Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
TYOS
We were on our way to the next town when Einar stopped us. He and Matthew had gone ahead to scout, and when they came back, his scowl was foreboding.
“We go no further. Knights are scouting the area. It is not safe to bring them any closer.”
My spine stiffened. When Arlen’s townkin mentioned a king’s order, we’d thought he was bluffing.
If knights stood between us and the next town, it was likely not the case.
Worry over the little male who looked up at me with concern in his eyes made me pull him a little closer against my chest, listening intently as Uttin discussed the plan with his bondmate.
I didn’t understand their words, they spoke Al Nuzem’s language, but they had been in charge of the journey’s movements. They decided what would happen next.
Straightening, Uttin waved me closer. “Tyos. Is Ruhkna nearby?”
Frowning, I looked up. My talvok was never far during journeys such as this.
The only time she wandered off was when she was hunting for her next meal.
I put my fingers to my lips to call for her, then hesitated, looking back down at Arlen.
Luckily, Dras was nearby and understood my hesitation, telling Arlen, “Cover your ears.”
He did so, and I let out a sharp whistle loud enough that Ruhkna would hear it.
Her answering caw was behind us, and when I turned, she swooped low, throwing out her wings to land on my arm when I lifted it.
Arlen sucked in a sharp breath, twisted practically in half to look at her, and I realized belatedly I’d never introduced the two.
While Uttin scrawled out a message for her to carry, I shifted her closer to Arlen.
“Arlen, meet Ruhkna. She is friend.”
He seemed to tremble, his wide eyes locked on Ruhkna where she sat perched on my arm. She cocked her head, studying him back, and made a clicking noise with her beak to show her curiosity.
Uttin handed the message to Dras, who rolled it tightly and moved closer to me, sliding it into the small cylinder attached to her leg.
He gave her a scritch under her chin and a smile, and when she looked to me for direction, I offered her a treat while instructing her, “As fast as the wind takes you, my friend. Find our new home and pass on our message.”
Shifting lower, I jerked my arm upward, giving her a boost as she launched herself into the air and turned toward the south.
She was faster than any stallion, could fly higher than most birds and remain out of range of danger, and somehow she always knew her way home, even when we moved to Al Nuzem.
She would find her way to our clan leader, I had no doubt.
“What do we do until Shavra returns with word?” Dras asked.
Shavra was his companion, and Ruhkna’s sister.
She would return to us with a new message so Ruhkna could rest after such a long journey.
How the birds knew where to go was unknown to me.
I wasn’t their trainer. But I trusted them implicitly.
Their messages had not led us astray since we began asking for their assistance.
“We find a place to shelter out of sight,” Uttin replied. “I don’t want to be out in the open if knights head this way.”
Matthew moved his stallion closer to Einar’s, leaning to whisper in his ear. Einar nodded, sitting up and speaking with Uttin directly. “There is a forest a few hours south of here. It was where Clan Nahkesh wintered. Out of the way of our journey path, but–”
“But perhaps that’s for the best,” Uttin finished with a nod. “Lead the way.”
It was Matthew who led the way, several paces ahead of us, while Einar raced off ahead to ensure the path was clear. Arlen leaned into my chest, his voice a bare whisper when he asked, “What’s going on?”
I considered my words carefully. I didn’t wish to upset him, especially after the night prior when he tried to suggest leaving our group, but I wished to lie to him even less. “Knights ahead. We find safety to wait.”
“Knights?” he asked urgently. “Were they being truthful about the king’s order?”
I lifted a shoulder. I couldn’t be certain of that. No order was shown to us, just words. But if Einar was warning us about the knights, I doubted they were there as friends. The king of this land rarely got involved in clan business, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t.
Arlen’s whimper made me hug him tighter. The poor man was having a rough journey. If I could, I would take him from this place by myself to ensure he crossed into Al Nuzem safely. It was only the knowledge that there were others under our protection that stayed my hand.
We moved our company south, and I kept an eye on our surroundings to ensure we weren’t noticed as we made our way to a safe place.
With the forest against our back, it was safer if we had to face a group of knights, but if we wanted to be truly out of sight, we’d need to camp within the forest itself.
That could be dangerous depending on which creatures lived in the area.
I wasn’t sure which would be a better option.
Dras shifted his horse closer to mine, his words quiet and low in our tongue so Arlen would not hear. “If need be, we can send you alone to Al Nuzem. This occurred because Arlen left his town. If he is no longer with us, we can say he stayed in another town, and they may leave us alone.”
