Vrell mounted Nickel, the withered grey palfrey Lord Orthrop had given her, and followed the knights out of Walden’s Watch.
The dirt road stretched out across the NaharPeninsula with nothing but sagebrush, chaparral, cactus, and the occasional juniper tree for miles on either side. She wondered if the scenery would change on their way to Mahanaim. She had been to the stronghold several times but never by this route.
Jax stopped his horse and waited until Vrell came alongside. He looked down on her with his oversized eyes. “Have you ridden much?”
“Some, sir.”
“What kind of horse?”
“Um…a…” Vrell faltered as she tried to decide how to answer. Kopay was a sleek courser. But a stray would have no business on such a fine animal. She feigned ignorance. “I don’t know, sir.”
Jax looked straight ahead. “It will be a hot afternoon. It’s best we move mostly at night to avoid the sun. Have you traveled this road before?”
“No, sir.”
“Where you from?”
Jax’s deep, rumbling voice shook Vrell’s already frazzled nerves. She would need to keep her answers short, as Lady Coraline had suggested. Since she had a tendency to forget her role and speak like a noblewoman, the less she said the better.
She decided to name the city her boy persona was supposedly from. “Zerah Rock.”
Jax nodded. His red head scarf made his skin look darker. She knew from her lessons with Sangio, her tutor back home, that Jax was a yâtsaq giant. Since Darkness came, the giants had divided into two tribes: eben and yâtsaq. The ebens were said to be pale and fair-haired. Yâtsaq, the opposite. Jax’s black braids were as thick as Vrell’s wrists.
She hoped he would not try to make idle conversation the entire journey. She did not think she could handle the stress of coming up with the right answers. She allowed Nickel to slowly fall behind Jax’s mount. Eventually, Jax spurred his festrier to Khai’s side.
Vrell’s every nerve was on edge. Her body ached more from tension than from the miles they had covered since leaving Walden’s Watch that morning. She feared making a move that might give her secret away. Staying behind the two knights gave them less opportunity to wonder, but doomed Vrell to witnessing hour upon endless hour of their crude behavior.
Khai craned his long neck around, his dark eyes plowing over Vrell as if to dig up her secret and anything else she held dear. He was probably only making sure she had not ridden off—as if there were any place to go. She focused hard on keeping her mind closed. Khai turned back and let out a loud, horse-like laugh.
Vrell cringed.
These knights were far from noble. They were soldiers who scratched and spat and smelled and swore—though Vrell doubted that even noble knights would behave chivalrously around a stray boy. Did Bran do such things when no ladies were present?
She should have told him the truth about the prince’s proposal. By now, Mother would have done so. She hoped he did not do anything foolish when he heard.
Without any warning, Khai dismounted to relieve himself on the side of the road. Vrell gasped and spurred her horse to pass.
Men were revolting.
Vrell had to go herself, but was not sure how to manage it. They were headed for the NaharForest, but it was three days away. She couldn’t wait three days for the privacy of a tree, but how would she ever escape long enough to do her business?
The sun set quickly, casting a beautiful array of color over the flat horizon before vanishing. Jax lit a torch and held it high above his towering form to light their way on the dark, dirt road. It helped little. Natural darkness stretched around them on all sides. Within the beam of light, Vrell could make out only the silhouette of her horse.
She would rather wet herself than leave the small circle of light beaming from Jax’s torch. The darkness had plunged the meadowlands into a black void. Behind her, a hollow squawk rang out and dwindled to a gurgling moan. Her horse jolted.
Vrell’s breath caught and she patted his neck. “Do not fear, boy.” She shuddered to think what kind of an animal made such a—
RAWHH!
Nickel reared up. Vrell gripped his mane, but the horse took off at a gallop.
“Vrell!” Jax called out as she passed.
The horse bolted out of the torch’s beam and into a shroud of darkness.
Shadows loomed before her, making her afraid the roaring beast might attack at any moment. She gripped both reins and grabbed the roots of Nickel’s mane with her fingers. She pulled back with her left hand, turning the horse’s head toward her. Nickel slowed to a canter. Vrell pulled the left rein back to her hip and let the right slip through her fingers a bit, hoping to turn the horse’s head more.
