War (The True Reign Series) (26 page)

Rema

Walking to Werden was a long, tedious journey. Rema wore the army uniform everyone else did—good, sturdy boots, long pants, and a tunic. Unfortunately, the outfit was made for sandstorms and protecting the body from heat. It did little to protect her from the cold, frigid temperatures of the island. However, it was better than traveling in a ridiculous dress.

She walked
between Ellie and Vesha. Audek and Neco were in front of her, and the sixteen additional soldiers who’d been assigned as her personal guard were behind. They were asked to refrain from speaking in order to travel unnoticed. Rema understood the need for discretion; yet, there were two hundred and fifty of them on a narrow dirt road. If the king had soldiers nearby, they’d be easily spotted simply by the sheer number of the group.

Neco dropped back and
squeezed between Rema and Ellie. “I just want to check in with you,” he whispered.

“
I’m fine,” she answered. He could have just turned back and asked her. Perhaps something was bothering him? Or maybe he wanted to be near Ellie for a few moments?

He hesitated.
“Audek is driving me nuts,” he admitted. “The boy never shuts up.” Ellie laughed, then quickly realized her error and closed her mouth. “I’m going to have him walk behind you, alone. I’ll see if that keeps him quiet.”

“
I thought we weren’t allowed to talk,” Rema said. If she’d known she could speak quietly with Vesha and Ellie, she would have been doing it all along to help pass the time.

“
We’re not.” Neco hurried forward, returning alongside Audek. He leaned his head in and spoke quietly to the man.

Audek looked around, like he was
offended, and then he slowed, allowing Rema and the girls to pass by. He fell into step behind them, mumbling the entire time.

Before long, the sun began to set and the group stopped for the night.
They left the dirt road and entered the forest.

“Are we sleeping on the ground?” Rema asked Neco.

“We are. Darmik is setting up a perimeter. People will be on patrol throughout the evening. There is nothing to fear.”

Rema chuckled. “I
’m not afraid. I’ve never slept under the stars before. With the exception of it being quite cold, this is turning out to be an exciting adventure.”

Neco stood staring at her. He blinked several times, his face not revealing any emotion. “You and Darmik are perfect for one another.” He turned and started barking out orders to her guard. Even though it was cold, Darmik refused to light any fires.

“He likes
you
,” Vesha mumbled. “I thought he’d at least allow
you
to have a fire so you could be warm.”

Rema laughed.
“He does care for me and my safety, and that’s exactly why he won’t allow any fires.”

“
It’s so cold that my feet hurt. How many days until we get there?”

“
Neco thinks it will take us a little over a week at this pace,” Ellie said.

The hunting group returned and started distributing food to everyone. A female soldier approached, giving Rema a handful of berries and nuts.

“Thank you.” Rema took the food, sharing with Ellie and Vesha.

“I
’ll be back, Your Majesty, with a squirrel once it’s cooked.” The girl bowed and left.

“How are they cooking the squirrels if there
’s no fire?” Vesha asked. “Because if they’re allowed to make a fire in order to cook, I’ll go join them.”

“Careful,” Ellie teased, “you
’re starting to sound like Audek.”

Vesha
’s face turned crimson, and she shoved several berries in her mouth.

Neco came over,
sitting down before Rema. He handed her a small, leather pouch. “There’s not a lot, but it should be enough to tie you over until we find a water source.”

Rema took a sip, and then handed the pouch to Ellie and Vesha.

After a skimpy meal of squirrel meat, Rema fell fast asleep.

****

The following days fell into the same routine. They were fortunate not to encounter anyone along the way. On the fifth day, Rema noticed a distinctive change in the atmosphere. The group condensed down to three wide, walking at a faster pace. Neco and Audek were on either side of her instead of Ellie and Vesha.

“
What’s going on?” she demanded.

“
We’re crossing the border from Adder to Shano, and the scouting party is late,” Neco whispered.

They continued in silence
; the only sound came from hundreds of boots walking on the dirt path among the forest trees.

Neco leaned down.
“You do have a weapon, don’t you?” he whispered in her ear.

She nodded, feeling the dagger strapped to her thigh.

Thick greenwood trees surrounded them. Birds chirped overhead, the sound echoing in the forest. The soldiers in front of her suddenly froze. Neco grabbed Rema, pushing her back against the trunk of a nearby tree, while shielding the front of her body with his own.

Rema couldn
’t see around him, but she felt the presence of her guard nearby. No shouts rang out, indicating trouble. The birds still sang above. Neco moved away, and Darmik stood before her.

“
What’s wrong?” she asked.

“
The scouting party has just returned and given their report.” He took a step closer to her. “I can’t be sure, but something isn’t right.”

