Prin snorted a laugh. “I thought I got powder on everything. That just shows the fallacy of my plan. Please take it. Brice, come here.”
“Where?”
“Close to me so I can sprinkle some of the no-see-me dust on you.”
He stepped closer. “Then what?”
“You are I are going to leave Wren behind us,” Prin said. “Take only what you must. It will be a long walk.”
“Leave? We aren’t out of Indore hardly. El can drive us.”
“No, it’s time you and I took charge and did things without the help of family and friends. We’re on our own.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“We’re not going to Wren?” Brice asked, confusion in every word, but he followed Prin on the path beside the river although he could only see her footprints in the soggy path. Still, he had to hurry to keep up.
“What’s the last thing Elenore will expect?”
“That you give up your claim to your throne,” Brice said.
“That’s not going to happen, but there are other options.”
Prin kept her head down and her arms swinging as she marched, not walked. They followed a path that paralleled the river, the same river that eventually found its way to Indore from the upper regions of Wren. Fortunately, they were on the seaward side of the river, and when it began making its bend to flow north, she found another path taking them to the east.
They saw more bounty hunters and assassins hiding in narrow places in hopes of finding Princess Hannah, most of them along the road, but others on the paths beside it. Twice they worked their way around traps where bounty hunters had set up to ambush her.
Prin didn’t speak, but she couldn’t see Brice because of the invisibility-spell, and that somehow made her feel confident. As long as one of them didn’t sneeze or trip and fall near those who were searching for them, they should be fine. With the pace she set, Brice struggled to keep up and didn’t have the wind to waste on words. She continued heading east despite the river bending and her homeland laying off to her left. Near nightfall, she smelled the sea again.
Each of them carried a small backpack but no bedroll or food. The packs were small, and they were supposed to travel quickly, but they needed supplies. At a small clearing, she spotted a cedar, not large, but big enough to shelter them.
“We’ll sleep here tonight. Most insects will leave us alone under that cedar.”
“You talk like I know nothing.”
She grinned and realized he couldn’t see her smile. “No fire, although either of us could take care of that quick enough.”
“What are you planning? If you think you can slip into Wren through the mountains, you cannot. There are only a few ways past them, and those will be double-guarded.”
“I have another idea. Before I make a fool of myself, let me work out the details.”
“Maybe I can help?” Brice offered.
“I’m sure you can, but wait until morning. Let me think about it and decide if this is a good idea or not.” She placed her head on her pack and closed her eyes but didn’t sleep. She listened to Brice’s soft, regular breathing and wished her mind would settle down enough to sleep. Brice could sleep anywhere, anytime. Near midnight, she drifted off, satisfied with her ideas, and feeling positive for the first time in days.
Both woke with the rising sun, chilly but not cold. The no-see-me spell survived the night. She could see a slight shimmer where Brice stood, but she knew what to look for. By mid-day, others could see them, too. By late afternoon, all appearances would be back to normal, which was acceptable because she intended to walk all day, but by noon they should be away from anyone hunting them.
It would be a relief to see Brice when she talked to him. In the back of her mind was a fear they might become separated because they couldn’t see each other.
She was tired, hadn’t slept enough, and hungry. Prin set a torrid pace, now that she had a firm plan. Brice took the lead and only once slowed to allow a small group of people cross their trail ahead of them. Prin could see portions of Brice’s body and understood how disturbing that would be to people. Now and then he glanced over his shoulder at her, making sure he was going in the right direction.
The path took them through a flatland alternating between small trees and tall grasses. The footing was often mushy, but firm enough if they moved fast. They passed a few farms with dogs barking at what they couldn’t see but could smell, and finally reached one farm with a lazy yellow dog sunning itself. It sniffed at them a time or two, decided they were no danger and went back to sleep.
Brice slipped into the garden and pulled four carrots, the only ripe things he saw. They skinned the dirt from the outside of the carrots with their knives as they walked, then ate as if dining on the finest meal in a castle.
Farms became more frequent, and the path turned into a small, two-rut road that allowed them to walk beside each other. Prin noticed Brice now appeared almost human, but on closer inspection, she would see right through parts of him. The no-see-me spell was fading, but enough remained to be a problem if they encountered anyone on the road.
Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” Brice asked an hour later.
“There is a town up ahead, almost a small city, called Evansdale. It used to be a fishing village, and I’m betting they still have boats. We need to hire one.”
“Back to Indore? Is that a good idea?”
“Not Indore. Calverton. Ever hear of it?”
“It’s a city in the Peermont Kingdom, right?”
“We’re going there.” Prin waited for the next question as she continued her march. Brice never asked it. He seemed to accept her leadership without question. As her knight, that fit his role, but as her almost-brother, it felt unusual. They often fought more than agreed, but that was siblings vying for family power and position.
He said, “The spell is wearing off. I can almost see you. It’s like looking at your reflection in rippling water.”
“Good. However, we still need to avoid people.”
“What if any of them later are hunting you?”
She snorted a laugh without humor. “They had their chance when I lived outside of Wren. Now, they’re gathered closer to catch me as I sneak back, encouraged by riches and tales spread by my cousin and the mages.”
The vegetation became sparser, the trees shorter and stunted. Peermont, they said, was a kingdom on the edge of the great drylands, with only the Lifeless Desert beyond. Between Peermont and the desert lay a small kingdom called Ansel.
Similar to Wren, one great river flowed down Peermont’s center, with several smaller ones feeding it along the way. Because of the lack of rain in the lowlands, the banks of the rivers flourished while all else were cactus, sagebrush, juniper, and hot rocks.
The melting glaciers in the high mountains provided water to feed the rivers year around, but in late summer the flow slowed, the rivers shrank, and the residents tried to stay out of the direct sun. The two great valleys, the Wren and Peermont, were much alike in many ways, but different in others, yet the rulers came from the same family.
Despite the valleys running parallel to each other, they were all but isolated because of the Razor Mountains between. They said a bird could travel between kingdoms in a half day, while the only way for people was to travel to the foot of either valley where the mountains were foothills, and circle around, making the trip ten times the expected distance.