“Then, I think I could give you leave for that,” she said and leaned forward to kiss him. Olivin’s other hand moved to her face and he held her delicately, as if afraid she could somehow break, despite how life had hammered her flesh to steel. Perhaps he held her with such tenderness because he knew, without her saying, that he held her heart.
The sun had yet to crest the horizon and they were all up on the deck. With a wave of her hands and the crunching and splintering of wood, Alyss tore into their ship. She broke off chunks from the bow and stern. The masts folded like paper. The strip of deck the six of them were clustered on began to groan under their weight as its supports were compromised.
Eira focused on activating her own magic to continue concealing the vessel. Fortunately the moon was still thin and the clouds tonight were thick. Between that and her shifting fogs, Eira was certain no one on the shore would see them. Which was good, because crafting an illusion over every piece of wood that swirled around them would’ve been impossible.
The bits and pieces pulled together, reassembling in the water in front of the ship into a small rowboat. With a thought, the sea rose, connecting the edge of the larger vessel with the smaller one and condensing into a bridge of ice.
“Everyone off,” Eira instructed. They all did as told and she was the last to slide down, behind Alyss. “All right, Alyss, no remnants.”
“You got it.” Extending both her palms, fingers outstretched, Alyss balled her hands and the vessel before them crunched in on itself. She twisted her fists in opposite directions, as though she were wringing a towel. Wood splintered and groaned, turning to dust.
“Cullen, if you please.” Eira was already focusing on the shifts in her own magic, lowering the water that had been their ice bridge without getting so much as a drop in their boat. As the wind picked up, thanks to Cullen, blowing the parts of the ship far out into the massive bay of Meru, they were speeding towardthe coastline. Part of her focus remained on maintaining the fog, and, somewhere in the back of her mind, she had the currents fold the remnants of the ship beneath the waves, scattering them to assist Cullen’s efforts.
It reminded her of the first vessel they’d taken to theStormfrost, crushed to keep their presence hidden. Like Adela, like Eira.
If anyone found pieces of the ship, they wouldn’t have any idea who it belonged to. And it would be far, far away from where the hull of their rowboat crunched up along the shore. Eira leaped out and the rest followed without need of command. The only sounds were five pairs of boots on the gravel, seeing as Ducot had shifted into his mole form and scurried up onto Olivin’s shoulder.
Eira caught Alyss’s eyes and gave a slight nod. Alyss repeated the process as she had with the ship, crunching the rowboat. However, this time, there was no need of Cullen scattering the pieces. The sand and stones around the larger planks vibrated and the scraps of wood sank into the earth, consumed.
No footprints, Eira mouthed to Cullen. The beach was mostly rocky, but small breezes helped blow over their tracks.
Olivin knelt and reached out. Ducot ran off his arm, scurrying ahead of them, nimble in his tiny form. He would be their eyes in the darkness, scanning for possible threats.
Together, the six of them ventured into the dark woods, a force that left no tracks in their wake and marched toward death.
27
There was no one in the woods, or the open fields beyond. Eira led them down to the road, keeping the hood of her cloak up. Ducot was still in mole form, but now rode on Olivin’s shoulder. The rest of them had opted for clothing that mostly concealed their faces. Alyss wore a headscarf that also served to keep the sun off of her. Cullen’s shirt had a high collar. Olivin looked the most normal of them all but, like Eira, whenever they passed another traveler an illusion sank over his face, aging him slightly, shifting his hair color. But there were few people on the road.
They moved much like they had in Carsovia, sleeping off to the side in grasses, trees, and, when available, barns or sheds. There was little conversation each day and night.
Which made the first real conversation they all had with each other feel odd as they slowed upon seeing a town in the distance.
“That should be Hokoh.” Olivin stole Eira’s words.
She’d intentionally guided them past the larger port in Parth. While her parents had said the Pillars had yet to infiltrate the city when they’d stopped in, Eira didn’t trust that would still be the case. But she didn’t dare venture past Hokoh, knowing Ulvarth would have regular patrols in the bay of Meru.
“It looks large.” Alyss adjusted her headscarf one too many times to not be nervous. “Should we go around it? It looks like the forests arc behind.”
“The long way would add on another week.” Olivin shook his head and spoke with an air of authority that grated on Eira. “We should go straight through. The road is the easiest path and we might even be able to find a merchant cart making their way to Risen.”
“I’d be keen to not have to walk all the way to Risen,” Yonlin murmured. Eira disliked the idea of trusting someone else to cart them to Risen. But it was a pointless argument when it remained only a hypothetical.
“Eira?” Cullen looked to her, noting her silence.
“The forest would be the safer route…but I think we should go through,” Eira reluctantly said. “It will give us an opportunity to see if we can learn something about the state of Risen.”
“And perhaps get caught.” Alyss was still unconvinced.
“If we’re sloppy enough that they catch us here, then going to Risen is pointless as we’re already doomed,” Olivin said with a note of severity.
“Optimistic.” Alyss gave him a sidelong glance.
“Realistic. At some point, we’ll have to face the Pillars. We should be ready for it.”
“Olivin is right, if we can’t navigate here then we’re not ready for Risen,” Eira said. Just as Alyss looked like she was about to object, Eira added, “But we should still be careful and make sure we don’t rush into anything.”
Unease had her every footstep falling heavier than the last as they neared the city. Meru was dotted with settlements and towns, but Hokoh was an ancient city that had been here for hundreds of years. Over time, its occupants had invested in its defense, likely from the long-ago warring duchies period. The one that Lumeria’s lineage ended.
