I hefted the wood in my arms and told myself there was no point in speculating about my own future. After all, I’d spent years imagining Ilara, and look how wrong I’d turned out to be. But something about our conversation nagged at me as I made my way back to the cabin.
How could Zadie and Talin know where I was headed, if I didn’t even know myself?
12
Leesbrook, the capital of Galeth, was located in the center of the country. We traveled along acres of farmland with rich, dark soil, worked by heavy draft horses and their owners, who waved to us as we passed. I noticed that all of the roads were far softer and better maintained than any I’d seen before, which Roan explained was an initiative to protect the horses’ feet. Their manure was also used to fertilize the pastures, which in turn grew the lush green grass that became the hay they ate. There were herds of free-roaming horses in the mountains, but here they were pastured, to protect the soil from their hooves.
We entered Leesbrook in the late afternoon. It was clearly the hub of commerce in Galeth; the streets were wide enough for carriages and lined with shops of all kinds. Horses were tied to hitching posts up and down the street. Young boys and girls waited with shovels and pails, charging a nickel a pile. They heaped the manure onto wagons that carried it out to the countryside for fertilizer.
“The council meets at nightfall,” Roan told us as we wound through the city streets toward a timber inn. “These are your lodgings. I’ll come for you when it’s time.”
He left without a backward glance, disappearing among the crowds. A girl ran out to take our horses to the stables, collecting a coin from Talin that she tested with her teeth before pocketing.
Inside, the inn was dark and smoky, and I was glad when we were shown immediately to our rooms upstairs. Zadie and I were down the hall from the men, and I was grateful for the time alone with my sister.
“I can’t believe I’m going to see Sami soon,” she said, instantly stripping out of her riding clothing and searching in her bag for the one gown Talin had permitted us each to purchase in Riaga. “Help me change, would you?”
“We have hours.” I sat down on the bed with a sigh. Last night I had been so relieved to be safe, and so exhausted from the road, that my fear for our parents had eased a little. But I was growing restless. “We’re wasting time. We don’t even know what’s happening in Ilara. I hate that they don’t get any news this far north.”
Zadie seemed hardly to hear me, so I continued to think out loud.
“And I’m worried about this council. Roan said Talin, Osius, and Grig would have to face them, as if they’re on trial or something.”
Zadie held her gown up in front of the mirror, twisting back and forth. “They allowed Sami to stay.”
“Did they allow it?” I couldn’t keep the edge out of my voice. “Or is he being forced to stay? Besides, Sami isn’t Ilarean. And he’s not a prince.”
She came to sit next to me in her shift. “Try not to fret. Roan seems like a fair leader.”
“He’s not a leader. Not the only leader, anyway. These people aren’t at all bothered with what happens outside their borders. It seems impossible they’ll agree to help us.”
“A few days ago, it would have seemed impossible that we would even make it to Galeth, Nor. But we’re here, and we’re safe.”
Maybe we were safe, for the moment. And I knew it was a miracle that Sami had survived and we would get to see him soon. But that was only one battle in a looming war. We had no idea what was happening to our parents, and every day here was undoubtedly another day of suffering for them.
I startled at a knock on the door. “It’s Talin. May I come in?”
“Just a moment.” Zadie snatched her cloak off the bed and wrapped it around herself, then called Talin in.
He peeked gingerly around the door. “I’m sorry to disturb you. I was going to find something to eat. I thought you might like to join me.”
“I’m too anxious to eat,” Zadie said. “I’m going to see about a bath. But you go, Nor. Bring something back for me.”
I pressed a quick kiss to her cheek before following Talin into the hall. “Where are we really going?” I asked once we were outside. I was fairly certain we could have gotten a meal at the inn if he was that hungry.
He smiled at me. “You know me too well. I just wanted to get the lay of the land. I don’t like that we’ve been completely at the mercy of the Galethians since we arrived.” He took my hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the back of it. “And I wanted to spend some time with you.”
I was filthy from the road and full of anxious jitters, but Talin’s calm demeanor helped ease my mind. “I’m glad you came,” I said. “I needed the distraction.”
“Good. So,” he said, swinging our hands between us, “what do you make of Galeth so far?”
I glanced around the bustling street, hoping Talin was keeping track of our progress, since I hadn’t been. Leesbrook was just as overwhelming as Riaga, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to find my way back to the inn on my own. “I don’t know yet how I feel about this city, but I like certain things about Galeth.”
“Hm?”
“The way women seem to have so much freedom, for example.”
When Talin didn’t respond, I turned to see his expression. He was looking at me, one eyebrow raised.
“What?”
“Did Roan say something to you?” he asked.
My scar tingled as my cheeks heated. “About what?”
“About us.”
I glanced away. “What about us?”
“If we were betrothed. I noticed the way he looks at you. Not that I can say I blame him.”
I stopped in front of a shop selling gloves, but these gloves appeared specially designed for riding, unlike the knit gloves I’d seen in New Castle, or the fine ladies’ gloves in the shop windows of Riaga. “He asked if we were lovers,” I admitted, though my face was threatening to melt off from embarrassment.
