“I’ll make sure my king gets any help I can give him.”
sixteen
Brenna placed two zarid leaves in the old steel mortar and carefully crushed them with the smooth ball of the pestle. As she worked, she muttered under her breath. She didn’t know any real healing spells, so she simply repeated over and over health to King Mattias, while picturing him getting better.
She carefully emptied the contents of the mortar into a small jar. She had dozens of doses of the poison to make and only a few hours until she and Kane left the city.
They hadn’t yet decided where they would go. At least Kane hadn’t. She knew exactly where she was headed. Kane could get them out of the city and then she was going to Aruntun. Brenna was going to let healer Sabine’s family know what had happened to their daughter, whether Kane agreed or not.
By early morning, when she showed them to Feiren and Kane, the small apothecary jars almost covered the dining table.
“I know it seems like a lot,” Brenna said. “But I made at least three different strengths. See, I’ve identified the three doses by colour. Red is the weakest, yellow is of middle strength and blue is the strongest. You need to try them in that order. Now,” she picked up two jars with red string attached, “since none of us is sure how you’ll get these into the king, there’s both a powder and liquid in each strength. Once you know which one works, simply take a jar to the apothecary and he’ll duplicate it.” The Brotherhood’s membership included an apothecary, of course. Kane had taken her to visit the man last evening and she’d taken all of the zarid he had on hand as well as most of his small jars.
“Good work, Brenna.” Kane squeezed her shoulder. “Now get some rest. We’ll be leaving in a few hours.”
“All right,” Brenna said. She ran a hand through her hair. She was exhausted. “Good bye Feiren.” She hugged him and brushed her lips across the stubble of his check. “Thank you for everything.”
“You’re welcome, lass,” Feiren said. “I’m proud to have met you.”
Brenna grabbed her pack and headed for the stairs. One foot on the bottom stair, she turned back to Feiren, and almost stumbled.
His eyes were lifeless and his face slack and pale, as if he was dead. This was what she’d seen in Sabine Werrett’s face before she’d died. Please, not Feiren. And then the shadow fell from his face and Feiren, tired but alive, sent her a puzzled look.
“Look after yourself, Feiren,” Brenna said solemnly. “You’re in very great danger.”
“I know that, lass,” Feiren said. “Don’t you worry about me, you just keep yourself safe. Now go on, get some sleep.”
Brenna headed up the stairs to her room. She hoped that what she’d Seen wasn’t the truth. Seer’s made mistakes too, didn’t they? Please, Ush, she pleaded, keep Feiren safe.
More than anywhere else she’d lived, Feiren Rowse’s house had felt like a home. Her home. Growing up, Duke Thorold’s estate hadn’t been a home, nor had any of the places she’d lived in since, not even her room over the seamstress shop. Mistress Dudding, kind soul that she was, would not have allowed Brenna to live there if she’d known about her witch eyes. But here, with Feiren, she’d felt accepted for who she is. To the Brotherhood, her eyes were simply more proof that she was the one prophesied.
In her room, Brenna changed out of her clothes, blew out the lamp and slipped into what she’d come to think of as her bed one last time.
She woke all at once. What was that? There, a soft tread on the floorboards outside her door.
“Brenna,” Kane whispered. “We need to get moving.”
“Right,” she said. The door to her room opened and she could just make out Kane’s face in the gloom. “Be right down.”
The door closed and she slid out of bed. She was going to miss this bed. She was also going to miss sleeping alone. It was likely to be bedrolls and a hard patch of ground, but Brenna would be sharing her nights with Kane. And that made her a little nervous. She hadn’t spent all that much time alone with him and now they would be together day and night.
Brenna dropped her pack in the courtyard by Feiren’s stable. The sky was just beginning to lighten in the east, and the dew was damp on the grass. She and Kane had rushed through a cold breakfast then she’d followed him outside to the stables. Kane had disappeared into the still dark structure to fetch the horses, so Brenna took a few moments to stretch the kinks out of her neck and shoulders. Her muscles were tight from the long hours she’d spent crushing the zarid to make the antidote last night.
Kane led two horses out of the stable and over to the rail and tied them up. “I know you don’t have a lot of experience with horses,” he said.
