Arrows Of Change (Book 1) (16 page)

It took nearly four days for Edvard’s spies to report back
to them.

During that time, Edvard, Ash, and Ashlynn nearly went out
of their minds with worry. Little Gwen, innocent as she was, picked up on the
adults’ mood and constantly clung to someone’s hand or leg for reassurance.
Even Broden picked her up and held her a time or two. She reminded him so much
of his own daughter at that age that he could not help but do so.

After two days, she did not even ask to be held. Gwen
snuggled her arms around his neck, leaning into him, and just held on. She said
nary a word, but her body language communicated her worries clear enough.

Broden rested in a chair in Edvard’s study, Gwen ensconced
in his lap with a very worn out doll, when a red-faced messenger burst into the
room. Edvard nearly leaped out of his chair, crossing to the man with a hand
outstretched even as he demanded, “Did they find them?”

“Y-y—” the messenger coughed, drew in several deep, wheezing
breaths before managing, “Yes, sire. We received word just now. Just one
sentence: All three are in Lorand.”

Edvard froze stock-still. “Lorand. Lorand,
Trenena?
”

Broden felt the urge to swear and perhaps would have if he
didn’t have a little girl in his lap. “Be Zelman such good friends with the king
of Trenena, then, that he can ask such a favor? Hostages and blackmail be no
trifling business.”

“Taranis, take it!” Edvard slammed a fist down on the table,
making the wood crack half-through. “I didn’t think he was. But clearly I was
wrong. You.” Edvard pointed a commanding finger at the messenger. “Go find my wizards
and bring them here.”

“Ash be building on the southern wall,” Broden supplied
helpfully. “Ashlynn be in the kitchen rustling up lunch.”

The messenger, a sandy haired boy that had not quite reached
adulthood, bobbed a thankful nod at Broden before spinning on his heel and
disappearing through the door in a flash.

Edvard stood staring blankly at the closed door, at a loss.
“Broden. That’s a lot of country to cross to retrieve them.”

“Aye,” Broden agreed heavily.

“My half-brother is Duke of Dahl. He’ll grant you safe
passage through his lands, so you’ll be safe enough there. But once through
Dahl, you’ll enter the Trenena foothills and that’s…”

“Fair game,” Broden growled. “I be a-thinking that the
border atween Trenena and Iysh be too thin for my peace of mind.”

Edvard sank into a chair, rubbing his face with an open
hand. “Yes. Curse that dastard Zelman to Lugh’s dungeons and back!”

It had been a clever move of King Zelman’s. Broden could
honestly admit that. By putting three political prisoners into another king’s
land, one where Edvard’s influence had no sway, he kept them securely out of
Edvard’s hands. And no one here had any real experience or knowledge of Trenena
so it would be hard to retrieve anyone without tipping their hands. Worse, if
they did go, then the border was likely being watched. If they took a straight
path to Lorand, they’d be dancing along the Trenena-Iysh border the entire way.
Zelman likely had Iysh soldiers lined up along the border roads, looking for
them to come, and would try to either capture or kill them. In all, it was a
clever plan.

Zelman might be an ailing king who did not properly take
care of his kingdom, but he was no man’s fool.

Ashlynn hit the door so hard it bounced off the wall with a
crash as she stumbled inside. “We found them?!” she demanded of Edvard.

“Lorand,” he replied curtly.

“LORAND?!” she repeated, flabbergasted. Her eyes went huge,
mouth dropping open as she processed this. Broden could see the calculations
flash across her face, realizing what it all meant, and then her eyes snapped
with anger. “Taranis, take that man! Why can’t Zelman be a pompous fool in every
aspect?”

“Because my life would be too simple that way.” Edvard blew
out a breath like a man that had just tried to pick up the world to place it on
his shoulders. “This won’t be easy, getting those three back safely.”

“I’ll go.”

Edvard’s head snapped around. “Ashlynn.”

