The Amber Owl (Heartwood #1)

Chapter 27 Aleksis

27

Aleksis

They were safe. But for how long? And how to deal with the problem of Lukas? They could hardly have left him behind. There’d been no time to consider. He’d had to put the emergency plan in place as soon as Pavel briefed them. He knew Stasya would have refused to leave without her friend. Besides, he knew Elisabeta. Once she realised Stasya was gone her fury would be immense, and if Lukas had still been at Dragon’s Keep he might have borne the brunt of that.

Stasya hadn’t asked him where they were going or why. On the ride she hadn’t said much at all. It must have been truly shocking for her to have to wait the hours out, knowing what the Ruler had threatened. She’d faced an impossible choice, and he suspected it would weigh on her for the rest of her life. He should give her time to gather herself; time to talk to Lukas. But he owed her the uncomfortable truth. He had to tell her soon. On his own, but with Matiss on standby. There’d be only one night in this safe house, then they must move on, provided Lukas was up to it. They had to stay ahead of any pursuit. The Ruler would want her prize playing piece back. She’d never give up the belief that she could bend Stasya to her will.

As for himself, Elisabeta would make him pay for what he had done. An act of treason, that was how she would see it. If she tracked them down, others, too, would face a grim penalty. Not only the three guards who rode with him, but also his other allies within Dragon’s Keep, should the Ruler identify them. All those who had aided their escape would be at risk. He’d known that from the first, and he’d made sure anyone who became part of the plan did so in the understanding of what it might come to. Their agreement did not lessen the burden of responsibility; many lives depended on the venture succeeding, and it was a heavy weight to bear. But he must pursue his goal. The very future of the Northlands hung in the balance.

There’d been no way to send word ahead; their departure had been too rushed. Lukas’s predicament had given them no choice but to leave on the same night they’d got back from Raven’s Watch. Now they’d reached a certain farm cottage, at some distance from a small settlement, and Pavel had gone to find the owner, a man who was always ready with supplies and support when required. A man who would keep his mouth shut. He was also a breeder of horses, which meant he had good facilities for their animals. They unharnessed their mounts without waiting for him and settled them in a safe yard with water and shelter. The cottage was not locked up. It held basic supplies, as well as bedding, cook pots and the like. Matiss kindled a fire on the hearth; Stasya carried in wood from an outside pile without being asked. Karolis drew water from a well and brought a bucket in.

Lukas was plainly exhausted but refused to lie down and rest. Under different circumstances, Aleksis guessed, he would be the capable, competent one in the team. It wasn’t hard to imagine how he felt now. Too weak to be useful. A burden. He was another victim of the Ruler’s insistence on swift action. Aleksis had warned Elisabeta often enough, but when she was set on a goal, she could be blind to all else.

‘Lukas,’ he said, ‘could you help Stasya stack that wood?’

A simple task, but a necessary one. He didn’t want to insult the young man. Lukas went to work without a word. He wasn’t even talking to Stasya. Indeed, he seemed to be avoiding her eye. His expression was grim as death.

It wasn’t long before Pavel returned with the owner, Leon, and his son, bringing food supplies, more blankets, a warm mash for the horses. Conversation was minimal; the risk was well understood. They must keep ahead of the Ruler’s men, cover their tracks where they could, and remember that what folk didn’t know, they couldn’t tell. Leon recommended a route to follow, with the need to evade pursuit taking precedence over speed. Aleksis did not mention their final destination, only the codename of the next safe house, which they should reach in less than a day’s ride provided the weather stayed fair.

‘The small bag has bandages, strapping, a salve for aches and pains.’ Leon glanced at Lukas, who was laying wood on the stack with concentration, his jaw set firmly, his brow creased.

‘That’ll be useful,’ Aleksis said. ‘Karolis strained his leg not long ago, and we’ve had a long ride.’

‘Stay an extra day if you want. The place is yours for as long as you need it.’ Leon paused to consider something. ‘You could go on by boat, if a trip along the lake will take you where you need to be. There’s a fellow, trustworthy, who has a sound craft for loan. You could leave the horses with me, pick them up on— pick them up later.’

