by Narro, B. T.
“What do the men in charge look like?”
“We call them Fatbellies. They speak like something’s bitter in their mouth, and they wear these enormous coats of some unknown black and brown fur.” She gestured around her shoulders as if wearing one of these coats. “They must come from somewhere else.”
Greenedge. “How many are there?”
“In charge? A baker’s dozen at most. I suppose there’s more in the capital, though. They’re forcing everyone to stay in Oakshen under threat of death. The old and sick are already dying from hunger.”
“How many soldiers are in the city?”
Gabby shook her head as if in pain. “It would be a tough battle. At least a thousand, and they’re building a wall around the city. It’ll take weeks before they’re finished, but if more keep joining from hunger, it might be sooner.”
Starving the citizenry must’ve been Tauwin’s idea. He’d always needed complete control, acting like a child in that regard. If there was something he couldn’t have, he wanted it more. Even when his own father was the one standing in his way.
“Has there been any talk of rebellion?” Sanya asked.
“Yes, but none who want to rebel stay in Oakshen. They find a way to Trentyre or die trying. I want my family to rebel, but they’re fearful. They don’t know I’m out here because they would never allow it.”
“Why haven’t people run to the Academy instead of Trentyre?”
“It was announced that everyone will be fed once the Academy falls. They say the Academy is surrounded with no way in or out, and the headmaster will give up soon because he knows the people of Oakshen will starve until he does.”
This was a patient and cunning plan. Tauwin couldn’t have come up with it. He must’ve actually listened to his advisors, who didn’t want to lose more men trying to take the Academy.
“I think most of it is lies,” Gabby continued. “But people believe what they’re told. They think that if they behave, their children in the Academy will be delivered to them unharmed once this is over.”
“Does anyone know how many men Tauwin has in total?”
“I’m not sure, but he has people everywhere in common clothing, many acting as if they’ve lived in Oakshen for years. We don’t know where they came from, but people noticed them before the takeover.”
Thousands of them arrived by sea. King Kerr’s charisma had made it difficult for Tauwin to recruit anyone loyal to the late ruler, but Kerr didn’t have enough men watching the small town of Gendock, or anyone who saw the boats docking at night never alerted him.
“What about catapults?” Sanya asked.
It was in Gabby’s wide and expressive eyes, now twinkling with fear and resentment, that she differed the most from Effie, who usually had a wiser and calmer look about her. “That must be what they’re working on! We’ve heard sounds of construction from the northern end of the city. The area has been closed off, yet people have seen something tall.”
Building the siege weapons to the north means the Academy’s scouts might see them. Terren will attack preemptively if he’s as smart as he’s lauded to be. But could this be what Tauwin wants?
“Thank you, Gabby. I’ll report to Terren.” She started back to her bear.
“Tell my sister and Steffen that I love them and hope to see them soon.”
“I will.”
Sanya rode Muskie north for a little while, then turned west. After a few hours, she chanced upon a deer that she lured, killed, and cooked. She feasted on a thick slab of its rich and gamey meat, then let Muskie devour the rest of the carcass. Afterward, they she set off again. With a full yet uneasy stomach, she rode until she finally reached the capital, Kyrro City, by evening.
The beginning of what soon would be an enormous wall wrapped around the city. It was several hundred yards from the edge of the forest, and Sanya knew there must be guards watching for anyone coming or going. She thought about staying in the forest a while longer. She’d grown to like her bear.
No, she was just delaying the inevitable. She’d have to see Tauwin soon enough. She had the akorell stone. She had enough of her safli potion to keep her mother’s spirit alive until it was time. Playing in the forest with her bear was a luxury she couldn’t afford.
Alabell had told Sanya that she’d burned Tauwin with a fireball. But no matter how much he might be scarred, she could not show how much his touch disgusted her.
“Goodbye, Muskie,” she said to her huffing bear.
He grunted endearingly.
She sent a great spell of fear into him, then watched him lumber away. He would still love her as much as a bear was capable and probably even look for her.
