"It's been a week."
Raziel let out a groan.
Everyone else ignored him.
Dante stepped behind Jameson who instinctually put an arm on her shoulder. She finally said the words that everyone had been thinking. "What if he really is dead?"
It was Vasco's turn to groan, but he'd been griping for the past two days ever since he dropped a satchel containing his bejlen game cards and a few kips into the river.
To hear him complain, you'd think he'd lost a satchel of diamonds, Dante thought bitterly.
Vasco finally spoke, threading his hands through his hair. "Ketil isn't dead."
He was ignored by all of them. His optimism was beginning to become annoying to just about everyone.
Anubis studied her maps that stretched across a cot and was marked with thin lines of ink and rushed notes. "Raziel, come here."
He grudgingly came as she called, bending to stare at the map. "We've traveled twenty miles in the past week. That's a terrible rate."
"To be fair, we have been stopping every half hour to search for Ketil," Lio whispered, running a knife underneath his fingernails. "We've traveled, in a week, twenty miles straight toward Kampsden, but we've been all across this place so we've really traveled who knows how many miles."
Dante wrapped an arm around Jameson's waist nervously, clinging onto him as if he was a cane. "So what are we going to do then?"
Anubis was silent, her brows creased as she stared at the map. She ignored the pressing silence in the room, even as Vasco paced, the blue fog of his ability swirling between his palms. With each second ticking by, morning was becoming nearer and he was losing a grasp on his ability.
Anubis finally grabbed him by the shoulder, stopping him in his tracks and messing up his concentration. "Stop pacing."
Vasco did, throwing himself down on the cot beside the maps. Raziel snarled soundlessly at him, turning his back as he traced a finger against a map. "If we really try, we can be in Kampsden in ten days. This is pushing our horses hard and without any expected delays due to weather."
"The townsfolk predict the skies to be clear for the next two weeks," Jameson answered, absentmindedly playing with a strand of Dante's hair. "Something about the way the trees are in bloom? I don't know, but I've overheard that much."
"Good."
Vasco sighed, running his hands through his hair. Exhaustion weighed in his eyes and voice, but that was nothing odd for the Order. Dante could feel the tiredness weighing lead-heavy in her own bones. "We're just going to move on then? We're going on to Kampsden to assassinate Empress Aslaug ourselves?"
Lio jerked to attention from where he lounged in a chair, two out of the four legs off the ground. "This is a job for me. It will be hard for all of us to blend in, but in shadow form..." he stared at his hands, closing his open palms into tight fists. "I will be unstoppable. I will take her in her sleep before anyone can stop me. By morning, we will have established ourselves as the new rulers of Polaria."
They were all silent. Dante wanted to say something to defend staying and continuing their search for Ketil, but what argument could she make? Ketil was, as far as they knew, very dead. They had a mission to accomplish and if Ketil couldn't cary out the mission, someone else would have to. From that decision, it was easy to see who would carry out a task of assassination. No one was as talented at the art as Lio.
When he was truly alive, he had gained enough experience and notoriety in the trade. Turns out his abilities were particularly suited to taking out the...undesirables of the lower nobility and surrounding class. It was simple enough for him to slip into the shadows of a bedchamber and thrust a knife deep within the ribcage of a sleeping man, or carefully smother them to death with their own pillow. It was far easier than contracting an actual assassin without riesun abilities or noble birth. And Lio was efficient. Dangerously efficient.
And eventually that's what got him killed.
Lio's dark eyes met hers, and for a moment something in them scared her enough that she turned away. She huddled closer to Jameson.
Vasco shook his head, scratching at the thick growth of hair on his jaw. "So what do we do after she's been assassinated?"
"That's assuming we live long enough to see the job done." Raziel rolled up the map, placing it into a tube so nothing could soil it. "We could die from hypothermia, the townsfolk could kill us for being Rajsend, we could be discovered by royal guards, or if we even get to Kampsden, Aslaug could be waiting for us."
"And then if I do manage to assassinate her," Lio said, leaning forward in his chair. "Then there's no telling how this place will react. The guards might attempt to kill us. There might be an heir in the picture that will try to take the throne. We might be paraded as heroes. There is no telling what will happen."
Anubis nodded, "that's why we get out of the place as soon as the deed is over. We let it cool down for a few days and then we claim it."
Lio shook his head, "but there is another problem. I can't figure out for the life of me, how we're going to get inside the palace walls. The walls are unscalable, you can't dig under them, traffic is heavily inspected, and security in general is the tightest in the Empire. Of course, I'll find a way in, but first, we'll have to figure out what we're doing exactly."
Anubis unrolled another map, this one bearing Ketil's handwriting. He had drawn an arial view of the palace, notes in his hand pointing to various outcroppings and precipices. Raziel examined this one, shaking his head.
"I don't know how we're going to do this."