On the way back , Aleksis thought. That might never happen. If it did, it might be a disaster or, eventually, a triumph, depending on how this turned out. ‘Thank you, you’ve been generous. It’s more likely we’ll take the horses on further, but we’ll talk about it and make a plan.’

‘I’ll leave you to get settled, then. I’ll come back before dark to check all’s well.’

They were all weary. Tending to the horses, sorting out baggage, preparing and eating a meal happened in near-silence. The cottage had only one room, which served as both living and sleeping quarters, but an alcove-like area at the back allowed Stasya some privacy, and she arranged her share of the bedding there. There was nowhere private to talk. After the meal, Aleksis said he would take the platters outside to wash them and asked Stasya to help him. A few glances were exchanged, but nobody made comment.

‘Ask your questions, then,’ Aleksis said when the two of them were out by the well, washing and rinsing the items in a pair of buckets. ‘You have many, I’m sure. But keep your voice down, even here.’

Stasya gave him a look that might have meant anything. The little bird was hopping about in the long grass, perhaps searching for insects. She’d offered no further explanation for that mystery, and he didn’t plan to ask. ‘There’s only one question that matters,’ she said now, continuing to scrub a cook pot as she spoke. ‘Or maybe two. Where are we going, and why? I should have said thank you for rescuing us. For saving us. I do say it. But … this is a big thing for you, isn’t it? Won’t you get in terrible trouble?’

Aleksis drew a deep breath. This was hardly the best setting in which to tell her. But he had to get the truth out. Right now. ‘Stasya … I can’t take you back to Heartwood settlement. Rihard – the Commander – and his men are still there. I suggested to the Ruler that she recall them, but she dismissed that idea. She did send a message requesting that they hold back on their advance into the forest until she’d had more time to consider the current situation. I wrote that for her. Whether Rihard has done so, I don’t know. But with them still in place, it wouldn’t be safe for you there. Or for Lukas.’

She crouched there very still, scrubbing brush in hand, saying not a word. Waiting. Knowing something was coming.

‘We are going back to that general area. Not on main roads. Not through any of the larger settlements. At a certain point we’ll leave these horses in good care and continue on foot. That’s if you agree to the plan.’ Say it, he ordered himself. Get the words out! What sort of man are you?

‘Plan,’ Stasya echoed. ‘What plan?’

‘I’ll tell you. I ask you to hear me out, please.’

Silence.

‘I need to get to the Hermit, Stasya.’ He heard her indrawn breath. He could not meet her eyes. ‘Or close to it. I’m asking you to guide me there, with my companions. Just this small group, no more. No cutting down of trees, no hacking out of paths now or in the future, I promise.’

Her body had frozen up; he did not need to touch her to know it. It was as if she were suddenly unable to move so much as a little finger. As if she’d stopped breathing. And then he made himself look and saw utter horror on her face. Worse than that, bitter disappointment. This was what he’d feared.

‘Exactly what she wanted,’ Stasya said. She kept her voice quiet, as requested, but her tone pierced him like a knife. ‘The Ruler. The last time she questioned me. When you were away. She tried to coax me into it, said it would be a small party, no destruction, exactly this.’ She was moving her fingers in some kind of pattern, perhaps to keep herself calm. He had thought she might shout at him, scream abuse, or perhaps shed tears. This was almost worse. ‘You’re a liar, Aleksis. You’ve been playing her game all along. Why did it have to come to this? They were going to whip me to death! I thought— I really thought—’

She was losing control of her voice. It was rising fast. He put a finger to his lips. ‘You haven’t let me answer the second part of your question.’

‘How could that make any difference?’ She got to her feet, hugging her arms around herself and turning her face away.

‘It might, Stasya. First, I should make it clear that from the moment we left Dragon’s Keep, I knew I was leaving my position of trust as Lady Elisabeta’s adviser. It was my decision to act as I did, and mine alone. Those who helped me did so at my request, not the Ruler’s; I gave them a choice. All of us will have lost our posts at court over this, and any return there would be perilous for us.’

‘But— It doesn’t make sense. You had a plan in place, horses ready to go. The way we got out through that grating … We did that in the middle of the night without anyone stopping us. Matiss and the others must have known about that plan even before you went away. It can’t have been something you just decided that night. Last night,’ she added, reflecting his own astonishment that so much could change in the space of a day.

