Page 20 of Crown of Iron
He spares me a side-long glance. “We’ll see how I feel after he makes me pay for it during physical training tomorrow morning.”
My gut wrenches at the thought of Leif getting in trouble because of me. The last thing I wanted to do is make his life difficult. This is his secondhome and I know he enjoys his time here. He's worked hard to get to where he is, and I hate to think I'm setting him back.
“If it’s any consolation, you did get me a room next to Greer's. I'm sure that will be torturous for me.”
His lips quirk to one side, and he shakes his head. “Just be thankful you aren't sleeping with the pigs.”
Statera help me, but I am.
Seven
When I was a little girl, my father always said I had enough energy to light up the sky in the middle of the night. I was nonstop chattering and moving limbs. It wasn't just my body always on the move, but my mind as well. I could complete Borin's assignments in mathematics, language, science, and history within minutes. I ran faster than the other children and ate my food like a famine was coming. As a girl, I strived to do everything with speed. Unfortunately, I outgrew my need to be in constant rapid motion, and my body stopped reacting like it once did.
Days under the sun tending to the animals and pruning the gardens take their toll on my muscles. I ache right down to the bone, not to mention the red, burned skin covering my face. It’s not the first time I’ve done manual labor. Papa, Micah, and Borin made sure that I knew the true meaning of serving our people, but it was nothing compared to this. Every task assigned to me for the past five days, I've tackled with the same eagerness I'd displayed as a child, and I've paid the price for it. Today was no different.
Two young goats found their way out of their pen, and I chased them through the woods. It took me hours to corner them, and the hike back was just as grueling. With a goat under each arm, I walked an hour back to Basecamp. Sweat soaked my clothes, and my arms burned from restraining the squirming animals. By the time I had them in their pen, the sky was ablanket of midnight blue and the galaxies on full display.
I walk through the streets, kicking up dust under my dragging boots. The rustic buildings are quiet, vacant other than the chirping crickets trapped inside. Light posts with small oil burning flames light the way, stretching my shadows into dark monsters around me. Barrack doors open and close, mingling with the boisterous conversations of the soldiers sitting around fires throughout the camp. The people who protect our kingdom take advantage of the night, destressing with a cup of ale and the company of comrades.
My stomach grumbles as the dining hall comes into view. I haven't eaten since breakfast and ran on fumes toting the goats home. If my legs didn't feel like soggy noodles, I might run toward the meal awaiting me, but my low energy has limited me to measured steps. I close the distance and sigh when I reach the steps leading to the front door. I grip the railing to steady myself and climb the first step.
The doors swing open, and a group of soldiers wearing stained white aprons walks out, smelling of stew and laughing.
“No,” I say, unable to stop the word from coming out as a whine.
The lead cook, a hefty man with dark curly hair, looks down at me. The set of keys in his meaty hand jingles as he pushes one into the door's lock. “We stopped servin' dinner over an hour ago.”
“But—”
“No exceptions, girl. You come on time, or ya don't eat.”
Nothing about this day has gone my way. I don't know why I thought eating dinner would be any different. It's fitting that I'm left to satisfy myhunger with the dried berries and nuts I keep in my room. The meager meal will have to suffice my rumbling stomach until breakfast.
“Yes, sir,” I mumble and turn toward the barracks.
It feels like years pass by the time I reach the building housing my quarters. The door is heavier than normal as I wrench it open and slide inside. I try not to think about the sounds my stomach makes or the two flights of stairs awaiting me. Instead, I focus on the muscle relaxing herbs I can add to my bath and the small, warm bed I get to sleep in. Not only can I spend the night in a real bed, but I can spend the entire day in it. Tomorrow will be my first day with no work since arriving at Basecamp.
By the time I reach my floor, I can barely lift my legs. Just one more hallway and I can stumble into bed. In an effort not to rattle my bones, I move with small, soft steps. The closer I get to my room, the clearer the voices become from the floor's common area. It isn't unheard of for conversations to run deep into the night around here. I learned early on that I, a girl who tends to the pigs, am housed in the officer's barracks. I'd like to think it's because they saw my value, but I know it's so Greer can keep an eye on me. Not only do I not trust Kyron, but it appears he doesn't trust me either.
“If only they knew the shit you do.”
“None of these assholes need to know how I spend my spare time. In fact, I wishyouassholes didn't know.”
I pause at the sound of the two familiar voices—Ulric and Kyron.
“There will come a day when you don't have to do this anymore,” Greer says.
I inch closer to the end of the hall and peek around the corner. Kyron, Greer, Terro, and Ulric are stretched out on the worn leather couches and chairs that furnish the small space. A single lantern hangs on the wall lighting the room in warm gold. They each hold a glass of whiskey in their hand with a half empty bottle on the side table. Everyone has discarded their jackets, draping them over the back of their seats. I jerk behind the wall and lean against it.
“Well, until they have a handle on it, I'm going to spend my time rectifying the situation. And I don't need any of you slipping up about what I'm doing. If anyone sees me leave tomorrow morning, tell them I was called away to meet with the king,” Kyron says with a hint of anger in his tone. I'm well versed in that sound since it seems to be the only one he ever uses when talking to me. I can't imagine what one of his loyal flunkies did to get under his skin.
“We've kept your secret this long. Fuck, we've even contributed to it,” Terro says followed by his lips smacking after he takes a drink from his cup.
A coin bounces on a hard surface and Greer says, “No reason to stop now. Fork it up, you two. This is a better cause than funding your gambling and sexual habits.”
The ting and whirl of spinning coins clamors in the common area.
I slide forward enough to catch Kyron collecting the coins into a leather pouch and saying, “This is my thing, but I appreciate the donations to the cause.”
