Page 18 of Realm of Thieves

Lemi lets out awhumpfthrough his nose and then rubs his head against me, his tail wagging. I can tell he’s excited to get off the ship and explore new lands. I wish I could say the same, but I won’t let all this awe and novelty wipe my mind of the fact that I’m here against my will. All it took was a new smell, of all things, and suddenly it’s as if Iwantto be here.

“So how should we do this?” Andor says, looking down at me. “Should I bind you again or can I trust you enough to let you walk freely?”

I wiggle the tension from my jaw. “You can trust me.”

“Hmmm. I want to, I really do,” he muses. “If you run, you won’t get far. We have eyes all over Menheimr. You won’t get past the city gates without a sword in your back. And not everyone here will appreciate a magic dog.”

At that he turns away and strides back down the deck, barking orders at the crew, the boat tilting slightly as it turns toward the entrance to the harbor.

That sense of wonder is back again. It’s impossible to shake.

Tall cliffs the color of white ash rise straight up from the blue-green sea on either side of us. Colonies of birds rest in the cracks andcrevices along the vertical drop, some of them swirling around like white blossoms falling slowly from trees. The top is lined with a stand of tall trees, perhaps not as tall as the umberwoods I’m apparently smelling, but still a thick forest that undulates along the ridge.

The cliffs come close together at a narrow opening where the sea passes through into the harbor beyond like the nexus of an hourglass. The goddesses stand across from each other at each end of those cliffs. They look the same, rising hundreds of feet into the air, sculpted hair flowing behind them, dressed in gowns that look stunningly lifelike, identical blades in their hands not too dissimilar from the one in Andor’s boot. Vigdis’s and Valdis’s faces meet in a kiss above the water, creating a bridge at the top, and I swear I see the tiny figures of men. Watchmen?

It would make sense because down below at the base of the statues’ feet are sparse-looking buildings that are also lined with people, making me think of army barracks. The harbor is as heavily defended as the government buildings in Lerick, Esland’s capital.

But when we follow the line of ships to sail between the narrow passage, we don’t pass through any checkpoints. I suppose all the boats here, including Andor’s, are already known to the soldiers at the barracks.

“Look at that, Lemi,” I whisper as I crane my head up while we pass underneath the goddesses. High above, swirls of white birds spin and dance, and beyond them the stone faces, and I have to look away before I get too dizzy. The size and grandeur of everything is too much, and even Lemi drops down to his haunches.

And then my attention is stolen by the harbor itself, which opens into a half moon. Modest, whitewashed buildings dot the shoreline, growing in size and density until they seem stacked at the bottom of the crescent. Here the buildings have colorful roofs—teal, magenta, yellow, green—that glitter in the sun like jewels. Behind them are forested mountains and then distant white peaks.

Snow.

I’ve never seen snow before in my life; I’ve only heard about it.

But that’s what that must be on those craggy mountaintops.

Suffice to say my mouth was hanging open the entire journey into the harbor and by the time the ship pulls into the ship docks beside a long, busy pier, I’m stunned into silence.

“Well,” Andor says to me as he approaches. I can barely take my eyes off the people milling below on the docks, who stare up at the ship with vague interest before carrying on their way. Some of the men are hauling up nets from their boats; others are trading fish with people, women mostly, who have come to haggle for the catch of the day, handing over shiny gold coins. It reminds me of the docks of Lerick, where I used to sit with my father as he took in his haul, except the people here are dressed differently, more opulent and layered, warmer, I suppose, and instead of a sand-blasted city that’s been baking under a hot sun, Menheimr’s jeweled houses sparkle under a bright sky, the air fresh and sharp, with the rich green of the forested hills rising beyond the shimmering roofs.

“Welcome to the north,” Andor says with a flourish of his arm.

I give my head a shake, trying to knock some sense back into myself. I won’t get very far if I’m gawking like an idiot. I need to stay sharp. I don’twantto be here.

I look down at Lemi to ground me.

And it’s at that moment that Lemi disappears.

Chapter 7

Brynla

“Lemi!” I cry out, lookingwildly around the ship for my dog.

“Ah shit,” Andor says, nodding at the pier. “He’s taking himself on a walk.”

I look to see Lemi walking along the wooden wharf, people parting in fear as he saunters past, sniffing the air.

So much for keeping a giant magic dog unnoticed.

“Lemi, get back here right now!” I cup my hands around my mouth and yell at him.

His ears prick up and in an instant he disappears, reappearing beside Andor on the deck with a sheepish look on his face.

“Well, I was hoping we would arrive in Menheimr without too much fanfare,” Andor comments with a sigh, giving Lemi a quick pat. “I have a feeling Lemi will be the talk of the town for several moons.”

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