Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7
R ohan kept one hand on Nate’s lower back as the horse-drawn chariot took them out of town. His excuse was to steady the human, as he was unfamiliar with chariots and horses.
He had balked like a skittish pony when he saw the chariot, and Rohan had picked him up and placed him in the chariot without giving him a chance to escape. Not that he could go far because the other end of the rope was attached to Rohan’s wrist. There were four guards accompanying them. He could’ve handed Nate over to one of them, but that didn’t seem like the right thing to do after this morning.
Not that he was convinced this morning had been the right thing to do, either.
It had been a while since he’d woken up with anyone in his bed, and watching Nate sleep and remembering the way he’d kneeled on the floor while washing had heated his blood. He hadn’t expected Nate to wake up and watch.
He hadn’t even pretended to not be watching.
Nor had he expected Nate to become so interested. That had been a pleasant surprise, with an even better ending. The way he’d been torn between wanting release and staying silent…
The way his cheeks had turned red.
The way his body had moved as he thrust into Rohan’s hand.
They were memories he’d enjoy for a very long time.
With one hand on the leather reins and the other on Nate, it was a little too easy to imagine the human bound in leather instead of rope.
Rohan blew out a breath.
He should not be thinking of Nate that way. For a start, the human didn’t belong there. And if there was a doorway to the human world, Rohan was sure the Strega would make Nate return.
Which, logically, was a good solution for everyone.
Though he wanted Nate to spend a year in a day repaying him…and by the end, Nate might have grown fond of him. He resisted the temptation to nuzzle into the back of Nate’s head. There would be time for that later, hopefully.
The Strega rode her horse next to the chariot. Today, she was far too quiet, which set Rohan’s teeth on edge. It meant she was planning something, or she was intently observing everything, and both meant trouble was on the way.
“It’s just up ahead,” Nate said. “The forked tree.”
Rohan slowed the horses and stopped at the tree. “Two guards will stay here with the horses.”
Rohan slung the bag of supplies over one shoulder and led Nate out of the chariot. He jumped down to the ground and drew in a breath as if relieved that part was over.
Dressed in a tunic and long pants, he looked like he belonged. Except for the shoes. It had been quicker and easier to let him wear his boots than to find another suitable pair. Not only that, but humans, like elves and vampires, didn’t like breaking in new boots. As much as his guards appreciated the new issue of clothing, they always grumbled about blisters.
Rohan was glad that he never had to think about shoes.
“Lead the way, Nate,” Rohan ordered.
Nate glanced at the guards, the Strega, and then him. He nodded, but he stayed where he was, as if unsure. “What if I remember wrong?”
“Then we will backtrack until you remember right,” Rohan said.
Nate frowned and began walking. It became clear he’d followed an animal trail to the road. Given that he enjoyed hiking, Rohan doubted he would become lost, as he knew how to look for landmarks.
One of the guards walked ahead, and the other one took up the rear. Rohan wore a short sword on his belt as well as a dagger, but the most lethal weapon they had with them was the Strega.
“Can I ask why you didn’t ride a horse? Is it because you’re a prince?”
Rohan laughed. “You ask permission to ask the question, yet ask it anyway?”
“Am I not supposed to?”
There needed to be etiquette lessons in the near future, assuming Nate remained in Calla. “You will learn our ways. I do not ride because it is unfair to the horse. I am large, and my size cannot be hidden.”
Nate’s cheeks turned pink, as was Rohan’s intent.
“It would be cruel on the horse when a chariot serves my purpose. That it is emblazoned with the flower of Calla, and the knotwork is a boon.”
“What do the symbols mean?”
“The flower is my family. The knot work identifies the city. Every city-state has different knotwork, and the only people allowed to wear the symbol are those in positions of authority.”
“The city guards wear the flower but not the knotwork?”
“Correct. The rulers wear the knotwork. The king, the knight, the Strega, and the head of what you call the city guard, who is actually the leader of the army.”
“You wear it.”
Rohan smiled. “Because I assist my brother in ruling. Before he became king, I didn’t wear it.”
They walked in the dappled light, following the trail deeper into the forest. He hadn’t walked through the forest and what felt like forever. There was always something else to do. Sometimes, it felt as if he didn’t even have time to practice his harp.
Every so often, Nate stopped and checked a tree.
