The Shadowglass (The Bone Witch, #3)(64)
“I cannot join you,” Lord Garindor said regretfully as I secured my meager belongings. “There is little I can do in a war that I can do better in its aftermath, and you already serve as royal chronicler.”
“I was commissioned by the bone witch, not by Empress Alyx.” I saw Lord Fox astride Chief, already deep in discussion with Lord Knox and the Kion generals. Lady Zoya was present, attending to their own preparations. Lady Shadi, who was to remain behind and oversee the salvaging of the Willows, flew to the latter’s side to give her a sweet kiss, oblivious to the faint wolf whistles of the men. Lady Altaecia had already left with a smaller party to scout ahead of the main army.
“Yet you call her the slur they use to brand those of her profession. You are the closest thing to her defender among these Kions after Princess Inessa, and yet you bear a grudge,” he said.
“She left me to my own devices and broke her promise, and she has never once called me by my own name. I don’t see why I cannot do the same,” I replied.
“Would you have preferred it if she called you by your name? Not the one you call yourself nowadays, at any rate.”
I glanced sharply down at him.
“I will keep your secret, milord. We are very good at that. I wish you peace and good blessings, my esteemed brother, and when the long day is done, may you find your way back home.” Lord Garindor bowed—not in the royal Odalian or Kion way, but in the Drychta manner—his head pressed close to the ground and his hands upturned before it, then rose to leave, ignoring the curious stares after him.
Lord Khalad had reappeared, pale and wan and uncommunicative. He ignored the others and saddled his horse.
“You don’t need to come with us, Khalad,” Lord Fox told him, sympathy laced through his words.
“I will see this through with Tea, Fox. I have a feeling I will be needed where you are going. What do you think Tea’s doing?”
The other man scowled. “She’s luring us there. And she knows we can’t afford to ignore her. Do you know her reasons?”
The Heartforger spread his hands. “Your guess is as good as mine. But if it’s a trap, it’s likely a trap for the Drychta. Why she wants us there, on the other hand, is a complete mystery to me.”
“Hold!”
Lord Fox turned warily as a soldier rushed forward. A hasty conversation commenced, and Lord Fox frowned. “It’s unusual to see so many of them here,” he mused. “I’ve only seen two before, and that was when they presented Mykkie and Tea with Chief and Kismet.”
“It’s best to see what they want, Fox,” Lady Zoya said. “We cannot linger for too long.”
“They” turned out to be a group of Gorvekai. They waited respectfully while Lord Fox rode forward to greet them. Despite the heat, they remained garbed in thick woolen furs, though they took off their traditional caps as a concession. Their leader cantered forward.
“You are the General Pahlavi,” he said. “Sister to the Dark asha and royal consort to the princess of Kion.”
“What do you want with us, milord? As you can see, we are in a hurry.”
“Perhaps it would be best then that we come with you to the southern edges of Odalia, to aid King Kance.”
“You are knowledgeable of both our movements and our objectives, sir?”
“My name is Agnarr, the first of my clan. The Gorvekai have come to pledge our assistance in your war against the Drychta. We are here to see our prophecies come to pass.”
“And what prophecy is that, Sir Agnarr?”
The man smiled. “The prophecy of the shadowglass, General Pahlavi. Your sister came to us once, seeking its spell as many have done before her. For so long we have kept to our community along the Ice Knife, waiting for one who might be worthy to wield it. We have pledged our service and our loyalty to Little Tears’s seed, and now she has bade us to aid you in your battle against both Druj and the Drychta that the Faceless compels.”
15
“Th-this wasn’t exactly what I h-had in mind when I asked for a ch-change of scenery!” Likh chattered against my ear as we clambered off the azi. We had traded the mild Yadoshan climate for the bone-chilling winters of Istera, but the capital city of Farsun was not our destination. Instead, we had flown farther north, onto the Gorvekan steppes. The wind was harsh and biting, and not even the warmest cloaks we’d brought for the journey nor the Fire runes Kalen manifested to warm us could counteract the cold.
Already a group of Gorvekai gathered, watching us silently. They wore their cloak pelts loosely, but generations spent in the harshest climate meant their bodies were toughened by weather. They had no heartsglass that I could see, but I fancied they were more curious of us than anything else.
As we approached, I saw Fire runes blazed around the Gorvekai as well, bright and red against the winterscape. I had only ever seen two Gorvekai in my life; they traveled to Kion during my apprenticeship, bringing with them the horses Mykaela and I would eventually love as Kismet and Chief. The latter whinnied softly at the sight of them, ears perked.
“Stay on your guard, Tea,” Kalen cautioned. “It’s rare for Gorvekai to allow strangers onto their soil. Not even asha and Deathseekers are permitted to stay long.”
“Except for Mykaela,” I whispered. “Kalen, they gave us Chief and Kismet in gratitude for something Mykkie had done for them. Surely they remember.”