42. Nicholas
42
Nicholas
W e approached Rahana’s first sentinel outpost. I recognized the place where two ancient trees with wide bases twisted around each other from when I’d traveled here with Marco’s entourage.
I pulled Nyxia to a stop, and Nora did much better at controlling Maxon, though I knew her body pained her. I’d insisted she took more time to rest, but after our identities were revealed and she recuperated for only half an hour, she was determined to carry on. Whether to get to her sister, or simply ensure she didn’t have to speak to me anymore, I didn’t know, but I leaned toward the latter.
I sent out two sharp whistles screeching into the near silent woods. A moment later, a man appeared from rustling bushes. “State your business.”
“I’m here to speak with Radhak. He does not know we are coming, but it is urgent.”
The man’s gaze darted between me and Nora, our hoods and mask back in place. Then it jumped to the sword sheathed at my back. I couldn’t risk being turned away, so I pressed, “I’m from Highcrest, we’ve spoken before.”
He studied the trail behind us, scouting for additional members in our party. When he found none, he simply said, “Wait here.” before strolling back into the bush. A moment later he emerged again, giving one curt nod.
I returned the favor, and looked to Nora to relay the message, but she’d already set Maxon into a walk. I swallowed past her frigid demeanor, bringing Nyxia back into the lead.
Gods, she was stubborn. She hadn’t spoken to me since we’d resumed our journey, and for the first time, I had no idea what to say. Pure rage and hurt had flashed in her eyes when she’d yelled at me, sentiments she’d held for a stranger prince who lived in luxury and safety.
It’d pained me that she held onto those beliefs still, even after what we’d been through together, what we’d shared. Maybe I should’ve seen through her actions at that first luncheon, when her mask of formality slipped, showing me a glimpse of the disdain she held in her heart. I’d brushed it off as mere honesty, ingenuous. I now realized that the black fabric over her mouth wasn’t the only mask she’d worn in my presence.
Still, I found myself longing for her forgiveness. For her acceptance. When Ella and Chol had come together, that had been real. Maybe the most real I’d ever been in my entire life. Sure, things had become more complicated, but something like that was worth fighting for.
We continued along the trail, trees arching overhead filtering the afternoon sun. Six men flooded the path ahead, forcing us to halt. Nora whipped her head to look at me, sheer panic glistening in her gloriously brown eyes.
“It’s alright,” I said as the men approached.
“You’ll need to hand over your weapons,” one said in a deep baritone voice.
Nora shifted, moving her hand within easy reach of the hilt of her dagger, no doubt. A few of the men also spotted the act.
“That’s no problem,” I called, unsheathing my sword. “We mean no harm, and we’re happy to comply,” I stated, not for myself.
Nora hesitated, but removed her dagger. One of the men came to our sides to collect. He stopped at her. “And the other, Miss.”
Nora removed the second exposed dagger strapped to her thigh with defiance, tossing it down at the man. He fumbled with it, trying to avoid the slicing blade. I couldn’t see behind her mask, but I had a sneaking suspicion she grinned.
“Follow us,” the deep-voiced man said. I recognized him from the last time I’d come. He held a position of leadership, stationed along their borders to ensure no enemies crossed into their camp.
Nora stayed vigilant, keeping tabs on the six men when they spread out to surround us for escort.
After another twenty minutes or so, sounds of a bustling camp stretched out to greet us. Within a couple minutes, we dismounted, leaving our horses near the front entrance that was heavily guarded. Though her legs looked like they could give out at any moment, Nora remained alert, assessing the movement around the few dozen tents and cooking areas. In case that happened, I stayed within arms reach. I wouldn’t let her fall, even if it risked receiving an embarrassing slap to the face in front of this group.
Roasting meat from a nearby spit sent a plume of smoke into the air, and children darted between the convoy members leading us through the camp. Women and men worked to distribute laundry along clothing lines, while some chopped wood or skinned their latest hunt. Efficient and simple, just as I’d noted during my last visit. This camp thrived in secrecy in the deserted space between kingdoms because they didn’t require trade. Anything they couldn’t hunt or forage or make, they relied upon their magic for.
A group to the side used their magic to force vegetation to sprout from the freshly laid dirt, while others waited with empty baskets to gather the newly created harvest. They relied heavily upon those blessed with magic that intertwined with nature, herbalists, they were called. They possessed many of the earth elemental wielders in their camp, a reason I’d learned on my last trip that citizens of Argora Vale had sought them out.
Once we fed through the hustle of the camp, we were brought before the master tent. The leader of Rahana dwelled here, and I needed a private audience. One of our escorts held out her hand, signaling us to wait outside while a few dipped into the tent to report our arrival. The seating area around the large fire pit in front of the tent remained mostly vacated, and I leaned into Nora to suggest quietly, “You should take a seat.”
Her resistance was palpable. She wanted to snap at me with some cutting reply, I could see the words storming behind her eyes, but the sheen and pallor gracing her skin were waging a winning battle against her defiance. That ride took more out of her than she wanted to admit, especially to me.
