Page 14 of Sword of Rage
Owen folded his arms, considering him. “You’re a prince. I sincerely doubt I could make you do anything you didn’t want to do.”
Ackley laughed. “True.” He came around the side of the table so he could see the map of Melenia better. “What’s the plan?”
“The army will remain here while I send out scouts. Once they inspect the nearby cities and report back to me, I’ll decide how to proceed.” He folded his hands behind his back, his blue eyes focused on the map. “Since most everyone will remain here, doing nothing, it’s the perfect opportunity for you to head south to Kreng. You leave as soon as you’re ready.”
Ackley noted the way Owen’s back arched, the line across his forehead, and that his right foot hadn’t stopped tapping. “You seem unusually tense.”
Owen nodded. “As the fourth child, I didn’t train in battle strategy, moving an army across a kingdom, or politics.” He closed his eyes. “I was never meant to have the throne.” He opened his eyes and glanced at Ackley.
Ackley shrugged. “My father never knew what to do with me either.” As the third born son, there had been no need for Ackley to learn those things. His father had wanted him to go into finance. Since he found the study of numbers so boring, he’d pretended he couldn’t add or subtract. Thankfully, his father had let him learn sword work instead. And then there was the matter of Anna stepping in and recruiting him as a knight.
“Don’t forget that my sister can help you,” Ackley said. “You don’t have to carry the burden alone.” Idina had an uncanny knack for spotting patterns and understanding people’s motivations. Ackley scanned the map, searching for Kreng. It was just south of their current location. It should only take him a day or two to reach it. “There are also several good, qualified men here who can give you counsel. Utilize them. Don’t try and do it all on your own.”
“It would be nice to have a commander.”
Ackley agreed. However, since Commander Beck had turned out to be a traitor, it was best the man was dead. “You should probably appoint a new one.”
“I know.” Owen rubbed his face. “There’s so much to do.”
“What do you want the scouts to discover?”
“I need to find out how ravaged the kingdom is. How many towns have been destroyed? Where are the Russek soldiers located?” He swallowed, anger clouding his eyes. “I swear I’ll kill King Drenton and his son, Prince Kerdan. I won’t rest until I’ve run my sword through both of them.”
Ackley nodded, wondering if either the king or prince were here leading their men, or if they remained safely holed up in Russek.
“Before I can focus on revenge, I need to know if my cousin is alive and well.”
“I’ll leave right away for Kreng. I’ll find her. I promise.”
“I’d like to request something of you.” Owen sat on the edge of the table.
“Something besides me going on a mission to rescue your cousin?” He smiled sardonically. Not that he minded doing this errand for Owen. In fact, he’d much prefer to go rescue a damsel in distress than sit around here for several days.
“Please be kind to her. I don’t know what she’s been through.”
“Of course I’ll be kind.” He wasn’t a monster.
“Maybe I didn’t say that right,” Owen muttered. “I want you to treat her as you would your own sister. Be friendly, nice, and accommodating. If that’s even possible.”
Ackley snorted. Instead of replying, he studied the map, contemplating how he would make his way to Kreng since he’d need to avoid major roads. “When I get to the city, I’ll need to be able to identify your cousin.”
Owen nodded, his shoulders rising and falling. “Her name is Harley. She’s eighteen years old. She has long blonde hair and blue eyes.”
Ackley gripped Owen’s shoulder in reassurance. “I’ll find her. I promise.” After all, this was what he’d been trained to do. If Harley was in Kreng, it was only a matter of time until he discovered her whereabouts.
“There’s one more thing you should know. The only way to reach Kreng is by water.”
“Water?” Ackley repeated, wanting to make sure he’d heard correctly.
Owen nodded. “The city is well protected.”
Ackley would swim there before he’d step foot in another boat. “Good to know. It shouldn’t take me more than a week to get there, locate her, and return here.” Hopefully Harley wasn’t dead. That would certainly complicate matters.
“My cousin could be in prison,” Owen reminded him. “It might take you longer than a week if that’s the case.”
Ackley’s lips curved into a smile. “You forget, I’m an expert locksmith. Prison or not, I’ll rescue your cousin.” He headed toward the exit.
“Will you be taking anyone with you? Gytha seems the most logical choice.”