‘There was a plan in place, yes. It was waiting only for the right time. We had to act sooner than I’d intended because of the situation with you and Lukas. But yes, we were ready. It was sad that we had to leave our own horses behind; we couldn’t expect them to go on straight after a very long day’s ride.’

She turned back to face him, steadier now. The bird flew up to her shoulder; settled there. It, too, was watching him. Maybe, if he said the wrong thing, it might become a ravening wolf or ferocious bear at a snap of the fingers. Was that possible?

‘If you wanted me to do this, why didn’t you ask me when we were in Heartwood?’ Stasya challenged. ‘Why wait until so much went wrong and so many folk were hurt? Why take me and Lukas all the way to court, where she … I don’t need to tell you what she did. You must know most of it.’

Aleksis sighed. ‘I remind you that I was sent to Heartwood specifically to report back on Rihard’s progress with his mission. Or so the Ruler believed; I had my own reasons for being there. The Commander’s approach to the task he’d been given was, I knew, likely to be less than subtle. Rihard is not exactly known for his compassion. Once I saw the situation at Heartwood, I sent the note I mentioned before. Before there was any response from the Ruler, there came the fire. It was imperative to get the injured out, and I left Heartwood for that reason. Lukas was hurt. And you were in danger, having drawn yourself to the Commander’s attention.’

‘So I came with you, and so did Irina. Who was then imprisoned and tortured until she gave up hope and killed herself. And now you expect me to do precisely what I’ve refused to do every single time the Ruler pushed and threatened and badgered me to agree to it.’

Matiss had appeared in the doorway of the cottage, looking across the yard at the two of them. Aleksis gave him a nod that might have meant, All’s well , and the big man retreated indoors. But all was far from well. ‘Stasya … What happened to Irina was terrible. Every moment I regret agreeing to go to Raven’s Watch. I regret staying as long as I did, though the delay was not of my making. I’m deeply sorry that I could not save your friend. She deserved none of this. But here we are, and I am doing my best to explain.’

Stasya put a hand to her face, perhaps wiping away tears. ‘So explain. Why? Why do you want to get to the Hermit, if it’s not to rip out the hidden treasure that’s supposed to be there and enrich yourself? What is so important that you’d turn against the Ruler and risk not only your own life, but those of everyone who has helped you? Shouldn’t you know better than that? Aren’t royal advisers supposed to be wise? Haven’t you been one for years?’

He grimaced. ‘A few years, yes. For Lord Kasimir before Elisabeta. My father was senior adviser before me. I was more or less brought up at court.’

‘Yet now you walk away from it.’ There was a new note in Stasya’s voice. Curiosity?

‘It’s time. I must walk away. I have my own mission. A story that began when I was young. A story that still isn’t finished. But I can’t tell you that tale now.’

‘Why not, Aleksis?’

‘Sometimes not knowing is safer. But a time will come when I can share it. I will tell you the tale then, I promise. Before we reach our destination.’

‘I’m tired of secrets,’ she said. ‘And I don’t trust promises, not now.’ And although she did not add, Especially not from you, Aleksis heard those words as if she’d spoken them aloud.

‘Then I will make promises only to myself. If you will come with us, you can help put an end to the time of secrets. We can make it a time of hope.’

Stasya had returned to rinsing out the cook pot, as if tired of his nonsense. It was only as he was collecting spoons, knives and platters to take them back inside that she said quietly, ‘A time of hope. That sounds good. I wish I could believe you.’ She bent to retrieve the other pot.

‘Stasya.’

She looked up and met his eye.

‘What you said before, about the whipping – what exactly did they tell you? Did they say the punishment was intended for you?’

After a moment, she said, ‘That was what I heard. Thought I heard. Fifty lashes. At dawn. Two chances to stop it, if I agreed to do what she wanted. They came past twice, and I didn’t speak.’ A pause; she had gone ashen pale, and he regretted asking. ‘What are you saying? Did I get it wrong? I thought that was why you …’

‘The Ruler wouldn’t have done that; she needed you alive. It was Lukas who was to be whipped. Pavel told us everyone at court was talking about it; the word had got around quickly. If you’d held out until morning, they would have made you watch, hoping you would change your mind before it was too late.’ She made a sound that tore his heart; he crouched down next to her, putting his hand on her shoulder. ‘You’re safe now,’ he said. ‘You’re both safe. And we’ll do our best to keep it that way.’

