Journey of Wisdom

by Shawna Thomas

  “I hope I have a chance.” Aclan cleared his throat. “Your plan is as good as any.” He shrugged. “When?”

  “As soon as possible. I’ll let you know. Stay close to your chamber.” Konrad moved toward the door. “And Prince, I think maybe you should have a new tutor.”

  Aclan narrowed his eyes in confusion. “This is not the time for studies, Konrad.”

  “I will assign one, if you like.” Konrad continued as though Aclan hadn’t spoken. His voice rose slightly. “Perhaps one who trained under Rothit, so you’re already familiar with the training style.”

  Understand blossomed. A personal guard, one who was loyal to the crown. “Good idea. My studies have suffered of late.”

  Konrad’s gaze softened as his voice lowered. “And these studies might well save your life.”

  * * *

  Ilythra sprinted past the first small group of prisoners so everyone could hear her without her having to yell again. Sound carried better on the road because of the sheer cliffs on either side, so the Rugians were still some distance away, but she didn’t want to make any further unnecessary noises to give away their location. To their credit, the prisoners continued down the mountain at a fast pace, if not a true run.

  “The Rugians are forming a pursuit. We knew they would. They’re in the pass behind us, by the door. It will take them a while to get organized. Longer to find where we exited the road.” She glanced at the sun. It had just begun to make its western descent. She couldn’t even count on shadows to camouflage the mess they’d made of the embankment, climbing off the road. “Mohan and I will try to hide our tracks as best we can. Res, you and—” She pointed to the other man with the sword. She couldn’t remember his name. “You lead the men toward the forest. Don’t stop. Don’t look back. Whatever you do, keep going. Got it?”

  Res and the other man nodded. Prisoners stared after them with wide eyes but kept up their steady progress down the mountain.

  Ilythra turned to Mohan. “Me and you against the Rugian army?”

  His grin was infections, showing even teeth that seemed the whiter for the dirt smudging his face. “Sure why not? It’s been a few hours since I was really challenged.”

  Ilythra laid one hand on his shoulder. “Have I told that I love you?”

  Mohan’s grin spread to his eyes. “No, but if we survive this, I can think of a way you can show me.”

  Ilythra pushed him away but chuckled. “Come on.” They backtracked up the mountain. Ilythra concentrated on moving one foot after the other. Her legs felt numb, as if they didn’t belong to her body. She was afraid if she stopped, she’d never get back up again. At least not until the Rugians found her. She cut two branches from an evergreen and they set to work attempting to remove any evidence a lot of men had traveled across the land. The rocky ground proved to be an ally. Only the thin dust revealed their presence.

  A Rugian shout traveled through the air. Ilythra closed her eyes. They’d found the place the prisoners had left the road.

  With renewed vigor, Ilythra and Mohan swept any indications of their presence clean, making their way down the mountain as quickly as possible.

  “Be careful.” Mohan grabbed Ilythra’s arm.

  She looked around. Rocks of various sizes littered the ground and leaned away from the mountain, perching precariously. It reminded her of lizard shedding its skin. Maybe there had been Glyths, giant lizards, in these mountains. This place looked as though someone had peeled rock from the mountain face. They’d avoided it on their way up.

  “It won’t take much for this to give way,” Mohan warned.

  Ilythra stopped and stared from Mohan to the jumble of rocks. An idea formed. “No it won’t.”

  “What are you planning?” His eyes narrowed.

  “Show me a way,” she muttered and patted Ilydearta under her tunic. Ilythra stepped closer to the pile of rocks, and then she saw it. Several rocks leaned against a large boulder. Should the boulder move, all the smaller rocks—and even those were sizeable—would come with it. A grin stretched her mouth. Maybe they had a chance after all.

  “We’ve been going at this all the wrong way.” Her voice was breathless with enthusiasm. “There’s an easier way to cover our tracks and maybe take care of our pursuers. Come on.”

  Mohan followed her up the mountain.

  She pointed out the rock. “That’s the keystone. Do you see it?”

  He was silent for several moments then nodded. “Once that goes, it all goes.”

