A’bbni shook his head. “You need to stop saying that. You could not have done anything, and continuing to berate yourself is not helping either of us.”
Shi’chen grabbed the hem of his own tunic, tearing off a few strips to dip in the cool stream before moving to gently clean the dried blood off A’bbni’s back. A’bbni held still, his fingers clenched in his lap, his eyes closed, which Shi’chen knew he did when he was concentrating very hard. A few spots made A’bbni jump when he touched them, but he made no sound until the last of the blood had been carefully wiped away. Shi’chen pressed a soft kiss to the top of A’bbni’s head as he pulled the cape up over his shoulders again and fastened it in place. “The next time I see Hi’jan, I swear to you, I am going to kill him.”
“I would not stop you,” A’bbni said softly, which was about as much vengeance as he would probably ever condone, making Shi’chen smile softly as he helped him back to his feet.
Rell approached them with an apologetic smile. “We must go, Your Highnesses.”
Shi’chen nodded and helped A’bbni back to the cart, where they settled again into the small space under the wagon bed. Kandrea’a was a few days’ journey, maybe a full day by fast horse without a wagon, passing through several cities and smaller towns on the way. It was not how he would have ever chosen to travel to Kandrea’a, but at this point, he was just grateful to be alive and to have A’bbni next to him, curled up in his arms and holding onto him like he would never let go.
Chapter four
A'bbni
Theystoppedseveralmoretimes to eat and rest the horses, always outside of any cities or towns they passed through. Rell and Nen switched places driving as well so the wagon was almost always moving except for a few hours here and there to let the horses sleep. It was impossible to guess how much time had passed since they had climbed into the hidden compartment in the wagon, and A’bbni was grateful that he was able to sleep for much of the journey. Shi’chen made him a pillow out of his own tunic and held him close to keep him warm, stroking his hair until he fell asleep. The pain was not gone, but it at least faded into the background of his subconscious, like the drone of flies, making itself known once in a while with a sudden sharp stab of fire that made him grip his brother’s fingers so tightly, he might have crushed them without knowing it. If he did hurt him, Shi’chen never said a word about it.
During their last break, Rell informed them they were approaching Kandrea’a and needed to stay quiet until they were safely to their destination, though they were sure she knew the warning was unnecessary, as they had been silent the entire way.
They began to hear more carts and people passing along the dirt roads the closer they got to the city gates. Eventually the cart stopped in what was likely the line to get into the city. A’bbni wondered if news of the Regent’s death, their cousin assuming the throne, and their disappearance had reached the city yet. The only way would be via courier on horseback, but there were shorter ways to get to the various cities for a single rider. It had only been a day or two since their disappearance from the prison, as far as he could tell, but so much could change in such a short time.
The wheels hit what sounded like paved roads again, making A’bbni bite his lip to keep from crying out as the sudden change sent a jolt of pain up his spine. Shi’chen’s fingers traced gently through his hair reassuringly, and he leaned into the touch. Despite the circumstances that necessitated it, he was extremely grateful that Shi’chen was by his side, as their time together in the palace had often been limited as they grew older and took on various responsibilities.
The sounds of people talking and doing business was getting louder, and the smells of the city once more reached them through the horse and hay smell. There was also something in the air that was not quite familiar, and his heartbeat quickened when he realized it was the smell of the sea.
They had gone a rather long way through the city, he estimated, before the sounds became muffled, and the cart came to a stop. A few minutes later, the wooden lid creaked open, and Nen reached a hand down to help them up. Shi’chen got out first, jumping down, then supported A’bbni down off the cart, being mindful of his injuries. They seemed to be in a closed and covered stable of some kind, the smell of fresh hay and manure and horses reaching their noses. The light outside the windows of the stable was fading to create long, dim shadows, and A’bbni assumed that the sun was setting.
Rell held out a bundle with some food and a water pouch, and Shi’chen gladly took it, steering A’bbni over to a pile of hay nearby. Nen moved over to unhitch the horses from the wagon and take care of them, their bodies damp with sweat. One was a piebald, the other entirely chestnut except for a white star on its forehead, and Nen crooned softly to them in Hanen-shii as he got them settled.
