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Chapter Eighteen
Oriel had hoped that keeping his promise would help. Even if it hadn’t, he had still intended to keep it. He would have cut the Captain into pieces if Aspen had said so.
It was all he could give Aspen at the moment. With that and Roth saving him, the snappy comments dissipated, but there wasn’t any improvement in his overall well-being.
Oriel hadn’t expected any of that to fix him, but he hadn’t expected Aspen to sink further. Maybe he should, considering that they were on a ship.
The trip took an eternity. Actually, it was only a little over three weeks since they had good winds, but it felt like forever. Aspen stayed curled on his bed, barely spoke, practically had to be forced to eat, and he spent too much time on that medicine Oriel had gotten.
He was pretty sure halvin was what made it work since tiny amounts of that could sedate a person. He didn’t let Aspen have more than a sip at a time. Being incoherent on it for hours at a time probably wasn’t healthy.
He only got up to wash himself and use the privy when they gave him privacy. He didn’t want to sit outside, meet anyone else, or talk. Oriel had hoped that Roth trying to help him would have done something more, but he was afraid Aspen was slipping to a spot where they couldn’t reach him. Roth’s cuddles couldn’t pull him up.
Somehow, Oriel would have to deal with a possible war and still take care of Aspen because he was too afraid to leave him behind now.
“Maybe he needs a steady place,” Roth said as they stood outside by the railing one night. Aspen was fast asleep in the tiny cabin. “All of this traveling isn’t helping him. We sleep in a new place every night except for now, but a ship isn’t good for him. If Asara will help you, maybe he should stay behind, and she can watch over him. Perhaps some herbs and stability will help him.”
“I don’t want to leave him.”
“But maybe it’s for the best. You can come back for him.”
“What if I die?”
“We both might die either way. At least you’ll know he’s already in a safe spot.”
Oriel ran a hand through his hair. All of his ideas on how to take care of Aspen had been vague, and with the days bringing them closer to their first goal, maybe Roth was right. He needed to let go of this idea of keeping Aspen close and place him somewhere safe. He could come back later if he lived.
But maybe Aspen wouldn’t want to see him again.
“What if he’s never well? Hmm?” Oriel tilted his head. “What if I come back and find that he managed to kill himself or vanished?"
Roth looked away over the dark ocean. “I don’t have an answer, but I think Asara would watch over him. She’ll see how important he is to you, and she won’t let him run off or do anything harmful to himself. At least Aspen’s not angry now.”
“I don’t think him staring at the wall or sleeping all day is healthy either,” snapped Oriel. “That’s not helping him.”
“I know that.”
Oriel took a deep breath and hugged him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap.”
Roth wrapped his arms around Oriel. “I know you didn’t. We’ll take this one day at a time, okay? That’s all we can do.”
What if Aspen ran out of days while Oriel was gone? Asara couldn’t be pasted to his side all day.
Aspen remained quiet, and he shrugged off Roth when he tried to hold him one afternoon. Oriel didn’t try because if Aspen wasn’t panicking, touching him might raise his wrath.
When they came to port and went straight to another boat, Oriel’s gut became constantly tense. The Windswept Isles were four days away if the weather remained pleasant. He kept imagining Asara refusing to help him with logical explanations of their chances. She’d let him stay, but he’d be adrift with no real purpose.
Or she’d say yes, they get a plan together, and he’d die in war. That wasn’t comforting either. He was a good fighter, but that didn’t mean he was invincible, and he didn’t want to join his family anymore. Not like that.
When they made land at Harpsen on the main island of Wind's Respite, he thought he’d throw up. They were so close. He’d have to tell her everything that happened.
Aspen followed them, and he was quiet as usual while they walked through the busy streets. He hadn’t had any of the medicine that morning.
Queen Asara lived just outside of Harpsen, and Oriel could see the Castle far ahead. The pale blue stones shimmered slightly even at this distance, and he figured it would be a good thirty-minute walk once they reached the edge. He almost considered asking a blacksmith here to cut off the damn collar, but he was still too nervous to show it to anyone.
He wanted to be safely in his cousin’s home with Roth and Aspen before that happened.
“Should we get horses?” asked Roth.
