Empire of Ashes

Chapter XI - Choose a Side

I woke before Temris the next morning. I took the time to stretch out and appreciate my lack of chains, revelling in beating him to rise. From the other side of the thin curtain, I could hear Rory's soft snores as well. His bedroll was at the other end of the tent, while I shared the little compartment with Temris.

Temris was sprawled across his mattress, sleeping soundly. Most people looked young and innocent while they slept. He just looked smug. I supposed he had quite a lot to be smug about — the warlord of two thousand northerners, who slept with a girl within reach. Smiling to myself, I crept out into the main compartment.

Colloe was sat near the entrance, polishing a hunting knife. He and Fendur had split the night to swap shifts, so the younger Iyrak would be here shortly to accompany us to the local fortress. As best I could tell, they did that often to spread the workload. The night shift was boring and uneventful but more restful. Why Temris needed an Iyrak on guard while he slept, I had no idea, because he could just post two random warriors and have both Iyrak during the day. Northern customs were strange.

The old warrior pressed a finger to his lips and jerked a thumb at Rory. He didn't need to remind me. And I took note of his silent disapproval. Barely louder than a whisper, I asked, "You don't like me much, do you?"

Colloe shrugged. "I'm Iyrak, Lyra. Bed the Ragnyr, if you like. That's fine. You would not believe how little I care whom he chooses to plough. But stop trying to kill him, would you? It makes my job rather difficult."

"If I was trying to kill him, he would be dead," I told him matter-of-factly.

He leaned forward, bracing his forearms on his knees, and a muscle shifted in his jaw. "Not if I could help it."

I answered that with a quiet, scornful laugh.

"You would do well to heed me, girl. You're walking a thin line. The Ragnyr will never admit it, because he's an arrogant little puppy, but he can't go into battle with an enemy standing at his back. If you plan on sticking around, you need to choose a side, and quickly."

That whole speech had smacked of insolence, and my eyebrows flew upwards. His quiet composure served to hide a sharp tongue and some very strong opinions. I did wonder for a moment if he even liked Temris.

As for his advice... Choose a side. How could I do that when I had yet to discover what the sides were? It was far more complicated than Anglia against Cambria. "I am on the side that isn't murdering children, and that's all you need to know."

He nodded, but it didn't seem sincere. Accepting that our conversation wasn't going anywhere, I turned my focus to doing my job. There was a new pile of parchment on the table. I wondered why so many people wanted to correspond with Temris. He didn't even reply to the vast majority of them. Seizing a provision chart, I curled up in my chair and began to read. A scrap of paper and quill sat nearby to make note of anything Temris needed to know.

I eventually found out how he was planning to disguise his troop movements when the northerners marched, from a letter reaffirming his orders. Riders would go south, pillaging and killing any soldiers they encountered, emulating the ripples a moving army created while removing any witness who could say otherwise. And the bulk of the men marching east would split into smaller groups and stay off the main roads. It might work. If we were really lucky.

"I didn't peg you for an early bird," Temris said quietly.

The bench was free, but when he made his way over, I got up for him. Once he was settled into the chair, I sat on his lap with all the familiarity of people who have known each other for two days.

Colloe raised an eyebrow, a faint smile on his lips. "She's been up nearly an hour."

Rory was fast asleep, and if he hadn't woken already, I didn't see any harm in continuing the conversation, so I asked, "When are we leaving?"