Chapter Eleven
Tor
Aboat?” Tor said, surprised.
“A boat,” Pel agreed. “We’ll be rowing with the current, so we’ll get there before you know it.”
Tor eyed him. “I don’t think my rowing skills are at peak proficiency right now.”
Larexa scoffed and shot him a “Did you really just say that?” look.
Pel glared, hands on his hips. “You’re not going to row at all. You’re not even going to think about rowing. Beluna, Cavun, Denil, and I are going to row.”
Tor kept forgetting that Pel had spent a lot more—conscious—time with the three guards than Tor had. They’d apparently made quite the impression.
“They’re really willing to do that?” He frowned. “Wait, I told them I’d help them relocate to Alossa, didn’t I?”
“You did.” Pel’s expression was wry. “I’m pretty sure they think we need the help more than they’ve decided for certain that they’d like to relocate to Alossa, though.”
“They’re not wrong,” Tor admitted. “I’d like to be more functional again soon.”
“Try not to magically exhaust yourself again!” Pel answered promptly.
There was really no answer to that, and Tor wisely stayed silent.
Bavil said, “I’ve always liked Beluna. She speaks her mind. Denil is quieter, and Cavun’s been stationed out by the western mountains for a while. But I’m honestly a little embarrassed you didn’t have more than three guards helping you.”
Tor sighed. “It’s no easy thing, going up against your ruler.
” His face tightened. “It’s not as simple as saying ‘just follow orders,’ either, but as angry as they all made me, I can admit it was a complicated situation.
Real harm was done, and the exiles were in Tond when the guards attacked.
They may genuinely have thought they were fighting off an attacking force—at least until we found the civilians.
To give them their due, not a single person attacked—or even heckled, as far as I noticed—when we were all trapped together under the shield. ”
He didn’t actually disagree with Bavil, but he liked to think that if all things had been equal, more of them would have sided more openly with him.
Bavil looked like he disagreed, and Tor reminded him, “You and I have the protection of our name and position. I can’t think it’s very pleasant to go up against your father with neither of those things.”
Bavil’s face shadowed, and he gave a reluctant nod. “No, that’s true. If the three of them do want to relocate to Alossa, I’ll help any way I can.”
“Me, too,” Larexa agreed.
“We’ll let them know,” Pel said, looking faintly surprised but pleased.
“I suspect how Varex reacts will make a big difference,” Tor conceded. “I can only imagine the version of events that has probably been dispatched to him, but I’m sure once I lay everything before him, we can get it sorted.”
They weren’t always good at communicating, but saving fifteen hundred civilians, as well as hundreds of Tondian guards, surely spoke for itself when you weren’t a ruler who was seething and irrational.
“We’re leaving tomorrow morning,” Pel told them all. “Early, before King Forex has time to make a fuss.”
One benefit of the man’s drinking was that he was rarely up early, and Tor doubted that anyone was expecting them to simply sneak off.
“Makes sense,” he agreed.
He was usually the one hatching plans, but he had to admit that he really liked the efficiency with which Pel had set this up.
Tor looked at Bavil and Larexa. “Can you take care of Melody while I’m gone? I’m hoping we’ll be back… after.”
Even though he was pretty sure everyone in the room knew what he was hoping for, he wasn’t quite ready to mention it out loud to anyone other than Pel.
“Of course,” Bavil and Larexa said in unison.
Tor laughed. This trip to Tond had been nothing like what he expected—and he’d gotten so many good things out of it. These three siblings were the best.
Something of what Tor was thinking must have shown on his face because Pel said, “I need to go pack.”
So… not ready for Tor to be proposing sorting out their familial problems. Fair enough.
“I’ll go order supplies from the kitchen so it’s not clear who needs them,” Bavil offered.
“And I’ll sit with you.”
Larexa resumed her seat by the bed as the two brothers headed off.
It still wasn’t a resolution of all their difficulties, but Tor had never seen them all work together so seamlessly before.
His heart ached a little, but it was a good ache.
He hoped it meant that he and Varex could get back what they’d lost, too.
“Do you really think anything is going to happen?” Tor asked.
“I certainly hope not,” she answered, brown eyes lacking their usual sparkle. She was totally serious. “Just in case, I can create a pretty awesome shield. And you’re a little magic light at the moment, aren’t you?”
Tor wasn’t actually sure what he could do at the moment—but he could just imagine how Pel would react if Tor started experimenting with his magic.
“Thank you,” he said instead.
