New. This will get another pass before it's deemed acceptable for the final release.

Enjoy.

Chapter 7.

An ancient quote reads, “Necessity is the mother of invention”.

For the military commanders and strategists of the sovereign lands of the Northern Continent, that necessity was the need to move military resources quickly and efficiently across their individual domains.

The problem of moving an army across vast distances was no different now than it was millennia ago when an ancient empire had to march across open terrain to engage the barbarians at its doorstep.

For the military commanders of the Northern Continent, the question was how to move hundreds of Jotnar along narrow roads, across rivers, or through mountain ranges too long to travel around in a reasonable amount of time. As always, the landscape proved a major consideration when searching for workable solutions, as did the level of knowledge and engineering prowess.

With that necessity, came invention.

In many respects, humanity was relearning what it lost when the Archons deprived them of thousands of years of science and technology. That said, the solutions to the issue of transportation arrived at by those on the western lands were noticeably different from those on the eastern half of the continent.

There were two reasons for this.

The first was the geography of the land.

The western lands of the Northern Continent were less rugged, and had far, far fewer mountain ranges to contend with than the lands of the east. The wide, flat, open lands of the west made it easy for roads to be constructed.

In contrast, the lands of the east were replete with vast, towering mountain ranges, but they were also rich in rivers that flowed across much of their respective territories. As the construction of boats improved over time, the volume of goods transported by river increased.

The second reason was the quality of the Etherite.

Etherite mined in the west was commonly considered inferior to the material mined in the east. As a consequence, engineers of the west had to design and build Ether driven machinery that was more efficient and delivered more power per pound of Etherite than their counterparts in the east. In short, they had to get more out of the Etherite they had, and they could only do so through advances in technology.

One example of this was the development of an Ether driven train and rail network that slowly expanded its breadth across the Anderas Empire. Trains not unlike those of Mother Earth millennia ago, transported soldiers and machinery from the capital to the border, using the Ether, not coal and steam, to propel them along hundreds then later thousands of kilometers of railway tracks.

For the people of the east, it was their river systems that influenced them to tackle the intricacies of building ships that could navigate up and down the waterways that veined their lands. It was a slow process that spanned decades upon decades, built upon trial and error, and the rediscovery of ancient shipbuilding techniques, that led to the construction of enormous barges driven by Ether powered paddlewheels and propellers, sailing in convoy up and down the rivers, carrying thousands of tonnes of military muscle every day.

Excerpt from Giants Across The Land.

A History of the Militaries of the First Millennium.

(Fallon)

I tried keeping myself calm as I asked, “We are travelling by boat?”

Marina was busy stuffing a leather bag with clothing from the trunks carrying their belongings, and didn’t look up at me when she replied, “Indeed we are. However, we need to ride to the army fort at Boadeacin River, and that’s a day’s ride in the saddle.

Beside her, Silvia was humming softly to herself. “Going by boat…going by boat…gently down the river…sailing to the seas….”

I stared uncertainly at the backs of both girls bent over their leather bags. “Is it…dangerous?”

Marina stopped moving, then slowly twisted her torso and neck to look at me from over her shoulder.

“Lady Fallon, why do you ask?”

Silvia straightened and faced me with no reluctance. “Can you swim?”

I blinked. “Yes. Yes, I can. We have two small rivers near my village. I learnt to swim in them.”

Silvia waved a hand lightly about the air. “Then you have nothing to worry about.”

Marina straightened too, and after giving Silvia a thin look, the young woman turned and faced me.

She brushed aside a stray lock of brown hair. “Are you worried about travelling by boat?”

I tried not to swallow nervously. “A…a little.”

“Never travelled down a river?”

“Um…no….”

Silvia tightened the straps closing her leather bag, bounced on her heels as she stretched her back, then blurted out, “Have no fear. Travelling by boat is perfectly safe. Besides, we’re going down a river, not open water.” She hefted her bag, and winced at the weight. “Ooh, maybe I put too much in there.”

Marina spared her fellow attendant yet another thin look, then appeared struck by a sudden thought. Her eyes widened before growing small again as she faced me.

“Oh, I see. You think it’s a boat—a small boat.” She laughed as she folded her arms across her chest. “Lady Fallon, we’ll be sailing by big boat.”

I leaned forward a little. “How big?”

Silvia cut in as she carried an empty leather bag over to the two trunks. “Big boat. Big enough for horses, and carriages, and more horses, and more carriages.” She blinked sharply. “And people too. Lots of people.”

Marina closed her eyes as pinched her nose. After a deep sigh, she said, “We call them boats, but they are more like a barge. They have big wheels on their sides that spin and scoop up the water. This pushes them along the water. They also have sails.” She gave me a smile she believed would reassure me. “Trust me. It’s a big boat.”

Silvia added, “But sometimes they turn over.”

Marina tensed up. “No, they don’t.”

“Yes, they do.”

“No…they don’t.”

Silvia stopped filling the bag with clothes. “Yes. They do. Remember that boat that went”—she made a tipping motion with her head—“and all the Jotnar it was carrying tumbled over. And then the boat went”—she made a tipping motion with her body—“and rolled over onto its back.” She wagged a finger at Marina. “Do you know how many horses drowned that day?”

Marina walked over to Silvia.