"We can formulate a plan on the way, don't you think?" Anubis said, taking the map back and replacing it in her bag. "If Ketil was here, we could figure out some route, but as Ketil is missing—"
Not dead, Dante thought, just missing.
"—we will collect as much information as we can on our own and then move from there."
The rest of the Order was silent.
"Unless anyone else has a better idea."
Lio stood, "well, we better move on then. We have to be in Kväfjord by sundown. That's a good twenty miles?"
"More than that," Raziel said carefully, slipping a pack on his shoulders. "If we want to get to the Empress in good time we'll have to travel the distance."
Dante stepped back, grabbing her coat and hat. She wrapped her own scarf around Jameson's neck and he pulled his hat down over his ears.
Anubis, adjusted her boots, pulling her dark hair into a single thick braid. She pulled her cowl over her head, looking to Lio. "Go on then, we'll meet you there."
He rested a hand on her shoulder before grabbing his gear and leaving.
"The rest of you," Anubis said softly. "I know this day has already been a disappointment in many ways and Ketil will be missed greatly. We first will complete this mission and then we will find the truth about him. I give my word."
There was something in her eyes, something like sadness or grief. She blinked and that sadness was gone, replaced with her usual apathetic look.
"Alright then," she straightened her posture. "Let's move out."
~~~
"Good evening, Mr. Østberg."
Ketil bowed his head a little, leaning onto a crutch as Elder Sjei bowed back to him. "Good morning to you as well, sir."
"You seem to be healing rather well," he said, walking beside him as they followed Kaia on her business through the marketplace.
"Have you heard the news?"
Ketil furrowed an eyebrow, "the news?"
"It appears the Polarian Navy has taken an island belonging to Rajsend. Just a small island with nothing more than a colony living there, but it belonged to Rajsend."
Kaia looked back at them, "that seems worthy of a declaration of war to me."
Ketil shook his head, "no, it won't be. The Tsar is waiting for our move. If we succeed in the assassination, we will send word. If he receives a declaration of war from Aslaug, then he knows we have failed and are likely dead."
"So he will appease Aslaug's every desire." Kaia let out a sigh. "This seems like a terrible idea."
"That's because it is a terrible idea. I suppose he figures he loses nothing if we fail. We travel faster alone and gather less attention that way." He stopped, grimacing as he leaned his whole weight on his bad ankle. "I wonder what they're doing without me? I wonder if they've decided to go on to Kampsden?"
Kaia adjusted her grip on a heavy wicker basket, holding Kaspar against her chest with her other arm. She dropped the basket, looking back to him as she adjusted her shawl. "What would you rather them do?"
"I don't know. I want to be the one to—" he wrestled with the next word, "—kill my sister. She was the last person to see me as I was and I want to be the last person she sees."
It would also mean more to my people, he thought bitterly. Østberg killing Østberg, that was more normal than an assassination from outsiders.
"Let me help you with that, Kaia." Elder Sjei stooped down, taking the basket on his own shoulders. For an old man, he was quite strong.
"Thank you sir," Kaia whispered, turning to Ketil. "Are you feeling alright? You look a bit flustered."
He nodded quickly, "just thinking."
"Come on, you don't have to walk much farther. Elder Sjei, I can carry that now."
"No, no, let me help. Lord knows I need the exercise." He laughed, his body shaking in response. He looked back to Ketil, "you know, back in my prime, I used to be a lot like you."
Ketil smirked, "I'd gladly trade places with you."
Elder Sjei just shook his head, carefully patting his shoulder. "You won't think that way when you're my age."
If I live that long, Ketil thought.
Kaia made her way through the streets, stopping to speak with another woman who carried a toddler on her hip. The dark haired woman cooed over Kaspar who was curiously reaching toward the things he could see and grabbing onto Kaia's braided hair. She quickly exited the conversation and the woman's eyes went to Ketil.
She bowed, "Prince Østberg."
He grimaced, even though he knew most here knew of who he was. He still bowed a little—as far as his crutches and injuries would allow—before straightening up and quickly limping toward Kaia. He tried to ignore the eyes that slid along his face and back—those icy eyes that knew exactly who he was.
"You're a celebrity here," Elder Sjei elbowed him.
"I'd rather not be. I don't want anyone to get hurt on my behalf."
"Well, I believe if you told people the truth of why you were here, they would agree with you."
"No offense, but your sister is an ass." Kaia muttered.
Ketil laughed, muttering a quick drass as he almost tripped himself on a cobblestone."I am very aware of that."
"I mean that in the kindest way possible, but she couldn't care less about her people."
He pressed a hand to his heart, "I know that too."
"And if given the chance, I would probably choose to slit her throat in an instant."
"Kaia," Elder Sjei muttered.
"You know I would, sir." She looked back, "but that's not my fight." She looked to the market venders, weaving through a table to reach where Olve sat, a mule tethered in the alley behind him.
He looked up to them with a smile, his face was still bruised and a single long scar ran through his eyebrow. "Kaia!" He stood, wrapping his wife in an embrace before picking Kaspar up and lifting him above his head.
