Silence enveloped the house. Reia’s heart faltered as she pictured Teven’s utterly still features.
Don’t think about it!
She swallowed to suppress a sob.
“Heskrin,” hissed a female voice. “That’s bad. Very bad. We should leave, Adnir.”
The leader ordered his people out.
“That’s the sixth case, boss,” the young man said. “I thought that plan was scrapped.”
“It was.”
Reia missed the rest of the conversation, but the information she had heard didn’t sit well. It fit with the McNoughtens’ plight and the notion of more families needing the Amrita Tears, but so many questions remained.
Once certain the RT Alliance people had truly gone, Reia allowed Terosh to help her rise, and they entered the common room. Their shaken hosts were locked in an embrace.
“We’re leaving,” Terosh announced.
Kira opened her mouth to protest.
“We will not endanger you any longer,” Reia added.
“At least stay the night,” Semon insisted. He released his wife and spread his arms, shifting his weight like he’d physically block the door if necessary. “Give them time to get to the next farm. You’re both poorly equipped for a fight right now. Tomorrow, you can set out whenever you like.”
Sensing the query in Terosh’s gaze, Reia shrugged.
The prince tipped his head in a respectful bow.
“Your offer of hospitality is much appreciated, Master McNoughten. We accept.”
“You talk funny,” a girl called from the hallway leading to the other bedrooms.
“She’s got you there,” Reia teased. “Must come from being a prince.”
“Arel! Mind your manners,” Kira scolded.
The girl entered the room looking sleepy but healthy. She shook herself as if suddenly registering the presence of strangers. Her gaze flitted over Terosh and fixed on Reia. A hundred questions lay behind her deep blue eyes.
“Is he really a prince? Is he yours? Can I have a prince?”
“Arel, these are our guests. Behave,” said Kira.
“It’s all right,” said Terosh.
Reia’s tension melted. She avoided looking at Prince Terosh as a flush warmed her. She covered the two steps to the child and knelt beside her. Taking the child’s hand, she turned the girl so they both looked at Terosh.
“Yes, Arel, he’s a real prince. He’s not mine, but he’s real.”
“Why is he not yours? You’re pretty!” said Arel.
“That’s enough,” said Semon.
“But he’s a prince, Daddy! Every prince needs a princess!” declared the child.
Picking up Arel’s other hand, Reia regained the child’s attention.
“I’m glad you think I could be a princess, Arel, but I’m a Ranger.”
“Can’t you be both?” asked Arel.
No answers came. The adults silently willed each other to answer.
“What do princes do, Arel?” Terosh asked at last.
“Rescue princesses from dragons, zaloks, korvers, and bad men,” replied the child.
“And who rescues the princes?” Terosh challenged.
“Ohhhhhh,” said Arel. “Rangers!”
“That’s right.” Terosh winked at Reia.
She couldn’t understand the flood of emotions the exchange released. A rush of warmth lifted her spirits even as a sense of longing and loss enveloped her.
THAT NIGHT, THE GIRL’S question kept Terosh from sleeping. It didn’t take much twisting to turn the question into: Is she yours? The obvious answer was no, but that begged a different question.
Why isn’t she yours?
Every prince needs a princess, the anotechs said, replicating Arel’s voice and inflection.
She’s not a princess.
Does it matter?
Father would say it does.
Since when have you listened to Father?
Terosh couldn’t tell if the thought came from the anotechs or not, but it didn’t matter. He knew Reia was everything a princess should be and more.
How can I get her to love me?
She already does.
Chapter 27:
Coridian Assassins
ZERI (JUNE) 17, 1538
106 days into Prince Terosh’s Kireshana journey
Temporary Campsite, Kireshana Path, Kesler Plains
After a good night’s rest, a few hearty meals, and some charming conversations with the young McNoughtens, Reia and Terosh packed their belongings, strapped on their weapons, and continued the Kireshana.
