"Everyone seems to be eagerly awaiting our next move," Joella said, leaning over the map with me in the makeshift office I'd taken in the barracks. "You haven't received word from Captain Llobrega, have you?"
"I assume it will take a few days to get settled in Neveri, and more for the letter to travel the continent," I said. "But it should be soon. And hopefully it brings good news."
"I also hope we can share something good with him," Joella said. "Unfortunately, we don't have much. We can't go any farther south along the river without encountering a heavy enemy presence. We could move the troops by land, but that would mean—"
"Going back through the mountain pass," I said. "I agree, I'd prefer to move via the river. And we need the Niemenian ships to come with us, too." I walked to a map hanging on the wall and rested my finger on the military presence just south of us. "Has this presence always been here?"
She shook her head. "Not to my knowledge. Things changed, of course, when Luard took over the city a few weeks ago. But all accounts say this is a new element."
"Hm." I tapped my finger on my chin. "We need to know why this presence appeared and what they're protecting. Do we have any scouts in our ranks? Anyone who's well-versed in sneaking around?"
"Not here, no," Joella said. "But Jax should be sending someone soon, right? Maybe they can help us."
"Soon, I hope." Jax wasn't the sort of man who'd tell me, even if I asked. He and Elisha were the only survivors from Celia's camp. The loss of his family had hit him hard, but not hard enough for a complete personality change.
"Until he shows up, our goal should be to break up the defenses at the river," Joella said. "If there's anything I've learned from watching Her Majesty, it's that nothing is impossible if you've got enough nerve—and some Nestori magic."
"Unfortunately, we lost our only Nestori," I said. "And without Jax's people, we don't have anyone with enough skill to attempt a Veil-like assault on the gate."
"What about Elisha?" Joella asked. "She spent weeks in Forcadel helping Aline. And she's eager to help."
"Her temperament leaves much to be desired," I said.
That was an understatement. While the other children had taken to their studies with Beata like fish to water, Elisha struggled to sit still. Beata reported that she was often late to lessons and argumentative during them. If she was trying to prove herself trustworthy, she was going about it the wrong way.
"Besides that," I said, glancing at the door as if she were sitting outside, "Brynna asked me to keep her away from all this. She's still a child, and she's seen enough tragedy to last a lifetime."
"Very well," Joella said with a firm nod. "I'll identify scouts to study the security forces along the river and come up with a plan to dismantle them." She saluted and turned to leave, but stopped as her hand landed on the knob. "Do you think our fair queen is still alive?"
"Brynna could talk her way out of an executioner's noose," I said with a small laugh. "Even if everything goes to hell, she'll survive. That's what she does."
"But for how long—"
"I don't know," I said, hearing the fear in her voice. "But that's why we need to be ready to move at a moment's notice."
She saluted once more and walked out the door.
My day lasted much longer than I wanted it to. Before leaving for Linden, Luard had instructed his Niemenian lieutenants to come to me for guidance and supplies, so I spent the afternoon going over the rolls and budget for both. My brother had allotted a few thousand pounds of gold to the Forcadelian army, and for that I was thankful. We would very shortly run out of supplies otherwise.
But when I looked up and night had fallen, I knew I was in trouble. After gathering my cloak and a few papers to read later, I hurried out the door and along the emptying streets until I reached the townhouse.
"Hello?" I called, closing the door behind me. At once, the thundering of feet echoed from the floor above, and a gaggle of children between the ages of six and ten came bounding down the stairs. The girls wore ribbons and the boys' hair had been slicked back and they all wore matching tunics and shoes. Clearly, my wife had been busy making sure our new little family unit was cohesive.
"Hullo, Lady Katarine!"
"Did you bring us sweets today?"
"Your dress is so fine, can I try it on?"
"Children, children," said my wife, walking out from the back kitchen. "Give her a moment to breathe."
They dissipated quickly, some grousing that I hadn't brought them anything tonight. It was hard to keep a smile from my face.
"You're late for dinner," Beata said, some of the warmth disappearing from her eyes. "The sun set some time ago."
I should've chided her for overreacting—after all, with all the Niemenian soldiers, there was little to fear here—but she'd been scarred by what had happened in the forest. And I knew all too well that her worry could very well be founded.
"I'll do my best to mind the time." I pressed my hands to hers. "How was your day?"
She told me about the children, their studies, and the new things she'd learned about them. Paca had developed a blistery rash after eating strawberries for lunch and Ronja had provided a natural remedy she'd remembered from Nicolasa. Fletcher had been found reading a book earlier…or attempting it. Sorrell had cracked his first smile in weeks and little Gerda had spent the day glued to Beata's side.
"And what of our sullen teenager?" I asked, glancing upstairs.
"Oh, that reminds me." She walked to the staircase and rapped on the wall. "Elisha, Lady Katarine is home."
The footsteps were instantaneous, and Elisha barreled down the stairs. "A letter! A letter arrived for you this evening!"
I looked at Beata, slightly annoyed it hadn't been the first thing she mentioned, but she waved off my frustration. "Elisha wanted to be the one who told you." She kissed my cheek. "I'll have dinner waiting for you inside."
She disappeared through the door and I turned to the teenager, who was nearly bouncing up and down with excitement.
"Well?" I said. "Let's have it."