“Come with me.”

She grabbed the dark haired girl by an arm. Ignoring Silvia’s cry of protest, Marina dragged her out of the tent.

I waited for them to return.

After a minute went by with no sign of them coming back, I walked over to the leather bag beside the trunk, and looked at the clothes inside.

Reaching in, I pulled out an undergarment.

The material was fine, stretched a little, and was very smooth to the touch.

I held it up to the light of an Etheric lamp.

“…oh my gods…I can see through it….”

The sounds of a commotion outside the tent caused me to quickly toss the item of underwear into the leather bag, and jump back a few feet.

Marina stormed in with Silvia in tow, the latter hanging her head and dragging her feet.

I watched the dark haired girl trudge up to the leather bag, and resume filling it with clothes.

Marina looked down at her too. “Just fill it up with what she’ll need. Nothing fancy.”

“Yes, mother,” Silvia muttered.

“Do we need to have another talk?” Marina asked in a low tone.

Silvia held her tongue, and Marina watched her for a while as though waiting for a complaint.

But Silvia worked in silence, carefully yet quickly pulling out items from the trunk, and placing them in the bag.

Shaking her head to herself, Marina stepped up to me. “Lady Fallon, it’s a big boat. There won’t be a problem.”

“But why do we need to travel by boat?”

“Because if we go the long way by horse and road, it will take us a month or more to arrive at Calandor.” She took me by the arms. “And his Grace can’t fly you home because you ward away the Ether, which means that the flyer would never get off the ground.”

I pressed my lips tightly together.

Marina cocked her head slightly. “So, the fastest way to get home is by horse and by boat. From what I understand the journey will take in the vicinity of fifteen days, and we’ll be spending ten of those days sailing down the river. Now, we need to get you dressed for travel.” Marina arched her eyebrows at me as she studied me from head to toes. “I’ll make the assumption we’re going to travel by carriage, but it will get a little cold when we arrive at the mountain pass.”

Without waiting for me to utter another word, Marina dragged me over to the curtained area of the tent.

“Strip down, and wait for me. I’ll bring you some clothes.”

She pulled the curtain across, and disappeared behind it.

I started unbutton my dress, and noticed my fingers were trembling.

It was true I was afraid of travelling down the river by boat. I couldn’t imagine how big a boat it would be, or what shape it would have, especially if it could carry horses, carriages, and people.

However, I was more afraid of people learning that I was a Khan Wilder.

Here in the army’s camp, I had been kept out of sight and secluded in the tent. Now, I was expected to ride with the Archduke and I doubted he ever rode alone. There would be men – guards – riding with him.

How was he expecting to keep me a secret?

I studied my hands and arms, turning them over slowly.

I had been a Khan Wilder for a month, I yet still didn’t know how the Seal inside me kept the Ether away.

Was it something I could learn to control?

If only I could stop whatever it was from making the void around me, then I could reduce the chance of people finding out I was Khan Wilder.

I might not be able to fool the women that came close to me, but maybe I could keep my secret from the men around the Archduke.

Taking a deep breath, I resumed unbuttoning the dress. The buttons were smaller than I was used to and my fingers stumbled a little.

As the dress slipped off my shoulders and then pooled around my feet, I feared the Archduke was taking a very big risk taking me to another place with a lot of people.

The curtain was suddenly drawn aside and Silvia stepped past it with a bundle of clothes.

Pulling the curtain behind her, she handed me the clothes.

“Here,” she said. “Put these on.”

“I thought Marina was going to—”

“She said it was fine. Now put it on. I’ll help you.”

I stared at the dress and the undergarments, and noticed that if I held them to the light I could probably see through them. “Silvia, I don’t think this is a good idea.”

She grabbed me by my bare arms. “You’re a woman, aren’t you?”

“Y—yes.”

“Then start dressing like one,” she hissed as she shook me a little.

I decided not to argue when Marina suddenly called out, “What’s keeping the two of you?”

Silvia narrowed her eyes. “Let’s not make her angry this early in the morning.”

I nodded uncertainly, and began putting on the bundle of clothes I’d been given.

#

(Falken)

After summoning Irvin to the War Tent, I instructed him to inform the girls of my decision to return to Calandor by horse and boat.

Afterwards, Field Marshal Augustine joined us in the tent for the morning briefing. Together with him, Ryland and I discussed my address to the command staff of the First and Second Armies, the latter of which was encamped no farther than a kilometer to the west of us.

With no word from House Kurama the morning after the incursion, the question on the soldiers’ minds was undoubtedly the same.

Was this a precursor to war with Kaitain…or was it something else?

Had Kaitain and House Kurama intended to use this not to provoke us, but to probe us?

Not knowing was like a slow poison working its way through the ranks. It would eventually affect the moral of the soldiers. Coupled with my sudden return to the capital of Caldera a day following the incursion, I felt the doubts and worries in the minds of the men and women would fester.

However, Augustine assured me that our troops were more likely to succumb to illness than to rumor, and the men and women knew the punishment for spreading lies and deceit willfully amongst their peers.

Since the Thread inside our bodies kept us healthy, I understood what he implied quite well.

Nonetheless, I didn’t believe it was right for me to leave without addressing the commanders of both armies, and so Ryland, Augustine, and I wrote a short speech that while honest would not tell them too much, or too little.

