“Why don’t you go back to humming songs again?” she teased, a mischievous smile on her face.
It was only then that Eldric realized Freyah and Alissa had heard all the singing he did when he believed he was alone. They had been hiding inside the barrels the whole time.
His cheeks turned red, and he tried to remember if he’d said anything compromising in the times he talked to himself.
Freyah stared at them with a bored expression. All this bickering between Alissa and Eldric was becoming more common as the days passed. She didn’t know whether it was exhaustion or their naturally bad tempers. All she knew was that she had to play the peacemaker role very often.
Freyah closed her eyes and wished she could go back to hearing the sound of her father playing his flute in their living room instead of this stupidity. “What is it, by the way?” she interrupted, her eyes still closed.
“What?” Eldric only then acknowledged Freyah’s existence.
“The name of our country.”
“Heldraine,” he murmured.
“That’s a terrible choice of name!” Alissa twitched her nose in disapproval. “It sounds like the name of a potion to ease flatulence.”
Freyah burst into laughter. Eldric only stared at her in disbelief. “It’s not like I came up with the name, Kriegen. Also, it’s not very respectful of you to say that about your country,” he scolded her, not really sure why—he hadn’t exactly been the proudest of patriots himself lately.
“Oh, the same country that showed us so much respect by making up stories of monsters to keep my people trapped by walls?” Alissa’s words hung there, the seriousness in her voice fading Freyah’s laughter and easing Eldric’s gaze.
“I’m sorry… that you had to live that way for so long.”
They glanced at him, surprised that the tall, strong man who was usually too blunt had shown signs of empathy.
“It’s not your fault,” Freyah said.
“Still, it’s not fair.” He watched them with sympathy. “Is that why you left?”
Freyah glanced at Alissa for any signs of what she should trust Eldric with. This was not her story to tell, and Alissa should be the one to decide if, when, and how much of their reasoning Eldric should know about.
Eldric noticed how Freyah was silently asking Alissa for permission to speak. He had the feeling they had left Bryniard for a deeper reason than simple curiosity about the exterior world. Anything that would make someone willing to face the Canyons of Truths—and give up their hand for it—should not be taken lightly.
“It doesn’t matter,” Alissa cut the subject short. “How long till we’re in Porjea?”
Eldric frowned but let the matter go for the time being. “Almost there.”
They had decided to take a short detour to a small village Eldric called Porjea to restock their provisions as the recently added destination had significantly extended their travel time. To make matters worse, Alissa and Freyah had nearly exhausted their supplies; they hadn’t anticipated an extra mouth to feed on their journey, and Eldric apparently hadn’t been well-prepared for this trip—he hadn’t been counting on having to transport this shipment from Bryniard after all.
According to him, from this day forward, it would take them about two months to reach Golheim, with reasonable stops for rest. Alissa didn’t like the idea of having to deviate from the route and waste precious hours, but she had done the math. If they took a maximum of two months to get to the capital and the same time to go back home, they should be back in Bryniard with two months to spare and in time to save Dhalia.
“Before we enter the village, be mindful of three things,” Eldric explained as he lifted his index finger, counting. “One, don’t let anyone know you’re from Bryniard. Two, don’t speak to anyone, your accent would raise questions about your origins. Three, don’t look men in the eyes.”
Alissa furrowed her eyebrows. This was way too specific for her taste. “Great! On our first stop, there were people who collected body parts, and on our second, people we can’t look in the eyes. Should I be worried about our third stop?”
“That depends on what our third stop is going to be,” Eldric said with a smirk, a failed attempt to scare her.
“Explain, please,” Freyah spoke, bringing the conversation focus back to where it should be.
“In some small villages, women are still regarded as merchandise. In such places, looking a man in the eye can be interpreted as a request for purchase. They will assume I’m your owner, and if you make eye contact, they will start bidding tobuy you from me.” His voice was rough, underscoring the danger they would face if they forgot to follow this one demand.
Freyah bit her nails. “Is it going to be like this in every village we stop on the way?”
“No, only this far west of the capital,” Eldric explained. “You should leave all your weapons in the carriage.”
Alissa shot him the most skeptical look. “I’m not leaving them here.”
“If you do not do as I say, you will get yourselves hurt or killed.”