"Are we there yet?" Sabina whined.
"For the thousandth time, no," Demitra said. "I'm going to shove a gag in her throat."
"My bum hurts. The horse smells. It's cold. We've been riding for hours without a break. I'm hungry. Why can't we—"
"If you don't shut your mouth and quit your bitching, forget the gag. I'm going to cut out your tongue!" Demitra shouted. "How can you be so calm with her whining?"
Ry didn't respond. He continued to stare at the cloud covered skies. A chill rattled his bones watching the clouds darken from a bright gray to an imposing near black the farther west they traveled. Snow would fall soon and it both worried him and exhilarated him. He loved the snow. Back in the Glades they never saw it much, but some of his trips with his father took them far enough north he'd seen it. As a boy he enjoyed building men from the snow or having fights with his father. Icicles were fun to lick as they melted. He'd learned to rub berries against the slick surface to make a tasty snack. But the thought of riding in it for an extended period had his nerves on edge. Snow had a way of making travelers lose their way.
Something hit his head. He stopped staring at the sky to watch an apple drop against the dirt road. His head tilted up to find the source of the attack. Demitra was digging in her satchel, Ry assumed to pull out more ammo. Her eyes narrowed and her braids of her hair shifted with the shake of her head, making her beads click together.
"How can you tolerate her whimpering?"
Ry shrugged and dug berries out of each ear. His lips hardened in an arch. "I have three younger sisters. You learn ways to dull their babble. Berries don't block everything, and they make a mess if they're too ripe, but they block enough that she doesn't sound like a complete prat."
"I'm not a prat! I'm still your Princess."
"Princess look alike." Ry grinned. "How much farther do we need to go? Snow will fall soon."
"If we stay on the road, we should reach the coast within a few hours. We'll make camp outside the village there. After that we'll cut north to the border of Altian. We'll cross the border to resupply, less chance of running into Morag guards. Relations between Altian and Morag are precarious at best so they only cross over when it's high trade season."
"Precarious?" Sabina snorted. "Altian is full of trolls and peasants. They don't even have a king or queen! Their Wilders run amok and corrupt the land. Father worried their filth would spread to our kingdom. If it weren't for the fact we're the southernmost kingdom of Aseya, he would've blocked the borders from all trade."
"Your father was an idiot and do try to remember, when you talk about the Wilders, you're talking about your kind. Like it or not, you're part of that filth."
Ry threw berries at Sabina when she opened her mouth to respond. She shrieked when one went inside. He smiled as he nudged his horse to trot faster. Demitra shook her head when he joined alongside her.
"That girl . . . If she wasn't a Guardian I'd leave her here to rot."
"She does have a point." Ry looked back at Sabina.
She slumped in her saddle, resting against the horse's neck. Strands of dark hair hung from the wrap Demitra had tied to Sabina's head to hide her hair. Dirt caked her face making her skin appear a dark brown, another method to conceal her identity. Demitra had used magic to change Sabina's eyes color from the gentle cobalt to a dark brown which swallowed her pupils as if they were one color. Ry had to admit, if he didn't stare closely at her, the disguise worked. He would've figured her for a farmer or simple peasant at first glance. Take a longer look and she was still an almost identical match to the Princess.
Ry lowered his voice to keep Sabina from hearing and unleashing another whining triad, "You and I, we can handle this pace. I'm the son of a farmer, trained in the duel blades and when my father died, I became the man of the house as the eldest of six children. I'm used to being at work for over half the day. Guardian or not, she was raised to be pampered. An honest day's work for her is lifting a tea cup or waving to a crowd in a parade. If we keep pushing her like this, her whining will only stop when she falls dead in the saddle."
"We have to get to New Calandria. It's the one place Rodyn can't get to, the one place we'll be safe."
Ry grunted. "Nobody wants to get to New Calandria more than I do. Hopefully, Kira is safely there already, waiting for me. But I can read people as surely as I can read parchment, especially women." He jerked his head toward Sabina. "And that woman is going to drop in her saddle at any moment."
Demitra pulled on her reins to slow the horse. It cantered for a moment before settling into place. Ry stopped alongside her and swung the horse around to face Sabina as she continued to lean in her saddle. One arm hung limply over the horse's neck, her eyes closed. Wind flapped the tattered remains of her dress. Ry grabbed the reins to keep her horse from continuing on. Sabina stirred and sat up, her body swayed in the saddle. Drooping eyelids hid her irises from view.
Demitra sighed. "What do you suggest?"
