by Alice Ivinya
I nodded and shut out the image of the horse. Jian pointed at the pot of water full of strips of linen. It had been pulled from the fire and was cooling rapidly in the snow. Numbly, I picked it up, and Jian walked with me to the injured soldiers.
I tried not to see the injuries. One man had bone sticking through his leg and it took ages to tourniquet, pad and immobilize. His fighting days would be over. A woman had gashes on her side from the bear’s claws. The force had torn through chain mail, but thankfully had not broken her ribs. Last was a man slipping in and out of consciousness after a blow to his abdomen, but there were no external wounds that I could see. Jian had him lie completely still with his feet in the air as men forced him to drink. They were more concerned about him than the others, and one of his companions refused to let go of his hand.
As night fell, I sat by the fire and hugged my knees. Every sound in the wood made me jump, despite the men around me. My three guards sat next to me in silence staring into the flames.
A hand brushed my shoulder and I jumped and looked up. It was Jian, looking tired but alert. “You did well,” he said softly, then disappeared to the other men. His praise washed away some of the numbness, and I watched as he spoke to the soldiers on duty, lifting each of their spirits so they stood a little taller. He was a good commander.
“What was that creature?” I asked Hai Rong when Jian was lost to the shadows.
“The Nameless? They’re animals with a small amount of the Old Blood who try to saturate themselves with the deep magic. Only full Spirit-Beasts can use it without going completely mad. They’re called Nameless because they’re not often sentient enough to have a name before the madness takes them. That bear would have been little more than a normal animal a week or so ago.”
I hugged myself harder. “Does that happen often? Jian said that there were many beasts here with traces of the Old Blood.”
Hai Rong shook his head and his dark eyes met mine, reflected in the firelight. “No. Normally only a full Spirit-Beast tries to access the magic.”
Cai Hong nodded. “These things don’t just happen. Something forced it. Tempted it.”
“What?” I whispered. “What would do that?”
Cai Hong picked up a stick and jabbed the fire, making embers swirl up in the smoke. “The true Spirit-Beasts used to do it often before attacks, back in the days when our defenses were weaker. They would create Nameless to wreak havoc and spread fear. They don’t count them as lives lost.”
My fingers stroked my sword hilt. “And this one?”
Hai Rong shrugged. “Something this side of the Border must have created it.”
“A full Spirit-Beast?”
He nodded, and I stared back into the flames. The traditions and the cautions of the Borderlanders were starting to make a lot more sense.
9
Falada’s Secret
I was still in a daze when we arrived back in Stonekeep, and I had never been so grateful for those imposing walls. I couldn’t imagine what it must be like for the villagers who had few defenses and knew things like that could prowl the night.
Jian dismounted from his horse and strode off into the castle without a glance at me. He had barely spoken to me since the Nameless, his persona becoming professional efficiency. He had a determined look on his face, and he didn’t show the weariness he must have felt.
I stabled Falada, found him oats myself, and gave him a farewell kiss on his soft muzzle. I stumbled to my rooms, my legs struggling to walk normally after several days in the saddle. I clenched my fingers open and closed to get the circulation moving again.
Ruo appeared in the corridor ahead. “Princess Elyanna!” She hurried up to me and gave me a rough hug. I froze, not expecting the affection behind it. She’d never hugged me before, and I’d certainly never seen any maids hug the real Elyanna back at Hava. Ruo pushed me away from her and looked me up and down. “You look like death. I heard you were attacked on the way home. Let’s get you warmed up.”
She bustled around me, herding me to my rooms. I turned to my guards. “All of you, go and get cleaned up and rested. I’m sure I’ll be fine with nobody at my door for the remainder of the day.”
They looked at each other. Each had dark rims around their eyes, greasy hair and dirt ingrained on their hands, but their looks were stubborn.
“No offense, Princess, but Prince Jian would kill us if we left you unguarded. Especially at the moment.”
Jeremiah stepped forward. “I don’t mind staying.”
