Two more days passed on the road as Drake accustomed himself to traveling by foot over a long distance. They were into Skybreak territory now, and the nice flat road that had taken them through Redbow had all but disappeared. The terrain had turned mountainous.
Sachi, shockingly, actually did offer to help him learn to shoot a bow. He was, of course, terrible at it, but she assured him that with a few years of constant practice, he might be able to hit a stationary target. Still, the practice was a great way to break up the monotony of walking all day. Drake looked forward to their archery training simply for that.
Up here, there were small trails for hunters and animals, but nothing wide enough for a wagon. It would easily throw an axle or break a wheel if anyone attempted to take it through this part of the world. Brownie did all right, but they soon had to slow their pace simply to avoid having the horse break a leg in a hole or throw a shoe on a rock.
Drake hoped that didn’t happen. He didn’t want the first animal he successfully shot with a bow to be a horse. He actually liked Brownie, and Anna would be devastated.
The oddest event was, the second day they traveled over mountainous terrain, Jeremy chose to walk. Once he took Brownie’s lead and led with Anna astride, it was like he became a whole different person. His doddering stride disappeared.
Jeremy walked with confidence as he led their horse, and it was obvious he was watching the terrain with even more focus than the animal. Protecting it. Drake was growing more and more curious about who this man had been before Captain Ro spend years threatening him with death, forcing his daughter to abduct people.
He doubted Jeremy had been some great hero. He and Anna had probably lived a normal life before Lord Redbow abducted and imprisoned them. Like so many other people in this world, they’d had the misfortune of proving interesting to a manor lord.
He hadn’t yet asked about Anna’s mother. Given how rough she and her father had it until a few days ago, he suspected that conversation would go anywhere pleasant. It was probably best to leave talk of Anna’s mother in the past unless she brought it up. It was also a reminder that he didn’t know how to induct Jeremy in his blood pact... yet. Valentia knew a lot about the manor and its former lords, but not that particular info.
Drake wasn’t surprised prior lords had kept that information to themselves.
So until he learned the ceremony, the safest course would be to keep Anna’s rarity a secret. He doubted any manor lord would have any interest in adding Jeremy, a mute man with no rarity, unless there was something to be gained... in this case, Anna. So Drake would make sure no one knew who Jeremy really was. He’d figure out the rest once he was back home.
The second and third days he woke up after traveling all day he was only terribly sore, and Valentia made no further offers to heal him. She was perfectly pleasant, and he had no trouble being around her or traveling together. Even so, he didn’t offer to help her do anything. He did all he could to make it clear he knew she could handle herself.
It was about midafternoon on their third day of travel through Skybreak territory when multiple figures wearing green and brown leather armor simultaneously appeared from behind rocks and from beneath grass all around them. All held their bows low and ready. Each wore a mottled brown scarf that covered all but their eyes.
Sachi had warned Drake about the approach of the Skybreak patrol hours before they set up their ambush, however, she’d also made it clear there was no point in trying to avoid them. If they fled, the other party would just stalk them until they made contact, and Skybreak rangers were very fast in their own country. Drake had decided to meet them and save himself a run.
After, of course, he had Anna set up an insurance policy.
He’d taken off his Redbow armor. If all went well, he’d have a chat with the Skybreak Manor folks and then continue on his way to Gloomwood Manor, which was just over a day away. He now wore his clothes, a gray tunic and brown paints, and his thick brown travel cloak.
Drake counted eight hunters with bows that looked well-used before a man wearing a skin-tight leather tunic approached. A cloak that looked to be made from wolf fur billowed out behind him. Judging from his piercing gaze and confident frown, he was the leader of the party.
The leader of the Skybreak patrol was a tall, muscular man with short dark hair and an inverted triangular beard. He looked to be about the same age as Drake—early 20s—but he was also built like a goddamn Greek statue. The man oozed rugged confidence.
Drake pulled back his hood to reveal his face. Given he’d barely arrived in this world a week ago, he doubted any of these hunters had any idea what the new lord of Gloomwood Manor looked like. They would get a good look today. Maybe he’d even make a new friend.
