"He must have worked all night," she breathed quietly.
Toman nodded. "He kept telling us that he was retired. Perhaps that meant he didn't mind losing a night's sleep for a pretty girl."
She looked at the guard skeptically. "Maybe he is very generous, but I doubt that it is just because I am a girl," Xerese retorted without using his judgment of her beauty. For some reason, the way he said it made her embarrassed by his observation.
"Maybe, but some men become more generous if it is for a woman or younger girl. If you were a child, that might have been another good reason. Most men become more helpful when there is a pretty face asking for help."
Snorting a quick laugh, Xerese observed, "He helped you before he ever met me. Maybe it's just you he likes so much."
She could tell that he fought not to laugh and managed to smother the sound though not the subtle movement of his chest and shoulders in the morning light cast from the windows. Reining in his humor, Toman reminded her, "Maybe you should try and get a little more sleep. There is time before we need to leave for the dock."
Xerese ignored the suggestion and sat on one of the wood chairs surrounding the dinner table. She pulled on the first boot and was surprised at the fit. The lady didn't think she had ever worn a pair of shoes or boots that felt more made for her.
Standing to try them out, Xerese thought they fit well and only wished that she also had some stockings. The leather would tighten with moisture like any sweat from her skin. If the leather wasn't prepared properly, the fit would change and likely for the worse.
After a quick test, Xerese yawned as she removed the boots and placed them beside the door. It was where Toman's boots and a few sets of Edric's shoes had been placed. The girl returned to her blankets on the floor and was surprised when she drifted back to sleep after having slept most of the night.
The captain and his first mate looked ready to refuse them passage when they appeared at the dock at the proposed time. Xerese had a feeling that Edric being with them once more was the only reason that the captain honored his deal from the day before. Perhaps it would have been bad for business if it was also known that he had reneged on a deal, even if it was for free passage on his ship.
Xerese had received another gift before they had been ready to leave that morning. To her surprise, Edric had woken after only an hour and slipped out once more. The old man returned with a bag and inside was another dress, a skirt and a pair of blouses. All were apparently from the same girl, though Xerese didn't test the fit to see.
Unable to thank the man enough, Xerese couldn't stop the tears from welling up and rolling down her cheeks from her emotions. He had looked embarrassed and turned red when the girl couldn't restrain herself from kissing him on the cheek in thanks.
Where Edric's generosity and apparently that of the neighboring women in the hamlet seemed boundless, their experience aboard the small merchantman was bordering on hostile. She didn't know why the captain had agreed to carry them if he hadn't wanted to do so.
Toman tried to be helpful, but he had no experience of being a sailor aside from being on the two ships owned by her cousins. They had taken a few trips to the islands north of Malaiy a few times together as well, but those were day trips to the holiday islands. The degree of work needed for such short trips was nothing like the day to day of the ocean voyage to Southwall and back.
Xerese had found herself in their kitchen, but it wasn't the large galley of the larger frigates tailoring to a large crew. This ship had eight men and the two of them made ten. One of the men acted as a cook, but the meals were simple. Dried fruits and nuts were a staple of their life. Fish cooked or dried out with salt made up the meat, while loaves bought ashore rounded out most of their meals.
Digging through the bag given her by Edric, Xerese had discovered some food. Waxed paper wrapped sandwiches and cheese. Two small pouches contained fruit and nuts similar to that eaten by the sailors also. Eating in the space given them by the captain, something barely larger than a modest closet, Xerese and Toman tried to minimize their burden on the surly crew.
The girl smiled and served the captain and the sailors for their meals as a way to pay for her part of the passage. Her pretty looks, long dark hair and dark blue eyes were enough to sweeten some of their attitudes by the time they arrived at their destination two days later.
It was a village three times the size of Edric's hamlet. They were still a few days walk from the border of Tseult, but the captain told them that his business didn't extend beyond the border at this time. Without money to sway his decision, the two debarked onto the dock wondering if they could find similar generosity to Edric's here.
They checked with the other ships at dock. All belonged to Kloste and the captains made no doubt that they wouldn't go west to Tseult anytime soon. Rumors of unrest going on in the neighboring country's northern cities and towns made the Klosten's uncomfortable with the shipping lanes. Like Captain Hedrin had warned, there was talk of pirates and others ships attacking those foolhardy enough to risk travel to Tseult or Malaiy beyond their waters.
Xerese let Toman carry her bag. It had become hers since most of it was the new clothes given to her by the old man.
"If the ships are afraid to go to Tseult, what will we find just trying to walk there?" Xerese questioned her guard worriedly.
"I wish we could at least get horses or a ride by wagon. If we just walk, it will take weeks, maybe even months to get just to the border of Malaiy," the big man replied in concern. He was strong enough to endure the long walks required and could even pick up the pace. Toman had been a soldier as a younger man and knew he could still march at a rate that the softer lady couldn't maintain.
The girl noted his slight avoidance to her question. It had been mostly rhetorical anyway, she supposed, and let it slide. "There is a market here and we can try to find a farmer that lives to the west. If he is returning home, adding a pair of travelers to his empty wagon shouldn't harm anything. I have been told that I can make good conversation to pass the time."