“If we must. Why are they causing so much fuss for one clothes maker? You would think he made clothes for the king, they are so intent on getting him back.”
Simon, who had overheard our words, spoke louder and in the common tongue for Arlen’s benefit.
“I don’t think it’s Arlen specifically. I think the king finally realized people like us make up a lot more of the population than he would’ve liked.
More people leaving means less taxes he can demand from the towns. ”
I made a face. “There not that many.”
Arlen shook his head slowly, his expression thoughtful, “No, but how many of the people who left are part of the trade market? Trade means coin. If enough people with important jobs left the towns, their infrastructures could be crippled. That’s what I heard before you arrived.
Town Torslen was devastated after so many left.
If the towns fall, or have to combine to survive, taxes would definitely be interrupted. ”
My brow furrowed. I hadn’t been present for the first part of the journey.
The Northern Clan began this quest on their own, with only their people to make the journey, but had to return to Al Nuzem after only a few towns because the number of those fleeing was so large, they were ill prepared for it.
They dropped off those they’d arrived with and gathered more wagons and protectors to guard them, including myself and Dras so that we could better send messages back home.
It was possible those who escaped from the first half of the journey had been important.
I hadn’t spoken to them to find out. I hadn’t had the time to introduce myself.
“If that’s the case, I think Arlen was more of a catalyst, not the reason for the pushback,” Simon pointed out. “It could be someone from the castle had been in their town in hopes of stopping us. He escaped, he didn’t leave freely. He might not have even noticed.”
All eyes swung to Arlen, who looked abashed when he admitted, “I hadn’t been watching for newcomers. I spent days tracking the guards’ movements so I could figure out how to get out but paid little mind to much else.”
None could blame him for that. The poor man had needed to run for his life to escape his town. Spending time gathering information was smart. He wouldn’t have known to look for new arrivals.
“The reason is unimportant,” Uttin growled. “They will not get away with it. Oppression because of greed is…”
“Barbaric,” Simon finished, then grinned. “It’s a little ironic, isn’t it?”
Several of us rolled our eyes at his teasing statement.
The term the townsfolk gave us was not one we came up with ourselves.
We only ever referred to each other as clan.
It wasn’t until the treaty was put into place and brothers began to learn the common tongue that we learned the word they used to describe us.
No one cared enough to argue or try to change their minds.
The forest came into view as discussion continued over the king’s actions and the potential issues we would have finishing this journey.
The plan had already changed before, when Uttin and his company returned with the first batch of rescued townsfolk and realized they needed more hands to finish the job.
Two other companies were sent out to different towns in order to ensure all were covered and moved properly.
How many of those were stalled now that this issue had occurred?
And how many other changes to the plan would need to be made before our charges were safe?
Arlen’s touch on my arm was soft, and when I looked down at him, his expression was worried. “Are you okay?”
My brows drew together slowly. “Fine. Why?”
“You’re growling,” he pointed out. I blinked in response. I hadn’t noticed that I was making any noise.
Dras, who still rode beside me, snorted. “Tyos is overprotective. He sees every setback as a threat to his charges. He will stay growly until you are all safely over the border.
I made a face at my brother. “Are you not concerned?” I asked in our tongue. “First Arlen is chased, then we are confronted and he is threatened, and now there are knights blocking our path. I have reason to worry.”
Dras nodded slowly. “You do. But it is not our decision to make. Uttin will decide what is best. Our job is to keep them safe in the meantime. Which means no letting your new attraction distract you from your duties.”
It was a good thing we weren’t speaking in the common tongue. I didn’t want him making Arlen feel bad for spending time with me. I scowled at him. “I am not distracted.”
“Mhmm.”
“I’m not!”
Arlen, who had been watching us but couldn’t understand, looked as though he was fighting back a smile. “I don’t understand a word of what you’re saying, but I can’t help but wonder if you two are siblings. You bicker like brothers.”
Dras smirked, lifting a shoulder. “We are blood brothers. But I was born first.”
My mouth fell open. “Same day!” I argued.
Dras grinned wickedly. He was always pointing out that he was older, despite being born on the same day. Our poor mother had been subject to carrying both of us at the same time. She never let us forget the toll it took on her body. And Dras never let me forget that he was technically older.
“It was only by minutes,” I grumbled in our tongue, scowling at him. One day, he would change his tone. When we are old, he will wish he was younger.