Because Skybreak’s territory formed a natural speed bump to the west and a bit south of Gloomwood territory, and Gloomwood’s heavy woods also provided anyone coming toward Skybreak from the east with a real pain in the ass to cut through, Valentia had told him the two manors maintained amicable relations.
While this Skybreak hunting party might succeed in killing Lord Gloomwood, they also might not, given Valentia could flashfreeze most of them with a snap of her fingers. Regardless, Skybreak and Gloomwood Manors would then be at war, which would be real inconvenient for both of them. So he was almost certainly going to be fine.
The dark-haired Skybreak patrol leader simply watched Drake with an amused confidence that came from having no idea Drake could shift into a wererat and eat this entire patrol. The man didn’t look alarmed or angry, simply curious. He was waiting.
Valentia had advised him that Skybreak patrols routinely intercepted anyone traveling through their territory, and travelers were expected to introduce themselves when approached. The patrols didn’t rob people, but they also didn’t let travelers move through their land unchallenged. As the lord of Gloomwood Manor, he would make introductions.
“Afternoon,” Drake said. “I’m Lord Gloomwood. How are—”
The man unleashed a piercing whistle. A moment later every single hunter that surrounded them had their bow drawn and an arrow pointed at one of them. Also, at least ten additional hunters popped out of grass-covered tarps all around them.
Drake froze as his first attempt at inter-manor diplomacy blew up in his face one second after he opened his mouth. He’d simply introduced himself, and now he had at least twenty bows pointed at him and his party. He couldn’t possibly be that bad at diplomacy.
He glared at them all. “Are you fucking serious right now?
He waved one hand subtly in Valentia’s direction, hoping to warn her off freezing anyone immediately. He suspected she could freeze most of the archers here before they dropped her, but he doubted all or any of them would survive the barrage.
“The moment anyone freezes, we’ll fill you all with arrows,” the dark-haired man leading the party said grimly. “Your battle maid and feral may kill some of us, but they’ll drop dead like any other when our arrows strike home. Surrender.”
Drake noted the man didn’t include Drake’s own club-based handiwork in his carnage calculations. That was cold. That hurt, honestly. Also, while he could kill and eat all of them if they shot him, he’d likely eat his friends as well. And then maybe a nearby village.
Best to avoid that.
“Lord?” Sachi warned. “I can only kill about ten of them.”
“Let’s not murder anyone until we know what’s going on.” Drake glared at the still seemingly unconcerned leader of the band of Skybreak archers now holding them at... arrow point. “First question. Are you trying to start a war?”
The big man shook his head. “We’re far past that now. You’re all coming with me to be judged before Lord Skybreak, and the first thing you’ll do is order your blood thralls not to use their rarities in our territory. That is the only way you walk out of this alive.”
Drake glared as he mentally struggled to regain control of a situation he had no idea how he’d screwed up. Valentia had assured him Skybreak Manor was on good terms with Gloomwood Manor, Sachi had assured him it was perfectly normal to be intercepted by a patrol, and he hadn’t done anything other than introduce himself before they drew steel.
“Can you at least tell me why you’ve decided to arrest us? I understood us to be allies, so what the fuck is your problem?”
The man narrowed his eyes. “You have an odd way of speaking.”
“And you have an odd way of randomly threatening your friends. Answer the question?”
“You claim ignorance of your crime?”
“Yes,” Drake said, quite forcefully. “I claim ignorance. I haven’t done one damn thing to you, your people, or your territory. So again, why are we being so hostile?”
It was possible Lord Dickcheese had done something to these people, but he had no idea what that was. In either case, the man leading the patrol now looked more curious than angry. Drake realized then he didn’t have to use his bullshit powers because telling the truth, in this case, was better.
The man brushed his triangular beard thoughtfully. “This isn’t what I expected to hear.”
“Really? I didn’t expect you to point a bunch of arrows at me and my people when we willingly walked into your welcome party. So I guess we both get to be surprised.”