"I understand why we can't go into villages. By now, my face is on every poster in every square. And the Princess look alike here is probably being claimed as kidnapped. The vagrants she's so fond of hating would turn her in for a copper if they could. So if you're going to change her appearance, change mine as well. Use magic, use roots to dye my hair, whatever you need. Make it so we can go into villages for a good night's rest at an inn once in a while."
"She'll be hard enough to conceal and you wish me to do it with you?"
"Then I'll keep my hood up or I'll stay outside of the village while you two sleep at an inn. Look at her, Demitra. She's sleeping in the saddle! From the way you talk, we're still weeks away from New Calandria even riding non-stop. Her whining is as much her being a prat as it is her being exhausted."
"You both will be the death of me." Demitra turned her horse and galloped off. Ry smiled as he tied Sabina's reins to his saddle. She mumbled but didn't stir when he pulled her onto his horse. His strong arms curled around her wide waist as he situated her against his chest.
"You, dear Princess look alike, need a bath," he said. "And you owe me for the comfy bed you'll hopefully sleep in tonight."
His lips curled. The horse moved to a gallop when he snapped the reins. Sabina's horse followed in pursuit. Snow fell as they traveled. Hills coated with white rolled past them one by one until the land turned flat. Grass and rocks fell victim to snow banks piling higher. Their horses slowed in the rising powder as they struggled to cut through the white walls of snow. Ry unbound the front of his cloak and carefully held the reins while refastening it around both him and Sabina. She shivered under his touch. With one hand he pulled the hood over his head to fend off the onslaught of frigid white.
"Demitra!" His voice wouldn't carry far through the snow. It swallowed sound as surly as it swallowed the land, including Demitra. "Dammit."
Ry stopped his horse and twisted in his saddle. He'd never been this far west before and he didn't know where the village was. With snow covering the road couldn't find it either. It might've curved or fork at any moment and he wouldn't know how or in which direction to go. He longed for the signage which told the direction to the larger cities in Morag. On the way to the Glades there was a sign every hundred feet or so, but he hadn't seen one in miles since following Demitra.
"All right," Ry said to himself. "We'll keep going west like we planned and we'll reach the coast even if we travel off the path. The village is close to the ocean so I'll come to it eventually. By the God's it's cold." He shuddered and snapped the reins.
Sabina stirred in his arms.
"What," she said.
"Hang on, Princess Look alike. We're riding hard and riding fast. Hold me like you love me."
He didn't know what time it was when they stumbled into the village of Halden. Sabina buried her face in his chest, at his urging, and didn't make a sound. As much as he wanted to believe it was her finally listening to somebody, he knew her cooperation was more out of exhaustion and the cold. He guided the horses through streets, keeping his head down.
Halden was a modest size not like the castle, but larger than his village in the Glades. Cobblestone streets covered by snow wound up hills spanning the coast. He sighed at the sight of an inn sign shifting in the wind. For a moment he slowed the horse and stared at the smiling sun and sleeping moon painted on the chipped sign. One hand fingered the copper tucked in a purse within his pocket. While he had little left, he'd have enough for a single room and a warm meal. Without weapons or magic he didn't dare risk it until he changed his appearance.
The sign hinges squeaked behind him as he continued through Halden. Nobody was on the street with the blizzard raging around them. It provided him the perfect cover. If any guards patrolled, Ry didn't see them either. Snow swallowed the sound of the hooves as he wound through the streets. His eyes scanned every wooden structure, searching for one abandoned. In his experience, every village had at least one.
"Where are we?" Sabina's teeth chattered.
"Sign outside the village called it Halden. Hopefully it's the right village for Demitra to find us." He'd lost most feeling in his legs from the frigid air and his hands were blue from the exposure. His mind wandered to the warm, wool lined gloves sitting comfortably on his dresser back home. They were ugly and well worn, but he wished he hadn't forgotten them when he left for the Coming of Age dance with Emma and Kira. If he stayed in the snow much longer he'd get frostbite. Sabina un-tucked her arms from the cloak and grabbed the reins from him.
"You tell me where to go, I'll steer the horse. Warm your hands before they fall off," she said. Ry didn't argue. He slid his hands inside the front flap of the cloak. "Watch what you grab."
"Relax, I'm too cold to feel anything fun." His icy hands pressed against her, trying to use what little body heat she had left to warm himself. "Go left up here. We're looking for any place that looks abandoned."
She nodded. They came upon a burned out cottage toward the back of the village. Few lights were on in the neighboring homes and it seemed forlorn and forgotten by the village residents. A rat scurried over ice covered pathways and vanished inside the empty looking homes. Ry helped Sabina down from the horse before dismounting himself. His teeth continued to chatter as he wrangled the horses through the door and out of the snow. A draft swept through the structure, shifting the snow falling through a hole in the roof. Ry ran his hand through his icy hair. It wouldn't keep them warm without a fire, but he hoped it would last them the night.