While word was sent to the Second Army to fetch its commanders, Ryland revealed he had assigned a young officer from the Command Division to handle the preparations for my return to Calandor. Last night, Ryland had initiated subtle preparations in anticipation of my decision to journey to Calandor by boat, but getting full preparations underway proved to be a more involved task.

Inwardly, I kicked myself for not making the decision last night, instead of approaching Ryland in the morning, as much of the delay was owed to my circumstances as Archduke.

When I journeyed here to the western border as part of my tour of the front lines, I did so by flyer, escorted by a half dozen additional flyers with pilots and navigators. However, with my intention to ride back to Calandor, a suitable escort had to be arranged for me. This was complicated by the effective wartime conditions the First Army was operating under due to yesterday’s incursion by House Kurama’s military.

After a brief discussion between Ryland and the cavalry company commander, a platoon of riders due for rotation back to Calandor was assigned as my escort for the journey. As my return was rather impromptu, the gathering of men, horses, and supplies took time. With the uncertain situation at the border, and the ongoing efforts to search Gaellen Forest and the surrounding lands, I was loathe depriving the cavalry company of a platoon of riders. Who knew when we would need those men and horses to tighten the cordon around the forests to the north and northwest?

While my escort of cavalry riders completed their preparations, my attendant Irvin saw to my belongings, and I visited the army’s stables to find myself a horse and gear for the ride home. Though I chose the horse I would ride, the stable master chose a second beast for me to use as a packhorse. With that taken care of, I made a stop by my tent – not my temporary tent – and found Irvin inside readying a leather saddlebag with some clothes and supplies. Seeing as the girls had vacated the tent, I took the opportunity to quickly shave.

I wasn’t able to ignore the scent of perfumes and soaps lingering in the air.

Before leaving the tent, I glanced at the three cots arranged in two groups, and the makeshift curtained area dividing the interior. I began considering the girls’ needs for the return journey.

Leaving my two horses with Irvin, I also left him with orders to walk the beasts out to the clearing outside camp where the platoon was readying itself for departure, then went in search of the logistics officer in charge of my trip home. I found him in a second tent not far from the War Tent, and informed him we would be travelling with three young female attendants drafted in from General Meyren’s entourage. With poorly restrained confidence, the young officer assured me that Field Commander Ryland had fully briefed him on the situation, and he had matters well in hand.

Hearing this, my heart jumped into my throat.

Fully briefed? Dear gods—did Tamworth tell him Fallon is a Khan Wilder?

I tried to hide my panic while remaining stoic before the young officer.

However, a moment later he leaned closer and spoke in a low, confidential voice. “Your Grace, that special request you put through”—he gave me thumbs up—“all taken care off.”

“Special request?”

“Yes. That request for a special means of transportation.”

I suddenly understood what he meant. “Oh…that special request.”

I breathed out a sigh of relief, and my heart slowly settled back down into my chest.

The young officer said, “It should be waiting just outside of camp along with your cavalry escort.”

In addition to the special transport I’d asked for, extra horses and wagons were also allocated to the cavalry platoon heading home with me, and they would be carrying additional supplies in the event the first leg to Fort Boalgar took longer than the expected two days.

I was starting to feel and behave like a fifth wheel, so I thanked him and then returned to the War Tent, where I loitered in the background as the interior of the tent grew busier with more and more adjutants reporting in for morning duties.

I listened to the reports from the border forts, the forest cordon, the flyers on patrol, and General Meyren Milerna’s heavy infantry stomping up and down the border.

A number of Kuraman Jotnar pilots had been apprehended during the night, and a handful more by morning, many of whom were caught attempting to flee Gaellen Forest and into the surrounding lands. As per the Rules of Engagement, the men were to be treated fairly but no more than that. I didn’t have it in my heart to feel generous toward them.

I glanced at my chronometer.

The time had arrived for me to address the assembled platoon and company commanders, and I departed the War Tent with a troubled heart.

#

(Fallon)

As we finished packing and getting dressed to ride on horseback, Marina, Silvia, and I were fetched in the morning by a wiry young man who escorted us hastily to an area outside of camp, not far from where a group of twenty riders, horses, and wagons with horses of their own, had come together.

A short while later, a few soldiers entered the area, and deposited our leather bags in our vicinity. As they did so, I shied back, and made sure to keep Marina and Silvia between me and the men.

Then the three of us sat on our leather bags and waited.

I assumed we were waiting for the Archduke to arrive, so I glanced often in the direction of the army camp.

The smell of food and a lot of other things drifted in the air.

The food made my stomach rumble a little.

Then I heard an even louder rumbling, and Marina and I turned to face Silvia.

The young woman shrugged, reached into a sack she carried, and pulled out an apple.

“When you did you get that?” Marina asked.

“When I went out to the ladies this morning. I walked back through the food tent and filled this up with anything that was remotely fresh.”

Marina grimaced and waved her fingers before her nose. “Please don’t call that hole in the ground the ladies.”

Silvia took a bite out of her apple. “Well, it’s separate from the men’s hole in the ground. So it’s the ladies. And it has a seat so you don’t have to squat.”