The man nodded slowly. “Name’s Karth. I serve Head Ranger Cask of Skybreak Manor, who served Steward Rodney. And your battle maid there, Lord Gloomwood, killed Steward Rodney about a week ago. So, you see our little problem.”
Drake glanced back at Valentia. “Hey Val, can you tell them you didn’t kill Rodney?”
Instead of maintaining her usual general aloofness, she simply stared at him with a perfectly blank expression. She didn’t do what he said. That was Drake’s second inkling—the first had been the twenty bows pointed at them—that Valentia was hiding something.
Valentia and Nicole had been ambushed near a lake below Skybreak Manor. Valentia had assured him it was Captain Ro’s mercenaries, working for Redbow Manor, who were responsible, but no one had told Drake anything about any assassinations at Skybreak Manor. Valentia also wasn’t denying it despite being given a clear opportunity to do so.
Moreover, she hadn’t told him anything about killing this Rodney guy. Given she was sworn to serve and protect him, that seemed like a colossal oversight for a woman like her. It was not a mistake Valentia would make, and since the blood pact wouldn’t have allowed her to betray him until a few days ago...
Something else was going on. Something that was going to be a huge pain in his ass.
Karth frowned. “No answer? I guess that does explain a few things.”
Drake looked back to Karth. “Valentia didn’t kill your steward.”
“Pardon my frankness, lord, but you’ve made it blindingly clear you don’t have the first idea what your own battle maids are up to. Rumor is you’re new to the role?”
Had Dickcheese ordered Valentia to do this? That still didn’t make sense. Even if Dickcheese had ordered Valentia to kill this Steward Rodney before Drake killed Dickcheese, Valentia still would have brought it up when Sachi mentioned the Skybreak hunting party was on its way. As a courtesy to Drake so he’d know what he was walking into, if nothing else.
“I am Lord Gloomwood,” Drake said firmly. “My people don’t kill anyone without my direct orders.” That was an exaggeration, but it was one he needed to make right now. “Valentia did not assassinate your steward.”
“I’m sure you believe that. Either way, you’re free to go.”
Drake’s next argument died in his throat. How the fuck had he pulled that off?
“However, you will first order Valentia to surrender to us and bind her rarity so that she can no longer use it in any capacity until we finish our interrogation. We’ll have the reasons for the assassination from her own lips, since she’s the only one who knows why she did it.”
Oh, there was no way in hell that was going to happen. They’d just torture Valentia until she couldn’t walk or talk, probably rip her tongue out, and then execute her. “No deal.”
“Lord,” Valentia said.
“Be cool.” He glanced her way. “We’re sorting this out.”
“Lord Gloomwood.” She spoke firmly. “I will surrender to the Skybreak patrol. You and the rest should head to the manor.”
Valentia’s odd request worried him even more. The only reason for her to offer to surrender was if she had assassinated this Rodney guy. And now, she was attempting to give up her own life so he and the others could make it back to the manor.
No. That was wrong. It was only one possible reason. There could be other reasons, and while Valentia hadn’t denied assassinating Steward Rodney, she also hadn’t admitted it. If her intent was truly to sacrifice herself to save them all, she’d just openly proclaim her guilt.
“Did you kill Steward Rodney?” he asked.
Her mouth pressed into a firm line as real desperation entered her eyes. Her gloved hands clenched tight. “Please do not order me to answer that question.”
He couldn’t actually order her to do anything... but she was pretending he could. She didn’t want the Skybreak Manor rangers to know Drake could no longer compel his blood thralls. She was pretending she had to follow his orders to avoid any appearance of weakness.
Valentia had never looked this worried. She certainly never said please. Something was seriously wrong here, and he had no idea what it was.
Drake would trust his senior battle maid’s instincts. Valentia wouldn’t be this focused on preventing him from ordering her to answer that question if doing so was their best move.
But he also wasn’t going to walk away and let these assholes torture her to death, so it was time to execute his backup plan.
