“So…these men work for Inyene?” I said in a low growl, which was echoed by the dragon across the water from me.
“These men work for the highest bidder.” Tamin took up his part of the tale. “I heard of the Red Hounds a few times in my work as a Senior Clerk to the Courts of Torvald,” he said, and pulled a face in disgust.
“You must understand that the Red Hounds are a mercenary company—and that they have worked for Middle, North, and Southern kingdoms without any hesitation—as well as for any private buyers such as our Inyene,” my uncle said, his revulsion for the sellswords clear.
“But…” Something didn’t make sense. “Their captain—a man called Nol Baggar—he didn’t seem to know who I was, or what I was doing.” I recounted the exchange I had in their encampment-cave, when Nol Baggar had asked me why I was working for Inyene.
“If this Nol Baggar was working for Inyene—he would already know who I was, and that I was sent out as the expedition’s Navigator!” I pointed out. “And why would Inyene sabotage her own expedition to get what she wants?”
My god-uncle made an agreeing noise in the back of his throat as he dug at the fire with his stick. “It’s true—this doesn’t sound like a tactic that even Inyene would use.”
“But Inyene has made a lot of enemies in her journey from the streets to the next presumptive High Queen…” Montfre offered.
“Yes,” Tamin agreed. “This sounds like someone else has hired the Red Hounds against Inyene. Perhaps whomever it is knows that Captain Nol Baggar once worked for Inyene, and so that would give him the advantage in whatever game they are playing?”
“Circles and circles…” I heard Ymmen mutter in the back of my mind. I was starting to see more and more why he despaired of humanity and its politics.
“Okay.” I sighed. “So, there is someone else who is after the Stone Crown. Who? Someone at Inyene’s court?”
“Perhaps.” Tamin sounded unconvinced. “But the Red Hounds are notoriously expensive. They are a famous mercenary group—if you don’t happen to care how many innocent people get killed in the pursuit of your goal,” he said. “It would take a small fortune to finance the Red Hounds to travel so far from the Three Kingdoms.”
My god-uncle looked at me, his face pinched with fear. “It would take one of the Three Kingdoms to do this.”
Oh. My. Stars. I thought, aghast.
Not only was I up against a ruthless, maddened tyrant in Inyene… It looked as though I would have to outsmart and outwit one of the entire Kingdoms of the western world if I was to get the Stone Crown.
Chapter 10
Reunited
“I have to go back,” I said, as the grays of the predawn started to appear. Already the sounds of the Plains where starting up—the lowing of distant buffalo and the mournful call of the whippoorwill matching my gloomy spirits.
We had spent the night at the oasis, where Montfre and Tamin had tended my wounds and I had even managed to get a few hours’ sleep. It wasn’t enough, but I had to admit that it had been better than any other rest that I had so far on this expedition.
“I know.” Tamin heaved a sigh as he stood up from his task, gathering different plants and herbs into bundles, tied together by the stems of long grasses. I couldn’t make out his exact expression in the dark, but I could tell that from the sound of his voice that he wasn’t pleased with my decision.
“The others…” I added, feeling guilty for leaving my friends here—but more guilty about the Daza who were still under Homsgud’s ‘care’.
Abioye’s, now, I corrected. “How was he?” I said, and for a moment Tamin didn’t appear to understand who I was referring to—but Montfre, who was groaning and rising from a bed of leaves and his cloak did.
“You mean Abioye?” Montfre said, his voice still thick with sleep.
“Yes,” I sighed. “Ymmen told me that he was wounded, and that you—”
“I healed him,” Montfre grumbled, throwing aside the cloak irritably. Why was he annoyed at that? I thought. Or, was it just that he was one of those who were terrible at rising early? It was a rather uncommon trait amongst us Daza, I knew—as I had been raised to know that some of the best hunting could only be performed before first light, and some of the rarest of Plains plants were best gathered before the heat of the sun forced them to close up their flowers again.
Whatever. I shook aside the thought. Montfre was sure to get used to his early mornings if he was traveling with my uncle and Ymmen!
Montfre thumped his way to the oasis, for the sounds of him washing his face to return to us as Tamin stepped forward. “Don’t mind the mage. He and your Abioye had a small falling out when Ymmen brought him here,” Tamin said.
‘My’ Abioye? I thought. What on earth was that supposed to mean? “They argued? But Abioye was injured—he’d just been bitten by a hyena, hadn’t he?” I pointed out. I was nearing the opinion that Montfre was a jerk when he woke up in the morning.
“He had been, and Montfre healed his wounds perfectly, and I gave him tonics to chase out any infection. Ymmen took him back to that metal dragon of his when it was done,” Tamin said, and I heard a hint of mirth in his voice at what he said next. “But, it appears that Montfre was annoyed at Abioye getting bitten in the first place.” My god-uncle’s voice dropped into a conspiratorial whisper. “He seemed to think that Abioye shouldn’t be out hunting for the Red Hounds or the horses, but hunting for you,” Tamin said.
“But Abioye didn’t know that I had even been captured until well after he was bitten,” I pointed out. I had been in the middle of the raid of the Red Hounds at the river when I had heard from Ymmen what had happened, after all!
“Yeah, but you know how it is…” Tamin said. “Old friends have many reasons to argue—and I think it was more just that Montfre was worried for Abioye, that is all.”
Ugh. I breathed heavily through my nose. I didn’t have time for any of these sorts of theatrics or whatever it was between Montfre and Abioye. “Well, just so long as Abioye is healed and back at the encampment—then maybe he can stand up against Homsgud.” I had already explained the perilous situation with the apparent ringleader of Inyene’s guards. The thought brought with it more worry. “And in fact, I really have to be going. If Abioye is weakened—then Homsgud might act against even him…!” Although, I had to question myself as soon as I had voiced my concern. Homsgud was a bully, and a thug—but would he dare mutiny against Inyene’s only brother?
I didn’t know. But I had seen the murderous look of contempt in Homsgud’s eyes, directed at anyone who might dare oppose him. Abioye’s life might be in danger, surrounded by the mutinous guards and nothing but his title to protect him…
“Wait,” Tamin said as I turned to grab my things. He brought over a bundle of something, wrapped in a piece of his tunic. “I prepared these for you while you were asleep. You have Plains-sweet, Bone-knit, Speed-well, and Coffa root…”
“Uncle, thank you,” I said, my heart leaping up into my throat. Although this was only a simple gesture, and with common plants that we Souda had always used, the fact that he had taken his time to find and prepare them when he could have been resting was touching.