“Even after everything the king did?” Krujha asked, and Alwyn grimaced.
“Well, that adds another layer to it,” he sighed. “After all this, it’s not like I’m in trouble, but I don’t think I’m exactly free to do as I please, either. Be that as it may... I meant it when I told Tessarion that I would leave the Order. I don’twantto be part of it any longer. But I don’t want to be here, in the capital, either. I’m done with all this scheming and politics. The war is over. The rebellion has ended. I just want to have some peace.”
Krujha considered this as he took a few more bites of his food. It was hard to think that even after the king’s direct intervention, the matter might not yet be put to bed; but if Alwyn worriedabout some kind of revenge from those still loyal to Tessarion, he had to trust that the worry had some merit. More than that, his concern was with the elf’s health, which still seemed so fragile.
“Are you sure you’ll be alright to travel so soon?” Krujha asked. The memory of Alwyn’s grievous wounds were fresh in his mind; though he looked healed outwardly, aside from the places where his hair was still uneven from being singed off, it was hard to reconcile with how recently he’d been on the brink of death.
“The healer did an excellent job,” Alwyn replied dryly, looking down at his hands. “I’ll be fine.”
Krujha would have to trust his judgment. If he thought he was capable of traveling now, then they would go. He took a moment longer to consider, but already he could see the beginnings of a plan laid out in his mind, like a scroll rolling out before him.
“I can get us out of the city undetected,” he said. Alwyn blinked owlishly at him, eyes wide. “What? Is that so surprising to you?”
“How?” he asked, disbelief in his voice. Krujha laughed.
“Because I can get out ofanywhereundetected, Alwyn,” he replied, shaking his head. “Even by elven standards, I’m far from a lumbering oaf. My skills will work anywhere you want to go.”
Color was rising in Alwyn’s face the longer he spoke. “I know—I wasn’t trying to say that—”
Krujha waved a dismissive hand. “It’s fine. It might be a little harder since this is a place I don’t know. But I’m sure I can do it. If you’re worried about being tailed by the Order, though, we should go sooner rather than later, while things are still in chaos with them.”
“I agree,” Alwyn said, nodding once.
“Let’s leave tonight,” Krujha said. “I’ll pay for another day at the inn, but we should leave before tomorrow.”
Alwyn frowned, but nodded again. “So soon.”
“So soon,” Krujha agreed, nodding. “You pack up all our things and wait. I’ll see to it we have everything we need, and I’ll figure out the way out of the city that’s least likely to be noticed.”
“Will you need help?” Alwyn asked.
“Nope,” Krujha replied, grinning widely at him. When the elf didn’t look convinced, he dropped a bit of the pretense and shot him a more sincere smile. “You’ve done so much, spitfire. Let me take care of this for you. Let me help.”
Despite his attempt at looking annoyed, a small, sweet smile twitched at the corners of Alwyn’s mouth. Krujha felt his heart flutter in response.
“Okay. I trust you,” Alwyn said softly.
There was one key difference between Drol Kuggradh and Castle Aefraya that Krujha found challenging: the city was laid out in a neat, orderly grid, instead of a mess of buildings and tents erected wherever there was room. That meant there were far fewer hidden alleys or dark walkways to slip through. Still, as Krujha walked the streets of Castle Aefraya, whistling cheerfully, his mental map of the capital city fell into place. With any luck, they wouldn’t have an actual assassin following them—they would just have to evade the notice of anyone on the street who might remember seeing them.
They could make it on foot to the next village and buy a horse there—though a horse he could ride would be hard to find. They could at least find a mule to carry their things, or carry Alwyn if he got tired.
His mind was swirling with thoughts as he walked the perimeter of the city, hugging the walls and making note of every gate leading out. He could see the route now: if they passedthrough the alleys created in the residential district, where several smaller houses were pushed up close against each other; then cut through the artisan district along the baker’s street, which backed into an abandoned walkway where food waste was disposed of; and hugged the wall until they could slip through the eastern gate, the least-guarded of them all, the chances of them being spotted past midnight seemed slim.
He made a second circle around the city nearer to the castle, this time keeping a closer eye out for anyone tailing him. It was possible they might still be followed, but he didn’t spot anyone as he walked.
Finally, he walked through the marketplace, replenishing their supplies in anticipation of the journey ahead. He wasn’t sure how long they would be on the road, or where they would go exactly, but he gathered rations for at least a week, along with a new tent and bedrolls for the winter weather.
When he arrived back in their room at the inn, it was nearly time for supper. Alwyn was waiting inside with all their belongings neatly packed, sitting on the edge of the bed.
“All set,” Krujha said with a wink when Alwyn stood to greet him, a questioning look on his face.
“Thank you,” he said softly, still looking troubled with his brows sweetly furrowed. Krujha stepped closer and leaned down to press a kiss to his forehead.
“No need to thank me,” he said. “Let’s eat as much as we can, get some rest, then we’ll leave around midnight. I have our route mapped out.”
“Horses?” Alwyn asked hopefully. Krujha grimaced, shaking his head.
“Couldn’t figure out how to get them without attracting too much attention,” he said. “Plus, there are only a few orc-sized horses for sale in the city that I could find. If anyone were tocome looking for us, that’d probably be the first place they ask around. I think we’ll need to go on foot first.”
