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  “Is everything all right?” he asked.

  “Yes, I was just worried about you. Your plan didn’t seem safe.”

  Devarius smiled. “Nothing about our journey is safe.”

  Aquila gulped. “Yes, I know.”

  “Did everyone listen to you?”

  “Yes …” Aquila paused. “They were reluctant at first. No one knew why the plan had changed. Everyone thought we were supposed to stay by the lake and await your return.”

  “Good. Everyone was supposed to.”

  “Dasyra?”

  “Two dragonriders were in the city. First chance she had, she went to them.”

  Her eyes bulged. “She betrayed us?”

  Devarius smiled. “Yes. Don’t worry, we had anticipated it and incorporated the betrayal into our plan.”

  “You knew she would betray us?” Her mouth opened wide in disbelief.

  “We had a suspicion. She’s always argued it’d be best to plead to the Dragonia Empire that we were innocent.” Devarius shrugged.

  “You didn’t tell me that part of the plan.” She frowned.

  “That’s why we didn’t tell you,” Paedyn chipped in.

  Her forehead creased.

  “Don’t worry. She’ll lead them to the lake and then to Sephreal.”

  Aquila bit her bottom lip. “You’re using her to steer them away?”

  “Yes,” Devarius said.

  “That’s … cruel … but brilliant.”

  “Thank you,” Paedyn said, beaming. “It was my idea.”

  Aquila’s face twisted as she glanced at Paedyn. “You have ideas?”

  “Pssht.” Paedyn waved his hand toward her. “Don’t be jealous.”

  Aquila smiled.

  The rest of the party appeared out of their hiding places in the underbrush. Devarius and Paedyn gathered everything from the wagon. The night was late, but they didn’t have time for rest. They carried all of the canoes to the shoreline and stocked each with supplies and food. Devarius wished they had a large boat instead of several canoes, but he was glad they didn’t have to walk. Devarius made sure to assign at least one competent rower to each canoe. Once all the supplies were loaded, he emptied the rest of the horse grain and untethered the horses from the wagon. Devarius left them free to graze and hoped they would make their way back home. He prayed the dragonriders would be gone by then. Devarius counted on Dasyra’s betrayal to lead them away fast.

  “Listen, I know everyone is tired, but we can’t delay. We’re going to row most of the night. However, we are moving with the current, so we should reach the mountain in a few days instead of weeks.”

  Devarius watched his twenty-eight companions. Many of them struggled to keep their eyes open, dozens of them yawning every few seconds, and the children fell asleep, one in their mother’s arms, and the other in the arms of a young man. Everyone groaned when they got into the boats, but they kept their heads up as best they could. Even the dogs looked tired. The trip from the lake to the river was a long one with such a large party, and they’d made it without him. Aquila had done well to push them hard to reach the river. At least they could rest their legs, but their journey was far from over.

  After two solid days of traveling by river, Devarius saw the mountain peeking up from the horizon. His face relaxed. He knew the journey by foot would have taken a week or possibly two with such a large party. Laeraed would be visible soon. He cupped his left hand to his face to block the rising red sun. He looked south. The town of Laeraed could barely be seen as a small cluster in the distance.

  He carefully stood in his small canoe and waved to get everyone’s attention. “It’s time for us to get off the river. I need you all to direct your vessel to the right. We need to be on the west side of the river. Everyone nod in response.”

  The wind and running water made his voice incomprehensible to many of his companions. Devarius waited as everyone passed the message down the line of canoes, then held their oars securely. He nodded. “Now.”

  He slid back into place in his canoe and paddled hard to the right. It took a lot of strength to steer away from the strong current, but he shifted his canoe just enough. It collided into the bank with a thud. Devarius helped Aquila out of the canoe. Together, they lifted a child, Faelyn, onto shore. Devarius stayed by the bank, helping others onto dry land until everyone was safe. He was relieved they had all made it ashore safely. He didn’t want to have to swim to retrieve a stray canoe.