"I'm going to see if I can steal some blankets. Stay here," Ry said.
"But—"
"Stay, Sabina. This is not a debate. I'm a wanted criminal and you're seen as the Princess of Morag, both of us will stick out in a crowd. Have you stolen a single thing in your life?" She shook her head. "Didn't think so. I can creep around better if I don't have to look out for you or listen to you whine about how tired and cold you are."
He didn't like snapping at her, knowing he was as exhausted as her, but he didn't have time to be kind. Ry tightened the cloak around his shoulders and pulled the hood back over his head. He grabbed a burnt piece of wood and took it with him. His feet and legs ached as he trudged through the snow. Around every corner he stopped to use the blackened tip of the wood to mark a small x on a lamp post or wall, any place he could use to find his way back to Sabina.
Ry followed his nose to food chilling on an open window. The family inside sat around a table laughing, eating their meals in peace. They'd never noticed he was there. His stomach rumbled as he remembered Demitra had all the food in her satchel. Ry stared at the pie sitting on the windowsill, steam pouring off its surface. His lips moistened at the cherry red of the pie filling seeping through the cross pattern dough.
He sighed and pushed away from the window. As tempting as it was, stealing a pie in the open like that would raise too much attention. He'd need something more obscure. Tiny clouds escaped his lips with every breath of air. His teeth continued to chatter as he twined through Halden. The cloak did little to dampen the chill and snow seeped in over the top of his boots, freezing his socks to his feet. Ry trudged toward a stable he saw when they first entered the village. Horse blankets were better than no blankets and he assumed he could find some in the stalls.
Voices floated from within the stable followed by laughter. Ry lowered to a crouch and moved to the doors. Light filtered through a narrow crack between panels. It flickered with the move of the torches inside, illuminating the snow in a golden aura. One eye peeked through a hole in the wood. Guards sat around an overturned barrel, playing a card game. Ry muttered under his breath and crawled past the cracked door. Around the side of the stable he climbed on some empty crates to hoist himself onto an overhang that stuck out into the alley. His boots slipped on the icy surface. Most of the snow was blocked from the high rising stable and the building next door, keeping the path virtually clear.
Wood creaked under his weight as he reached a narrow window. Ry pressed his back to the wall and peered inside the stable. The window fed into a hay filled loft above the horse stalls. He could hear the guards bellow, but he couldn't see them.
"This is a bad idea, Ry," he thought. "But it's better than roaming Halden with no idea where I'm going."
He took a deep breath and climbed inside. The heat of the stable warmed by the torches' flames made him sigh in contentment. If he could, he would've curled up in the hay and fell asleep. Ry lowered to his hands and knees and crawled to the edge of the loft. Bread and ale sat untouched on a barrel behind one man, sitting just below Ry. The guards slurred their words as they played. Ry wondered if he could wait until they passed out, and then take their food. They sounded drunk enough they wouldn't remember if they ate it or not. He shook his head and pushed away from the edge.
A chest rested against one edge of the loft. Ry took care in opening it in case the hinges were rusty. No horse blankets were inside but Ry grabbed the rope and slipped one arm and his head through it. Laughter mixed with the sound of a chair tipping over. He skulked back to the edge and watched as one guard collected himself from the ground. The man dusted himself off and stumbled toward one of the stalls. Ry cringed as the man puked his ale and food near the disgruntled horses.
"Aye, he can't hold his liquor," a large guard said as he slapped his small companions back.
"Can't 'old 'is gold none either."
"Shut it, the lot of ya," the puking man said. He stood up and wiped his mouth. Boots clanked against the stone floor of the stables as the man stumbled back to the others. He stopped by the bread and grabbed a mug. "The ale's gone."
"We're not supposed to leave the barn in case the kidnapper shows 'is face."
"Aye, and it's a blizzard outside. The boy will be a fool to travel in it."
"We be gone for a moment. Get some wenches to come back with us." The man who'd vomited nudged his shoulder into the reluctant guards arm. "Wenches be ripe for the picking at this hour."
"Yes, yes they would be. Many ready to head to bed with any man with some coin," Ry thought as he licked his lips, staring at the untouched bread. His chest pressed against the loft, keeping himself low enough he became one with the wood.
"Ten minutes. No more. We get our ale and wenches and get back 'ere."
The other two cheered and pushed on each other as they stumbled out of the barn. Ry held his breath as he waited for the third guard to follow. The man stopped and looked around the stalls. One hand slipped in his pants to scratch his butt cheeks. Ry gagged at the man getting all too familiar with himself. The guard stumbled forward, hitting his shoulder against the edge of the door before tripping outside.
