He had no appetite either but obliged, chewing as he spoke, tasting nothing but knowing his body needed it. “All right. This is my plan for us now. As soon as we enter Morgravia we split up. You must not go home, Elspyth. It’s too dangerous right now. They know where your cottage is—”
“But my aunt.” she protested.
“They have no quarrel with her. If she is dead…” He saw how the words cut her. “Forgive me but it must be said. She may be dead. And if not. she is safe. You are not.”
“So where do I go?”
“Travel to a place called Rittylworth.”
She nodded. “I’ve heard of it. There’s a monastery there, is that right?”
“Yes. Good. That’s where you need to go. Brother Jakub will help you. But you mustn’t linger. Promise me.”
“I promise.” she said, confused. “So then what?”
“My sister. Ylena Thirsk, is at the monastery. You must take her with you. Tell her and Jakub that Romen Koreldy insists. Mention nothing of Wyl Thirsk. Do you understand what I say?” She bristled. “You’re speaking our language so of course I do.”
“Apologies. I am worried for Ylena as much as I am for you. Travel northeast. Under no circumstances allow her to return to the Thirsk family home in Argorn. You need to get to Felrawthy. I will tell you what to say to the Duke when you get there. It is important you give him some information—I’ll write it all down in a letter for him. He will offer the protection you both require for different reasons.”
“I’m confused.”
“Just trust me.”
“And where are you headed, may I ask?”
“Into Briavel. I made a promise to its Queen that I must fulfill.” She crossed her arms and eyed him suspiciously. But he was offering no further information.
“I need you to keep my secret. Elspyth. No one is to know that Romen Koreldy is really Wyl Thirsk.
especially Ylena. No one will accept or even try to understand—the fact that you do is some sort of miracle. You will be safe and anonymous at Felrawthy so long as you keep our secret. I will send word as soon as I can and I will not break my oath to you. I need you to be patient.” It was toward dusk of the next day that they found themselves at Straplyn. The path, as Lothryn had said, was little more than a deer track, which by Wyl’s estimation cunningly entered Morgravia in the northwest. Energized by their success at getting this far, neither felt tired enough to sleep and agreed to press on through the night until they could establish exactly where in Morgravia they were. It was a clear moonlit evening and very mild in comparison to the chill of the Mountains.
“It even smells like home.” Elspyth commented absently.
“Will you be all right?” Wyl finally asked the question.
“Yes, you’re not to worry about me. I have been alone, save for my aunt, most of my life. Lothryn and I never did get the chance to speak of how we felt but we felt it all the same. If Shar decrees we be together, we will be.”
“You’re wonderful, Elspyth, do you know that?”
She stole a glance and grinned, obviously flattered by his words.
“No, truly,” he said. “You’re courageous and honest, you’re resilient and loyal. You and Lothryn share many qualities and you deserve each other.” He reached out to take her hand as they walked. “I won’t let you down. If he lives, I’ll get him back for you.”
Elspyth squeezed his hand, finding his touch comforting and filled with friendship.
“And you’re very handsome, Romen Koreldy, but I prefer the man inside… Wyl Thirsk.” It was Wyl’s turn to be evasive. “Romen helps me be all that I can’t, though,” he admitted.
“I’d like to have met Wyl, the man. I saw you fight at the tourney. You are a magnificent swordsman.”
“I was a bit short, though, eh?” he said, as ever unable to handle a compliment from a woman as Romen might.
She laughed. “Don’t be too hard on yourself. They say there’s someone out there for each of us.” she said. “After all, look at Lothryn and myself What an odd match we are—him so huge and me so tiny.”
“I believe in love at first sight.”
“Is there anyone you love, Wyl?”
“Yes.” He could not help being honest. Now that he was free, getting back to Valentyna meant everything to him. “But she is untouchable. Way above my station. An impossible relationship…and probably one that exists only in my mind. Doomed to be an unrequited love.” Wyl finished with a dramatic flourish of his hand, hoping to turn his comments into something more lighthearted.
“Ah, the Queen,” Elspyth said intuitively.
He looked at her. shocked to admit she had learned his other secret.
“I’m right, aren’t I?” she said, tapping her nose. “A woman can guess these things. Does she know?” It was a loaded question. He shook his head gloomily. “No and no. She knew me as Wyl and thinks he is dead but she has never met Romen Koreldy.”