"You have?" the man couldn't help laughing in reply. Her frown at him didn't help matters, but Toman did his best to not aggravate the girl.
"Anyway, with luck we can make the border without too much walking. Once we are in Tseult, we can try again. Maybe they won't attack their own ships and we can find a merchant to take us closer to Malaiy."
He nodded as the guard agreed that it was as good a plan as any in their situation. They asked a local where they could find the market; though they probably could have discovered it on their own quickly enough since the town wasn't that large.
Finding it, the two moved through the vendors and eventually found a willing farmer. After helping him finish selling his stock; they joined him with his son, a boy just into his teens as his voice still cracked as he spoke. Xerese tried to be nice and thought that he had probably developed a crush on her quickly. His squeaky voice had helped convince his father to give them a ride, though the farmer had eyed Toman a bit warily.
When the boy asked if they were married, she told him truthfully that she wasn't. The news must have inflated his hopes as he seemed to follow her around even more closely until they left the market heading southwest along the road that was mostly packed dirt. Little more than a trail, Xerese was jostled about even sitting on the seat next to the farmer. The boy and Toman looked less comfortable. By the time the wagon crossed several miles to their farm, Xerese wondered if walking wouldn't have been better instead.
A meal and a night sleeping in the man's barn helped the little stock of food that remained from Edric. In the morning, the farmer's wife added to their generosity by gifting a pair of lunches and some dried food for their continued trip. They had spoken of their intention of doing what they could to return home the night before with the family. Again Xerese was thankful for the type of people in these rural towns and villages. Most had been generous to them, even if it was only in the form of a night's sleep and a meal.
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If the remainder of their journey could place them before more people like them, Xerese thought maybe they would make it home in better shape than the way it had started.
Philip entered the room past the king's guards. It had been more than a week since Serafene and Alicia had left to visit Marquess Etrine at her castle. There had been no word from her; but even if they had traveled swiftly, a returning messenger was unlikely in such a short time. It was a worry for the man when so many bad things had been happening to the family of late. Earl Carland had been a single position closer to Orlaan than his wife. With the deaths of both Carland and the princess, Serafene was now seventh in line for the crown.
If someone had chosen to eliminate some or all of the king's family to get the throne, how far would they go to remove anyone related to the king? What link in the royal line was the last to be threatened? If Carland had indeed been killed, could Serafene and Alicia be on their list?
He worried about Alexander and hoped that his son had taken his warnings to heart. Even vigilance could only do so much if an assassin was involved, Philip feared.
"You look a bit haggard, my friend," the king said looking tired as well. "If I thought that Serafene cooked, I would say that you hadn't been eating enough. Your cook didn't take a break as well, did she?"
"Unfortunately all that has been put on my plate has made it harder to sleep, sire. It is also a bit of a waste for her to just make dinner for me."
The king's face darkened visibly and he asked more soberly, "No word from Serafene yet?"
Shaking his head, Philip replied, "No, my lord, though it would be unlikely to hear from them so soon."
"I hope that Etrine manages to get past her grief. That woman has always been a little shaky. She doesn't deal well with such things," the king said as he glanced to the other men standing nearby. All trusted officials and advisors, it was still best to avoid discussing weaknesses of others in the family, Philip thought to himself.
"Serafene will do what she can for her. She's helped calm her in the past, so we can all hope for the best."
In the lull, Philip asked, "I doubt that is why you called me here though. Has something else happened?"
Moving towards a table laden with papers, Orlaan picked up one with a broken seal. Messages requiring wax seals tended to bear messages of great importance. Even as he handed the letter to Philip, the king began to explain the contents, "Duke Famel sends word of military units moving through harassing the villages from Cairdhen to Mertan. Even Bolan has reported sightings south of the river near them."
"Is Tseult breaking the treaty?"
"I am not certain. Earl Veldaan and his brothers have never reported something like this before. They've sent out scouts and a few platoons to try and discover their identity, but nothing tells me that part.
"Famel's message reads more like Pherena's complaining. Unfortunately I remember my sister's sharp tongue even after all this time and though he signed it, I can tell it is her asking why I'm not sending an army to deal with the problem.
"Since I am just hearing about it, I don't know how the woman can ask for help; but that is Pherena for you. I always hoped that Duke Famel would be able to rein her in, but she has always been a challenging woman."
While the king had always gotten along well with his brothers, or so it had always seemed, his youngest sibling, his only sister, seemed to have been a thorn in Orlaan's side from childhood. There was a decade between them in age and perhaps being the baby of the family had helped build her personality into that of a privileged and entitled woman.
Philip didn't doubt that part of the reason she ruled the southern city of Teyas was because it was the furthest major city from Yalan. Distance might make the heart grow fonder, but sometimes it was just a buffer.
The duchess and her sons were the rulers of the southwest in the king's name. He had heard little complaint from their end of the kingdom during her rule and worried that perhaps the duchess' control meant that she would be less cooperative with Orlaan. The king didn't visit his sister often, nor did she visit him, making the duchy almost independent of the kingdom.
