Chapter 25
The horse depot was easy to find. It was a large stable spanning the end of several of the city streets, with wooden-fence corrals extending out in either direction.
Horses of every shape and size watched, their dark eyes following my motions as I ran past. There was a man in a suit standing behind a haphazardly constructed wooden podium in the center, his gaze fixed on something resting on the tilted surface.
I skidded to a stop. “I need a ride to Heimland.”
He glanced up, his gaze dark as he evaluated me. He wasn’t old, but he wasn’t young either, a bushy mustache moving from side to side as he evaluated me. “One way? Or are you coming back?”
I honestly hadn’t considered it, but I knew there was nothing more for me here, as much as it pained me to realize it. “One way.”
“You’re looking to buy a horse then. The options are in that corral.” He motioned to his left side.
There were several horses in the pen, most worse for wear, with patchy coats and tired-looking dull manes. A black horse in the back was the only one that appeared sleek and ready for the journey. “How much for the black one?”
“Fifty-seven coin. Fifty-nine with a simple saddle.”
With a grimace, I pulled up my half-empty gold pouch, counting out the coin on the counter. When I was finished, there were only three coins left. I dumped them into my hand, slipping them in my pocket before sliding the fifty-nine coins back into the pouch and offering them to the man.
He tore a page from the ledger. “Here you are. Help yourself. The saddles are on the fence, pick any one you want.”
Following his directions, I meandered along the fence scouring for the best saddle.
Like the horses, they’d all seen better days, the leather worn, and the attached pouches often threadbare.
I managed to find one that would work, slinging it over my shoulder as I entered the paddock with the horses.
I’d never been a horse person, and I was disappointed there was no help offered to place the saddle on the black horse.
But lucky for me, the horses all had bridles on, so it was easy to walk up to the black horse and tug her toward the entrance.
I tied her to the exterior of the corral so I could arrange the saddle on her back.
The horse, while the best looking in the corral, was docile, not minding one bit as I petted her nose, then placed the saddle on her. In fact, she seemed like she wanted to come with me.
“I sure hope you can run fast,” I whispered in her ear as I looped the bag with the vials through one of the metal hoops on the saddle and filled my waterskin at pump, looping it through the opposite side of the saddle.
I hoped Ena would forgive me for taking it since it technically belonged to both of us.
I used the bottom rung of the corral fence to boost myself on her back, yanking the bridle to steer her toward the road. It wasn’t the most comfortable setup, but it would do.
The sun was already high overhead, and I hadn’t acquired any food or horse feed for the trip. I glanced back toward the city, wondering if I should spend my last few coins on provisions, but one glance at the steadily growing crowd reminded me it was time to go.
Digging my heels gently into the horse’s sides, I urged her toward a group of men on horseback loitering near the road. I stopped a horse-length away. “Hello! Are you headed toward Heimland?”
A look passed between the men, and their surprise filtered toward me. “No!” a man with red hair called back. “Most groups headed that way leave early in the morning. It’s a long road.”
I nibbled on my lip. It was exactly what I feared. “Which direction? I’ll try to catch up!”
A wave of surprise hit my gift, but the man raised his hand nonetheless, pointing.
I didn’t linger, nudging the horse into a gallop, struggling to maintain my grip on the reins and desperately wishing I’d had more experience with horses prior to this journey.
The horse followed the road, but after what couldn’t be more than an hour, I pulled back on the reigns, my butt aching with the pace.
I wanted to catch Heimland travelers, but I needed to be alive when I reached them as well.
It wasn’t a hot day, but it wasn’t a cool one either, and the horse glistened with sweat, its sides rapidly expanding and shrinking as it fought for breath.
I sipped from my waterskin, scouring the sides of the road for somewhere for the horse to drink.
I’d thought the journey would be easier with a horse, but it’d neglected to think of all the things the horse would need to survive the trip, something I deeply regretted now.
Luckily, we didn’t have to walk long before the road curved, passing alongside a river.
I stopped at the edge of the road, sliding down from the horse before leading it forward to the riverbank.
My knees buckled, and I sank into the cool grass, allowing myself to lean back and breathe for the first time since running from the throne room earlier that morning.
