The Price of Freedom (Heirs of the Empire #2)

8. Elric

8

ELRIC

T hey leave at dawn the following morning. Elric blinks in the spring sunshine, when his blindfold is removed, finding himself standing on a dirt track with the Mortingale mountains behind him and wide grassland ahead. Lukas is before him, slipping the blindfold away into a pouch on his belt.

Behind Lukas, the Mortingale Outlaws have a single horse and a cart laden with a cargo of wooden boxes. Elric presumes there are supplies for the journey in those boxes, although the cart is well loaded. What else the boxes might contain is a mystery.

Lukas leads Elric to a spot at the back of the cart and ties Elric’s wrists together in front of him. As before, Elric is impressed with how deftly Lukas has roped him. The bindings are firm but do not bite his wrists. It’s astounding to Elric that Lukas can do this so adeptly with a hand and a hook. The rope that binds Elric’s wrists has a second, longer rope attached to it that Lukas can use to lead Elric along.

Red Wolf climbs into the cart and settles himself, sprawling on the wooden boards, leaning up against the boxes. He looks as smug and self-satisfied as he had done the night before. He gives Elric a single nod. In his lap sits a small black dog.

Lukas eyes the dog, “You’re bringing Marko?”

“Of course,” says Red Wolf, petting the dog under its fluffy chin. “She’d pine without me. And she is dying to see the sinful delights of Lunatum.”

Elric looks at the dog. She looks like a small bundle of black rags.

When they’re ready to leave. Inga and Little Lamb take up places in front of the cart, ahead of the horse. Inga holds a leading reign.

She looks back at them as if checking everything is arranged to her satisfaction, before giving a nod and urging the horse to begin walking forward. The cart moves with a jolt. Lukas falls in behind it, tugging Elric on the rope.

“How come I don’t get to ride in the cart?” Elric says in a whiny tone.

“Quiet,” Lukas snaps back at him. “You will walk as I lead you and you will not speak.”

It has not escaped Elric’s attention that Lukas is leading him in the same way that Inga is leading the horse.

The party proceeds for a while in silence. Whenever Elric looks at Lukas his eyes are fixed on the path ahead. In the cart they follow, Red Wolf and Marko seem to have fallen asleep.

After some time travelling over grassland, the sun has climbed half the sky and they reach a scrubby copse. The track continues through, trees thick on either side. The air is cooler once they are in the woodland. Elric is glad to escape the strong sunshine which was beginning to burn his skin.

Something about being under the trees seems to change the mood. Elric decides that he cannot pass the days-long journey to Lunatum walking in silence, so he opts to bring up a topic he is dying to investigate further. “So,” he begins in a casual drawl. “Tell me more about having your hand cut off in Lunatum.”

“Quiet,” Lukas snaps. He jerks the rope attached to Elric’s wrists in a way that makes him stumble on the pitted track.

“Don’t be like that, Silverhand. I was just wondering. Did it hurt?”

“ Did it hurt? ” Lukas says, over his shoulder. “Did it hurt when they roped my arm down on a block and cut my hand off with an axe? Yes, it fucking hurt.”

Elric hides a gasp. So he lost it to the brutal Lunatum enforcers.

Red Wolf sits up from where he’s sprawled in the cart. His open shirt spills off one pale shoulder. “The real cruelty,” Red Wolf coos playfully, “is that they also cut his cock off.”

Lukas makes an exasperated growling sound. Elric suspects it isn’t the first time Red Wolf has claimed this.

“That’s strange,” says Elric cheerily to Red Wolf, “because I was paying attention to the contents of Silverhand’s breeches during our interrogation and I’m sure he was distinctly roused at some of the more interesting points. He definitely has a cock.”

Red Wolf laughs. “Oh, really? During interrogation ? You know I have oft wondered if that’s what he needs to inspire him. Dear old Lucky was once the most virile fuck in the Mortingales. But now,” Red Wolf sighs expansively, “he leaves much to be desired in the bed chamber.” Dappled sunlight glitters on Red Wolf’s white teeth and coppery hair. “That’s why I had to turn him out of my bed.”

“I’m sure I wouldn’t have such problems if I had the handsome Silverhand covering me,” Elric says, which gets a laugh from Red Wolf.

Lukas looks at Elric. “Shut your mouth,” he says in a low growl. “I will gag you.”

Elric decides to ignore this. “So, are you two lovers or ex-lovers?” Elric says, thinking he would very much like to know more about that. For all kinds of reasons. He glances from Red Wolf to Elric. “I suppose you like redheads, do you, Silverhand?”

