I wait for him to elaborate, but he doesn’t.
“Maximus, my cousin Valerian and I have joined a growing insurgency with the goal of taking back NewStygarde from Brahm and his dark elf queen. You must have heard about the men training in secret in Aendor?”
“One hears many things on the road.”
“It’s a sizable rebellion, but we need more men, and I’m authorized to offer a considerable sum.”
“You don’t want to hire mercenaries—you want to hire an army.”
Warbill nods. “So I ask again, how many men do you have available for hire?”
The man scowls at a spot on the floor. “And if I told you a number, and you were able to pay the price, you would expect us to follow a simple villager from Covellton into battle?”
Warbill clears his throat, and I force my expression to remain unreadable as he adds, “Prince Damien is back. He’s alive and working with the rebels.”
Max snorts. “Rumor. Innuendo. I once fought under Prince Damien and saw him fall on the battlefield. But even if he were back, you’d be hard-pressed to get my men to fight for another son of Malek. Who’s to say he’d be any better than his brother? We might be swapping one tyrant for another.”
“Damien isn’t a tyrant,” I say, forgetting myself in my passion for the topic. “He wants a kingdom where everyone has a voice and the Rivertoads can remain free.”
“You seem surprisingly knowledgeable of the ways Prince Damien intends to rule.” He taps the hilt of his sword. “I can take your offer back to my men, but unlike the silver coats, each person has a choice to fight or not fight. We each set our own price, even if we work collectively. I can’t tell you how many will entertain your offer,but I promise you, it won’t be many. Rivertoads don’t fight other people’s wars.”
“Don’t you see what Brahm is doing? Don’t you want a better Tenebris?” Warbill asks, growing defensive.
“It’s only a matter of time before Brahm’s hard-line tactics come to your wagon,” I say. “And when it happens, it will be too late to stop him. He’ll be too powerful.”
Maximus stands up straighter. “My men and I will look out for our own interests. I won’t stop any individual from bargaining with you, but I will not help you coordinate a large-scale enlistment. Good luck to you.” He turns to leave.
“Wait! What about your king? Will Jaqual speak with us about this?”
Maximus looks at the ceiling and then at me. “I thought you wanted men, not political relations.”
“Both,” I say.
He snorts. “Fine. I’ll let him know you’d like to talk. Good luck to you.” He pushes through the door and disappears into the night.
“Well, that went over like a wingless bird,” Warbill says. “Sounds like we’ll be lucky to have any men join our cause. And what was that all about a different type of king and each man having his own choices? I swear the Rivertoads are from another planet rather than another community.”
I grunt. “This conversation isn’t over. There is hope yet.”
15
The Big Reveal
Eloise
I’ve just made myself a cup of tea on the small potbellied stove that warms my wagon when my gut tightens and Damien’s scent, like leather and rain, invades my nose. I get the sense that he’s upset, that maybe his meeting hasn’t gone as he wished. I take my mug and move for the door, planning to check on him and Warbill. But when I open it, Jaqual is there.
“Oh, hello,” I say. “What brings the Rivertoad king to my humble wagon?”
He flashes a lopsided grin. “Maybe I just needed a friend. Although I wonder about our status as such, given that your cousin almost slit my throat.”
“He didn’t mean it. We’ve been brutally mistreated, as you know. He thought you were hurting me.”
“I wasn’t kidding about needing to talk. Were you heading somewhere?”
“Just going to ask my brother if he’d like some tea forthe morning. I had all of it in my saddlebag. But it can wait. Would you like to come in?”
Silver light rises behind the trees, casting shadows, hollowing his cheekbones and making his teeth gleam as he shakes his head. “It isn’t done. You have a maiden’s wagon. But I will take a cup of tea if you’re offering. Out here, please. We can watch the moonrise.”
