A: Ch. 4.5

“Behave,” Hilt warned as they continued their journey to the Capital. “If you pull some silly stunt, I will not hesitate to kill you.”

“Such a gentleman you are,” Kya said sarcastically.

Gods, she was annoying. He truly was tempted to get another noble to show him the way north. It would certainly be quieter. But no, he knew how much value this girl held. Idiot King Yaro may have seen her as a threat to his throne (which she was) but his plan to send her on a suicide mission was laughable. Threats should be kept close so you could watch them and she was much too valuable. How could he not see that?

He was selfish, that was all. Every decision he made revolved around how he would benefit at that point in time. He never looked ahead, he never planted his pieces across the board, it was always a do-or-die moment.

What a fool. Hilt would greatly enjoy the day when he could rip out his throat and skewer him like the fat pig he was. But that day was not today. He could destroy the entire country as soon as he got all of the information he desired. People were worthless. They lied, they cheated, they were cruel, and they all believed to be invincible.

Well, Hilt was never one known to waste valuable opportunities that crossed his path, so this brat of a skáld would have to remain. For now. Every man had his limit. If she did something stupid—like expose him in the Capital—then he would be forced to kill everyone in the castle, the city, and the surrounding areas, all while making her watch, and then he would finally get around to killing her, in the most brutal of fashions.

The thought was soothing and it brought a slight smile to his face as he tugged on Fierant’s reins to take them around the final bend of the trail. The Capital lay before them, in its exquisite and striking glory. Beinn was an engineering marvel by housing most of the country’s population on a single mountain, but Elivagar’s Capital was simply beautiful.

The castle lay on the western point of the city with the rest of the people spilling out to the east on a tiered system that looked like an intricate stairway of semi-circular steps to the castle. Amazingly, the people managed to create the expansive city without destroying their forest. Houses were built into or on the large sycamore trees and pockets of wildflowers were avoided by roads or farms. The layout should have been strained and haphazard, but instead it felt fluid and almost natural. It was almost as if the city had always been there, like the forest had designed it.

Obeying the obnoxious aversion the Northerners had to stone or metalwork, everything was made of wood, grass, and—ugh—flowers.  Hilt still couldn’t comprehend it; why build something out of something that can, and will, die? It was unbelievable! Wood rots, grass practically dissolves, and flowers were just… stupid. Hilt shook his head as they started down the road to enter the city, disgusted, yet completely in awe.

“Your country should be lucky we haven’t stricken a match to this fire hazard,” Hilt grumbled.

“The Capital will never burn. The Spirits will always protect us.”

Hilt ignored her ignorance and continued to examine the city and its confusing layout. There were several rivers that traveled directly into the city. Amazingly, they joined together directly at the castle. Three of the larger rivers convened to form magnificent waterfalls which spilled down a large cliff side and wrapped around the large structure, obscuring it in a silvery mist. It was eerie how it looked almost suspended in the crashing waters, like a phantom in the shadows of a lake. A large bridge (the only modern piece of architecture in the city, from what Hilt could see – it was created of intricately carved stone) connected the castle to the rest of the city. The tendrils of mist crept from the falls and coated the city as the large river twisted and twirled through its center.

The conjoined rivers lasted only for a brief moment as they branched and went their separate ways before leaving the city, giving it the distinct impression of it being a giant spider. That thought alone was enough to dampen the beauty. At least he wouldn’t have to stay here long. Kya had to do her required check-in with the other nobles, they would gather more supplies and then they would scurry off to the north. If the Gods were smiling on them, they would be absorbed in the party which included the King himself. How wonderful it would be for him to magically disappear on the treacherous journey to the Fortress.

His spirits lifted again, Hilt looked back at Kya, noticing she was rather quiet. Alarmed she might be plotting something (again) he spoke up.

“We are to leave as quickly as possible, is that understood? The winter is almost upon us and I have little intention to freeze to death. I plan on staying here less than a day.”

“That’s unlikely. The Council likely won’t even receive me for at least a day. After that they will spend nearly a week discussing what I have to say, and then they will call upon me again if they have any questions. If the King is there, he will only see me after that,” Kya responded.

Hilt felt like burying his face in his hands. These people were impossible. How much more difficult could they make this? No wonder they were losing the war. They didn’t have the efficiency to shit and breathe at the same time.

“So we are here for a couple of weeks?” Hilt asked through gritted teeth.

“If the Spirits favor us.”

He hated those spirits. If she brought them up one more time…

“We should stop before we enter the city. There should be a stream that crosses the road just up ahead. I need to at least look slightly presentable and you need to put those lenses in your eyes.”

Hilt had nearly forgotten. Most people around him were acutely aware of his glowing irises, but to him they were nothing but eyes. He agreed with Kya and pulled off the road a ways beneath a Whispering Willow and allowed Fierant to graze. The girl tried to wash the mud and dirt from her face and Hilt cautiously put the blasted lenses into his irritated eyes. It made them burn and ache in response, but they were necessary while in the city. He groaned loudly as he realized he’d be wearing them for some time now.

“What?” Kya asked, looking up at him as she washed her dirty hands in the stream.

“Lenses,” Hilt grumbled, rubbing at his eyes, which just made it worse. These blasted bits of glass were just as irritating as the bloody skáld. He didn’t think that could be possible.

“You told me before that you didn’t kill him,” Kya said quietly.