Sanya investigated the wall for vulnerabilities, but it was too well guarded. That left only one option. She approached with false confidence.
“Halt there!” an archer yelled. He aimed and looked ready to shoot if she moved.
As another archer came to stand beside the first one, she raised her arms in surrender. “My name is Sanya Grayhart. I’m as important to Tauwin as his bastial steel sword. If you value your heads, you’ll take me to the castle.”
There was a moment of confused silence between the two men, but soon the first one lowered his weapon. After they conferred with a few others, the two men beckoned for her to follow them.
One asked if she was to marry Tauwin, but the other ordered him to keep his mouth shut. The trip was silent after that.
When they reached the castle, a few hushed words were spoken to the guards outside and Sanya was brought within the great hall. She wanted to leave the company of her escorts so she could find a room to hide in before Tauwin knew she was there. He would never let her eat or sleep in peace, and she wanted one more night to herself.
“I’m fine now,” she tried to tell the four men at her sides.
“Tauwin requested that you be brought to him the moment you arrive,” one said.
She was a possession, Tauwin’s prized pet. At least it was the highest level of regard he could have for people. Sanya didn’t hold it against him, though, for she had the same defect.
As she waited for one of the men to fetch Tauwin, she wondered if she’d see her father that night as well. The last time she’d spoken to him was when they were staying at the Takary mansion. He would pretend that he was worried about her, and she would thank him without conviction for his supposed concern.
She was delighted when Tauwin’s mother, Kithala, elegantly descended the long stairway instead of her son. The regal woman wore a finer dress every time Sanya saw her. She blessed this evening with a lavish one the deep color of cobalt. Her black hair was tied into a bun with no stray hairs to be found, a hairstyle that said Kithala must’ve spent the last few days conducting business, though if she was weary, she didn’t show it.
“Sanya.” Kithala took her hands and squeezed. “I worried about you frequently.”
“Thank you, but I’m fine.”
“I’m sure you must’ve figured out by my presence that Tauwin is busy at the moment, but he does wish to see you.”
He’s probably with a whore. “I’m happy with your company, Kithala.” Sanya’s words prompted a smile.
Only psychics could tell that Kithala was always nervous. She hid it flawlessly, except during mentions of her late husband, when her warm eyes would become dark with gloom for a moment. Sanya could feel that deep in Kithala’s heart, she knew her son was responsible for the fever that had killed her husband, but it was buried beneath a stone floor of unconditional love.
“Will I be seeing my father tonight?”
“He’s not here, love. You must be tired and hungry. Let me prepare you a meal, and would you like a bath?”
Why wasn’t her father in the castle? Sanya supposed that meant he was still at the Takary mansion, though he hated it there. Given that Kithala clearly didn’t wish to speak about it, Sanya would have to ask Tauwin. He only lied to her about the things that didn’t matter: how much time he
spent working, planning, and meeting, or the other women he’d been with. If he’d done something to her father, he’d tell her because he’d think his reason was justified.
“Just a bath, thank you,” Sanya said, hoping to get to bed as soon as possible. It was late, and there was much to do tomorrow.
CHAPTER NINE
Two days had passed since Sanya left the Academy. Cleve tried to sleep and train, but he felt confused and distracted every time his thoughts circled back to her. Why had she come to the Academy in the first place if what she told Basen was the truth?
The answer he was looking for came the second day, when Terren made an announcement. She’d wanted the school’s akorell stone and also was sent to spy. But if anyone had any idea what she had planned for the stone, they hadn’t shared it with Cleve.
His uncle sent someone to summon him to his house. Cleve planned to find out more about Sanya, but Terren spoke the moment he opened the door.
“I need to make another announcement soon. Come in.”
Hearing his uncle’s urgency, Cleve quickly entered and shut the door behind him. “Another announcement about Sanya?”
“Something else, but before I can tell you, I need to know if you’ll accept a dangerous task. It—”
“Yes.”
