Chapter 41 - Ro
Ro
Dae’s instructions were simple. Essentially, just blend in. But after traveling for a week in this gods forsaken kingdom, forced by a tyrannical ruler to extract information by way of threat to my people, I had no time to waste.
It was a delicate balance, following Dae through the surprisingly large camp looking completely uninterested while holding all sorts of interest. From what I’d seen already, there were hundreds of people.
Some tended to their washing, just like back at Rahana, but the majority we passed worked with weaponry—very much unlike Rahana.
Whether whittling sticks into spears or sharpening blades or assembling arrows, it became apparent this wasn’t a regular camp. These were battle preparations.
Obviously anyone bearing creaturistic traits in Windguard was put to death, so it was a bit of a shock to see magically morphed beings in The Order’s camp. Though, considering Taja’s reign seemingly ended at the fall line, I shouldn’t be surprised.
We passed a man with both antlers and scales.
One dude even had a really long lizard tongue that tasted the air, and his bottom half looked like a deer.
I nearly stumbled when I saw a blend of ogre and human traits.
“Reputation only matters when there are others around to know it.” The ogre had said with sadness.
These odd combinations were definitely a result of crossing magics. Which meant even the ogres experienced loss at the hands of The Order of Darkness. No creature was safe from these masochists.
My intel was growing, but I had a feeling this wouldn’t be enough to appease Taja. The corrupt king already thought magic wielders were freaks of nature, this information wouldn’t alarm him the way it should. He wanted to know what The Order was planning.
Eventually, we cleared the litany of tents and campfires, crossing into a section of forest left undisturbed save for the well-worn dirt path.
The trees opened up to reveal a little lake, perhaps the same size as the quarry.
A few others stood on the other end, nude but obscured by a few tree branches, farthest away from the main walking path.
“I’ll go first,” Dae said.
I crossed my arms and cocked my hip to the side. “How very gentlemanly of you. I—” I almost choked on my teasing words when he lifted his shirt and turned, revealing a torso sculpted by the gods themselves. I clenched my jaw, just for reassurance that it wasn’t hanging open.
His amused smile pulled to one side before he tossed his shirt to the ground. “Once I finish, I’ll shift and you can use me as a privacy wall. That, or you can go first and stand there sopping wet while waiting for me to finish?”
The others bathing had a sliver of privacy, but I could still accurately see the size and shape of their… “Okay, you have a point.”
Dae took the metal bucket and dipped it into the lake before stepping behind a thick tree trunk between us. I was acutely aware when his foot kicked off his pants and how exposed he was back there.
Desperate to redirect my thoughts, I asked, “Why aren’t you just jumping in the lake?”
“This is our main water source. We take what we need and don’t add anything to it. Imagine drinking water that everyone had their soap in. Or dirty genitals.”
Even though I could hear the upturn of his lips, I nearly gagged. “Fair point.”
Dull sunlight occasionally peeked from behind the blanket of gray clouds, catching the serene, glass-like surface of the water before me. “Wait, is this the lake?” I whispered, stepping closer to the tree.
Dae leaned to one side, catching my stare.
“That is the type of question you shouldn’t be asking out loud.
” It was hard to pay attention to his chastising tone when his dark, wet hair fell just above his exposed shoulders, and his defined arm flexed as he lathered the soap.
He ducked behind the tree again and my senses returned to a clear state.
Right. Extra caution had to be taken in case someone was to overhear. A quick survey let me know we were still isolated since no one was coming up the path and the other bathers were far enough away that they couldn’t hear our conversation.
A single bird flew overhead, the reflection swimming across the lake. Based on its shape and speed, it wasn’t Braxius. My heart solidified in my chest. I hoped that little creature stayed out of sight.
Muffled sounds of the bucket and trickling water came to a stop, and suddenly a giant orange and black cat prowled from behind.
“Your turn. Fill the bucket from the lake, but keep the soap separate from the water. And no, this isn’t the Black Pool. I won’t bring you anywhere near that thing.”
Having access to his mind softened all the features that should be terrifying. The ones that would make a normal person leave a wet trail behind them. Paws that were bigger than my head, claws that could cut right through me, fangs that could take my head off with one vicious snap.