Marina planted her chin on an upturned palm. “This is why I hate travelling out into the wilds. It’s so uncivilized.”

I was casting regular looks toward the camp, but in the corner of my eye, I noticed the regular looks the cavalry riders were throwing our way.

The young man who guided us here had instructed the three of us to stay away from the men, no doubt because he didn’t want them to know I was warding the Ether away. However, it didn’t stop the men from looking our way with interest.

Silvia muttered, “I’d say we’ve definitely caught their attention.” She licked apple juice from her fingers. “Mari, which one has your eye?”

“Don’t call me that,” Marina sniped.

“I’m just asking, which one has your eye? We’re going to be on the road for the gods know how long. I think we should make friends.”

I saw Marina turn toward Silvia. “Don’t be stupid,” she said. “If we get caught fraternizing with men on duty we’ll be punished, and they will too. Besides, we’re traveling in the company of his Grace. And we’re responsible for Lady Fallon’s wellbeing. I don’t wish to leave his Grace with an unfavorable impression of us.”

Silvia faced her fellow attendant. “Lady Fallon is a Khan Wilder that can destroy this camp just by blinking her eyes, and you’re afraid of us being punished.”

I swallowed sharply and protested, “I—I can’t do that. That’s not true at all. And I would never to do that.”

Marina stood up slowly. “What did you say about her?”

Silvia looked up at her, then sighed heavily. “I’m saying that being punished is the least of our worries.”

Marina’s hands clenched, and I watched the two young women eye each other in silence.

Eventually, Marina said, “I trust Lady Fallon.”

“I do too,” Silvia declared with a subtle nod. “I feel that if we are in danger, Lady Fallon can protect us best.”

“I don’t understand you,” Marina added with a frown.

“I just told you. I trust Lady Fallon to protect us.”

Marina shook her head in confusion. “You have a strange way of saying it.”

Silvia shrugged, reached into the bag, and offered Marina and me two apples that looked a little bruised. “Hungry?”

I was debating whether to accept the offering, when I noticed the young man who’d guided us here walk into the clearing with two horses in tow. He walked up to one of the cavalry riders, and after speaking with him, the rider wandered off on foot only to return a short while later with another man who may have been in charge of the group.

Then something unexpected happened.

Pulled along by a team of six horses, a large carriage painted black and decorated in swirling patterns of gold, circled around the clearing then roared into it. It came to a sliding stop, while the horses’ hooves skidded a little on the soft, wet grass.

I stared at it blankly, not knowing what to think of it.

Its wheels were large, and almost as tall as I was. In fact, I’d never seen wheels so large on a carriage or wagon before. The swirling patterns of gold were actually snakes of some kind with short golden wings. They had the appearance of flying along the side of the carriage. There were doors on its side, and windows with and without glass. Those without glass were covered with drapes that I supposed were to keep out the dust, dirt, and wind.

A loud gasp from Silvia and Marina startled me for the second time this morning.

Marina wheezed in a strangled voice, “It’s—it’s the General’s carriage.”

Silvia sounded puzzled. “Why is it here?”

I wet my lips and asked, “Is it for us?”

The two women jerked their shoulders, then slowly faced each other – one standing and one sitting.

Marina took a very deep breath. “Do you think she knows it’s here?”

Silvia shrugged, clearly worried. “Well, maybe. If she doesn’t she’s going to be mighty pissed when she learns it’s gone missing.”

#

(Falken)

Addressing the platoon and company captains and commanders was made easier with the supporting presence of Barend Augustine standing off my right shoulder. After my address, the Field Marshal took the stage, so to speak, and fielded questions from the assembled men.

The men were keeping their thoughts to themselves behind mostly unreadable faces, yet it was their questions that revealed their state of mind, and I sensed a dangerous undercurrent of emotion in the Ether.

I realized they wanted to strike back, and that troubled me.

However, I held my silence as Augustine made it sternly clear that we were not at war with the land of Kaitain.

I sensed something else in the Ether – a trace of disillusionment and dissatisfaction toward their comrades at the border forts for having allowed the Kuraman Jotnar into our lands.

If I was aware of it, then so too was Augustine.

I decided not to mention it when we shared parting words, feeling it was unnecessary. I knew he, Ryland, and Karmine would take care of the men’s sentiments.

However, as I turned to leave for the edge of camp, I found Ryland waiting for me.

Holding back a frown, I walked up to him. “What brings you all the way out here?”

“You’re Grace, you do realize it’s only a hundred feet to the War Tent?”

I blinked and looked about. “Is it?”

Tamworth stepped closer and his solemn air put me on edge. “Before you go, there’s something you need to know.” He handed me a piece of paper. “This was delivered by messenger this morning. It’s from your brother.”

I read the brief note, written and signed by Kaden.

ARCHON ARTEMIST SIGHTED IN GAELLEN FOREST. MADE NO OTHER CONTACT WITH THE EMPATH SCOUTS – KADEN.

I folded the piece of paper and pocketed into my riding coat.

Ryland pursed his lips and the gesture was telling.

I gave him a subtle nod. “Duly noted.” Then I reached out and clapped his right shoulder. “Tam, thank you…for everything.”

He nodded hesitantly, his voice somber in reply. “Safe journey, your Grace.”

“Keep our borders safe, Commander.”