  “And anything under it goes with it.” She stared at him. “Go tell the prisoners to veer north. It should keep them clear of the rocks.”

  Mohan shook his head. “You go tell them to veer north. You’re barely staying upright. Besides, I’m stronger than you. I should be the one to move the rock.”

  Ilythra clenched her jaw. By the Mother, he had a point. “First find out if it’s loose.”

  Mohan gingerly made his way to the rock. His muscle strained against the boulder, pulling his tunic tight against his body. The large rock shifted. Several smaller rocks tumbled down the mountain. It was going to work.

  “Do you know how to get out of the way?” She glanced up the mountain and pointed. “See that rock shelf? That’s not going anywhere.”

  Mohan followed her gaze and nodded. He placed one hand on his hip. “I’m an expert at escaping compromising situations. I’ll be fine. Besides, it’s my turn to do something heroic and daring. Hurry.”

  Emotion clogged Ilythra’s throat. “I’d better see you again.”

  “You can count on it.” Mohan grinned. “You wanted to show me how much you love me, remember?”

  Ilythra turned and fled down the mountain.

  * * *

  Mohan stared after Ilythra. He swallowed. He hoped he knew what he was doing. Carefully, he examined the area, making sure the rocks beneath him would tumble but that his perch would be secure. Here the rock looked like blocks of gray marbled with an orangey-red. It was pretty in its own way. He could see the perch Ilythra had pointed to, but up close it didn’t look any more stable than the rest of the mountain. He scanned the area again. He didn’t want to be one of the rocks tumbling down the mountain. He finally gave up. There was no way of knowing how the rocks would move until they did. The boulder he had to push was about half his size but precariously balanced. A good snowfall would send it tumbling. He was surprised it had lasted the winter.

  He removed a couple of smaller stones to assure it would head in the right direction. Even if it didn’t start the rest of the rocks sliding toward the valley, the boulder would take a few Rugians with it on its way down the mountainside. Hopefully that would be enough.

  Sooner than he liked, he heard the guttural sound of Rugian. A dozen men headed down the mountain. Mohan stepped behind the rock and strained against it. It rocked and then stuck. Sweat beaded on his forehead. Shit. He pushed again.

  A Rugian shouted. He’d been spotted. He looked up to see a large man picking his way up the mountain toward him. He pushed against the boulder with everything he had. The rock froze then started rolling. The mountain moved with it.

  Chapter Nine

  The ground shook. Ilythra squatted down and picked up the man she helped limp along, placing him over her shoulder. “Run!” she yelled. They’d taken a diagonal route down the mountain. She didn’t want to get too far off course, so Mohan could find them, but they needed to be well away from the slide.

  The prisoners shuffled more quickly over the uneven ground.

  A low rumble slowly gained in strength until it was a roar. Ilythra turned around, frozen in awe as rocks slid down the slope, taking trees and shrubs along with them. For a moment, she watched rocks and dirt pour like water down the mountain, and then an eerie silence fell.

  Dust floated along the air,
filling her lungs. Ilythra examined the mountain. A section about five wheels wide had transformed. Several of the prisoners coughed. A single rock bounced down the mountain face. She searched the terrain. No Mohan. Down below, a jumble of rocks, trees and other debris settled onto a small shelf. Smaller slides followed the first, all below and to the side of where they stood. An arm stuck out of the heap of rock. Ilythra ran toward it, slipped on unstable ground but caught her balance before she skidded into the rubble. Covered with dust, the arm was almost unrecognizable. Her throat closed and tears misted her eyes. Please gods, no.

  As she neared, a tattoo winding around the arm became visible. It was also larger than Mohan’s, more heavily muscled. One of the Rugians. Her legs wobbled with relief. She fought to stay upright.

  “He’s not in there.” Res’s voice sounded by her side. He placed an arm under her elbow. “He’ll be fine. I know he will.”

  Ilythra nodded but barely heard him. She stared back up the mountain, willing the figure of her friend to appear. It should have been me. A bird chirped and flew across her line of vision. No Mohan. Ilythra took one step up the mountain. She needed to find him. What if he was hurt and needed her? He could be trapped under a boulder. Her heart started racing.

  “What now?”