“Not currently,” Lukas says.

Red Wolf settles back down in the cart, laughing to himself and petting his little dog.

“Perhaps you do enjoy cruelty,” Elric says sweetly. “I think you’re enjoying having me on this rope. Like your dog. Red Wolf has Marko and you have your Underlia.”

Lukas says nothing.

Elric is starting to tire. He is not used to walking so far. His pace begins to slow. “I’m glad it's you who has been given charge of me,” Elric says, still talking in a bright, chatty tone despite Lukas’s reluctance to respond with much beyond a grunt. “Imagine if it was that big brute up there.”

“Little Lamb?” Lukas says, sounding actually amused. “You think he would be a worse captor than I?”

“He could be when we stopped to camp for the night. You think he’d use me roughly when the day is done?”

That makes Lukas laugh, which delights Elric. “Probably. He’s a vile animal.”

Elric laughs too. “How big do you think his cock is? Split me in half, I expect.”

“I could hand you over to him if you’re so interested, Underlia,” Lukas says, not laughing, but still smiling. Elric thinks he is even more handsome when he smiles.

And it’s quite pleasant here, out of the sun, amongst the trees. He likes goading Lukas. He’s so stern. He’s stern in a way that makes Elric feel oddly warm inside. “My father will surely ask for a discount if I’m split in half.”

“No need to worry about that. We’re not trading you to your father. We’re trading you to the Plumian rebels.”

Elric stops walking. The rope goes taut. Lukas jerks it and when Elric doesn’t move he turns around. “Come on. We need to keep pace with the cart.”

“The Plumian Rebels? Who’s idea was that?” Elric says.

“What?”

“That rather than simply ransom me for coin, you sell me to the Plumians to use as leverage against my father? Was it yours? Was it your idea?”

“Yes, actually.”

Elric tips his head to one side. Another useful piece of information. He is glad he learned this before they arrived in Lunatum. It probably won’t make a great deal of difference to his plans. He has no intention of being traded to anyone once they arrive at the port. But he knows information is often worth more than gold. He wonders what Vindar would pay for what he will learn about Lukas Darekul on this strange journey. He’ll probably never see the Thousand Eyes again, but nevertheless, it is always prudent to keep a stock of information he can sell to the Rose Court. “I think most men would simply ransom me. I’m sure you’d get more money from my father than from the Plumian savages.”

“Perhaps, but the Plumians are good fighters. They could be good allies for us. Abul has long wanted to ally with them. But they are notoriously suspicious of anyone from Azuria. However, you could change that. You are to be a gift to them. An offering to mark the goodwill between two peoples who battle the same enemy. Your father is a tyrant. Pluma-Ferris deserves to be free. Just as the whole Empire does.“

Elric nods. Truly Lukas Darekul loves to spill information if it means he can rant about the cruelty of the Empire while he does it. Perhaps he assumes Elric will not live to tell anyone what he’s learned. He’s wrong about that. Elric wonders what else he can discover. “The Plumians do not speak to outsiders,” he says casually. “However are you going to contact them to make this offer?”

“There are ways,” says Lukas, enigmatically, perhaps realising he should stop telling Elric secrets. They begin walking again, although now, the cart is a long way ahead of them.

“Well I must say that is rather convenient,” Elric says brightly.

Lukas stops and turns to look at Elric with narrowed eyes.“What’s that meant to mean?”

“Oh, simply that I am rather pleased that there is no chance that after this traipse through the wilderness I will end up back in the hands of my father.”

“You don’t want to be delivered safe back to your family?”

“Actually, no. That is the absolute last thing I want.”

Lukas peers at Elric. His expression becoming more shrewd. “You’re running away, aren’t you? You never intended to return to Attar.”

Elric smiles. “Correct, Silverhand.”

“And why would you want that?”

“Only a moment ago I was impressed with your intelligence that you came up with the idea of gifting me to the Plumians. But I suppose that was an aberration. Can you really not fathom a reason why anyone would run away from Attar and the Rose Palace?” Elric says pointedly, wondering how long he will be able to continue to pretend he doesn’t know who Lukas is. But if Lukas catches his meaning, he shows no sign.

Lukas simply rolls his eyes and says, “I’m not playing games with you, Lordling.”

“Fine. I’m upset my father didn’t buy me a pony.”