I grimaced at the shame that rolled through me, at how I acted.
But even though I loved Otho, he’d lied, and I could no longer trust him.
And I knew running was the only way he would let me go.
There was a dull tug in my chest, likely the bond, furious at the distance between me and the general—prince. I rose to my feet, digging in my saddlebags for another dose of poison.
“If you run the horse like that, she’ll tire before you reach whoever you’re trying to find.”
I jolted up, panic exploding in my chest, spinning to find the red-haired man from the stable on his horse, standing on the roadside.
I didn’t answer. I knew I couldn’t trust this man.
My hand flew to my hip before I remembered that I left the bulky sword behind. I grimaced.
He sighed. “I promise, I’m not going to hurt you. I’m only trying to help.”
I crossed my arms, wishing for the first time I hadn’t taken the belladonna, so I could hear his thoughts and verify his truthfulness for myself. “You said you weren’t headed to Heimland.”
“I’m not.” He held up a hand in a motion that was probably supposed to be comforting but definitely wasn’t. “The men I was with . . . well, they aren’t good men. I’m worried they’re going to come after you.”
My gaze found my horse, still happily drinking from the river, and I debated whether or not I could believe him.
I looked back at him, giving him a once-over.
While he wasn’t dressed in opulence like I’d seen on the king, he definitely wasn’t hurting for coin either.
His clothes were clean, well-made, and his horse well-groomed, “And why should I trust you aren’t just like them? ”
“You have no reason to trust me, I agree. And I honestly don’t even know what to say to make you believe me but .
. .” He ran a hand through his hair and my mind flashed to Otho, who did the same thing when he was thinking.
My heart clenched as I shoved that thought away.
“Listen, I have a little sister and . . . I know if you were my little sister, I would never forgive myself if I didn’t at least come and warn you, okay?
I’ll head back now but . . . please, be careful. This path isn’t known for its safety.”
He guided his horse in a circle, turning back the way he’d come.
“Wait.” I sighed, knowing this could probably be my end, and that I shouldn’t be trusting him, but if the group of men I saw really was coming after me, I wouldn’t make it back to Ralheim anyway. “What’s your sister’s name?”
“Anna.”
He didn’t hesitate with his answer, which was a good sign. Still, I couldn’t stop my fingers from twisting. “And where is she?”
“With my parents in Frieran.”
I raised my eyebrows. He had living parents. “Forgive me, I’m not familiar with Frieran. Where is it?”
“Up north,” he replied. “The other direction on this road. It’s where I and those men were headed.”
I didn’t uncross my arms, still trying to think of a way I could discern this man was trustworthy without magic. My empathy gift did gauge worry coming from him, but it was impossible to know if that worry was for my safety, or worry that I would ruin his plan to cause me harm.
“And your name?” I asked at last, debating whether it would be worth it to risk Otho finding me to allow the belladonna to wear off.
“Sullie,” he replied.
“Runa,” I offered back, but still didn’t offer him the Ralheim greeting, though now that I thought about it, I wasn’t certain it was even applicable outside of Heimland. “You can ride with me this afternoon. But if I ask you to leave, you need to leave.”
“Fair enough,” he agreed.
My black horse had finished drinking and was now grazing on the grass. I led her back to the road, biting my lip as I tried to figure out how I would climb back into the saddle.
Seeing no other option, I finally hitched my leg, resting my foot in the stirrup, gripping the other side of the saddle to pull myself up, as I’d seen men do before.
It worked, but it wasn’t graceful. Especially not the part where I was lying stomach down on the horse and scooting forward to orient myself.
“First time riding a horse?” Sullie asked when I finally righted myself.
“Alone and without a proper saddle, yes.” The last time I rode by myself I’d been with Friar and had an army-issued saddle, which was much easier to use than this one. The only time I’d ridden after that I’d been with Leif or Otho, a thought which pulled a scowl to my lips. Men.
I dug my heels into the horse again, urging it into a walk while Sullie clicked his tongue to urge his horse forward.
“You need to walk her at least until the sun starts to set. Once it’s cooler you can gallop again,” he instructed.
I eyed him, still nervous. “How do you know so much about horses?”