I sighed. “Fine, one man only and take turns. You all need rest.” I wrinkled my nose. “And a bath.”
I closed the door on them and collapsed into a chair. Ruo had already started pouring buckets of heated water into the tub, but the idea of pulling off all my clothes felt like a lot of hard work. “I have a letter from Chen,” I called to Ruo. “And letters from a dozen other men. Can you distribute them through your knitting circle?” I rummaged in my bag to free them.
“How was he?” she took his letter from my hand, the bath half filled.
“He seemed well. He was very excited to hear about you. He clearly loves you very much.”
Ruo smiled a little sadly. “He’s a good boy. Always has been.”
“Were there any letters to me? I sent one to Queen Geraldina, my mother, just before I left.”
Ruo filled the rest of the bath with the letter safe in her pocket. “It’s probably only just arrived, dear, and I bet the Pass will be filled with snow within the fortnight.”
She hesitated as if she had just remembered something but was wondering whether to say it. The bucket paused, dripping in her hands.
“What is it?”
“Well, you saying that reminded me of something. But I don’t think it is at all connected to your letter, so I don’t want you to worry. But they found a Syberan in the Pass a few days ago. A soldier. He was coming into the Borderlands. Only he wasn’t equipped for the snow this time of year and had an accident. Broke his leg. It seems likely he traveled with others, but they must have left him to die. I assume they were in danger themselves. The men at the outpost there found him half frozen by a dying fire. He didn’t seem like the sort of man to be carrying a message.”
I frowned. “Who is he? What was he doing?”
Ruo placed the bucket down and stretched her back. “I don’t know. It happens most years. A Syberan thinks he can brave Eagle’s Pass in late Autumn and gets caught out by the weather. Normally they’re criminals or poor folk. Maybe this soldier had done something wrong and was running away.”
“Maybe. Could you keep me informed on who he is and his condition? A sketch of his features if possible?” I probably wouldn’t recognize him, but if he was from Hava, I wanted to know.
I mustered the energy to strip off my sweaty clothes and slipped into the bath. It was early afternoon, but I planned to go straight to bed afterwards. I had barely slept a wink in my tent since being at the Border, and I had been too cold to sleep there too. The hot water and the fire in my room now felt like a grand luxury, whereas previously I had always seen it as mean compared to Hava.
“If you wish.” Ruo settled into a seat, smoothing out the letter from Chen. “I still can’t believe you were set upon by a Nameless. They are rare enough at the Border, let alone a few miles south of it. I fear we’re entering troubled times again.”
“Any news on Prince Han’s death?” I rubbed the cloth up and down my arms and felt the heat loosen my back.
“The King returned yesterday, but if they found anything, they’ve not made the information public. They’ve doubled the guards on the walls, and I’ve heard some of the smaller villages have been told to move to the towns for winter.”
I moved to the edge of the barrel and rested my chin on my arms. “Do you think this is all the start of a big attack on the Border? A way of weakening us?”
Ruo met my eyes across the room. “By all that is good, I hope not.”
I slept long and d
eeply and thankfully my dreams left me alone. When I woke, I stared up at the stone ceiling in thought. I should try and see Jian to help him in any way I could and call on Queen Fei to comfort her in her grief. Maybe afterwards I could persuade my guards to teach me combat from horseback and while wearing thick gloves. What use was dueling against a crazed bear, anyway? There had been no rules or grace in that battle. I’d only fought people. Everything I knew was probably useless. Maybe, if I was patient enough, I could get Jian to teach me again. Remembering how skillfully he moved, how clever his combinations, reawakened my joy for the sport. But seeing the Nameless and the men at the Border changed my desire to a frantic need. I never wanted to feel helpless in this new world of snow and ice.
Eventually, I felt I had been lazy enough lying around in bed, so I got up and dressed without summoning Ruo. It seemed wrong that Jian and the soldiers were so busy, yet I always had to look for something to do. Deciding on color schemes for the wedding didn’t seem appropriate. And anyway, it was too hard to concentrate on that day, too hard to picture it. I should probably start working on the dress with Ruo in the evenings, however, or I would end up with nothing suitable to wear. How Elyanna would be furious if I turned up merely in one of her old ball gowns.