“
What did they say?” Rema asked.

Darmik ran his hands through his hair, a sure sign he was concerned.
“There’s a small city nearby, just south of us. I’ve passed through several times before. It’s a busy town with lots of activity. It has an excellent market for leather goods. Saddles and such.”

“
What’s the issue?” Rema asked. “Are we too close? Do we need to go off course in order to pass by unnoticed?”

He shook his head.
“That’s not the issue. The problem is the town of Ruven is completely deserted. The scouting party reported that not a single person was out in the streets. The windows are even boarded up.”

“
What does it mean?”

“
I have no idea.”

Savenek appeared behind Darmik.
“Everything is ready.”

Darmik nodded.
“Savenek and I are going to investigate.”

Fear shot through Rema.
“Why?” she demanded. “You’re in charge of everyone here. Shouldn’t you send someone else?”

“Normally, that
’s what I’d do. Since everyone here is from Emperion, they have blond hair and blue eyes, making them stand out if seen. They are also unfamiliar with our customs.”

She didn
’t want Darmik putting himself in danger. Discovering what happened to the town wasn’t worth the risk or a priority right now. They needed to reach Werden.

She was about to use her title to overrule
him when Neco stepped forward. “Excellent decision, Commander.”

Rema looked from Savenek, to Neco, to Darmik. All three were well
-trained soldiers. If they saw the need to investigate, she had to trust their judgment. “Very well,” she said.

Darmik
and Savenek turned and left. She wanted to scream, but she maintained her composure. “Who is in charge while they’re gone?”

“Technically, you are always in charge
. However, I am the acting commander now that Darmik and Savenek are away,” Neco informed her.

Sh
e decided to focus on her people, instead of worrying about Darmik. “Are we going to remain here while they’re gone?”

“
I suggest we continue on course instead of sitting around. There could be undetected threats.”

She agreed. Somehow standing there
gave her the sensation of being watched. “Send the scouting party on up ahead, and let’s get moving.”

Neco gave the necessary orders
, and the group continued.

Rema kept reminding herself that Darmik was a competent soldier, and she had nothing to worry about.

Her heart disagreed completely.

Darmik

At the edge of the forest,
Darmik and Savenek hid behind a large bush, surveying the area. Darmik didn’t like working this closely with Savenek. Although Savenek had proven he had the ability to take orders and listen to him, he did not fully trust the guy. They hadn’t been in battle together, responsible for one another’s lives. All they shared was a desire to protect Rema, and even that irritated him. He saw how Savenek still looked at her. He knew he was still in love with her. And there was nothing Darmik could do to change that.

The only reason he agreed to bring Savenek along was because
Rema was safest with Neco. If something happened while Darmik was gone, he knew, without a doubt, his friend would protect her, no matter what. So Savenek would have to do.

“Smoke is coming from that chimney,” Savenek observed. “The town can’t be completely deserted.” He stood.

“
What are you doing?” Darmik demanded. “We can’t just go walking in there. If someone’s watching, we’ll be spotted.”

“I know
,” Savenek answered. “But we can’t just sit here either. One of us needs to go and check things out. You’re recognizable. That leaves me.” He shrugged his shoulders and started walking toward the deserted streets.

This was not what Darmik had in mind. He planned
to observe the area for a couple of hours before entering. Savenek, in his typical fashion, was acting before thinking things through. Darmik wanted to pummel him to the ground.

He watched
him quickly make his way into Ruven, disappearing between the buildings. Scanning the area, Darmik didn’t see any movement—nothing from the top of the structures or the forest edge. Where did all the people go? What happened here? There weren’t any signs of a scuffle or attack.

After an hour
with no change, Darmik saw Savenek walking along a street, exiting the other end of the town. He made his way into the forest—the furthest possible place from Darmik’s position. Someone had to be watching Savenek. Darmik decided to climb one of the trees in order to get a better view of the area. He found a greenwood tree with a low branch. Grabbing on, he swung up into the tree and climbed the trunk until he saw most of the town. Still not a single person was about. He searched the forest for Savenek.

S
everal minutes later, he noticed him slinking between the trees, frequently glancing behind himself. Darmik climbed down, careful not to jostle the tree and shake the leaves. When Savenek neared, he nodded his head away from the town and kept moving. Darmik hurried after him. They continued in silence for a good mile.

“
What’s going on?” Darmik finally asked.

“
No idea,” Savenek answered, “but there’s something scaring those people.”

Darmik stopped walking.
“What do you mean?”

Savenek turned around to face him.
“Everyone is holed up in their homes with their windows boarded shut. I knocked on a few doors, but no one answered.”