Page 36 of The Freedom You Seek
Without making a conscious decision, my forehead wrinkled, and a pang of irritation pierced my chest before I realized Fig hadn’t issued an order, although his phrasing had indicated one. Once I stopped bristling, it became quite clear he wasn’t able to imagine I wouldn’t accept his men’s protection and fellowship in exchange for whatever thedreamdemanded of me. Gods, that never ceased to sound ridiculous.
No, staying with the men was my best chance to stay alive, yet I needed more information. “It’s a fair offer. Still, before I make a decision, I have to know more about your plans.”
Fig shared a look with Antas, who took over. “The truth is, Nayana, I still don’t know why my dreams led us to you. However, there are rumors of someone with oracular visions living in the Savatos Mountains of Marsia, and I am inclined to believe there is truth to them. So, the best course of action is traveling to Kalcas in Marsia and trying to find out more about said seer’s whereabouts. I hope that this lead won’t be a dead end.”
“Also, you should stay as far away from Iolesia as possible for a while anyway,” Fig added.
Taking my time to let all the information sink in, I was silent for several moments, but shifted nervously in my spot. It felt weird to go on a wild goose chase with men who were strangers to me, but I couldn’t help that my intuition told me to stop questioning everything and just agree—not just for protection or because it made sense to put some space between me and Credenta, but also because my curiosity started to burn hot and bright. These men knew so much about this world, about things I’d never heard of, and I wanted to know more. “I’m in.”
I might have been wrong, but I observed a sense of relief of varying intensity on the men’s faces. Well, except for Dion. His mouth curled downward as if he’d bitten into something sour. Stupid bastard.
“Then it’s settled. Tomorrow, we’ll ride toward Marsia. It’ll probably take us around three to four weeks to reach Kalcas. We’ll avoid major roads and towns if we can help it. If we have to fill our supplies, a team of two will get them. We also have to find a horse for Nayana. Can you ride?”
“It was my first time on horseback yesterday.”
“I’ll think of something. For now, Dion’s horse should have no problem with the additional weight.”
Nodding, one man after the other agreed to their leader’s plan. Only Dion scowled at the prospect of me as his passenger for the foreseeable future—as ifIwas particularly happy about the upcoming proximity to the moody dumbass.
“If no one has anything to add, we should all rest. Guard duties are as usual. We’ll break camp at dawn.”
By the next sunset, we’d broken down camp in a hurry. Even Jama helped, and I was relieved to see that she understood that traveling with us meant taking on some responsibilities as well.
I turned my head slightly as she sauntered over, holding the bag she got from Ireas yesterday and a bundle of cloth in her hands.
“Here, your tunic and pants. Thanks again.”
I scanned her from head to toe, my head canted to the side. She wore a simple riding dress in a shade of dark red, which complimented her eyes, and her blonde hair was pulled back in a pleated braid thatswung mesmerizingly from side to side with every step she took. The brown leather boots on her feet were new. All in all, she looked a lot less conspicuous than before, which was good. Still, I preferred her in black. At least she’d kept my cloak, which she wrapped around herself during my head-to-toe inspection of her.
“You’re welcome. Now, come on the horse with you.”
“Will it ever go away? Being sore from sitting on horseback?”
“Once you get used to it, yes. Maybe Ireas has some balm to help with your sore muscles. You can ask him later.”
My horse started to move, and I steered us on the narrow pathway through the forest. Antas had already left the camp a little while ago to scout, and the rest of us would stay close to each other. We planned to avoid all the main roads until we’d arrive at the border. It would be harder to see a potential ambush in time, but we’d be too exposed sticking to the major streets. Someone could recognize Jama, and we had to avoid that as long as possible, according to Fig, who’d decreed stealth was the weapon of choice—his choice, obviously, not mine. But well, he and the others agreed that her biggest advantage was that no one knew she was traveling in the company of five males.
“Is this the first time you’ve left Credenta?” I asked her out of the blue. It was the first time I’d actually tried to make small talk with her, but if we’d be stuck together for weeks to come, the least I could do was try to be civil with her. And maybe I’d finally get my temper under control.
“Apart from visiting my aunt in Tramin, a tiny village two hours outside of Credenta, yes. If the circumstances weren’t so bad, I’d be excited to see more of the world.”
“Ah, come on, I know you had a rough couple of days, but it isn’t that bad anymore, is it? Which woman doesn’t dream of being protected by a couple of capable males?”
When Jama giggled with infectious amusement, I was astonished at how much I enjoyed her laughter, especially since I was the one who’d coaxed the sound out of her. It motivated me to try doing it more frequently.
“That’s all well and good, but I’d prefer to be able to protect myself.” Her mirth had died down much too quickly, and a hard edge colored her voice.
“Do you have any experience in fighting with weapons? Or hand-to-hand combat?” Maybe I could build on whatever expertise she had and teach her further. But who was I kidding? I didn’t have the highest hopes to receive a positive answer, if I was honest.
“Well, the last time I tried to wound a man with a dagger, I accidentally killed him. That’s how skilled I am with weapons.” She sounded bitter, and I hated it.
From all I’d gathered, she’d grown up sheltered, and after all the shit she’d had to endure in the last few days, she wasn’t even grieving properly. To criticize her would be like the pot calling the kettle black, and so I resisted the temptation to throw a serious barb her way. “At least you didn’t hurt yourself. That’s a start, don’t you think?”
“Very funny.”
“Let me tell you what, Jama. As soon as we’ve put enough distance between us and your oldhometown—maybe after leaving Iolesia—I’ll teach you a few basics. We’ll find out what weapon you respond best to and get you to a level where you can at least defend yourself.” I understood her wish to master basic self-defense, although I had no illusions about how long it would take to reach that point. I hadn’t changed my mind, I still wanted to keep my distance from this woman as much as possible, but I’d do her this favor.
“You’ll teach me?”