Rohan traced the lines that had been carved into the bark. “What is the mark?”
“It’s the letter N in English. How does the magic work? I can speak Tarikian, but I cannot read it.”
It was the Strega who responded. “Languages are learned by listening and feeling for the magic. What I did to you speeded up the process.”
Nate snorted and shook his head. “That is not how we learn languages on Earth. It’s my repetition and memorizing the words and grammar.”
That sounded terrible. “If you had kept speaking English to me, I would have learned the basics within a moon.”
Nate stared at him. “You can learn an entire language in a moon…a month?”
“Not all the words and intricacies, but enough to manage. After a few moons, I would be fluent. Learning a written language is harder. How many languages do you speak?”
“Two fluently, one enough to get by… I guess I can add Tarikian to the list. So, three fluent languages. You?”
“Two…I am looking forward to learning your tongue.” He smiled, expecting Nate to give him that look as if he wasn’t sure he was understanding the words correctly.
Nate didn’t disappoint. His eyebrows pinched together as he blushed. And he muttered something in English.
“What is it you do in your world, Nate?” the Strega asked while giving Rohan a look that meant he should stop teasing Nate.
“I’m a teacher.”
“What do you teach?” She continued.
Nate sighed. “Reluctant ten-year-olds.”
Rohan laughed. “What ten-year-old isn’t reluctant to sit in school?”
“You still have schools even though you have magic?” Nate frowned, as he didn’t believe it.
“Of course we do,” the Strega said. “Not everything can be learned with magic.”
“And magic has a cost,” Rohan added.
“What was the cost of me learning Tarikian?” The more Nate used the language, the less he stumbled over words or needed to think to find them. Soon, he would sound as if he belonged there.
“I do not know yet,” the Strega said as if it didn’t matter.
“What does that mean?”
“It means that when she knows the price, she will collect the debt.” Whether it would be him or Nate who owed the favor was up to the Strega to decide.
“How can you not know?” Nate turned to face the Strega, tugging on the rope.
She shrugged. “Because the fate lines are not clear.”
Nate turned to him. “I don’t understand. Am I not understanding the words or the context or…” He exhaled, clearly frustrated.
How could he not understand that some favors were unclear until they were needed? “Some things cannot be bought with coin. They rely on people keeping their word. One of us now owes the Strega a favor.”
“But you could not keep your word and disappear?”
“You could… However, breaking your word is a serious matter. Without your word, who are you? Are you an oath breaker, Nate Lee from Wales on Earth?” She put enough magic in those words that Rohan felt it shimmer over his skin.
“No,” Nate said. “But I would rather be told upfront what I am getting myself into.”
“Did you ask that question before you stole the clothing and food?” Rohan gave the rope a little tug.
“It was that or die.”
“So to keep the oath to yourself to live, you took a chance knowing that there would be a debt to pay later, even though you didn’t know the size of the debt,” the Strega said.
“I guess, when you put it like that.” Nate didn’t sound convinced.
“What would’ve happened in your world? How do your rulers deal with thieves?” How different were their worlds? Knowing that would help him understand Nate.
“The…police,” he said, an English word. “The city guard arrests thieves and charges them. Then, they face trial and are found either innocent or guilty. If they’re guilty, they’re locked in a cell for a time.” He frowned as if that wasn’t quite the entire explanation.
It was enough that Rohan understood, though. “And how did they make reparation to the victims?”
“They don’t, not directly. When their time is served, they are free.”
The Strega made a noise as if she thought that was a stupid idea. “And how does locking the thief up help with the victims or the thief?”
“The thief doesn’t want to be punished again, so they don’t steal?” Not even Nate sounded sure.
“Would you prefer to sit in a cell for a year and a day or be useful and perhaps learn something?” The Strega glanced at Nate.
Nate shrugged. “I’d be bored sitting in a cell. But there was no trial. I didn’t have a chance to speak for myself.”
“You were wearing the clothes and had just finished eating the stolen food…what would you have said to defend yourself?” Did Nate believe he had been unfairly punished?
“That I needed to survive.”
“What about the person whose cloak you were wearing? Did they not need it? Did the seller of the food not need the coin to feed his family? Why does your survival matter more than the survival of those you stole from?” Rohan pressed.
