Chapter 15
After our conversation, we’d headed to sleep, both of us in Otho’s tent.
We’d started with both of us lying on our backs, but then after asking permission, he pulled me into his arms, tucking me into his chest. It was peaceful as I fell asleep wrapped in his arms, like my aching heart finally found its home.
When I woke, he was already gone, but his bedroll was warm enough for me to know he hadn’t woken long before me.
I crawled out of the tent, the campsite a flurry of activity as Jase and Nel packed, while Ryle and Askel were bent over the fire, their heads close together as they discussed something. There was no sign of Karl, Otho, or Ena.
It must’ve been very early, though, as no whispers reached my ears, though I didn’t have a dose of belladonna for the day.
I bit my lip as I watched the four of them prepare, nervousness flowing through me as I debated how I would come clean with Otho much sooner than I anticipated.
Considering I had only taken a single dose the day before, it wouldn’t be long before I started to lose my mind.
Just as I was pacing back and forth, practicing the conversation I would have with him, Ena emerged from the trees, motioning me over.
One glance at the camp told me no one would miss me while I talked to her.
“I think I found belladonna, but I need you to verify.”
Hope flooded my body as I nodded and followed her as she weaved her way back through the brush. I had no idea how she was able to find her way, but she did, and it was indeed belladonna—the black berries in sharp contrast to the green leaves.
To make the same potion I had before, though, I needed moonflower, which I hadn’t spotted yet during our travels.
But I also knew I would need to increase my dose in order to block my powers the same way I had been.
I pulled the three empty vials from my brassiere, filling them with the berries.
Without being watered down by moonflower and water, and with crushing the berries to squeeze in more, I estimated that what I gathered would be enough for six or eight days.
Hopefully, we would be in Shianp by the time I needed more.
And with any luck I’d be able to visit an apothecary there instead of scavenging.
“Thanks, Ena,” I told her as I shoved the cork into the last vial, replacing them in my undergarments before filling my hands with enough berries for today’s dose. When I turned to face my friend, she was frowning.
“What happened with Otho last night?” Her curiosity pricked me like a thorn.
I glanced back toward the camp, ensuring we were still alone, and I lowered my voice to be certain we wouldn’t be overheard.
“Otho paid Ryle to switch sides.” Ena’s eyes widened.
“Don’t trust either of them.” I tossed the berries into my mouth, grimacing as I chewed.
Although Otho and his men had been generous enough to carry my sword for me, they hadn’t outfitted us with bags, which bothered me.
“But . . . it’s Otho.” I could feel her uncertainty.
I sighed, feeling the tension behind my eyes.
I didn’t know how to explain to Ena that I knew that—that I was fighting a magical bond every time I established distance between us.
But I knew I had to try, for her safety and mine.
“I know. I want to trust him too, but . . . things are changing, and I don’t think he always makes decisions that are best for everyone. ”
She opened her mouth to say something else, but a high-pitched whistle sailed through the trees.
It was time to return to camp.
It was another long day of climbing, and like the day before, I climbed on my own, spending time with my thoughts. Otho was never far, though, usually only a few paces behind me. And anytime he did step into the trees, Ryle was right there to take his place.
It was as if he were afraid I would run the moment he looked away—though he should have known better based on my struggle to keep up as we climbed normally.
Ena also kept to herself, though if anyone noticed that she went exploring in the bushes far less than yesterday, they said nothing.
As the sun began to set, we reached the peak of the mountain we’d been climbing, and my arms, which had been crossed in front of me, dropped.
We’d reached the summit, and the view was like nothing I’d ever seen before.
There were red mountains as far as the eye could see in every direction, though they grew purple in the distance.
They extended in every direction, covering most of the terrain, except for a deep basin several mountains ahead, lit up so brightly it looked like a fallen star nestled in the mountains.
“That’s Shianp,” Otho whispered into my ear, the feeling sending a shiver down my spine. It didn’t help that the temperature had dropped as we’d climbed. It was officially the coldest I’d been all trip, and I pulled my cloak tighter around my shoulders.
“It’s so far,” I said quietly, still fighting to take in everything. Something told me I would never see this view again.
His warm hand landed on my shoulder. “At least we’ve done most of the climbing already. It’ll be downhill from here.”
I dipped my head in acknowledgment, and Otho moved away, calling to the men to set up camp.
I glanced behind me, spotting the few lights from Heimland poking through the night.
But compared to Shianp ahead, there was very little light coming from behind us.
The thought alone had something stirring in my soul.
The pull I felt to move forward relaxed, and I knew I’d made the right decision.
I stood there, looking out, already planning how we could arrive at Shianp faster. Because on foot, it looked to be another ten or more days of walking—if we continued at the same pace. But this was a mountain, and I knew there had to be a way for gravity to work in our favor.
“Would you mind looking for firewood? I’m headed to search for water.” I turned to find Askel standing a few paces behind me, a bowl gripped in his fist, a forced smile on his lips.