The child kicked and smiled as Olve kissed his face over and over again, grabbing fistfuls of the man's hair as he held him. "My beautiful boy," Olve cooed, kissing the baby on his downy head. "You grow bigger every day. Soon you will crawl and walk and run." He smiled, looking to the rest of them. "Look at him, he is the finest son a man could ask for."
Elder Sjei smiled, "you all have been blessed with such a child. He will one day be a great man."
Kaia and Olve both smiled at that, standing close together with Kaspar still cradled by his father.
"Oh! Let me take that from you," Kaia said, grabbing the basket of goods from Elder Sjei. "Thank you for your help, sir. I think I can handle it from here."
He rested a hand on Ketil's shoulder with a smile. "I could see your hands were full. Anything to help good friends."
He turned with a laugh, shouting at a group of kids who were throwing dirty snowballs at an old man. Ketil took a breath, leaning onto his good ankle as he straightened himself out.
"You'll never believe what I found in the river today," Olve said, pulling a small satchel from his pocket. He handed it to Ketil, "you might find them a bit familiar."
Ketil opened it carefully, letting a few ruined playing cards slide onto his palm. "Bejlen cards?"
"They have Rajsend words on the front."
Ketil slid the cards between his fingers, examining the thin Rajsend words on the side. He traced a finger against the silver moon card before finding his way to the black swords card. The images were familiar in their intricacy. He traced his finger against the illustration there before stopping at a pair of letters.
VD.
"Vasco Dracon," Ketil whispered. "These cards are Vasco's!" He smiled, "that means they're upriver. Somewhere. They're alive and continuing the mission."
He laughed then, pressing the cards to his chest. "I've never been happier to see a deck of bejlen cards!"
"This is very good?" Olve said, loading up the small cart behind his mule with the rest of the day's unsold catch. He clucked his tongue and the mule followed him forward so Kaia could place her basket in the cart.
Ketil nodded quickly, "it's very good! It means they're alive and out there! They haven't back-tracked or ran back to Rajsend. They're still here."
"This is wonderful news," Kaia said. "Climb in the back of the cart so you can rest that ankle. This is good, Ketil. The closer you get to the Order, the closer you get to ending the war before it begins."
He sat in the back of the cart, carefully tucking the satchel of cards into his breast pocket. He shimmied past a basket of fish, his legs still dragging against the ground. "This changes things, doesn't it?"
"I think you're in no condition to travel on your own," Kaia said carefully.
The cart underneath him jolted forward, Olve clicking his tongue again as he led the mule through the stalls. "You're right." He stared at his hands, "I don't want to go back anyways. Not now. I'm sure they have a plan. I'll meet up with them when the time is right."
"Fate will bring you together," Olve muttered, the cobblestone roads of the village turning to the well packed trail that ran into the woods. "Fate always has a way of joining things together."
Ketil still felt his fingers wandering up and down the sides of the satchel. "Aras aste ves und," he whispered, the words almost foreign on his tongue.
"There is more than one?" Kaia finished.
"It's something my father used to tell me. There is always more than one way. It's all about choice. We all have a choice of what to do."
"Your father was wise in that way," Olve muttered, whistling to himself.
Ketil was silent as the cart bounced and jolted with the land, sending an occasional blast of pain through his ribs. The baby in Olve's arms deciding to use his entire vocabulary of coos and gurgles, and even an occasional giggle while his father switched to humming and then singing.
His voice was deep and throaty, something Ketil's could never hope to imitate. It echoed through the forest, making him seem much larger than he actually was. "Once there was a girl from Ånjvalla. Pretty and fair was she! In her mind she was queen of the world." His voice changed a little, making the lyrics up as he went. "Her sisters were thorn bushes. And my lady, well, she was a rose. And now my mother-in-law she was the worst of all. That awful wench who named the ass she gave us after me because—"
Kaia elbowed him hard over that one. "Olve, that's not how the song goes and you know it! And my sisters aren't that bad. Besides, Olva is a good mule." She patted the mule's flank, "so my mother named the ass after you? You should feel honored."
He made a face and dodged her next elbow because of it. He switched verses quickly. "Her eyes the deepest of rivers. Her hair spun threads of gold. So fair and handsome was she. And if I was half the man I thought I'd be, I'd ask her to come with me."
Ketil finally understood something.
He was becoming too attached, he didn't want to leave these people or this town. This was the life he'd wanted and never knew about. But he still had a duty to these people—a duty to his people and the people like him in Rajsend that only he could fulfill.
But what about these people? They were something like a family to him, something he'd hadn't felt in a while.
Sure the Order was his family, but sometimes it felt like walking on eggshells with Anubis and Raziel. They weren't Polarian and didn't understand his culture. But Olve and Kaia were his blood, they understood the reason behind his ways.
He pushed away the thoughts deep inside his head and focused on Olve's song.