Page 64 of A War Apart

Most qualified, or most disposable? I immediately hated myself for the thought. Tsar Borislav trusted me. “I will strive to do you justice, your majesty.”

“Who would you have as your companions?”

I went through the list of men in my mind. I couldn’t ask the tsar to part with any of the commanders in the middle of the campaign. “With your permission, I’d like to take Yakov Aleksandrovich. I know he’s young, but he’s loyal. You won’t find anyone more devoted to your cause.” My friend was impulsive, but when he used his mind rather than his fist, he was smart. There was no one I’d rather have with me for something like this.

“Of course. Who else?”

I thought for a moment. “They might be offended if you send a party of all men. Given their matriarchal culture.”

“Pagan nonsense,” Radomir muttered.

“I had thought of that,” the tsar said. “They value strength, especially mental strength. Loath as I am to part with a healer in the middle of a war, I believe Radomir’s daughter may be the best choice.”

The Blood Bastard. The prince didn’t seem surprised by Borislav’s suggestion. Perhaps that had been the cause of their earlier argument. He stood, shaking his head. “This war is changing you, cousin.” He strode out of the tent without waiting for a dismissal.

Borislav turned back to me. “I had hoped he would come to see reason.” He sighed. “Perhaps he will before your return. So, the Blood Bastard and the Barbezht survivors. Do you need anyone else?”

“No, your majesty.” Yakov would be glad to have a purpose and ecstatic once he found out who was joining us.Otets help me.He was going to be insufferable for the next few weeks, alone with just me and the Blood Bastard. It could be a long journey.

“Good. I’ll have what you need brought to your tent. Inform your companions that you’ll leave at dawn.”

I stood, but the tsar motioned for me to sit back down. “There’s one more thing.”

***

It was still dark when we left the next morning, though the snow, thankfully, had stopped. The tsar had provided us with a sleigh and horses, as well as a few small but expensive gifts for the Drakra and the necessary papers and supplies for the journey.

I sat in the driver’s seat, but my mind was back in the tsar’s tent. What he’d asked me to do…I didn’t know if I could do it. It went against every moral, every standard I’d ever held dear.

It was a last resort, I reminded myself. With a little luck and hard work, things wouldn’t come to that. We could persuade the Drakra to join us without employing such drastic measures.

I looked over my shoulder, trying to put my worries away. Yakov was half-asleep, buried beneath the furs, though carefully not touching the Blood Bastard sitting next to him. Lada appeared more awake, watching the snow-covered countryside pass by, but I could tell by the stiff set of her body that she was every bit as aware of Yakov’s presence as he was of hers.

This was going to be a long journey.

I broke the silence. “Thank you for joining us, Lada Radomirovna.”

“Call me Lada.”

I turned my attention back to guiding the horses. “If you’ll call me Han,” I said. “And oncedurachokback there wakes up, you can call him Yakov. Ordurachok.Whichever you prefer.”

Lada laughed.

“I don’t know why we had to leave so early,” Yakov grumbled. “The sun’s not even up yet.”

The sky was, in fact, beginning to lighten in the east, though it remained gray. A cold wind blew, but without the oppressive feeling of impending snow. We wouldn’t be soaked to the skin by the time we stopped for the night.

“I’ll tell you what, Yakov.” I glanced back at my friend. “The next time the tsar tells us to do something, you can let him know it’s too early. Let me know how that goes.”

“I don’t believe this was the tsar’s idea. It was all you and your unholy thoughts of what morning is.”

I shrugged. “As I said, you can talk to the tsar if you’ve got an issue. But it’s too late now, anyway.” To Lada, I said, “Yakov thinks doing anything before midday is a sin against Otets and a personal attack.”

“I can relate, when it’s this cold,” she replied. “We won’t be camping in this weather, will we?”

“Not unless there’s no other choice. We’ll stay at inns if we can find them, or Blood Temples if we can’t. If anyone asks where we’re going, we’re on our way to see my wife’s family while she recovers from Moon Fever in a hospital near the mountains.”

“Does your wife’s family actually live near the East Mountains?”

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