‘Everyone?’
Hadewaye knew she was asking about Blackmane. ‘No one twisted his arm.’
Eda suspected he had agreed for the sake of his friends and the prince, not her.
She turned back to her horse as Harlan pulled Luella from the saddle. Her niece squealed in protest. Harlan held his squirming daughter in one hand and Garlic in the other.
‘We’ll see you soon,’ he said.
Eda took her niece’s hand and kissed it. She looked over at her mother and sister but did not go to them. She did not have another goodbye in her. They must have understood that, because they remained where they were and offered her a reassuring smile instead. Eda heard her mother sniff as she mounted.
‘Looking sharp, Suttone,’ Tatum said, riding up next to her.
She adjusted the bow on her back. ‘Shut up.’
‘It was a genuine compliment. We all know dressing isn’t your strong suit.’
‘And we all know archery isn’t yours,’ she replied. ‘So I hope you brought your sword.’
Alveye and Hadewaye laughed.
Roul nudged his horse forwards. ‘That’s enough, you two. We haven’t even left yet.’ He nodded a farewell at Harlan.
‘Bring them all home,’ Harlan said in response.
‘That’s the plan.’ Roul nudged his horse, and the defenders followed him.
Eda looked back at her family a final time and saw Blake’s arm was around their mother. ‘Please don’t worry.’
‘You just focus on what’s ahead of you,’ Harlan said. ‘Make sure you listen to your commander at all times.’ He clapped a hand on the gelding’s rump, and it broke into a trot.
Eda watched her mother and sister over her shoulder until their faces blurred. Then Blake let go of Candace and signed,Stand tall and strong, warrior.
Eda blinked back tears as she faced forwards. Roul had slowed his horse and was waiting for her to catch up to the group. He said nothing as her horse fell into step with his.
An hour later, they reached the outer-wall. It all felt new to Eda, who rarely went to that part of the borough, because everything she needed and loved was in the opposite direction. The portcullis was heavily guarded, with defenders both on the ground and watching from the wall above. As they approached the gate, Roul looked at her.
‘I need you to be the soldier we trained you to be on the other side of that wall. From this point, I’m no longer your friend, I’m your commander. That’s the only way this works. That’s how I keep everybody alive. Are we clear?’
She understood the pressure he felt to keep everyone safe. ‘Yes, Commander.’
‘You stay in my sight at all times. If anything happens to you, the entire mission is lost.’
‘I know.’
A guard came forwards to speak with Roul. ‘It’s been very quiet these past few days. You should make it to the forest without incident.’
Tatum and Blackmane exchanged a look as the guard signalled to a defender atop the wall. A moment later, the portcullis began to rise.
Roul gestured to the group to proceed, and they walked their horses towards the rising portcullis, the noise cutting through the stillness of dawn. When it came to a stop, the only sound was the soft clap of hooves on the path.
Eda stared ahead at the heavy fog they were about to enter. She could not look away. Every muscle in her body tensed as they were swallowed up by the heavy mist. When the portcullis lowered behind them, Roul signalled for Tatum to watch east, Alveye west, and for Blackmane to fall back.
Mud sucked at the horses’ hooves, causing them to trip on the changing terrain. Eda could see they were travelling on what was once a road but was now a jungle of ragwort and creeping thistle. She glanced over her shoulder at the wall, barely able to make out the defenders atop it.
‘We’ll be entering the forest in about five miles,’ Roul said quietly beside her. ‘We’ll have more protection then.’
‘I can’t decide if the cloud cover is good or bad,’ Eda replied.
