Page 80 of Sword of Desire
“Good,” Gytha replied. “But I didn’t ask.”
“Sorry,” he said. “I thought I heard you say something.”
She hadn’t. Maybe a muttered curse for Ackley, but that was it.
“We’re just heading to that house.” He pointed at the shack.
If the wind blew hard enough, Gytha was certain it would fall over. “What will be happening in that shack?” It barely looked big enough for the two of them, and this tree of a man wasn’t her type.
If she even had a type. Between Dexter and Ackley, she was done. She didn’t care who she met or what she felt for any man. The next year would be all about Gytha. She intended on becoming a more proficient fighter, learning to use two swords at once, and practicing with her daggers more. While using daggers in close quarters was easy enough, she wanted to be able to throw them at longer ranges and with greater accuracy.
“Here,” the man said.
Like she couldn’t have figured out they’d arrived as they stood before a door.
The man kicked his boots on the porch—really, a board—and then stepped onto it, opening the door.
Gytha did the same, ridding them of what little snow they’d accumulated. When she entered the room, she blinked, trying to get her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting.
“It’s about time,” a familiar voice said.
Gytha squinted, just to be sure. “What in the hell are you doing here, Brodek?” she asked. He should be in Emperion where he belonged, not Russek.
“Funny you should ask.” He stood from the table. “I have a proposition for you.”
She eyed him. He had on some sort of furry hat and a wrap similar to what her guide wore, making him look ridiculous. On the Russeks, the fur clothing seemed fitting. On Brodek, not so much.
“I’ll wait outside,” the Russek man said. “When you’re done, let me know.”
Brodek nodded. Once the man left, Brodek gestured to the chair across from him.
Gytha sat. She had so many questions for Brodek that she didn’t even know where to start.
“My empress is impressed with you,” he said. “She would like to employ your services.”
Gytha folded her arms, trying to hide her shock. “Why are we in Russek?” She originally came to the kingdom as a favor for Ackley. He wanted her to meet with Kerdan’s man and get permission for the Marsden army to travel through Russek. Somewhere along the way, all that changed, and she ended up following that man here, to Brodek. If a meeting was what he wanted, she would much rather have done it somewhere more convenient, not in the middle of a mountain range. It was too bloody cold there.
“The job Empress Rema would like to employ you for is here in Russek.” He removed his furry hat, running his hands through his hair. “I told her you wouldn’t do it. That you’d want to return home with Ackley. But she insisted I bring you here and show you.”
When Gytha had met Rema, she hadn’t thought much beyond her being a pampered ruler at first. After listening to her talk to Ackley, she started to realize the woman was shrewd. If she wanted something from Gytha, and Gytha didn’t want to give it to her, would Rema order her execution? She shivered. “Show me what, exactly?”
“First of all,” Brodek said, standing, “I’m only the messenger. I will not be working with you at all. Kerdan will assign someone.”
Gytha stood, suddenly nervous.
He went to the corner of the small shack, kneeling on the floor. He pushed on a floorboard, then popped a trap door open. He climbed down, disappearing from her sight.
Gytha went around the table and peered inside the hole in the floor. She saw a ladder and the top of Brodek’s head. Silently cursing Ackley for getting her into this mess, she started to descend the ladder. It felt like she went down at least five levels. Thankfully, the air turned warmer. At the bottom, Brodek grabbed her arm, pulling her forward in the darkness. She heard what sounded like a door. He pushed it open, and light burst out.
Gytha stepped into a massive cavern lit by hundreds of torches. “What is this place?” Pathways had been carved into the sides and there were several holes which appeared to lead to rooms. At the bottom, a large, flat surface.
“If you accept the position, this will be your training ground,” Brodek said.
“Training ground for what?”
“An elite unit of women fighters. So, what do you think? Emperion will pay you handsomely for your services.”
This place was enormous and would be perfect for training people to fight. But she wouldn’t be training people. She’d be training women. She still had so many questions. “I don’t understand.” Why was she here in Russek and not Emperion? She didn’t want to be caught up in some political mess and train women to assassinate rulers.