“Wyl…may I call you that?”
“Of course.” It was refreshing to hear his own name spoken.
“Can I suggest you take a look in a mirror sometime? At the risk of understatement, the body you live in is very pleasing on the eye. You have no idea right now how she may view you.”
“I don’t know about that but what I do sense is that she is in terrible danger. I must get back to Briavel.”
“I understand your motives better now. Thank you for telling me.” She pointed to a milestone ahead.
“There. Wyl! Now we can see where we are.”
“Sharp eyes.” he commented and they hurried to the small stone pillar. “D four miles.” he read out.
“Where’s D, would you know?”
“Has to be Deakyn, which means we’re about twenty miles from Yentro.”
“And several days from Rittylworth for you. Can we get horses at Deakyn?”
“Yes, I should think so. It’s only a village but it’s on a main road which feeds south. It has an inn called the Penny Whistle and I imagine horses should not be a problem.”
“Our problem, of course, is paying for them. They took my purse when Cailech had us imprisoned.
Damn!”
“But they didn’t take mine.” she said, reaching beneath her skirts.
Wyl could not help but hug her. It was good for them both to hear each other laugh.
“Right, I’m happy to keep going,” he said and saw her nod.
“You can spend the time telling me all about Wyl and how he turned into Romen. I must know the whole story…in detail this time.”
They had hidden their cloaks to rid themselves of all links with the Mountain People. The travelers standing before the innkeeper were dusty and disheveled but thankfully the man did not so much as bat his sleepy lids when they arrived at the Penny Whistle in the early hours of the next day. It was still dark outside and he was too burdened with yawns to be even mildly curious. They had coin to pay and that was enough. Wyl and Elspyth shared a room to avoid drawing attention to themselves, and there they slept.
After cleaning and tidying themselves later in the day. they enjoyed a hearty midday meal, having missed breakfast. Elspyth then spent all her money on a horse for Wyl’s long journey.
“Thank you for this.” he said, after she turned from paying the stableman. “Ylena has money. Use it.
Remember what I said about how fragile she is—she may not be ready to care properly for herself anyway and your companionship will be a blessing.”
Elspyth had slept only lightly. Wyl’s story had left her mind reeling with possibilities and no little terror.
Ylena’s story touched her heart. She wanted to believe that Lothryn would survive his ordeal but to hear of Ylena’s husband so brutally murdered made her shudder.
“Now, have you got that letter for the Duke?”
She tapped her skirt pocket. “I could hardly forget it, having watched you labor over it this morning.” Wyl grinned. “I’m better with the sword.”
“Are you leaving now, then?” she asked. She did not mean for it to sound so sad.
He nodded. “I must.”
“Oh, I forgot to tell you!” Elspyth suddenly said, reddening at her oversight. “I overheard some travelers in the inn this morning. They were from Pearlis. Apparently the King is preparing to make a state visit to Briavel.”
Wyl looked aghast. “When?” he asked, grabbing her tiny shoulders.
“I don’t know. I got the impression it was imminent, if not already happening. They seemed excited, talking up a possible union between the realms and peace at last.”
“I have to go,” he said, his mind racing. “Do your best to travel with people. If you get the opportunity just link up with others headed south. A woman traveling alone is vulnerable.”
“Wyl, I’ll be all right. Just send word as you promised. I have no money to give you for your journey.”
“I’ll be fine,” he said, his thoughts already in Briavel. He leaned down and kissed her and was delighted when she suddenly hugged him fiercely.
“Be safe, Wyl.”
“You keep yourself and Ylena out of trouble. Just get to Felrawthy. I’ll meet you there.” She nodded and let him go, mustering a brave smile as she waved.
Chapter 33
Wyl pushed his horse hard. Once again he relied on intuition to guide him over the terrain and was grateful that the spirit of Koreldy lived on, albeit vaguely. He rode diagonally across the country for two days in a southeasterly route until he hit the border between Morgravia and Briavel. Sleeping rough did not bother Wyl, although he imagined he looked quite a sight when the Briavellian Guard finally picked him up less than half a day’s ride into Valentyna’s realm. He was reassured by their promptness; the security in place was at least working.
