“How can we secure a safe passage for them to come here? Youwilllet them come here, right?” I asked Ryvar.
“Of course,” he replied, giving me agenuinesmirk. My gut felt weird. I was quite convinced that he didn’t truly care about them, so I wasn’t nearly sold on his benevolence.
“So how can you discreetly transport five hundred seventy-two people safely? And shall it be along the Thyren Ocean or the Elder Ocean?” I asked.
“You speak as if I am the one who commands what happens to these people. You are their queen, so you tell me.” The tone itself already annoyed me. The fact that the words came out of Ryvar’s mouth caused turmoil in my stomach.
“Well, I value your opinion so much that I wanted to ask you personally,” I told him, giving him a subtly hostile grin. “I don’t know what kind of resources you have, soyoutellme.”
“I was thinking ships.”
“How many do you have?”
“Many.”
“How many people do they hold?”
“The ones suitable for long journeys may hold up to three hundred.”
“Great, so three of those. We’ll split them into groups of three so that there will be enough room for everyone, plus food and materials. As you said, the journey is rather long. We should send Ice Wielders to keep the food fresh throughout the whole sail. We have to prepare clothes, supplies, and medicine.”
“Three would attract too much attention,” Amani added.
Ryvar stood and sauntered next to a vase containing a bouquet of large scrolls. “All right, we can think about the specifics later. What about the journey?”
The king returned, unfurling one of the scrolls. He set it up on the table before me.
“The shortest route would be to go north through the Thyren Ocean, but there are two main issues with that. The boats would have to pass through the Wrathwater Depths, which is impossible without some form of magic. The other is that travelling along the coast of Ilma is dangerous. Marshen told me that the Naaris patrol both landandsea. And since we do not have witches on our side, then we cannot hide our way towards the heavily guarded Hydran Bridge. The other option would be to sail along the Brim and into the Elder. Boarding from South Bay would free us from the burden of the Depths, which I can assure you, its name is not overstated. The journey is not only longer but we would also have to cross waters that aren’t veryfar from the Land of Naar. Sailing too close to Marais has its dangers, too.”
“How about we give them passage through the Unnar Caves?” Yanik suggested.
“No!” Marshen and I blurted in unison. Yanik just showed us his palms.
“Do you have any Earth Wielder friends?” I asked Yanik.
“I do,” he answered. His confused tone was a proxy for the questionwhy?
“How about sailing along the Brim then into the Earthen Gulf? Earth Wielders can create a passage through the cliffs. Then we could cross overland from Troiya.”
“Considering that Naar has the right to search boats passing through their sea, then perhaps your last suggestion is also my most preferred one.” The king took a sip from his wine before continuing. “Yanik, see if this is possible and see if we could also use their wielding gifts to create waterways throughout Sijar. We would have to involve your sister, then,” he added, looking at Leannon with half a tight mouth. “We would, of course, need her permission before digging around her Land. You two,” Ryvar said, pointing towards Yanik and Amani, “come up with strategic bargains that we could propose to King Dorell. We’d have to go through his Land, too, but perhaps replenishing his Fount would get him to listen.” Then he pointed at Leannon and Faern and said, “You’re on supplies duties. I want lists.” Finally, he turned his attention to his brother. “Aegir, Eldric, prepare your men. We won’t sail without the Vanguard.”
We?I doubted Ryvar would be journeying with us, but anyway.
“Oh, and you,” he said, directing his head at Semuel, “perhaps it’s time you send ahow-are-thingsletter to your family, now that we know one of your sisters is in adelicatesituation.”
Semuel scoffed. “So it’s all right now for me to send letters home?” His tone morphed into a sarcastic one. “And should I write the castle of Nivaria as the return address?”
Ryvar rolled his eyes. “Funny. We’ll send a shifter.”
The king did not give Marshen or me any direct tasks, so I took the liberty and said, “Marshen and I will do some research on the source of our powers. Hopefully, we’ll come across something that could help us restore them.”
“Sounds like a plan. All right, shall we move on to our third discussion?” Leannon asked.
“Yes, what are we going to do about the others?” King Ryvar asked, looking at his brother.
“Others? There are more rebels?” I asked.
“We do not use that word. We prefer the term revolutionaries,” the king corrected.
