“Fucking cowards,” Ariadne spits.
I shake my head and hold up one hand. “I’ll have none of that. The witches saved our lives. They are not indifferent to our suffering, but their numbers are few and they’re not soldiers. Their magic and training are primarily defensive by nature. We can’t judge them for being honest about what they are and where their strengths lie.”
Warbill rubs the back of his neck. “You may find others like me who haven’t made it to Aendor, but who could be convinced to join the cause. I’m afraid at this point, though, they will be few and far between. Drawing them out will mean revealing yourselves, which will be risky. There is one place to find more men, though. Strong ones, practiced in killing.”
“Where?”
“The Rivertoads.”
“Mercenaries,” I hiss. “Sure, they can fight, but they’ll turn on you the moment they’re tempted by more coin.”
Warbill settles into his chair. “You’ve been gone a long time.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Just that old prejudices run deep.”
I cringe. “I harbor no prejudices. My feelings about the Rivertoads are based on facts and experience. It is known.”
“I’m not sure about that, Damien. It’s not always about money with them. Victus said they helped him defy New Stygarde to keep the general store stocked, even when it was not profitable for them to do so. Brahm betrayed them. Before your father died, Brahm ran up an enormous debt with them he’s never repaid. And New Stygarde has begun restricting their movements. They’re travelers. Have been since before I was born.”
I stare into the fire, watching it crackle and sputter. We’ll need more wood for the night. The logs are mostly ash. Then again, the chill I’m suddenly feeling has nothing to do with the fire. I don’t like Rivertoads. My father found them untrustworthy, unclean, uncivilized. Only a month ago, a group of them, hired by King Entrydal, attempted to assassinate me. I will never trust a Rivertoad to do the right thing.
“How many men do the Rivertoads have for hire?”
“According to Victus, thousands,” Warbill says.
I swivel my head to look at him, convinced he must be joking. “Impossible.”
“No.” Warbill’s eyebrows lift. “When Brahm rose to power, many individuals left the villages and joined upwith the travelers. You have to understand that the Rivertoads made it possible to hide. They aren’t governed the way Bolvet was, the way any of the regions are. More often than not, they slip under the radar. That appeals to anyone trying to make a new start, even if it comes with constant movement and an expectation that one might have to perform the occasional act of service.”
“Hmmm.” By act of service, he means killing or stealing in exchange for goods or money. Exactly what Rivertoads are known for.
As I look upon the two starving shades before me, I know why some would resort to joining the Rivertoads. And I know that if there are loyal umbrae warriors left alive, and they could not make it to Aendor, joining up with the travelers would have promised safety and freedom.
“Then it sounds like my next stop is to pay the Rivertoads a visit. Do you know the name of their current leader?”
“King of the Rivertoads? No. They’re secretive about their leadership, but Victus did tell me one thing after a bit of drinking in my tavern. He said, if I ever needed help, to find the caravan and wait until it stopped for the night to approach. A few of the wagons open in the evening to serve food and drink to anyone with quills. All the Rivertoads gather there. It’s their social hub, the center of their community life. Victus said to ask for what you want, and if someone can get it for you and you’re willing to pay, they do.”
I shove down the sour feeling that churns in my belly at the thought of asking filthy Rivertoads for help with anything. But if there’s a chance some of my formerumbrae are there, I have no choice. “Then it looks like our next stop is to pay a visit to the caravan.”
We’re interrupted when the door flies open, and Eloise smiles at us from the doorway. “Who’s hungry? I’m afraid you’ll have to come outside to eat. There’s no way this thing is going to fit through the door.”
She steps aside to reveal the largest stag I have seen since my return to Tenebris.
5
About the Children
Eloise
Cozy as the fire beside me might be, nothing warms my heart more than witnessing the effect the stag’s blood and meat have on Ariadne and Warbill. Almost instantly, their glazed and foggy eyes clear, and color returns to their cheeks and hair. Although both are still far too thin, I notice Ariadne’s exposed bones become less pronounced. It will take time for the two of them to recover completely, but the rejuvenative powers shades enjoy are incredible, and I know they will heal far faster than any human could. It means everything to me to know I’ve helped.
Far from what I’d assumed, Damien, Warbill, and Ariadne had no problem moving the beast indoors. The three shades drained its blood into a barrel like the finest wine and, in mere minutes, had butchered the creature. Obviously starving, Ariadne and Warbill gulped down goblets of blood and feasted on the most tender pieces ofmeat, while Damien showed me how to preserve the rest by hanging it in strips to dry. One leg he placed on a spit to roast over the fire.
Now, I sip from the warm goblet in my hands as the scent of roasting meat permeates the cabin and Damien fills me in on the conversation they had while I was laying the wards.
“So, we need to find the Rivertoad king and ask him to join our cause?” I clarify.