  “I know everyone is hungry and tired, but we can’t take a break yet. The red sun has risen, and the orange will be quick to follow. We need to slip into the forest just north of here to take cover. Then we’ll have a day of rest. We still have another week of travel before we reach Vaereal. Hopefully, our journey will be over soon.”

  “What should we do with the canoes?” Paedyn asked.

  Devarius scratched his chin. He’d almost forgotten about them. “Please help gather your canoes and carry them into the forest. Hide them in the bushes and bury them with leaves. We don’t need to leave them by the river for the dragonriders to find.”

  Reluctantly, everyone grabbed their canoes and followed Devarius into the forest.

  “I really hope our journey isn’t much farther than Vaereal. These people need a rest,” Devarius whispered.

  “Yes, they do,” Paedyn replied. He tilted his head to Devarius. “But … I doubt the Resistance, who have remained hidden from the Dragonia Empire, are stationed in a port village. Otherwise, the Dragonia Empire would have found them by now.”

  Devarius’s jaw tightened. “That’s what I was afraid of. Do you think searching for the Resistance could be nothing but a wild goose chase?”

  Paedyn nodded. “Probably. But I imagine they need to be sure someone wants to join before they reveal their true location. They can’t just say, ‘go here,’ to everyone. Dragonia Empire spies would have found them ages ago if it were that easy.”

  Devarius glanced behind him to the weary party. “I know. I just hope I am not pushing them too hard, or that they don’t give up because of how long and arduous the journey is. So far, we’ve only lost Dasyra. Will we all make it?”

  “Most of them have lost people very dear to them because of the Dragonia Empire. I doubt many will be swayed like Dasyra. At least … I hope.” Paedyn paused. “She wanted an easy out. This path was too hard for her.”

  “Dasyra.” Devarius shook his head.

  They reached the forest and stashed all the canoes in the brush. Many fell asleep where they sat. Devarius’s stomach growled. Their dried meat and bread were running low, and many hadn’t eaten a hot meal in days.

  “I’m going to scout the forest for food,” Devarius said.

  Paedyn nodded. “Find some meat. I’m starved.”

  Devarius smiled. “I’ll try.”

  “Take the dogs.”

  Devarius frowned. He had no idea how the dogs were still with them. Devarius hadn’t noticed them traveling in one of the canoes. He shrugged and whistled. Three dogs scurried to him. He reached down to pet their heads before leading them into the forest.

  “Wait up,” Jaonos called.

  Devarius remembered the dark-skinned man approaching him was a skilled animal tracker and the one who’d trained the dogs to hunt. He nodded at the man, grateful for his assistance when it came to the dogs.

  The trees did not provide much aerial cover. They ran quietly, careful of each step. If there were any animals worth eating, Devarius didn’t want to scare them off. They continued searching for an hour and had almost decided to give up when Jaonos saw tracks on the ground. Devarius bent down to inspect them more closely. They had not been left by a deer or antelope like he’d hoped. They were the thicker tracks of a wild boar. The dogs crowded the two of them, smelling the footprints as Devarius inspected them.

  “Go, find the boar,” Jaonos whispered.

  The three dogs continued sniffing for another second before speeding off. Devarius raised his brows, then fol
lowed them closely, careful to keep quiet. The last thing he wanted was to spook the boar. They wound through the forest for several more minutes before the dogs came to a halt. Devarius crept next to them and stared into a clearing. A single boar foraged on the ground. Devarius’s mouth watered. He hadn’t eaten pork in months.

  “Good boys.” Jaonos petted the dogs. “Attack.”

  The three dogs rushed forward, surprising the boar. Two of the dogs were smaller and more agile, and they kept the boar busy from each side, snapping at the animal and backing away. The boar kept trying to rush one of them, but when it did, the other would jump in from its other side. The third dog crouched, ready to pounce, in front of the boar. Devarius watched with interest. He grabbed his dagger from his sash, preparing to leap to finish the creature. The boar reared back, growing irritated with the two dogs. Then the third dog sprang into action, leaping forward and latching onto the boar’s neck. He was a lot larger than the other two dogs and had a strong jaw. The boar slowed as it tried to shake the dog off its neck. When it shook, the other two dogs sprung, nipping at its sides.

