by Resa Nelson
I spent most of the past year lounging in the Hall of Concubines. I’ve gone soft!
He sat on a boulder and gazed at the landscape surrounding the path he followed, which curved along the outermost edge of the mountain. The terrain rippled with peaks, and the highest ones were capped with snow. Fog hung between the peaks, and dark clouds formed a low ceiling above them.
The misty air chilled Njall, and he shivered. He thought about Frayka wandering through these mountains alone. He wondered if the same air had chilled her to the bone.
Why didn’t I try more often to escape the Hall of Concubines?
Njall knew the answer. He assumed Frayka had remained in Zangcheen. He thought Madam Po and TeaTree must be hard at work to free Frayka and then Njall. He assumed the Po family would be loyal to her because she shared a bloodline with them.
And maybe that had happened at first. Many months passed before Empress Ti told him she’d sent Frayka on a mission to kill a serpent dragon.
I would have known sooner if I’d let Empress Ti get close. If I’d given Ti what she wanted, she might have let down her guard. She might have confided in me. Or maybe the information would have slipped.
Njall shook that thought away. There was no guarantee he could have learned about Frayka’s whereabouts sooner by giving in to Empress Ti. He preferred to be loyal to Frayka, himself, and their marriage.
Frustrated to know his wife had gone missing and he could have tried to escape months ago if he’d known about it, Njall picked himself up and kept going.
During the next few days, Njall captured fish from streams and small game. Using the flint he carried in his pouch, he sparked small fires to cook each catch. Having no desire to bathe in the cold streams of water he encountered, Njall became covered with grime. The wind tangled and matted his long blond hair. His clothing reeked with his stench.
While hiking downhill by a stream one afternoon, Njall saw an old man fishing. The man held a fishing pole in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. Sitting on a rock, he sang to himself.
Njall called out and waved. “Hello!”
The old man looked back at him. The old man’s eyes widened with fear, and he teetered to his feet. He dropped the fishing pole and the wine. The old man took a few stumbling steps, but his wobbly feet gave way. When he fell to the ground, the old man cried out, “Don’t hurt me!”
Njall rushed down to aid the old man. He secured the fishing pole by standing it in the muddy ground before any catch could be lost. Njall offered a hand to help the man stand. “Why would I hurt you?”
The old man squinted and then spoke in a flustered tone. “I took you for one of them wild men everyone talks about!” He accepted Njall’s hand. But once he stood, the man wavered from side to side. “I thought maybe a stray one came down from the north.”
Confused, Njall said, “Wild men?”
The old man laughed, and his breath stank with alcohol. “From all I hear, they look just like you! Dirty and foul.” He peered closer. “Except for your yellow hair. They live like wolves, running around in packs and such.”
Njall wondered if the man only imagined that such men existed. Excited to meet a fellow mortal for the first time in days, Njall hoped Frayka might have met this same man in her travels. “I’m looking for a woman. She’s Far Eastern, but she’s tall like me. She would have travelled in these mountains several months ago.”
The old man eased back on his rocky perch and picked up his fishing pole from where Njall had stood it in the ground. “She’s how I gained the good favor of the empress.” He grinned with pride and cast the fishing line back into the stream.
Njall’s heart pounded with hope. “You saw her! Where is she?”
“The empress? I saw her in Zangcheen.” The old man smacked his lips. “I fished this same stream all my life and never believed the tales about a dragon god living in these parts. But I’m sure that’s who sent me to the empress.”
A dragon god! Maybe Frayka found him. Maybe she continues with her mission.
The thought saddened Njall.
She chose to search for the dragon gods instead of searching for me.
Njall reminded himself that if Frayka failed to convince all of the dragon gods to make amends with the Northlander gods that the consequence would be his death along with the deaths of Frayka and everyone who lived in the Land of Ice.
But that thought gave him little more than cold comfort. Njall considered leaving Frayka to her task and returning to the Land of Ice by himself.
What if she needs me? How can I abandon Frayka if she needs my help?
“The empress trusts me,” the old man boasted. He snickered.
Njall tried to get the man’s attention to return to Frayka. “But the tall Far Eastern woman you saw. Do you know where she is?”
The old man leaned forward and picked up the bottle he’d dropped. He raised it to his lips, satisfied to discover not all of the wine had spilled out. He took a swig and said, “Probably with her husband.”
“Husband?” Njall stared at the old man, speechless.
That’s impossible. Frayka isn’t with me. The old man must be confusing her with someone else.
Or maybe Frayka talked about me. Maybe she’s looking for me, and the old man doesn’t realize I’m her husband. Maybe he assumes she already found me.
The old man rambled. “Saw her when she came poking around. She tried to be stealthy, but I saw her!” He pointed down the hill. “I pretended to be done fishing and headed back home. The path took me out of her sight, but I double backed and watched her. She crossed the stream and headed to the place where they say you can find the Gate of Earth.”
The Gate of Earth! Frayka succeeded!
Hopeful that Frayka had found the dragon god of earth, Njall said, “Did she find it?”
The old man snickered again. “I dare say yes. The empress and her little boyfriend—they thought I didn’t understand. But I paid attention, yes, I did. And I pieced together the truth.”