Nickel circled. The sensation was terrifying in the dark, but Vrell fought to maintain her calm since horses could sense their rider’s fear.
When he stopped completely, Vrell patted his neck. “See?” she said in a soothing voice. “You are just fine. Yes, you are. You are a good boy, Nickel.”
She stayed put, continuing to comfort the animal. She strained to hear any sound of the wild beast approaching again. Jax’s torch bobbed in the distance, growing slightly with each passing second.
“Vrell?” Jax yelled from afar.
“Here!” Vrell called back, not too loudly.
Nickel stiffened beneath her palm, but did not bolt.
Slowly, the torch lit her surroundings. Jax and Khai trotted up and reined their horses.
“You okay?” Jax asked.
“Yes. A wild animal scared my horse.”
Khai snickered. “Jumpy little sprig is just like his rider.”
Jax spun around, the torch’s flame sputtering. “Enough of your gowzal calls, Khai. We don’t have time for this foolishness.”
Vrell gaped at the weasely knight. Had he purposely frightened her horse? She could have been killed.
Khai glanced away, still smirking.
Jax scratched underneath his beard and dismounted. The dead grass crunched under his footsteps and his axes jangled. “We’ll stop here to get some food in our bellies. But only for a few hours. I want to travel as much as possible when it’s cool.”
“How will we get back to the road?” Vrell asked.
“It’s just there.” Jax pointed the direction they had come.
Khai wheezed a laugh. “Plus, the sun will come up soon enough, boy. This ain’t Darkness, you know.”
Vrell gritted her teeth and slid off the side of her horse. “I meant to ask, how can you be certain where the road is? Everything looks the same here, even in daylight. We have been traveling all day, and I have not seen a single traveler. How do we know we are even on the right road? Have you a map?”
Khai mocked Vrell’s raspy voice with a lofty tone. “Yes, Sir Jax. But how can you be certain where the road is? Everything looks the same and I’m tired and hungry and daft.”
Vrell was thankful for the black void that hid her flushing cheeks. This was why it was best for her not to speak.
Jax rounded on Vrell and thrust the torch into her hands. “Hold this.”
She pulled her neck back to keep her hair free of the flame and lifted the torch high away from her skittish horse.
Jax unfastened his pack from his horse and dropped it into the grass. He removed some rope from it and tossed it to Khai. “Tether and water the horses. Vrell, help him.”
Khai gathered his and Jax’s horses and stomped away, the parched grass swishing under their steps. The tip of his massive sword’s scabbard dragged behind him.
Vrell stayed put, unsure of what to do with the torch. “Do you need the light, sir?”
Jax looked up and held out his large hand. Vrell passed him the heavy torch, and he drove it into the ground so it stood on its own. He got on his knees to go through his gear. In this position he was almost her height.
Vrell turned and blinked. The torch cast enough light that she could see where Khai had taken the horses. Bushes lit up lik
e misty shadows. She led Nickel to the others. Khai had already stripped off their saddles and set out a bucket of water for each, including her own.
This surprised Vrell. “Thank you for pouring a bucket for my horse.”
Khai grunted. “I didn’t do it for you. I did it to conserve water. If I see your skinny fingers on the water pack, I’ll break them. Understood?”
Vrell’s eyes widened, but she held her tongue. She turned away from Khai and tied Nickel to a chaparral bush. She took care of his gear, then returned to the torchlight. Khai and Jax busied themselves in their packs. If ever there was a time to steal a moment alone in the dark, this was it.
“I am going to…” She pointed away into the darkness. “I need to…”
“Fine.” Jax dug in his gear for something. “Don’t go far.”
Vrell inched away, looking over her shoulder with each step to verify both men remained at the camp and that she could still see the torch. She walked straight ahead, arms stretched out in front to feel for anything. She did not want to stumble into any cactus.
When the camp had shrunk to a small glow, and Vrell was confident she would not be seen, she crouched over the dead grass. For the first time in her life, she relieved herself outdoors. When she finished, she used water from her water skin to wash her face and hands. The road had been so dusty her nostrils were stiff and crusty. She did not have a handkerchief.
