47. Jess
Chapter forty-seven
Jess
I t took the better part of five days to reach the shores of Lake Irina. The lion forced us to maintain a slow, plodding pace, blending in with other travelers along the King’s Road. We had to step off the road several times to allow passing military units space.
I tried calling out once, earning a dose of the sleeping draught. It wasn’t enough to make me pass out, but my head was foggy the rest of that day. Danym played it off as “hitting the ale a little too hard” when a passing mother offered to help with whatever illness afflicted “the poor girl.”
When we were a half day’s ride to Cradle, Danym and the lion got into a heated argument over the best route. More concerning than the King’s presence was the significant military and security detail surrounding the monarch .
Danym wanted to take the risk, contending the increased chance for exposure was worth shaving two days off their trip, but the lion disagreed, arguing that their mission’s importance was so great that every measure to minimize risk of failure should be taken, even if it meant delays. Apparently, the lion outranked Danym, and we avoided Cradle altogether, plodding along the countryside a few leagues outside the western border of the town. When we reached the main road that led south to Rutin, the lion made us wait until several hours past sunset to cross.
We now stood before a lake that spread much farther than I could see in the sliver of moonlight.
“I remember this lake,” I said blearily. “We came here once, when I was little. Justin shoved me into the water.”
“How old were you?” Danym asked, a hint of a smile creasing his eyes.
“Maybe eight. It was so long ago.” My voice drifted with each word.
“Quiet,” the lion hissed, poking his head above the tall grass where we hid to check for passersby.
A rowboat lay hidden closer to the water’s edge. The lion and Danym donned their robes and masks, then loaded their packs onto the boat. The lion removed the saddles from the horses and set the animals free, claiming they would either find their way home or someone would claim them .
Before loading me onto the boat, he forced me to drink a full dose of the syrup. The world spun as Danym and the lion hauled me into the boat and laid me flat. The last thing I remembered before my eyes fluttered shut was the twinkling of the stars in the cool, clear night.