Heart of Defiance (The Royal Spares)

Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Signy

I wake up in the captain’s tent to the thump of a bowl set down by my head. I jerk upright, my mouth tasting like sawdust, my eyes bleary.

I didn’t mean to fall asleep. My exhaustion from the fraught, sleepless night must have caught up with me.

The captain sits on her stool by the little folding desk. “You’d better eat something before you go. I’d rather not have two skilled soldiers go down because you fainted with hunger in the middle of your rebellion.”

I pull the bowl toward me. The meaty smell that wafts off it has my stomach gurgling in anticipation.

Starkly conscious of the captain’s attention on me, I wolf the stew down as quickly as I can without looking like a total animal. As the gnawing of hunger subsides, curiosity tickles up in its place.

I consider her in the glow of the lantern. “Why are you letting us do this at all?”

“I don’t believe you can win much of anything without taking a few risks along the way. I just want to make sure they’re the right risks before I invest very much in them.”

She stands, collects my bowl, and sets a canteen down in its place. “Your parents were killed by Darium forces?”

I nod. She heard me say as much this morning.

Something hardens in the captain’s eyes. “A couple of their soldiers killed my brother.” She straightens up. “I imagine it won’t be long before your companions come to collect you. No one will be on watch at this end of the camp, but try to be discreet about it, for my plausible deniability, please.”

She ducks out of the tent without waiting for my response. But a reply doesn’t really feel necessary.

We all have our reasons to hate the usurpers, don’t we?

I take a gulp from the canteen to wash down the stew and take stock. The captain removed the rope around my wrists before I fell asleep. I’m wearing the same simple tunic and trousers I was yesterday, discards I patched up like I did my boots. I wouldn’t have minded a dunk in a river and a change of clothes, but beggars can’t be choosers.

My pocketknife remains nestled at my hip. It’s hardly a fearsome weapon, but it’s better than nothing.

I roll my shoulders and stretch my legs. Even if it was unintentional, I’m grateful for the sleep. Now that I’ve fully woken up and eaten, my thoughts are much clearer than they were this morning.

Is the mission I’m about to embark on insane? Possibly. But at least three people trained to know what a reasonable fight looks like seem to be on my side. So presumably it’s not too crazy.

That doesn’t mean I’m going to make it through the next five hours alive, but I still have nothing to lose.

I’d still rather die taking at least a few Darium soldiers down with me .

A whistle that sounds like a drunken bird sounds outside the tent, followed by a muffled mutter and a rustle of shifting clothes. The hushed voice rises just enough for me to make it out as Jostein’s. “Signy?”

Swallowing hard, I ease aside the tent flap.

At first, I almost don’t recognize the two men. Jostein and Iko have discarded their steel helms and burgundy soldier uniforms for plain shirts and trousers not all that different from mine.

They look more real somehow, like they’re people I could actually know rather than distant figureheads.

Jostein waves me out with a small smile that sends an unexpected flutter through my chest. His now-visible rich brown hair, several shades darker than his bronze skin, only makes his blue eyes stand out more impressively.

The flutter only grows with Iko’s soft chuckle. “I bet she would have figured out the birdsong just fine.”

His hazel eyes gleam as they meet mine, his face even more roguishly handsome now that he’s in clothes to match.

Gods smite me, I didn’t quite notice before just how appealing both of these men are to look at.

I yank my mind back to the task at hand. “I’m here. Lead the way out of camp.”

They’ll have a better idea than I do which is the safest route to avoid notice.

As we slink between the trees, leaving the cluster of tents and my neighbors behind, I notice the swords sheathed at the men’s hips are more modest too—short ones, only about the length of my forearm.

I guess typical military weaponry would draw more attention than we’d prefer. And also the captain wouldn’t want any Darium forces who capture us to realize they’ve been attacked not just by Veldunians but specifically our local soldiers .

As the lantern light dwindles behind us, the men’s strides lengthen. They pause in a small clearing, Jostein reaching into his pocket.

“It isn’t much, but we thought you should be somewhat properly armed.”

He hands me a curved hunting knife on its own leather strap that I can fasten around my waist. I draw the blade out for a moment to admire it in the hazy dusk. “I’ve never had a blade this nice.”

Iko grins. “Nothing but the best for our rebel. Come?—”

Footsteps rustle behind us, and we all stiffen. Before I can react with more than the lurch of my pulse, Landric hurries into view, his hands held up in a pose of surrender.

Jostein’s hand leaps to his sword hilt. “What are you doing out here?”

Landric eyes the squad leader for a moment before his gaze slides to me. “You’re going to the guard post like you talked about, aren’t you? I could tell something was up, the way the captain pulled you aside.”

I glare at him. “What’s it to you?”

