24. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Through the thinning woodland, pillars of smoke rose in the distance. As they approached the village ahead, Leukos pushed Alena into the ferns. “Shh, stay down!”
Beyond the trees, a wooden palisade emerged, next to which a bare-chested man with long, patterned trousers stood guard, holding a spear. Before him, an older man dressed in rags hauled heavy bags onto an oxcart. The pack animal looked frail and underfed compared to the slavers’ giant aurochs.
Beyond the gate, the village displayed desolate, muddy paths and thatched rooftops in poor condition.
A tightness formed in Alena’s gut. “It seems dreary.” She glanced at Leukos, who was scouting the village. “And I doubt we’ll find much food here.”
He gave a nod, one hand wrapped around his dagger. “Stay here. I’ll go first and see what I can find.”
Alena baulked at his idea. “You want to separate?”
“If there’s trouble, at least you’ll be safe here.”
“And then what?” she asked, rising. “Run into the village looking for you? Travel to Bruna by myself? Certainly not. I’m coming with you. We made a deal, remember?”
A muscle twitched in Leukos’ jaw, and his usual guarded expression slid into a frown. It seemed to be a frequent occurrence whenever she opened her mouth. “Fine. But remember to use that stick if there’s any trouble.”
They slipped away from the forest and headed for the small palisade gate. Leukos strode ahead, moving with a casual grace she’d rarely seen among the Freefolk, his head held high as if he hadn’t spent days walking under the burning sun.
He approached the lone guard blocking the entrance and greeted him. The man stared at them in suspicion from behind dark blond tresses, then addressed Leukos in a dialect that sounded rather similar to the Freefolk tongue.
Alena waited a few steps back while they spoke. The guard pointed west, indicating another path through the forest, and a moment later, he let them pass through the open gate.
“That went better than expected,” Leukos said in a low tone. “They must be desperate for trade.”
“How far is Bruna?” Alena asked.
“Six more days on foot. We’ll be crossing into Rasennan territory soon. None of the legions are posted nearby, but we might come across some patrols.”
Small houses built of roughly cut stone lined the main path. Animal bones and dry bundles of herbs hung from the doorways, but the walls lacked the bright colours and patterns of the Freefolk tents. Tufts of grass sprouting along the stakewall were the only touches of colour in the otherwise dark and gloomy village.
Stray dogs trotted along the path, weaving between wooden stands poor in goods. Alena spotted half a dozen vegetables for trade, a few chickens, and one pig. The villagers milled past the stalls with blank expressions, buying onions and beans.
“If we’re so close to the Empire’s border, why isn’t this village thriving?” She did her best not to stare at the villagers’ emaciated limbs and gaunt faces. “I thought we were at the crossroads of several trade routes.”
“These lands are perpetually at war,” Leukos explained. “One of the Emperor’s greatest victories when he first came to power was conquering the territories to the north of Rasenna all the way to the Ice Kingdoms. Eluvia, Noricum, and Suebi all fell, one after the other. After the battle of Kendrisia against the Rebel Queen, however, the Rasennan army was weakened, and the Ice Kings knew it. They made a pact with the Suebi and pushed the Rasennan back south to this trade road. These lands are now a battleground between the Empire to the south and the Ice Kingdoms to the north. The Empire limits trade unless the locals bend the knee. The Emperor is trying to force the Suebi’s hand.”
“But these people—”
“Are not our concern.” He steered her towards one of the more prosperous stalls. “Let’s trade what we can and be on our way.”
The bronze dagger was enough to buy them waterskins, bread, cheese, and a bag of apples.
Once they passed through the gate again, the guard pointed to an oxcart heading to the Rasennan Noric Province.
Leukos’ expression darkened upon hearing the man’s parting words. Before Alena could ask, they rushed to meet the farmer, who let them sit in the back next to caged hens and stacks of empty twig baskets.
“We’ll have to continue on foot tomorrow, but resting for a day will do us good.” His gaze darted to the thickening forest along the path. “You should get some sleep.”
“What did the guard say to you?” Alena asked. He seemed more alert than usual. “Is there a problem?”
He settled against the wooden plank, his eyebrows knitting together. “He said, ‘beware the wolves’. The villagers have sighted more of them recently. It could mean nothing, or it could be the Blood Wolf.”
