Page 4 of Shadow Queen
She wanted him safe, this man who had once been her enemy, whose kingdom had warred against hers for ten years. This man who had captured her, and a piece of her heart—sheneededhim safe.
Yet he wasn’t.
And if he wasn’t safe, Alexander wasn’t safe.
Alexander.What was he doing? She was barely holding peace between their kingdoms, and he’d traveled to Aleon without telling her. Of course Mikael would see it as a plot against him. She needed to find this seer and figure things out before Alexander returned to Kharav. If it was true the vision hadn’t changed, she needed to figure out how to change it. She needed to see this traveler, not just for herself, but to save both the men in her heart.
Her mare of the Wild carried her east, toward Odepeth. Norah knew nothing of the city, only the name and a general direction based on poorly remembered maps she’d seen in Mikael’s study. At least she hoped she was riding in the right direction. It certainly wasn’t the most thought-out plan, but then again, she hadn’t really planned this.
Norah rode until her legs were numb and her hips stiff. Finally, when she came upon a small stream, she slowed the mare to give them both a rest. Not that the mare needed it—a horse of the Wild was no ordinary animal. Norah still wasn’t sure what her connection was to the horse, but for now—especially now—she was grateful for it. Captain Artem would be unable to find her, unable to track the mare, and she inhaled a rich breath of freedom. However, her relief was short-lived as she turned her thoughts to the challenge ahead. She couldn’t trust anyone to help her. In fact, quite the opposite. If she was discovered, they might return her to the lord commander or, worse, Captain Artem. She shook her head. She’d figure it out, she told herself. She just needed to rest for a moment and gather her wits.
She slid from the mare’s back and let the animal drink her fill at the creek’s edge as Norah scooped the cold water to her own lips. It tasted good, and she drank deeply. She closed her eyes and let her mind settle. When she opened them again, she saw a young man standing a small distance away, looking back at her. He’d startled her, yet he didn’t look startling.
Norah put him at sixteen or seventeen, not quite a boy, not yet a man. His hair was short and black like his clothing. A sword hung at his side, but his look wasn’t that of a soldier’s.
“Hello,” Norah called out to him, rising to her feet. “Who are you?”
He didn’t answer.
“Who areyou?” a voice said behind her, and Norah whirled around to see a young woman between two trees. She was dressed like the boy, only she carried a bow instead of a sword. Her dark hair was pulled back into a thick braid, and her face closely resembled his—likely his sister—but a little older. She had a fierceness to her, one that Norah liked.
“Why are you here?” the girl pressed. “What do you want?”
“I’m just passing through.”
“Outsiders don’t just pass through Kharav. Where are you going?”
Norah paused. She had told herself she couldn’t trust anyone, but they might point her in the right direction if they were eager for her to move on. On the other hand, they’d also be able to divulge where she was headed to anyone who happened along behind her. But merely knowing the name of her destination wouldn’t get her there, and time wasn’t a luxury she had. She needed help. She had to take the risk. “Odepeth,” she said cautiously.
“You speak the common tongue,” the girl said. “Where are you from?”
A benefit to the Northern language being the common trade tongue between kingdoms—it didn’t immediately give her away. The girl obviously didn’t recognize her, and Norah wanted to keep it that way. “Very far,” she said. “It would be a great kindness if you could point me in the right direction, and I’ll gladly be on my way.”
The girl eyed her skeptically, then looked over Norah’s shoulder to her brother. She made a small motion with her hand by her cheek. Norah turned to look at him as he gave a small hand motion back to his sister.
“You talk to him with your hands,” Norah said. “Can he not speak?”
The girl’s eyes darted to Norah with an intense defensiveness. “What of it? He’s not stupid, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“Of course not. I have a friend who’s deaf,” she said, thinking of the young boy that worked in the sparring field back in Mercia. “I’ve never met another like him, that’s all.”
The girl’s face softened. “Can you speak with your hands?”
Norah shook her head. “No, I can only say hi,” she said, trying to remember what she’d been shown so long ago and holding up her hand. “And thank you,” she added, cupping her fist and then extending her fingers.
“Hi is the same,” the girl told her, holding up her hand, “but thank you is”—she brought her fingers to her lips and made an arc downward. “But Cohen can read your lips, in both the common and Kharavian tongue.”
“That’s amazing.”Cohen. It didn’t sound like a Kharavian name, not that Norah was an expert in Kharavian names.
The girl smiled. “I’m Calla,” she offered, her defensiveness forgotten. “Short for Callamine.”
That also didn’t seem like a Kharavian name. Norah smiled back. “I’m Norah.”
“You should keep east for Odepeth,” Calla told her, pointing to her left, “but you won’t make it there tonight.”
“Oh,” Norah said with a sigh.Damn. “Well, that’s all right. I’ll see how far I can get.”
“Come to our house. You can rest there tonight and leave for Odepeth in the morning.”