I chose not to delay any longer. Leaving Tamworth behind, I made the long walk to the edge of the camp where the platoon of cavalry riders was purportedly ready and waiting for me.

I put the Archon matter aside for now. We had a long ride ahead of us. As such, I’d have plenty of time to consider the implications of their presence in the forest.

Arriving at the clearing, I had both a pleasant and unpleasant surprise awaiting me.

The pleasant surprise was seeing General Meyren Milerna’s ostentatious black carriage with its team of six raven dark horses. The carriage was decorated with ornate golden serpentine dragons flying along its sides, and the horses wore ceremonial headdresses that glinted in the grey morning light. Yesterday, I’d spoken to Tam about the possibility of borrowing it from Milerna, and the logistics officer had indeed come through. With this, I’d satisfied the women’s travel needs, and it would keep Fallon mostly out of sight.

The unpleasant surprise was the sight of Chiren Kell pacing slowly up and down the length of the team of horses, checking both the animals and the straps attaching them to the carriage.

Sucking in a lungful of air, I marched into the clearing and over to the carriage, where I stopped a foot or so away from Chiren who had halted beside the carriage door.

“What are you doing here?” I asked in a low voice.

She raised an eyebrow at me. “General Karmine assigned me to your return detachment.”

“He did what?”

Before I could utter another word, she handed me a letter. It had Karmine’s signature, and bore the seal of Field Marshal Barend Augustine.

I breathed out, “You must be joking.”

“Well, I’m happy you feel this way,” Chiren retorted equally under her breath, and snatched back the letter.

I folded my arms across my chest. “If you’re here, then who’s in charge of Gryphon Company?”

“There is something called the Chain of Command, Falken. You may have heard of it in your youth.”

“Ha ha,” I replied. “Just answer the question, please.”

Chiren unloaded a heavy sigh. “If you must know, Knight-Vice Commander Geharis Barend is taking over command of Gryphon Company. After all, he is my second-in-command.”

“Oh, so Kaden didn’t get the job.”

She shrugged a shoulder. “He may in due time. Sooner rather than later if we end up at war with Kaitain.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “Chiren, that’s not funny.”

She paused before asking, “Do you see me laughing?”

I looked into her eyes quickly but carefully. “No.”

“Good,” she declared, then spoke louder. “Now, the morning’s wasting, your Grace. The girls’ luggage and supplies are loaded, and they’re waiting aboard.”

As though on cue, a thick window curtain was pushed aside and I saw Silvia’s head pop out of the carriage. The woman smiled at me but I sensed she was frantic. “Your Grace. We’re all set to go.” She stuck out her left hand and gave me a thumbs up gesture. “We really, really should hurry—before she gets here!”

Then she disappeared inside the carriage, and drew the curtain across the window with the urgency of a woman fearing a tremendous storm bearing down upon her house.

“She’s right,” Chiren added. “We really, really should get away from the camp.”

She turned on her booted heels and walked to the front of the carriage, climbing easily onto the driver’s seat.

When I hurried after her, I found Irvin sitting beside her, dressed in a thick, dark coat.

The young man offered me a respectful bow. “Your Grace.”

“What are you doing up there?”

“I’m riding with Lady Kell.”

I gaped at him. “Why?”

Chiren leaned down toward me from the driver’s seat, and kept her voice confidential, yet I could hear the undertone of frustration in her voice. “Because he’s aware of the situation.”

“And I’m not suited for riding, your Grace,” Irvin added with a weak but apologetic smile.

Chiren leaned down lower and tapped the chronometer on her right wrist. “Falken, get on your horse. It’s a good day’s ride to the pass and we’ve lost more than half the morning. I don’t know this team well, so I can’t risk pushing them. Do you understand me, your Grace?”

I did understand.

Chiren had been riding horses long before she first dropped herself into the cockpit of a Jotunn. She had a feel for the animals that I lacked, and her skill at driving four horse and six horse carriages and wagons exceeded mine. However, since she’d never steered this group of horses, she was going to need time to grow accustomed to their peculiarities, much like a Jotunn knight learnt the oddities of his machine while operating it.

Swallowing down my misgivings, questions, and anything else bubbling up from my chest, I gave her a sullen glare before walking away.

However, five strides into my journey, I had to turn around and walk back to the carriage.

“Irvin, where the Devil did you leave my horses?”

#

(Fallon)

I had travelled on the back of a wagon before.

It was a bumpy ride, and I much preferred riding on a horse.

But the ride in the carriage was very different, and I ended up blurting that out to the two young women inside what they called the passenger cabin.

Silvia smiled and spread her hands about the interior as though she were trying to sell it to me.

“This carriage is special. Look at the wood and fabric interior, and feel how soft and comfortable the seats are. And look, we have glass windows with curtains.” She mimed balancing while sitting. “And then there’s the soft ride.”

A particularly hard bump made her gasp.

“Oh yes, quite comfortable,” Marina said with a sneer directed at Silvia.

I was seated to the right of Marina, and facing in the direction of travel, while Silvia was seated opposite her fellow attendant to General Milerna.

I gave Marina a cautious, sidelong look, before saying, “But it really is comfortable. It’s nothing like riding a wagon.”

Marina rolled her head and looked at me over her right shoulder. “You think so?”