When the stable was clear, Ry hurried down the wooden ladder and ran to the bread. He tucked his tunic into his pants and stuffed the bread inside. Without a satchel or bag, it was the best he had. His eyes scanned the rest of the stables until he found the stable masters office. Inside were three blankets and a rusted sword. In a fight the sword wouldn't hold up, but it was better than being without. He searched the stable master's desk and found a small dagger which he tucked in his boot.
He glanced over his shoulder as he strapped the sword to his waist and gathered the blankets in his arm. Ry peaked out through the stable doors. The guards continued to stumble toward the tavern, their laughter fading in the blizzard. Ry darted out of the stable when the laughter vanished completely.
He used the x's to find his way back, erasing them as best he could when he passed. Sabina sat in one corner, holding her legs to her chest. Clouds puffed from her lips as she looked up at him. He dropped the blankets on the ground and un-tucked his tunic to release the bread trapped inside.
"Don't give me that look," he said when she frowned. "I didn't take my satchel and had no other options. Eat it. I don't know when we'll get more."
He grabbed two blankets and moved over to the horses. They stomped their hooves on the wood when Ry tossed the blanket over both horse and saddle. Leaving the saddle on the horse didn't sit well with him, but if they needed a quick getaway it was imperative the horses were ready. He pulled the rope over his head and attached it to the back of the saddle with the rusted sword. Without a word he returned to the Princess Look alike who gnawed at the tough bread.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she asked when Ry slid in behind her.
"There's one blanket left, Princess. There's this blanket and our bodies to keep warm. A fire would draw too much attention. We'll be lucky if we don't freeze to death as is. Like it or not, we're cuddle buddies tonight." Her body tensed as he wrapped the blanket around them, his legs straddled her sides. "I could suggest another way to keep warm if you'd prefer. It would be a lot of fun, for me at least."
She grumbled, but resumed stuffing her mouth full of bread. Ry grabbed the loaf and tore off half for himself. Snow continued to drift in through the holes in the roof, dusting the burnt wood. Crude drawings and strange symbols marked the dilapidated walls. He imagined the place as it once was. A modest two story dwelling, single room on the bottom floor and two or three on the top. To his right were the busted remains of a hearth he longed to ignite. Sabina stretched and yawned when she finished her bread.
Ry eyed the back of her head. She'd taken the wrap off an allowed her long hair to hang around her shoulders. He started braiding her hair when she tried to jerk her head away, but he forced her to look straight. He slid the dagger from his boot and gripped Sabina's hair with one hand. Sabina jumped to her feet after Ry slide the dagger above where the braid began, cutting off the hair. Both hands brushed against the remaining strands. Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly as if she wanted to scream at him, but couldn't form the words.
Sabina grabbed the uneven strands of her now short hair. "What did you do?"
Ry shrugged and tossed the braided hair toward the horses, hoping he'd remember to collect it before they left. He wanted to leave no trace they'd been in that building.
"For the time being, if anyone asks, you're my brother."
"You have got to be kidding me! I'm no boy."
"Do I look like I'm joking? I'm quite aware you're not a boy. Now get back into bed with me." Ry quirked one end of his lips, patting the floor between his legs. The Princess crossed her arms and snarled. He smiled and wrapped the blanket around himself. His eyes didn't leave Sabina as she continued to wait him out. When her teeth chattered again she hurried back to the blanket and Ry's arms.
"I'm still hungry."
"I know. We'll leave at first light tomorrow and I'll see if I can kill some game on the road."
"On the road to where?"
Ry pushed on her shoulder to get her to lie down. She gave little resistance as she curled on her side. One arm draped over her waist, pulling her closer, the other tucked under his head as a pillow. The ground was cold and hard, but it wasn't the worst place he'd slept in. At least it didn't smell of death and bodily fluids he didn't want to identify. Sabina shivered. Ry pulled on the edges of the blanket, sealing out the cold air as much as he could.
"I don't know where we're going, Sabina. We can't stay here though. There are guards in the stables waiting for us which means, come daylight, they'll be patrolling the streets as well."
Ry closed his eyes, listening to her chattering teeth slow. One hand stroked her shoulder, trying to create friction to make more heat. Sabina whimpered and tucked her legs closer to her chest. He was considerably taller than her and the blanket didn't quite reach the ends of his boots. Ry pulled his legs up so they locked perfectly behind hers. His chest pressed against her back, leaving no sliver between them.
"Rylanne?"
"What?"
"That had better be a dagger in your pocket."