After walking through the Kesler Plains much of the morning, they stopped for a midday meal. Kira McNoughten had sent them away with fresh bread, corncakes, rielberry and blueberry jam, and a small jug of appola juice. It didn’t take them long to eat, but they stayed by the stream for a while afterward. As Reia prepared to suggest they move on, she sensed someone watching them.
Half a second later, Terosh grew still and reached for his kerlinblade.
“Ho there!” called a friendly voice in a clipped Terabian accent.
Reia found the accent charming but dangerous. Located northwest of the Felmon Desert, the former prison colony of Terab had birthed a strong, fierce people. Looking left, she spotted the dark-skinned young man in a black uniform. He stood straight and proud about twenty meters away. His teeth gleamed white, rivaling the kamad dagger he held in his left hand. Reia couldn’t recall where the dagger had gotten its name, but she recognized the thin, silver weapon.
“Coridian Assassin.” Terosh tightened his grip on his kerlinblade.
Reia reached for her banistick.
“Wait. He can’t harm you if you don’t draw on him,” said Terosh.
“Says who?” Reia demanded.
“The rules, ma’am,” the assassin said.
“What does—” Reia began.
“I am called Dryse, ma’am. A Coridian Assassin candidate may challenge Royal Guard or Melian Maiden candidates. I may, of course, defend myself, but so long as you pose no threat to me, Ranger, I pose none to you.”
A flush crept over Reia’s cheeks.
“If you th—”
“I do not presume, ma’am,” he interrupted again. “I only request that you allow me to finish my business.” Dryse’s voice dripped with cultured politeness. He now stood only ten meters away. “I must challenge three derringers, and I choose the prince as my third. There shall be no death today, only a fair contest, and the winner walks away with honor.”
Something sharp bit Reia’s neck. Ice water replaced her blood. Her vision clouded. The sensation of lightning soaring through her bloodstream wreaked havoc on her nerves, causing her to stagger. Though she had only felt this once before, she remembered it well from her dreams. Whipping her hand up to touch the wound, she felt a tiny drop of blood.
Criessa dart!
Master Niklos had said some attackers would carry the darts. They hold only a small dose of criessa and disintegrate after delivering their payload, but they can still knock a person out for hours.
Find it. Destroy it, Reia ordered the anotechs.
We will do this.
Luckily, previous exposure weakened the criessa’s effect. Master Kolknir had insisted the Ranger apprentices experience a wide variety of poisons and sedatives. Criessa had been the first thing given to Reia. She shivered. The darkness, cold, terror, and pain flooded back in numbing waves, but she fought the memories. Lucas had insisted on dosing her, though it was only his fourth day as Kolknir’s assistant.
Lucas isn’t here.
Reia had refused to talk to anyone but Kiata for a week after the experience.
Kiata isn’t here.
When Master Niklos discovered the cruel lesson, he had almost strangled Kolknir.
Only you are here.
Found it.
As soon as the anotechs destroyed the criessa, Reia drew her banistick.
TEROSH STUDIED THE lean Coridian Assass
in as the man tried to reason with Reia. He wore his uniform well and appeared to be in his late teens or early twenties. His accent and manners indicated a wealthy family. Terosh wished he had paid more attention to Sedir’s lesson on Terabian nobles.
A faint hiss sounded near his left ear and something struck Reia. She recoiled, staggered, and swayed, but soon regained her balance and drew her banistick.
Reia!
Terosh’s kerlinblade blazed in his hands, opening to a medium-sized green band.
She’s okay. You’re not. Move!
Sensing danger from behind, Terosh dropped into a roll.
We help.
Terosh let the anotechs guide his blade, striking left, right, up, then left again. Four things hissed as they struck the pure energy. Another impulse of incoming danger—this time directed at Reia—threw Terosh into motion. He dove left to place his body between his friend and the danger, letting the anotechs guide his blade again.
