Page 13 of Sword of Rage
“I do.”
“Do you think she is in Kreng of her own free will?” Or had someone kidnapped her, dragging her there in order to lure Owen to Kreng so he could be murdered?
“I certainly hope so. I also pray she has remained a free citizen.”
“Are you afraid that those ruling Kreng may have taken her hostage?” Ackley asked, getting to what he suspected was the heart of the matter.
Owen stood. “While we’ve gotten along peacefully for decades, they may be holding her captive to use as a bargaining chip with Russek. It’s what I would do to keep an enemy off my land.”
Knowing that this mission would require someone of Ackley’s skillset and that this cousin could be Owen’s sole remaining family member, he had little choice. “I’ll find her for you.” It was the least he could do for Owen. Especially since Owen had helped Ackley recover Idina when she’d been kidnapped.
The lines around Owen’s eyes relaxed. “Disembarking will begin shortly.”
That was the best thing Ackley had heard in a long time. The sooner he got off this blasted ship, the better.
* * *
Ackley cursed. As he stood on the shore, he could swear the ground moved up and down, just as the ocean did.
Gytha patted his back. “They say it only lasts a day or two.”
He knew it would take a couple of days to feel normal. What he didn’t expect was to not have a reprieve—no matter how small that might be.
She jerked her head to the north. “Let’s go.”
Reluctantly, Ackley followed her, hoping he didn’t topple over like a drunk fool. The half circle cove was carved into a mountainside. The narrow beach wasn’t large enough for the hundreds of men still making their way to shore. Where the ones who’d already disembarked went, he didn’t know. At the northern end, there appeared to be a cave cut into the rocks. Gytha headed straight for it, entering the darkness without hesitation. Ackley followed, but his vision struggled to adjust to the solid black around him after spending so many days in the bright sunlight. After a hundred feet, the tunnel opened to a large grassy area surrounded by steep mountains.
“We’re setting up camp here.” Gytha motioned to the soldiers already busy erecting tents.
Ackley squinted, scanning the mountaintops. “Isn’t this too exposed?”
“Owen insisted it’s safe.” She folded her arms. “This was all decided at our meetings.”
Of which he hadn’t attended. He pressed his palm against his forehead, willing his queasy stomach to settle into something more manageable. Maybe eating would help now that he had two legs firmly planted on the ground.
“Your tent is over there. I suggest you go and rest. You look like death. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to help Idina.” Gytha bowed, then left.
Ackley focused on the tent she’d pointed out. Maybe if he rested a bit, the ground would stop moving. Forcing one foot in front of the other, he went to his tent. Once inside, he stretched out on the bedroll and pinched his eyes shut. He hated relying on others to make sure the area was secure, the tents erected, and people had been put on watch. However, he was useless in his current state. And maybe, just maybe, a couple hours of rest would get him back to some semblance of normalcy.
He drifted in and out of sleep for the next several hours, knowing Gytha would get him if trouble arose. When the dim light of dawn cut through the entrance of his tent, he sat up. A bowl of some sort of soup had been placed just inside the tent flap. Needing to regain his strength, he made himself eat the cold soup. It wasn’t that bad. For the first time in two weeks, his stomach didn’t cramp with the need to expel its contents. He stood and stretched. And then he gagged. Not from the food or the feeling of going up and down, but from the awful stench radiating from his body and clothes. He needed a bath. Desperately. How had he not noticed how awful he smelled until now? His belongings were stashed in one of the corners. After he bathed, he’d change.
Exiting the tent, he scanned the area. Hundreds of tents were set up in the grassy valley. Next to his were two larger ones; most likely Owen’s and Idina’s. Gytha was probably stationed inside with his sister.
Movement caught his attention. To the north, three soldiers began climbing the steep mountain. It appeared steps had been carved into the rocky side. Wanting to find out where they were going and what lay beyond the surrounding mountains, Ackley ran over, climbing the steps after them. In order to curb the sensation that the steps were moving like water, he kept one hand on the rocky wall next to him. He wasn’t used to having any sort of a physical limitation that kept him from doing what needed to be done. At least the perception of swaying had lessened significantly from yesterday. Hopefully by tomorrow, the world around him would remain steady.
At the top, the three soldiers spread out, relieving the others to take up watch. Ackley joined them and scanned the surrounding area. While he’d initially had concerns with Owen choosing to set up camp in a valley surrounded by mountains, he now understood his worry had been for nothing. The other side of the steep mountain was rugged and impossible to traverse. One of the soldiers explained that the only way in or out of this secluded valley was through a tunnel. And if anyone tried to go that way, the narrow entrance would serve as a bottleneck, prohibiting large groups from getting in. An additional half dozen soldiers were on duty there.
Not seeing a single city or dwelling in sight, Ackley thanked the soldiers and headed back down the steep steps. At the bottom, he inquired about a place to bathe and was directed to the cove where they’d come on shore yesterday. Apparently, there was a freshwater area to clean up in. After a thorough bath, exhaustion consumed him. He made his way back to his tent and climbed inside. Tomorrow, everything would stop swaying and he’d feel better. Tomorrow, he’d be back to normal. Himself. Tomorrow…
* * *
Ackley woke up. The fabric of his tent remained in one place, unmoving. He breathed a sigh of relief. For the first time in weeks, the world around him didn’t sway. After dressing, he exited the tent and headed for the larger one with the flag atop it, assuming he would find Owen in there.
A soldier standing guard granted him entrance. Ackley stepped inside and spotted the new king hunched over a table covered with maps.
When Ackley approached, Owen glanced up. “Nice to see you up and about instead of sprawled out half-dead somewhere.”
“It was all an act so I didn’t have to work on the ship,” Ackley said with a sly smile.