  Devarius stepped fully into the clearing as the boar grew weaker, unable to get the large dog off of it. He stepped in front of the boar and touched the dog latched onto the boar’s neck. The dog released the boar immediately and stepped back. Devarius knelt in front of the boar and sliced the creature’s neck, putting an end to its suffering.

  “Good boys,” Jaonos called.

  The three dogs ran over to him, wagging their tails. He reached into his sash and retrieved three small pieces of dried meat; he gave one to each dog. Devarius then tied the boar’s front and back hooves to a sturdy branch. They hefted the creature onto their shoulders to carry back to camp.

  When Devarius arrived back in camp, most of his companions were asleep. No one cared that it was afternoon with two suns high in the sky. He saw Paedyn sitting by a pile of freshly chopped firewood. Paedyn smiled when he saw Devarius and the boar he and Jaonos had tossed on the ground.

  “We’ll be feasting tonight,” Paedyn said.

  “Or tomorrow, if we don’t get started cooking,” Devarius said.

  “Right,” Paedyn replied.

  Jaonos woke up a few of the others, and they began digging a grave in the ground while Devarius gutted the boar. Once the pit was dug, Paedyn lined the bottom with firewood and rocks. He lit the firewood and let it heat up the rocks. Then he began tearing wild cabbage next to the hole.

  “You found cabbage?” Devarius asked.

  “A few of the women went hunting for food as well. I believe they planned on cabbage alone, but I think it’d go better with the pig.”

  “I’m glad you know how to cook boar.”

  “When it comes to bacon, Paedyn knows best.”

  Devarius smiled. He picked up a few of the cabbages, tore them into pieces, and stuffed them into the pig along with large rocks and rock salt from a bag they had retrieved from the wagon. He used thin rope to tie the boar up securely, creating a netting all the way around the animal. Paedyn finished layering the pit with cabbage over the burning wood and heated rocks. Devarius and Paedyn lowered the boar onto the cabbage and buried the boar in the ground.

  “My mouth is already watering,” Paedyn said.

  “It’ll be at least ten hours before the boar is ready,” Devarius reminded him.

  “I know. It’ll be nice to just rest before we continue our journey. We’ll have boar and cabbage tonight, and tomorrow we’ll continue our journey.”

  Paedyn grinned. “A nice rest, it will be.”

  14

  After interviewing more than forty guardsmen, Captain Vesryn stormed back into the camp, throwing his helm onto the ground. He sighed, brushing his hands through his tangled salt-and-pepper hair.

  “No luck?” Tirask asked.

  “No one has seen anyone unusual enter the city in weeks. The only people coming and going have been local residents or people from Trevium or Ceydar who frequent the city. Each guard has been adamant about that fact. This woman is setting us on a wild goose chase.” He pointed at Dasyra.

  “I swear to you that this is where they were heading.”

  “Well, I have news for you.” Vesryn clenched his teeth. “They aren’t here. Neither were they at the lake. We found tracks leading in this direction, but they seem to disappear.”

  “I swear—”

  “Yes … I know. They told you they were heading here. I believe you. Truly. I also believe they aren’t as foolish as we all believed. They knew you would turn on them the moment you saw us. They expected it.”

  Her eyes bulged.

  “Yes … they likely anticipated our move.” He turned to Tirask. “Did you search Ceydar?”

  Tirask nodded. “I’m afraid there’s no news there either. It seems they fooled us all.”

  “They are clever … I’ll give them that. So, what do we know about them?”

  “They were originally heading toward Laeraed,” Tirask answered.

  Vesryn turned to Dasyra. “But they were only traveling in that direction because they didn’t know where to go, correct?”

  “As far as I know,” Dasyra said with a distant expression.

  “All right. If they were traveling to Laeraed, but one of their own betrayed their journey, where would they go?”

  “What if they still needed to go in that direction, but their path was betrayed by Dasyra?” Tirask asked.

  Vesryn tilted his head. “Explain.”