Two more hisses; two more dangers gone.
Something metallic pinged off his kerlinblade.
Flinger!
By this time, Reia had her banistick open. A quick glance into her eyes sent relief soaring through Terosh. She slid the handle to the middle and twirled the banistick so that it formed a temporary shield. More hissing sounds said she had connected with three darts.
Terosh ducked two more darts. As he raised his blade to attack, the Coridian Assassin held out his left arm in a ceasing motion.
“You are a worthy opponent, my Prince.”
Two more assassins rose from hiding spots behind the man and approached.
“Anyone can divert flingers, but only a scion of House Minstel could consistently block criessa darts from three sources.” Dryse’s tone conveyed admiration. “And you are also a worthy opponent, Ranger. I have heard your kind can resist criessa, but now I have seen it. You may both continue the Kireshana in peace. Safe journey.”
The other two Coridian Assassins joined the first and all three bowed.
“Are you going to tell them?” asked one man in a low voice.
“Of course,” Dryse assured his companion. “Dulad Prince, Ranger, you may wish to investigate something.” Dryse pointed northeast. “You will find six bodies about a hundred and fifty meters that way, and two more a dozen meters beyond them. We buried them so korvers wouldn’t find them. You will have to dig if you wish to see them. Besides weapons, they carried only this.” He tossed something at Terosh who caught it. Without another word, the assassins sprinted away.
Terosh looked down at the coin in his hand. The silver token sparkled in the fading afternoon sunlight. The letters RT stood out on one side. He flipped the coin over to see the other side. A picture of a zalok and a man dominated the back. The man was being crushed by the zalok, but he had his sword thrust into the zalok’s soft underbelly. Grimly, Terosh tucked the coin into a pocket.
AS ADRENALINE FADED, Reia frowned after the departing Coridian Assassins. Tears threatened to fall, but she fought them, unwilling to surrender to the terror rising from her past.
It’s over. It’s over.
No matter how many times her mind chanted the phrase, part of her disbelieved it.
Terosh tentatively touched her arm.
“What’s wrong?”
She swallowed hard and cleared her throat.
“What’s on the coin?” Reia tried and failed to ask the question casually. “Should we check on the bodies the Coridian Assassins found?”
Terosh slowly withdrew his hand.
“Never mind that. We should start moving. It might settle our nerves. And no, I don’t think we need to see the bodies if they already buried them.”
Reia let the matter drop. She appreciated his effort, but it bothered her to need comfort.
You should be long over the criessa thing.
Only faint curiosity lingered concerning the coin. She pushed it aside. He would tell her in time if it was important.
They picked up their packs and started walking. The sky held a few clouds, but it didn’t look like it would rain. The plains boasted colorful fields of purple iras, orange and yellow copalas, and pink cadriks. Gradually, Reia’s muscles unclenched, and her stride evened out.
“Technically, the Coridian Assassins are a branch of the Royal Guard, but only King Rammon ever formally recognized them,” Terosh said, trying for a casual tone. Tension crept in anyway.
“Does that bother you?” Reia asked, knowing from his tone that it did.
“Rammon established them to hunt down his enemies.” Terosh paused to let her think about that.
Reia wanted to divert the conversation, for she could guess what he would say next.
“Their first duty was to execute Queen Haria, Prince Savad, Princess Itel, and Prince Vik. Princess Lystran escaped only because one Assassin couldn’t stomach the betrayal.”
“I’m sorry, Terosh.” Reia didn’t even realize she had neglected his title.
“No apology necessary. It’s a truth my family has to live with.”
Reia felt as if the prince had stepped three meters away and built a wall between them. She fell silent rather than risk deepening either of their wounds.