I nodded and gave her a pained smile. “Definitely. I didn’t think a vehicle with wheels could be this comfortable.”

Silvia sighed loudly and again spread her arms. “That’s because it’s special.”

“Well, I guess so,” I said in agreement.

Marina released a soft sigh of her own. “General Meyren Milerna had it brought in from the Anderas Empire.”

Silvia nodded while I frowned at Marina. “A carriage like this? All the way from the far east?”

“It was brought over by ship,” Marina said. “These days, there are ships large enough to sail all around the bottom of the Northern Continent. They carry a significant amount of cargo aboard. General Milerna’s family is one of the most powerful in Caldera. After the Claymores and Clarents, House Milerna is the next most important. Some say that they possess greater wealth than both the Claymores and Clarents.”

Silvia dropped her arms, and listened quietly.

I noticed the thoughtful light in her eyes as she looked at her friend and fellow maid, then faced Marina. “But House Claymore rules Caldera.”

Marina shifted her posture on the seat. “That has nothing to do with their personal wealth.”

“So how is it they are wealthier than House Claymore?”

“It’s because of the lands they presently own. Their lands are rich in Etherite, a very strong and stable form of Etherite that makes it very much sought after.”

I couldn’t hold back a frown, unable to hold back from wanting to know more, and not just about Caldera and its people, but about House Claymore as well.

I wanted to know more about the Archduke, and his family.

I showed my interest by leaning slightly toward Marina. “So the Etherite they have is better?”

“It lasts longer,” she replied. “The Etherite in many of the eastern lands is better than that found in the western regions of the Northern Continent. I’ve heard it described as being more friendly to the Ether Kinetic talents of men. A Jotunn whose body is blended with our Etherite requires less effort from a man to move it. That means that Jotunn designers and engineers can afford to put more armor on it, or make it larger. Our Jotnar are also stronger and last longer. We have Jotnar in Calandor that have served Caldera for more than twenty years without the need to replace the Etherite in their bodies.”

Silvia clapped softly and looked out her window to the right of her. “Marina is so smart. Marina knows so much.”

“That’s because I take the time to listen to people. I take the time to read.”

I felt an empty feeling run through me. “To read….”

I could feel Marina’s gaze on me. “You will learn to read too, Lady Fallon. You will learn.”

Her words pressured me. I knew they were intended well but I suddenly felt burdened by them. Taking a quick breath, I asked, “So because the Etherite is better, it costs more?”

Marina blinked slowly for a heartbeat or two. “Yes. The Etherite mined from the mountains in House Milerna’s lands is sold for a higher price.”

“Sold to where?”

“The people that need it.” She turned her head slowly and looked out her window. “Although, House Claymore has forbidden Etherite mined in Caldera from being sold to people of the other lands…especially those off the west coast.”

“And that includes the Anderas Empire,” Silvia added.

Though I was a village girl, even I had heard of the mighty Anderas Empire that controlled the west coast of the Northern Continent.

I swallowed, and quietly asked, “Why?”

Silvia answered me before Marina could. “Because House Claymore doesn’t like the Anderas Empire.”

“No,” Marina said curtly, then softened her tone. “It’s because House Claymore has issues with the Imperial Family…in particular, the Empress.”

Silvia smiled at me and rolled her eyes before turning away to the view outside the carriage visible through her window.

Silence fell on the inside of the carriage.

That is, a silence between the three of us.

However, the sound of the wheels turning over hard ground, the carriage’s body creaking, and the footstep of the horses hooves made its way into the passenger cabin.

I looked out my window, and peered up at the overhead sky.

It was still grey, and it was making me feel just as grey.

If Caldera had troubles with the Anderas Empire, was it a reason why the Archduke wanted me to serve his people as their Khan?

I realized I was thirsty, and wet my lips instead.

Was it the reason why I’d been drawn to this land? Was it the reason I’d saved him?

I swallowed and then shifted my body on the seat such that my shoulder rested against the inside of the carriage wall.

Without my knowing it, the swaying motion of the carriage, and the sound of the wheels turning, lulled me to sleep.

When I woke up, it was by Silvia’s hand.

The group of riders had come to a stop, and she said we should take this as an opportunity to get out and stretch our legs.

I realized my butt was a little sore, and followed the young woman out of the carriage cabin, stepping into what I though was afternoon. I looked around and saw that the cavalry riders had dismounted and formed a handful of groups. Amongst them, I saw the Archduke speaking to the man who was probably the men’s commander.

I hesitated, wondering for a heartbeat if he would sense me looking at him, but when he didn’t turn my way, I decided to look elsewhere.

But I wasn’t given much time to take in our surroundings. Silvia suddenly pulled my arm, and urged me to the rear of the carriage where we found Marina standing there peering up at the sky above us.

Wordlessly, her eyes met mine, but a moment later she said, “If you need to pee and more, now’s the time. I don’t think we’ll be stopping until we reach the pass.”

“The pass?” I asked curiously.

“The mountain pass that cuts across those mountains.” She waved a hand in the direction of the front of the carriage. “West of here there’s a fortress at the mouth of the pass. I’m guessing his Grace and the men will want to arrive at the fortress before evening”—she pointed up—“and before those clouds open up their bellies.”