A chill passed over her despite the sunlight flickering through the canopy of trees.
Leukos handed her an apple, then sunk his teeth into his own. “Don’t worry, just rest for now. I’ll keep watch.”
The following day, they parted ways with the farmer at a small crossroad, the pair of them continuing west towards Bruna on foot. They crossed into Rasennan territory passing by more stone altars dedicated to Laran like they had seen at the bridge.
Leukos glowered at the carved stones as if they had personally offended him.
“Shouldn’t we leave an offering to their god?” Alena asked, remembering Magni’s words.
He cut her a sharp look before stepping over the carved slab of stone in one powerful stride. “No.”
The forests were dense and stretched endlessly, a maze of needle and leaf trees Alena had never encountered before. She recognised oak and beech and collected many more leaves and plants. Stuffing her satchel with herbs and roots, she glimpsed a fox again. Its orange fur and brown bushy tail weaved through the thick ferns, and one of its paws was curiously white instead of black. It disappeared out of sight before she could show him to Leukos.
That evening, she sat by the campfire, examining her scavenged collection while Leukos tended to the fire. When he leaned forward to throw some twigs in, she caught herself watching the way his muscles strained beneath his tunic.
“We’re nearing Bruna.” Leukos’ gaze settled on her, and she returned her focus to the plants in her lap, discarding the useless ones. “We’ll need to be more careful from now on. We have no more weapons to defend ourselves with other than pointy sticks.”
Alena stilled. Her father’s Megarian dagger was hidden at the bottom of her satchel. She’d hesitated to show Leukos. The dagger’s pommel was a masterpiece of ivory and bronze carving. It was worth more than she could imagine, and although she was starting to trust her travel companion, she also knew how riches had a way of twisting a man’s heart.
After a beat, she shuffled through her satchel and pulled out the wrapped blade. “I have something that could help us.” She passed it to Leukos. A dagger, even a ceremonial one, was better than none.
He leaned closer to the fire, peering at the blade in the light. “Where did you get this?” He examined every facet. “This is Megarian steel.”
“I know. It belonged to my father.”
“And you had this with you the whole time?”
“I…” She bit her lip. “Well, I didn’t know if I could trust you yet.”
A smirk graced his lips. “You’re not as na?ve as I thought.”
She scowled at him, but his attention had already returned to the dagger. “This is a ceremonial knife that our priests used during animal sacrifices for our patron god.”
“The Sea God.”
One of the most powerful gods among the Achaean Twelve. Said to command the seas, storms, and earthquakes, and often in conflict with the Grey-Eyed Maiden.
Leukos nodded, handing it back. “I don’t know how your father came about this blade, but he must have done a great deed to earn it.”
She beamed at the thought. Had Damocles been a priest himself? Had he excelled in battle or healed someone important?
“Keep it on you for now,” Leukos added, getting to his feet. “We can trade it for a sword and food once we reach Bruna. We may even be able to trade it for your sister. I’ll keep watch first.”
She hid the weapon inside her boot and lay on the mossy ground.
“Leukos,” she called out. “You’re not angry, are you? That I kept the dagger hidden all this time?” She could barely make out his features against the darkness of the forest.
“No, Alena. We all have our secrets to keep.”
She rolled onto her side, her mind still churning. Soon, she would have to tell him about the other object hidden inside her satchel: her mother’s necklace. She’d need his help to appraise it and buy Katell back. With the amount of gold entwined within the rod, it would be enough.
It had to be.
Clinging to the thought of rescuing her sister, she fell asleep under Leukos’ protective gaze.
Alena woke up with a jolt, her heart thundering. Her breath puffed in the crisp morning air, and her senses sharpened.
She searched the clearing. Leukos was nowhere to be found.
A shiver ran down her spine, and her instincts screamed impending danger.
Deep snarls rumbled through the air. In the pale pink morning light, a dozen grey wolves emerged from the bushes encircling their small camp.
Icy panic clawed up her throat. The pack prowled closer; their lips curled back, displaying sharp teeth.
Out of nowhere, a hand clamped down on Alena’s shoulder, and she gave a strangled cry.
“Well, well, well,” a gruff voice growled from above, “and who might you be?”