Ruo peeked around the door without knocking and seemed surprised to find me dressed. “You’re awake. Why didn’t you ring the bell?”
I rose and stretched. “I was fine getting dressed by myself. Cai Hong brought me some lunch. I was thinking we should start on my wedding dress today. And I also wanted to talk to you about sending more clothes and blankets up to the Border. The ones I took weren’t nearly enough.”
Ruo went to stoke the fire. “Well, you’re certainly important enough to be able to make it happen. We would need more people to knit and sew though and more materials.”
I nodded. “I will fund it as much as I can. Maybe I should talk to the Queen about it, too? Can you recruit more people? Many must be related to the men there.”
Ruo gave me a restrained smile. “It is good to finally see you excited about something. The transport will be the tricky thing. Prince Jian has always prioritized the space on the packhorses for food, building materials and weapons.”
“I’ll speak to him too.”
“There’s something else you need to think about: the Winter Ball.”
My heart sank. “When is that?”
Ruo chuckled. “A week before your wedding. Don’t look so glum. I’m sure you will find it fun, and you have dresses aplenty for it already. We can still focus on your wedding dress. I have actually drawn some designs.” She fished around in her belt pouch and pulled out some parchment. “Just rough sketches. I thought it might be fun to meld Borderlander and Syberan cultures together. You don’t have to use these of course, but I thought it might give you ideas.”
I looked through the drawings and a slither of excitement wound its way around my belly. “These look wonderful.”
We discussed choices of cut and material, and I traced Ruo’s sketches but with added details of my own. Gradually the horrors of the Nameless melted away, and I felt myself relax.
There was a knock on the door, and Ruo rose to open it. I stood as Captain Jun entered. He gave a stiff bow and I resisted the urge to look over his shoulder to see if Jian was outside. “Princess, I was wondering if you could aid me?”
“Of course, come and take a seat by the fire.” I indicated the seat that Ruo was vacating as she went to get wine. The Captain was clean shaven again, though his skin was pale and haggard. He looked like he needed a long night's sleep, and I felt a stab of guilt at my lazy morning.
“I won’t be here long, I just wanted you to look at some drawings for me of some Syberans. Tell me if you recognize them.”
I frowned. “Who are they? Is one of them the man they found in Eagle’s Pass with a broken leg?”
Captain Jun glanced at Ruo as if surprised I knew. “No. These three men were found yesterday south west of Stonekeep. I’m afraid they had been attacked either by Spirit-Birds or avian Nameless. All three were dead despite being well armed. There was a dead Spirit-Bird too. It’s the quality of their weapons and chainmail which makes me wonder if you know them and the reason they have snuck past Eagle’s Watch unannounced. We are seeing if their death was linked to Prince Han’s.”
My mouth dried. “It is only a day’s ride between the Fever Mountain Range and Stonekeep. If they’ve come straight from Sybera, does that mean they were attacked only a few hours from here?”
Captain Jun nodded. “I’m afraid so. Spirit-Birds haven’t attacked like this for years, but it’s only been these two groups of people, miles apart. It’s important we know who they were.”
I nodded, my stomach clenching uneasily as he unrolled the parchment he carried. Sounded like we had been lucky just meeting a Nameless. But what had well-armed men been doing sneaking around the Borderlands?
My breath caught as I saw the three faces drawn before me. A few features were missing, I assumed from injury, but I recognized all three of them. Sir Hellard’s stern face and strong jaw caught my attention first. He had worked for Queen Geraldina since before I could remember. The second was his younger squire, and the third was another soldier who had accompanied Elyanna to the Winter Palace.
I felt like a rabbit who had been caught at bow point by a hunter. I didn’t think I would get away with pretending I didn’t recognize them, but what were they doing? They should be with Elyanna.
“Were they the only people found? There was no sign of anyone who escaped?”