His gaze drifted to me, only to snap forward again when his eyes met mine. “I don’t—well, not really. I only know the route well. I travel frequently. I’ve seen other travelers run their horses into the ground.”
My mind caught on one of the things he said. “Why do you travel so much?”
His nervousness filtered over to me, matching mine. “I’m a merchant. I bring goods from city to city.”
I gave his horse a once-over. It was about the same size as mine, but white with large brown patches. But what mostly caught my attention was the lack of goods—the horse only carrying him and a single pack. “What are you selling right now?”
“Nothing. I dropped off a cart full of items at shops in Shianp and was headed home for a fortnight of rest.”
“Oh.” Guilt filled me at the realization that I was taking away from his rest. “Did you have plans for your rest time?”
“Not really,” he admitted with a shy smile. “Mostly help my father with some work around the house, spend some time with my sister.”
I frowned. It all sounded so . . . normal . . . and calm. Nothing like the whirlwind my life had become in the past year. “How old is your sister?”
“Sixteen this year.”
I couldn’t say why, but my mood brightened at that knowledge. “Is she planning to attend university?”
A proud smile filled his face, “Yes, she is quite gifted at math. I believe she will end up working as a book balancer once she finishes school.”
“That’s a good profession,” I mused. “And your parents are well?”
“Yeah. As well as they can be, I suppose.” I didn’t miss the way a blush crawled up his neck. “We don’t always get along . . . but they’re my parents.” He sighed.
“You still live with them?”
He nodded. “No reason to build or buy my own place when I’m on the road most of the time. Plus, they like having the extra help—they run a farm.”
“Oh,” I breathed, my own dreams filtering to the surface of my mind, “For vegetables?”
“Potatoes and onions,” he said with a smirk. “Though my father also keeps several cows and horses—that’s was how I was so easily able to join the merchant industry. I didn’t have to purchase starting materials, and I’ve been carting potatoes and onions to market since I was young.”
“That all sounds . . . so nice,” I said, a blush coming to my cheeks.
“You say that now, but I warn you, it’s boring and lonely, being on the road all the time. I often wish I’d done something else with my life.” The corners of his lips fell. It wasn’t quite a frown, but it wasn’t a smile either.
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I said nothing, the only sound the horses’ hooves on the dirt road.
“What about you? Are you going home to family?” he prodded.
I debated how much to tell him. How much would be safe to reveal to a stranger. “How much do you know about Heimland?” I asked, figuring that was a harmless starting point.
“Not a lot,” he admitted. “There’s not a lot of trade routes going there, and the few that there are . . . well, those merchants have worked the same routes for years. So you gotta wait for one of them to die if you want to take over one.”
“So, the routes are owned by certain merchants?” I’d never learned much about the trade going in and out of Heimland, and now I regretted it.
“No,” he corrected me. “But merchants grow very territorial of their routes. You can typically try any route you like, but if you choose one that is already traveled frequently by another merchant, you’ll find that bad things happen to you on the road.
” He sighed at his admission. “I try my best to stay on everyone’s good graces, so that doesn’t happen to me.
That’s why I was with those men in Shianp, even though I know they aren’t the type of men I would trust around my sister.
” He shook his head then changed the subject. “Why do you ask if I know Heimland?”
I kept my gaze on the sandy road. “Well, Heimland was at war until recently.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he apologized. “Was it bad?”
“All wars are bad,” I snapped before realizing he was probably asking because he truly didn’t know. I shrugged sheepishly. “Sorry, I guess I shouldn’t assume you’ve seen war.”
“It’s okay.”
“But yes, it was terrible, brutal. Many people were lost. I actually came to Shianp to ask the king to interfere, to stop the viscounts from continuing their war.”
“And did he?” I could feel his genuine curiosity.
Anger burned in my chest at the mere reminder of Otho’s deception. “No. The war ended before I arrived in Shianp.”
“Oh. Well, that’s good, right?” he pressed.
“Yeah.” I sighed. “It is. I just don’t really know what I’m going home to.”
“I understand,” he replied, a frown on his lips. “I don’t always know what I’m going home to either. The fear is very real.”
He didn’t ask any more questions after that.