Serellia (Everlasting Legends, Book 2)

Ch. 16 - For Love and Honor

Ardaik 15th - Southern Serellia

As the last rays of light split between the brush of the evergreen trees, Rowan returned to their small camp with his arms filled with wood for their fire.

Kam had already gathered up the rocks, fish, dug a hole, and used her breath to start the fire. Now that Rowan thought about it, Kam was far more efficient at camping or living on her own than he was. He supposed that was why you had never heard about dragons making cities... they didn't need the shelter and comfort of a house as humans did. In fact, the white dragon looked quite cozy and curled around the clearing while Brice huddled next to the fire, feeding it twigs frantically, trying to warm himself.

"Can tell we're getting further north, heh!" Brice said light-heartedly as he scooted a little closer to the fire.

"Yes, well past the border, I think," Rowan agreed as he dumped the culmination of his work for the past few minutes next to the fire.

"Never traveled to Serellia without a wagon before. Suppose there's a first time for everything, isn't there?" His shivering a little less shook Brice's words as the flames caught the larger logs and began to put a nice sear on the fish.

"Where did you get that wagon you had back there? You don't seem bothered leaving it behind," Rowan asked.

"You think I stole it?" Brice surmised rather quickly, but the merchant continued before Rowan could say no. "I did, and I didn't... Malton's merchant guild had a couple of wagons in their livery. I didn't exactly fill out the proper paperwork for them, though... but there are plenty of merchant guilds in Serellia. So I figure if we're heading to Homenil, I can pick up a wagon and supplies there, and if I work until the first snows, I should be able to make enough to pay them off and still have enough to catch a boat to Cardenar before the sea freezes." Brice explained, looking a lot more relaxed and less chilled now.

"You're not returning to Lorellia then?" Asked Rowan, noting that Brice was clearly Lorellian himself.

"Eh... Not for a while. I think I'll try to avoid the undead and Vadal for a few months," Brice said with a small smirk that barely pulled at the corner of his mouth.

"Vadal... the Emissary that arrested you. What did you do?"

"The official charge was smuggling and unlawful trafficking of goods across a border or something along those lines."

"So, you're a smuggler?"

"Eh, sort of... Look, sometimes ya need to break the rules to do the right thing."

"That sounds awfully self-righteous..."

"People, Rowan, I was smuggling slaves out of Cardenar," Brice said bluntly after it was clear that the young noble hadn't caught on to his subtle hints.

"Slaves? Lorellia doesn't recognize slavery..."

"Exactly, and to be honest, smuggling makes it sound like I had women and children stuffed under tarps in the back of my wagon... which I didn't! They were just riding with me. They just wanted a new life in a new place."

"But that isn't against Lorellian law?" Rowan knew the Lorellian border laws, and Boreven policed most of the northern Lorellian border.

"Lorellia, no, but the Merchants guild is another story. They span many countries, and in Cardenar transporting escaped slaves is illegal... so if the guild wants to operate in Cardenar, they must follow their laws."

"So in the guild's eyes, even people are nothing more than property..." Rowan thought aloud as he stared into the flames while Brice took the fish off the fire and gave one a test nibble.