‘Oh gods,’ Stasya said, her hands over her face. ‘I was … upset, angry. And tired, so tired. I think I was shouting, fighting … I can’t remember, not properly. It’s all a blur. Oh, poor Lukas, he must think …’

Would you have done as Elisabeta wished, if you had known? The question was in his mind, but he would not ask it. She’d been so strong, so steadfast. Clearly, she’d been prepared to die, painfully, rather than abandon her principles. Would she have held out if it had meant a hideous death for her friend? ‘You’ll want to talk to him,’ he said. ‘Explain what happened. He might need a bit of time.’

There was silence for a while.

‘About the other thing,’ Stasya said shakily. ‘What you said. The forest. The Hermit. I’ll need to talk to him about that too, find out what he wants to do. And I haven’t said yes. It’s hard for me to believe you’re not asking me to do exactly what the Ruler wants. It’s hard to believe this is not all a trick.’

‘I understand why you wouldn’t trust me, Stasya. All I can say is, we got you and Lukas out. And our reasons for wanting to reach the Hermit have nothing to do with amber or trading.’

‘You wouldn’t be able to go into the forest anywhere near our settlement,’ she said. ‘And I don’t know any other ways in.’

‘I do,’ he said, lowering his voice further. ‘I was there once before.’ Even now, speaking of it hurt. He’d hoped he might not need to; not yet.

‘Really? When?’

‘When I was young. A child of ten. An adventure; an exploration. We were … we were with family. The place lay north of your settlement. Not right on the forest edge, but close. I think the way we took might also lead to that lake you mentioned.’

‘The place where we found amber.’ There was judgement in her tone.

‘Yes. But we knew nothing of that.’ Don’t ask me to tell the story. Not yet.

Stasya made no comment. Still judging him. Still doubting him. He reminded himself that she had been alone and afraid not very long ago, thinking herself on the brink of death and no doubt wrestling with her conscience.

‘Before we go in,’ he said, ‘I have something of yours to return.’ He reached into a concealed pocket and brought out the amber owl, whose broken cord had been replaced by a fine silver chain. It was just as well Elisabeta had trusted him to lock it away somewhere safe and had not asked to see it recently. ‘Here,’ he said, putting it in Stasya’s hand. The little bird that was Flip gave a chirrup; was he imagining the happiness in that sound?

‘My owl,’ Stasya whispered. ‘I thought I’d lost it forever. You had it all this time?’

‘It was locked away in a chest at court. I removed it before we left for Raven’s Watch, thinking it would be safer in my keeping. May I help …?’ She was struggling with the clasp. At her nod, he stood behind her and fastened the chain around her neck. Briefly his fingers brushed her skin; briefly a curl of her hair fell across his hand, soft as a feather. The bird turned its head with a jerk, pointing its beak straight at his face, and he drew his hands away. It had stayed in that form throughout the journey. No sign of the little dog. It would take him a long time to get used to the oddity of that. ‘We’d best go in,’ he said. ‘It’s getting cold.’

Halfway back Stasya came to a sudden halt. ‘What about Lukas?’ she asked in a murmur. ‘He’s not looking well. He needs time to recover. A climb like that …’

‘I thought we’d find somewhere for him to stay, at a safe distance from Heartwood. A place with folk who can look after him, nurse him back to good health.’

‘Folk like Laima and Ivo? Could he go back there?’

‘Sadly, no. That farm is too close to Dragon’s Keep. There are other places, more out of the way. I don’t expect him to undertake the climb to the Hermit. He’s been through more than enough.’

Stasya considered for a moment. ‘You need to tell him what you’ve told me. And make sure he knows I haven’t said yes. He’ll want to be treated like the man he is, courageous and kind. He’ll want to make up his own mind.’

‘You’re the one he trusts, Stasya. You tell him.’