beside her, with Torian on her opposite side. “We’ll need a decision fairly soon,” he said, “about whether you want to aim toward Calkirk or go straight for Damphries.”
Emariya gazed off into the distance, eyeing the empty hills as if they might hold the answer.
“From what I saw of the map, I think going to Calkirk would take us a day out of the way,” Torian said.
“I’d like to get to Damphries as soon as possible. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can begin assessing the situation between them and the citizens of the Uplands,” Garith said.
She wouldn’t mind traveling to Damphries with Lord Calkirk’s party, and having the opportunity to see what the Councilor knew of her brother’s recent activities. But Garith made a strong point. “So straight to Damphries, then?”
Torian nodded. “We should reach it within the week. How defensible is the estate itself?”
“I haven’t been there since I was much younger, but from what I remember, the outer wall is solid.
It has a good view to the south, so they should see us coming easily. Unfortunately, there’s a thicket of woods to the north that would offer cover if someone wanted to approach unseen.”
“Will they have been able to withstand the uprising?”
“I don’t know. I suspect so. They are the only estate that employs full-time protection, but it isn’t much protection. More live there than near the other estates, because people naturally relocated there as they gravitated away from the Thalmas border. Those who left the Uplands over the years didn’t have their own farms and homesteads, so they took up residence in the estate. Some of them became a militia, though you’d think them quite weak.”
“So enough to stand against the people of the Uplands, but not enough to quell them?”
“Exactly. Plus, being citizens of the Uplands previously, they won’t want to raise arms against their former neighbors.”
Garith shook his head. “I don’t know, Riya. From what you saw when you rode through there before, they don’t have the same attachment to their neighbors as we do at the Rest.”
Emariya frowned, contemplating. “You’re right. Definitely straight to Damphries so we can put a stop to it before it gets out of hand.”
The night before they expected to reach Damphries, Emariya and Torian lay in their tent together, not speaking, and barely touching. A light spring rain drizzled a soft pat-pat-pat against the tent, creating what should have been a soothing lullaby. The emotional distance between them lingered, despite several attempts on Emariya’s part to reach out to him. Staring at his back as she lay beside him, Emariya thought he might as well be at Castle Ahlen for how far away he seemed.
“Are you angry with me?” she whispered.
At first she thought he’d either not heard her or was ignoring her, but then he rolled over. When he reached out to gently touch her face, his hand trembled slightly.
“Angry with myself, not with you.”
Her heart broke for him. If only she knew how to ease his pain. “Why?”
“For not knowing how to protect you.” The words didn’t sound as if they came easy, instead they almost stuck in his throat and he struggled with each one. “I’m afraid, Emariya.”
“Of what?” she asked, scooting closer to him. His warmth seeped around her.
He closed his eyes for a moment, and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, he said,
“Losing you.”
“I’m afraid of losing you, too,” Emariya let him see the truth of it in her eyes.
“Losing me ? How?”
“If Reeve is to take the throne...”
“That is why I cannot allow him to marry my sister, at any cost. For both of us. For our people.”
“I know, but Torian, that’s not the only way I’m afraid I’ll lose you. You’ve been so distant. I’m afraid your visions might take you from me too.” She bit her lip, afraid he’d be angry at her words, or worse, hurt.
“Like my father,” he said,
Emariya gazed off into the distance, eyeing the empty hills as if they might hold the answer.
“From what I saw of the map, I think going to Calkirk would take us a day out of the way,” Torian said.
“I’d like to get to Damphries as soon as possible. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can begin assessing the situation between them and the citizens of the Uplands,” Garith said.
She wouldn’t mind traveling to Damphries with Lord Calkirk’s party, and having the opportunity to see what the Councilor knew of her brother’s recent activities. But Garith made a strong point. “So straight to Damphries, then?”
Torian nodded. “We should reach it within the week. How defensible is the estate itself?”
“I haven’t been there since I was much younger, but from what I remember, the outer wall is solid.
It has a good view to the south, so they should see us coming easily. Unfortunately, there’s a thicket of woods to the north that would offer cover if someone wanted to approach unseen.”
“Will they have been able to withstand the uprising?”
“I don’t know. I suspect so. They are the only estate that employs full-time protection, but it isn’t much protection. More live there than near the other estates, because people naturally relocated there as they gravitated away from the Thalmas border. Those who left the Uplands over the years didn’t have their own farms and homesteads, so they took up residence in the estate. Some of them became a militia, though you’d think them quite weak.”
“So enough to stand against the people of the Uplands, but not enough to quell them?”
“Exactly. Plus, being citizens of the Uplands previously, they won’t want to raise arms against their former neighbors.”
Garith shook his head. “I don’t know, Riya. From what you saw when you rode through there before, they don’t have the same attachment to their neighbors as we do at the Rest.”
Emariya frowned, contemplating. “You’re right. Definitely straight to Damphries so we can put a stop to it before it gets out of hand.”
The night before they expected to reach Damphries, Emariya and Torian lay in their tent together, not speaking, and barely touching. A light spring rain drizzled a soft pat-pat-pat against the tent, creating what should have been a soothing lullaby. The emotional distance between them lingered, despite several attempts on Emariya’s part to reach out to him. Staring at his back as she lay beside him, Emariya thought he might as well be at Castle Ahlen for how far away he seemed.
“Are you angry with me?” she whispered.
At first she thought he’d either not heard her or was ignoring her, but then he rolled over. When he reached out to gently touch her face, his hand trembled slightly.
“Angry with myself, not with you.”
Her heart broke for him. If only she knew how to ease his pain. “Why?”
“For not knowing how to protect you.” The words didn’t sound as if they came easy, instead they almost stuck in his throat and he struggled with each one. “I’m afraid, Emariya.”
“Of what?” she asked, scooting closer to him. His warmth seeped around her.
He closed his eyes for a moment, and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, he said,
“Losing you.”
“I’m afraid of losing you, too,” Emariya let him see the truth of it in her eyes.
“Losing me ? How?”
“If Reeve is to take the throne...”
“That is why I cannot allow him to marry my sister, at any cost. For both of us. For our people.”
“I know, but Torian, that’s not the only way I’m afraid I’ll lose you. You’ve been so distant. I’m afraid your visions might take you from me too.” She bit her lip, afraid he’d be angry at her words, or worse, hurt.
“Like my father,” he said,
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