Chapter 13
CHAPTER
In the morning, we were split up. Varro and Cairis would be transported separately, not only due to their size, but also their destinations.
Nori and I were small enough to be paired together and were both headed toward the castle.
Idris prepared trade wagons to be fitted with small hidden compartments beneath the floor boards of the main storage.
We would have to lay flat for the entire journey, while remaining perfectly quiet and still, regardless of the bumps and jolts we’d feel along the way.
There would be checkpoints requiring proof of official trade alliances for us to be allowed across the border.
Along with official paperwork, random inspections were often carried out to deter smugglers and tariff-crooks.
There were many wagons in our caravan, but which ones would be searched was anybody’s guess, so all had to be ready.
Once nestled in our secret holding places, there would be no opportunity to make unscheduled stops of any kind.
With this in mind, many of us did not drink or eat much at the morning campfire.
We took special care to relieve ourselves, knowing the journey would be many hours and that lying along the thin chassis of the wagon would be a horrible combination for one’s full bladder.
I watched on with nervousness as they loaded Cairis and Varro into their separate wagons, placing wood planks over the full length of their bodies.
You’d never know they were there, not unless they made a noise to give away their locations.
Nori and I moved quickly and anxiously into position.
I gasped for air like it might be my last breath as the rays of light from above disappeared.
I grabbed Nori’s hand tightly in mine, squeezing it for both luck and to fight back my anxiety.
Although we would not be able to converse verbally, I was grateful to have a partner for the trek.
We devised a crude form of communication by blinking our eyes and lowering our mental shields briefly to share our thoughts. I could tell we each struggled to mask our own fears, and that these short exchanges brought us both some comfort.
The activity was tedious and reminded me of the idea that, someday, if Varro and I sealed the bond, we would also share Fideli C?ur, and that mind-melding connection would allow us to speak freely to one another without words.
I knew, being stationed in vastly different parts of Artume, there was a high likelihood that the sensation of our bond would be stretched so thin that I might not even be able to detect him.
But with mind-melding, the proximity of the mated mattered not.
As the hours passed by, the temperature beneath the floorboards became stifling—an indication we were nearing the border.
Nori and I closed our eyes, squeezed hands, and worked to keep our breathing in sync, creating a rhythm of deep inhales and exhales as we attempted to fight off the nerves that preyed upon us.
When the wagon came to an abrupt halt, we heard the hooves and nickering of the horses as they shifted impatiently.
This had to be the official trade corridor.
The time had arrived for our first major risk of discovery.
Though we each felt powerful and strong with a number of physical and magical abilities in our arsenals, this was not about destroying everyone and everything in sight.
If we did that, we would sound alarm bells that might close the trade corridor entirely and force us to entertain riskier or more time-consuming alternatives.
Each of us was equally committed to getting our aid to Trace and Gia as soon as possible.
We heard the likes of Artumian Kingsguards shuffling about outside as they walked along the caravan, inspecting for any signs of misconduct or discrepancy in the shipments.
We heard the inspectors chatter, but from where we hid, we had no way of knowing which wagons concealed Cairis or Varro.
All we could do was stay silent and still while praying to the Gods that they would not be discovered.
Never in my life had I wanted to be blanketed in Varro’s Siren Song more than right then.
With his gift, he could calm my very essence to the bone, perhaps even lull Nori and I into a deep slumber.
I could hear two or three guards conversing nearby, then a boisterous laugh.
Nearer to us, another guard cleared his throat, startling me. Were we next?
The deep, guttural yells in the distance resulted in the slow creaking of the wagon wheels as they began to turn once more.
We had done it; we’d managed to get the seal of approval without detailed inspection of our own wagon.
The movement of the caravan caused thick dust to bluster through the cracks in the wood.
The second it began to swirl in the small, tight space we were hiding in, I could feel the heave of Nori’s chest. Just as she was about to let out a giant sneeze, I slid my hand across her mouth and nose as fast as I could to muffle it.
The wagon’s forward motion slowed momentarily.
Oh Gods, had they heard her?
Was this it, the moment we unraveled into chaos?
Nori and I lay there motionless, my hand still covering her face and my palm wet with her spittle.
We both kept our mental shields firmly in place, waiting to see if the wheels would begin to turn again.
After the momentary pause, the wheels began to shift and the caravan continued ahead.
Once we resumed a steady pace, I slowly pulled my hand from Nori’s face and wiped it on my pant leg.
She lolled her head to the side, looking at me with tears welling and thoughts of deep apology practically screaming at me.
I grabbed her hand and squeezed it again, letting her know we were going to be okay.
The unpredictable jostling of rocks and ruts beneath the wagon suddenly gave way to hollow clacking and the roar of rushing water.
Normally, water brought me comfort, but this time, the dreadful feeling of passing over the Ledor River reminded me we had officially left the northern kingdom.
Within the hour, the underside of the wagon was sweltering hot; my skin was moist all over with sweat and my hair was beginning to feel sticky against the back of my neck.
I was already thinking of intricate braided hairstyles to wear in order to keep my hair from becoming a bird’s nest. What I wouldn’t give for a nice refreshing dip in the sea, or an ice-cold bath.
Thoughts of water were beginning to race through my mind, which was a bad idea for multiple reasons.
By then I had to pee, regardless of how little water I’d had before the start of the journey.
But I was so Gods-damned thirsty all I could think about was indulging in an entire jug of water, or any liquid for that matter.
I knew Nori felt the same as I watched droplets of sweat roll down her forehead and into her matted red hair.
In an attempt to distract myself from the irritations of the journey, I let my mind wander with thoughts of seeing Gia again and how much we needed to catch up on.
Primarily her letter and its cryptic warning, followed by everything that had transpired with her and Trace while we were apart.
It felt like so much time and yet none at all since I had bid her farewell at Basdie.
Memories came rushing back of me anxiously jumping from her carriage in realization that the strange sensations I’d been feeling meant I had a mate, and my unwillingness to reconcile with it.
Even as my hurried footsteps descended into the depths of Basdie, I could not escape, could not outrun the truth.
Anger, fear, and embarrassment all exploding out of me in a literal shaking of the mountain.
And later, when I confronted Varro, demanding an answer to the question I already knew, I had searched his face for hesitation, doubt.
There was nothing but unwavering assurance, and perhaps a hint of sorrow for the pleading tears that shimmered on my lashes.
The Gods are cruel. His words echoed through me.
I squeezed my eyes shut tightly and sent out a prayer to those same Gods. Protect us. Protect him. Please.
When the carriage stopped, I froze, holding my breath for fear that we were at some sort of secondary inspection point.
Then I heard the familiar voice of Saryn.
As he lifted the plank of wood from above our heads, sand and dust spilled over us, and I squinted to refrain from getting any in my eyes.
Every part of my body ached from lying flat all those hours.
Our poor muscles had taken the brunt of every bump and turn.
When we finally crawled our way out of the hidden compartment, I felt the dirt everywhere, coating our skin like a fine powder.
I felt it in my ears, my nose, and every crevice of my body.
When I exited the carriage, the bright sun felt as if it was scorching my vision, forcing me to shield my eyes and wait for the splotches of green and orange to subside.
Soon, the sun became less harsh and my surroundings came into view, but I could not remember ever encountering such abrasive daylight.
In Cambria, daylight was always filtered and cut into shadows, whether by canopies of trees or mountains.
Even on the open sea, where the sun’s rays came not only from above but also the surface of the water, I couldn’t recall such an adverse glare.
Nori stepped down beside me, and I could hear her bones cracking as she crooked her neck to the left and right.
What I wouldn’t give for a fucking bath!