Empire of Ashes

Chapter VII - Secrets

Bevan shuffled in place. "You know, it's Solstice next moon."

"My favourite festival," Temris replied with a grin.

"It's everyone's favourite festival," Fendur said.

It wasn't mine. I had never heard of it.

"All I'm saying is we had better damn well get to celebrate it."

Fendur laughed at that. "Relax, stripling. The battles will be planned around that date. Even the Ragnyr isn't suicidal enough to stop the men celebrating Solstice."

Temris had taken to tossing a knife - the same knife I had held to his throat - in the air and catching it. "I'll take that as a compliment. Bevan, did I tell you? You're off horse duty as of tomorrow."

"Why?" He sounded suspicious. "Are you going to put me on latrine duty instead?"

"Actually, no. But if you ever start a brawl with the Creitons again, I will seriously consider it. I've been encouraged to take on a new... What is the Anglian expression for a tyro, again?"

Bevan shrugged. "Don't look at me. I'm not Anglian."

"Minion?" Fendur suggested, rather unhelpfully.

"Squire," I interjected, remembering what the captain had said earlier.

"Yes, that's it. Anyway, one of the prisoners will be joining us tomorrow. We have to give them something to do," Temris explained.

I felt a spark of hope. "Which one?"

"The one Anlai warned me away from. I'm told you are friends?"

My mouth broke into a grin. Although we hadn't got off to the best start, I couldn't help liking the overly-friendly slave boy. If I had thought hard, I might have realised it was because he reminded me of my awkward, tactless and bright-eyed younger brothers.

"What are you doing with the others?" I asked.

"Anlai is finding them jobs as we speak. Armoury, cookfires and so on. I cannot release them without offending the king, so we will have to find uses for them," Temris said.

My eyes narrowed. "What about me? What use will you find for me?"

He just started laughing. "Relax, Lyra. You're a real she-wolf sometimes. What sort of person do you think I am?"

"I would answer that if I could think of an adjective foul enough," I muttered. The truth was, it was easy to like him. Easy to like all of them. They were clearly fond of each other, and they were being kind to me, and I didn't think they were as loyal to the king as they would have him believe. I wouldn't let my guard down, not yet, but I didn't think I needed to be on the attack either.

Ignoring me, he continued, "I've decided you can stay with us - there's no end of work around here. We'll find bedrolls for both of you tomorrow."

Surprise surprise. Whatever secret purpose he had for me, it would be best fulfilled if I was kept close.

"I'm hungry," I whined suddenly. It was a lie. I had struggled to keep down the game pie from earlier. Twice while washing in the river, I found myself on the brink of throwing it back up. Now, the pit in my stomach was gaping wider than ever, unwilling to be filled by any sort of food.

Temris rolled his eyes. "Of course you are. Bevan, do you think you can rustle up some supper before you sleep?"

Bevan peeled his backside from the bench with a heavy sigh and strode out of the tent. Once he was gone, I relaxed a little. One down, one to go. Fendur would be the difficult one to get rid of. He took his duties very seriously. But my best chance would be getting Temris alone - he was injured and unarmed, although he had still managed to thrash me earlier.