Chapter 28:
Shattered Peace
ZERI (JUNE) 23, 1538
112 days into Prince Terosh’s Kireshana journey
Kireshana Path, Kesler Plains
Travel went smoothly for almost a full week. Reia used the time to teach Prince Terosh dozens of Ranger skills. Her lessons included how to use a shootav, catch wallays, trick tretlings into following one out of danger, and find underwater streams. In addition, she covered how to spear freshwater koomies with a banistick, turn shed winol skin into inoli powder, use the stimulant to bolster one’s immune system, and skywatch for storms. By the end, the prince could track okapis, antelope, sinabis, cootras, hiktanis, and morookas. He confessed to liking tracking morookas best because the little creatures were not generous with clues and changed directions often. He could also recognize and imitate quava, colana, sweswi, kyrie, and kamria calls. In return, the prince taught Reia how to dance to “Leparnisu.”
As a part of his marriage proposal on Temen (July) 4, 1140, Prince Olin Minstel told Jaivia Elikrie that she was his world. Later, a harpist named Valin Tamron wrote the song for a play based on their courtship.
If you wish to kill me, walk away swiftly,
For my whole world is you.
The fire in every star
Cannot compare to you.
The light of life shines so bright
The rocks near come to life.
Don’t you know? The world is you!
If you wish to kill me, walk away swiftly,
For my whole world is you.
See and hear the angels sing
They will tell you sweetly
All the gods bound to good
Are manifest in you.
Don’t you know? The world is you!
If you wish to kill me, walk away swiftly,
For my whole world is you.
I could be blind and deaf
Yet still feel your goodness.
You haunt my dreams and my heart.
Please tell me we’ll never part.
Don’t you know? The world is you!
Prince Terosh also explained some court rituals, past and present. One required the sprinkling of dirt from one’s home city in front of the throne. Another demanded people touch their face to the floor seven times before speaking. The seven bows were for the three moon gods, the king, the queen, the palace, and Reshner. One ordered courtiers to present their wrists to the sovereign every time they made a request. Sovereign usually meant King Rammon who had developed a nasty sense of humor after using Dark Ones to prolong his reign.
Everything was peaceful as they lay down to sleep on the night of Zeri 22, 1538.
That didn’t last.
Wake! Wake! Wake!
The anotechs’ insistent cry prompted Reia to ro
ll off her bedroll and open her banistick. A two-meter-long, meter-high, gray-black blur landed where she had just vacated and tore into her caydronan sack, which had been her pillow. Reia swung hard. The blow hardly phased the giant korver, but the return force propelled her to her feet. She spun with the momentum until she faced the beast again.
The korver snarled, showing Reia a fine set of fangs flanked by a row of gleaming white teeth.
“Konjah, Ademos, contain! Melini, Kenos contain!”
Reia couldn’t see the man, but she spotted another overgrown korver stalking close. The beast’s slender snout told Reia it was female, but the teeth seemed about the same size and the snarl sounded no friendlier than the male. The beasts held their positions, crouching low.
Big puppy, bad puppy, cried the anotechs.
Yes, I have eyes, thank you!
Poke the eye and death defy, added the anotechs.
Reia grunted at the anotechs but considered their advice. She didn’t dare take her eyes off the korver in front of her but needed to find Terosh and see if he was okay.
“Terosh?” she called.
“I’m here.”
The tension in his response told Reia his situation probably mirrored hers. She wondered if she could reach her shootav in time. She would have less than a second to shoot and couldn’t be certain the dose of cormea and radon would be enough.
“We’d prefer to take you alive as those are our orders,” said a polite male voice.
“Alive would be nice,” Reia muttered.
“What about—”
“Don’t you dare go noble on me,” Reia snapped, interrupting the prince.
“My masters have an offer for the prince,” the man said.
“Good to know,” Reia said. “But I don’t believe you.”
“There’s also a job for you, Ranger, if you’ll take it. My masters have already hired several Rangers like my friend here.”
The announcement shocked Reia. She glanced toward the voice and then in the direction the silhouette pointed. A cloaked, silent figure stood with crossed arms, watching the scene unfold.
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