“I have lots of experience with horses,” Brenna said. “I lived over a stable for sixteen years. What I don’t have is experience riding horses. The first time I was on one was when I rode with Dasid from Thorold’s estate to the castle.” And she hadn’t made time to learn to ride, like Kane had suggested.
“He said you had such a tight grip on him that he ended up with bruises,” Kane said. “I’m hoping to escape the same fate.”
“Did he?” Brenna asked. Poor Dasid. All he’d done was help rescue her from Duke Thorold.
“No,” Kane said and grinned. “But it was close. You do need to be able to ride on your own, though. And take care of your horse.” He patted the nose of one of the horses. “Now this lovely girl is your mount. Come say hello to Blaze.”
Brenna took a step forward. Blaze was big, but she seemed tame enough. Kane rubbed the horse’s chin and her large brown eyes closed in response. She was a rich, mahogany brown with a jagged white patch running the length of her nose. Brenna put her hand on the horse’s neck and stroked it gently. Blaze’s skin twitched under her hand and Brenna smiled. Despite their large size, horses had been some of her gentlest patients when she was a girl. Her mother had resented living above the stables, so she’d sent Brenna whenever the stable master had asked for a poultice or a wound cleaning. Neither Brenna nor the stable master had minded.
“I think you two will get along fine,” Kane said. “She’s very dependable and has an easy gait. Which you’ll soon appreciate. You’ll be spending long hours on her. She’s fast, too, but we’ll worry about that later. First I want to show you how to get on and stay on.”
Kane quickly put one foot into a stirrup and swung himself up onto the horse’s back. Just as quickly, he dismounted.
“You try.” He steered her over to stand beside the horse. “You’re smaller than I am, so it might be harder. We can find a mounting block to give you a boost if you want.”
Brenna glared at him. There was no way she was going to use a block, as though she was a child. Besides, if she could climb onto the roof of a house, she should be able to climb onto a horse.
Brenna lifted her left foot and slid it into the stirrup. She bounced slightly on her right foot and grabbed the saddle with both hands. With a grunt, she pushed off with her foot and pulled herself up, hard. She landed on her stomach and the rigid leather of the saddle dug into her ribcage.
“Swing your right leg over her back,” Kane said. “Here, let me help.”
“No, don’t!” Brenna said. “I can do this.” Bad enough that she was draped over the horse like a sack of flour - she didn’t need him hauling her around like one too. “And you better not be laughing.”
She dropped her arms to the other side of the horse and grabbed at the leather cinch. She tried to swing her leg over the horses back, but her knee got caught against the saddle. Her left foot came out of the stirrup and she started to slide across the saddle towards the ground on the other side. Brenna scrabbled at the saddle but she couldn’t get a good grip. In defeat, she tucked her head under as she slid towards the ground. Her shoulder hit first and she somersaulted into the dirt of the stable yard. She looked up and into the placid gaze of Blaze.
“Are you all right?” Kane asked. He leaned over her and gently grasped her shoulders.
/> Brenna winced. “Hey.”
“Sorry,” he said. His hold softened but he didn’t let go.
“I’m fine.” Brenna sat up straight and moved her shoulders one at a time. There didn’t seem to be anything really wrong. Except now Kane was massaging her shoulders. Abruptly, Brenna shrugged off his hands and got to her feet. She didn’t need his help. Nor did she want to think about how her skin warmed where he’d touched her.
“I’m fine, really.” She dusted off her clothes. “Just feeling foolish.” He made a noise and she looked over at him. “Don’t you dare,” she said as he turned his head away. “It’s not funny.”
“It is,” he said. He walked around to the other side of the horse.
Brenna glared at him and followed. “Anyway, it’s not my fault it’s yours,” she accused. “You are a terrible riding instructor.”
“You’re right,” Kane lowered his head, “it’s my fault. I didn’t realize I had such a poor student.”
She lightly punched his shoulder.
“Hey,” he said and he caught both her arms in his. Brenna tried to wriggle free, but he held her tight against him. Eventually, he released her arms and she looked up into warm blue eyes.
Kane looked away abruptly and took one step back. “Try it again,” he said. “And this time you will accept my help.” He took hold of Blaze’s bridle.
Half an hour