Tariel’s heart sank as the woman left the room, then returned shortly with a maid in tow—and not one of the ones she was friendly with, either. The woman brought in a bedroll and laid it on the floor directly in front of the door, ensuring Tariel could not pass by without wakingher.
Blast it,she thought, settling back down under the covers. Her blood thrummed with anger, and her magic rose to answer the call. Bracing herself for a headache, she reined it in. But the magic quietly disappeared, and there was nopain.
At least there’s that, she thought as she looked at the ceiling again. She wished she could climb back up to the upper floors to practice her magic, but she could not risk revealing the hidden passage to the maid. Hopefully she could find time to practice tomorrow before they left. Otherwise, she would be forced to do everything off the cuff. She closed her eyes and sent up a prayer to whoever might be listening to watch over them. She would need all the help she could get if they were to survive theirescape.
14
The next morning,Riann set off to Marston with Namacca, the purse hidden carefully away in his traveling pack and his sword at his side. He’d told his superior that his brother was ill and had sent for him, and he had been given the day off to attend to hisaffairs.
He was excited to see Manara, whom he had not visited in some months, and his nephew Brac, who had probably grown leaps and bounds since he’d last seen him. But he was also filled with melancholy, because this was likely the last time he would see his family. It was also the last time he would ride Namacca—he would leave her with his sister, whom he trusted would care for her, and would find more use for the old mare than he would in his newlife.
It took him an hour to reach the humble cottage, which was on the outskirts of the town. The other townsfolk barely tolerated her, as she was known to be a fallen woman, so she could not live closer even though it would have been more convenient. Anger filled him as he thought about how unfair her life was—but then again, women did not have the same rights and status as men did in their country. He wondered what his sister’s life would have been like if she’d been brought up in Carliss, or even the Empire, where women were treated much more fairly. If not for the fact that she had a toddler to care for, he would beg her to come withhim.
“Riann!” Manara cried, rushing out of the house. She wore a simple muslin dress with patches at the elbows and in the skirt, and had no adornments, but even so she was beautiful, with thick, shining blonde hair and pretty features that had caught the eye of many a man. Riann often feared for her safety, a woman living alone, but she knew how to wield the blade he had given her, and his status as a knight offered her protection from the locals. But now that he wasleaving…
He shook off the dark thought and went to greet her. “I’ve missed you,” he said, enveloping her in a gentle hug. Her son clung to her skirts, and he crouched down to meet him as well. “How is my favoritenephew?”
The boy gave him a shy smile. “Come on, Brac,” Manara said, gently pulling him out from behind her skirts. “Say hello to youruncle.”
“Hi,” he said, his voice childlike and filled with innocence. “Are you going off to war?” he asked, his big blue eyes latching onto Riann’ssword.
“No, lad,” Riann said, ruffling the boy’s mop of fine blond hair. “We are not at war with anyone right now. But a knight must always carry a sword to protect his lord, his neighbors, and himself. Just as your mother has a sword to protectyou.”
“I want a sword someday,” Brac declared stoutly. “But mama’s is too big, and she won’t get me a smallone.”
Manara laughed, swinging him up into her arms. “If I gave you a sword you would destroy the house in a single day,” she said, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Come, let’s get out of thesun.”
Riann followed his sister into the house. The cottage was nothing special—there was a separate room toward the back where Manara and her son slept, but other than that it was an open space, with an outhouse in the woods a short distance behind the house. He sat at the rough-hewn wooden table as his sister poured tea and brought out a bit of bread andbutter.
“It is wonderful to see you,” Manara said. They ate while her son played on the floor with some wooden figures Riann had carved for him. “But I must say your presence is unexpected. You usually send word before you come tovisit.”
“I’m afraid there wasn’t time for that,” Riann said apologetically. “I came to tell you that I am leaving Fjordland tonight, and I may neverreturn.”
Her eyes grew wide. “L-leaving?” she stammered. “But where will you go?”And what will become of us?she did not ask, but the unspoken words hung plainly in the air betweenthem.
Riann reached into his travel pouch and pulled out the purse. “This will keep you and Brac comfortable for many years—perhaps even the rest of your life if you spend it wisely,” he said. “I am embarking on a dangerous journey to save the woman I love. Our path will take us to the Maroyan Empire, and I do not know if I will be able to come back. I have come to saygoodbye.”
Tears filled Manara’s eyes, and Riann’s heart twisted with guilt. He hated having to leave his family behind, but there was nothing for it—he was bound to Tariel. Even now, the bond they had forged last night tugged him back to Castle Tyrook, and if he really focused, he could sense Tariel’s emotions. It was a strange, wondrous thing, and he wouldn’t trade it for theworld.
“I’m sorry,” he said, taking Manara into his arms. “I wish things were different, and that I could take you with me. ButBrac…”
“No, don’t worry about me.” Manara shook her head and gave him a watery smile. “Talrick, the cabbage farmer who’s been sweet on me, has asked me to marry him. He’s good to Brac, and kind to me, so I think I will marry him. You will have no reason to fear for mysafety.”
“Can he be trusted not to tell everyone about the gold?” Riann asked. He had met the farmer Manara had spoken of once or twice, but he didn’t really know theman.
“Yes.” Manara bit her lip as she looked at the purse, a worried frown on her face. “Will someone come looking for this? You haven’t stolen it, have you?” She shot him an accusinglook.
“I assure you I came by it legally,” he said, though that wasn’t entirely true. If the Tyrooks had found the gold they would have claimed it as theirs, since it had come from a family member. “No one knows about it but the woman I am leaving with, and no one will come looking forit.”
Manara nodded. “This woman…is she worth all of this? Leaving Fjordland behind, giving up yourknighthood?”
“Absolutely.” He spoke with conviction, not a thread of doubt in his voice or heart. He was devoted to Tariel now, and could hardly wait to leave Castle Tyrook behind and see the great, wide world beyond Fjordland’sborders.
“Good.” Manara smiled, then hugged him again. “Thank you for this generous gift, Brother. The gold will make a good dowry, and perhaps Talrick may be able to plant some more profitable crops. We will spend itwisely.”
Her words made Riann feel a bit better, and a weight slid off his shoulders. He visited with his sister for a while longer, taking time to play with his nephew, and then took his leave. Since he left his horse to her, he had to walk back to the castle on foot, but luckily, he caught a ride with a farmer delivering sacks of grain for theestate.
“The great Sir Riann, returning without his horse?” one of the guards at the gate mocked. “Did you lose it in abet?”
