by B. T. Narro
Then I noticed a beacon, a ray of yellow light like a column. Remi, I thought with a grin. She was maybe a mile away from me.
I reached her in less than a minute, though I was surprised when I came down to see that three young men stood around her. The town of Granlo seemed to be a short ways north. She must’ve walked out to make light so as not to disrupt the townspeople, but why were others here with her?
Remi said nothing about them to me as she started getting into the harness. “What took so long?” she asked.
“The king made me take someone back to the fortress first.”
The three young men varied in age. One looked to be about our age of eighteen, though I supposed Remi could still be seventeen as far as I knew. The other two seemed a bit older, perhaps in their early twenties.
Wait, has my birthday passed? I’d been so busy that I hadn’t thought about it until now. The blasted thing was yesterday. Oh well, I’m probably not the only one of our group who had a birthday pass without anyone knowing. The king might know, I realized. He had looked at all of our papers, but he was even busier than I was. I didn’t hold it against him.
“Are you going to tell us your decision?” the oldest asked Remi. I had no idea what he was talking about.
“I’m still not sure,” she said as she finished getting in the harness and started wrapping the protective cloth around her face. “We have to go, Jon. It’s late.”
I was confused about these men, but I was eager to go. “Did anyone need healing?” I asked Remi first.
“A few had some minor injuries, but they gave up waiting. They’ll heal on their own. We can go.”
The men, all at the same time, bombarded Remi with farewells.
“Goodbye,” she told them.
I took off with Remi and headed back the way I’d come.
“Who did you take back to the fortress?” Remi asked near my ear.
“Aliana’s father,” I shouted back over the wind. “He’s going to be the new lord of Drayer, and I don’t know if it’s the best idea.”
“Aliana says he can be trusted now.”
“She does?”
“Yes, they have been in contact for a while.”
“Do you know if he apologized for refusing to acknowledge her as his daughter?”
“He has,” Remi replied.
I still didn’t know if that meant he could be trusted. I wondered if Aliana might be too easily convinced because they shared blood, but it wasn’t my job to worry. I was glad to let it out of my mind for now.
“Who were those boys?” I asked.
“One is an old friend from when I was young. The other two have never spoken to me before, but all three have expressed interest in marriage.”
“I see.”
“I thought you would be much more surprised.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Well, I was!”
I chuckled.
“Why are you not surprised?” she asked.
“Kataleya and I both received many marriage proposals as we traveled across Lycast and offered healing and water to the people.”
“Yes, but you are handsome and Kataleya is beautiful.”
“So are you, Remi.”
She was silent for a time. “Thank you,” she finally said.
“Let me tell you, Remi, I much prefer having you on my back over Luther Prigg, and not just because of the weight difference. It’s probably best Aliana didn’t have contact with him growing up. That man is obnoxious.”
“I figured he is. I’ve tried to tell her that just because he’s her father doesn’t mean she owes him anything.”
I took us another mile or so through the cold night sky, but she didn’t continue. I had hoped Remi would tell me about her experience in her hometown. I felt a little bad for asking, but this was a long trip, and I was doing her a favor by bringing her there and back.
“Did you see your parents in Granlo?”
She gasped. “I forgot to tell you! It feels like it happened days ago. I saw them in the crowd after you left. They invited me to my old house where they practically begged me to forgive them. I didn’t know why they were being nice to me when they never had before, until the end, when they asked if I had coin to spare. I was so angry I thought I might burn their house down. They had always wanted a son but gave up after my mother had a number of failed pregnancies. They haven’t changed at all, so I told them to eat shit, and then I went to check on Gerald.”
“Wow,” I exclaimed. I had to assume Remi’s parents were even worse than she described, or perhaps Remi had a worse temper than I’d thought.
“I’m not very proud of it,” she said. “I might offer them an apology when I return, but it would take a lot for them to prove to me they’ve changed before I give them even a single copper bit. My father wanted me to at least pay for the dowry that he couldn’t get back from Gerald’s family after I left. They had no regret for forcing me into that marriage, even after they heard about why I ran away. That was just another disappointment to them.”
“Now I’m starting to understand your reaction. Maybe you should be proud of it.”
“Yeah, maybe I should. Most of us sorcerers of the king don’t have parents we can rely on, and all of us turned out good.”
“Well…my father…and Michael’s…and Aliana’s mother, and Kataleya, you know—”
“All right, all right, I misspoke. Do you want to know what happened with Gerald?”
“I’m not sure I do now, to be honest.”
“You can relax, Jon.” Remi chuckled. “Nothing happened. I found no bruises and sensed nothing amiss from his new wife. He even apologized to me in front of her. Either we really turned him around, or he knew how to put on a convincing act. I’m inclined to believe it’s the former. I told him I would be back another time. He said goodbye, and that was it.”
“He didn’t threaten you or anything?”
“Well, you did break his leg when you were there before, and I’m sure he saw the size of the fireball I put on display in front of the crowd soon after you left. Just about everyone was nice to me after that.” Her laugh sounded a little sinister.
