From Darkness Won Part 15

"But..." Gren stared, mouth flapping. "You love him. You sang to him. He looked so forlorn when he spoke about his engagement." She gasped. "It's because he loves Vrell Sparrow and thinks he will never have her. The poor dear."

Vrell looked at her hands. "I do not know what to do."

"Tell him the truth and marry him," Gren said.

"If life were that simple, you and he would be married."

"I suppose." Gren nibbled at a feverfew leaf. "But from a woman who was forced to marry, believe me, to marry for love would be worth any complication."

Even breaking Arman's laws? "I grow weary of this discussion. Please, I would like to sleep now."

Gren rolled her eyes and leaned back against the olive tree. "Must be nice to order your problems away."

Vrell lay down on her bedroll and pulled the blanket up to her chin. "It is not nice. Ordering them away only prolongs the pain of indecision."

"So make a decision," Gren said, as if Vrell were choosing which dress to wear.

Vrell rolled on her side, putting her back to Gren. "I have. That is why I'm following Jax."

"You won't marry Achan?"

"No. I will not." Though even as she said the words, she did not know if she meant them. Tears pooled in her eyes. She did her best to stifle the sound of her crying.

The following day pa.s.sed as slowly as the first. Sitna was a two-day journey on horseback, but Gren, not used to riding, refused to allow her horse to do anything but walk, claiming faster movement jarred her queasy stomach.

Vrell's boredom tempted her to look through Achan's eyes. She had never been capable of such, and the last time she tried he had sensed her. Instead, she looked in on Mother several times and found her busy coordinating supplies for Achan's army or strolling around the castle with Sir Eagan.

It did not appear that Mother had noticed Vrell's absence yet. Not surprising.

While they stopped for lunch, Gren urged Vrell to check on Bran's progress.

"From the look of the land, they are still north of Allowntown. I pray Jax will linger there a day or two. For that is the only chance I have of catching up."

Gren set down her figs. "If you're so set on deserting Achan, it makes no sense for us to part in Sitna. I have two friends- strong men-that'll escort me the rest of the way. Why not come with us? It'll be safer."

Vrell met Gren's reproving gaze and wrung her hands. Stopping in Sitna would likely waste another day. But Jax was already so far ahead, perhaps travelling with Gren and her friends would be wisest.

It was late afternoon on the third day when Vrell and Gren arrived in Sitna, a small, brownstone castle surrounded by a dingy moat. Gren led her over the drawbridge to a long clapboard stable. They dismounted and took their horses in.

"h.e.l.lo there." A stray, tall and thin, walked toward them. The sight of his orange tunic brought back memories of Vrell's time as a stray. How quickly she had forgotten the orange tunic in her weeks of comfort in Carmine.

"See here now," Gren said, faking the low voice of a man. "We two men wanna put up our horses, and we want you to be quick about it, see?"

"I'd be happy to, sir." The man stopped and squinted at Gren. "Gren?"

"Noam!" Gren rushed forward and embraced him.

He bent awkwardly to hug her short frame. "What are you doing here? Has your family returned? Why are you dressed like a man?"

Gren's eyes glittered. "I'm in disguise. And I came without my parents. I couldn't stay in Carmine any longer. It was horrible, Noam. You won't believe what happened to me."

"You must tell all." Noam studied the mare beside Gren. "Including where you got such a fine horse."

"Oh, forgive me!" Gren slid back to include Vrell in the conversation. "Lady Averella Amal, this is Noam Fox. The horses are hers, Noam. She's in disguise too."

Noam stared a long moment, his gaze taking in Vrell's clothing, then he jerked into a low bow, his spine pressing against his thin tunic. "An honor, m'lady."

Mercy. Did the poor man ever eat? Vrell hoped this was not one of the men intended to escort Gren to Armonguard. He did not look able to stand up to the weakest soldier.

"Noam is Sitna Manor's stableman."

"Don't say such things, Gren. Oster will hear you." Noam glanced around as if expecting this Oster person to charge out from one of the stalls and reprimand him. His worried gaze shifted to Vrell. "I'm the stable hand, m'lady. Nothing more than a stray."

Vrell opened her mouth to speak, but Gren said, "You're more of a stableman than Oster. You do all the work."

Noam shifted his feet and lowered his voice. "Gren, please. Can we speak of this later?"

"We need to talk to you about why we've come. Can you take a break?"

"You know I can't. What if we meet at the Corner tonight?"

Gren clapped her hands and jumped. "Oh, yes, we must. A brilliant plan, Noam. We need speak with Harnu too."

Noam raised a dark eyebrow. "Reconsidered his offer, have you?"

Gren shoved Noam with both hands. "I most certainly have not, Noam Fox, you take that back!"

"Calm yourself," Noam said, rubbing his chest. "It was just a question."

"Which is all I want with Harnu. To ask a question. Where is he?"

"The armory, as usual." Noam's gaze bounced between Vrell and Gren. "Did you know Lord Levy has come?"

"To visit?" Vrell asked.

"To stay, it seems. Lord Nathak is preparing to move to Armonguard to a.s.sist Prince Gidon's rule. Lord Levy came to replace him and govern Sitna."

Gren shoved Noam again.

He clapped a hand to his chest. "What now?"

"Achan is Prince Gidon, not that pigheaded..." She pushed Noam. "Evil..." She pushed him again.

He grabbed her arms and pulled her into a hug. "All right, Grenny. I know it, you hear? It just slipped out. I meant Esek. He's who Lord Nathak plans to help rule."

"You have seen Esek recently?" Vrell asked.

"No, m'lady. Not here. Not for months."

Praise Arman. "But Lord Nathak is here?"

"Aye. And I urge you take care, m'lady. There's a ransom on your head. They seek a woman dressed as a lad. You'd both be wise to change and fast."