His words gave me an idea. “Actually, can I look for the water?”
Askel frowned, and for the first time, I noticed he too looked tired, and much older than the last time I’d trained with him.
While he didn’t have the dark circles under his eyes that Otho wore, he’d lost the spark I’d always seen alive in his irises.
“Are you sure?” He motioned to the waterskins draped on his body and the large bowl in his hands. “I have to fill all of this.”
“I can handle it,” I assured him, reaching for the bowl and then the waterskins.
“I didn’t mean to insinuate you c-couldn’t,” Askel stuttered, a blush climbing up his neck. “I know you’re just as capable as—er—”
I chuckled, remembering the Askel who had once treated me like just another soldier. “It’s fine, Askel.” I plastered a grin on my face. “Remember when you trained me in Ralheim?”
His lips split into a smile. “Yeah.” He turned to look at the view. “Feels like that was a lifetime ago.”
I could sense his sadness, and I wished there was something I could do to mend it. Best I could think of was a distraction, “I was thinking I’d like to resume that, if its convenient for you.”
His eyes lit up, and I knew I’d chosen the right thing to say.
“Of course. We all could use some refreshing; it’ll keep everyone in shape during the journey.” His gaze drifted to the campsite where Ena was helping set up tents, having to stretch on her toes to hook the rope that held the tents up over the nearest low-hanging branch. I knew that look.
“I can ask her to join us.”
My words jolted Askel back to the present, his cheeks turning a bright shade of pink. “Yes, it will be good for everyone to be trained, I think.”
I chuckled but said nothing.
We stood there awkwardly, all the waterskins already draped on my shoulders. “Well, point me in the direction you think there might be water, and I’ll be on my way.”
Askel pointed. “The foliage should grow more dense the closer you draw to water.”
I vaguely remembered Ena saying something similar when we’d started out that first day, and sadness flowed through me that I didn’t have the same experience they did in nature. I brushed the feeling away. “Thanks, Askel. See you soon.”
I ducked into the trees, taking the opportunity to walk slowly, searching for other potion supplies I might need, and evaluating the size of the trees.
Because if there was a river, it would be headed downhill, meaning we could cut our walk into a much shorter journey.
As long as the water flowed toward Shianp.
Dinner was a silent affair. I was starting to think that paying Ryle to change sides was the least of the problems the group had, as there were obviously some other underlying issues.
I could see it in the way that Karl and Askel glanced at Otho frequently, before glancing at one another, having a silent conversation.
In the same way, it was clear that Jase, Nel, and Ryle weren’t welcome in the group, the three of them sitting off to one side and having their own hushed conversations.
Ena sat next to me, her gaze also roving over the group, though her gold-rimmed eyes also flickered to me from time to time, something I couldn’t say of Karl and Askel.
Otho, on the other hand, kept his gaze down, consuming his food somewhere I couldn’t pry my way into. I frowned.
I knew this wasn’t a permanent arrangement, but I wondered if we would arrive to Shianp as a cohesive unit.
Chewing the last bites of the jerky I’d been handed, then cleared my throat. “I had an idea . . . of a way to travel to Shianp faster.”
Everyone paused their conversations and turned to look at me, questions in their gazes.
I continued. “I think we can spend a day building rafts and then ride the river downhill. That should at least cut out a day or two.”
Excitement wafted from Ryle, but one look from Otho snuffed it out.
“Thank you for the idea, Runa, but it’s too dangerous.
We will have to go down the mountain the same way we came up.
” His voice was firm, and I knew there would be no convincing him otherwise.
The old Otho was back—the one that didn’t take my suggestions into consideration.
I frowned. “But it could take us four days to climb down, and I saw the river; it’s not very steep or fast, we can climb out if that changes.”
His facial expression didn’t change. “The answer is no, and that’s final.”
I suppressed a groan. I wasn’t some child about to be chastised. “Well, I will be taking a raft down. Anyone who wants to join me can.” I smirked. “I’ll start building now.” I headed for the forest, not intending to go far, as it was already almost dark, but a hand on my arm stopped me.
“Runa.” It was Otho. “Please, don’t do this.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Are you going to stop me?”
He shook his head, my magic grasping onto his sadness. “No, Runa, but please, if you were hurt . . . I couldn’t stand it.”
I wanted to snap, shout at him that he should have thought of that before, when Leif rode off with me to Malheim, but instead, I swallowed my words.
It was an untested idea, and I really didn’t want anyone to get hurt.
After all, I wouldn’t be able to bargain with the King for the safety of the Seid if I were dead.
Not to mention, I didn’t know how to swim.
“Fine,” I relented, turning on my heel to return to the tent. “But promise me you will at least consider it. There are a lot of mountains between here and Shianp.”
Otho grimaced but agreed. I slipped into the tent, but I swore I heard Otho say something more.
Something along the lines of, “Not enough.”