Major Granvil chatted with me, asking about the jacks’ odds and how the morning practice had gone. I answered his questions but kept track of Noelle. This could be my chance to talk to her. She found a rock to sit on. Pulling a square of paper from her pants pocket, she unfolded and stared at it.
“Excuse me, Sergeant,” the major said as one of his lieutenants arrived with a message.
I left them as they talked in hushed tones. Hoping to appear casual, I approached Noelle.
She didn’t even glance up when she said, “Shouldn’t you be in the woods, Sergeant?”
“Not yet. But when I do go, that’s when you should fetch the general.” I recognized my handwriting. She was reading my letter! And from the creases, it wasn’t the first time. Fear and sadness gripped my throat, making it hard to breathe.
She sighed dramatically. “Can I help you with something?”
I pointed to the paper. “Bad news?”
Noelle folded it so I couldn’t see the words. “It’s none of—”
“My business,” I finished for her. “You’re right. I suppose you already talked it over with a friend. Or does the general keep you too busy to make friends?”
“I’ve a very important job, Sergeant. It’s an honor to be her page. This—” she waved the letter “—is all in the past. It means nothing to me now.”
Yet she tucked it back into her pocket, and I caught a glimpse of a silver chain around her neck when she stood. She wore my necklace. The hands pendant our older brother, Criss, had given me before I’d left for my apprenticeship. I had put it in the envelope with the letter.
Hope. Real hope that I might get my sister back spread through me like a healing balm.
* * *
As Noelle went to find Jael, I entered into the “war zone.” All was quiet. I settled in to wait. Sure enough, I heard the minute off notes to the west. The jumping jacks were traveling northeast, probably hoping to get in behind Ryne’s team. I concentrated, but the monkeys couldn’t hide from me. To the east, I picked up Loren and Quain’s progress. Ryne’s passage sounds weren’t as familiar. We’d only traveled together once, and I’d been sick with the plague at the time, so my memory was more than a little fuzzy.
Belen, though... Why couldn’t I hear Poppa Bear? Perhaps he had stopped. I wished I had Kerrick’s forest magic right now. Then I would know everyone’s exact position. I touched a leaf, seeking the tingle of his magic even though I knew he was in the north. Nothing, as expected. I breathed in the earthy smell of living green—his scent—to console myself.
A few off notes and sour sounds meant the two teams were drawing closer to each other. But still no Belen. He had been out on patrols these past four months. Perhaps he had improved.
I moved so I could observe the almost silent action. A muffled pip sounded behind me before two large hands grasped my shoulders. I clamped down on my squeak of surprise. I’d found Belen. Or rather, he had found me.
He turned me to face him. I braced for...I had no idea. He stared at me for a heartbeat, then crushed me in a rib-breaking hug for so long I thought I would faint from lack of air.
Easing his embrace, he still didn’t let go. “You have a lot of explaining to do,” he whispered.
“I know. What are you doing out here? It’s against the rules.”
“Tell that to the other team. One of theirs has broken away from the main group and I was following him.”
Alarmed, I asked, “Which one?”
“Sergeant Ursan.”
“Where is he now?”
“Don’t know. When I heard you, my priorities shifted.”
“Heard me?”
“You can change your hair, your appearance and your voice, but you can’t change how you move through the forest. You still sound the same.” He smiled. “I didn’t believe it when Prince Ryne told me you’d died. And I suspected earlier today, but this confirmed it. Does Kerrick know? Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
“Yes, Kerrick knows. I’ll tell you everything later. First we need to find Ursan. He’s been acting...strange.”
We listened. Our conversation had drawn the jacks south toward us with the monkeys close behind. Ryne? I mouthed to Belen.
He used two fingers on his left hand to indicate the monkeys and his right index finger to mark Ryne. Close enough to be within the rules, but too far for my comfort level.
When the forest exploded with the sounds of people running through the bushes, I exchanged an alarmed glance with Belen.
“Part of the exercise?” he asked.
