“Good,” Callum chuckled irritably. “At least in the cells I will not have to listen to your voice. I look forward to the peace and quiet.”
The next morning Aiva awoke to the sound of someone entering the wagon, crates shifting under the weight. Groggy, she lifted her head, peering into the dim light to see who approached. It was too early for her to think about facing Callum. If he came anywhere near her, she would see her knuckles planted solidly against his nose.
To her pleasure it wasn’t Callum she saw there, leaning over the tops of the crates at the back of the wagon. A pleasant smile crossed over Kaemin’s gentle features, proffering his hand with a fresh roll settled on his palm. The smell of the pastry helped to awaken her tired senses. “Kaemin,” she breathed in relief. “I thought you were Callum.”
“No, the Captain is indisposed at the moment,” Kaemin grinned. “Seems he was awake all night sitting guard outside your door here. We are trying to convince him to close his eyes for a few minutes before we take to the road again. I thought you might be hungry.”
“I am starving! And worse, my back is aching worse than ever. Can you believe that man made me sleep in this abominable place?”
“It is easier to believe than the fact that you managed to stow away without anyone noticing. Your parents will be furious when they find out. I’m only glad I’m not the one returning to break the news.”
Dejected, Aiva accepted the roll from Kaemin’s hand, biting into the warm dough with a heavy sigh. “By now I’m sure they have noticed me missing,” she frowned. “But Callum insisted on sending a courier to them. It is a waste of a man, if you ask me.”
In agreement, Kaemin nodded. “You know he has no choice. It’s his duty to make sure the royal family is looked after and properly accounted for. Unfortunately, our unit is too small to be sending men off. We need all the hands we can get if things come to blows.”
“I am perfectly capable of fighting in the place of one missing soldier.”
“You?” he chortled. “You cannot expect us to let you take arms against an enemy attack.”
Aiva scoffed. Her situation was becoming frustrating. In Tanispa everyone treated her as a competent woman. Now it felt as if the men were against her. Laughing at her. They belittled her lack of knowledge yet refused to give her a chance to prove herself. “You – of all people – should be on my side in this. It was my sister who was kidnapped. You cannot let Callum deny me the chance to strike at those responsible. I have more right than any of these men to wish the pirates dead.”
“I want to help you. I really do, but Callum outranks me. If he says you are not allowed to fight then I can do nothing but honor that order. Besides, he has already commanded us to provide no special treatment toward you beyond your safety.”
“But you brought me food. Is that not special treatment?”
“Do you think we starve our soldiers?” Kaemin raised his brow curiously. “We have already eaten and reassembled our supplies in preparation to leave. A fresh track of our target shows them to still be heading south. By noon, we will be deeper into the Carpaen desert. Things will only get worse from here. I wasn’t going to let you wither away to nothing before we even get started.”
Behind Kaemin a bright light flashed suddenly, paining Aiva’s eyes. A shadowy outline appeared, followed by a loud slap of what sounded to be a hand against the wooden floor of the wagon. “Strethil,” Callum’s voice rang through the enclosed space. “See our new recruit on her feet. We have wasted enough time that we don’t have.”
“On my feet?” she mused.
“How else do you expect to get anywhere?” he asked sternly. “You like to talk like a soldier, now let’s see you walk like one. Front and center. We don’t have all day.”
Kaemin cast an apologetic gaze at Aiva as he helped her up, his hand guiding her over the unevenly stacked crates toward the front of the wagon. Upon reaching the opening, Callum snapped his fingers at Kaemin, directing him down to the ground and away from Aiva. She stared at Callum, a look of loathing on her face. “You are detestable.”
“I have not slept in over three days and my patience runs thin for your insults. Now get down here this instant. Every second you waste is another step away our enemy gets with your sister.”
Hopping down to the ground Aiva jutted her chin out, defiant in her mannerisms. A bit of walking would do her some good after being cooped up inside the wagon since leaving Tanispa. The travel didn’t seem so bad. If anything, it would be the easiest part of all. She was in good shape. She would show Callum that she was capable of keeping up with the best of them.
The desert air was dry. Aiva’s feet ached with every step, pinpricks of pain shooting up through her heels. It was a miserable feeling. She’d never found occasion to walk so far before, and without rest. No pause to catch her breath. The other men didn’t appear phased by it; though it was wearing on her to a point that she wasn’t sure she’d be able to keep up any longer.
Pride wouldn’t let her say anything to Callum. He was trying to prove a point and if she uttered a complaint about the heat or fatigue, he would accomplish exactly what he hoped in making her walk alongside them. She couldn’t bear to let him have that over her. It was best to suffer in silence.
Few words were spoken among the men throughout the day, only occasionally starting a conversation just to trickle off into awkward quiet once again. Aiva suspected it to have something to do with her presence among them. They couldn’t speak as freely with their Princess listening in. Not that she felt sorry for them. If the men intended to speak about her the way she’d overheard at the tavern in Kaipoi, she was content to keep them silent for the remainder of the trip. Her personal life was none of their business, and above all, they had no right to speculate about her in the intimate manner they’d attempted.
