Page 25 of Nightingale (The Broken Kingdoms #1)
R ian collected the spent arrows and individually placed them back in the quiver that she wordlessly handed to him, removing the bow from around her torso and hooking it back onto his horse’s saddle horn. Neither one of the mounts had been injured in the fighting, luckily. Only spooked.
The Prince gave her dagger back, wiping it free of blood beforehand on the shirt of one of the many men that sprawled out on the ground around them. It didn’t go unnoticed, a kind action that she hadn’t anticipated. Perhaps he’d been the one to polish them before returning them. It wouldn’t have surprised her now, to think of him sitting over the rag and oil as he meticulously worked them down. Someone had done it, and it made it easier to picture him. It certainly wasn’t Brioc, let alone Regulus, and definitely not Castil.
“Nice shooting, by the way. Your aim is impressive.” He complimented as he untethered Kohl and clicked his tongue for the horse to follow.
Vrea took hold of Onyx and caught up to him. “It was one of the things that Idris instructed me to do from a young age. We all learned how to handle ourselves, how to stay alive but Idris took charge when it came to it all. Our mother gave us some tips, showed us a few moves but for the most part she was occupied with the war and winning whatever she could. So Idris was the one who taught me, personally. He wanted to make sure that I was proficient in any form of war. My other brothers also helped me over the years. Fighting, spying, the art of the bedroom, sneaking into places I didn’t belong, picking locks. The list goes on and on.”
Rian started. “The art of the bedroom? ”
There was no blush to be found if he was looking for it, nor would there be. Sex was sex. She’d had plenty of it before, tasting both sides of the spectrum as long as it got her into the places she needed to be. Vrea didn’t have a preference either, enjoying both genders as much as the other. She’d been on both ends too, receiving and giving and didn’t have a preference there, either.
“It’s just another form of espionage. Don’t get your underthings in a twist just because we’re talking about sex. It’s only natural, we all do it.” She scoffed at his astounded expression, and the bit of disgust she spotted as well. “I did what I had to do for my country, as have my brothers. They were all trained in the art as well, as we’re all treated like equals. I know of several incidents where Teminos has slipped into important beds for the sake of information.”
They would reach the end of the mountain pass within seven days, which meant that the Blackleg Caverns weren’t far off. Their caves capped off the range, which many travellers didn’t make it through. If the bandits and raiders didn’t wipe them out, then the monstrous spiders would have a good chance.
Rian slowed his gait so that he could walk beside her. He was taller than she was which meant that his pace was naturally quicker, but not as tall as Castil, by an inch or two. “Considering your mother is known far and wide for preferring you over your brothers, I don’t know that I would agree with the equality statement between siblings.”
She ran a hand back and forth along Onyx’s coat, patting twice as the mount leaned into it. “All parents have favourites. They can’t help it. In our case, it’s just a matter of life and death, isn’t it?”
“I suppose it is.” He said quietly. “But I don’t want to talk about killing our siblings, or each other.” He added the last part quickly, as if he knew the recesses of her mind and where it would head next.
“Then what do you want to talk about?”
It was nice to hold a conversation with him after all the time basking in quiet contemplation. It was a new border for them to cross, a step into the direction of friendly companionship instead of the fence-line of rivalry that they walked on a daily basis.
After saving his life, Vrea supposed she was owed a few back and forth sentences.
“You’ve piqued my interest in this art of the bedroom .” He casually shrugged with a pinch of feigned innocence, “I think I need to know more about what that all entails.”
She scowled at him and instantly regretted saying anything about it. “No, you don’t.”
Even if she’d be considering crawling into his bedroll that night. That was something that she was still wrestling with.
“Your persistence only makes me want it more.” Rian hummed and admired the tall rocks that rose around them, forming the massive walls of mountains with a youthful expression that didn’t fit their current topic of discussion. “I suggest you just tell me and get it over with, otherwise I’ll pester you until you have no choice but to give up all the juicy details.”
Her sight caught on his tunic, on the red that was still staining through the chestnut fabric. He’d draped his azure coat over the saddle before the fight, and hadn’t put it back on. “You’re still bleeding.”