He blinks as if he’s surprised I’m not celebrating his arrival. Sure, he stood up for me for about five seconds earlier today. Did he figure that somehow erased all the insults he and his friends have slung at me over the past several years?

Then he squares his shoulders, his annoyingly attractive face defiant. “I want to come with you. I want to help.”

Jostein considers Landric with a skeptical expression. “It’s going to be a long walk.”

“That’s fine. I’m ready.”

Both of the soldiers shift their attention to me. Iko cocks his head. “Since this whole expedition was the lady’s idea, I think the lady should make the final call.”

Before I can open my mouth, Landric extends his hands toward me. “I’m sorry. The way things were around town— none of it was fair to you. I think you’re doing the right thing. Please, let me do something to help you this time.”

I don’t know whether I believe him, but my gut twists at the plea in his words. He pauses and then adds, “Even if you say no, I’ll just follow behind you anyway. I know where you’re going.”

I let out a huff of breath and peer through the forest behind him. If we keep standing around, it’s possible a sentry from the squadron will wander over this way and spot us.

Why shouldn’t he put in a little work to offset the crap he’s done in the past?

“Fine,” I say brusquely. “Just make sure you keep up.”

We set a swift pace through the woods and come out on the edge of a stretch of rolling hills. Moonlight glints off the peaks of the distant mountains.

Now that we’re well clear of the camp, we veer in the actual direction of the guard post, which will bring us past Feldan. Our boots hiss through the long grass. Jostein peers up at the stars every few minutes, I assume making sure we stay on the right course.

After a long stretch of silence, too many thoughts are yammering in my head for me to stay quiet. I glance over at Landric. “What happened to your esteemed friends? Did they skip the celebration in town?”

I didn’t see the dukeling or his noble sycophants among the survivors.

Landric shakes his head, his expression grim. “We came to the square, but Rupert and the others took off for their horses the second we heard the first call to evacuate.”

“A more reasonable reaction than some others I’ll refrain from mentioning,” Jostein murmurs, but his tone is more dry than disparaging.

I glower at him. “It wasn’t even their town, just a place near his dad’s estate where he could slum it a little. ”

The soldier meets my gaze, the glint of his eyes sending another flutter through my pulse. “You were about to face an entire troop of Darium soldiers with nothing but a roasting spit. At least on this mission, the odds will be a little fairer.”

My gaze slides back to Landric with the thought of another question I should ask. “What about your mother? Did she make it out?”

I haven’t seen her, but then, I spent most of my time in the camp tied to a tree.

He releases a shaky breath. “Yes. She heard the calls and ran for the forest before the soldiers arrived. But I don’t know how long it’s going to take her to process the loss of all her inventory.”

All the goods she would have traded or sold. I don’t know what it’s like to be a successful merchant—I have no idea what to say about that.

We lapse into a weightier silence for several minutes until Iko pipes up. “How does a dedicat to Inganne end up so warlike anyway? Shouldn’t you be chasing butterflies and frolicking with paints?”

I roll my eyes at him. "I'd rather be making something beautiful than doing this. Or at least appreciating the beauty that’s already there. The Darium empire just happens to be in the way."

I hesitate, but Landric already knows this. The soldiers might have heard it from my neighbors over the past day. It’s not that much of a confession. "My mother was an artist. The statue they were destroying—it's one of her best pieces."

Or it was. I never got to even try to fix it before the assholes stormed the town.

The quiet that follows feels even heavier than before. Iko breaks it with the same breezy tone. "Of course, I'm not anyone to talk about odd dedications. How many soldiers do you meet who picked Estera to guide them? "

My gaze snaps to him. He dedicated himself to the godlen of wisdom and scholarship?

"Did you not expect to go into service back then?" I find myself asking, curious despite myself. Plenty of twelve-year-olds can't predict what course their lives will actually end up taking.

"Oh, I did. It was obvious the world needed a little more order, and I'm more than happy to provide—or attempt to, anyway. I just wanted to be smart about it." He winks at me.

Jostein speaks up, low but with a fond note that tells me they've been friends for quite a while. "His gift does come in handy for military operations sometimes."

Iko makes a dismissive sound. "It's only a small one. I was brave enough to march into battle but not to sacrifice more than a few patches of skin. A little extra inspiration for seeing how the things I have could be put to some new use. I have to work out all the finer details myself."

He nudges Jostein with his elbow. "This one's got all the ambition. Dedicated himself to Creaden."

I find I'm not surprised to imagine the stalwart squad leader being drawn to the godlen of authority, but he ducks his head as if embarrassed. "I haven't been able to see through that purpose very well so far."

"Hmph. You've got to make captain soon. Then major, then general, then why not rule the entire damned army?"

Jostein guffaws at his friend's irreverence. "We'll see."

I study him. I can't see any obvious dedication sacrifices on his body, but then, I can't see Iko's either. "Do you have a gift?"

