Theurgy: The Journey's Dawn (Book One)

Chapter 46 Quiet Waters

"So we are pressed against these two?" Edlund yawned, inspecting the map. "It's obvious we should take Merdith. It'll take us near the fighting, but at least we can sneak around north to avoid troops."

"But it is wintertime," Lyse said. "It is said that Hyperboreans get several times more powerful this time of year. They might send more troops to the border to press even harder on Nychterida."

"Possibly," Blij said, rolling the map up. "But it's between that and the capital city of one of the more dangerous and numerous of the clan's enemies, no?"

Lyse knew what he said was true. Re'Este was most likely the largest of the ten kingdoms of the Frostlands, hugging the coast all the way north. It was a major power in the region, as far as the empire was aware. However, due to the fractured nature of the monarchies of the Frostlands, even starting wars amongst themselves almost as much as they waged it against their southern neighbors, the Frostlands had minimized their threat significantly. If the entirety of the Frostlands could fall under one banner, they could be an even larger threat to the empire, even rivaling Shi'Ased in might.

"We take the one near empire borders," Lyse suggested. "We will still need the 150 men, but now the threat of running into conflict may be reduced. We might even get away with being mere mercenaries or a large guild under contract from Liontari."

Lyse pulled forth the documents the king gave him to give him an immediate meeting with the monarchs of Torlak and Hath. He gestured towards Moxie.

"Considering your unique line of work, how hard is it to form a similar note that states that we have expressed permission beyond the border?"

Moxie raised her brow at him. "Forging official documents again? Shouldn't you be afraid your losing that good boy luster?"

"My duty is to protect my kingdom, not make myself look good," Lyse told her. "For now, I'm willing to lose the good boy luster."

She took it, inspecting the handwriting, penning, and stamp the king used when forming it. She grinned slightly, handing it over to Blij, who too inspected it. It would seem that they were quite familiar with the notion of forged documents. "Documents like these are easier than you think. The handwriting is pretty standard and unremarkable, and the stamp is used all over on even low-level government officials. We might have some fake seals around, or I can get my carpenter to whittle one for you."

"Great," Edlund said. "But we'll definitely be very close to the fighting. Hopefully, we'll arrive when the ground has yet tasted blood."

"Let fate decide that," Lyse sighed. "In the meantime, we need to visit the local knight's quarters and get our gear in better order. My gambeson is in tatters, and I don't think a god would heed the armor."

Edlund sighed, visibly shivering. "Great, we get to interact with the bat-headed ones. All the tales of the strange things chill my bones, I have to admit."

"I'd gladly get creeped out over getting an arrow in the wrong spot," Lyse told him. "They should have spare armor, hopefully. With fur lining or something warm. Where's Makyra? Does she need anything from the port?"

Moxie shrugged. "She's been looking at some of the other maps we have down there. She hasn't moved an inch since we gave them to her. One may guess she's more convicted than you are on all this."

Lyse's brow furrowed at the thought. "I'll speak to her and ask myself. Alarm me when we hit the docks."

In truth, Lyse had rarely seen Makyra rise from her chamber since they departed from their mother to head north. She voiced no complaints on the topic, even seemed content with the matters that had unfolded. But Lyse knew better of her. But Lyse noticed a shift in her attitude once they escaped from that dungeon, now hopefully a crater in the Arkoudan forests. She was knocked unconscious when they were ambushed, trying to escape Lyse's sister, thus missing out on exactly what happened with Garath. She wasn't a godslayer but a guardian. A right hand, so to speak to the godslayer, Celia Opal. And her mistress tasked her with rescuing her son and daughter.