Lukas makes an irritated sound at this and turns away, marching through the trees, towing Elric along behind for a few steps. “You do realise,” he says, huffily, “that your plan is an extremely dangerous way to run away from the Rose Palace. You have been close to being killed many times already. And who knows what the Plumians will do with you.”

“Dangerous, really? Is it more dangerous than running away as a youth of fourteen and joining a band of outlaws?”

Lukas says nothing. But he stops walking and turns again to look at Elric.

Elric gives Lukas a long look. He smiles a sweet smile. “Did you think your disguise so impenetrable, Silverhand? Lukas Darekul? Rebel Prince of the Empire. Second Bastard of Crown Prince Rafus?”

Elric watches Lukas take a heavy breath. “I’m no Prince,” he growls. “I’m a bastard. And I left all that behind long ago.”

As Lukas turns away, Elric calls, “You want to know how I knew?”

“I don’t care,” Lukas says, not looking back. “It’s no fucking secret. If you were thinking of revealing this with some great flourish. It’s well-known who I am amongst the Mortingales. As you have seen from the way they love to call me traitor.”

Elric ignores this and continues. “Many people think you long dead, but they still whisper about you in the Rose Palace. Prince Rafus’s bastard, who ran away to become an outlaw. Such great romance. Even amongst those who think you live still, few believe that you are still a Mortingale. A lot of people say they kicked you out after what happened at the Rose Palace five years ago.”

“They didn’t kick me out,” says Lukas. “I left.”

“Did you?” Elric says, amused. “You don’t seem to have got very far.”

“I got far enough.”

“What made you come back?”

Lukas stops again. He turns and rolls his eyes at Elric. He lifts his right arm and shows Elric his hook. A shaft of sunlight, spearing down through the trees catches it as it moves. “What happened to me in Lunatum to make me come crawling back to the Mortingales who hate me and think I'm a traitor?” Lukas says in a snarl. “Take a fucking wild guess, Elric Underlia.”

Lukas turns away again and sets a fast pace after that. The cart is some distance ahead of them now. Elric’s legs are longer than Lukas’s, but he is not used to marching this way. He grows breathless keeping up. Every time he falls behind, Lukas tugs on the rope, annoyed.

Eventually, Lukas slows the pace a little. Elric catches his breath and walks a little faster until he is alongside Lukas instead of being dragged along on a rope.

“Is Red Wolf your consort?” he says.

“No,” says Lukas. It seems like that is all he is going to say, but then he adds, “Red Wolf does as he likes.”

“How interesting,” says Elric.

“Don’t get any ideas,” Lukas says. “About me or about him. This mission is complicated enough without you spreading your legs.”

“We’ll see.”

“Why did you ask that?” says Lukas, voice a little softer as if he is genuinely curious. “About Red Wolf and I?”

“I just saw the way you looked at him.”

“How do I look at him?”

“Not the same way you look at me,” Elric says sweetly.

Lukas doesn’t respond to that. They walk in silence for a short while before Elric says, “So,” quite cheerfully, “what is Lunatum like?”

Lukas gives him a sideways glance. “You’ve never been there, Lordling?”

“I’d never left Attar until I was sent on this mission.”

Lukas shrugs. “It’s a pit of filth.”

“You must have fitted right in.”

This makes Lukas smile slightly. “I did actually. For a while. It’s not what you’ll be used to. It’s a good deal smaller than Attar for a start. It’s a border port. When I first arrived, it was a lawless place, full of smugglers and whoremongers. But the Empire sent troops and enforcers there to tame it when the Imperial fucking Army marched eastwards. So now it’s different. Worse. Full of soldiers and enforcers. Still wild, but no longer lawless. Crimes against Zai are punished harshly. But as it is so far from the seat of the Empire, Attar does not control it as tightly as they might wish. The enforcers are corrupt. They will mostly do whatever the man with most coin wants them to do.”

Elric stretches his eyes. “Did someone pay them to take off your hand?”

“I doubt it,” Lukas says, “I was just some street whore.”

“You were a whore?” Elric says, quite fascinated.

“I was a lot of things.”

“Do you still not want to know how I recognised you?”

“I do not care, Underlia, but as you are so desperate to show off your skills of deduction, go on. However, if you are planning to tell me I look like my father or any of my brothers please do not.”

“Why ever not?” says Lukas sweetly. “Your father and brothers are all handsome men.”

Lukas makes a scoffing noise. “That is not true.”

“Perhaps not all of them,” Elric says. “Although some of them. Your brother Damon, for example. Damon Darekul had fair maids and sly men swooning in the marble halls of the Rose Palace when he walked by. Bards should write songs about him.”

