Ever since he had earned a pig’s liver for dinner after informing me which servant in the kitchen was actually a Dog, Ratcatcher had been especially happy to show off his own loyalty.
“Don’t be a fool, Ratcatcher,” Dawn said. “We aren’t flying in the dark.”
“Iwould,” Ratcatcher said sullenly. “You don’t speak for all of us, Dawn.”
Movement in the dark caught my attention. A lantern, the flame hidden under a cloak, was easy enough to follow through the trees as we moved quietly.
Despite their words, I could hear the flutter of wings as my ravens followed Iradîo’s owl. Zolle, my discarded servant now loyal to Domusho, wasn’t careless, but she wasn’ttrained, either. She was quiet in the way servants were, but as soon as she was out of sight of the estate, she pulled the lantern free from her cloak, hissing at the heat.
She muttered under her breath as she walked, too quiet for me to hear, but it made her easier to follow in the forest. Iradîo didn’t ask how far we had to go, and I didn’t want to guess. Iradîo’s birds had followed Zolle to previous meetings miles from camp when she had been acting under Domusho’s orders. What would she do now that he was dead?
As we moved quietly, I wondered if it’d been me personally that had made her so eager to betray Tallu. I felt a stick under my foot and pulled back a moment before it cracked.
Zolle had been one of my servants in the Lakeshore Palace, and only Nohe’s arrival had shaken her loose from her position. She had disliked me, but was that distaste enough or had Kacha promised something else? Money? A position?
We were walking through thick brush, branches and leaves tugging at my clothes. We were past the borders of House Jolushi’sestate, well into the wilds of Pine Thorn Province. The flora here certainly lived up to their name.
In the light of Zolle’s lantern, I caught sight of a spider web stretched between two trees and just had time to duck under it. Iradîo followed, and we avoided the arachnid.
The damp soil sank slightly as we walked, and a river roared as it drove a groove into the valley. Ahead of us, Zolle raised her lantern, turning and looking before calling out.
“Are you there?”
No one responded, and she made her way unsteadily toward the riverbank, calling out every few paces. Finally, someone answered her.
They had their own lanterns, lighting one of the narrow boats used for fishing the river. I could see the electric motor on it that would send it back north into the Blood Mountains against the current when their conversation was done.
Five soldiers stood around their lanterns, cloaks covering their armor.
“Is he there?” One of the soldiers had a large gold clasp on his cloak, and it didn’t take extensive knowledge of the Imperium to recognize him as the one in charge.
“They’re all there. He’s given Lady Jolushi control over Pine Thorn Province.” Zolle stumbled over one of the rocks, barely righting herself before she fell. None of the soldiers moved to help.
“How long is he going to stay there? More than a night?” the one in charge asked.
So, this was more than a report. They were planning on killing Tallu now. Maybe they had already heard about what happened to Lord Helli and didn’t like their chances of ambushing Tallu when he wouldn’t travel through the province once controlled by a traitor.
“We stayed two nights at each of the estates we passed through. I can find out if we will stay longer here. His Imperial Majesty—” She broke off, shaking her head. “He seemedsatisfied by Lady Jolushi. I know some of her servants. Perhaps I can suggest that she provide more entertainment for him?—”
“Don’t bother,” the captain said, waving his hand in the rude dismissive gesture I had painfully trained myself out of. “You’ll only tip our hand.”
Zolle didn’t react to the cold words. Instead, she leaned forward, wetting her lips. “You’ll make sure the consort is killed?”
“We aren’t planning to leave anyone alive. Anyone who allies themselves with the fake emperor deserves what they get.” The captain grinned, his teeth stained yellow in the lamplight.
I glanced at Iradîo. She raised her eyebrows. Five was a lot. Six, if Zolle tried to fight.
I tilted my head, and Iradîo nodded, finally giving in.
They were still talking, Zolle exposing all of the secrets of the estate, every way in, everywhere she had seen a guard posted. Iradîo and I circled the group, hiding in the shadows, her on one side of the men, me on the other. The forest was thick near the riverbank. There were only ten feet or so of exposed shoreline.
I could cross ten feet before the men could draw breath.
“Jolushi doesn’t have that many guards. But they must be capable. She killed Lord Helli?—”
“She didn’t kill Lord Helli,” the soldier sneered. “Tallu’s Dogs did that.”
Before Zolle could ask another question, a single white owl crossed over their heads, distracting them. Iradîo was such a show-off.