Two more days passed on the road as Drake accustomed himself to traveling by foot over a long distance. They were into Skybreak territory now, and the nice flat road that had taken them through Redbow had all but disappeared. The terrain had turned mountainous.
Sachi, shockingly, actually did offer to help him learn to shoot a bow. He was, of course, terrible at it, but she assured him that with a few years of constant practice, he might be able to hit a stationary target. Still, the practice was a great way to break up the monotony of walking all day. Drake looked forward to their archery training simply for that.
Up here, there were small trails for hunters and animals, but nothing wide enough for a wagon. It would easily throw an axle or break a wheel if anyone attempted to take it through this part of the world. Brownie did all right, but they soon had to slow their pace simply to avoid having the horse break a leg in a hole or throw a shoe on a rock.
Drake hoped that didn’t happen. He didn’t want the first animal he successfully shot with a bow to be a horse. He actually liked Brownie, and Anna would be devastated.
The oddest event was, the second day they traveled over mountainous terrain, Jeremy chose to walk. Once he took Brownie’s lead and led with Anna astride, it was like he became a whole different person. His doddering stride disappeared.
Jeremy walked with confidence as he led their horse, and it was obvious he was watching the terrain with even more focus than the animal. Protecting it. Drake was growing more and more curious about who this man had been before Captain Ro spend years threatening him with death, forcing his daughter to abduct people.
He doubted Jeremy had been some great hero. He and Anna had probably lived a normal life before Lord Redbow abducted and imprisoned them. Like so many other people in this world, they’d had the misfortune of proving interesting to a manor lord.
He hadn’t yet asked about Anna’s mother. Given how rough she and her father had it until a few days ago, he suspected that conversation would go anywhere pleasant. It was probably best to leave talk of Anna’s mother in the past unless she brought it up. It was also a reminder that he didn’t know how to induct Jeremy in his blood pact... yet. Valentia knew a lot about the manor and its former lords, but not that particular info.
Drake wasn’t surprised prior lords had kept that information to themselves.
So until he learned the ceremony, the safest course would be to keep Anna’s rarity a secret. He doubted any manor lord would have any interest in adding Jeremy, a mute man with no rarity, unless there was something to be gained... in this case, Anna. So Drake would make sure no one knew who Jeremy really was. He’d figure out the rest once he was back home.
The second and third days he woke up after traveling all day he was only terribly sore, and Valentia made no further offers to heal him. She was perfectly pleasant, and he had no trouble being around her or traveling together. Even so, he didn’t offer to help her do anything. He did all he could to make it clear he knew she could handle herself.
It was about midafternoon on their third day of travel through Skybreak territory when multiple figures wearing green and brown leather armor simultaneously appeared from behind rocks and from beneath grass all around them. All held their bows low and ready. Each wore a mottled brown scarf that covered all but their eyes.
Sachi had warned Drake about the approach of the Skybreak patrol hours before they set up their ambush, however, she’d also made it clear there was no point in trying to avoid them. If they fled, the other party would just stalk them until they made contact, and Skybreak rangers were very fast in their own country. Drake had decided to meet them and save himself a run.
After, of course, he had Anna set up an insurance policy.
He’d taken off his Redbow armor. If all went well, he’d have a chat with the Skybreak Manor folks and then continue on his way to Gloomwood Manor, which was just over a day away. He now wore his clothes, a gray tunic and brown paints, and his thick brown travel cloak.
Drake counted eight hunters with bows that looked well-used before a man wearing a skin-tight leather tunic approached. A cloak that looked to be made from wolf fur billowed out behind him. Judging from his piercing gaze and confident frown, he was the leader of the party.
The leader of the Skybreak patrol was a tall, muscular man with short dark hair and an inverted triangular beard. He looked to be about the same age as Drake—early 20s—but he was also built like a goddamn Greek statue. The man oozed rugged confidence.
Drake pulled back his hood to reveal his face. Given he’d barely arrived in this world a week ago, he doubted any of these hunters had any idea what the new lord of Gloomwood Manor looked like. They would get a good look today. Maybe he’d even make a new friend.