She did have a salve to protect her skin from sunburn, though. She had made it herself with chaparral from Mitt’s garden. How strange it had been to see so much of the desert bush in its natural state during her ride earlier. She rubbed the salve generously over her face. The cool mixture tingled the heat from her skin. She thought of Bran and smiled. He had such a fair complexion. She had often tried to convince him to use one of her salves, but he never had.
Vrell returned to the torch and found Jax and Khai eating. She settled down on the ground to Jax’ left, putting the fire between her and Khai. Jax passed her a hard bread roll, some dried figs, and a chunk of dried meat.
“Thank you, sir.”
Vrell bowed in silent thanks for the meal, then bit into the bread.
Khai was watching her, his brows heavy over dark eyes. “What’d you do? Bewitch it to taste like tarts?”
Vrell lowered her hands into her lap and swallowed the bite of bread before answering. “I always thank Arman for my food.”
Khai bit into his roll. He tore off a chunk and spoke with a full mouth. “Arman? Why not Zitheos or Dendron? It’s their provisions you eat.”
Vrell huffed a sigh. “There is only one God: Arman the Father.”
“Ohhh.” Khai tipped his head back with a wide grin. “You’re one of those crazy Waywarders.”
“I am not crazy,” Vrell pointed out coldly, “and it is called the Way.”
“If your Way is true, why do so few follow it?”
“Khai,” Jax’s voice boomed. “Leave him be.”
Vrell hid a smug smile. She ate her bread and meat first, saving the figs for last. The sweet taste reminded her of the plump raisins so plentiful back home.
The men ate in half the time Vrell did. She watched Jax while she nibbled her figs. The giant had removed his cloak and head scarf. He sat motionless, hands in his lap, head tilted up to the starry sky, glassy eyes staring at nothing.
His undershirt clung to his muscled torso. The iron cuffs gave the appearance of shackles on a convict bound for IceIsland, although these were not the same kind. Guards often stopped in Vrell’s hometown, transporting criminals to the icy prison. Those cuffs were always thin and chained to one another. Jax’s covered both forearms and seemed to be painted or carved, but she could not tell in the low light of the torch.
A quick glance at Khai caught him leering again. Did he suspect she was a woman? Could he read her thoughts? She swallowed her fear and nodded to Jax. “What is he doing?”
Khai yawned, his tiny mouth stretching abnormally wide. “Reporting.”
“To whom?”
“Your new master.”
Vrell blinked. “You mean to say he is communicating with someone? Now?”
Khai leaned back on his elbows.
She stared at Jax’s flickering eyes. “How?”
“Don’t play the fool with me,” Khai said. “You know how or you wouldn’t be here.”
Vrell pulled her knees up to her chest and took a bite of her last fig. Khai was implying that Jax was bloodvoicing someone. She realized she shouldn’t be surprised. She had seen Mother do it before, but never with her eyes open.
Why had Mother not tried to bloodvoice her in so long? Was she in danger? Surely she hadn’t forgotten her own daughter. Lady Coraline would not have arrived in Carmine yet. That journey would take at least a week. When she did arrive, Mother would certainly contact Vrell to let her know. Right?
Vrell sucked in a sharp breath. What if her avid focus to close her mind to the knights had blocked out Mother? That seemed a logical answer to Mother’s lack of communication. There had to be a way to connect with one person and block out the rest, but Vrell had no idea how. Dare she risk asking Jax?
When they had finished eating, Jax ordered Vrell and Khai to ready the horses. Vrell obeyed, though she was so tired she was certain she would fall asleep in the saddle. Jax wanted to sleep during the day, though, so she obeyed without complaint.
They rode over the same barren desert plains until the sun brought sweat to her brow. Vrell was so tired she hardly remembered the day’s journey. Jax stopped where a juniper tree and some chaparral bushes clustered together. Vrell tied up Nickel where Khai tethered the others. Jax took all three horses’ blankets and draped them over the vegetation to make a shady place.