Callum had been the quietest of them all. From time to time he would direct one of them to do something, though aside from his duties as Captain, he’d avoided conversation. Not a word to anyone and especially not to Aiva. He’d hardly even looked at her since their exchange at the wagon. Despite his apparent lack of interest, she couldn’t help but feel as if he was keeping a closer watch on her than she was aware of. His pace quickened and slowed depending on Aiva’s steps, never allowing her to move more than a few feet away from him. But she didn’t want him watching over her. She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. All she needed was a short break and a drink of water.
A sharp rock jutted out from the ground in front of her, causing her to stumble. She gave a yelp at the discomfort, arms flailing, preparing herself for the impact with the ground as she pitched forward. Callum’s hand shot out to grab her, almost absent in his gesture, steadying her with nothing more than a backward tug. “Try to keep up,” he muttered, moving in front of her without missing a step to avoid contact from her wide-eyed stare.
From behind, Aiva felt a gentle hand urging her forward. She’d been unaware of having paused, finding Kaemin’s sweat-covered face coming to her side to help her along. “You shouldn’t stop. He might leave you behind.”
“He wouldn’t be that foolish,” she sighed, falling into step beside Kaemin. His company was welcome. She was anxious for any conversation at all. Something to pass the time. If things remained so tedious, she was going to scream. “Are the soldiers always this dull? I expected to be entertained by grand stories and vulgar humor which would make my mother blush to hear. Where is the excitement in this?”
Kaemin chuckled to himself. “Vulgar humor in the presence of our Princess is somewhat frowned upon, Aiva. And besides, your mother is a living legend within the military. I doubt much would make her blush.”
“You think the soldiers spoke inappropriately in her presence?”
“Before she was Queen? Oh, yes.” He patted Aiva’s back. “They would speak more freely around you as well if you were anyone else.”
“Then by all means, do not hold your tongues simply on account of me,”
she stated loudly. There was no reason for them to withhold light banter between one another. She’d come along to help, not add to the pressure they were already under. “I will hold nothing against you which passes between us on these roads.”
“You might not hold it against us, but the Captain will,” one of the other men snickered from the other side of the wagon.
“Your Captain has no sense of humor. I would not worry about him,” she smirked. “Isn’t that right, Captain?”
Callum remained quiet, straightening his shoulders. She wished she could see his face. It gave her too much pleasure to see him discontent.
Some of the other men broke into laughter, one of them daring to lean over to give Callum a merry slap on the back. “It can’t be that bad, Captain,” the man grinned. “She gives you something to look at other than the desert. Far better scenery than dried up sand.”
“Try spending five minutes with her and then we’ll see if you don’t prefer the barren wasteland.”
Aiva’s jaw dropped to hear Callum’s harsh words. “You could try to be somewhat civil,” she muttered under her breath. At her side Kaemin drew an uncomfortable breath. The tension between Aiva and Callum was awkward for everyone. She couldn’t help but feel as if it would hurt the morale of the troops. “Callum, I must request a moment to speak with you in private.”
“I think a private moment might do them both a bit of good,” another soldier quipped from the rear. Kaemin laughed quietly, halted abruptly by a sharp glance from Aiva. To her relief, Callum gave no indication of having heard the remark.
“We have a lot of ground to cover between here and Eykanua and I intend to reach the city before the sun sets.”
“If we get there early enough, maybe we can seek out a doctor to remove the stick you have so securely lodged up your back end.” The sentence had barely escaped Aiva’s lips before she noticed Callum spin around to face her, grabbing onto her bicep to pull her forcefully off to one side, leaving the others to stare at them in stunned curiosity.
In a hushed tone he leaned forward, not wanting to let anyone overhear. “I don’t know what your reason is for detesting me the way you do, but you will not disrespect me in front of my men. Their image of me is essential to their loyalty. I will be of no use to your sister if you turn them all against me.”
“Then maybe you shouldn’t disrespect me in front of them. How do you think your image fares with your soldiers if they see you degrading their Princess? Is the Captain not supposed to lead by example? Would you approve of them treating a woman the way you do me? Your wife?”
“My wife?” Callum’s face contorted oddly. “Do you play that angle simply because it works to your advantage at the moment? Your view tends to shift quite drastically. One minute you refuse to admit it and the next you throw it in my face. I am beginning to think you take some sick pleasure at rubbing salt in my already festering wounds.”
“I thought you denied my request for private word. You are keeping your men waiting,” Aiva huffed, tearing her arm away from Callum’s grasp. “Do not touch me again.”
“We cannot keep going like this,” he sighed. “When we reach the city, I will grant you the private word you so adamantly require. Maybe then we will figure out how best to manage this trip without running the risk of one of us murdering the other in their sleep.”
Aiva shifted uncomfortably at the thought. She wasn’t convinced that Callum’s loyalty was to Tanispa, or her. To consider the possibility of him sneaking around her while she slept was unsettling, to say the least. If he was working with the pirates, it was more of a risk than she liked to admit. “Fair enough,” she replied quietly, unable to conceal the uncertainty in her voice. His eyes lingered on her briefly before he turned away, signaling the men to continue onward. Aiva slowly followed him back to the road, shaken, avoiding the questioning stares from the others. She was embarrassed to have been mishandled in such a way in front of them. When they reached Eykanua, she would be sure to tell Callum exactly what she thought of him. Until then, she had nothing to say to anyone.