“Don’t try to distract me.” He scolded, pausing to look at her. “I want to know everything.”
“I’m not.” Vrea moved closer and pressed on his lower torso to see how deep the wound was, earning an intake of agonised air in return. “This needs to be looked at if you have any intent on living.”
“Distractions, distractions.” Rian tsked, “So one moment you’re hesitating on saving my life because you think you want me dead, and now you’re set on making sure I live. What interesting changes of events these are.”
“I have absolutely no chance of getting past the Blacklegs by myself.” She snapped up at him as she made for the nearest tree to hook Onyx to before the horse could dart away. “Of course I want to keep you alive for that. Then, if it suits you, you can go and die a stupid death. I know it would please me.”
“I’m wounded!” Rian slapped his pectoral in mock dramatics, barely missing his stab wound.
“Yes,” She chidded impatiently, “You are.”
“Well yes, by that.” The Prince sourly agreed with a bitter look in her direction that nearly made her smile. Nearly . “But by your infinite desperation to see my life ended in payment for your capture, for your freedom as well.”
She ignored him.
“We’re camping here for the night, and you’re going to let me look at your cut.” Vrea returned for Kohl, repeating the same motion and tossing the harness lead over the branch, flipping it under and securing it in a knot that she knew wouldn’t let go unless one of them untied it. “That’s not up for negotiation.”
Because she didn’t want to feel as though she owed him. He’d freed her from Hawksmoor, and she’d killed his attempted murderer in return. Now the playing field was even and he could sweep out a favour from her as easily as saving her life from the Blacklegs. Here, now, if she helped him live, would mean that he owed her. And Vrea highly preferred having one stored in the vault to be used at a later time to that slight chance of owing him at all.
That wasn’t going to happen.
There was a small clearing of trees nearby that was dotted with wildflowers along the jade grass, enough that gave her hope for some medicinal properties to use. An idea formed within a snap.
“Get the rolls set up and I’ll take a look for some herbs that I can use for hastening the healing process. The very last thing we need is you ripping the cut open whilst we pass through the caverns and having the salt smell of it lead the Blacklegs directly to us.” She ordered him about, unhooking the rolls and tossing them at him.
He caught the first one, narrowly avoiding dropping the second. “I don’t need some sort of flower paste on my side in order to cause it to scab up quicker. I’ll be fine.”
“I won’t risk it getting an infection. You don’t know what was on that spear tip. Set up the camp and I’ll be back before dark.” With the position of the sun, Vrea guessed that she had about three hours before night would fall in full force. Plenty of time to explore the small forest towards the north. Besides, the horses were still far too spooked to consider letting either of them on their backs again, which meant that not much progress would have been made anyways.
She checked her hips for her daggers, pulled a black cloak out from her bag and clasped it around her shoulders, tugging the hood up over her brown locks and made sure that there was enough room in her pockets for gathering herbs.
Even if she took more than they required for his wound, it wouldn’t hurt to have more for the journey ahead. Especially with the Blackleg portion ahead. There was enough room in her green belt to fold the flowers in, as well as an inner pocket in the cloak that was hidden from all but the wearer.
Rian untied the first roll, hers- she caught hold of and flattened it along the ground until there were no wrinkles or creases. “I’ll get a fire started. I think we have enough water in our skeins to use a bit for cleansing. The third and fourth are still completely full from when we refilled them by the river, and if we ration it correctly then it should be enough to get us to the Niroulian war camps. We can refill them again there before setting off for Vasthold.”
“There should be plenty of branches around here to start the fire, and the flint is in my pack. If you need more, just break some off the tree that the horses are tethered to. No leaves though, because they’ll create a nasty smoke that could alert others to our location.” She informed the male before heading for the woods.
“I do know how to properly create a fire, you know.” He mused with a hint of mirth in his medium, resonance. “Or do I need to remind you about the first fire we made together?”
Vrea didn’t verbally respond, flipping him off instead before disappearing into the covering of the small forest.