VII

“I can’t believe we’re this close!” Mai exclaimed as she put her things into her bag. They were all packing and readying for their trip out of the city so they could pursue Dantera.

“I know,” Dorrin said. “I wonder if she’s still there, though.”

“I can’t imagine tracking assassins is easy,” Lev said. “She’s probably been moving pretty slowly, actually.”

Sorika nodded at the thick-armed archer’s words. She was a quiet girl, but thoughtful and intelligent. She often said things when a person least wanted.

Yoreno was already wearing his sword belt, so all he had to do was pack his bag with water and the spare clothes he had. They still needed to get provisions somewhere in town. “Is everyone ready?”

“I am,” Lev said. “Been ready since you woke up.”

“Then why didn’t you accompany us to the adventurer’s guild?”

The archer shrugged.

Dell, with his dark gaze gave the other man a sidelong glance. “Lazy.”

Lev laughed.

“Oh, we know Lev is lazy,” Mai said. “Useless commoner.”

He laughed again. “Just giving you noble-born folks something to harden your muscles over. Don’t want you to get too soft, living your pampered lives in your fancy manor houses.”

“You can come to my house,” Sorika said.

“Oh?”

“We’re in need of a servant.”

Dell laughed and Lev had a look of annoyance on his face.

“Serves you right for jabbing at us, Lev.”

“Let’s get along,” Mai said, her voice small and demure. Her pretty face with the pale scar gave her a look that belied her tone of voice. “There’s no need to harass each other. I know we’ve spent a lot of time together, but we need to get along.”

“Mai is right,” Yoreno said. “Even mild annoyances can grow to become full blown disagreements. Learn to work with each other.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Lev said.

“I’m ready,” Mai said, and slung her pack onto her back, then bent and picked up her staff.

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“Me too!” Sorika said, hopping off her bed.

“Why is it that you girls are ready before us?” Dell asked. “Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?”

“Hey,” Lev said. “Do I look like one of the girls?”

“And me?” Dorrin asked.

“Yes you do,” Lev said with a smirk.

“Hey!”

“What did we just say about getting along?” Yoreno asked, a mild tinge of frustration assailing him. “Gods, I feel like a parent.”

Lev laughed, but Dorrin looked abashed.

“Now, are we all prepared?”

A round of nods and yeses came back.

“Then let’s head out, but before we leave town, we need to get provisions at a shop. Mainly food.”

“No,” Sorika said.

“What?”

“Already done.”

“What?” Yoreno asked again. “Really?”

Dell’s jaw nearly dropped. “You know what, I’m just going to hang back and let you ladies to the rest. Let us know when you have Dantera en toe and we’ll meet up. Hey, Yoreno, you see any drinking houses in this place?”

“I’m certain we can find one,” he said with a smile.

They stepped out of the inn and put their packs on their horses. They were in the stable out back, and the food provisions and extra water had already been loaded up.

“Very good,” Yoreno said. Then in slight jest he added, “I like to see your proactivity, ladies.”

“Thanks,” Mai said. “You’re not bad yourself, Yoreno.”

They mounted and started making their way down the main thoroughfare. Yoreno reached in his trousers for the map he had bought from the guild house.

“Is this the right way?” Dorrin asked.

“We have a map,” Yoreno said.

The morning sun was rising, and the heat was evident on the back of Yoreno’s neck. It was going to be a hot day today.

“So how far is this North Pass, Yor?” Dell asked as he trotted his horse up beside him.

“Well,” he said, studying the vellum map. “It looks like it’s going to be a few days at least.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Hey,” Mai said. “What are those white markings all over the place?”

“Deaths,” Lev said from behind.

“Hey,” Dell said, glancing back toward the archer. “How do you know that?”

“I took a look at the map while Yor was packing up. It’s got a legend, you know? You should look at it. I know you nobles have drivers to take you everywhere so you’re not used to looking at maps, but—“

“Shut it, Lev,” Sorika said.

“He’s right, though,” Yoreno said. “There are little skulls all over this thing, especially up north where we’re going.”

“So?” Mai asked. “Just known occurrences where people were killed, or are they monster dens?”

“No, the dens are marked differently,” Yoreno said. “They have little weapons.”

“Cute,” Sorika added.

Dorrin pulled on his horse’s reigns and glanced at Yoreno. “Are you sure we should be going up this way if so many people have died?”

“Yes,” Lev said. “If Dantera went that way, then we go that way.”

Amidst the talking and bickering, and the sounds of their horse’s hooves against the paving stones, Yoreno felt apprehension for the first time since beginning this quest to find Dantera.

What is she had been killed up there?

It seemed they were heading into a much more dangerous area of these lands. Inside the city, there was the danger of cutthroats—even amongst all the guards—but out there, no help would come if they needed it.

They would be on their own.

Fortunately, the Emblazoned Party was no pack of green adventurers like that sorry lot they had rescued in the depths of Kaigalor Mountain where hordes of rat men scampered about looking for easy meals of soft young girls and naïve boys.

As they rode on, Yoreno was intimately aware of the rapier he had slung across his back. It was Ito Farralia—Dantera’s sword.

It did not belong to him.

Why had she left it in the castle? With the new Captain of the Castle Guard of all people? Did she no longer want the blade?