Lethal, but I could see the beauty, the majesty. His fur looked like silken waves above his rolling shoulders. There was grace in his strides. Golden eyes. My hand twitched with a building urge to reach out and stroke him.
But that would be stroking Dae, the man I’d just ogled. I blinked myself from the thoughts that’d swallowed me.
Picking up the bucket, I made a show to swing it casually as I walked to the water’s edge and filled it.
My knuckles whitened from the grip I had around the thin, curved metal handle.
Two hands were apparently required to carry it to avoid spilling over the sides.
I set it down beside the tree where Dae had left the bar of soap and his folded towel.
Folded… “You didn’t dry off?”
“Didn’t need to.” Then that insufferable tiger shook, pelting me with rivulets. I shielded what I could with my arm, ducking my face behind it.
“Hey! Was that necessary?!” My glare shot daggers.
“Well now I’m dry. You still need to wash, and this way you’ll have a clean towel.” Could tigers give a cocky smirk? Because I thought that’s what I saw.
I narrowed my eyes. “Now it’s your turn to turn around.”
He didn’t hesitate, creating a barricade with his body, but kept his head past the tree where he could monitor the path. Leaving me with total privacy.
After a base layer of cold lake water, I thoroughly saturated every square inch of my body with lathered bubbles. Even in my hair, though I much preferred the vanilla and honey scented shampoo Nora had in her guest suite.
The final cold waterfall poured over me until all the soapy suds ran onto the forest floor.
Gods it felt nice to be clean. With the water that still remained, I dunked my dirty clothes, rubbed them with soap, and scrubbed the material against itself.
Then dumped the remaining water over them until they ran clear.
I’d accurately rationed the remnants and was quite impressed with my gauging abilities.
I rang the clothes until the excess dripping ceased.
Being free of dirt and grease and sweat was a brief dose of warm sunlight upon my clouded soul.
I picked up the clothes Dae had brought for me, which were a couple sizes too big.
They fitted like a child trying on their parents’ clothes.
The drawstring around the pants had been pulled and knotted so tightly that the band bunched and bulged before me.
At least they would stay on. His shirt had so much hanging material that I gathered it to my hip and twisted it into a knot.
I didn’t want to fight through billowing fabric if I needed to defend myself.
“I’m done.”
In an instant, he shifted. The view of the lake was beautiful, but enhanced more so when Dae reappeared shirtless again.
His beautiful brown skin held a map of his life, marked by scars and a few beauty marks.
His chest hair was fine, dipping slightly between his pectorals where maybe a faint line continued down to his—
“Shall we?” That deep cadence had me questioning if my feet were still on the ground.
My lungs fought to circulate air. “Shall we, what?”
“First bathe, then food, remember?” He quirked an eyebrow at me while strutting over and plucked his clean shirt before effortlessly slipping it over his head.
“Oh.” The air rushed out of me, though not enough to cool me down. “Yes, food. Eating.” Clearing my throat, I sent my gaze straight to the ground as I started walking down the path.
My head was swimming. The past week almost didn’t seem real.
It had been confusing and heartbreaking.
Yet I found myself essentially drooling over the first man I’d developed physical attraction to in…
years? A man who held my fate in his hands, who still had the opportunity to screw me over if he saw fit.
I’d heard what he’d said to the check-in lady.
He’d taken claim over me, just like Val suggested doing for herself.
Na?ve of me to consider this could be anything else. A camp filled with ruthless, power-hungry individuals, all seeking whatever praise they could from their leadership.
Except Dae had said he didn’t want power.
So easily I found myself believing that, trusting him.
Was that intuition? He had yet to fail me in any capacity.
He didn’t attack me on the trail when he could have easily killed me after I’d collapsed.
He’d even retrieved water to revive me, and this was before he knew I possessed magic.
Then he didn’t rat me out to his accomplices. Stood up for me, even backed my lie.
The fact that my feet walked upon this soil now was a testament to how he’d cleverly orchestrated it and assisted me. And he didn’t even know why, despite having his own reasons for being here. Reasons he deemed important enough to keep under wraps.