“I apologise for not being my delightfully handsome, warmongering brother.”

“Don’t be downhearted. He’s not more handsome than you. But it’s not your looks. Or not exactly. It’s the tell. The Darek tell.”

“Oh,” Lukas sighs. “That.”

“You have the Darek eyes. You know you do. The silver in your eyes. Yours are so dark. It makes the silver speckles show up even more strongly than in any Darek I have seen.”

“Well then,” says Lukas, sounding distinctly unimpressed by this. “There we have it. The silver Darek eyes have been my undoing. And now some cocky little Lordling knows who I am. As I told you, it is no secret.”

“You have royal blood.”

“My blood, little Lordling,” Lukas says, “is no different to that of any other man.”

“But that’s not true. You are a prince in the eyes of many.”

“Not in the eyes of any that count. I am bastard born. Yet another of my feckless father’s crude indulgences. My long-dead mother was a washerwoman in the Rose Palace. I am no prince.”

“Is that so,” says Elric. “Not a prince, But certainly a bastard.”

At this, Lukas laughs. “That I am, Underlia. You will hear no argument from me there.”

The tree cover they’ve been walking through ends and they emerge back onto the sun-baked grassland. The cart is only a small way ahead and they pick up their pace to catch it up.

As they reach it, Red Wolf sits up, “And what,” he says with his voice dripping with suggestion, “have you two been doing in the trees?”

“Fuck off, Red Wolf,” snaps Lukas. “Even you could not spend that fast.”

“I was whisked into the forest by a handsome prince,” says Elric. “I’m hoping to be bedded in his castle.”

“So you have deduced who your captor is?” says Red Wolf.

“Oh yes,” says Elric. “I am the prisoner of the notorious Rebel Bastard. The second son of Prince Rafus, who turned his back on his bloodline and the Empire at the tender age of fourteen and who led a failed mission to kill Emperor Selim. Foiled by his own brother, the One Man Army.”

“Damon didn’t foil anything,” Lukas says. “We were betrayed. The guards knew we were coming.”

Little Lamb’s deep voice comes wafting over from the front of the cart. “Yeah. And who betrayed us, Silverhand? The only man who got out alive, perhaps?”

Lukas mutters, “I’m so fucking done with his shit.”

Red Wolf turns to Little Lamb, “Drop it, Lamb,” he calls out. “Abul told you.”

When Red Wolf looks back at him, Elric decides to change the topic of conversation to something more amenable, and says, “Marko is a strange name for a female dog.”

Red Wolf grins. “Her full name,” he says petting the small hound in his lap, “is Empress Markus Darek. Named for the greatest Darek Emperor that never was.”

Elric almost squeals with delight at the revelation. “A dog named for Emperor Markus. The sly Emperor?”

“Indeed,” Red Wolf says and rolls his eyes skywards. “Zai hold his heart. Taken from us to the great luxoli fields beyond the stars.”

“He’s not fucking dead,” Lukas says. “He was exiled to Luxoria. He’s probably still there drowning in easy whores on his withered cock.”

“A dog named after your uncle,” Elric says to Lukas. “I remember his ascension. Did you know him?”

“No,” Lukas says sourly. “Not at all.”

Elric frowns. “But you must have. If you lived with your father until you were fourteen. Emperor Markus’s reign and exile must have been when you were, what? Twelve summers? You must have seen him.”

Lukas shakes his head. “Seen yes, knew him, no. He was my father’s brother. And Emperor Erond’s heir when I lived at the Rose Palace. He didn’t spend time with us. Even Atticul. Why would he? He was expected to sire sons of his own. Back then no one thought Prince Rafus’s sons would be part of the Royal Line unless something dire happened. I saw Markus occasionally when my father brought Damon and I to court, but that was rare. We were at his ascension. But we were Rafus’s bastards. Most people thought we shouldn’t even be housed in the Rose Palace, let alone presented at court like fancy princelings.”

Elric glances at Red Wolf, who is looking at Lukas with interest. Red Wolf says, “You didn’t think Markus the greatest Emperor Azuria never had?”

Lukas says, “I never thought anything about him.”

“Were you surprised when he was exiled?” Elric says. “It was a great scandal.”

“No. I knew, even then, not to be surprised by the cruelty of the Empire that birthed me.”