“No.”
“Another squad training?”
“No.” My mind raced. And I put a few clues together. “It’s a distraction.”
“To help the jacks win?” Belen asked.
“No. Ryne. We have to protect him.”
He broke into a run, and I followed close behind. We needed to get to Ryne before Ursan assassinated him.
KERRICK
Kerrick sat behind his father’s immense desk, trying to make sense of the “deal” his idiot brother had made with Tohon. He glanced at General Zamiel, who refused to sit, and his Great-Aunt Yasmin, who had settled into an armchair with a blanket over her legs despite the heat.
“Tell me exactly what Izak promised Tohon,” he ordered the general.
“Izak could tell you himself, Kerry,” Great-Aunt Yasmin said with a note of disapproval in her voice. “I don’t know why you had him placed under house arrest.”
“It was for his protection,” he said, keeping his temper.
“I don’t under—”
“From me. So I don’t kill him. Understand now?” he asked her.
“Yes.” She adjusted the blanket and played with the tassels. “You shouldn’t fight with him, Kerry. He’s all the family you have left.”
He drew in a breath before replying, “I have you.”
“I don’t count. I have one foot and four toes in the grave.”
“You’ve been saying that since I was seven. You’re going to outlive us all.”
“Only if you keep running off and fighting—”
“Do you know what Tohon’s been doing while I’ve been away? What he has created?” he asked, keeping his voice even.
“She doesn’t, but Izak does,” General Zamiel said. “That’s why he made that deal and why I supported his decision.”
Kerrick met the general’s gaze. The man had been his father’s right-hand man since he could remember. His short black hair had turned white, and wrinkles etched his face. But he still radiated a powerful confidence, and his sword hung within easy reach. Zamiel had taught Kerrick how to fight. And even though he had lost the last two fingers on his right hand in battle, Zamiel was near impossible to beat. Or he had been. Kerrick wondered who would win if they fought now.
“Which is why I need to know everything that happened,” Kerrick said. “Great-Aunt Yasmin, perhaps you’d rather—”
“I’m not moving. I’m old, not frail.” She glared at the general. “I can’t help your brother if I don’t know what’s going on.”
He took another moment to settle his temper before he said or did something he’d regret. Kerrick had impressed his great-aunt by not throttling his brother when he heard the news about Tohon, but there was still time to disappoint her.
“All right, stay,” he said to her. “General, please start from the beginning. How did Tohon’s soldiers get past our sentries in the Nine Mountains?”
“Last summer his troops came barreling through the Orel Pass like an avalanche. The mindless intensity of the attack took us by surprise. Once we rallied, we discovered that nothing stopped them. Arrows and swords had no effect.”
“Decapitation does,” Kerrick said.
“By the time we figured that out, most of my troops were beyond terrified. Frightened men and women make poor fighters.”
“Terrified of what?” Great-Aunt Yasmin asked.
Kerrick told her about Tohon’s dead s
oldiers.
She scowled. “You knew about them, and didn’t warn Izak?”
“I found out in the winter. Izak should have warned me.”
“And just how was he supposed to do that?” she asked. “We had no idea where you were for three years.”
She was right. So focused on finding a healer, he had neglected his family and duties.
“And the deal?” he asked the general.
“If our army swears allegiance to him and joins his forces, he’d leave the rest of us alone. It was the only way to save the realm. I planned to go with them, but Tohon wouldn’t take me.”
Kerrick considered. Tohon had needed more soldiers to fight Estrid, so he’d raided Alga, knowing Kerrick had left Izak in charge. But why hadn’t he left troops behind? Or taken Izak like he had Cellina? Because Tohon probably figured once he conquered the south, he could easily enter Alga under the guise of bringing back the stolen troops. And once he crossed the Nine Mountains, the rest of the northern realms would be his.
A good strategy, except the tribes had invaded. Instead of following Ryne to the south, Kerrick had come here and discovered Tohon’s plan. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the resources to do anything about it. All he could do was send a message to Ryne, warning him that Tohon had more troops than they’d estimated.