Taking a very deep breathe, she straightened and turned her body toward Silvia and me, and then declared with a troubled smile, “I guess it’s time to make a run for the bushes.”

Having spent a month on my own in the wilderness and away from my village, I didn’t think it was as much of a problem as she was making it to be.

With the matter of emptying our bladders taken care of, we walked back to the carriage.

Knight-Commander Kell was waiting for us near the door of the carriage with arms folded. Her eyes swept back and forth over our surroundings. I saw that she was wearing a thick cloak over her riding clothes, probably in case the weather turned on us as Marina feared.

“You girls ready?” she asked.

Marina replied, “We are, Lady Kell.”

“Good. No more stops. We ride until we reach Fortress Belgar.”

Silvia leaned toward me and softly said, “That’s fortress guarding the mountain pass.”

She pointed in a direction I instinctively knew as east because of the influence of the Seal of Arcala inside me.

In the distance was a long wall of dark mountains with their peaks lost in the clouds. The wall stretched across the horizon, and far to the north and south.

I stared at them, and swallowed hard, wondering how we were going to cross those mountains. If those had stood between me and Caldera when I fled south, I never would have left Reinvald alive.

Motion across the grassy terrain caught my attention.

The cavalry riders were mounting their horses, while other men checked the wagons and the packhorses.

I noticed the group was larger than just the twenty cavalry riders. With the young maids, the Lady Knight, the Archduke, and I included, we numbered close to forty people.

As I realized this, one rider rode our way at a slow gallop.

I looked up at his Grace on the saddle of his horse.

“How are you holding up?”

I didn’t notice until later that I was smiling up at him. “I’m well. Thank you for asking, your Grace.”

“That—that’s good.” He averted his eyes and saw the Lady Knight. “Knight-Commander, we ride to Belgar. Can you press the horses a little?”

“They’re a well behaved bunch. I think I can push them a little.”

He nodded once, looking satisfied, but wouldn’t meet my gaze again.

“Well then, let’s be off.” Then he frowned and gazed about. “Where’s Irvin?”

“I’m here, your Grace,” a voice replied from the carriage.

I looked up at the driver’s seat where the young man who’d escorted us in the morning was busy extending some sort of cover over where the seat. It resembled a shell and was probably intended to keep some of the rain off the carriage’s drivers.

High above us, the young man waved down at us and the Archduke with cheery, eager smile. “Ready to roll, your Grace.”

Falken Claymore looked down at Lady Kell and spoke in a low voice between them. “I hope you’re not thinking of letting him drive?”

“Not unless you want us arriving at Belgar next week.”

“He’s not boring you is he?”

“He’s been filling me in on all the citadel gossip.”

Claymore winced and sat upright in the saddle. “Don’t believe everything he tells you.”

“Oh?” Kell’s eyebrows rose quite sharply, and she peered up at his Grace with interest. “So Alleyne’s latest romance fizzled?”

Of a sudden, his horse complained and shifted about on its feet, forcing his Grace to hurriedly bring it under control. “Irvin spends too much time listening to the citadel’s maids.”

“And they are probably better informed than you are,” Kell retorted.

By a hair’s breadth, I held back the urge to glance at Marina, someone who definitely had a lot of answers to the questions I had. I did try looking at her through the corner of my eye, then realized I could go better.

Though my Ether Empath talent had always been weak, I had used it to sense out people’s moods, unless if they were using their own Empath talent to hide it from me.

Now that my connection to the Ether was gone, I had something else to rely, and that was the Awareness-field that surrounded me.

Born out of the Seal of Arcala inside my body, the field allowed me to sense my surroundings such that I could safely walk through a forest with my eyes closed. But it also allowed me to sense people’s emotions. It was a weak ability, but it gave me back what I’d lost when the Seal cut me off from the Ether.

However, before I could concentrate the field on Marina and gauge her emotions somewhat like reading her feelings on the Ether, Marina walked the short distance to the carriage, leaving Silvia and me standing behind.

She twisted the handle and pulled the door open.

“Get inside,” she said firmly, before climbing into the carriage, and taking her seat on the left side of the cabin, facing forward.

I heard a whisper slip past Silvia’s lips. “Well someone’s in a bad mood.”

Then the girl followed her companion into the carriage.

I started to follow her when the Archduke called out to me.

“Fallon, wait a moment.”

I looked at him in surprise, then hurriedly wiped it from my face. “Aye, your Grace.”

Claymore’s attention was on Lady Kell. Resting his forearms on the saddle’s pommel, he leaned forward as he looked down at her. “The captain agrees that we’re not far from the road leading up to Belgar. It’s probably an hour or so east of us.”

Kell crossed her arms under those impressive breasts of hers. “Going by Irvin’s map and calculations I’d say it’s closer to a half hour. He’s confident Fortress Belgar is no more than four hours away at the pace we’ve kept. Despite losing half the morning, we’ve made good time.”

“When we get on the road, do you think you can push them a little?”

“The horses?” She looked thoughtful. “I guess I can. They’re a good team with a strong leader, but this carriage is heavier than it looks. That suspension system it has works well, but all that metal adds extra weight. That said, I don’t know how it will behave on the road.”