Because Skybreak’s territory formed a natural speed bump to the west and a bit south of Gloomwood territory, and Gloomwood’s heavy woods also provided anyone coming toward Skybreak from the east with a real pain in the ass to cut through, Valentia had told him the two manors maintained amicable relations.
While this Skybreak hunting party might succeed in killing Lord Gloomwood, they also might not, given Valentia could flashfreeze most of them with a snap of her fingers. Regardless, Skybreak and Gloomwood Manors would then be at war, which would be real inconvenient for both of them. So he was almost certainly going to be fine.
The dark-haired Skybreak patrol leader simply watched Drake with an amused confidence that came from having no idea Drake could shift into a wererat and eat this entire patrol. The man didn’t look alarmed or angry, simply curious. He was waiting.
Valentia had advised him that Skybreak patrols routinely intercepted anyone traveling through their territory, and travelers were expected to introduce themselves when approached. The patrols didn’t rob people, but they also didn’t let travelers move through their land unchallenged. As the lord of Gloomwood Manor, he would make introductions.
“Afternoon,” Drake said. “I’m Lord Gloomwood. How are—”
The man unleashed a piercing whistle. A moment later every single hunter that surrounded them had their bow drawn and an arrow pointed at one of them. Also, at least ten additional hunters popped out of grass-covered tarps all around them.
Drake froze as his first attempt at inter-manor diplomacy blew up in his face one second after he opened his mouth. He’d simply introduced himself, and now he had at least twenty bows pointed at him and his party. He couldn’t possibly be that bad at diplomacy.
He glared at them all. “Are you fucking serious right now?
He waved one hand subtly in Valentia’s direction, hoping to warn her off freezing anyone immediately. He suspected she could freeze most of the archers here before they dropped her, but he doubted all or any of them would survive the barrage.
“The moment anyone freezes, we’ll fill you all with arrows,” the dark-haired man leading the party said grimly. “Your battle maid and feral may kill some of us, but they’ll drop dead like any other when our arrows strike home. Surrender.”
Drake noted the man didn’t include Drake’s own club-based handiwork in his carnage calculations. That was cold. That hurt, honestly. Also, while he could kill and eat all of them if they shot him, he’d likely eat his friends as well. And then maybe a nearby village.
Best to avoid that.
“Lord?” Sachi warned. “I can only kill about ten of them.”
“Let’s not murder anyone until we know what’s going on.” Drake glared at the still seemingly unconcerned leader of the band of Skybreak archers now holding them at... arrow point. “First question. Are you trying to start a war?”
The big man shook his head. “We’re far past that now. You’re all coming with me to be judged before Lord Skybreak, and the first thing you’ll do is order your blood thralls not to use their rarities in our territory. That is the only way you walk out of this alive.”
Drake glared as he mentally struggled to regain control of a situation he had no idea how he’d screwed up. Valentia had assured him Skybreak Manor was on good terms with Gloomwood Manor, Sachi had assured him it was perfectly normal to be intercepted by a patrol, and he hadn’t done anything other than introduce himself before they drew steel.
“Can you at least tell me why you’ve decided to arrest us? I understood us to be allies, so what the fuck is your problem?”
The man narrowed his eyes. “You have an odd way of speaking.”
“And you have an odd way of randomly threatening your friends. Answer the question?”
“You claim ignorance of your crime?”
“Yes,” Drake said, quite forcefully. “I claim ignorance. I haven’t done one damn thing to you, your people, or your territory. So again, why are we being so hostile?”
It was possible Lord Dickcheese had done something to these people, but he had no idea what that was. In either case, the man leading the patrol now looked more curious than angry. Drake realized then he didn’t have to use his bullshit powers because telling the truth, in this case, was better.
The man brushed his triangular beard thoughtfully. “This isn’t what I expected to hear.”
“Really? I didn’t expect you to point a bunch of arrows at me and my people when we willingly walked into your welcome party. So I guess we both get to be surprised.”