Rell gave the twins an appraising look in the dim light as they sat and ate. “Are you well enough, Captain, Your Reverence?”
They both nodded slowly. “You have our eternal gratitude,” A’bbni told her softly.
She gave them a gentle smile that reminded him so much of his Mother that his heart gave a little hop in his chest. “I am sure you both are exhausted. I am afraid you will not have long to rest, but please try to sleep now.”
A’bbni had so many questions he wanted to ask, but Shi’chen was already making a sort of nest for them in the hay with some blankets from the stall nearby. He pulled Shi’chen down next to him, wrapping an arm over his brother to keep him as warm as he could, and closed his eyes, thinking it would be difficult to fall asleep with so much on his mind. That was his last thought before sleep claimed him.
The sky was showing no hint of the coming dawn when Rell woke them. A’bbni struggled to his feet, his body stiff and aching from the last few days catching up to him. Next to him, Shi’chen looked like he hadn’t slept a bit, looking groggy and more than a little grumpy. Rell motioned to a trough of cold but clean water nearby, then moved away to give them some privacy. A’bbni stripped off the makeshift tunic that was crusted with blood and dirt, finding the least dirty area of it to clean himself. It felt more than a little disrespectful to Commander Ahea’a to use her cape for such a base task, but he sent up a silent prayer to the gods to bless her for the comfort it had brought.
Rell suddenly returned, carrying two wrapped bundles, handing one to each of them. “Your Reverence, Captain, you need to change into these, quickly please.”
A’bbni finished cleaning off and threw on the sea green silk tunic and white pants in his bundle with no concern for modesty, only for not further aggravating the wounds on his back and legs. They at least had stopped bleeding and were scabbed over now, though every movement of his muscles made them feel like they might tear open again. Shi’chen flushed and turned aside a bit to pull on the casual jacket and pants that he had been given.
“Your jewelry,” Rell said softly but firmly, holding out her hands to Shi’chen. Shi’chen quickly slid off all his earrings and rings as Rell turned to A’bbni and handed him a pouch with different jewelry in it, motioning for him to swap them out. She then took Shi’chen’s jewelry and stuffed them into her cloak pocket, except for Shi’chen’s rose gold signet ring, which she motioned for him to tuck into the pocket of his jacket. A’bbni handed her his old jewelry, minus his signet ring, which she also had him pocket. “Braid your hair, quickly,” she commanded, and A’bbni complied as she continued speaking. “We have arranged travel to Csereth for you both separately.”
“Separately?” Shi’chen asked.
“Yes. I am sorry,” Rell said, sounding genuinely apologetic. “You will be reunited in Csereth.”
Csereth was the northern-most port city of Hanenea’a, and the closest goblin port to the elven continent of Kendarin, just across the Coral Sea. That made it one of the largest centers of trade in the entire nation, with ships coming and going dozens, if not hundreds, of times a day. It also had a large elven population, many of whom had dual citizenship on both continents, to facilitate trade and distribution of goods.
A’bbni also remembered, with a hint of envy, that there was a large university there that catered to both the elves and the goblins in a variety of areas of study, from agriculture to philosophy. Several of his private tutors at the palace had come from the university at Csereth, and he had even considered going there himself in a few years to continue his studies. It was accessible by land, but the trip took almost two weeks by horse, and bandit attacks were common due to all the trade and exchange that went on between Csereth and the rest of the continent. By sea, the journey was just over a week.
Rell handed A’bbni a missive, and he held out the end of his braid to Shi’chen to tie off while he took the envelope that was sealed with a plain smudge of black wax and no signet. “These are instructions for Lord Kella, only after you have set sail. For his eyes only,” she said firmly, and A’bbni nodded. “Your ship will be departing shortly; we must leave soon. Nen will escort you there.” She turned to Shi’chen, holding out a folded square of plain paper. “This is where to go after your ship docks in Csereth.”
“Ship?” Shi’chen asked, his ears flattening a little.
“Yes. There are two ships headed for Csereth today, one leaving this morning, and the other on the evening tide. We have detained one of the sailors for you to take his place, Captain.”
“I… I cannot do that.” Shi’chen’s voice suddenly sounded thick, like he was trying to swallow around something in his throat, and A’bbni looked over at his twin with a puzzled frown.