“It doesn’t.” Nate stared at the ground. “Back home, people complain when thieves get light sentences, but while locked up, they just learn how to be better thieves. And it’s harder for them to find work afterwards, which means they’re more likely to steal to survive. What happens when my year and a day is over?”
“You will be found work. Teachers are always in demand, and even if you only teach about Earth, there are many who would be interested because it has changed since we last roamed between the worlds.” The Strega nodded as if that was exactly what Nate would do once his debt was repaid.
“And no one will care that I stole?” That note of disbelief filled the human’s voice.
“Why would they? You will have worked hard to repay your debt and your reputation.” What Nate would do over that time, Rohan hadn’t decided. And he couldn’t keep the human tied to his bed unless Nate wanted to be there.
Or was ready to admit he wanted to be there.
“Ah…” Nate nodded. “The year and a day is to prove myself to the community.”
Rohan put his hand on Nate’s shoulder. “Yes, and your sentence was lightened because you did it to survive.”
They turned to follow the river until Nate stopped near a pile of rocks and a fallen tree. “This is where I woke up. I think the rocks came through with me. I walked all around here trying to go back…” He shook his head. “I tried for two days until the food I had with me ran out.”
“How did you determine you weren’t at home?” The Strega walked around the rocks twice before picking one up.
“Because this area looks nothing like where I was hiking. There should be mountains. The trees are different. And I had no reception on my...” Nate made a hand gesture and brought it to his ear. “Phone. It’s a tool used for communicating over long distances. The stars are different, too. That’s when it really hit that something was wrong.”
Rohan didn’t know what he’d have done if he’d suddenly found himself on a different world, not knowing the language and with no way back.
“I was still hoping I was wrong, and that when I found the road, I’d find a town… And then I thought I was dead and this was my afterlife. Or maybe I’m unconscious, and this is all in my mind.” Nate pressed his lips together and glanced at Rohan. “But it all feels too real, and if it is a dream, since I know it’s a dream, I should be able to change the dream?”
Rohan considered Nate. Despite everything, he’d tried to solve the problem. “Is that what you were doing this morning, trying to change the dream?”
Nate blushed. “That was me giving in. If this is a dream that I can’t change, I might as well enjoy it. If I’m unconscious, then I will wake up eventually. And if all of this is real, then I need to find a way to live with it all.” He lifted his bound hands. “My wrists are chafing. Perhaps something softer?”
Rohan gave him a lazy smile. “I had been thinking much the same.”
Nate’s eyes widened.
“There is no doorway here. Though there is residual magic indicating there was a temporary one.” The Strega dropped the rock. “It wasn’t created on this side.”
Rohan put his hand on his hip. “Is that even possible?”
“It appears so.” She didn’t seem very happy about that. “There is little magic on that side, so I don’t know how it was made.” She fixed her gaze on Nate. “Were you hiking with a god? Did you run into one?”
Nate shook his head. “No. My friends are human. There was thunder and then a rockslide.”
“The god of thunder, by his many names, is with one of my sisters. It was not him.” She crossed her arms. “I do not like this. Doorways should not open without reason, and they should not open from your side.” She pointed at Nate.
“Can we go to another doorway…maybe if you come to my world, you can find the answers you want.” There was a note of desperation in Nate’s voice.
Rohan wanted to see him happy, yet at the same time, he wasn’t ready to let him go. Nor could he go to the human world, as it had become inhospitable to beings from Tariko some centuries ago.
“The nearest doorway is over a moon away and through two city-states. Politically difficult.”
“It’s my only way home. Please.”
Rohan lowered his head. “No one has crossed to your world in a long time. It is too dangerous because your people began to slaughter mine. That doorway is guarded, a remnant from the last war. Had you come through there, they would have killed you.”
“But you can ask?” Nate pleaded.
“There are no humans in that city-state. They do not allow them to live.” The Strega said. “You could try pleading your case to the gods. Though there will be a price. Consider your options as your debts are mounting.”
“You will need to serve your year and a day before making a new deal, Nate.” Making a deal with a god was a dangerous thing and not something Nate should do before he understood the rules around magic and gods.
Nate tipped his face to the sky and shouted. “I fucking hate this place!”
Rohan didn’t speak English, but there was more than enough intent and magic that the meaning was clear.
Nate would rather be anywhere else than there.