Page 95

CHAPTER NINETY-FIVE

Ellery

Over the next couple of weeks, we worked to strengthen the encampment further, prepare for winter, and bring in more of the amsirah who entered the woods in search of something more than oppression. We’d recovered enough from the magnetic storm to focus on expanding.

Farley took Ryker, Tucker, Ianto, Mr. Fletcher, Callan, and me to meet with the camp he’d told us about weeks ago. By the time we arrived, their numbers had swelled to over fifty men, women, and children. There would have been more, but a recent attack of black dogs had wiped some of them out.

Val continued bringing in small groups from the sea villages, and by the time November arrived, our numbers had swelled to over seven hundred.

New tree houses were going up, and everyone trained daily, including the children. They had to be prepared if the encampment was ever found and attacked.

We still had some carisle left from our robbery of Ivan that Ryker wanted to distribute to the towns, but neither of us could do it.

Tucker and some other amsirah remained unwanted, so they left to distribute more purses throughout Nottingshire, or The Hollows as the locals called it, due to the many empty bellies there.

We also sent money back with Val to help her family and for her to distribute as she saw fit. She’d spread most of it through the sea villages.

“Your support is still growing,” Val said when we encountered her again. “The amsirah loved learning you’d married, but they’re starting to question if you’ll ever do more or if you plan to hide here.”

When Ryker’s jaw tightened at these words, an uneasy feeling grew in my stomach. I was happy here and didn’t want anything to intrude on that, but we couldn’t lose the support of the amsirah in the towns and villages.

“We will, and soon,” Ryker vowed. “How are things going with my father?”

“He’s a monster, and he’s crushing us all.

They’ve taken all the children over ten, not just the boys.

They train them to be soldiers and are holding them as hostages against us.

My boy’s only eight, but I’m sure they’ll come for him soon now that your father’s settling into being the ruler.

I can’t stay out there much longer; I won’t risk losing him. ”

The fear she radiated compelled me to grasp her hands. “No one is asking you to stay out there. If you feel unsafe, bring your son and join us.”

She glanced around the forest. “I will soon, but I’m doing more good by remaining out there.”

I understood her reasoning; that was why I remained at the manor for so long.

“Does my father leave the palace?” Ryker asked.

“Not that I know of,” Val answered. “I’m not close to the palace or the towns. Maybe he goes out and rides around there, but he hasn’t been to the sea villages. He sends his minions to do his bidding. That Gaius Gisborne is a monster.”

Ryker’s nostrils flared at the mention of Gaius. I suppressed a shudder at the reminder of that man with a knife to Billy’s throat and his arms around me. He was a monster, but we weren’t here because of Gaius.

“My father wouldn’t surround himself with anything less than monsters,” Ryker said.

“They’re bringing another caravan to collect taxes,” Val said.

That uneasy feeling in my stomach grew. “Will they take it through the Revenant Woods?” I asked.

I didn’t think the duke would be crazy enough to make the same mistakes as Ivan by bringing that money anywhere near the forest, but I could be wrong. He was determined to exert the same power and control.

“I’d never be privy to that information,” Val said.

“I doubt they will,” Tucker said. “The duke wants to destroy Ryker and draw you out, but he won’t take the chance of being humiliated by coming into our territory.”

“No, he wouldn’t,” Ryker agreed. “He also wouldn’t expect us in a sea village. Those communities aren’t anywhere near the Revenant Woods.”

Val’s eyebrows rose at this. Mostly, the sea villages stayed out of the things happening near the palace.

They were taxed as badly as the towns closest to the palace, but since they were so far away, they weren’t under constant scrutiny. They’d managed to avoid the worst of Ivan’s wrath and now the duke’s.

Until the duke took their children, the sea communities mostly stayed to themselves, but the new policies had changed that.

“You would try to rob him in one of the villages ?” Val asked. “Have you spent any time in them? Do you know their layouts?”

“Some,” Ryker murmured.

“A little, for one of them,” I admitted.

“There are many from the sea communities in our establishment now; while most of us don’t know the villages as well as the towns, they could help us formulate a plan,” Tucker said.

We had to make our presence known against the duke again, or we’d lose some of the momentum and loyalty we’d gained with the amsirah. Once we did, we’d lose the bubble of happiness we’d discovered here.

We couldn’t hide in the forest forever; the duke would come for us once he finished exerting his dominance over Tempest. For now, he was focused on breaking the amsirah’s spirits, but that would change.

There was no way he’d let Ryker and me live a life of happiness. He loathed us and was determined to destroy Ryker; I didn’t like thinking about what he’d do to me.

Plus, we couldn’t stay hidden while so many others suffered. The magnetic storm and approaching winter had shifted our focus to survival, but I already lived with the guilt of the gargoyles; I couldn’t hide here while he brutalized the amsirah.

I’d become the Hooded Robber to protect them, and I wouldn’t abandon them now, even if I was petrified of losing everyone I loved.

“We’ll have to figure it out,” Ryker said. “There will be a lot of guards on that caravan, and without the Revenant Woods to hide us, it will be more dangerous to go after this procession, especially since we don’t know the terrain.”

He made it sound like we wouldn’t rob the caravan, but we would.

He was either trying to come across as doubtful because Val was here and he didn’t want her to know too much, or because his mind was already spinning with possible plans.

We trusted Val but couldn’t burden her with this knowledge; she was already risking enough by helping us.

Val looked between us before handing the sack she carried over to Ryker. Within, a rooster squirmed angrily; I planned to run from that sack when it opened.

“He’s feisty, so be careful,” she warned.

“We always are,” Ryker assured her.