“We have until sundown to prepare and plan. You’ll be no good in a fight if you can’t take more than five steps.” In a daring move, I placed my hand at the base of her back, guiding her toward the empty wooden log that had been sliced in half to form a flat bench.
To my surprise, she didn’t put up a fight. She strode over and lowered herself, a flash of pain creasing her eyes as she lowered her battered body. I sat next to her. “I’ll see if I can get you a tent to rest.”
“Don’t worry about me,” she bit out, “just focus on finding my sister.” The stubborn effort she made to not spare even a glance at me would have been admirable if it didn’t feel like a punch to the stomach.
“I’m sorry you can’t come inside,” I said, maybe just hoping she’d say more than a few words to me.
She didn’t.
Negotiations went a lot smoother when emotions weren’t leading the discussions. Nora was in no place to bargain calmly, which was going to be essential to garner assistance. She hadn’t argued, only kept that slicing silence that drove me insane.
The man who’d led us here emerged from the tent and gestured for me to enter.
“If you need me, call for me,” I said to the beautiful woman pointedly ignoring me. With a sigh, I heaved from the bench and walked into Radhak’s tent. Three guards lined the room, hands clasped in front of them.
“It’s fine,” Radhak said, waving a dismissing hand without removing his eyes from a string of maps strewn across his desk. The men sized me up before making their exit. Radhak briefly scanned me from top to bottom before asking, “Is that new fashion all the rage amongst royals?”
I pulled down my mask. “You recognized me.” He wouldn’t be the first today. I closed the distance between us, approaching his work station.
“Considering I don’t interact with many from Highcrest, you were one of the few options to pick from. And I assume from your getup that secrecy is required. Your identity will remain unknown among my men with the exception of my brother, but you can expect the same level of discretion from him. How can I help you, Prince Nicholas?” He finally drew his attention away from his papers to extend his hand toward the chair opposite him.
“You have my gratitude. I hate to impose, but something has come up that requires immediate attention, and I could think of no better expert in the matter than yourself.”
Radhak leaned back and grinned. “Flattery will only get you so far, Your Highness.”
The first steps in a political dance that I’d grown to know so well. “Last we spoke, we left on amicable terms. Should you find yourself in need, my kingdom is open to you. I had hoped that would have come to pass before I should ask anything of you, considering the sizable difference in our respectable resources.
“But there is most likely a ship currently sailing up The Serpentine Line that I need to intercept.” I let the news settle. Radhak kept his composure, not letting any of his thoughts show.
First, establish the relationship. Second, present the problem at hand. Third, propose the benefits of the agreement. “I have recently discovered that weapons have also been smuggled aboard these ships, which makes every association a criminal act. Including the ship they’re sailing on.”
I didn’t need for him to respond before I continued with an offer I was confident he’d find interest in. “Seeing as I have many a ship in my fleet already, I should have no need of another once it is seized from the criminals. Since your camp resides quite far from the nearest reaches of my cities, I suspect travel grows tiring when you must retrieve your necessities. What time you might save from possessing a ship of your own to race down to the port for supplies.” I leaned back in my seat.
The air in the tent grew thick, as it usually did during negotiations. A play of power, who was more desperate for what the other had to offer. A simple proposal of business, regardless of the dire importance.
Radhak tapped his fingers atop his desk. “How many weapons do you expect to be aboard this ship? Sending my weaponless men sounds like a great risk on my end.”
A bite, a tease of interest to see if I had anything else to offer. “I admit, I can’t be sure as to the number of criminals on board. I doubt there’d be enough to match the cache in one crate of weaponry, but that is speculation.” Not ideal, but sometimes an admittance of truth was required to seal the deal.
His fingers continued rhythmically atop the wood. Perhaps he found my lack of sweetening the deal more of a deterrent than I’d hoped. Time to appeal to his humanity for a cause I knew we both shared.
“As you know, these smugglers are stealing my people who wield. A young lady was reported missing only hours ago, and is suspected to be on a ship traveling up the Splits. It’s imperative she’s retrieved.”
“I wonder exactly how imperative, seeing as you didn’t bring your own soldiers and are instead requesting aid from mine.” Radhak’s stare would make a lesser man cower after such blunt interrogation.
Delicate, dangerous territory. To admit the mistrust among my ranks wouldn’t bolster confidence in the leverage of what I had to offer. “Until I uncover further information regarding the group and their connections with my kingdom, I thought it best to not give the possibility for warning of an ambush. Since our allegiance is so fresh, I doubt any outside of your camp and my traveling party have heard of it yet, least of all would expect such quick action and assembly.”
His scrutinizing stare didn’t let up. I schooled my features, the art of politics. Not even the wind dared stir the tent during this masterful showdown. I continued, “We would have the utmost advantage, the element of surprise. With your skilled men, two dozen or so, the play would be swift.”
His gaze fell from me to his desk, and I knew I was on the verge of losing him. “Plus,” I threw out without hesitation, “Once these iron-made weapons are retrieved, I’ll have extra steel ones to spare.”
Opportunity sparkled in his eyes.