Alissa glanced back to where Eldric stood, afflicted. “How long till we’re in the capital?”
“Another six days of travel. If we stay, it will be a little over a week here and another on the road.”
She immediately started doing the math. If Eldric’s predictions were correct, they would be arriving in Golheim about eight weeks after leaving Bryniard. Dhalia would still have almost four months before Senectus Subita ended her life.
Alissa nodded, upset.
Nyfrel would be their home for the upcoming days.
Part Three
Chapter 18
Higher Stakes, Lower Moods
127 DAYS UNTIL DHALIA’S DEATH DATE.
Alissa almost threw up, the yellow liquid leaving a lingering bitter taste on her tongue. “Couldn’t you have created a potion that tasted like strawberry?” she complained, though successfully ignored by the healer.
“Under no circumstances should you be doing anything besides resting for the rest of this week. Especially while you receive treatment,” Desi said, her tone indicating she was up for no jokes.
Alissa nodded in agreement.
It was already dark outside, and she could see the stars shining through the small breach in the entrance, while the illumination inside the tent came from a few lit candles.
She sighed. Three full days had been and gone since the attack, and she was nowhere near getting to the capital.
Desi was very kind and helpful. She had given them clean clothes and hot meals, even agreeing to teach Freyah how to make basic potions. Freyah was so excited about it that she made a list of every ailment and common symptom she could remember in hopes of helping people someday.
Alissa would never have been able to afford treatment such as this. She almost cried with relief when the healer explained that, in Heldraine, all healing services were provided by the Crown and, therefore, at no cost to the population—including the people of Nyfrel.
She hadn’t yet caught a glimpse of the city; she had been unconscious upon their arrival. But she had learned that the closer they were to the capital, the larger the cities would be. Alissa thought Eldric and Freyah would have preferred to find an inn to spend the nights, but they seemed pretty content with keeping her company—even when that meant they had to sleep on piles of hay.
Although neither of her friends expressed their worries with words, Alissa could tell by their unease that something had been bothering them since she regained consciousness. When Desi left the tent for the night with a list of instructions on what Alissa could and could not do while she was gone, Alissa decided it was time to find out what was making her friend bite her nails for hours on end.
“What is going on with you two?”
Eldric and Freyah exchanged glances, neither of them wanting to say anything. Their eyes were innocent, as if they had no idea what she was referring to.
“Don’t look at me like that. I know something’s up, you traitors,” she pressed, waiting for them to spill it out.
Alissa caught a small piece of paper lying on the tray Desi was using to bandage her injuries, and she threw it at Eldric’s face. He blinked when it hit his nose.
“We weren’t going to say anything until you were well…”
Alissa waited in silence for the rest of his words to come out, her brows raised, her arms crossed over her chest.
“We’re now considered fugitives of the Kingdom of Heldraine.”
“What?” Alissa exclaimed in shock. She was definitely not expectingthat. “How?”
“We found wanted signs spread over town with our faces on them. They are offering a bounty for whoever delivers us to the Crown.”
Alissa shook her head. “You said we hadn’t committed any crimes by leaving Bryniard.”
“I believe this is more related to the incident in Porjea than anything.”
“Oh, for the men you killed that day?” Alissa asked, not in provocation but in understanding.