"Will you send word to King Tylus then?"
Looking uncomfortable at the thought, the king responded, "I must, but it will have to be worded carefully. If they have nothing to do with these roving bands, I would hate to start anything between Tseult and Malaiy by making him believe that we are accusing him. Of course, if Tseult is dealing with a similar infestation, then perhaps we can join together to do something about them."
"Is there something that I can do? Is that why you called me?"
Shaking his head, Orlaan mentioned something that seemed less connected to the problem, "Have your ship captains mentioned anything dealing with Tseult? In addition to Famel's problems in the south, word has it that the shipping lanes north of Tseult are a problem also.
"We're losing ships or having them attacked. Those that have escaped the attacks say that the ships usually hoist a plain red flag as they close."
"But Tseult warships and privateers alike should have the blue flag of Tseult raised."
The king nodded. "This may mean that we are dealing with someone who actually controls part of Tseult. King Tylus might be holding back from telling us about these pirates because he has lost control of the north."
"Is it possible that Tseult has lost a war without us knowing about it?" Philip asked in confusion.
"Lord Denefar has begun to send men to investigate, but I don't really know. If your captains learn anything, have them tell us immediately."
"Word should be sent to Itan and probably Alexander also. If any fleets are sent from the east, they will be the first in the line of fire."
Sighing, Orlaan replied, "If we need to start sending armies to defend both the north and the south the Brothers of the Blood will have a field day with it in the streets."
"Well, better to reinforce your borders than lose them because you fear a bunch of monks. The people will understand, especially if Malaiy is attacked," Philip noted.
Short nods from the men listening to the conversation reminded him that they weren't alone.
They joined with the other advisors and began discussing what resources to send. Strengthening their borders, the king still had to make sure that he didn't weaken Yalan. With all that was going on, Philip didn't doubt that they would need protection sometime in the near future.
He had a feeling that he was in for more sleepless nights and wished again that he could be with Serafene at a time like this.
The sound of birds in the trees drew Xerese's eyes upwards. Chirping sparfinches nearly drowned out the sound of the water babbling in the creek as it ran north towards the sea. The hills were taller to the south, but the water mostly ran between the rises in a twisting path. Toman had chosen their camp well off the worn path of what served as a road leading to Tseult in the east. With the creek nearby, they had water and the guardsman managed to find more wild fruits and berries foraging before dark.
She felt safer with him nearby, but the girl told him that she needed to wash. Her new clothing had become dirty as they walked west. While they had found a few farms along the path, almost no carts or other travelers had been seen since they had crossed over where Toman guessed was the border.
There was no sign or border guards here. Kloste and Tseult's border was a line on a map, but the people tended to stay away from such places where wars would likely be fought. In the past, this was where kings fought over grassy knolls and the rare border towns. More recent history had settled the northern nations into alliances which had lasted since the Cataclysm had sent tidal waves even as far as western Taltan, though the source had occurred thousands of miles away in the North Sea.
It had taken a catastrophe to put an end to the border wars which had likely waged for thousands of years. Rebuilding the northern cities had distracted the rulers to come and a status quo had been achieved, at least for a time. There were still minor squ
abbles she was sure, but the lady of Malaiy hadn't been taught the history of all the kingdoms. She just knew that of the closest ones, and likely even some of that was doctored in favor of her nation's participation or what had spread as fact from other sources.
Nearly two hundred years after the Cataclysm, northern Taltan remained in a relatively peaceful era where trade agreements kept most countries from attacking one another. It meant that they could move from Kloste to Tseult in reasonable safety. Xerese had been surprised how generally good and generous people had been, even after realizing that they were travelers from Malaiy.
Malaiy had relatively few enemies, even before the Cataclysm. Her country was smaller than many, but Tseult acted as a buffer to the south and east while the Talmoth Sea was to the west. The Glacian Ocean was to the north and with two seas their navy was a significant deterrent to other attacks.
Xerese looked around carefully before removing her skirt and blouse. Walking into the creek, she found the water only rose to halfway up her stomach near the center. It was cool on a warm day. The season was called spring, but Taltan didn't cool much during winter. Bathing in the small creeks and streams on sunny days was as refreshing as using one of the marble baths back home, except for when the bottom was covered in too much muck.
This creek was mostly sand and stone. She could look down and see her feet sink into the sand; but after a quick dunking to try and rinse off the road dirt, Xerese took the skirt and started to scrub. Without soap, the girl doubted that any stains could be removed; but most of what was on her clothes was just dust and maybe a little mud. Sweat could stain the clothes, she thought making a disgusted face.
A lady of Malaiy wasn't supposed to appear as anything other than perfection. They weren't supposed to sweat or walk for miles on dirt roads either. Her arms were tan and much of her legs. Those first days before finding Edric had darkened her like a peasant girl. Even the parts of her usually covered by clothes had some color thanks to her having to bathe under the sun in the water of streams that she could use.
The Unexpected Heir: A Tale of Alus Page 29