Captain Jun narrowed his eyes. “Should there be? The snow was trampled from the fight and there were signs it had been disturbed all around.”
I looked back at the pictures, my mind racing. “That’s Sir Hellard. He’s often in Hava. I think that one is his squire. But I don’t know what they were doing here. I wondered if they could be bringing a message from my parents. Perhaps they want to offer aid with finding Prince Han’s killers?”
Jun looked skeptical and stroked his smooth cheeks. He gathered up the pictures and rolled them after his arm. “Thank you, Highness. Let me know if you think of anything else that might help.”
As he closed the door, I stared into the flames, my heart pounding. My mind frantically pieced the information together. I had written home to tell of Han’s death and that I had been treated well. That Jian was now the Crown Prince. Queen Geraldina had most likely informed her daughter, away at the Winter Palace. Elyanna would see I was going to become Queen in her stead. She had always been so bitterly jealous. I guessed she had breathed no word to her mother and had come straight away with the soldiers before Eagle’s Pass closed with snow. How had I not thought about this? I had been too caught up in the excitement of visiting the Border. I should have sent the letter in Spring when the snow had melted and Jian and I were wed.
Ruo touched my arm and I jumped. “Are you alright, dear?” She passed me the wine, taking the cup intended for the Captain for herself.
“Thank you. It’s just a shock. I don’t understand what they were doing here.”
She sat down and leant towards me. “Do you want to talk about it?”
I shook my head and reached over to our designs for the dress and bolts of different shades of silk. “No. Let’s get back to where we were.”
I would find her if she really was here and not eaten by a Spirit-Bird. Her height and features would make her stand out. I wouldn’t give her the chance to ruin my life again.
I stabbed a scrap of silk with a needle and tried not to think about her coming closer and closer.
The next morning, I got up early and felt refreshed. I dressed in fur-lined leggings and a tunic ready for Cai Hong and Hai Rong to teach me how to fight Nameless and Spirit-Beasts. Exercise often helped me focus. I hoped Ruo would find out more information about the injured Syberan from Eagle’s Pass while we trained.
Ruo was fixing the final braid of my hair so it coiled around m
y scalp when there was a loud flurry of thuds on the door. She frowned and went to open it, one hand on the dagger she wore around her belt. I grabbed my sword.
Jeremiah stood alone in the doorway and I relaxed but froze when I saw his face. The guard’s skin was pale, and he was panting for breath. His eyes were wide with horror. “Princess, you must come at once.”
I opened my mouth to reply but he turned and ran ahead so fast, I had to pick up my skirts to follow him without tripping over. I had never seen him so distraught. My heart hammered in my ears and I felt dizzy. Pictures flashed of Nameless within the walls, or giant Spirit-Beasts, or Jian laid out on the stone plinth unmoving, just like Han had been.
As Jeremiah turned to the stables my sense of horror grew and I stopped following him “Jeremiah, stop.”
He skidded and came to take my hand. Distress was clear in his face. “Princess, you must see this straight away.”
I pulled my hand from his grip. “What is it? Tell me now so I can prepare myself.”
The guard looked at my face, then towards the stables and back again. He licked his lips and couldn’t quite meet my eyes.
“Jeremiah!” I almost shouted at him.
“It’s Falada. He’s…” he took a deep breath. “He’s dead.”
It felt like all of my insides dropped at once, leaving my body behind as an empty, echoing shell. I whispered something but didn’t register what. I walked to the stables as if in a trance. The world spun around me and I wasn’t quite a part of it.
I opened the stable door and stepped inside. Even the geese next door were silent. I walked past the stalls to the one I had stabled Falada in yesterday.
My throat constricted and a strange moan escaped as I covered my mouth with my fingers. I felt my knees crumple as I knelt in the straw beside Falada’s body. His pale fur was covered in sweeps of dried blood. I crossed my arms over his back and lowered my head into his fur to weep, but the tears didn’t come. My body didn’t work. All I could do was breathe in the cooling, musty smell of my best friend.