“I’ll go,” Ashlynn repeated firmly. “I know that Ash only
has another day or so before the wall is finished, but Edvard, we both know
that I’m better suited for this.”

Edvard didn’t openly agree with her, but his expression said
he knew she was right.

Seeing that he needed another excuse to choose between the
twins, Broden cleared his throat and offered, “A trip to Lorand and back, how
long do ye reckon it will take?”

“Eh,” Edvard paused and thought about it before offering,
“Two weeks? Straight there and back.”

“Then ye can no’ afford to send Ash. The city be overrun
with tents and new people coming in by the day. We be needing those new houses
quick-like. In fact, I be a-thinking that half the problems we have in this
city will be solved as soon as we get people sorted into their own homes.
Another two week delay in building be inviting more trouble.” He sent a subtle
wink at his wizard-partner before adding solemnly, “Best me and the lass go. We
can be spared two weeks without much harm done.”

Edvard studied him through narrowed eyes. “Is that the only
reason?”

“I be Trenian,” Broden tacked on calmly. “I know the customs
and language.”

“Your ancestors were Trenenian and that was a good ten
generations ago,” Edvard pointed out, a hint of a smile playing at the corners
of his mouth. He knew good and well he was being fed rationalizations. “I think
the culture has changed since then, my friend.”

“Well, as to that, there be truth in it.”

“But you don’t want your little girl out there fighting who
knows how many soldiers.”

“What be ye on, man, to say the obvious?”

Edvard snorted, amused. “Fine. You two win. I think you’re
the better pair to send anyway. Get ready to go. Ashlynn. Take at least ten men
with you.”

“Five,” she immediately countered.

“FIVE?” he blustered, shocked. “Don’t you want more than
that?”

She ticked off the points on her fingers. “You can’t spare
more than five, a party of over ten—which is what we’ll have on the way back—is
harder to move quickly through foreign soil, and the expertise I need to sneak
in and out of a city can be found in just five men. Five.”

“I’d feel better if you had ten.”

“That’s nice. I’ll take five.” Ashlynn quirked an eyebrow at
him, taunting him to challenge.

“Ashlynn, I don’t want to trade one of my sisters for the
other three—” Edvard started to protest when Ash and Riana skidded into the
room. It was clear from the heavy way that Ash was breathing that they’d
sprinted the entire distance here. Riana looked only a bit short of breath,
face flushed from the exertion, but she was used to running about more than her
wizard.

“Where?” Ash panted out.

“Lorand,” his twin informed him succinctly.

Ash’s eyes crossed. “How are we supposed to get them back safely
from
there
?”

“I’ll figure it out on the way.” Ashlynn motioned for Broden
to get out of his chair. “Edvard, I leave within the hour. Bragdon is already
aware of what to do while I’m gone.”

“Wait, I’m close to finishing the wall!” Ash protested.

She shook a finger at him, the gesture playful. “But it’s not
done. You lose. I get to go. Bye!”

“Edvard!” Ash wailed in protest.

“Sorry.” Edvard spread his hands apologetically. “But she
really is more free to move about at the moment than you are. Even if the wall
was finished, I’d still hesitate, because we have such a housing problem at the
moment. We really need those houses built before things get worse.”

Not gaining any sympathy or support from any side, Ash’s
shoulders slumped in defeat. Riana put a hand on his shoulder, comforting, but
it was clear from her face that she had not felt he should go either. Broden
found that interesting. Now when had his daughter come to that conclusion?

He could not turn his attention to it now. Ashlynn was
already at the door, waiting for him, her toe tapping an impatient rhythm on
the carpet. Standing, he put Gwen on her own feet and promised her in a low
tone, “It be off to fetch yer sisters back, I be. Keep watch for us, now. We
will be back in a fortnight’s time.”

She looked up at him with solemn blue eyes. “Promise?”

Broden put a gentle hand on her head. “Aye, lass. I will
bring the lot of them home, or I be the son of a goat.”

She giggled, as he wanted her to, and her face lit up in a
brief smile. “Safe journey?”