I saw the Archduke pay the carriage some attention, before straightening in the saddle. “Alright. Then we won’t press our luck. I’ll let you set our pace.”

Kell dropped her weight onto a hip. “Isn’t that what I’ve been doing so far?”

“Chiren, will you stop trying to take off my head.”

Through the Awareness-field, I felt something change in the woman.

A kind of coldness ran through her, and she straightened her body. “If you’ll excuse me, your Grace.”

With a bow I would describe as curt, she spun around and walked the few feet to the carriage. Without looking at her, I sensed her climb onto the driver’s seat under its strange half shell.

“Fallon, I apologize. I shouldn’t have said that in front of you.”

Shaking my head quickly, I cleared my throat. I wasn’t sure whether to meet the Archduke’s eyes or not. “You have no need to apologize, your Grace. All of this trouble is because my body pushes away the Ether, isn’t it?”

There was silence between us, and I grew a little anxious.

“You realized that?” he asked.

I gathered my composure, and met his eyes. “If I didn’t push away the Ether, you could have flown back to your home. Is that not true?”

“Yes. I could have flown with you aboard a flyer, and returned to Calandor in two days.”

I winced inwardly.

Marina had mentioned something about the journey taking two weeks. There was quite a difference between two days and two weeks.

I folded my hands in front of my midriff as I’d seen Silvia and Marina do on a past occasion. “I’m the one who should apologize, your Grace. I’m sorry for not knowing how to control the Seal…but I will learn. I will master it.” I bowed to him. “I promise I will.”

“Fallon, raise your head.”

The flatness in his tone surprised me and I did as he asked with a start.

He urged his horse a foot or so closer to me.

When my gaze met his, I felt trapped by the intensity of his stare.

It was as though his hands were upon my cheeks, forcing me to look into his eyes.

Then I saw the grin on his face.

“I have every confidence in you, Lady Fallon. Every confidence.”

“Ah…I…aye, your Grace.”

I managed to break free of his gaze, and tried innocently looking elsewhere, aware that my cheeks had grown warm.

Am I blushing?

“That dress…it looks good on you. A very fine selection….”

I blinked quickly, realizing he was talking to me, and looked up at him.

His gaze was pointedly focused elsewhere and he looked to be under a little strain.

Curiously, I glanced down at myself, and noticed the top of my breasts were peeking out from under the dress. With the short bustier Silvia had forced me to wear, they were pushed up even higher, making them appear even rounder and fuller. I wasn’t exposing myself, but I was showing a deep valley between my breasts, especially if someone was high and looking down upon me…such as his Grace on horseback.

“Ah—”

I half turned away, and this time my cheeks were definitely warm, or should I say, hot.

“You’d best hurry along, Lady Fallon,” he said firmly.

With a seated bow, he reined his horse about and trotted away to where the cavalry riders had come together in a large group.

I ducked my head and strode fast to the carriage, climbing aboard before I even noticed I’d done so. I had some trouble getting the door closed, so Silvia showed me how to operate the door mechanism so that it would close and not accidentally open while we were moving.

But the truth was I had trouble getting it closed because my hands were trembling and my heart was beating fast.

I sat back and sagged into the seat.

A short while later, I heard the sounds men calling out to each other, and horses snorting and neighing as they started moving again. This was followed by the crack of the reins from outside the carriage, and then the whole thing jerked into motion as the horses pulled it along behind them.

I palmed my forehead, then shot Silvia a glare. “You made me wear this dress on purpose.”

Silvia blinked in confusion, then smiled innocently, but through the Awareness-field, I could sense she was amused.

“I thought it might interest him a little—maybe catch his eye.” Her smile grew and her eyes twinkled. “He peeked at you, didn’t he? Was it a good peek?”

I tried pulling the bodice of my dress up but it did no good other than to dig into the underside of my breasts. “Damn it.”

“Don’t do that,” Marina said. “You’ll cut off circulation and bruise them.”

“But I’m exposed—”

“You are not exposed,” she countered. “That dress is feminine and finely cut. It hints at what you have to offer. Nothing more, and nothing less. At the very least you should be proud of yourself.”

“But he looked down at me—I mean at them.”

“He may be the Archduke, however his Grace is still a man. Don’t fault him for it. Not unless he was being lewd. Was he openly salivating like a panting dog?”

“Uh…no…he looked…like he was trying not to look….”

Marina sighed. “There’s nothing to be concerned about. Sometimes men need to be reminded of how important we are.”

“And delicate,” Silvia added while still wearing her innocent smile.

I opened my mouth, then thought better of complaining, and closed it with a snap. But a short while later, I couldn’t contain myself.

“I don’t want him thinking ill of me….”

“I doubt he does,” Marina replied in a low voice. “I’m sure you well and surely have his attention by now….”

Something in her voice made my body stiffen. It didn’t sound like an accusation, but it was a little cold, and afterwards I felt a little anxious when I remembered what I’d learnt the night before.

I chose to look out the glass window at the countryside we were travelling through.

My heart may have held fanciful thoughts, but my head didn’t.

In two months’ time, his Grace would be a wedded man with a wife that hailed from Reinvald, and from the homeland I had fled.

At that time, what place would I occupy in his life?

I have six readers so far...ha...I wonder how well Game of Thrones would do if it was posted here.

Cheers.