The Shadow Throne (Ascendance 3)

“You’ve picked us over enough!” a drunken man shouted through blurred words. “None of us here can fight — the last group of soldiers knew that and left us alone.”

With some nervousness, Mott and Tobias looked at each other, and I remembered how we were dressed.

“What happened to the others who were here?” I asked. “Did they volunteer to fight?”

“Volunteered at the point of a blade,” a man said. “They took everyone who might be of use.”

Another man sauntered forward, staring at me. “How old are you, boy? You’re no soldier. Or no leader amongst them, if you are.”

“No leader amongst Avenian soldiers, no.” When I removed my helmet, there was enough of a reaction that it was clear some of them knew me. “My name is Jaron. I am the king of Carthya, king of the Avenian pirates, and a friend of Erick’s, who was in charge here. If you don’t wish to fight for Vargan, then join me now. Ride with me and let’s leave this place.”

“Or we could capture you and earn a lifetime of gold from Vargan,” the man nearest to us said.

I snorted. “Don’t be ridiculous. If you had the ability to capture me, you’d have already been recruited.”

They gave up and half turned away from me. “We’re Avenian,” another thief said, sitting back down beside his fire. “We’ll stay here.”

“As you wish. But that’s a thin stew in your pot, and I can help thicken it. If you’re hungry, I’ll pay your fastest rider to deliver a message back to Carthya for me.”

“No,” Tobias hissed. “You can’t trust these men.” But I only ignored him.

The man closest to me lifted his hands to his hips. “I’m the fastest rider here. What’s your message?”

“It goes to my commander in Drylliad.” I eyed him steadily. “Can you deliver it?”

He held my gaze. “On my word of honor as a thief.”

Which, at best, was a contradiction in terms. Continuing, I said, “Good enough, I suppose. Tell him that during my time in captivity, I was forced to reveal our key strategies in this war, so everything must change. I need every spare man moved to Drylliad to protect the castle, and I want every trap ready in that city. I also want the wealth of Carthya moved to a place called Farthenwood. It’ll be safer there.” I leaned in to him. “Now promise me that this message will reach my castle.”

“That’s a pretty dangerous message.” He nodded at a single garlin clasped in my fist. “I hope you’re planning on paying more than that.”

I stuffed the coin back into my pocket. That one wasn’t for him. “No doubt Vargan would consider this message far more valuable than what I can afford to pay you here. But my companion will give you a few garlins now, and you may ask for many more once you’ve reached Drylliad.”

I gestured to Mott, who reached into his saddlebag and withdrew a handful of coins for the man. He pocketed the money and then told the other thieves to get his horse ready.

There was nothing more to keep us here now. I wished the men well and told them we had to be on our way. After we rode off, Mott said, “While in captivity, you lied to Avenia about our plans.”

“Yes.”

“And now you wish to change all our actual plans to fit those lies?”

“It seemed like a good idea.”

He stared at me for a moment, and then shrugged. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“If I don’t, then you’ll always be there to point out my mistakes.”

I smiled from the corner of my mouth and Mott chuckled lightly. The joke eased the tension that had been between us since my rescue, and even Tobias relaxed somewhat. After another few hours, we stopped to give the horses a rest and for us to share some of the food we had brought with us from the inn. In the warmth of the day, we took shade beneath the canopy of a tall yew tree that overlooked the coast of the Eranbole Sea in the distance. It was uncommonly beautiful and I longed to one day board a ship and set sail across it.

Before taking bites for themselves, both Mott and Tobias leaned against the trunk and allowed me to eat as greedily as I needed to. It helped to return my strength, though it wasn’t nearly enough for the conversation I had been avoiding since my escape.

When it couldn’t be delayed any longer, I asked Mott, “Did I do the right thing, coming after you in that camp?”

“No.” He sighed heavily and looked sideways at me. “But it wasn’t the wrong thing either. The night you rescued me, from the minute they brought Imogen there, I knew I would tell them everything they wanted. I’d have failed you, Jaron.”

“I’d have done no better. I didn’t even last long when they put Tobias against me and he isn’t nearly as pretty.”

Tobias snorted a laugh and said he wouldn’t even try to disagree with that.