It takes him a moment to answer, as if he needs to decide how to. "I have a knack for judging who can handle what tasks." His bright blue gaze slides to me. "That's the main reason I'm here. Every instinct Creaden gave me says you can see this mission through. "

My heart skips a beat. He's sure I can do this—stick it to the Darium empire and survive? I wasn't even totally convinced.

But he believes it enough to have followed me on this perilous quest.

“You’ve accomplished a lot already,” Jostein goes on, “even if I’ve given you a hard time about the risks you took. I’m not sure I’ve ever met a soldier as brave as you’ve proven yourself to be.”

My skin flushes under his attention. I don't think any man has ever seemed this genuinely appreciative of me, let alone one as breathtaking as him.

I know what it's like to be lusted after. During my teen years, there were a couple of boys from town who managed to persuade me to let them get close... only to kick me aside after they'd gotten the itch out of their system, because of course the girl who was shunned even by her godlen wasn't worthy of anything but a rollabout or two. After the second time, I learned to keep my distance no matter what cajoling words a man murmured.

Jostein's interest doesn't feel anything like that. I don't know if he sees me as anything beyond a capable vigilante, but that's still more credit than anyone's given me in nearly a decade.

"I'll do my best to prove your instincts right," I find myself saying.

Iko flashes me another grin. "I have total faith in you too." He lifts his chin toward Landric. "What about you? Any hidden talents we should know about?"

I can't help wondering what my childhood playmate will say. Everyone in town talked about who dedicated to which of the lesser gods, so I know he picked Jurnus, but I don't remember hearing that he asked for a magical talent from the godlen of travel and communication .

Landric shakes his head. "There wasn't anything I could think of that I wanted enough to make the trade. Mostly I was hoping for Jurnus's guidance." He lets out a rough laugh. "I suppose he's giving me a good shove toward exploring the world now."

"The gods do work in mysterious ways. We have plenty of colleagues who forgo a divine exchange. After all, it's not as if a sacrifice is a guarantee."

Iko's voice halts abruptly with a darted glance toward me, his smile faltering. As if he's concerned that I'll be insulted by him touching on one of the most basic facts about my life.

I wait for someone to ask what I requested that Inganne judged as overreaching or why I think she denied me. Instead, there's only another silence more awkward than anything else.

Jostein adjusts our course so we can cross a stream at a rickety bridge. Reaching the dirt road on the other side, I kick aside lumps of dried horse dung that bounce into the grass.

We've given the town a wide berth, but a smoky scent taints the air even out here, even a day later. I squint, but I can't make out any of the landmarks amid the stretch of forest and jutting rocks that surround most of the town.

No temple spires. No memorial on the hill.They couldn’t have burned the limestone, but it wouldn’t have taken much to knock it down.

Are some of the other buildings still smoldering even now? Is there anything left it'd be worth returning for?

My little cabin might have gone untouched, set off from the rest of the town as it is, but the thought of living there next to the ruin makes my stomach roil.

The men have followed my gaze. Landric's jaw has tightened, maybe thinking about his family's inventory turned to ashes or so damaged it may as well be.

Everyone from town will be starting over from scratch, but most have concrete skills they can quickly bring to bear. A merchant's talent for sales can’t matter much without merchandise to peddle.

Iko wets his lips. I expect him to make some flippant remark to try to ease the tension, but instead his voice comes out cautious. "The way your neighbors talked about you—have they always been that harsh?"

Landric's expression twitches, but I don't see any point in dressing up the situation. "No. Not until I became a burden. I'd lost both my parents by the time I was eight, and my aunt and uncle weren't happy about taking me in. Then my dedication sacrifice was rejected, and no one wanted to associate with a girl even the gods had shunned. Wouldn't want the ill-favor to rub off on them."

Jostein frowns. "Just because you asked too much once doesn't mean the gods have rejected you ."

I shrug. "Sometimes it seems like they did before I even made my sacrifice."

Iko's tone turns unexpectedly fierce. "Dariu has taken too many good people from this country. That's on them, not the gods."

I look at him, startled by his vehemence, and he grimaces as if in apology. "One of my good friends when I was growing up—we were running around in the street, and she tripped and bumped into a Darium soldier walking by. The prick yelled that she was a pickpocket and stabbed her before she could even get out an apology."

A chill wraps around my gut.

Jostein is nodding, his expression even more solemn than usual. "My uncle—he ran a tavern. A squadron came in and started harassing the barmaids. He and my cousin stepped in, and they murdered both of them."

Landric looks at the ground. "My father. Competition over a deal. Just greed."

I haven't thought about that in ages. As I look at him, my throat constricts. Maybe it makes sense that he insisted on coming on this mission after all.

I don't know if the Darium empire can ever repay everything they owe us, but they're going to make a small start tonight.