"A peasant's dress," Gren said, approaching Vrell. "I'll do your hair in pigtail braids."

Vrell felt queasy. People were hunting her. Stopping in Sitna had been a mistake. "Is my hair long enough?"

Gren fingered Vrell's stubby tail. "Just."

"Stray!" a man yelled from the back. "Put those horses up and get on with the stalls!"

"Yes, sir!" Noam took the bridles of both horses. "Until tonight, then."

"Farewell." Gren pulled Vrell by the hand, outside and across the crowded bailey. Vrell kept her head down and pulled her hand away. Men holding hands would surely seem odd.

In Carmine, the armory had its own building. Here it was a shelter with two walls on the back corner and the front corner open, held up with a wooden post.

An old man wearing a leather ap.r.o.n held a stick of white hot iron with tongs and swung a hammer on it again and again. Each strike sent dozens of sparks into the air.

Vrell did not want to remain out in the open. "What are we doing here?" she whispered to Gren.

"Looking for Harnu."

"I thought we wanted to change? Pigtail braids?" Vrell's nerves tingled at the idea that Lord Nathak was so near.

"Stand behind me if you're worried." Gren walked up to the old man. "Master Poe, have you seen Harnu?"

"Grenny girl! Haven't seen yer father. When yeh get back?" The man set down his hammer and brushed his hands on his ap.r.o.n. "How's the baby comin' along? And why yeh dressed like a man?"

"Father's not here, Master Poe. Just me and my friend. And please keep your voice down. We're trying to blend in."

Vrell's lips parted, breath frozen in antic.i.p.ation. Surely the girl would not introduce her to every old friend in Sitna. These peasants likely needed money enough to turn her in.

The old man looked Vrell up and down. "I've seen yeh before. Not 'n the flesh, but on Nathak's scrolls. Ever' day some soldier comes sniffin' fer yeh an' the p.a.w.n. S'prised I was to hear yeh stole the p.a.w.n's heart. Didn't think that boy'd ever get over losin' Grenny to Riga Hoff."

"The p.a.w.n?" Vrell's apprehension grew. If there were scrolls bearing her likeness, she needed to hide her face.

"That's what the people in Sitna call Achan now that the truth is known," Gren said. "There's even a song."

"Beg yer forgiveness, m'lady," Master Poe said. "It ain't fittin' to speak ill o' the dead." He nodded to Gren. "An' I mean no disrespect to yeh or yer unborn child. But Harnu was always a simple lad. Did what he was told. Followed that Riga like a lost pup. Ever' idea'r those two got into sparked with Riga Hoff. My son's changed since the p.a.w.n's days here. Like to think I beat enough sense into 'im."

"Master Poe." Vrell kept her voice low and her eyes on the people pa.s.sing by the armory. "I harbor no ill will toward you or your son. And I a.s.sure you, Achan is kind and forgiving. I am certain he would be willing to pardon your son for any wrongdoings in the past."

The old man laughed. "Well, I'll be forged. She calls 'im Achan."

"Gren?" a man's voice said.

Vrell spun around. But instead of a soldier holding a scroll, as Vrell feared, a strong young man stood outside holding two buckets of water, frowning at Gren. He had a plain, pockmarked face and dark hair. He too wore a leather ap.r.o.n over a brown tunic and trousers.

"h.e.l.lo, Harnu." Gren's cool tone lacked the familiarity she shared with Noam and Master Poe.

Vrell looked between Harnu and Gren, intrigued by Gren's behavior. Was it Harnu's past treatment of Achan that angered Gren, or had these two shared something more?

"These fine young men wanna talk to yeh, son." Master Poe gripped Harnu's shoulder and chuckled. "Go on an' see what's so urgent."

Harnu's dark eyebrows arched as he took in Vrell. Then he stomped off toward a cl.u.s.ter of thatched cottages. "Come."

Gren stared after him, her expression pinched.

"Thank you for your good company, Master Poe." Vrell dragged Gren after Harnu, but when they reached the cottages, Harnu had vanished. "Gren, do we trust this man?"

Gren nodded, staring off into nothingness.

"Good, for at least he looks capable of protecting us. Now, help me find him, for I cannot guess where he went."

Gren heaved a deep breath and came back to herself. She wove through the maze of cottages until stumbling to a stop before a small dwelling nestled between two older ones and the curtain wall that loomed above.

The door opened and Harnu stepped out.

When Gren did not move, Vrell asked her, "Is something wrong? Should we not enter?"

Gren jolted, her gaze settling on Vrell. "This was Riga's home. And my home. It's... strange to be back."

Oh. Vrell took Gren's hand and squeezed. "Let us go in, then, before we are seen. All will be well." Would it not?

Gren led Vrell over the threshold and into a small room that held a round table, two chairs, and a hearth. Two doors split the wall opposite the entrance. Harnu stood before the hearth, facing them, hands behind his back. His size made him an imposing figure in such a small place.

Gren's gaze danced along the shuttered windows, walls, and furniture. "You've done all this?"

Vrell looked over the room again, for it looked very bare in her opinion.

"In case you came back." Harnu shifted his weight from one leg to the other. "In case you changed your mind."

Now Vrell felt like the imposing figure who had intruded upon some private conversation.

Gren shook out her hair. "I have a different reason for returning, Harnu. Come with us to Armonguard."

"Armonguard?" His dark gaze shifted to Vrell. "Who's she, anyway?"

"That's not your business. Will you help us?"

Harnu's ominous posture gave out, and he looked every bit a chastened little boy. "I can't go to Armonguard, Gren. My father. I'm his only son. I-"

Gren rolled her eyes. "What's that matter?"

Harnu's neck bobbed as he swallowed. "Well, I-"

"It needn't be forever. Just to get us safely there. Then you can return."