Terren was amused. “I haven’t told you what it is yet.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Terren stopped smiling to give Cleve a serious look. “You’ve always been eager to prove yourself, but you no longer have to do that for me or anyone else.”
“I don’t care about proving myself, I just want to help.” Terren grew a proud smile that embarrassed Cleve. “Stop that and get on with the details.”
But that only made Terren’s smile deepen. “I wish my brother was alive to see the kind of man you’ve become.”
Cleve never knew what to say when his uncle spoke like this. Immediately following the death of his parents, he’d cry every time they were mentioned. And now that Cleve was stronger, Terren had taken every opportunity to speak about them. In truth, Cleve’s father would be just as proud of his younger brother, Terren.
“Whatever you believe I can do to help, I’ll do it,” Cleve said to direct the conversation back to the reason he’d been summoned.
“We need more soldiers, Cleve.” Terren’s face took on a heavy grimace. “We need help from Tenred, but I don’t know if they’ve heard about the takeover. We can’t reach Javy Rayvender. We’ve sent all the pigeons we can, and none have returned.”
The Academy was surrounded by Tauwin’s men, making this mission sound impossible. Knowing Terren, however, he had some sneaky plan. There was still a problem, though.
“Even if we find a way to get to Tenred, is the territory still ours?” Cleve asked.
“Kyrro and Tenred still belong to King Kerr.”
“How much power can a dead man have?”
“The same as if he were alive…if those in Tenred believe him to be. The territory is ours,” Terren added firmly. “But I can’t guarantee we have the loyalty of Tenred’s soldiers. Some of them fought against us in the last war. They’ve spent time in our prisons, and, as an act of trust, they weren’t checked by psychics upon their release.” Terren turned his head as he lowered his voice. “But this decision was reached more so because our enemies were powerless to stand against our numbers by the time the war ended. They had no chance of rebellion. Now, so much has changed, and we have a lot to learn about them before we can trust them. That’s why I’m sending Reela with you. We need a skilled psychic to judge their loyalty.”
“Good. Reela will do well.”
“But getting there will be the most difficult part. There are only two paths to Tenred, and both are heavily guarded, which tells us that Tauwin clearly doesn’t want us going there. This is a sign that he hasn’t stolen their loyalty yet. Peter is to go with you and Reela. He’s the strongest warrior, besides you.”
“There are other warriors who are better than him.” But Cleve realized he was thinking of Alex. He didn’t know what to say to correct his mistake.
“Peter is going,” Terren said in a tone that left no room for argument. “And I’m sending another psychic with the three of you.”
“Why? Reela is strong enough for any situation we find ourselves in.”
Terren sighed softly, looking into Cleve’s eyes and waiting for him to realize something.
“What?” Cleve asked.
“You have to consider the possibility of Reela falling on the way there. We don’t want you arriving without a psychic. It’s prudent to send two.”
“Nothing will happen to Reela.”
“Words and wishes won’t protect her, Cleve.”
“But I will.”
Terren pondered for a moment. “You will, won’t you?” he muttered to himself, and then chuckled. “Fine. The party is verging on becoming too large anyway because I’m also sending Basen with you. Portals might be the advantage we need to win this war.”
“You’re not concerned about Sanya’s threat?”
“I’m concerned, but Basen doesn’t need to make any portals during the trip. He just has to find an area where enough bastial energy has been gathered over time, and he’ll be able to make a portal to that location at a later date. We need one that can get us into the Fjallejon Mountains.”
Now the nature of the plan was becoming clear, and Cleve agreed with it wholeheartedly. History had taught him that battling for the mountains between Kyrro and Tenred was worth almost any risk. The vantage point they gave was too valuable to ignore, and pigeons from both territories were already trained to fly there. Tauwin had to know this as well, however. The Fjallejon Mountains would be heavily guarded.
“Which is more important?” Cleve asked. “Finding a place to create a portal within the mountains or reaching Tenred?”
“Both are equally important.”
Cleve was surprised at how much was being asked of him. But before he could say anything, Terren spoke again. “I told you this was dangerous.”
