Silver Blood

Chapter 23

Lorana walked ahead of the barrel, moving fallen branches off the path to clear their way. Minimer forged on ahead of all of them. The barrel got caught on the edge of a thick branch she'd missed and the men paused. Roan stretched his back while Asha's eyes searched the surrounding forest. She dragged the branch off to the side.

"One archer in the large maple to the right at the end of the path," Asha murmured under his breath.

"What's the holdup back there?" Minimer surveyed them. Lorana couldn't tell if he was serious or trying to play his part.

"Just a branch in the way is all," she answered, adding a rushed Master Minime to the end. She couldn't remember if any of his watch or Fion called him that, but she didn't know what else to call him while playing the role of servant.

They started moving again. Minimer sashayed up to the tent without any hesitation. The watchman sitting in the tent's shade wore the tunic of an acolyte. His small frame would be easy for Roan to take down. The man was young too, couldn't be a day over twenty. Another point in their favor with Asha and Roan's years of experience. He watched Minimer approach without showing an ounce of emotion except boredom.

"I'm here to see the high priest."

"No visitors until tomorrow," the acolyte said, his tone dry.

"Tomorrow? He should be expecting me today. I always come by the first day of the festival."

"No visitors."

Minimer balked at the reply. He rested his hands on his hips. "I'm sure if he knows I'm here he'll want to see me."

"No visitors and that includes you, Minimer."

Minimer spluttered. "This is an outrage!" He held up his bottle. "I even brought him a sample."

The acolyte shrugged. "No visitors. You can leave the sample if you want."

He rested his hands on his hips. "I'm not leaving a bottle if he won't see me."

She hugged the ledger book tight against her chest. Roan and Asha exchanged looks. Asha shook his head and mouthed something Lorana didn't catch.

Another acolyte slipped through the tent flaps. Behind him the inside looked empty and dark. "What's all the noise about? I'm trying to sleep in here." The man's short hair stuck out at odd angles. His shirt hung crooked and his feet were bare.

"Minimer," the first acolyte answered. "He wants to see the priest."

"Here about the wine already? How much?"

"That's between me and the priest to discuss," Minimer said, his voice icy.

"No visitors allowed until tomorrow."

"I already told him," the first man said.

"Couldn't you have told me that before we brought the wine all this way?" He ripped his hat off and slapped it against his thigh.

Both men shrugged. "Not our decision to make," the first one said.

Minimer let out a huff and turned around. "Back to camp." He stomped down the path too fast for them to keep up with. Asha cursed under his breath as a rut in the path sent the barrel veering off course.

"What now?" she whispered. "Do we sneak back?"

"I don't think he's in there," Asha answered. "The tent is too empty. I bet the night watch are in there resting up before their shifts start later."

"If he isn't here, then where? We need to find him." At this rate Minimer's impatience would rub off on her.

"We'll have to find out. Minimer is certain both Oran and Kael will be at the ceremony tomorrow, but Bellon could catch up by then," Asha said as they righted the barrel's path. "I wasn't a wine drinker to begin with, but I like it even less now."