“Did Tohon sign an agreement?” Kerrick asked.
“No. Just gave us his word.”
Which meant nothing. “What exactly did he say?”
“That Alga Realm would remain safe as long as he was king of all the realms.”
“Did Izak acknowledge him as king?”
“Yes.”
Kerrick suppressed a curse. “Does Tohon know I didn’t abdicate?”
General Zamiel smiled. “No. We failed to mention that to him.”
“See?” Great-Aunt Yasmin tapped her temple. “Your brother did the best he could in a horrible situation. And he even gave you a way out. You owe him an apology.”
Kerrick wouldn’t go that far. “How many soldiers did we lose?”
“Fourteen hundred,” Zamiel said.
“That’s double what we had.”
“We combined with Gubkin Realm. Their survivors wouldn’t last another winter, so we welcomed them here, along with all the Algan survivors. We figured it was safer for everybody to live and work together in one town. It felt like the days before the plague. Laughter, music, babies being born. At least until Tohon arrived.”
“Is Gubkin deserted?” Kerrick asked.
“There are a few gangs still up there, but not enough of them to worry about.”
But that meant there was no one left for Kerrick to recruit to help him against the tribes. And with their army gone, Alga would be an easy target if the tribes got past Kerrick. If. With only four hundred soldiers, it was more likely when.
CHAPTER 7
Loud footfalls, panicked yells and curses filled the forest. The noise of the unexpected intruders covered any sounds that might have helped us find Prince Ryne. Belen headed in the direction of Ryne’s last known position. I stayed close, listening to the chaos around us.
“...over there...go left...”
“...two more. Move it!”
Someone crossed right behind us. I glanced back in time to see a person dive into the underbrush. His bright yellow jumpsuit clashed against the greenery. Yellow meant something...it took me a moment to make the connection. And then more flashes of yellow confirmed my suspicions. Estrid’s prisoners of war had escaped, and their guards were in noisy pursuit. I smelled smoke. Was the POW camp on fire? Breathing in deep, I detected the unmistakable aroma of burning wood.
Belen stopped. “He was here. Should I call out for him?”
“No. His response might tip off Ursan. Plus we don’t want the sergeant to know we’re on to him.” My mind raced. “Wouldn’t Quain and Loren stay with him?”
“Depends.”
Just then Loren and Quain appeared.
“What’s going on?” Loren asked Belen. “Where’s Ryne?”
“I’d hoped with you.”
“We lost him in the confusion. Guess Sergeant Irina’s men needed to cheat to win.” Quain scowled at me.
I ignored him. “Your prince’s been targeted for assassination. We need to find Ursan and stop him.”
“Where are they?” Quain asked, pulling his dagger.
“If we knew that, we wouldn’t be standing here,” Belen growled.
An idea clicked. “We’ll each take a compass point. Belen south, Quain north, Loren west, and I’ll take east. Watch the trees, Ursan likes to ambush from above.”
The monkeys glanced at Belen, clearly confused as to why I was giving the orders. I hadn’t seen a spark of recognition in their eyes, and I didn’t have time to educate them.
“Go,” he said, turning south.
Quain snapped his mouth shut. He’d have time later to ask questions. As I headed east, worry for Ryne grew. I should have guessed this earlier. After all, Jael had tried to kill me to stop me from healing Ryne. If we stopped Ursan, I planned to assign the monkeys as his permanent bodyguards.
The sounds of the fleeing POWs and guards quieted as the chase moved farther west. I concentrated. A slight rustle came from my right. Scanning the trees, I quickened my pace as another small shuffle sounded. Ryne.
I strained, listening for any movement from Ursan. Nothing. Again I glanced up, searching the lower branches.
Ryne turned in my direction when I drew close. Relief at finding him alive was immediately replaced with fear as Ursan dropped from the tree above the prince’s head.
“Watch out,” I yelled, pointing.
