Page 19 of Sword of Rage
“I’m going to follow the rope and see what happens.”
“Didn’t you just say it wasn’t safe to swim?”
“I’m not swimming,” he assured her. “I’m simply following the rope.”
“And if it doesn’t go anywhere?”
“I can hold my breath for a while. If I don’t find a way out, I’ll come back up.”
Gytha shook her head. “If you don’t return, do you want me to follow you?”
He shrugged. “Only if you want to. Otherwise, remain here. Once I find Owen’s cousin, I’ll return.”
She smiled. “And miss all the fun? I don’t think so.”
For the second time that day, Ackley found himself climbing over the side of a cliff, though this wasn’t nearly as high as the previous one. The sky continued to darken around him. The rough water below smashed against the rocky cliffside, spraying him. Wrapping his arm around the rope, he prayed his body didn’t get slammed into the rocks. He couldn’t afford to be knocked unconscious. Once the water reached his waist, he sucked in as much air as he could, then quickly descended under the water.
The swell pushed him forward. Instead of being tossed against something hard as he’d feared, his body was carried through the water, his hands sliding along the rope which was now above him. In the darkness, he couldn’t see where he was going, but it felt as if he’d entered an underwater tunnel. The rope suddenly ended. Feeling above him, his hands came across the end of a rocky passageway. Not having much air left, he let go of the rope, kicking until his head shot above the water. Ackley sucked in a welcome breath and looked around. He found himself in a small cave.
He swam to the edge, then climbed out, observing the sight before him. Through an opening in the cave, he saw a moon shaped cove. Buildings had been carved into the face of the cliff. Light shone from hundreds of open windows as candles burned inside, revealing people moving about. He blinked. It was unlike anything he’d ever seen before.
Gytha joined him. “Now what?” she whispered, water dripping from her hair. She withdrew her cap from under her waistband, wrung it out, then put it on.
He’d lost his own hat in the water somewhere. “Once we’re not soaking wet, we’ll enter the city.” The wind blew, making him cold, but he welcomed the feeling. It would help keep him alert and awake. He observed the buildings, trying to get a feel for the people inside. Were they dressed differently? Did they speak another language? Owen had a thick accent, but Ackley understood him without much trouble.
“How are we going to find Owen’s cousin?” Gytha sat a few feet away, leaning against the wall of the cave.
Ackley had been contemplating the quickest way to locate her. It would be so much easier to slink around the city without having Gytha as his shadow. However, she’d proven to be capable and hadn’t slowed him down. Maybe he could use her. An idea formed.
“Every time you get that look on your face,” Gytha muttered, “I know I’m not going to like whatever it is you have to say.”
Tilting his head in her direction, his lips curved into a smile. She most definitely wouldn’t like what he was about to suggest.
Harley
“Harley,” Ledger called from the hallway. He knocked before opening the door a couple of inches.
“Go away,” Harley mumbled. “I just came off my shift and need to sleep.” What could he possibly have to say that couldn’t wait until after she got up? She groaned in frustration.
“Rayne spotted ships off the coast.”
That was about the only thing worthy of rousing her. She blinked and peered over at the doorway. Since her room didn’t have a window, she couldn’t see Ledger’s face. All she could make out was the silhouette of his body from the candles burning in the hallway at the inn. She sat up, waving him inside. “Do you think it could be my cousin?” For the first time in weeks, a glimmer of hope surfaced. She lit the candle next to her bed.
Ledger stepped into her room, closing the door behind him. “It’s either him or more Russek soldiers. In either case, we need to discover who it is.”
“Where were they spotted?”
“Heading slightly north of here. There’s an old military cove. If it’s your cousin, that’s probably where he went.” He folded his arms, leaning against the door.
“What’s the plan?” she rubbed her eyes. Exhaustion consumed her. She’d worked all day cleaning the rooms and serving in the tavern. In exchange for a room, she’d agreed to help around the inn. The arrangement had turned into her practically being the only servant in the place. But at least it provided her a roof over her head. Ledger, Rayne, and Milard were working in the barn in exchange for sleeping in it with the animals—which she refused to do.
“Rayne and Milard already left to investigate.”
“What about you?”
Ledger rubbed his forehead. “I’m going to meet with the commander of the soldiers here in Kreng. I’m still trying to convince them to support your cousin.”
For some reason, Ledger always referred to Owen asher cousin. She supposed calling him King Owen offered too much hope. And hope was in short supply these days.