  “I really believe the old man I killed in Kaed was with the Resistance. He was harboring known fugitives … why?”

  Vesryn’s eyes lit up. “What if he gave them a location … what if Laeraed was where they really needed to travel?”

  “It doesn’t even have to be Laeraed,” Tirask said. “It could be Laeraed, Kaedur, or Vaereal.”

  Vesryn’s eye twitched. “Or even Mustafae. As long as we were watching the path, blocking them from reaching their destination, they would have to do something to turn our attention.”

  Both men looked at Dasyra.

  “What?” she asked.

  “How better to distract us than give us their weakest link, and have that weak link direct us in the opposite direction?” Vesryn gritted his teeth.

  “This has been a wild goose chase,” Tirask said.

  “It seems so.” Vesryn turned to Tirask. “Travel to Uriah, and if the dragonriders there haven’t found them, bring them to Laeraed. We’ll re-coordinate there. They won’t escape us.”

  “As you wish.” Tirask bowed.

  “What about me?” Dasyra asked.

  “You’re coming with me. You may be of use yet.”

  15

  Rain poured from the sky as Devarius and Paedyn entered Vaereal. The streets in the village became bare as the storm arrived, people scurrying about trying to find cover. Devarius continued on, his hand above his forehead to see ahead. The rest of his party remained in the forest north of the village. Devarius didn’t want to raise suspicion until he knew for sure they were safe with the Resistance. He grinned when he saw the pub. The Galloping Horse was a small pub in the corner of an alley. Its sign was faded and barely recognizable. He stepped inside.

  The inside of the pub appeared abandoned. Devarius frowned. He looked around, but no one stood behind the bar and most of the tables were empty. Only one person sat inside, his face nestled on the table in front of him. He snored loudly. Devarius bit his bottom lip as he made his way to the bar to sit.

  “I don’t know what I expected to find,” Paedyn whispered, “but this is definitely not what I had in mind.”

  “Good afternoon to you,” a voice said from behind them.

  Devarius jumped. He spun around to see an elderly man with white hair and a large mustache standing behind them. The man asleep at the table was no longer there. Devarius tried to determine if it was the same man standing behind him.

  “Good afternoon,” Devarius said slowly.

  “What can I do
you for?”

  “Are you the owner of this pub?”

  “Yes, sir. I am.”

  “How’s business?” Paedyn asked.

  The man raised a single brow. “Depends. You got coin you’re willing to spend?”

  Paedyn removed a silver dragon from his coin purse and placed it on the bar.

  “Business is fine.” The man grinned.

  Devarius pressed his lips together. “We’ve traveled a long way. An old man from Kaed told us to come here.”

  “Did he now?” Both the man’s eyebrows lifted.

  “Yes,” Devarius replied. “But I’m afraid that’s all he told us.”

  “Nothing more? How interesting.”

  “I don’t know if he planned to tell us more or not. He died trying to protect us.”

  The old man bit his lip. “That is ill news. Tell me … why do you come?”

  Devarius glanced to Paedyn. “I don’t know if we can speak openly here. I don’t know if I can trust you.”

  The old man nodded. “You come seeking the Resistance, do you?”

  Devarius’s eyes shifted to the old man. He dared not speak, but he nodded.

  The old man stuck out his hand. “Name’s Jonik.”

  “Devarius.”

  “Paedyn.”

  Both men shook Jonik’s hand.

  “Come to the back. We can talk more openly back there.”

  Jonik walked around the bar and through a door. Shrugging, Devarius and Paedyn followed him. The back room was small and the torchlight was dim, but several chairs awaited them. Jonik sat in a rocking chair that faced several others, grabbed a pipe, and used a small stick he lit in a fireplace next to him to ignite his pipe. Smoke filled the air.

  “A little warm for a fire, isn’t it?” Paedyn asked.

  Jonik grinned and tapped his pipe in the air. “You’re no longer in the north. Winter is approaching, and it gets cold down here.”

  He took a few more puffs of his pipe before placing his feet on the ottoman in front of him.

  “Tell me your story. Why do you want to join the Resistance?”