A sick woman with black blood changed my eyes to a two-toned rainbow, giant men chased me through the forest, and I threw myself into monstrous rapids only to walk out in calm waters.
The laughter stopped.
I didn’t know where I was or how far the river had carried me. I was surely more than a day’s trek from my village. It was possible I was in Third Territory, and its Princeps, Koerlyn, had a fearsome reputation of cruelty, particularly toward trespassers. Harthon of Fourth was the only Princeps with a more terrifying reputation, and I sure as skies didn’t want to come across either of them.
Shivers wracked my frame as I hugged myself. Without my cloak, I was left in my tunic and trousers. While the air never dipped to freezing, it was cool, and the river water that soaked my clothes was frigid. Shelter and a fire were my first priority. I would worry about soldiers if I came across any.
I ignored the tired plea of my body, dragged myself to my feet, filled my flask, and began to walk. I was still walking hours later as the sun began its descent, and even as the sky became black, the stars and moon smothered by clouds, I didn’t stop. Stopping without shelter would get me killed.
My exhausted body was about to force my hand when unnatural, bulky shadows rose before me. Not shadows—structures. Or, just one. Squinting hard, I made out the shape of a short wall and a hut just behind it. The structure was alone, probably on the outskirts of a village.
I clumsily dragged myself over the wall and picked my way to a window hole. It was missing the heavy fabric that usually draped across the opening for insulation during the night. Hopefully, it meant that no one was home.
The entrance was covered by a thin slab of wood that easily moved. Sliding it to the side as quietly as I could, I listened. Though I could hardly see, there were no sounds of life in the open space.
Wasting no time, I shuffled toward what looked like a fire pit along the wall. Wood already sat in it, and I felt along the dusty floor until the hard edges of flint dug into my palm. The fire started easily, andI adjusted the logs to better control the flames.
Blessed heat breathed into the air, licking the stiff skin on my face. Then my body collapsed onto its side, and sleep swallowed me whole.
* * *
My eyes snapped open.
Soft light. Packed earth floor. Burnt embers. Damp clothes.
I jolted up, regretting the quick movement as muscles groaned, pain flaring to life in my leg, my ribs, myeverywhere. Never had I felt this kind of ache. It was as if someone had pushed me off the Princeps’ tower.
Taking a ride down a violent river would do that to a person.
I scanned the small cottage. The open room was bare-bones but tidy. There were two thin beds, a few dusty chests, a wash space, and a basic kitchen, which I’d slept in. Clearly, it wasn’t abandoned. I’d gotten lucky that no one was home through the night, but they could very well come back today.
The urge to lie down for days was too tempting, but I needed to drink, eat, and leave before I was discovered. Standing was as painful as I’d imagined, and I didn’t hide the cusses that spilled as I limped to the stacked woodpile. Merelda always smacked me when I cursed, but she wasn’t here to chastise me.
Worry for her overwhelmed the physical pain as I set the fire and placed a water pot over it.
By now, Marsik would have sobered up and begun to help her. One cold night without dinner wouldn’t kill her, but worry might. No matter how sharp and stubborn she was, Merelda cared for me as a child. Ever since the warrior with the spiraled scar had raided the village, killing my birth parents and everyone else, Merelda had become my caretaker. She’d raised me, taught me to read, showed meeverything I knew now. I knew she never wanted that responsibility. She’d avoided marrying and having children for a reason. But her damned love forkindnesshad made her into the closest thing I had to a mother.
I owed her everything, and I needed to get back to her.
I removed the pot when the water bubbled, letting it cool as I scrounged the wooden counters for something edible. Lifting a brown cloth, I found a whole loaf of fluffy, risen bread. There was no mold. No insects, either.
Frowning, I poked the crust. It gave, a clear sign of freshness.
That was…odd. The moisture in the air rotted most baked grains within two days. It made no sense for someone to depart their home for a night and leave an untouched loaf behind.
Not bothering to tear off a piece, I stuffed the loaf into my mouth and moaned.
Skies,thatwas good. Far better than the dense flatbreads we made at home.
I’d always thought yeast was a frivolous delicacy, not worth the expense. I was so, so wrong. I was going to sell so much firewood and buy so much yeast when I returned home.
Cradling the loaf in my arms like a child, I ate as I sipped the warm water and weighed my options. Returning home would involve crossing the river where I had exited, following it upstream to where I’d jumped in, and retracing my flight from there. The fallen trees I’d slid beneath would be a reliable landmark, and once I reached the boulder I’d hidden behind, walking back would be simple. Unless, of course, the tree men were still searching for me in Second Territory. Even if I made it to the village without crossing their path, they could very well search the town. It was smartest to wait a few days, maybe even a week, before returning. Granted, the men could have come into Third Territory, but they couldn’t know where I escaped the river.The greatest danger I faced here was being caught for trespassing. I’d need to find an unoccupied shelter, but if I gathered supplies here, I would figure it out.
Life in Second Territory was hard, but it had taught me a thing or two about making do with the bare minimum.
Savoring my last bite of bread, I tucked the rest into my pocket, filled my flask with the remaining water, and kicked dirt into the fire. Guilt ate at my conscience as I dug through the chests and found a thick brown cloak to take. It wasn’t an easy item to replace, and if it were mine, I’d be crushed to find it stolen.
I had no choice.