But Ryne was too slow to react. Ursan landed on him. I raced to them. Sitting on top of Ryne, Ursan held the blade of his knife against Ryne’s throat.
“Ursan, don’t do it,” I said.
“Don’t come any closer,” Ursan said to me, but he kept his gaze on Ryne.
Ryne peered back at him, looking rather calm for a man in his position.
I stopped and held my hands out. “Ursan, we’re on the same side.”
“Are we?”
“Yes, we are.”
“I have my orders,” he said.
Yet Ryne still breathed. “Those orders don’t make sense. And you know it. What about the prince’s army? When they find out you— Oh. You plan to blame the POWs. Right?”
No response.
“How do you plan on silencing me?” I asked. A few sour notes sounded to my right. I lowered my hands.
This time he met my gaze. “You’re a traitor.”
“Ah. And I’m an assassin, too. Clever.” More muted rustlings disturbed the quiet.
“You weren’t supposed to be here,” Ursan said.
“And you’re not going to kill Ryne,” I said.
“I have my orders.”
“Then what are you waiting for? Your jacks to arrive? Or for Ryne’s men?” I gestured to the surrounding forest. “You know someone’s coming.”
“If I slit his throat, can you heal him?” he asked.
Odd question. “It depends.”
“On what?”
“On how deep you cut, how fast he bleeds out and how quick I can get to him.” The sounds of movement grew louder. I counted at least two people heading toward us.
“If he was bleeding to death, would you heal him at the cost of your own life?”
“I already have, Ursan. I think you’ve figured that out by now.”
“Yeah.” He smiled and stood. “But I wanted you to admit it.” Ursan helped Ryne to his feet.
Ryne brushed dirt and leaves off his back and pants. He frowned at me. “We need to work on your negotiation skills. Generally you don’t goad the person holding the knife into hurrying.”
“You’re still alive. Besides, you weren’t helping,” I said.
“I was keeping out of it.”
“Uh-huh. You’re welcome.”
Ursan made a strangled sound. Belen
had wrapped his huge hands around the Sergeant’s thick neck. Belen’s improved silent skills impressed me yet again.
“Belen, that’s enough,” Ryne said when Ursan’s face paled.
He tossed Ursan to the ground with ease. The Sergeant gasped for breath and gaped at Belen. Probably no one had done that to Ursan before. Loren and Quain appeared from the forest with weapons drawn. They had been the two creeping up on us with more noise than usual for them. Probably to distract Ursan from Belen. Loren gave me a careful look.
“What are we going to do with him?” Belen asked Ryne.
“Nothing. He’ll report to Jael that he couldn’t get near me.”
“What if she orders another attack?” I asked.
“I’m going to have a little chat with Jael. I’ll let her know I’m on to her, and have taken steps to ensure Estrid is informed if anything should happen to me.”
“Is that wise?” Belen asked. “She can kill you from a distance. Or send someone else.”
“She doesn’t want Estrid to know what she’s been up to, so I’ll be safe for now.”
“Do you know what she is planning?” I asked.
“Not yet.”
“And what happens when she doesn’t care about Estrid anymore?” I asked.
“Hopefully, I’ll figure out her scheme first. Otherwise, I’ll be in big trouble.”
In that case, I suspected we all would.
“Loren and Quain, you need to stay with Ryne at all times,” I said.
“We don’t take orders from you, Sergeant,” Quain said. “Your man tried to assassinate—”
“He isn’t mine. My man has eyes that change color with the seasons.”
Loren laughed at Quain’s perplexed expression. “Oh, man, you’re not very observant, are you.”
“Wait,” Quain said. “Whose eyes change color?”
His question resulted in more laughter. Once again, Belen pulled me into a hug as Ryne and Loren beamed at me.
It took Quain another minute to put it all together. He grabbed my arms and yanked me from Belen’s embrace so we were face-to-face. “You’re alive! Does Kerrick know?” he demanded in anger.
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