“What?” Will asked, bewildered.
“Inanimus. That’s how it attacks the body.” Rockwood grunted, staggering as the Ranger slid into his side. “Blimey, looks a lot leaner than that when he’s standing on his own feet.”
“We’ll discuss you being outside the walls later,” Ross growled at Will, reaching to grip one of the Ranger’s arms and heaving it over his shoulder. “As for now, you help the Kelkor squires get their horses dealt with. Rowan and Colin are already in the barn with the Princess’s horse.”
“Princess?” Will asked. But the two knights ignored him, heaving the Ranger over the drawbridge. He inhaled sharply, fighting the frustration that was rising with panic in his chest. Was anyone going to explain what was happening?
“Kalia,” Niet muttered, swinging from the saddle of his golden horse and reaching to take the reins of the Ranger’s horse from Will. “She is Princess of Kelkor.”
“What?” Will stared at the other squire in utter disbelief. “She’s a Princess? Like the King’s daughter.”
“I mean, yes?” Niet said cautiously, giving Will a sidelong look. “I would expect that is what most people mean by Princess. What is going on here? Were you not expecting our arrival?”
“No.” Will shook his head. “I haven’t heard any of this.”
Niet nodded slowly. “Interesting. I would have expected that the Ranger’s mission to come to Kelkor for the Princess was common knowledge.”
“That’s where he’s been?”
“I need to tend my horse,” Niet cut across Will’s question. “We perhaps can talk then?”
“Right.” Will pulled on Admere’s reins and led Niet across the bridge. In the courtyard there was more movement than even on the walls. Will saw Miller barking orders to soldiers saddling horses; Henry, his foot in a heavy bandage, was limping up the steps to the wall; and Richard was herding a group of gawking squires back toward the path that led behind the castle, toward the jousting arena.
With a low whistle, Niet turned on the spot, craning to look up at the walls and towers around them, seeming not to notice the chaos their arrival had sparked. “This is Alamore then.”
“Yeah, pretty impressive when you first see it,” Will admitted, turning left, toward the towering barn.
Inside the barn the world was strangely calm after the melee of the courtyard beyond. The only people in the barn were Rowan, Colin, and the younger girl, all three of them working to unsaddle the three Kelkorian horses that had arrived first.
“Will!” Colin dropped the girth he’d been unfastening, straightening as Niet and Will entered the barn. “Where have you been?”
“Training with Serena,” Will said dryly. He noticed Rowan start and exchange a panicked look with Colin. “Nothing to worry about, just working outside the walls a bit when they all arrived.” Will jerked his head to gesture to Niet at his side. “Rowan, Colin, this is Serena’s squire, Niet.”
Niet inclined his head politely then nodded to where the small girl was unsaddling the large grey horse. “I take it you have met Eldin.”
“Yes, we have. She’s making me remember that your country probably has to be one of the scariest places to fight.” Rowan scowled. “Girls look all small and innocent, but I saw her handle that horse when it spooked. Even a half ton animal finds a girl intimidating.”
“That’s because the horse has a brain,” Niet said, chuckling.
Will relaxed slightly. Niet didn’t seem as aggressive as Serena but as he turned to unsaddle Admere, he felt eyes following him. Glancing over his shoulder he noticed that the small girl, Eldin, was frowning, watching him. Catching his eye, she turned away quickly but not before Will had time to wonder if she perhaps knew more than she was letting on. If someone could tell me what’s happening, that would be brilliant. I hate being in the dark like this.
He didn’t speak as he groomed Admere down. Instead, he listened as Colin asked Niet a thousand questions about Kelkor–the difference in the castle layout, the difference in the breeds of horses they rode, what it was like to defend a castle by the ocean rather than one surrounded by land. Niet answered all of them and fired back his own questions about Alamore. He seemed particularly interested in their lack of knowledge that the Princess of Kelkor had been riding for Alamore.
“I would have imagined your King would announce the visit of a high ranking royal,” he mused as he set his saddle on the ground beside the door to the tack room.
“Well, as you saw when you were attacked,” Will said, breaking his silence at last, “it’s not exactly safe in Alamore.”