Frustrated by the old man’s inability to stick to the subject, Njall forced himself to stay calm. “What truth?”
The old man gave Njall a coy glance. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
Losing patience, Njall stepped forward, clutched the old man’s clothing, and held him close. “Yes,” Njall said. Although he tried to keep his voice calm, Njall heard it tremble with anger. “I would like to know. I would like you to tell me right now.”
The cloudy expression in the old man’s eyes cleared as if he had suddenly become sober. “But I can’t. The empress swore me to secrecy.”
“You already broke that vow when you told me you saw the empress in Zangcheen,” Njall said. He released his grip and pushed the old man away. “Tell me what you know about the woman I seek.”
The truth spilled out of the old man’s mouth. “The dragon god sent me to Zangcheen with a message for Madam Po.” The old man paused and looked at Njall as if explaining a simple fact to a small child. “She belongs to the Po Dynasty.”
“I know who Madam Po is.”
The old man swallowed. “When I got to Zangcheen, I was told Madam Po had moved to the royal complex.”
That’s where she was! We were on the same grounds and never knew it.
The old man cleared his throat. “So, I went to the royal complex and asked for Madam Po, but Empress Ti wanted to see me. She wanted to see the message.” Tears filled his eyes. “The dragon god told me to give the message to Madam Po, but the empress said I was committing a crime by keeping important information from her. Empress Ti said she would convict me in court and punish me with the Death of 1000 Cuts.” He squeezed his eyes shut as if envisioning what that death would be like.
“Continue,” Njall said.
The old man opened his eyes, still watery with tears. “The empress said the dragon god is a good friend of hers and that he would want me to share the message with her. The dragon god said the message was only for family, but Empre
ss Ti said she’s part of the Po Dynasty, just like Madam Po. Empress Ti said they’re family. She told me to give her the message. She promised to deliver it to Madam Po.”
“What was the message?”
The old man looked all around as if fearful someone might overhear, even though they stood alone on the mountain. He whispered, “Madam Po’s great-granddaughter had a child.”
Njall felt as if the entire world froze. Empress Ti had told him the same thing, but he’d questioned whether she told the truth or made up lies to trifle with him.
What if Empress Ti had been telling the truth?
I’m a father? I have a child?
At first, Njall felt terror at the idea of being responsible for the life of a child. It felt like a greater task than he could bear.
But then his heart melted at the thought of having a young one to care for. He remembered the cottage his father and Frayka’s father had built for them in the Land of Ice. He imagined what it would be like to raise a family in that home, and that thought warmed his soul.
“They thought I didn’t know,” the old man said. “But I overheard them—the empress and her little boyfriend.”
Njall hesitated. Unease crept up on him, and part of him wanted to end the conversation with the old fool now and walk away. If the old man overheard Empress Ti, maybe he’d heard nothing more than her lies.
But what if he overheard Ti telling the truth?
Njall took one step to walk away but couldn’t take a second. How could he hope to find Frayka without getting more information?
Besides, a true Northlander like Njall never squirmed away from the truth. Only cowards acted that way, and Njall was no coward.
“What did you overhear?” Njall said. “What is it they thought you didn’t know?”
The old man stared at Njall as if the Northlander had missed the obvious. “I told you already. “It’s how I found out about her husband. The girl married the dragon god and had a monster baby with him.”
Njall felt as if he couldn’t breathe. It couldn’t be true. The world seemed to close in around him, making Njall feel as if he were trapped in a small room that kept getting smaller. “No,” he said. “That’s impossible.”
The old man sat down and mumbled. “The dragon god said the girl had a healthy baby, but it’s not what I heard the empress say. She called it a monster. But maybe a dragon god thinks a monster is a healthy baby.”
Although Njall heard the old man speak, nothing that he said registered. Njall found himself lost in thought.
What if it’s true? Did Frayka think I was dead? Is that why she married a dragon god?
Or did she do it because she had no other way to convince him to help her make amends with the Northlander gods?
Njall’s knees weakened and buckled, causing him to crumple on the ground.
For the better part of a year I rejected Empress Ti when she made advances. I did it because I love Frayka. But while I was faithful to Frayka, she climbed into the bed of a dragon god!
Angered and distressed, Njall clenched his fists and pounded them against the ground.
How could Frayka do that to me?
“I saw the girl later,” the old man said. “She carried the baby with her.”
“What?” Njall snapped out of his trance. “When did you see her? And where?”
“She never saw me,” the old man said. “I went to piss in the woods and saw her heading up your path when I came back.”
“My path?” Njall looked at the path he’d taken down the mountain and then pointed at it. “This one?”
The old man nodded.
Njall spoke his thoughts out loud. “Why would she go back up the mountain?”
“It’s the fastest way to the sea,” the old man said. “I wondered the same thing, and it’s the only thing that makes sense.”
Njall turned his full attention to the old man. “How so?”
The old man pointed at the peak above them. “Up there, if you head north, you’ll come to a place where you can see the ocean. Keep going, and there’s a path leading down to a village.”
“A fishing village?”