“Left,” he said from behind as we wended our way through the unorganized distribution of tents and firepits.
I’d done my best to memorize the route, and had done well for the first bit, but now I was drowning between repeating tents that looked alike, no obvious landmarks sticking out to help pinpoint my location. Hesitation slowed me, and Dae brushed past my shoulder, taking the lead.
A fight broke out a few tents down. Punches and insults and glimpses of magic. Those surrounding only cheered, encouraging death blows. Lawless and cutthroat, the absolute opposite of what was acceptable at Rahana.
We veered away before the conclusion, which I was admittedly glad about. Death still had a fermenting tang in my mouth. I wanted to avoid it as much as I could.
Dae arrived at his tent, holding the flap open. I hadn’t realized we’d come back to it, which caused me some worry. It was going to take more effort to navigate this place than expected.
I dipped inside, and he followed right behind. He’d carried my damp clothes in his bucket and pulled them out, whipping the wrinkles away before draping them upon a homemade piece of furniture. A slat of wood bearing holes where thick uneven twigs jutted from. A place he hung clothes.
“Did you make that?” I asked, my cheeks feeling warm as I watched this man tend to my laundry.
He snickered. “Yeah. Exquisite craftsmanship, isn’t it?”
I smiled, comfortable enough to do so only because his back was to me. “So, the food situation. I’m surprised there will be any.”
He finished, adjusting the fabric so wrinkles were pulled taut before he tossed his own dirty clothes into the bucket and kicked it to the corner. He faced me, and my fingers dug into the cot I sat on.
“They serve rationed portions. I don’t know what you’re used to, but I’m sure it’ll feel like a feast compared to how much we’ve eaten the past few days. I’m guessing you hadn’t eaten much in the days prior to meeting me, considering you passed out.”
My lips twisted. How much to reveal? I’d managed to siphon information from him during this trip, but now that we were here, he seemed more tight-lipped.
Perhaps I’d have to change up my tactic.
The prospect of doing this solo became more and more daunting, considering I couldn’t even retrace my steps yet.
“It’s been a while,” I admitted softly.
He took up all the air in the room by merely standing there, a presence of quiet muscles. His hand flexed, and I watched the muscle jump along his forearm. My brow creased. “What was that?”
“What was what?” he asked flatly.
“You’re…tense about something.”
His chest inflated but he didn’t break his gaze from looking down at me. “I’m angry.”
“Angry?”
“Yes, angry. Angry that you haven’t eaten. Angry that you’ve put yourself here. Angry that I don’t know what I can do to get you to leave.”
A fire lit within, one where the licking flames wanted to reach out and scorch his face.
“You don’t have to help me, you know. If I’m such a burden.
” I rose, standing toe-to-toe with him now, fighting against the prick of sorrow from the thought that he didn’t want me around.
I made to move, but his firm grip snagged my upper arm.
This tent was small. Much too small for two people to fit comfortably, let alone fight. Regardless, my muscles primed themselves to strike when his whispered words disarmed me.
“That’s not what I meant.” There was no pain from his hold.
Even still, he relaxed it, but didn’t drop his hand from its place.
“You’re not a burden, but this place isn’t safe.
For you, for any of us.” The unexpected soft stroke of his thumb against my arm made my breath hitch.
“Ro, what are you doing here? What do you need? I will give you all that I can, the answers you seek and the ones I can’t, I’ll find.
But only on the condition that you leave as soon as you can. ”
My eyes fluttered from the tenderness in his voice. This one moment could seal my destiny, alter the course of history if I chose wrong. Still, I didn’t pull from his touch, didn’t tear away and storm off. Chances were I wouldn’t make it to the end of the day in this camp without a proper guide.
So, I took a deep breath, and shared what I was willing to. That I was here because the lives of my loved ones depended on it. Because I was the only one who could save them, and I needed information to do it. That I was on a deadline, and I wouldn’t know what I was looking for until I found it.
Confessing slivers of truth to him felt so easy and natural. I was oddly content with the time he and I spent alone together.
He assessed me with a softness in his eyes, a glint that looked…sympathetic.