“Safer here than in Kelkor right now,” Eldin muttered darkly.
“What’s going on in Kelkor?” Rowan asked interestedly. “Pirates? You guys get pirates there?”
Niet’s face darkened and he gave a humorless laugh. “Pirates we’ve dealt with. What we’re dealing with there now is nothing like the invasions from the sea.”
“Is Shadow Dale pushing the border lands? We heard rumors about that over the winter when we sent word that we might need aid from Kelkor,” said Colin.
“That’s how it started,” Niet explained, unbuckling the lead of his palomino and urging the horse forward, toward one of the empty stalls awaiting the visiting animals. “But we’ve dealt with that for years. No, something’s changed in the last few months, a stirring in Kelkor itself. Fathers against sons, brothers and sisters at one another’s throats.”
“What?” Will nearly dropped the brush he was holding, gawking over Admere’s low back at Niet. “People are just attacking one another? Like your own country is attacking itself.”
“Yes,” Niet muttered, shutting the stall door. He ran a hand through his shaggy dark hair and sighed. “Kelkor is in a state of civil war.”
“But why haven’t we heard anything about this?” Rowan demanded. “Surely we need to send help, we need to do something. I’m sure that Revlan has a plan, that we can send soldiers or knights or-”
“This is exactly why none of you have heard this.”
They turned. Ross had returned, his face a mask of emotionless stone. He jerked his head at Niet and Eldin. “Lady Serena and Kalia request you two get to the castle and get fed. From what Kalia has said, the journey has pushed all of you hard. I’ll give a hand getting the rest of your horses dealt with.”
“Thank you, Sir,” Niet muttered. He and Eldin gave low bows, their right hands pressed to their left shoulders. Will noticed Rowan suppressing an evil grin at the unusual custom. Thankfully no one else seemed to notice and there was silence as the two squires left the barns.
“The Ranger?” Will asked as soon as Niet and Eldin had gone. “What’s happening with the Ranger? Is it Inanimus again? That girl, that Princess, she mentioned the riders were in grey. I bet it was The Cutthroat Prince and-”
Ross held up a hand, silencing him. “Listen,” Ross growled. “And don’t interrupt me. Yes, the attack was The Cutthroat Prince–we are almost sure of it. We’ve sent out a patrol to see if we can’t find them because this is far graver than just an attack. They had to have been on that path for a reason. The Ranger mapped out a trail to and from Kelkor that hasn’t been used in my lifetime, if ever before. They should have been invisible. From what Kalia says, however, the attack wasn’t prepared for four riders. They must have expected that the Ranger would be returning with Kalia and Kalia alone.
The Ranger must have realized what was happening a moment before they were struck. He managed to get himself between Serena’s squire and an arrow. Thankfully he managed to turn to avoid the brunt force of the arrow through his chest and it instead got him in the leg. But it was poisoned, just like the blade that was used on Visra. The healer is tending to him now but has asked everyone to stay out of the healing chamber a while.”
“Is he going to live?”
Ross gave him a silencing look. “Right now, he needs the healer, Will. The larger concern is how the attack happened, how they had that information.”
“Yeah, which I’m a little bit sour about,” Rowan grumbled, crossing his arms.
“That was kept silent by intention, but it seems we truly do have at least one spy in Alamore. How they found out the direct route that Kalia was taking is still unknown– the only people who knew were the senior knights, the King, the Ranger, and Serena herself, of course,” Ross growled. “Serena arrived to tell us that Kelkor was falling into civil war, that they were losing alliances within their own land and would need to bring Kalia to safety in order to avoid a hostage situation. That’s where the Ranger was sent.”
“Why didn’t they send Kalia with Serena then?” Will asked, bewildered.
“Because when Serena left Kelvane–that’s the city where the Kelkor castle resides–when she left there, things did not seem as dire as they were. Serena was attacked in the mountain border trail. The injury to her arm was also inflicted by a weapon with Inanimus. Thankfully, that dosage was low and she has enough sense that she was able to treat herself. But enough of Kelkor, that’s not what I’m concerned with.” His blue eyes swiveled to glower down at Will. “What I wanted to talk to you about is your reckless behavior in leaving the walls.”