“So you expect us to cross all the way through the narrow Fjallejon Pathway and make it to Tenred?”
“Yes.” Terren frowned. “I would go myself, Cleve, but I need to stay here in case there’s an attack.”
Cleve nodded in agreement. No matter the risk, he was thankful his uncle still trusted him more than anyone for such a task. “I’ll go, but I think a chemist would be valuable in our group.”
“I’m sending Alabell with you as well. She’s the best healer in the school, and we don’t have a role here for her until there’s a battle. She needs no further training, and we already have enough instructors for the rest of the students.”
“What about Steffen?” Cleve suggested. He’d been eager to see all the chemist had learned since they’d last fought together. “Alabell cannot wield a bow or sword like he can.”
“Steffen is needed for another task. He and Annah are to escort Liaison Wilfre to Trentyre.”
Cleve had wondered what would become of the liaison now that the king was dead, though this task came as a surprise. “What do you expect him to do in Trentyre?”
“His job.” Terren’s eyebrows rose with guilt as they often did when he needed to speak ill of another man. “Many cannot stand his presence here any longer, myself included. But he’s smart—he just needs to learn to be brave. He’ll find the leader in Trentyre, whether it’s Basen’s father or not, so we can begin working with our only allies.”
“Why Annah? She’s just a first-year, and there was the incident of her loyalty.”
“We know now that it was Sanya who made it appear that Annah was lying.”
Cleve shuddered inwardly. That meant Sanya’s psyche was strong enough to trick Reela, the strongest psychic Cleve knew besides her brother.
“Annah has already proven herself to be stronger than most third-years,” Terren continued. “And she’s eager to prove herself more.”
Cleve real
ized then that his last roommate hadn’t been mentioned. “What about Effie?” Every time Terren had sent Cleve outside the Academy for something like this, Effie had always been involved somehow, her skill with bastial and sartious energy foolish to overlook.
But Terren just frowned at Cleve’s question.
“You can’t keep Effie alone here,” Cleve added.
“Alone?” Terren chuckled. “She’ll be with the rest of us as we train and prepare for a battle that’s very likely to begin imminently. She’ll be surrounded by her comrades.”
“But none of them are her close friends. She’s fragile right now.” In Cleve’s eyes, Effie was a rose with thorns, but recently it seemed as though her thorns had dulled and she’d begun to wilt. She was drunk all the time and constantly weeping. He didn’t want to imagine how much worse her pain would be without Reela, who’d been sharing her bed each night to help her sleep.
“You might as well just send her with us,” Cleve said. “Having two mages is worth the small risk of adding one to the group.”
“I’m already sending more people than I want to with you through the Fjallejon Pathway. You know as well as I do that escaping detection is your only chance of making it to Tenred. However, I can put her with Steffen and Annah as they escort Liaison Wilfre. Effie’s ability to make light would allow them to travel without a lamp.” Terren nodded at his own words. “Yes, that’ll do.”
Unfortunately, as much as Steffen could hope to help Effie, it was Reela who the mourning mage needed. “Give them Peter and put Effie with us.”
Terren sighed, and Cleve could sense his uncle’s patience dwindling. No one but Cleve could speak this way to the headmaster, whose word was always final.
“Have you forgotten that Peter openly defied Wilfre last year?” Terren asked, folding his arms as he waited for Cleve to answer.
Cleve had forgotten about that. The liaison once caught Peter taking a shortcut over the corner of Warrior’s Field during a lap and demanded that he come back and go around the corner properly. Peter, already in a sullen mood from having to do the lap as punishment, ignored the liaison. Wilfre ran beside him and yelled for him to go back, but Peter finished his lap, all the while pretending Wilfre didn’t exist. The liaison complained to Sneary, who sent Peter on another lap, but that wasn’t enough for Wilfre. He saw Peter’s continued service to the Academy as an insult and asked Terren to expel the rude warrior, then sulked when Terren didn’t.
