A Country Falls (Greatest Thief 3)

Chapter Ten

There was a crowd waiting for us in the West Draulin port. I could see Tannix's mother and sister, standing with a group of guards in front of an elegant covered carriage. Other important lords and ladies had gathered, as had plenty of regular people from the city. Sailors or merchants who saw the commotion and wanted to know what was going on.

The first person to climb onto the ship, before the gangway was even properly in place, was Acen. He didn't greet any of us, just made straight for Tannix.

"Your mother—"

"Livid, I know," Tannix replied. He gave the crowd a wave, then turned his back on them. "Anything I should know? Anything besides the fact that my mother wants to lock me in a cell for the rest of the war, I mean."

"There are mixed feelings about you, and what we did," Acen said. "But most of the army and the navy admire that you put yourself in danger to help innocent people. And news about Navire joining us has swayed some of the less impressed nobles."

"Well, can't say I didn't expect that," Tannix said, making his way for the gangway. Acen fell back to exchange a few words with Jalor and Mandell. Evrik followed Tannix and I trailed after him, wanting to stay close.

Tannix smiled and waved at the crowd, but he didn't slow as he walked towards his mother and sister. Evrik and I stopped at a respectful distance. For a moment, Tannix and Lady West Draulin just looked at each other. Her anger didn't show on her face, but there was a tension in her when she reached out to pull Tannix into a hug. It was brief, and when they pulled apart it was Tairia's turn.

Tairia greeted Tannix the way Ninavi always greeted me, by throwing herself into his arms. But where Ninavi and I were close enough in size that her leaps nearly knocked me over, Tannix easily caught his sister. He held her for longer than he had hugged his mother, until finally setting her back down on her feet.

Tairia looped her arm through his. "We brought a carriage, so you won't have to suffer through people staring at you the whole way up to the fortress."

"So mother can lecture me," Tannix whispered back.

Tairia smiled, but Lady Clairia was very good at keeping her feelings from showing on her face. "West Draulin needs a lord who isn't going to throw himself into battle at the first opportunity." She whirled around, and stepped up into the carriage, knocking away the hand of a guard who had reached out to help her.

Acen stepped past me and Evrik. Tannix turned to him. "Can you tell—"

"They're on leave for the night, I know. Joen's waiting at the fortress, and I'll meet you as soon as I can."

"Atricen's on top of things. Come on." Tairia tugged on Tannix's arm.

Tannix's eyes found me in the crowd. He might have wanted to say something, but Tairia pulled on his arm again. With a smile, he turned to his sister and held out his hand to help her into the carriage. As soon as he had climbed in, one of the guards closed the door. The driver flicked the reins, and the carriage began its slow journey to the fortress. The crowd of guards marched on either side of it.

Acen, after watching the carriage for a moment, said, "Well, let's gather everyone. I have an announcement."

"—as if I was a child. I know what we did in East Draulin was risky, but we saved people and I'd do it again. Then she said that if I—"

We were in Tannix's chamber, watching him pace back and forth. Acen stood with his arms crossed, one eyebrow raised. I sat cross-legged on my bed, which was probably the most I had ever used it, given that I always slept in Tannix's. Joen, who had followed Tannix into the room, still stood near the door.