“Of course. It’s the easiest place to get from here. Otherwise, if you head south, you just go deeper into the mountains. It takes days to walk to the next village.”
Njall pondered everything the old man said. Frayka married a dragon god, had his baby, but then left with the baby and not the dragon god.
Why? Where was she going? And for what purpose?
Just to make sure he’d understood correctly, Njall said, “If I go back up to the mountaintop and head north, then I’ll come to a place where I can see the ocean and a path leading down to a fishing village. That’s where you think Madam Po’s great-granddaughter went with her baby?”
“I would wager my life on it,” the old man said proudly. But then he hesitated and appeared to think better of his words. “If I were willing to wager, that is.”
Njall climbed to his feet and headed back up the mountain.
CHAPTER 18
The next morning, Empress Ti woke up on board the ship feeling refreshed and renewed.
Li Chien gave me good advice. Bathing in the light of the blood moon was just what I needed to keep my strength up. What good fortune that Li is not only my finest adviser but also is an astrologer. I would be lost without such good advice.
Standing at the railing, Ti stretched and yawned while taking in the beauty surrounding her. The ocean sparkled under the bright morning sun. A coast of towering mountains and maze-like inlets overwhelmed narrow beaches. Shifting breezes alternated with the briny scent of the sea and the fresh smell of pine. The one small sail that had been raised crackled in the wind.
She sought out Asu Chu, who sheltered himself at the back of the ship on the floorboards. Ti knelt beside him. “Are you sure you’ll recognize the village?”
“I was there last week,” Asu said. Like always, he tinkered with the containers of magical potions and supplies he’d brought in a sack. He kept his attention on them instead of looking at Ti. “Of course, I’ll recognize it.”
The sound of clomping boots across the floorboards made Empress Ti look up.
The royal guard Jojen met her gaze and stopped in his tracks, keeping enough distance to afford the empress privacy in her conversation with Asu Chu.
“You’re the only one on this ship who has been there,” Ti said. She liked Asu Chu, but he tried her patience. “Shouldn’t you be looking at the coast so you can recognize the village before we sail past it?”
Asu Chu gave a begrudging sigh and then returned all his belongings to the sack. He pushed it against the side of the ship as if that would protect it. “I suppose.”
Empress Ti stood and offered a hand to help Asu Chu to his feet. She then led him to the side of the ship facing the coast, noting that Jojen followed. She pointed at a cluster of houses. “Is that it?” she asked Asu Chu.
The boy wrinkled his nose while he stared. “I was up on the mountainside. I walked down to the village. Everything looks so different when you’re looking at it from the water.”
Jojen eased forward to stand next to Ti, but she gave a warning look his way before Jojen could speak. He held his tongue but kept a close watch on Asu Chu.
“Do you think it might be the place?” Ti said.
Asu Chu pondered the question while the ship sailed past the village. “I don’t think so. It looks too small.”
“Do you think we’re in the right vicinity?” Ti said.
Asu Chu pouted as he became flustered. “It’s all so confusing. The mountains are everywhere. It’s all so vast.”
Jojen spoke up. “He’s right, my empress. The southwest coast of the Wulong Province is enormous. It’s riddled with hundreds of fishing villages.” He paused and appeared to measure his words before speaking. “That is why I suggested that going to the start of Asu’s journey might be the best way to retrace his steps.”
“But it will
take so long!” Empress Ti said. “We have to find Njall—I’m certain he’ll lead us to Frayka. If we do what you say, it will give Njall far too much time to get away. There’s no time to waste.”
Jojen raised a questioning eyebrow and looked at Asu Chu, who remained focused on the coastline.
Ti reconsidered Jojen’s advice.
If I do what Jojen suggests, we’ll lag a day behind Njall. If I let Asu comb the coast, he might spot the right village. We might get lucky.
If Njall gets too far ahead of us, we’ll never find him in time.
“Jojen,” Ti said. “Is the ship sailing toward the place where Asu began his journey?”
“Yes. But we’re doing little more than gliding. Only the smallest sail is up. We can gain speed by raising the other sails.”
“But if we’re headed in the direction that you recommend, why can’t Asu consider all the villages we pass along the way? If we keep a leisurely pace, we might find the right one.”
Jojen protested. “It’s a risk.”
“A risk worth taking,” Ti said. Turning to Asu Chu, who stood on her other side, she said, “Tell me if you see a village that looks familiar.”
For the next several hours, Asu Chu pointed at village after village, certain each one had to be the one where he had last seen Frayka.
Each time Asu Chu spotted a village he liked, the ship sailed into its port. Asu Chu would then wander around the village and look for things he remembered: houses, boats in the harbor, faces, or the way the dirt streets were laid out.
But he always came back to the ship defeated and sullen.
Empress Ti noted that throughout the day Jojen remained silent. On one hand, his silence infuriated her because he’d given good advice that Ti had rejected. On the other hand, Ti appreciated his restraint in reminding her that she’d chosen to ignore that advice.
When Asu Chu left the ship at the seventh village he thought he recognized, Ti approached Jojen. “I thought he would do better. If this isn’t the right town, then I’m giving up on Asu. If we have to go back out to sea, then we’ll raise all the sails and follow your lead.”