Jax unfastened his bedroll from his pack and tossed it in the shaded spot. He looked to Vrell. “You have no bedroll?”
Vrell paled. She had not considered sleeping arrangements. How foolish. Someone else always took care of such things when she traveled. “No, sir.”
“Well,” Jax said, “the grass is rough, but at least it’s not rocky.”
Sleep on the ground? Vrell looked at her horse, blinking away tears. Of course the men would not give up their beds for a stray. Maybe if she made her rank and gender known?
She pressed her lips together and found them dry. Her mind weighed the consequences of revealing her identity. If she did, Jax or Khai would likely offer her a bed. She could sleep soundly. The knights would behave in her presence and return her to Walden’s Watch. She was not certain of Lord Orthrop’s political views, but there was at least a chance he would not turn her in.
On the other side, if Prince Gidon had offered a bounty for whoever located his intended, the knights might know of it. In that case, one of them might give up his bed to see her comfortable tonight, but in the morning they would escort her to Mahanaim, where she would be forced to marry the pig.
Or they might attack her.
She would keep silent and be thankful to sleep on the ground. The grass would be heavenly compared to a lifetime of sleeping on a featherbed next to a cockatrice. She suddenly realized why she disliked Khai Mageia so—he reminded her of the prince.
Vrell found a flat patch of earth a few yards from Jax and stomped the dead grass stalks flat. She got down on her knees and brushed away the broken blades and bits of sagebrush until she had a clear place to sleep. When she was satisfied, she glanced at the men. Jax had lain down. Khai was digging in his pack, his longsword stretched out behind him like a third leg. She strode away from the camp. She found a place where some chaparral obscured her view enough that the men would not see her use her latest privy.
When she returned to the shelter, Khai’s bedroll lay in the spot she had cleared to sleep in. She gasped. “What is the meaning—” She stopped herself before she spoke above her station.
One side of Khai’s mouth curved into a grin. “I thank you for clearing a place for me, boy. Saved me some work. About time you made yourself useful.”
Vrell seethed. Clearly that had not been a place for Khai. He had seen her clear it when Jax had told her the grass was softer than… Oh, why bother to think on it? The man had done it on purpose, and she would not let him see her anger. She turned her nose in the air and started trampling a new spot on the other side of Jax.
Then she realized a boy—especially a stray boy—would probably not put his nose in the air, so she slouched down and stuffed her hands in her pockets. Yes. Much more like a sulking boy.
She lay down in her earthen bed and curled into a ball on her side. The bitter chaparral smell filled her nostrils. She watched Khai pour red powder into a small, wooden bowl. He added a drop of water from his water skin and stirred it with a stick. What was he doing?
* * *
A sharp kick in the side woke her. A dark form loomed above.
She cringed as Khai sneered, “Up, sloth!” Then he mumbled, “What Master Hadar sees in you is a mystery.”
Vrell blinked wildly and scrambled back to avoid another kick. The sharp, dead grass scratched her palms. It was dark. Jax already sat atop his festrier and held the torch high. He held the reins to Vrell’s horse in his other hand. Nickel was already saddled and ready to go. Vrell sat up. Her body ached from so much riding yesterday and from sleeping on the hard ground.
She yawned and mounted her horse. She took a drink from her water skin, only to find it nearly empty. It had probably been unwise to use it for washing. What would she do if she ran out of water? Khai’s courser carried two jugs for the horses, but she had no desire to have her fingers broken.
Vrell’s eyelids were heavy in the darkness. She was thankful she did not have to walk. Occasionally she remembered to worry about slouching in her saddle like a boy, but she was too tired to keep up the concern. They rode for hours with only the clomping of hooves and the crickets’ song for company. Soon the darkness faded and the endless savanna lit up with the dull, grey dawn.
The air was cool, for now, and Vrell took a long cleansing breath. Her surroundings looked no better today than yesterday, however. Sagebrush and chaparral. A few juniper trees squatting here and there. But no streams, no ocean, no vibrant colors. With each step her horse took, the sun rose higher, the sky turned bluer, and Vrell grew more and more thirsty.
By Darkness Hid Page 8