Bastion buttered his bread with a frown.He supposed the crabs eating the bastard would have to be revenge enough.
“We’re leaving for Tynamara tomorrow with the prisoners,” Kyrith said.“Come with us.The king will want to hear the details of your story.”
Bastion stared at the food still on his plate.He hadn’t thought about returning to the capital since all this began.And now, he had not only failed on the island, but also to discover who had orchestrated the attacks on Lord Kyrith’s vassals and what they were truly after.
“Something larger is afoot here,” Kyrith said, as if reading his thoughts, “and I want to make sure no one else is blindsided, as we were.I would like Ulla to accompany us as well.”
Bastion froze, the hair of the back of his neck standing up, as though he were standing on a ledge and was about to tip over backwards.He hadn’t thought beyond seeing her last night, but knowing he would be close to her for a little while longer was as elating as it was torturous.
Minato cleared his throat.“My Lord, I suspect she will refuse.”A flash of worry crossed the Yvri’s face.
“Then convey the importance of her presence,” Kyrith replied.The command in his voice, albeit gentle, was unmistakable.
__________
The morning sun did little to warm him.
Bastion checked Finn’s saddle one more time.The Thatian had been unusually docile despite the commotion of their imminent departure.Still, every one of the two dozen men going to Tynamara eyed Finn, lingering on his striped haunches.They gave him a wide berth as they secured saddlebags and swords to their own mounts.
A prison cart waited beyond the drawbridge.Eight pirates sat behind bars, blankets wrapped around their shoulders.In the courtyard, guards finished loading a supply cart.
Rowan stood close to Bastion, holding the reins of a shaggy pony named Epona.The beast had once been Nesrin’s.She’d saddled her and handed the reins over to Rowan, ruffling his and Epona’s hair.
Porridge and hard cheese tap danced in his stomach as Bastion looked around for Ulla.He hadn’t seen her at breakfast, nor sensed her within Moonwatch.In fact, the ever-present hook in his chest had gone quiet, leaving him wrung out and hollow.It was worse than denying the pull.He may as well have been quenching his thirst with saltwater.
Lord Kyrith appeared in the doorway of the keep, outfitted in riding leathers accented with blue and silver.Nesrin, dressed similarly, followed him to their horses, Lawrence and Minato right behind her.
Heart in his throat, Bastion turned to Rowan.“Time to go.Do you want to get on Epona yourself?Or do you want help?”
The boy blinked, eyes wide.He handed the reins to Bastion and scrambled into the saddle.
Epona gave a long-suffering sigh but stood placidly while Rowan struggled to figure out how to mount her.By the time he settled, Lord Kyrith had handed the command of Moonwatch over to Captain Hywell and swung onto his own steed.
Bastion patted the boy’s knee.“Ready?”
Rowan tucked his chin and frowned.He whispered, “We can’t leave without Ulla.”
As if her name were a chord of music, his heartstrings thrummed, and the emptiness behind his ribs vibrated with life.Bastion turned, finding her immediately through the crowd.
Relief washed over him.
She took an indirect route, giving the horses who tossed their heads or pawed the ground a wide berth.When she climbed into the supply cart beside the driver, Bastion swallowed.
Selfishly, he wished she were riding with him.
She turned her head, just enough that he could see her lashes flutter.Her back went straighter than a mast, and she staunchly faced forwards.The bond quieted, and the void returned, filling Bastion with a sense of loss.He thought leaving the island without a Godmark had been bad.
This was worse.
__________
They rode for five days.
Lord Kyrith set the pace, alternating between a lazy lope and a brisk trot, stopping often for short breaks to keep the horses fresh.Rowan clung to Epona’s saddle with one hand, a fistful of mane in the other, while the pony trotted on a lead attached to Finn.Every time he glanced over his shoulder to check on Rowan, Bastion couldn’t help but look for Ulla as well.
She never gazed in his direction.
But, now and then, the bond sparked, hitting him with the welcome warmth of a ray of sunlight peeking through the clouds.It left just as quickly, and Bastion would shrug his cloak higher.Several times, he caught Lawrence observing him.To avoid the pity in his eyes, Bastion would smooth his face and check on Rowan.When they arrived in Tynamara, he’d need his courtier’s mask.