“What?” Will raised his eyebrows, taken aback. “Are you telling me I’m not to leave Alamore again or-”
“I’m not saying that,” Ross cut across him, drawing himself to his full and considerable height. “But I am saying that we are in times of uncertainty and after the two attacks you have managed to somehow escape from, I’d have thought you smart enough to stay in the walls. You should know that they are after you, Will. These Cutthroats, Tollien, Marl, they are after you just as much as they were after Kalia.”
“I was training with Serena,” Will protested. “How was I supposed to avoid leaving without making a big deal of my blood?”
“You think she hasn’t already deduced that?” Ross snapped. “She was testing you.”
“And I was supposed to just argue with her? If she knows who I am then she shouldn’t be dragging me out of the walls!”
The injustice of it all was making him bold and he glowered back into Ross’s hard features. “If you want to bring it up with anyone, it should be her.”
“I’ll bring it up with her and Haru both,” Ross snarled. Will took a half step back, surprised at the rage that crossed the knight’s features. “She doesn’t trust you, Will. She doesn’t trust you because of what you are and there are others that, if they knew, would be on her side. Especially right now, with what Marl is-” He stopped himself and Will could see the knight was regretting what he’d nearly said.
“Marl is what?” Will asked slowly. “What’s Marl doing?”
“It’s not your concern right now,” Ross growled. “No, your concern, the only concern for the three of you, is training to become knights and not getting killed in the process. Colin, Rowan, don’t let him out of your sight and don’t do anything stupid. I haven’t the time to keep the three of you alive.”
With that the knight wheeled round and stalked from the barn, leaving the three squires in an uncomfortable silence.
“Well,” Rowan said after an awkward moment. “I don’t think he’s a really happy camper right now. We should probably have offered him a hug or some sweets. Colin, he’s your knight…”
“I don’t really care to be brutally murdered today, Rowan,” Colin said waspishly. Then he sighed, shaking his head. “He’s right though, we’ve been reckless. We broke into Serena’s rooms when we thought she was a spy and nearly got Will and I killed.”
“I nearly got killed making a diversion,” Rowan added. “You didn’t see Laster with mashed carrot all over his stupid face!”
Colin ignored him, leveling Will with a stern green gaze. “We can’t keep trying to figure out this for ourselves. For all we know Serena is a spy and she might have tried to kill you today.”
Will shook his head. “She’s not a spy.”
“What makes you say that?” Rowan asked.
“She knows it was us, or at least suspects it was, who were in her rooms.” Colin inhaled sharply but Will continued as if he hadn’t noticed. “She told me that I needed to be more alert of my surroundings and that I wasn’t right to trust the Ranger.” Will frowned, struggling to remember all the knight had said. It was a blur; the conversation had been so unimportant when he’d seen the Ranger. “She told me that I needed to see when people were working for the King versus their own self-interest, that she didn’t believe that the Ranger had changed…but changed from what?”
He looked up to see his friends seemed as confused as he did. After a moment Colin shook his head, running a hand through his hair. “Not sure. But this means we risked our necks going after the wrong person. Ross is right, Will. We’ve been reckless, trying to take this into our hands instead of leaving it for the knights.”
“Yeah, but it’s hard to leave it for the knights,” Rowan said darkly. His unfocused gaze shifted to the door and his brow furrowed in thought. “Really hard to leave it to the knights when it seems one of our own knights might really be this spy after all.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
All Will could think about was the chance to see the Ranger. He’d hoped that night he’d be permitted but, after scarfing down his dinner, barely joining in the conversation of the other squires with Niet and Eldin, he’d raced to the steps only to be met by Ross, waiting for him.
“I said he needs time, Will,” Ross growled warningly, stepping to bar his way.
