Page 7

Deni waved his arm, and she urged her horse into a canter to reach him, trying to shake off the melancholy of what was to come when the truth was revealed.

Deni was a friend, and she had so few of those.

“You speak Skäddar, don't you?” He smiled at her as the wind played with his long plait.

“Yes.” Very fortunately for the lie she was living here, she did. Carila had spoken it, and he had taught her everything he knew.

“There's a missive for the general from the Skäddar, but it's in their language, and the general doesn't read or write Skäddar.”

That was interesting.

Ava followed Deni to the very head of the column.

She hadn't come into contact with the general yet, and only interacted briefly with her lieutenants when she was assigned her duties for the day.

She was in no hurry to attract their attention, but it might be worth it to find out what the Skäddar had to say about the Rising Wave and the war Luc was taking to Kassia's capital.

Sybyl was waiting for them, off to the side, and they joined her.

The general and two of her lieutenants were bent over a missive, and a Skäddar warrior sat on a short, sturdy pony near them, the blue and green whorls of decoration on his face absolutely fascinating to Ava.

She nudged her mare toward him, until she was right beside him. “Greetings.”

He looked away from the general slowly, eyes narrowed.

“Do you mind if I look at the beautiful patterns on your face?”

The Skäddar's eyes narrowed a little more. “Why?”

“The design is complex and beautiful and I'm interested in patterns.”

“Your Skäddar is rough.” The warrior went back to watching the general.

“I know. I'm sorry. I think I'm the best you're going to get.”

“I can understand you, so that is all that is necessary.”

Ava couldn't help moving a little closer, her gaze still fixed on his face. The design looked very complex from afar, but she had the sense that if she got a little closer, she would discover it was actually simple but clever.

“No closer.”

With a sigh, Ava backed away. “Whatever they mean and whoever painted them, my compliments.”

The Skäddar flashed her a look of surprise, but before he could say anything, Deni rode up.

“The general wants you now.”

With a nod to the warrior, she turned her horse and trotted up to the general with her gaze lowered.

“You spoke to him?” The general's voice made her look up and catch her gaze.

She nodded.

“What did he say?”

Ava's mouth quirked. “That my Skäddar is rough but he can understand me well enough.”

The general looked at her with what seemed to be expressionless eyes.