Page 23 of The Empty Throne

"Ayuh," the barkeep replied. "Wanting lunch?That's additional."

"Whatever soup you have for the day, andplenty of bread and beer." Bittersea set the coins on the bar. "Anyboats that can take me out tonight or tomorrow?"

The barkeep tucked the coins away and pouredhim a cup of dark beer. "Ayuh, if the weather holds, but they saywe'll be getting a storm tonight, possibly even a blizzard, socould be ain't nobody going anywhere for a few days."

Bittersea swore softly. "Thanks." Taking thebeer, he settled in a corner seat facing the entrance and anyonewho tried to approach him. A few would, seeking gossip, but they'dleave disappointed.

A few minutes later the barkeep brought overa bowl of creamy fish chowder, a platter of still-steaming bread,nutty and dark, and a pitcher of beer. "Let me know if you needanything else."

"My thanks."

He ate in relative solitude, bothered only bya couple of people who quickly decided they had somewhere else tobe, his mind mostly on all that was ahead of him, and all thatSobeki had told him.

All the bloodshed likely to come before thismess was set to rights, one way or another.

Eight

Oskia crossed into Terek in the midst of ablizzard. She'd made most of the longitudinal journey in Cremisio,but now there was no avoiding entering Terek. No avoiding theattention she would draw if the wrong people saw her eyes and knewthem for what they were. While that was unlikely, given the rarityof Witch Eyes, it was still a risk.

On the other hand, now that Endless Night hadfallen, she didn't need to wear protective glasses wherever shewent. This was always her favorite time of year, simply for thatone small thing. Everyone else struggled in the dark, but she couldsee perfectly. In clear weather, she'd take long walks along thebeach, enjoying the moon, the stars, Holy Shatar's lights. The bestfestivals took place during this time of year, to help drive offthe oppressiveness that Endless Night could bring.

If only her greatest concern was havingenough food for the Moon Festival. Instead, she was travelingthrough a blizzard to commit murder and treason.

Thankfully, the blizzard was exactly what sheneeded. It allowed her to cling to one of the merchant cartspassing through the gates, one more faceless person in thewind-whipped chaos. Once through, she slipped away again, lost inthe crowd of people eager to be anywhere that wasn't outside.

The first order of business was clothes: shecould not stay in her Cremision garments much longer withoutdrawing that attention she was working so hard to avoid. Whileborder towns like this cared little about the wars of politicians,soldiers paid to care would be out in droves until the latest wardid or didn't happen.

Hastening into the first promising alleyway,mostly hidden by the sharp turn it took at the end, she swapped hercurrent clothes for Terekian dress: thick tights, sturdy boots withteeth affixed to walk through the snow and ice more easily,additional knitted wool legwarmers that went up to the thighs, madeof myriad bands of bright colors. A skirt that stopped just abovethe knees, trimmed in fur, embroidered with colorful geometricpatterns, a linen undershirt, wool shirt, and short jacket to matchthe skirt, with a brilliant scarlet sash at the waist. Finally shepulled up the hood of the jacket, lined and trimmed in the samedark fur as the rest of the outfit, and pulled up the facecoverings that would protect her face from abuse.

Her Cremision clothes were not so different,save that they were meant to contend with the ocean as much as withthe land.

Slinging the bag with her abandoned clothesover her shoulder, she resumed her journey, this time to a placeshe could safely wait out the storm.

She picked the first tavern she saw that was:open, not a place guards were likely to trawl, and wasn't toobrightly lit. Heaving a sigh, she took a seat where she could watchthe rest of the room and ordered tea and a bowl of somethinghot.

Something hot proved to be beef stew, made ina way that was a combination of Terek and Cremin styles, made withdaikon and scallions, rice wine, soy sauce and oyster sauce, andvarious spices more common to Cremin than Terek. The tea was therich, fermented black tea favored by Terek, sweetened with honey aswas common in cold months.

The storm had not remotely abated by the timeshe finished her meal, so she secured a bed for the night, thoughthe sudden storm meant many other people were doing the same.Thankfully, she was able to secure a spot there in the dining room,and her bedroll would more than suffice to protect her from thecold floor. The fireplace would take care of the rest.

She slipped out to relieve herself in anouthouse, then returned and sipped on tea until the tables werecleared away for the night.

How long would this damned storm keep herhere? Leaving aside she had no time to waste, the longer she heldstill, the likelier the chance that Sobeki would find her, and thatwas the very last thing she needed. She'd rather face Terekianguards than Sobeki right now.

Despite everything, the decision she'd madeand the time that had passed, the familiar ache rose in her heart.She'd turned Sobeki down, rejected his suit, and she'd done so forgood and necessary reasons.

Every now and then, though, she still wishedshe could have made a different choice. She was now Matriarch ofBeltres, and she couldn't disregard her duties, her legacy, herfamily, to take up as the wife of an entirely different house.

Holy Shatar, she shuddered to think of howmuch more of a mess she would be in right now if she had acceptedSobeki's suit, if she was even now his betrothed, his wife…

Sighing, she sat up and scrubbed at her face,careful not to make so much noise in her restlessness that shedisturbed the people around her. Standing, she went to the windowand pulled back the drapes. Outside, the snow was already piled upto the sill and still falling. By morning, it would nearly coverthe window, if not pass it.

Fuck. This was the very last thing sheneeded. Leaving aside the urgency of her quest, if she had to staylocked up in a random tavern with a bunch of equally restless andcranky strangers, somebody was going to die.

Beyond the window, the world was white,bathed in moonglow, smoke just visible to her eyes, along with theshadows of people beyond closed drapes. Here and there was aglimpse of people braving the snow, guards by their movements andbulk. Even more rarely was a glimpse of the hardy cats that thrivedin this weather, their eyes shining, coats either blending into thesnow or into the surrounding darkness. They hunted when preciouslittle else bothered, at least within the city. Out in the ruralareas, where the inexperienced couldn't tell when they walked onground and when they walked on ice, many dangers lurked.

It was a treacherous area she'd have to crossin order to reach Kenten, an area she'd vastly prefer to travelwith heavy guard. That wasn't an option, however, not when she wascommitting treason.

Sighing softly, pushing away a thousand achesand useless wishes, Oskia turned to head back to her bedroll—andstopped as a familiar prickle rubbed at the back of her neck, likeicy fingers gently stroking. Shatar damn that infuriating brat.

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