  Ilythra blinked. Res still held her arm. The prisoners gathered in a loose group, staring at her for direction. She glanced from the mountain to the motley group. She still had a job to do. “I don’t think there will be any further pursuit.” Her voice broke. “At least not right away. But we can’t wait here. We’ll head into the forest, where we can find water and food.” Dread coated her skin, slowed her step. What if Mohan had given his life to save them? Could she live with herself?

  It should have been me.

  * * *

  Aclan slipped through the halls just behind Konrad. Shivers ran up his back, but every time he turned, the hall was deserted. The steward had yet to assign him a new teacher and he’d felt exposed, alone and vulnerable since their meeting.

  “This way.” Konrad kept his voice low. He turned down a corridor.

  Aclan froze. A guard stood in front of a door. Konrad had betrayed him! Panic surged through his body. He turned to run, but a heavy hand landed on his shoulder. He ducked and twisted, punching the taller steward in the jaw. Konrad backpeddled.

  “No stop! He’s one of ours,” Konrad said in a furious whisper.

  Aclan turned around.

  The guard helped the steward to his feet and studied Aclan. “You’re not as helpless as you let people believe. Rothit said you had some of the old warrior blood in you.”

  Aclan swallowed. “I’m sorry. I just—”

  Konrad rubbed his jaw. “You can’t be too careful. This seemed easier than distracting the guard. This is Pietre, my cousin. He is loyal to your father and to you. Really, Aclan. I don’t know whether to be proud you’re on your guard or worried you don’t trust me.” The steward opened then closed his mouth. “Cassia is still recovering. This guard isn’t one of Bredych’s priorities. She couldn’t get out of the castle alive.”

  “Bredych’s Rugians guard every exit. Even those through the kitchen,” Pietre offered.

  “I’ve been trying to determine who in the castle is still loyal to your father and who serves Bredych.” Konrad opened and closed his mouth, rubbing his jaw.

  “Is it that desperate?” Aclan asked.

  “Oh, yes. The numbers aren’t encouraging.”

  Aclan’s heart sank as he faced the door. Even if she was a traitor, maybe Cassia had some answers. The guard and Konrad stepped aside.

  He opened the door. The room was dark, with only a single candle to fight the gloom. A form moved on the center of a narrow bed. He wrinkled his nose. The room smelled of filth. He heard Konrad slip inside with him and the door shut. He was suddenly afraid.

  “Please, no.” The voice was weak but it was Cassia’s. The form moved.

  He stepped forward. Cassia’s pale face was darkened by bruises, and a ragged but healing gash ran down the side of her face. Her hands were chained to the sides of the bed. She closed her eyes and collapsed against the pillow.

  He thought she’d gone back to sleep, when she opened her eyes and blinked. “It is you. I thought I was dreaming. What are you doing here? Come to gloat?”

  Aclan glanced to Konrad. What did she mean? The steward’s face remained impassive. “These bruises. Was she beaten?”

  Konrad nodded. “Rugians.”

  Aclan swallowed and turned back to Cassia. “Why would I gloat? I’ve come to ask you a question. You were close with Ilythra—”

  A harsh laugh issued from Cassia’s mouth. She began coughing. When she stopped, she stared at Aclan, her pale eyes gleaming in the faint light. “I was not close with that bitch. She cost me everything.”

  “What are you talking about?” He stepped forward in confusion. Konrad laid one hand on his shoulder.

  “Oh, the poor, ignorant prince. Your kingdom is slipping out of your hands and you don’t even know it,” Cassia spat out.

  Incomprehension froze his tongue. What was she so angry about? He’d run into Cassia a few times, and she’d seemed distant and a little aloof, but then, he didn’t deal much with the servants outside his personal retinue. “I am asking you to help your king,” he said.

  “My king!” Cassia cackled. “What has he ever done for me?” She turned pale blue eyes on him. “You mean our dear father, brother.” Derision dripped from her chapped lips.

  Aclan turned again to Konrad. Was the girl mad?

  “I see you didn’t know,” Cassia continued. “Our father had a wife before your mother. I am the product of that union. Forced to work as a servant in my own house and watch my younger brother be pampered from a spoiled child into a whimpering boy-man.”