“Ah, thank you, lass.” With a last pat on her curls, he turned
to his own little girl and admonished, “No charming the lads while me back be
turned.”

Riana mock-pouted at him. “Ye take all the joy out of life,
Da.”

“It be me job to.” Winking at her, he followed Ashlynn out
the door, mentally preparing a list of things to do, and planning the quickest
way to go about it.

For he had no doubt that when Ashlynn said that they’d leave
within an hour they would do just that.

Ashlynn gathered up the supplies and men she wanted with
such efficiency that it would make any army commander groan with envy of her
skills. Even Broden, who had helped her prep for this journey, marveled at the
speed of which she moved. It did not take her an hour. It took half that.

The sky was clear, the wind still, so it promised to be a
fair day for traveling, and he blessed the gods for that small favor. He sat on
the back of a horse in the stable yard, looking about him at the small party
that Ashlynn had gathered. He’d worked with almost every person here at least
once, and knew them to be good people. Handpicked as they were, he had not
expected anything different.

Amber Bragdon—sister to Captain Jim Bragdon—sat on the horse
next to him with a tightness around her mouth that said she knew the journey
ahead would not be an easy one. She looked like her brother, actually. Same
thin, straight nose, dark eyes and hair, olive skin. Even her tall, lanky build
was the same. Ashlynn had recruited her because of the lass’s ability with the
quarterstaff. Apparently no swordsman in all of Estole could beat her.

Next to her, not yet mounted, stood Konrath. Sandy brown
hair, hazel eyes, swarthy skin, he looked like a reformed bandit. In fact, he
was an ex-soldier of Iysh, one that had defected when Edvard declared his
independence. Ashlynn said he was in both battles against Iysh and was a solid
fighter. But Broden had an inkling the lass wanted him because of his knowledge
of Iysh’s tactics.

“Master Broden, is this the whole party?” Tant asked him,
kneeing his horse around to sit side by side.

Tant had to be the youngest of the group by at least five
years, making him barely old enough to hold position as guardsman. Broden did
not count his youth against him, though. Tant had the build of a blacksmith,
all stocky muscle packed into his short frame. He’d seen the lad stop two
taller men in their tracks by clotheslining them earlier that week. This was
one man he was glad to have at his back. So he smiled when he answered, “Aye,
lad. Ashlynn claims a small party will make fast and snell a journey. Any
larger, she be afraid it would slow us down and attract the wrong sort of
attention.”

Tant frowned and looked them over. “Just us five?”

“No, lad. Marissa Allyn and Seth Robinson be joining us.” No
sooner had the words left his mouth, they showed up, jogging toward their
horses with saddlebags and weapons in hands. Seth he knew well, as he’d met him
the first day on business. But Marissa Allyn he’d only heard tale of. He gave
her an apprising eye as she moved.

Build of a dancer, that one. Not particularly tall or short,
she was lean of limb and face, blonde hair drawn back tight into a high ponytail.
Ashlynn said she wanted her as the girl could climb anything. But Broden had a
notion or two that Marissa Allyn could make any man flinch if she had that
short sword in hand.

Glancing over, he asked Tant in a low tone, “What think you,
lad?”

Tant looked around for a full second before grudgingly
admitting, “If we only had five people to choose, these would be some of the
top people I’d want. Although, no offense to Amber, but I think I’d prefer her
brother instead. I’ve worked with him before.”

“And Amber?”

“I only know of her,” Tant admitted, flipping up a hand in
an open shrug. “I’ve never sparred with her or served right next to her. I
don’t know how she fights. I’ve heard she’s wicked with that staff of hers,
though.” Pausing, he eyed Broden sideways before admitting, “I know as much
about you as I do about her.”

Well, now that put a man in his place. Broden gave a slight
shrug of his shoulders. “We best learn about each other quick-like, then.”

Ashlynn pivoted about in her saddle, taking everyone in.
Satisfied, she raised her voice and said, “Alright, does everyone have their
vocal rods on?”