I was slightly appeased when Talin spluttered the way I had at the question.
“I told him we weren’t, of course,” I continued.
There was another long pause. “Oh.”
I turned toward him. “What was I supposed to say?”
His eyes were fixed on the display in the shop window. “Nothing. He shouldn’t have asked you such a personal question. I just worry you gave him the impression that we aren’t attached in any way.”
I had grown used to seeing Talin with a beard on the road, but he had shaved at the stone cottage, and with his smooth cheeks and tousled hair falling over his forehead, he seemed younger, more vulnerable.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” I said, stepping closer to him. “But we aren’t attached. Not formally, at least. And you made it clear on the road that your priority is restoring the throne.”
“Nor—”
“I understand,” I said, taking his hand and forcing him to look at me. My heart still stuttered in my chest every time his eyes met mine. It seemed quite possible he would always have that effect on me. “My priority is helping my family, too. And I don’t want either of us to feel beholden to anything. Not when there’s still so much uncertainty.”
For a moment I thought he might try to argue with me. A part of me hoped he would. But he only nodded and turned back to the street. “Let’s find something to eat,” he said. “I really am starving.”
* * *
I spent the rest of the day wondering what I should have said differently to Talin. I didn’t want him to think I was pulling away from him because I was interested in Roan or my feelings had waned. But maybe it was easier to let him believe that than try to explain that I wasn’t sure yet what I wanted, that his vision of our future together might not match mine.
I helped Zadie brush out her long, dark hair, which hung in shining waves to t
he small of her back, and laced her into the corset of her new dress. It wasn’t nearly as fine as the gowns I’d worn at New Castle, the silks and taffetas and rich velvets that had felt more like shiny cages than clothing. But aside from the pink gown she’d worn for the choosing ceremony, it was the finest garment she’d ever owned, and she looked lovely.
I was not in the mood for corsets and lace. I chose a pair of black leather leggings and a black tunic with embroidery along the cuffs and collar, as well as the fur vest from Roan. Zadie helped me fashion my hair into a braided crown.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather wear that?” She glanced wistfully at the gown Talin had purchased for me. It was simple, like Zadie’s, made of moss-green velvet, with only a bit of delicate lace at the cuffs and collar.
But while Zadie’s thoughts were on Sami, I knew that we had a battle ahead in convincing the Galethians to join our cause. This wasn’t the time for delicacy.
Roan came for us at nightfall, as promised, and we followed him on horseback through Leesbrook until the shops began to dwindle and the bustling crowds thinned. The houses were larger and freestanding, with lush pastures surrounding them. A herd of beautiful black-and-white horses with flowing manes and shaggy fetlocks galloped along the road, following us.
“Who lives out here?” I asked Roan, who had once again found his place beside me. He had changed into a sleeveless leather jacket with buckles down the front over a clean tunic.
“Trainers, instructors, and veterinarians, mostly. They need larger facilities to accommodate the horses.”
“I see.” I wasn’t sure I did, and I definitely didn’t know what a veterinarian was, but I didn’t like admitting my ignorance to Roan. “Why are horses so important to Galethians?” I asked after a few moments of silence, my curiosity getting the better of me.
He shrugged. “The Varenians who escaped all those generations ago never would have made it here without the stolen horses. And they couldn’t have cultivated this land without them, either. The reason Galeth was easy to take was because no one wanted it. The soil was rocky, the mountains difficult to cross, the valleys vast, and the winters harsh. Without our horses, life would have been unsustainable.”
“But surely once you’d tamed the land, you could have given up the horses. Or at least not maintained such a reliance on them.”
He was riding Duster bareback, and he leaned back until he was lying on the horse’s wide rump, staring up at the stars. The shaggy horse didn’t even flinch. Roan had explained that they only used saddles on their horses when necessary—on rough terrain, for example, when a rider needed better control, or to help carry gear. “I don’t see this as a reliance, Nor. Duster is my partner. I take care of him, and he takes care of me. I would no sooner ‘give him up’ than you would give up your sister.”
“You’re comparing my sister to a horse?” I asked, though I wasn’t really offended. I could see he genuinely loved Duster.
“Well, she’s much prettier than a horse.” He rose to a sitting position without using his arms for balance or support. His abdomen must be solid muscle, I mused, then blushed at the image. “But I don’t have any siblings, so perhaps it’s not a fair comparison.”
“No brothers or sisters?”
“No. None that made it past infancy, anyhow.”
His self-assuredness made more sense, knowing he’d never had a sibling to put him in his place. “And your parents?”
“They’re still in the east. I haven’t seen them in years, but we write every now and then. Yours?”
“Ceren came to our village as we made our escape. I thought he would follow me and leave our people alone, but he appeared to be taking them prisoner. I can only assume my parents are at New Castle. As soon as we get Sami back, I’m going to find them.”
I hadn’t realized I intended to go directly to New Castle until I said it out loud. But I knew in my heart it was right. We had lost enough time as it was, and while I couldn’t help Talin and his mother win this war, I could at least make sure my parents were alive. Traveling with a large party would attract notice, but alone, I might be able to slip away.
