pinpoint of light from the guard’s cigar. Her eyes shifted back toward the king and queen’s wagon, where Narre’s hands still glowed.
“He’s going to see you!” Tavi said. “Tell Narre to release her magic!”
But Tullen wasn’t listening; he was talking to the others, gesturing emphatically. Sanno’s hands moved with just as much conviction as he responded to Tullen.
Tavi heard the conscientious guard mutter, “What—?” Then the glow of his cigar began moving rapidly in the direction of the monarchs’ wagon.
That was it. Tavi ducked and ran toward her friends. As soon as they saw her, she began wildly beckoning to them with both arms. They stared at each other, then at her.
In Tavi’s ear, the guard’s voice was uncomfortably loud. “There’s a light out there!” he said. “By the king and queen’s wagon!”
Tavi wanted to scream. Every step felt like it took a full minute, but at last she reached her friends. “A guard saw you!” she whispered.
That was all it took. They ran.
As they approached Sall and Ash, Tullen said, “They’re coming!” All seven Golds sprinted toward the hill.
Tavi was still listening for the guards, and panic filled her as she realized all six of them were giving chase. “Narre, your hands!” she gasped.
Narre yelped and released her magic. Tavi’s and Tullen’s ears were covered, so no one was glowing. But the Golds were running up the hill, and there were few trees. Starlight alone might be enough to illuminate them.
Shouts sounded behind them. “Who’s there? Stop or we’ll shoot!”
They kept running. The crack of a hand cannon broke through the night air.
“Spread out!” Sall said. They did.
Tavi’s lungs, throat, and side protested, and with every step, she feared she’d fall. Her magic fled her ears.
Ahead of her, Tullen turned his head. A moment later, he sprinted past Tavi, back down the hill. When he passed her again, he was carrying Sall, who’d fallen behind the rest of them.
Another shot rang out. Tavi’s lungs couldn’t keep up with the speed of her legs. But she didn’t stop. She’d run until she passed out if she had to.
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