Page 65 of A Spark So Bright
He'd known going in that the chances of being successful were slim. But it still broke his heart when he headed through the city streets that were full of turmoil, hunting down where the raiders must have taken the lost troll.
Gunnar searched through the rubble of the labyrinth first, but any remaining trolls there had already been taken out. They had been dragged halfway across the kingdom before it seemed like the soldiers who had brought them were a little confused about what to do with their captives.
Tracking them had taken more talent than Gunnar realized he had. The soldiers had brought all the trolls they could, and then split them up between the men. Likely as payment for risking their lives.
From the legal documents he found in one of those soldier’s homes, one of two things had happened. The young man had been sold to a neighboring kingdom, and that was a place where Gunnar could not go. The seas were too rough this time of year, and by the time the passes were open to climb the mountains, the boy would be nearly untraceable. There was no way he could get there. Or he had been killed. Quite a few trolls had caused too much trouble and they'd put them down.
Like animals.
He hated coming home without answers. Especially when he knew that there were people who wanted to know that their son was alive. He couldn't tell them that. He couldn't even hazard a guess at what had happened to the young man.
So when he returned to tell the king his news, he got down on his knees and begged. "I cannot tell them this."
"Gunnar, you are the one with all the information. They will have questions. You must tell them."
He fisted his hands on the floor. "With all due respect, your highness, I never signed up for this part of the job. I find what has been lost, but I do not find people. I find bodies. Pieces. I bring the bodies back together so that they can join the ancestors. I cannot and will not start this work. I don’t want to tell the families that I failed."
King Egil sighed on his throne. He was looking older these days. The lines on his face were far more evident, and his wings drooped even more. He ran a hand down his face and replied, "These are the stories we now have to face, Gunnar. Stories of loss and heartbreak. We are doing what we can to fix them, and the future is clearer moving forward. But we cannot give up on them."
"I'll tell them." Magnus's voice broke through their conversation. Gunnar hadn't even realized the prince was in the throne room with them.
It had been deserted when he’d arrived. Not even the king's loyal smoke reader was beside him. Instead, it had just been Egil on his own. Staring off into the distance as though he'd been trying to peer into the future on his own.
Magnus walked up to the throne and dropped to a knee beside Gunnar. "I heard everything, father. Allow me to be the one to tell them."
"You were not there, my son."
"I am the people's prince. I should be the one to guide them through this loss." Magnus seemed to hesitate for a moment, casting a brief glance over to Gunnar and then widening his eyes. With a flick of that gaze toward his father, the prince urged Gunnar to agree.
"Yes," Gunnar blurted, suddenly realizing that this was his only chance at getting out of the heartbreak he would bear witness to. "The prince is... good at conversations like this?"
The question hung in the air like a thread of panic.
He had no idea what to say. He thought Magnus would botch this in a royal manner that only a prince could do. But if it got him out of having to do it, then Gunnar would be glad to let the prince take this role.
Egil sighed. "I can see what you two are doing."
"We're doing nothing, Father." Magnus stood slowly. "I returned to take my place among the people. Thus far, all you've done is try to marry me off. I think perhaps it is time for me to do more than that."
Egil eyed his son for a long while before nodding. "All right. You have all the details from Gunnar?"
"I have ears."
"Then you will tell them. The guards at the door will bring you to the family. Be kind, Magnus. Be the prince they need."
And here Gunnar was, thinking Magnus didn't care about being prince at all. But Magnus straightened his shoulders and headed out of the room, radiating a surety and capability that he had not expected.
Weird.
Gunnar waited until he was dismissed and then rushed to the barracks. He needed to sleep. He wasn't even going to wash before his head hit the pillow because he was exhausted in a way he had not been in a very long time. Mental labor like this was even worse than finding a body. At least a body he knew he could bring home to their people.
That troll boy was gone. Far beyond any of their reach. It weighed on him as nobody had ever done before.
He lay flat on his bed, breathing in a slow breath, and just like every time he was in his bed, his mind wandered to Rose. What was she doing? He'd been gone for a few nights now, and he was certain the bridal games had continued during this time. How much had Magnus wooed her? The prince was convincing and so stupidly handsome.
Groaning, he rolled off the mattress and stood. He should at least let her know he was back. He knew she didn't sleep well if he wasn't here.
So he staggered out of the bunk room and headed toward the private room that should have been his. Had been his for a while, actually. He'd had it for almost a whole year before he'd given it to her.
