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Prince Edmund scooted forward, leaving space behind him. “If I sit in front, I can block the wind for Queen Melantha.”
Melantha quickly sat in the space before Rharreth could argue. She snuggled into the pile of furs at her back and tucked her knees up between her and Prince Edmund. It was less awkward than having him sit between her legs, and this way he could lean against her legs and keep her toes warm.
But she reached over his shoulder and tapped his cheek with a magic-laced finger, giving him enough magic that he should stay warm enough, even taking the brunt of the wind and cold. “You are oddly accommodating, for a spy.”
Prince Edmund did not flinch from her magic or when Rharreth bent over, tying the prince’s hands and feet to the sled. Instead, the Escarlish spy shot a grin over his shoulder. “I am a prince. My mother raised me to have some fine manners, after all.”
Rharreth huffed, as if he wanted to argue with that statement but did not want to waste the breath. Instead, he tucked a few more furs around both Melantha and Prince Edmund before he took his spot standing on the back of the sled.
Melantha glanced over her shoulder at him. “I have always wanted to ride a dog sled. Some of the elves in the northern part of Tarenhiel have adopted it as a means of transportation, but I never had a chance to try it before.”
“I wish I’d had a chance to take you out with our team of dogs back in Osmana.” Rharreth’s jaw tightened, his gloved hands flexing on the top of the sled. “I would have, if things had not been so tense.”
What would it be like, if Kostaria found a way to be both at peace with its neighbors and with itself? Melantha could see herself enjoying time with Rharreth as they traveled to some of the outlying towns and warrior family strongholds. Travel would be pleasant if they were not fleeing for their lives through a blizzard.
Gozat warriors climbed onto their own sleds pulled by teams of dogs or gathered with skis in place to follow on foot with the sleds pulled by caribou.
Ezrec climbed onto the lead sled, then motioned and gave the order to move out. Each of the dog teams in line moved out after giving enough space between them and the previous team.
When it was their turn, Rharreth yelled, “Hike! Hike!”
The dogs in front of them lunged into motion, and the sled lurched before gliding in their wake.
Melantha gripped the edge of the sled as the breeze whipped past Prince Edmund to brush against her face, carrying competing scents of dog urine and crisp snow. All around them, scrub pine and spruces spread as far as she could see, their branches drooping under the weight of the crusting snow. In the morning sunlight, the snow glittered as if infused with magic while the sky above had cleared into a glorious blue broken only by a few puffy clouds.
Now this was the way to travel. For the first time since leaving Osmana, Melantha let herself relax into the warmth provided by the bundled furs and enjoy their trip.
THE BLANKET YANKEDoff her, and Essie blearily blinked herself awake. She could still feel the rumble of the Escarlish royal train beneath her accompanied by the constant clacking of the wheels on the tracks. Their sleeping compartment was still cloaked in semi-darkness, the windows showing a gray, early dawn outside.
Beside her, Farrendel bolted upright, kicking the blanket farther to the end of the bed. For good measure, he yanked his shirt off over his head and hurled it across the sleeping compartment on the train. He hunched with his knees drawn up, breathing hard and trembling.
Through the heart bond, she could feel the tight sense of the room closing in around him. A nightmare and nightmare-fueled panic attack. A mild one, but the first one he’d had for a while. No doubt brought on by worries for Melantha and the thought of walking into battle once again.
Essie pushed into a sitting position as well and reached to touch his back. When he didn’t flinch, she gently traced her fingers up and down over his tight muscles, her fingers catching on the puckered scars where the trolls’ stone had pierced him. “Perhaps you should have taken the top bunk instead of squishing here with me. These bunks, after all, weren’t designed for two people.”
Farrendel didn’t respond, his breathing going from ragged into a too steady rhythm that told her he was using one of the calming breathing techniques he’d been taught.
