Page 35 of Aubade Rising
The river we’re following widens dramatically during the afternoon and by the time we leave the forest again, it’s a slow-moving tranquil ribbon. Ahead, I can see the Thair River from the city – the one we used to travel inland from Porth. It meanders in front of us. A single bird of prey flies overhead, calling out to the setting sun slipping out of the sky. Dusk has fallen by the time Eskar steers us towards a wooden boathouse where the two rivers meet and flow back to sea.
The small boathouse is abandoned and dark shadows obscure its corners. Eskar sets about releasing one of the small skiffs from its moorings. Feeling useless, I have to wait and watch as he expertly unwinds the knots and prepares the boat. Nervesjangling, I scout the treeline for movement through the glassless windows.
Satisfied our boat is ready, Eskar holds out a hand to help me climb on board. I stare at the boat, conscious of how easily we’ve become fugitives and now thieves.
“Can we leave some money? As payment…” I mutter, ignoring his outstretched hand and climbing in.
“For the love of…”
I don’t exactly clamber in gracefully and the boat is tiny, barely enough for two. My foot catches where he’s stowed his rucksack under the seat and I tumble on to his chest. His arms wrap protectively round me as he twists, shielding me from the hard wooden side and preventing us both from falling overboard. We collapse into the bottom of the boat, invading each other’s space, our faces so close I can feel his breath on my cheek.
I gaze into his caramel eyes to find them swirling with anxiety and his face wincing from the fall and apologise quietly.
He softens, mouth curling into a smile as he rolls me to the side and releases me from his embrace, tracing his hands down to my waist before lifting me up into the seat.
We both startle and separate at a loud bird cry overhead. The cry is a warning; it’s found its prey and is closing in.
Tossing a coin into the next boat, Eskar pushes us away from the small dock and into the river. We wobble precariously as the current carries us towards Cathair. I flinch and resist turning to Eskar in panic.
“Don’t move. You’ll make this harder than it needs to be.” I freeze at the strain in his voice, turning my head slowly to see him shift until he’s wrapped a leg either side of my hips. He reclines in the boat, far enough to dip his hands in the water and sure enough, our little boat fights the current. We turn incrementally until we’re battling to stay in place, Eskar wielding his magic to counter the flow of water. We start to moveupstream.
At night, the river is empty of human activity and water sloshes against our little boat, reminding me of my escape from Athnavar with Dervla. However, here we aren’t suspended high above the countryside but floating within it. Creatures scurry along the banks, calling to one another and the river reeds rustle, swaying as we pass. I soon cool as the exhaustion from the day settles in and my aching limbs tighten, seizing. Eskar is behind me, pressed firmly into my back. The faint scent of beeswax from candles and woodsmoke lingers on his clothes, wrapping around me like his muscled legs, blocking the odours drifting from the riverbanks.
Once the stars fully settle in the sky I break our uneasy silence. “What did you mean when you said we wouldn’t make it out alive from the Governor’s house?”
He sighs and our boat slows a little, swaying in the current.
“When we arrived and I saw the official on the quay, it was clear someone had already tipped the Governor off about our arrival. Then when they insisted we came to dinner, it felt like more than a political power play. I did some digging when I was getting supplies but didn’t hear anything amiss.” He pauses.
“But then when they found my apartment… I knew he would be behind it.”
“Who’s he?” Before Eskar can respond, a shadow darts in front of our boat, startling me before Eskar can respond. My heart thunders in my chest.
“Lord Bal.”
“The old Almanac?” I can’t help terror from invading my voice.
“Yes. He was always close with the Governor and his wife. With his assets frozen and the King unsteady on the throne, I think he has sought sanctuary here, biding his time, rallying support.”
“Support to overthrow the King? And what? Put himself on the throne?” The thought of that cruel calculating man wearing thecrown, having unlimited power chills me.
“To overthrow yes, but he wouldn’t want to rule. Power is more easily gained when you are not bound by position. He’ll be waiting for the right figurehead to manipulate and eliminating threats in the meantime.”
“We’re threats?”
“Worse, we’re personal. You, for causing the King to exile him and me for failing to leave with him. He would have delighted in trapping us.”
“And the Governor is on his side.”
“The Governor has always chosen him over me.” Bitterness leeches unexpectedly into Eskar’s voice and I turn to catch his eye, widening my eyes in a silent question.
“He’s my father. But he owes his position as Governor to the old Almanac. And never lets me forget it. They have both controlled me for years. With Lord Bal exiled, the King could remove my father from the position at any point, but he hasn’t bothered to yet. The position is everything to my father,” he mutters dejectedly, turning his face from mine in the darkness. I sink back into him, offering what little comfort I can in the face of his despair.
We continue on and I sit, useless, at the front of the boat, tasked with shouting if there are unexpected obstacles or debris we need to avoid, struggling to see in the dark, only stopping when Eskar, shaking with exhaustion cannot carry on any longer and daylight creeps over the horizon.
I flatten some of the water reeds, making a small gap for us to lay down once he finishes channelling from the edge of the river. It’s going to be rough travelling from here: no fire and nothing to protect us from the elements. I hope it doesn’t rain.
Eskar finishes replenishing his magic and joins me. “We’ll travel at night and take turns sleeping in the day. It’ll be harder to sneak up on us in daylight.” Conscious that still leaves Eskarto do most of the work, I settle in to take the first watch as dawn breaks, resolving to let him sleep as long as possible.