Elisha deposited the letter in my hand delicately, her chest heaving up and down as she watched. I inspected the letter closely, but to my trained eyes, it seemed fine.
"What are you doing?" Elisha asked, a little close over my shoulder.
"Looking for signs of tampering," I said. "You see here?" I pointed to the wax seal. "Sometimes when the seal has been popped off, it cracks and so you have to re-do it. But this insignia is intact, and it's one I recognize—it's Felix's."
"So it's from him?"
"Remains to be seen," I said, walking to the desk in small library. My wife had already lit a candle so I could see, and left an opener sitting atop the other papers. I ran the knife through the paper and carefully extracted the letter. The handwriting was Felix's, and when I saw the answer at the top, I smiled.
"It's from him," I said.
"What does it say?" she asked, squinting at the letter.
"Here, see for yourself," I said, handing it to her. "I've got to—"
"I can't read."
The admission came out quietly, barely a whisper. Her gaze had dropped to the floor and her lip jutted out into a pout. Clearly, it was something of a sore spot with her. Beata hadn't mentioned it at all. Perhaps that explained why Elisha had been so resistant to her studies.
"That's all right," I said after a moment. "We can—"
"My sister didn't think it was important for me to go to school, you know," she continued. "Mom was sick a lot, so we both had to work. And when Mom died, Esmerelda sent me away."
"Is she still in Forcadel?"
Elisha nodded. "When Aline and I were there, I stopped by. Didn't say nothing to her or let her know I was there. Just wanted to see, you know?" She exhaled loudly. "Same ol', same ol', you know? She got three kids, two of whom look skinny as get-out. Her husband's the same as my old man—gone a lot to sea. Just home to get her knocked up."
I cleared my throat. "Well, if you want to return there—"
"I don't."
"—you are welcome to," I said. "But if you want to stay, you can, too. We'll always have a bed for you." Yet again, my fingers itched to brush the stray hair from her forehead. "And in the meantime, perhaps if you attend your lessons with Bea, you might be able to learn to read."
She made a face and sat on a nearby chair. "I don't wanna learn with the others. I'm not a baby. Sanchia can already read, and she likes to show off." She glanced up at me. "Can you teach me?"
I shook my head. "I don't know if that's a good idea. I've got a lot to handle right now, Elisha. And Beata—"
"Please?" she said, popping right back up. "I don't want to tell anyone else. It's so embarrassing. Just an hour a day—at night. Before bed." She grabbed my wrist, her dark eyes filled with earnest pleading. "Please?"
"I suppose," I said with a sigh. "If you'll keep to your other studies with Beata."
She broke out into a smile and stepped back. "Promise. Thank you, Lady Katarine."
"Now run along," I said, nodding to the door. "I've got to pen a response."
"Can't I stay?" she asked. "Deliver the letter back to the messenger?"
I opened my mouth to argue, but then thought better of it. "Very well."
Our mutual friend's favorite hiding spot was the loose stone in his bedroom, next to his window.
Things continue to move at a glacial pace here in the north. Skorsa remains under our control, and the people are happy. My wife doesn't sleep, but the children are happy.
I hope this letter finds you well, and that things in the west are to your liking. I confess, this will be a difficult endeavor, not the least of which is communicating across such a distance. But I have faith that if anyone can accomplish this task, it will be us working together. I wish I had more news, but so far, my one task remains unfinished.
I look forward to your letter.
Sincerely,
Your Wolf
PS: What was the second chapter of my favorite book?
I dipped my quill back into the well and stared at the letter, reviewing my thoughts, as well as the grammar and spelling.
"Can you ask him how Aline's doing?" she asked.
I shook my head. "We must take care not to divulge too much information in these letters, at least until we're certain things are secure. I'm sure she's doing all right, though. She's safe."
"She was real tore up about getting caught," Elisha said. "I told her it was my fault, but she didn't really believe me."
"It was neither of your faults," I said. "Merely an event that occurred in the back and forth of a war. It won't be the last tactical error we make, but Mother willing, it will be the worst."
"People died, 'cause—"
"Because Beswick betrayed his country and Ilara's forces have no remorse," I said, a little harsher than I'd meant to. "We can sit around blaming ourselves until we're blue in the face, but what matters is what we do about it from here. You saved Beata, as well as the other children. Aline will find some way to redeem herself—if only in her own eyes. Felix will—"
"Felix?" Elisha perked up. "He's in love with Brynna, isn't he? I saw them dancing at your wedding."
"He is," I said with a little smile on my face. "Much to his nerves' dismay. He's a strong man and an excellent leader. I have no doubts that he'll be waiting for us in Forcadel when we get there."
"Is he the one you're sending the letter to?"
I nodded as I struck a light and lit the candle beneath the wax on the desk. Luard had let me borrow his signet ring to seal the messages, so I used it to press the red wax into the folded envelope.
"You will take this to the messenger," I said, handing her the envelope. "Don't touch the wax, and don't dawdle or take any detours. Once you've delivered the letter, come straight home. Am I understood?"
"Yes ma'am!" Elisha attempted a salute like the Forcadelian soldiers, but it was a little sloppy. Still, it made me smile to watch her run out with glorious purpose.
I sat back in my chair and toyed with the quill. I wished I could send a letter to Brynna. I would tell her to have heart, keep her tongue, and that we would be there to rescue her just as soon as we climbed this impossible mountain.