When the sun is sitting low in the sky, they make camp in a small dip in the grassland. Red Wolf starts a fire and begins taking food from the cart. Barley and herbs. Little Lamb fetches water and Inga goes to forage and comes back with garlic and lovage.

The barley stew Red Wolf creates is quite delicious. Plain peasant food, but well made and sauced with an appetite from a day of walking. Elric enjoys it despite having to eat it with his wrists bound and the way his skin feels tight and prickly from a day spent in the sun. When they’re done eating, Lukas takes Elric’s bowl and says, “Come with me.” Standing up, he takes hold of the rope trailing from Elric’s wrists.

Elric shrugs. “Thank you, that was quite delicious,” he says to Red Wolf, giving him a little bow when he’s up on his feet.

Red Wolf smiles back, “You are quite welcome, Lordling. We won’t starve you.”

Lukas tugs at Elric’s rope. “Alright, Silverhand, I’m coming.” Elric looks at Red Wolf, “Wherever can my cruel captor be taking me?”

“Don’t get your hopes up, dearheart,” Red Wolf says as Lukas leads Elric away.

Lukas leads Elric over to the cart and around behind it. “Sit there,” he says, pointing to one of the cart’s wheels.

“On the ground?”

Lukas crosses his arms. “What do you want? A throne.”

Elric gives Lukas what he hopes is a withering look, and sits down on the ground beside the cart. “It’s not me who’s a Bastard Prince.”

Lukas says, “Back to the wheel.”

Elric shuffles around. “Oh,” he says as Lukas produces more rope and Elric realises what Lukas means to do. “More bindings? You’re obsessed with having me roped.” Lukas says nothing as he ties Elric’s ankles and uses more rope to bind him to the cartwheel behind him. Elric looks up. Lukas has an expression of concentration on his face. The ropes are firm but quite comfortable. Elric’s cock tingles, growing roused. “You’re so into this,” he says heavily.

“You, not running away?” Lukas says in a rough voice that could be equally aroused or simply annoyed. “Yes, I am very into that.”

As Lukas ties off the last rope and stands, Elric says, “What if I want to stroke myself?”

“I’m sure you can manage one night without wrapping a hand around your cock,” Lukas says with a small smirk, the only break in his stern expression.

Elric leans forward, pulling against the ropes around his chest to move as close as he can to Lukas. He blinks in a way he is sure looks appealing. “You could do it.”

“I’ll do it,” says Little Lamb, swaggering up behind Lukas. Elric sees Lukas tense. But Little Lamb looks relaxed, a little merry on ale. He’s taken off his shirt. His body is like one of the statues in Emperor Selim’s private shrine. Muscles corded upon muscle. It reminds Elric of a nest of snap adders. “Course,” Little Lamb drawls to Elric. “I’ll want to fuck your face after, fair’s fair.”

Elric gives Little Lamb a bright grin. “Deal,” he says. “I’ll have you know my mouth is the toast of Attar?—”

“No,” Lukas cuts him off. “No one is to touch him.”

“Jealous of the honour of your little Lordling?” Little Lamb laughs. A deep rumble.

Elric waits for Lukas to look from Little Lamb back to him and says, “Don’t be. You know I only have eyes for you, my Bastard Prince.”

At this, Little Lamb laughs again. “Come, Silverhand. I am sure he has had many. I’d wager his maidenhead is long gone. If you were hoping to be the one to deflower this slut, you’re clearly too late.”

Elric laughs. He gives Little Lamb a flirtatious glance.

Lukas, in contrast, looks sour. “I just don’t want you choking him to death on your filthy cock before we get him to Lunatum.”

Little Lamb smirks. “Far be it for me to come between two young lovebirds,” he says, before turning away and wandering off back to the fire.

Lukas waits for him to go and says, “How do I look at you?”

Elric frowns. “What?”

Lukas slides his weight onto one hip. He holds his hook with his hand, fingers playing over the smooth metal. “ You said I didn’t look at Red Wolf the way I look at you. So how do I look at you?” His teeth slip over his bottom lip, eyes on Elric.

Elric feels strange, skin prickling. He looks up at Lukas, swallows and says, “I didn’t mean anything. You look at me the way everyone looks at me.”

“Do I?”

Elric holds his gaze. “You look at me the way I want people to look at me.”

“Then I’m glad I can oblige,” says Lukas and walks back over to the fire and the rest of the Mortingales.

Elric leans back against the cartwheel. Lukas doesn’t look at him the way he wants people to look at him; he looks at him the way he needs people to look at him.

The way he needs people to look at him to survive.