Page 38 of Winds of Destiny

I wish we had that kind of time, but if we did that, we’d arrive back home far later than my father expects. For all that he’s a lackadaisical ruler, he isn’t one to accept any excuses from his children. The last thing I need is to get my marriage off to an even more uncertain start with a king disinclined to listen to me and a fiancé confronted with the fact that I’ve been lying to them all along.

“I’ll go.”

I turn to look at the youngest member of my company. Jeric is unusually stern, almost haunted, nothing of his usual cheer to be seen on his face. Belatedly, I remember that he’s the oldest of seven children.

“Are you sure?” I won’t order him to do it, but I know that it would be good for the survivors to have another adult along with them. “We won’t be able to get you back to Huridell for some time.”

He nods firmly. “I’m sure. I can’t…” He loses his voice as he turns to stare at the smallest of the children, pain in his eyes. “They helped us,” he says quietly to me. “This place was good to us, and these are all that’s left of them. They deserve our help.”

Ah, this soft-hearted lad. I consider it for a moment. It will reduce our numbers, but we’re nearly home. “We’ll give them the wagon,” I say, and that’s that.

None of us stay the night in the wreckage of Traveler’s Ease. My men and I find and stack the bodies for burning while Turo and Camrael see to the survivors’ needs and prepare them for the journey ahead. Turo is good at field medicine, splinting Miya’s leg securely and handing over a sachet of herbs that he claims will make a pain-relieving tea that won’t cloud her head. “You should stay the night with us for safety,” he says.

It’s clear that Miya is on the verge of refusing, but luckily, I’ve got an ally in the form of the little girl who put herself in my lap underground. She’s clearly fussy, on the brink of a complete meltdown, and when she toddles over and holds her arms up to me, I’ve got to pick her up. That settles it, and we make them all a hearty meal and put them in our heated tents for the night. The babies are weaned, thank goodness, and Rusen surprises me by volunteering to care for them tonight.

“Both at once?” I ask in surprise.

“I’ve got five children at home,” he reminds me. “Two of them born together. It’s not the first time I’ve handled more than one babe at once.” He looks down at the children in his arms and his expression goes soft. “Is it the first time? Nooo,” he says with a hum to the babies as he rocks back and forth. “Ba baa, little lamb, close your eyes…” He walks off to sit by the fire, still singing lullabies.

“Will you keep Carew with you for the night?” Miya asks, drawing my attention. Her exhaustion is clear in the slump of her shoulders and the tension in her jaw. “I dread her reaction if we wake her up now.”

Judging from the death grip the girl has on the edge of my shirt, Miya has a point. “I’ve got her.”

Everyone beds down together as the stars come out, and for once I’m not lying next to Camrael. Instead, I’m on first watch with Turo. There’s no way I could fall asleep—and I’ve got a child to look after, anyhow. It’s the first time we’ve been alone together in quite a while, and I decide to take advantage of it. I hand over a cup of fresh-brewed tea from the kettle Morfan started, only satisfied once Turo finally takes a sip. We sit together on the back of the wagon our party is keeping, our feet brushing the grass below us.

“Do you think they’ll make it to Zephyth all right?” I murmur, careful to keep my voice low so little Carew won’t wake up. “I’m not doubting Jeric, but he’ll be the only able-bodied adult among them.”

“They’ll be all right. They know about the cliff road,” Turo says before drinking deeply from the cup. “They won’t be able to bring the wagon down there, of course, but it’s plenty large enough for them to walk along if they get into trouble.”

I’m not following. “Cliff road?”

“You don’t know it?” He looks surprised. “It’s an ancient path carved out of the side of the cliff. It stretches from Zephyth to far around the northern edge of your mountains, where it vanishes into the ice. It’s fallen apart in a few places, but with care, they’ll be able to use it.”

How can I not know about this? “Ancient, you say?”

“Mmhmm. Zephythan merchants have known about it for centuries. It used to be a trail of last resort when the everwinds blew especially hard.”

I shake my head. “It seems there’s always something new to be discovering in this world.”

“Most of it bad.”

“Lately,” I say. “But there are good things, too.”

“Here and there, I suppose.” He finishes off the cup, then stares down at the grass and smiles faintly, letting his leg sway back and forth. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear for a moment that I see a shadow darting away, but it’s gone before I can even muster the breath to comment on it.

“It’s hard to focus on the good things with the smell of the dead lingering in the air,” Turo adds, turning to look back at the settlement. “It’s good those children are leaving tomorrow. They’ll be haunted by this already as is.”

What is it that haunts you?I don’t ask, though. I already know he won’t tell me. “Let me get you some more tea,” I say instead.

“You don’t need to, you’ve got…” He gestures at Carew, now snoring slightly in her sleep. “I can do it.”

Like you ever do anything nice for yourself.“I need to stretch my legs anyway,” I say, and before he can say anything, I stand up, take his cup, and head back over to the fire.

I’ll add some honey this time.

Chapter Twenty

Turo

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