His worn and dusty appearance seemed to belie his story that the Queen was expecting him. However, Koreldy’s high-mannered tone and clipped accent reinforced his claim of noble status and discouraged the Guard from ignoring him. He knew his luck was holding when a man called Liryk recognized his name; even better, the man had been briefed by Valentyna that should Koreldy make application he was to be brought to Werryl immediately.
With Liryk’s sanction he was permitted to join the party of Guards heading back to the city with taxes and missives from various townships. It was an uneventful couple of days during which Wyl could eat well and sleep without worry of ambush by bandits or the like. In truth he rather enjoyed being among the company of soldiers again. He deliberately did not foist Romen’s large personality onto them and was quick to share the general workload of making and breaking camp, keeping company with the foot soldiers. Mostly he kept himself to himself Wyl only discovered toward the end of the journey that Liryk was not just a senior member of the military but in fact Commander of the Briavellian Guard. He gleaned this information over a meal at an inn obviously quite used to the comings and goings of soldiers, for the serving girls smiled and joked with the men.
“You’re rather lofty in status to be doing this sort of task,” Wyl commented, tucking into his roast chicken.
Liryk had chosen the pie and was neatly shoveling in forkfuls of beef and gravy. He saved the pastry for last and Wyl smiled. Ylena did the same. He wondered how she fared and prayed to Shar that she was well enough in her mind to welcome Elspyth into her life. He realized Liryk was talking.
“…I thrive on it, though. Hate being cooped at the palace. I take these duties whenever it is feasible, although increasingly I think they will become fewer. I need to be around her majesty.” Wyl nodded. He already liked his man very much and was glad that Valentyna had his years and wisdom to draw on.
“Besides,” Liryk continued, “it’s a nightmare organizing so many men to return to Werryl. I have been personally rounding them up because I want as many as we can spare back in the city for this state visit by the Morgravian King.”
“You don’t trust him?”
“Apart from the fact that we are sworn enemies, you mean?” Both men laughed. Liryk waved his fork at Wyl. “You peaceful Grenadynes could never understand the animosity between our realms. Suddenly we have to act courteously and be diplomatic when only a few years ago they slaughtered us on the battlefield. I was there—I witnessed hundreds of our young bloods die—and for what? So Morgravia could say they won that time! Pah! I may not care much for the young King but I support the notion of this marriage because it means peace.”
Wyl put down his chicken leg. “How advanced are negotiations?” Liryk made a face. “I’m sorry. Koreldy, I can’t discuss that matter with you but suffice to say that most of our people would welcome the union for all the right reasons.” Wyl nodded. “I understand. When do we get there?”
“Tomorrow afternoon.”
“And the King?”
“Expecting his arrival in a week or thereabouts. Apparently he’s slowing his journey deliberately to call in on towns along the way.”
“So they can all fawn over the man they hate,” Wyl said, wishing he had not.
Liryk eyed him. “We’ll be making our last stop at Crowyll. It’s a major town about ten miles north of the city. Has the best brothel in Briavel. by the way. You should visit, Koreldy…get rid of that bile on your liver.”
Liryk was as good as his word. Wyl had not visited many brothels in his day but he soon realized that the elegant stone building at Crowyll with a sign that read “Forbidden Fruit” enclosed one of the most salubrious establishments of its kind in any realm. It seemed to him that the Briavellians were not as straitlaced about sex as their more powerful neighbour. These were people who made a point of enjoying all of life’s pleasures and he was taken aback at how Liryk encouraged his men. many of them married, to spend a few hours with a desirable woman.
Wyl commented on this and Liryk shrugged. “These men have been on the road for many weeks. They need to relax before they head back to the strict duties imposed because of the royal visit. Normally they would get some time off but not on this occasion. They deserve a night of. er…relaxation and will work harder for me because of it.”
Wyl felt his own strict upbringing coming to the fore. “I wonder if their wives feel the same way.” Liryk laughed. “I’m surprised at you. Koreldy. You look like a man of the world. What the women don’t know cannot hurt them.”
“And you? Do you intend to partake of the, er…relaxation on offer?” Wyl asked, casting a general gaze around the Welcome Chamber. Here the men were invited to enjoy a few ales or wines, and some songs from the women before then moving onto more intimate activities. In Briavel, as in Morgravia, these activities normally began with a soak to be followed by an oil and smoothing.