Roan’s expression hardened, something I hadn’t thought possible. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“You wanted to wait until we were in front of the council,” I said, my eyes meeting his.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize what was at stake. Sami didn’t say.”
“Sami doesn’t know.”
Roan swallowed but didn’t respond. It was the first time I’d seen him look uncomfortable, and part of me was glad I’d finally managed to unnerve him. I barely squeezed Titania with my knees, and she trotted ahead to where Talin rode with Osius and Grig.
“Everything all right, my lady?” Osius asked.
“Fine,” I lied. I forced my eyes on the road ahead, rather than glancing back at Roan. I wasn’t even annoyed with him; I was angry with myself for not keeping my focus where it mattered most. “I just hope we’re not too late.”
* * *
The council meetinghouse looked like a fortress, complete with a moat and drawbridge. This was where the leaders from every outpost convened, and the building was built to be the last stronghold of Galeth in the event of an invasion.
The council consisted of eleven people, six women and five men. They ranged in age from eighteen to sixty. Since riding ability was the main determining factor in being chosen as a councilmember, most members were on the younger side, but at twenty, Roan was still one of the youngest members.
The moment we entered the meeting room, Zadie let out a shriek and flew to Sami before I’d even spotted him.
“Samiel,” she gasped, falling into his arms. He caught her instantly, gripping her to him with such intensity I was afraid he might hurt her. But she was weeping tears of pure elation.
The rest of the councilmembers watched their reunion with no hint of sympathy or interest. Something told me these kinds of emotional displays weren’t common in Galeth.
Fortunately, Roan broke the awkward silence. “Councilmembers, I’ve brought our newest arrivals from Ilara.” He introduced us one by one. “Zadie is Samiel’s betrothed, as you can probably tell.”
A few members chuckled, but most remained impassive. Zadie and Sami turned to face the rest of the room, sheepishly straightening their hair and clothing.
I ignored the strangers and walked to Sami, pulling him into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re all right,” I said against his chest. He was dressed like a Galethian, but he was the same Sami I’d always known, with his perfect smile and messy brown hair. “We’ve missed you.”
“Thalos, I’m so happy to see you.” He nodded past my shoulder to Talin and the others. “I wasn’t sure I’d ever see you again.”
“I know the feeling. Have they treated you well?” I asked quietly. Zadie was stuck to his side like a barnacle, her vow to never let him go already well under way.
“They’ve been incredibly generous, given the circumstances.” He took in Grig’s, Osius’s, and Talin’s hard expressions and lowered his voice. “Why do I get the impression your reception has been less friendly?”
“We’ll talk later,” I said. “We should probably sit down.”
There were only seats for the councilmembers at the table, but there was a row of chairs against one wall for the rest of us. We sat down like dutiful children awaiting punishment. I could tell Talin didn’t like being treated this way, but he wisely kept his mouth shut.
“Thank you, Roan, for bringing the Ilareans to us,” one of the women said. She had a shorn head, save a two-inch long strip of red hair down the middle. “I trust they didn’t give you too much trouble.”
“Not too much,” he said, then had the nerve to glance at me.
The woman gave a satisfied nod. “Good. And Ceren?”
“He turned away at the border,
once we killed two of his guards. He sent another later that night, but we captured him quite easily.”
“What?” Talin and I exclaimed in unison.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Talin asked.
“Because we captured him,” Roan said.
“Alive?”
Roan turned to him, a disgusted look on his face. “I don’t consider it capture if the prisoner is dead. Do you?”
“I would like the opportunity to question him.” There was a deadly calm in Talin’s voice that even I didn’t recognize.
“Considering you’re a prisoner here yourself,” the woman said, “I hardly think that would be appropriate.”
At that, Osius and Grig both placed their hands on the hilts of their swords and rose to their feet. “I’d ask you to mind your tongue when speaking to Prince Talin of Ilara,” Osius rumbled.
The woman scowled. “He’s no prince in Galeth.”
Roan held up a hand. “I don’t believe they mean us any harm, Yana. Nor believes Ceren has captured the Varenians, and Talin is clearly their ally.”
“Nor?” Yana asked, arching one red brow.
I rose and stepped forward. “I’m Nor. Zadie’s sister, and Samiel’s friend.”
“Ah yes, one of the twins we’ve heard so much about.” Yana gestured me forward. For a society that didn’t have leaders, she certainly seemed to do a lot of the talking. “Explain.”
Zadie held Sami as I told the council about Ceren’s attack on Varenia, but I could see him trembling with rage from the corner of my eye.
“What does Ceren want with the Varenians?” Yana asked.
Talin and I exchanged a glance, and he nodded for me to answer. “We’re not sure,” I admitted. “It could be he’s holding them hostage to get to me.”
“And what would the King of Ilara want with a girl like you?”
I hesitated. I wasn’t sure if I should tell them about my blood. I didn’t even know for certain that was what Ceren wanted. Talin had believed me about the visions, but these people didn’t even know me.
Kingdom of Sea and Stone Page 10
