“No,” Orry said and then moaned as he rose slowly. “I feel much better this morning. I’ll go with you. Besides, we need to find another inn today.”
“Right,” Croak mumbled.
Villadelle was large enough they could stay hidden from anyone searching, but only if they moved around. They’d stayed at this inn for the past two days, so Croak had scouted out the next inn they would move to, this time with a room large enough for both of them.
When Orry finished getting dressed, they gathered their belongings and ate in a tavern on the other side of the city. Croak watched Orry, but other than a bit of fatigue, he seemed much better. He no longer had a fever and his appetite was back.
Croak leaned back, stretching, his gaze wandering around when he saw a group of men cross outside the window. Leaning forward, he frowned as they passed, noticing the gold and white of their uniforms.
Heylisian soldiers.
“Fuck,” he said under his breath. He rose, his chair scrapping back loudly on the wood floor, and he nodded across at Orry. “We need to go.”
Orry looked up at him in confusion. “I’m not?—”
He leaned down, his hands braced on the table as he hissed at Orry, “Heylisian soldiers just passed outside. They could double back any second. We need to get the fuck out of here now.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“We should be in Tursk by midday,” Rydon called out, glancing over his shoulder at them. Sonah didn’t bother acknowledging as she sat slumped in her saddle.
“Once we get there, we can rest for a few hours and set off after dinner. We should start traveling at night from now on,” he continued.
“Have you travelled throughout the continent?” Terena asked as Nyx walked slowly behind Rydon’s mount.
He glanced at her over his shoulder and shrugged. “Aye. Been all over. I’m a mercenary.”
She nodded, thinking. “Have you ever seen a building like…. a temple or a large monastery atop a mountain?”
Rydon looked back at her again, this time holding her gaze. “I’ve seen many temples across the continent. And aye, many have been atop mountains. The priests and priestesses feel closest to the gods on those mountains.”
Terena pursed her lips. “This one would be unique. The mountain isn’t,” she shrugged, “but the temple wouldn’t be accessible.”
He arched an eyebrow. “So, how did they build a temple up there?”
She looked away in frustration. “Never mind.”
They continued on in silence, the sounds of the forest filling the space around them as they travelled.
After a while, Rydon slowed his horse until he was beside Terena. “Unless you mean the sanctuary at Messene?”
Terena turned to look at him. “What?”
“What you asked earlier, about a temple on a mountain?”
She frowned at him.
“There’s a temple atop a mountain in Messene. The priestesses there call it a sanctuary. Only way to get up there is to be invited.”
Terena slowed Nyx to a halt, staring at Rydon. Ahead of them, Sonah turned and called back as Gabriol slowed his horse as well.
“What’s going on?” Gabriol called out.
Terena held up a hand but did not take her eyes off Rydon as she asked, “You’ve seen this place? The sanctuary?”
“Aye. In Messene.”
“Messene,” Terena said, dropping her eyes to her pommel in thought.