The man nodded slowly. “Name’s Karth. I serve Head Ranger Cask of Skybreak Manor, who served Steward Rodney. And your battle maid there, Lord Gloomwood, killed Steward Rodney about a week ago. So, you see our little problem.”
Drake glanced back at Valentia. “Hey Val, can you tell them you didn’t kill Rodney?”
Instead of maintaining her usual general aloofness, she simply stared at him with a perfectly blank expression. She didn’t do what he said. That was Drake’s second inkling—the first had been the twenty bows pointed at them—that Valentia was hiding something.
Valentia and Nicole had been ambushed near a lake below Skybreak Manor. Valentia had assured him it was Captain Ro’s mercenaries, working for Redbow Manor, who were responsible, but no one had told Drake anything about any assassinations at Skybreak Manor. Valentia also wasn’t denying it despite being given a clear opportunity to do so.
Moreover, she hadn’t told him anything about killing this Rodney guy. Given she was sworn to serve and protect him, that seemed like a colossal oversight for a woman like her. It was not a mistake Valentia would make, and since the blood pact wouldn’t have allowed her to betray him until a few days ago...
Something else was going on. Something that was going to be a huge pain in his ass.
Karth frowned. “No answer? I guess that does explain a few things.”
Drake looked back to Karth. “Valentia didn’t kill your steward.”
“Pardon my frankness, lord, but you’ve made it blindingly clear you don’t have the first idea what your own battle maids are up to. Rumor is you’re new to the role?”
Had Dickcheese ordered Valentia to do this? That still didn’t make sense. Even if Dickcheese had ordered Valentia to kill this Steward Rodney before Drake killed Dickcheese, Valentia still would have brought it up when Sachi mentioned the Skybreak hunting party was on its way. As a courtesy to Drake so he’d know what he was walking into, if nothing else.
“I am Lord Gloomwood,” Drake said firmly. “My people don’t kill anyone without my direct orders.” That was an exaggeration, but it was one he needed to make right now. “Valentia did not assassinate your steward.”
“I’m sure you believe that. Either way, you’re free to go.”
Drake’s next argument died in his throat. How the fuck had he pulled that off?
“However, you will first order Valentia to surrender to us and bind her rarity so that she can no longer use it in any capacity until we finish our interrogation. We’ll have the reasons for the assassination from her own lips, since she’s the only one who knows why she did it.”
Oh, there was no way in hell that was going to happen. They’d just torture Valentia until she couldn’t walk or talk, probably rip her tongue out, and then execute her. “No deal.”
“Lord,” Valentia said.
“Be cool.” He glanced her way. “We’re sorting this out.”
“Lord Gloomwood.” She spoke firmly. “I will surrender to the Skybreak patrol. You and the rest should head to the manor.”
Valentia’s odd request worried him even more. The only reason for her to offer to surrender was if she had assassinated this Rodney guy. And now, she was attempting to give up her own life so he and the others could make it back to the manor.
No. That was wrong. It was only one possible reason. There could be other reasons, and while Valentia hadn’t denied assassinating Steward Rodney, she also hadn’t admitted it. If her intent was truly to sacrifice herself to save them all, she’d just openly proclaim her guilt.
“Did you kill Steward Rodney?” he asked.
Her mouth pressed into a firm line as real desperation entered her eyes. Her gloved hands clenched tight. “Please do not order me to answer that question.”
He couldn’t actually order her to do anything... but she was pretending he could. She didn’t want the Skybreak Manor rangers to know Drake could no longer compel his blood thralls. She was pretending she had to follow his orders to avoid any appearance of weakness.
Valentia had never looked this worried. She certainly never said please. Something was seriously wrong here, and he had no idea what it was.
Drake would trust his senior battle maid’s instincts. Valentia wouldn’t be this focused on preventing him from ordering her to answer that question if doing so was their best move.
But he also wasn’t going to walk away and let these assholes torture her to death, so it was time to execute his backup plan.
