Page 17 of Sword of Rage
A pungent odor hung in the air. “Do you smell that?” he asked.
“What is it?” Gytha wrinkled her nose.
“Ash.” He knew the stench well. After Reid’s castle had burned to the ground, he’d had the smell stuck in his head for weeks.
Gytha withdrew her short sword as they crested the small rise, coming to a stop at the sight before them. The skeleton of a village was all that remained.
“I guess it’s safe to say Russek passed through here.” Ackley folded his arms, not wanting to go any closer. The stone well in the center was the only thing left untouched. All of the structures were charred rubble.
“This looks like a simple farming village,” Gytha muttered, nodding to the crops on the eastern side. “Not a military outpost.”
Along the southern perimeter, spikes had been placed in the ground. On top of each spike were the remains of a human skull. Owen had warned Ackley that the Russek warriors were vicious. But this…murdering innocent people. He shook his head. “No one’s here. Let’s continue on.” He hoped Kreng wasn’t decimated as well. For Russek to have come this far west, well, the chances of any town remaining were slim.
Once Owen reclaimed his kingdom from Russek, would anything be left? Or would Owen have a ravaged land with no farmers to work it? Ackley didn’t know if he could leave his sister here to such a bleak future.
“Why would they bother with a small village?” Gytha asked. “It makes no sense.”
The day he learned Eldon, his half brother, had murdered his father, he’d stopped trying to make sense of things. Sometimes people did terrible deeds. Trying to figure out why only led to more problems. “We have a mission,” he reminded her. “Let’s focus on that.”
* * *
The dirt road turned decidedly inland. The city Ackley needed to reach was along the coast, due south. Assuming he’d read the map correctly. Trusting he had, he headed that way, thankful Gytha didn’t question him.
After another three or so miles, they came to a river. Not having any time to waste locating an alternate path, Ackley removed his shirt and pants, rolled them up, and tucked them in his bag.
“What are you doing?” Gytha demanded.
“I thought I’d wash my clothes,” he said sarcastically. “Maybe sunbathe.” He tied the top of his bag closed. Satisfied nothing would fall out, he took a few steps back from the edge of the river. Then he ran and hurled his bag to the other side. It just made it. Now he had to cross. Even though he could swim, the strength of the current concerned him since the water appeared to be rushing by fairly quickly. The bottom of the river looked rocky, and he’d have to be careful not to lose his footing.
Without waiting for Gytha, he stepped into the brisk water. The pull of the current caused his right foot to slip, so he widened his stance. Swimming would be safer than trying to traverse the rocky river. He angled his body toward the shore on the opposite side and took another step. The water reached his knees. Another careful step and the water went up to his waist. Deep enough to swim. He pushed off, keeping his body angled toward the other side as he swam with the current. Three feet from the shore, he dug his heels in, slowing his speed until he regained his footing. A few rocks sliced his skin, but not badly. After climbing out of the water and onto the shore, he headed to where he’d thrown his bag.
Gytha crossed the river the same way Ackley had, joining him a few minutes later. Her wet body shook from the crisp air.
They quickly dressed, then continued south. About a mile later, Ackley stopped, observing the area around them. On the horizon, the sun touched the water, about to set, casting an orange glow over the land.
“What is it?” Gytha whispered, her hand on her sword.
Up until this point, they’d been traveling alongside brown knee-high grass. Here, the grass only went to his ankles. And it smelled different, too. The tang of salt from the sea and the aroma of dry vegetation had been replaced with a mixture of spices and smoke.
“Ackley?”
“The city,” he murmured. “It’s here.”
Gytha scanned the area. “Here where?” she asked, turning in a slow circle.
Given the late hour, Ackley contemplated the pros and cons of locating the city before dark. They could sleep out here in the open, under the stars, and find the city in the morning. Or they could try and find it now, not knowing where they’d sleep once they found it. He tilted his head to the side, cracking his neck. With the city nearby, he had to be concerned with sentries patrolling the area.
“Hide your hair,” he instructed Gytha. “This kingdom is more closely aligned to northern Marsden than the Axian you grew up in. Here, women wear dresses and are subservient to men.”
Gytha snorted but didn’t argue. She wound her braid around her head, then covered it with a cap. “Now what?”
“Kreng trades with Marsden,” he thought out loud. “Which means they have a port.” He headed to the edge of the land, facing the ocean. The ground dropped straight down to the unrelenting water, fifty feet below. Even though he couldn’t see the waves crashing against the cliffside, he could hear them. Which meant the land he was standing on jutted out slightly more than the lower portion. Kneeling, he laid on his stomach, then scooted toward the edge of the cliff.
“What are you doing?” Gytha hissed, grabbing his ankles to prevent him from falling over the side.
He tried not to bristle at her touch—she was just being helpful. But he didn’t need help. He never needed help. He was fully capable of doing this on his own. Swallowing the retort on the edge of his tongue, he said, “There’s something down there.” He was certain of it.
Peering over the side, he saw buildings carved into the face of the rocky cliff, a port, and people milling about. He scooted back, amazed that an entire city could be hidden like that. “The question is, how do we get down there?” As far as he could see, he couldn’t tell if Russek occupied the city or not. If he had to guess, he didn’t think so, since nothing appeared burned and there was life. Most likely, Russek didn’t know about this city so they went right on by it.
