Shadow Heir

All this did was make the strangers tense and brace for battle. My group did the same, myself included. Yet, as I did, I took the opportunity to study our combatants more closely. They were all gentry, all armed, but their weapons didn’t have the uniformity or maintenance of the Beech soldiers’. This group wore nothing resembling uniforms either. Their clothing was worn and, in some cases, mismatched. Cloaks and furs were draped in front of them on their horses, like they’d been hastily pulled off when the climate had changed. Some of their faces were smudged, and all looked like they hadn’t been eating well.

“Wait,” I said, hurrying forward.

“I wouldn’t advise it,” said Rurik, gaze fixed on the strangers. “Stay back for your own safety.”

I halted in the middle of our two groups. “Who are you? Where are you from?”

The new group eyed me suspiciously. “Who are you?” asked the blond-bearded man.

“You’re from one of the blighted lands, aren’t you?” I asked, positive I was right.

Nobody changed their stance, but the bearded guy regarded me with new interest. “What of it?”

“So are we,” I said. “We’re from ...” What was that absurd name Dorian had come up with the other day?

“... the Lilac Land,” he said, coming to stand beside me. He held his sword still, but his posture was more relaxed. I think he’d come to the same conclusion I had about these people.

“Never heard of it,” said a woman from the newcomers. A spotted falcon sat upon her shoulder and watched us with equal suspicion.

“Most haven’t,” said Dorian, deadpan. “It’s very far away.” He glanced between her and the blond man and must have decided she was a better bet. Dorian gave her one of his charming smiles. “What’s your kingdom called?”

There was a moment’s hesitation, and then she said, “The Hemlock Land.”

“You’ve suffered considerably,” said Dorian. “Just as we have.”

My next leap was drastic, but again, I felt pretty confident of my instincts. “You’re going to surrender to Varia, aren’t you?” It seemed logical. They weren’t a big enough force to stage a rebellion, but underneath the wear and tear, something about this group said they weren’t commoners. I was certain they were here to negotiate. “So are we.”

Some of them shifted uncomfortably. “It’s the best thing for our people,” the woman said, almost defensively. “That’s what matters.”

“It is,” I agreed, hoping I sounded compassionate. “There’s no need to be ashamed.”

“We never said we were,” she said. Clearly this was a sensitive topic, which I understood perfectly.

The blond man lowered his sword, which I took as an excellent sign. “Are you going to Withywele?”

“Yes,” said Dorian quickly, before anyone could mess up the story. He lowered his sword too. “We assumed that would be the place to find the queen. A guide gave us directions.”

“You’ve never been there?”

“No.”

The spokesman turned and murmured a few words to his group. Most of them nodded, though a couple—like the woman—shook their heads emphatically. At last, the blond man turned his attention back to us. “We know the way. If you wish, you may travel with us. It will certainly help to have more of us to face the peacekeepers.”

I glanced at Dorian and was met with a puzzled shake of the head. “What are the peacekeepers?”

“A jest of a term,” said the Hemlock woman, scowling. “Queen Varia leaves certain enchantments and obstacles in her subservient kingdoms to keep them in line. The residents are given ways to avoid them and be safe ... unless they displease her. The peacekeepers also discourage outsiders.”

Kiyo spoke up. “Would you consider a group of dryads part of this, uh, peacekeeping?”

The woman nodded gravely. “Most certainly. They’re an excellent force to be used against strangers—but can be coaxed to leave natives alone.”

“Give us a second,” I said.

Hoping I wouldn’t be attacked in the back, I turned and walked back to the group with Dorian. “I don’t trust them,” said Rurik promptly.

“Nor should we,” said Dorian. “Not entirely. Though, they may be useful if they know the Yew Land—and about these ‘peacekeepers.’ That certainly would’ve been helpful information earlier when we met those wenches.”

“Volusian couldn’t have known,” I said, barely believing I was defending my minion.

Kiyo sighed. “I don’t like the idea of traveling with strangers, but we certainly need all the intel we can get.”

“They don’t look any happier about traveling with us than we do with them,” said Pagiel. It was a remarkably observant statement. “We could probably pretty much keep to ourselves until we got to Withywele. Even there, they might be able to help us with the city.”

“Are we agreed then?” I asked, looking at each of my friends’ faces. Seeing Rurik’s scowl, I added, “Don’t worry. You can keep your weapons handy. And we’ll double the watches.”