“There’s a difference between love and fear, you know,” I teased.
She kept her thoughts to herself for a little while. “I have love from those who matter to me. So I’ll gladly take fear from those who don’t.”
Remi had a way of declaring her opinion that put me in a strange state, somewhere between agreement and disagreement, though I often could do neither.
“So you spent the rest of the time flirting with these older boys?”
“I sure did,” she said proudly. “Though I can’t honestly say I was flirting. I don’t know how. I told them everything I did since coming to the castle the first time. I’m sure they will be sharin’ and flarin’ my stories with the whole town, and eventually people will be speaking about me as if I killed Cason myself.”
“Sharin’ and flarin’?” I asked.
“Sharing and flaring,” she spoke more clearly. “Adding heroic flair as they share. They like to exaggerate in Granlo, most likely because there’s little else to do to pass the time. Bill Ushler once caught a fish as big as a man, but his line broke when he just about had it reeled in. Gary Green was attacked by a dark mage and barely got away to tell the tale. Even Gerald used to say that he went to the city with his father when he was a kid and they were attacked by two muggers, and his father fought them both off. Hell, Jon, I used to tell people that a raven came to my window one night and told me I would be a sorcerer of fire. I told the story so many times that even I began to believe it. I think it started as a dream, but it was so long ago that I can’t remember.” She gasped.
“What is it?”
“Richi often talked about his trip to Curdith Forest and how he saw a beautiful elf. His story was believed about as much as everyone else’s, which is to say that it wasn’t, but now I’m thinking he might’ve been the only one who was
actually telling the truth. I should’ve told him that I believed him. That would’ve meant something. I will when I go back after we’re done with Rohaer.”
“You are? What does this mean about you and Charlie?”
“Charlie? Oh hell, Jon, he promised he wouldn’t tell anyone.”
Charlie had said nothing to me. The only thing that had been clear to me was that he was interested in Remi, but now I was wondering what exactly had happened between them, and when? I had seen them kiss, but they had done that right in front of me while crazy from a curse. Remi no doubt was referring to something else they had done.
“You know Charlie,” I said. “He can’t keep his mouth shut when he’s excited about something.”
“This was different. He really promised, and I believed him.”
Her gloomy tone made me regret my method of deception.
“Remi, I lied. Charlie hasn’t said anything to me. I was just trying to get you to talk.”
“What? No, but you brought up Charlie as if you knew something.”
“Just because I’ve seen the way he looks at you. I didn’t know anything had happened besides the kissing while we were all cursed.”
She slapped my cheek lightly. “Jon, I expected more out of you!”
“Maybe that’s why it worked.”
She laughed, then gave a sigh. “The truth is that I don’t know what I’m doing with Charlie. I don’t want either of us to be hurt. Sometimes I think he’s the cutest boy I’ve ever met, and other times I have to keep myself from throttling him. I’m the first girl Charlie’s ever kissed, and he’s the first boy I ever did so willingly. I’m worried he thinks we’re going to be married because he doesn’t understand how these things work.”
“How do these things work?” I asked.
She leaned over my shoulder for a close look at my face. “You’re being serious, aren’t you?”
“Yes, unfortunately.”
She leaned back again. “Are you concerned you might hurt Hadley?”
I wasn’t, but I didn’t know how much I wanted to reveal. Truthfully, I was more worried I would be the one who was hurt, like what had happened with Kataleya. Was that selfish? No, I just figured I couldn’t possibly hurt Hadley, not when I was ready to be there for her.
“I wouldn’t worry,” Remi said. “I’ve never seen her this happy. She’s always smiling as if she has a little secret, and now it’s clear what it is. Just make sure nothing happens to you, all right?”
“The more I hear that the more I worry that something might actually happen.”
“Because you keep putting yourself in dangerous situations.”
“I don’t see any way around it.”
“That’s what we all love about you.” She rested her head on my shoulder and squeezed me in a light embrace. “Don’t tell anyone about Charlie, please? It’s not that I’m embarrassed. I just don’t know what it is, and everyone else finding out could turn it into something it’s not.”
“I won’t, but you should probably figure it out soon. Charlie’s not very good with the unknown or keeping secrets.”
“He’s better than you think. Trust me.” I could almost hear her winking from her tone.
For a long moment, I didn’t know what to say.
“Remi, my imagination is going wild after hearing that. I bet the truth is much milder than what I’m thinking.”
“Oh, you would be surprised.” She laughed again.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
I had little idea of the time when I descended into the forest. The night was so dark beneath the trees that I feared Remi and I wouldn’t be able to find the fortress until morning. I should’ve taken a tracker ring before leaving.
We searched for the better part of an hour. I was certain Remi was tired, but she couldn’t have been as exhausted as I was after the long day I’d had. She made a beacon of light as we flew around shrubbery and between trees, hoping someone awake in the fortress would know it was us and give us a signal.
Eventually it came. A beam of yellow light broke through the darkness and swept across our faces. I took us toward it.
