Page 25 of Path of the Dark
8
The Lay of Morwen
The Royal City
The Kingdom of Rithmar
“RYANA … DID YOU hear what I just said?”
Ryana blinked and glanced up from where she’d been staring into her tankard of ale. “No, sorry … can you repeat it?”
Asher gave a sigh of frustration. “I said that we might be able to avoid war with Anthor after all.”
Ryana nodded, distracted, before raising her tankard to her lips. “That’s good news … providing Anthor can be trusted.”
Across the booth, Asher’s silver gaze narrowed. “I was skeptical … as was the king,” he admitted, “but it seems that Elias is actually serious about peace.”
Around themThe Black Boar Innwas even more raucous than usual. A roar of drunken, excited voices filled the long wood paneled space. Behind Asher, perched upon the back of the booth, sat a white hawk. Grim, who’d once been the familiar of Asher’s predecessor, now shadowed Asher instead. The bird’s keen black gaze surveyed its surroundings with unnerving intensity.
Asher and Ryana sat alone at the booth for the moment, for Mira had gone to use the privy.
“Is something amiss?” Asher asked when Ryana didn’t reply to his comment about Elias. “You’re leagues away tonight.”
“I’m just tired. Those new apprentices of the Dark are hard work.” Ryana replied before pulling a face.
Asher snorted. “I know … they never stop asking questions.”
A drunken shout interrupted them. Across the room there was a loud game of dice going on at a table in one corner. The dicers were all well into their cups, and there were accusations of cheating flying.
Ryana’s mouth curved. She was tired and out of sorts, butThe Black Boarwas the best remedy for it. The table of bickering dicers aside, there was a merry atmosphere in the inn this evening. A fug of smoke hung over the room, and the aroma of roasting mutton wafted out from the kitchen. In the corner, a musician was tuning his lyre, ready for an evening’s music.
Leaning back in the booth, Ryana tried to find the reason for her strange mood. The apprentices had nothing to do with it. A few days had passed since the prince of Anthor had followed her into that courtyard garden, and she’d been snappish and on edge ever since. She hadn’t attended any more councils in the past days and had deliberately kept to the House in case she ran into the prince in the palace.
She hated to admit it, but Elias was the reason for her malaise.
“Did I miss anything?” Mira slid back into the booth and reached for the tankard she’d left behind.
“Not much.” Asher slung an arm around her shoulders, smiling. “Although if that argument at the dicing table continues, you'll have a brawl to break up soon.”
Mira arched an eyebrow. “I won't interfere,” she replied. “They can beat each other senseless for all I care.”
“Cheat!” A voice rang out, cutting through the surrounding chatter. “You did it again. I saw you!”
A torrent of abuse followed. A moment later the dicers erupted from their seats and started swinging punches at each other.
Asher heaved a sigh and leaned back in the booth. Reaching up, he pinched the skin between his eyebrows. “Maybe I should stop frequentingThe Black Boar,” he grumbled. “The High Enchanter shouldn’t be seen rubbing shoulders with gamblers and drunks.”
“Listen to you,” Mira mocked. “Think you're too good for these kinds of places nowadays?”
Ryana was about to join Mira in her teasing, when she caught sight of a man and a woman threading their way through the jostling crowd.
The man was shorter than most, with a mop of wavy light-brown hair and a boyishly handsome face. He steered his companion through the crowd, a protective arm about her shoulders. The woman was small and curvaceous with thick, curly red hair and a pretty, freckled face. She had wide brown eyes that anxiously scanned the booths—looking for someone.
Ryana inhaled sharply. “I don’t believe it.” She pushed herself out of the booth and rose to her feet.
“What?” Asher asked, but Ryana was already striding away, crossing the narrow space between her and the newcomers. They had skirted the edge of the room, avoiding the brawl where onlookers were now intervening.
The young woman spotted Ryana then, and a wide smile spread across her face. She broke away from her companion and threw herself at Ryana, crushing her in a tight hug.