When the taller structures of Eykanua’s cityscape came into view, Aiva could sense a feeling of relief over the men. It was a chance for them to rest. Bathe. Eat. She longed to enjoy the luxuries of such things herself. Sand and sweat were caked to her skin, matting down her hair. She felt disgusting. Never in her life could she remember ever having been so dirty.
Tying off the horses, Callum gave the men permission to find the tavern and seek out food. Aiva moved to follow them, stopped by the feeling of Callum’s hand on her wrist. “I believe now is the best time for us to speak,” he stated calmly.
“Can it not wait until after we have eaten?”
“I would prefer it did not.”
Defeated, she let him lead her away from the bustle of the street, ducking into the cover of a darkened alley. The area was disconcerting. Garbage lay scattered about on the ground. For one of the largest cities in Carpaen, it was surprisingly dirty and ill-cared for. She could only hope that this was only a small segment of the city and that further exploration would provide safer surroundings for them to leave their horses and supplies for the night.
Callum was alert. Eyes scanning the alley to make sure no one was around. “You have left me in a very unpleasant predicament,” he frowned. “I cannot focus on my job knowing that you are here. Your protection is my sworn duty and even at my side, in these lands, I cannot guarantee your safety. As you can imagine, this has me a bit on edge – not to mention the accusatory words you aim at me whenever you have the chance. It is not my desire to fight with you, yet you leave me with few options.”
“Well, I am not turning back, so you have no choice but to accept it.”
“Do you have any idea the danger you are walking into?” Callum stepped in closer, glancing out of the corner of his eye. Someone was approaching. Protectively, he placed his body between Aiva and the street, shielding her from view. “I will do what I can to watch over you, but I have limited control. Our numbers are not ideal to be escorting someone of your station.”
His eyes continued to drift foward. Something had caught his attention, distracting him from their conversation. Absently he motioned for Aiva to place her hat atop her head, his weight shifting to reveal a human male standing only a short distance away, watching them both intently.
Pressed against the wall, Aiva stared at the man, taking in the details of his face. He was tan, deeply darkened from the exposure to the sun. Lines on his face indicated him to be older, though her familiarity with humans was lacking, making it impossible for her to judge his exact age. There was a devious glint in his eyes that made Aiva uneasy to allow him so close, noticing Callum’s hand slowly sliding down to settle on the hilt of his sword. “Can I help you?” he asked loudly. Authoritative.
The man grinned, a rotted blackened tooth visible under his upper lip. His voice revealed a thick accent, making it more difficult to understand his words which he spoke in the common tongue of the humans. Aiva had little experience with the language outside her lessons, causing difficulty in picking out the words. “You two men be with the Tanispan military?”
Aiva’s lips twitched with amusement. He thought her a boy? Probably better that way. Less trouble could come from that misunderstanding than if he were to discover her true identity.
“We are,” Callum nodded, making no attempt to correct the man’s error. “If you have business, state it. If not, I suggest you leave us be.”
“Oh, I have business, if you be a man of business. Your jacket shines brighter than the other soldiers. Lieutenant? Commander?”
“Captain,” Callum stated with a hint of pride. “And I only do business if it suits me.”
The man gave a sly wink at Aiva over Callum’s shoulder, stepping closer, moving out of the lights filtering through the windows lining the street. Callum maintained his stance between him and Aiva. “Some men came through town not long ago. They offered an item for sale I bel
ieve your King and Queen be lookin’ for. If the price is right, I could be willing to offer some information.”
“What would you consider to be the right price?”
“Well, I be a man of trade above all else,” he smirked. “I’ll start simple. That’s a pretty young lad you’re keeping to yourself,” his hand gestured toward Aiva. “In exchange for him, I’ll tell you what you want to know.”
“Try again,” Callum said, firm, a hint of anger noticeable in his tone. “My soldiers are not bargaining tools.”
“Gold be a currency all men appreciate.”
“Gold? What makes you think your tip is worth that much to me?”
The man’s wretched smile faded, replaced by an irritable glare. “I know men who would pay by the pound in gold to know where your soldiers be. That choice be up to you.”
Reaching into a pouch at his belt, Callum retrieved a few coins, the gold surface glinting in the pale light. The man snatched them from Callum greedily, his dirty fingers tucking them away into the tattered vest he wore. “Speak,” Callum ordered. “My patience runs thin and I have no tolerance for fools.”
“Smart man,” he grinned, the lines on his face darkening from the grime layered in the creases of skin. Casually he tilted his head back, searching to see if anyone was around before leaning closer to Callum. “Your Queen be missing a precious jewel?”
Aiva stiffened against the cool exterior of the building. This man knew about Shaelyn; or at least appeared to have knowledge. She wanted to pull the information from him but she lacked experience in how to accomplish that task. Interrogation wasn’t something a princess was taught in her lessons. Thankfully, Callum was there to handle the situation. Hatred aside, Aiva couldn’t deny he was good at talking.
The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Two: Beyond the Veil Page 17