I brought us down in the fortress to find that Leon was the one who had made light. “It’s about damn time!” he said. “What the hell took so long? Never mind, I’m tired. These are your tents. Yours, Jon, and yours, Remi.” He pointed at them separately. “If you need fresh water, it’s over here.” He gestured at a covered basin near the two large tents.”
“You stayed up for us?” Remi asked.
“With Jennava gone, I’m the one who has to look after you. I don’t like it any better than you do, but I will keep you safe and comfortable so long as I can. I’m in that tent near the wall. Don’t bother me unless it’s important. Now it’s time to sleep, unless either of you are too hungry. Jon?”
“Yes, I am.”
“I figured. There’s some bread covered on that table.” He directed a beam of light at it.
“Put out that light!” someone yelled from the many tents bunched together around us.
“Shut up, I’m trying to sleep!” said someone else.
There were a few other mutterings, but my attention was directed at movement nearby. The silhouette of a girl emerged out of one of the tents. She seemed to have something wrapped around her, possibly fur. It was too dark to tell who it was just by looking, but something told me it was Hadley.
“Jon?” she whispered sleepily.
“It’s us,” I said.
It looked like she was rubbing her eyes as she walked over.
“Is everything all right?” she whispered.
“Everything’s fine,” Leon answered for us. “Get back to sleep, Hadley.”
“I’d like to stay up if Jon is.”
“I bet you would, but I’m not going to allow that. The two of you need your rest just like everyone else. Go back to your tent, Hadley.”
Remi approached Hadley. The two girls took each other’s hands for a brief moment as they said good night.
“You all can sleep,” I said. “I will as soon as I eat some bread on that table.” I pointed.
“I see what you’re doing.” Leon spoke with a gravelly voice. “You’re letting Hadley know where you’re going to be. Fine. I give up. Stay up all night if you want to, but I’m not letting you sleep in tomorrow, Hadley. Jon needs the rest because he’s been busy. You have no excuse.”
“That’s fine,” Hadley said.
“Good night, Leon,” I said happily.
Hadley walked past him as she took what I was now certain was a coat of fur and tossed one side around my shoulder. She gathered it as she huddled close to me, our arms touching.
“Hi,” she said, her sweet tone warming my heart.
We wrapped our fingers around each other’s hands as we walked to the table and maneuvered over the bench until we were seated on it close beside each other.
“I wanted to stay up and wait for you, but I fell asleep,” she said. “I’m glad someone shouted and woke me up.”
“I’m glad, too.” We spoke in whispers.
“We shouldn’t stay up long.” She put her hand on my leg and kissed my cheek. “Eat, Jon.”
“I think I lost my appetite. For food, anyway.” I leaned close to her lips.
“Did you now?” She took hold of my shirt and pulled me in the rest of the way.
We didn’t kiss for long before Hadley climbed on my lap to provide a better angle for our lips. She held the fur around us, but the night alone provided a blanket of darkness that was all the privacy we needed.
A heat spread through my chest. I didn’t care about the bread anymore. I put my hands beneath her bottom and stood up with her. She wrapped her legs around me, our lips never parting.
I carefully walked us away from the table. “Where are you taking me, Jon?” she whispered playfully.
“To my tent.”
“Your tent is filled with Charlie, Michael, and Reuben.”
“Then to your tent
. I thought we might fall asleep with each other.” Or maybe more.
“I would like that, but I have even more people in mine.”
I let out my breath.
“Jon…” She sounded to be smiling, but I could hear she was against this idea. “This is not our night.”
“You’re right.” I hadn’t been thinking clearly.
I let her down.
“I will keep you warm as you eat,” she said. “Then we must sleep.”
*****
When I emerged from the boys’ tent in the morning, I had no recollection of anyone else getting up or even leaving the tent. It was well into the morning. Empty bowls of porridge still sat on the tables. I was starving and dirty. Leon’s “parenting” had made me feel more like a young boy last night than I had in a long time. A young boy who has to fight in a war. It was a strange feeling.
But now as I looked around, I again felt like the young man I was. Although almost everyone in the camp who wasn’t a sorcerer of the king seemed to be older than I was, I had duties and responsibilities to worry about. I fixed myself a bowl of porridge, glad for the time to be left alone as I gathered myself. However, as I started to eat, I became curious about what my peers seemed to be arguing about near Leon. I went over with my breakfast for a listen.
I was too groggy to realize until now that it was all the girls and none of the boys complaining here, and it was Leon who seemed to be the cause of their frustration, as all glared at him.
“There’s plenty of bathing barrels. What’s the problem?” Leon was asking defensively.
“There’s no privacy,” Aliana complained.
“There are sheets around them!” Leon replied as he gestured at the thick cloths hung around the bathing barrels.
“Anyone can just walk in!” Aliana said. “And the barrels don’t even reach high enough to cover us completely.”
“Then go to the river.”
Most of the girls expressed their displeasure through groans.
“It’s freezing!” Aliana said.
“The river can’t be heated,” Remi added.
Leon huffed. “What the hell do you want me to do?”