“Is he not conscious yet then?” Will asked, not quite managing to keep the dread from his voice
The knight shook his head, dark eyes unreadable. “He’s awake but he’s not quite aware of his surroundings. The healer fears that questioning him now will cause him to panic. The toxin is still working through his body.” Ross must have seen Will’s face fall because the corners of his lips twitched into the ghost of a grave smile. “The Ranger isn’t weak, Will. Even the healer thinks he’ll be ready to meet with the council by tomorrow night.”
“Then I can come back then?” Will asked hopefully.
The knight shook his head again. “I said the council and last I checked, you’re still a squire. You’ll have your chance to see him, Will. You can speak with him after he’s well enough to fill us in on what’s happening in Kelkor.”
“Why not ask the others who just arrived?” Will demanded hotly. “They can answer that? Come on! I want to see the Ranger…Sir,” he added quickly when Ross’s glower hardened.
“The Princess and her squire guard aren’t in a position to know fully what happened either. The Ranger will have more information than they will. Now, get out of here before I lose my temper and set you to something useful.”
Will slunk back to the squire chambers in a poor mood. There he explained his conversation with Ross to Rowan and Colin in a low whisper.
Rowan groaned, throwing Colin a scathing look. “Your knight is a real piece of work.”
“He doesn’t want us involving ourselves in any of this,” Colin replied snippily. “Besides, I thought we just agreed we’d be best off not trying to find trouble.”
“You said that,” Rowan stated, rolling his eyes and sinking onto the foot of his own bed. “I never promised anything.”
“Rowan,” Colin said firmly. “We can’t go encouraging Will to find trouble.”
“I’m not looking to find trouble!” Will grumbled, turning away to hide his annoyance as he set his dagger on his side table. “I want answers.”
“I know you do, but it sounds like Ross doesn’t think anyone but the Ranger has those answers,” Colin’s voice softened sympathetically. “And I bet we’re not the only ones tired of being left in the dark. Think about the two squires from Kelkor, and about the Princess. If no one’s given them answers, I’m sure they want to know what’s happening in Kelkor too.”
Will stif
fened. He glanced toward Rowan and saw his own idea reflected on his friend’s face. He gave the smallest shake of his head, signaling Rowan to keep his mouth shut. Then, forcing his voice to remain even and casual, asked. “Speaking of those squires, are they staying in here or not?”
“Of course not.” It was Airagon, passing Will’s bed, who answered. He paused, grinning roguishly. “They’re up on the second floor, aren’t they? In Alamore or not, they were still sent as the Princess’s guard. Plus, they’re guests, not Alamore squires. They get their own rooms.”
“Lucky dogs,” Novin moaned from his bed several yards away, planting a pillow over his face. “If I had my own room, I might get some sleep because I wouldn’t have to wait for everyone else to shut up.”
“Oh? You want me to shut up?” Rowan asked, an evil gleam lighting his eyes. He bounded off of his bed, springing to Novin’s side. “I can do you one better. I can sing you off to sleep with the song of my people.”
“I swear, Rowan, you sing one note,” Novin warned, yanking the pillow from his own head and launching it at Rowan’s face.
That was a mistake. Rowan caught the pillow and sprang out of reach, gasping in a breath and belting out at the top of his lungs. “Egghead sleep, and egghead dream, egghead do egghead things!”
Will couldn’t help but fall onto his bed laughing until his stomach hurt as Novin launched himself from his bed with a roar of fury and chased Rowan around the room. Soon Gabe and Jerram had joined in the fun, adding their own refrains to Rowan’s song. There were tears of mirth rolling down Will’s face and his chest ached with laughter before Rockwood and Miller appeared, Rockwood grabbing Rowan out of the air as he leapt off a bed, and Miller seized Gabe.
“Alright, that’s enough!” Miller said, fighting to keep his own face stern. “Bed, all of you.”
Rockwood, who hadn’t bothered with disapproval, put Rowan in a headlock and cuffed him in the back of the head. “You are the best of the pest,” he announced, before pushing Rowan toward his bed. “Okay, lights out and get some sleep, for the love of Alamore, or we’ll send in Ross and Laster. They won’t be as fun as us.”
The Cutthroat Prince (William of Alamore Series Book 2) Page 18