  “I...I don’t understand.” He stepped back. Konrad’s hand didn’t leave his shoulder. “Our father?”

  “How could you understand? Have you ever thought of anyone but yourself? Yes, our father, you worthless brat.”

  Aclan started, too surprised to be angry. No one had every spoken to him with such disdain. He narrowed his eyes. The girl must be mad. If his father had had another wife, he’d have known about it. Wouldn’t he? Dread cooled his skin. No one would have thought or dared to tell him. What if it was true? He fought off a sense of betrayal. “We can deal with that later. I think my father is being drugged. There is a tea—”

  Again Cassia laughed. The sound brought shivers to his spine. “Let me let you in on a secret, prince of Greton. Your life is not worth any more than mine.” She coughed, a deep, hacking sound that shook her small body.

  Aclan glanced at Konrad. Emotions and thoughts flitted through his head in rapid succession, so he couldn’t get a clear hold on any. But one thing was clear. Cassia did have information that could help his father, and he needed to know what that information was. “What can I do to help you? Ilythra was not a traitor. You’ve been unjustly accused.”

  Cassia stared at the prince. “It’s not my life I worry about.”

  “Tell me how to help my father, and I’ll help you. I promise.”

  “Promises are like spring flowers. Gone when the sun is hot.” Tears formed in the girl’s eyes. “But what have I to lose? Your father is not just now being drugged. He has been drugged for years. I have no doubt the tea he’s drinking is somehow tainted. He has not ruled this kingdom for a long time. If he ever did.”

  Fear stole Aclan’s breath. It couldn’t be true. But the puzzle pieces were so rapidly falling into place, how could he deny it? The fugues. Cassia might have reason to lie, but that lie would not benefit her. He had no reason to doubt the serving girl. It made sense. “How do I counteract the poison?”

  “That I don’t know.” She shrugged. “Stop drinking it would be a good
start. And if he’s still wearing his fragrance, destroy that too. I think that’s what Ilythra did.”

  Ilythra had been drugged too, and she’d escaped. Why hadn’t she warned him? The sense of betrayal deepened. “You said she cost you everything. What did she do?”

  “She left. I was to rule this kingdom. He promised me. Then I could assure that my...” Her eyes widened. She reached for Aclan’s tunic, but the chains snapped against the bedposts. “Save her. That’s what I ask. It’s the least you could do for me.”

  “Who? Ilythra?”

  Her grimace was almost animal-like in its intensity. “Not Ilythra. My daughter. Liana.”

  * * *

  “Are you sure it’s safe to light a fire?”

  Ilythra shook herself. The temptation to escape thought by sinking into the exhaustion and numbness was strong. But she needed to stay alert; there were still decisions to be made. She faced the prisoner then turned to watch the flames. “Safer now than during the day. The smoke will blend with the night, and someone would have to get close in order to spot the flames.”

  The man nodded. The men had finished off two rabbits and a squirrel they’d roasted on spits over the open flames. One of the men had found some edible roots, and with spring runoff, water was plentiful. The men were as clean as they could get and their stomachs were full. She almost smiled. Mohan would have had something to say about her bland meat.

  Several men lay curled on the ground, sleeping off the day’s events. In her mind, she walked over and joined them. Exhaustion and fear had taken their toll, but when Mohan came, she wanted to be awake to greet him. Three of the stronger men stood watch just out of sight. The rest huddled by twos and threes, talking in low tones or nodding off. Tonight they’d eat and rest. Tomorrow they’d all go their separate ways. She would need to sleep too, and soon.

  Her spine prickled. She tensed then made herself relax. Someone was watching them. Her heart thudded hard, chasing the notion of sleep away. Not the Rugians. She didn’t think stealth was their strength. Could it be Bredych? No, she didn’t sense the stone. Mohan? She dismissed the idea. Mohan had no reason to watch them. Bredych didn’t have to come himself. He could have sent scouts. Without appearing to do so, she scanned the dark forest. Nothing. The trees were still not thick, but undergrowth thrived under their canopies. A thousand places to hide.