She smiled, her eyes softening. “Of course.”
She kept feeding him, reading whenever he dozed off, and she even helped him walk around the room a few times.
He was starting to feel better, although far from normal.
He tried not to overexert himself, thinking of the journey ahead, sitting back down whenever he was winded—which was distressingly often.
Larexa looked sympathetic. “Not exactly what you’re used to, huh?”
Tor sighed. “I got in more than a few scrapes as a kid, but once Varex and I Manifested, despite some of the wild stuff we got up to, we didn’t get injured as often as you might expect. We were either luckier than we deserved, or it’s true what they say about magic helping to keep you healthier.”
She was frowning. “Wavilon gets a fair number of requests. Father doesn’t often allow him to leave the castle, since he’s the only healer we’ve got in Tond, but if it’s a matter of life or death, he might be allowed to intercede.
He’s mostly on hand for the royal family and injuries to the guards—because you’re all very foolish. ”
This made Tor laugh. “True. Honestly, even with the guards, I don’t think our healers are that busy—but we have more than one, and, if I’m being perfectly honest, it’s not something I paid that much attention to.”
He didn’t remember anyone coming to the castle to ask for aid from a healer—but there were several who practiced in the city, so perhaps they took on the load.
Frowning, he said, “I’ll find out more when I’m back home. Maybe it’s the nature of the work people are doing or just an unlucky season or two.”
He found himself yawning, and his frown deepened. “All I’ve been doing is sleeping!”
Larexa’s expression was at once sympathetic and stern. “And now you need more. You’re going to be traveling. You need to conserve your strength.”
Since Tor couldn’t even protest without yawning again, he gave up. It wasn’t as though he could be positively contributing to the work to get out of the castle, so he might as well be resting.
As he settled more fully on the bed, slipping under the sheet, he said, “So you’re going to watch me sleep?”
It seemed perfectly normal with Pel, but now that it was sleep and not a magical coma, it seemed ever so slightly creepy. Or embarrassing. Maybe both.
Larexa produced her book. “I have something to do. I won’t look to see if you drool.”
Tor could only laugh. “I probably do.”
“I know,” she said matter-of-factly while opening the book.
This made Tor laugh harder, the feeling of weirdness dissipating. “All right. Thanks for that.”
“Sleep well,” she told him.
Tor did. He roused briefly when he felt someone else join him in the bed.
Pel pressed a kiss to the side of his head.
“Go back to sleep.”
Tor let out a tired noise of pleasure. Now that they were together in bed, they could be doing something more interesting, and… sleep wrapped around him once again.
When Tor woke, he was disoriented, but only briefly.
The events of the last few days came back to him—at least the parts that he’d been conscious for.
Belatedly, he realized that Pel had shaken him awake, his hand still on Tor’s shoulder.
The light coming in through the window said it was still early.
The chair beside the bed was empty, so it seemed that Larexa had actually gotten to sleep in her own bed last night.
“I’m up,” Tor mumbled.
Pel leaned in and kissed him. “That’s why you’re all sleepy in bed, is it?”
Tor… didn’t really have an argument for that. “I’m almost functional?”
Pel smiled, though his expression was somewhat worried. “How are you feeling?”
“Much better than yesterday,” Tor assured him.
It mostly felt like all his insides belonged to him again, which was always a good thing.
“I’m glad,” Pel said softly. “We need to get going, I’m afraid.”
Tor tugged him closer. “You need to kiss me again. You owe me so much sex.”
Pel scoffed. “Excuse me? Who was unconscious for days? I think you will find that it’s you who owes me so much sex.”
Tor laughed. “Agreed. I’d like to deliver at the earliest opportunity. When do you think that will be?”
“When we’re no longer in Tond, hopefully,” Pel said, and Tor realized belatedly that there was tension in his whole body. “I’d like to avoid a confrontation with my father if we can help it.”
Both were very sensible answers, and Tor knew Pel was right. Forex wasn’t known for his even temper, and even if he was unlikely to harm Tor, he could forbid Pel from going, send guards with them, or, goddess forbid, decide to come himself.
Definitely better to get out before anyone noticed. So Tor let Pel help him rise from the bed. Thankfully, he was able to walk under his own power today, though he wouldn’t be winning any contests for agility or speed.
He sighed. “At this rate, hopefully I’ll be functional by the time we reach Nexa.”
Tor would definitely rather face his brother—and Fernila and Yomil—in the capital city when he was at his best.