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He froze in the act of brushing. “You’re sure?”

“I’m very familiar with how they look,” her dry retort.

“Dammit,” Gustav cursed. “I can’t be seen, and neither can you.”

She snorted. “As if they’d recognize me.” For one, she’d never been well known, and secondly, she’d continued to wear breeches and shirts, having acquired a new bedraggled set that allowed her to fit in among the citizens that remained. Most wore ragged clothing, a sign of the poverty flagging this once-busy port.

Of the queen, lady, and rook that fled the capital, nothing identifying them remained. She and Josslyn looked nothing like ladies, but Gustav, even though he’d shed his military jacket, couldn’t erase decades of rigid posture and command.

“You can’t assume they don’t know your face, not to mention, your coloring makes you stand out,” Gustav pointed out.

“Not here it doesn’t.” Much like Horizon’s End, Seaserpent boasted a slightly more diverse population, meaning not everyone had the fair hair and skin common among Daervians. It made her feel less an outsider. She’d often lamented when young how no one resembled her.

“Doesn’t matter. We can’t take a chance. I want you and Lynette to stay in your rooms.” Lynette being the name Josslyn took on.

“What about you?”

“I’m going to find out who they are and why they’ve come.”

“You’re more likely to be recognized,” she tartly informed her rook.

“I’m aware,” Gustav’s grim reply. “Hence why I’ll be observing surreptitiously. Now git before you’re spotted.”

Avera hustled from the barn. A quick glance up the road showed the soldiers had reached the top end of the main street. Would they be staying at the inn? It seemed likely, given no others had remained open since the exodus of citizens.

She entered the tavern to see it busier than usual with faces she’d not seen before. Most likely the crew of the ship that just docked. A burly fellow, with a bald pate, speaking with Korr met her gaze briefly, and she had a moment of surprise seeing his swarthy complexion. Verlorian? No time to find out. She bolted up the steps and banged on Josslyn’s door.

Her friend opened it with a frown. “What’s wrong?”

“Soldiers,” Avera whispered as she entered the chamber.

Face tight with worry, Josslyn closed the door. “Are they here for us?”

Avera rolled her shoulders. “I don’t know. Gustav wants us to stay out of sight while he finds out.”

“That idiot. They’ll know who he is the moment they spot him.”

“He claims he’ll spy out of sight.”

“Even so, if those soldiers ask the barkeep, or anyone for that matter, they’ll be able to describe us.”

“They’ll be looking for women noble born. You and I hardly look like ladies.”

“Don’t be so sure of that. The way we speak and even our mannerisms might give us away. While Gustav still looks and sounds like a soldier. Not to mention, he’s got a pretty distinct visage and while it’s not uncommon for a man to have a sword, his has a recognizable hilt,” Josslyn opined as she paced.

“Could be we panic for nothing. They might just be here on a patrol to see how things are.” Her mother’s ledgers had mentioned sending troops around every so often to check on the port.

Josslyn whipped around with an arched brow. “Do you really believe that?”

Her pointed query had Avera slumping. “No. Benoit most likely sent them, and if they arrived so quickly, then they most likely rode hard. But how would he know we’re here?”

“Most likely covering all the possibilities. If I were him, I’d be sending soldiers to every city and town and hamlet, asking if anyone knew our whereabouts.”

“Will they kill or arrest us, do you think?”

“I don’t know, but I aim to find out.” Josslyn undid the ribbon holding back her hair and shook it out. She then shed a bulky sweater and undid a button on her shirt before tucking the hem into her snug britches. Despite the masculine clothes, there was no denying her feminine nature. At the same time, she no longer appeared as the graceful lady Avera first met in the capital.

“Wait, you can’t mean to go out there. Gustav said?—”