5. Rorax
They were quiet as they moved quickly through the forest, faster and more silent than before. Sahana’s head was constantly swiveling, trying to feel out more wolves, and Volla focused on the compass.
Rorax’s arm throbbed painfully with every step. When they finally came to the mouth of the forest that opened to a small, dilapidated village, Rorax let out a long sigh of relief.
Sahana led them to an abandoned home at the edge of the town. Volla pushed her way inside first and coughed as a plume of dust rose in the air.
“Dust.” Volla coughed, beating her fist against her chest.
The house was simple, made of weathered logs with nothing on the walls, and nothing was in the room except for a long wooden table.
Two doors led off the main room, and as Volla continued into the house she opened one of the doors and stuck her head in. “Just a bed in here. Not a bed I would recommend using, though. It smells like mold.”
Rorax huffed a laugh and pushed past her on creaky floorboards to open the other door. It led into a small, empty pantry that was covered in cobwebs.
Sahana came up behind her and sighed. “We might all have to sleep on the floor tonight, but at least there’s an escape route if we need one.” Sahana nodded her head to the ceiling and Rorax followed her gaze to see a hatch that accessed the roof and a half-broken ladder leading up to it.
Sahana turned away and made her way back into the house. Rorax eyed the broken wooden rungs of the ladder warily before following her commander.
When they came back into the main room of the wooden cabin, Sahana pulled out a chair and collapsed down into it. “Now we just wait for our contact to get here. Rorax, give me your arm and I’ll finish healing it.”
Rorax gave her arm to Sahana who immediately went back to work healing the wolf bite. Rorax almost groaned with relief as she felt the muscles stitching back together under her skin.
“Who’s coming?” Volla asked, dropping her pack into the corner of the cabin before sitting on a chair opposite Sahana with a groan. “K??n help me, those wolves did a number on me. I’ve said this before, and the sentiment stands; this country is a shit hole.”
Jia rolled her eyes, but Rorax smirked at Volla. “Just because you’re in terrible shape doesn’t mean you should blame the whole country.”
“There you go, Rorax.” Sahana inspected Rorax’s good-as-new arm. “All done.”
Movement in the window through the broken shutters behind Volla’s head caught Sahana and Rorax’s attention. A small group of armed soldiers were outside.
“Mother fucker,” Sahana hissed.
Volla and Jia were out of their chairs and Rorax had Glimr thrumming excitedly in her palm, all of them ready to pounce in an instant.
“Stand down,” Sahana ordered them. “My informant must be here. She just has a lot more men with her than I requested.”
Volla and Jia shared a look.
There was a soft knock at the door.
“Come in.” Sahana opened it just wide enough that a woman could slip past her. The woman carried a cast iron cauldron in one hand, and whatever was cooking in it smelled divine. Rorax’s stomach rumbled almost loud enough to shake the windows.
The informant pulled her hood away from her face and gave them all a short nod. Rorax had never met her before.
Her dark brown skin was covered in dirt, but her eyes, dark and observant, were full of life as she took in Rorax and the other women. “Welcome to Lyondrea, Heilstorms. My name is Oba.”
Oba spoke to them in the common tongue of the Realms, but her Lyondrean accent was thick.
“Oba.” Sahana’s shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly at the name. “Thank you for meeting us here. My name is Sahana, and this is Jia, Volla, and Rorax.” Sahana gestured to each of them.
“Sahana,” Oba nodded, sticking her hand out for Sahana to shake. “It is very good to put a face to a name. We figured you might be hungry,” Oba said, heaving the cast iron cauldron onto the table. “So, we brought you supper.”
“Are you eating with us?” Sahana asked as Rorax filled in the seat on Sahana’s left, Volla on her right. Jia stayed standing behind Sahana, moving into their natural positions.
The informant shook her head. “I do not have the time to stay.”
“What’s the plan?”
“You are to meet on the southwestern edge of the Allteria. Ask for directions if you must, but otherwise keep your heads down.”
Sahana pressed her palms into the tabletop. “Who are we looking to speak to?”
“Me. There’s a tavern on the junction of the Elu River and the Peak River. The owner is a good friend of the assistant to the queen’s personal secretary, and he wants the war to end. Badly.”
K??n save them. They were going on one of the most important missions since the Slave Wars almost a hundred and thirty years ago, but this time they were getting their information nearly fourth hand.
“Badly enough to work for us?” Sahana asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.
Oba nodded. “Said daughter was conscripted to work in the Pit, and is bein’ forced to help dig those things out.”
Volla and Rorax shared a nervous glance. From the reports they’d been given by Kiniera’s other spies, monster pits were not compatible with living a long and healthy life. Pit workers were often killed long before they reached old age.
Oba turned her focus to Rorax. “You’re Rorax Greywood? The one looking for Darras Greywood.”
Rorax hesitated for a moment but nodded. “Yes.”
Oba stuck her hand into her long cloak and handed Rorax a small scroll. “This is the address of Darras Greywood’s last known work associate. They were working together as recently as one week ago. This man lives in the capital and is known to be . . . shrewd. But I’ve been told you have your ways of cracking tough nuts.”
Volla snorted as Rorax ripped open the scroll and stared, memorizing the address.
When she finally looked back at Oba, she nodded. “Thank you.”
Oba nodded back and motioned to the soup. “Eat, it is good. I need to take my leave for the capital, but some men will stay to escort you to the city.”
Sahana nodded and stood to see the informant out. As soon as the door closed behind her, Volla ripped open the lid to the soup. “Finally, some decent fucking food.”