Hilt looked up at her, confused. He blinked several times, trying to focus his annoyed eyes. “Sorry?” he asked.

“Cress. You told me you didn’t kill him. Were you lying to me?”

“That fat boy?” Hilt asked. “No, I didn’t kill him.” Hilt grinned inwardly at the thought. He had picked off the other soldiers one by one until it was just the fat one. The look on his face when he awoke to something mauling his companions was simply… incredible.

“Are you lying to me now?” Kya accused.

“No. I let him live. Without his generous tidbits of information, I never would have learned of your title, Princess. I had to repay him somehow,” Hilt taunted. He saw her roll her eyes and bite down on her lip. Such a fragile little dove, wasn’t she?

“Why are you so concerned with him? Was he your lover?” Hilt continued, grinning broadly.

Kya flushed vividly and turned away from him. “No, of course not!”

“Well, I know you have no brothers, but he was fat enough to be a bloody skáld,” Hilt noted, thinking back. “His accent was a bit off, though. My guess is he is from the Capital, probably worked as a page or a scribe, but was born to a lower family. Based on his weight, I’m betting on the scribe.”

Kya stared at him, her mouth open. He loved that reaction. People just walked around with blinders. They never actually saw anything.

“He—well… I mean…”

“I let him live. That doesn’t mean that he’s still alive. The fat pig still had to travel to the nearest city and then make his way here to the Capital. If he’s lucky, maybe he lost a couple stone on the journey.”

“Don’t talk about him that way!” Kya snapped.

“Oh, touchy, little pasty? Did I hurt your feelings?”

Sensing that Hilt was goading her on, she crossed her arms across her chest and insisted on silence. Good. Hilt preferred it that way. Her voice was like the screeching blast of a crow clawing at his ears. Maybe the best route was to cut out her tongue. She didn’t need to talk, just to point which way to go. How simple!

“Come now. We’ll walk into the city together. Remember the story. If you deviate from it, I will knock out your teeth.”

Hilt watched as Kya nervously fingered through her hair. She was disheveled, that was obvious, but it would have to do.

“Your hair is fine. It will be good enough to get you through the crowds,” Hilt added. Actually, a hint of golden red was peeking through at her crown where dyes had not touched. It satisfied Hilt greatly to know that Cress hadn’t been lying about her. Sadly, Hilt wished he’d been given the opportunity to figure it out on his own. He wondered how long it would have taken. Infinitely, he supposed, since he had every intention of killing her before that blubbering fool told him. Ah, well.

Despite the unplanned layout of the city that Hilt had seen before entering, it was relatively easy to navigate. There was a single main road that dissected the several steps with smaller ones that branched off to different sections. These smaller roads curved with the layout of the steps, which seemed oddly unnatural as Hilt examined them. It was all too perfect to meld into the otherwise random planning.

Hilt’s horse was quickly taken by a young boy to a stable along the edge of the northern part of the city close to the castle as they entered the cheery city. Kya led the way through the streets, keeping her hood up and neurotically scanning the crowds. Hilt was rather surprised with how she was acting in her own country. It was almost as if she expected these people, these same innocent people she defended, as her own enemies. Perhaps she was just paranoid for leading the Third General of the Nibhein army to the front gates of the Capital. That was more likely.

Despite her cold aura, the people of the city were incredibly pleasant. They were all smiling in the markets, or laughing in their small gardens. Many came up to Hilt with loaves of fresh bread, still steaming with warmth while others offered him clothes woven from fine silk and wool. A group of young women actually tossed a few favors at Hilt before fluttering off in a fit of giggles. This seemed to irritate Kya greatly and she pressed them farther into the city.

The castle, shrouded in mist, was protected by an iron gate that blocked the only passage in. So these people were at least capable of metalwork, Hilt thought, amused. He thought they were nothing but simpletons who weren’t even capable of deciphering a chicken from a horse.

Oddly, there were very few soldiers guarding said gate. With a quick count, Hilt only saw a dozen soldiers even in the vicinity. Nibheis had three times as many at nearly every doorway of their castle. The main gate held at least a hundred. Why was this so poorly protected? Especially as the single entrance…

“Lieutenant Kya,” said one of the guards, immediately snapping to attention. The others quickly did the same. “We’ve been expecting you.”

Hilt raised a brow slightly at this. They were expecting her, were they? How could they? The King assumed her to be on a suicide mission, and he gave her no opportunity to send a message. And how had they recognized her so easily? He turned too glare at the girl, but noticed she was surprised as well, though she hid it well.

“I have news to deliver to King Yaro, Highborn of the country of Elivagar, Commander of Faith,” Kya said in a stiff, official tone.

What an obnoxious title. Yaro thought highly of himself, didn’t he? Commander of Faith? And Kya was a Lieutenant? Didn’t that require her to actually serve in combat? Even just once? What a joke of a country.

“Of course, Lieutenant. And your,” the soldier peered through this helmet at Hilt, “escort?”

“Damien of Vawl, a witness and informant as to the events that happened during my journey back to the Capital. He has been my guide and protector during a time when my life was in grave danger,” Kya responded without hesitation.

The soldier seemed wary, but he eventually allowed them both to pass through. As soon as they were out of earshot, Hilt grabbed her upper arm and squeezed hard.

“Care to tell me how they knew of our arrival?” Hilt hissed.

Kya tried to pull away, but he held tighter. “I don’t know.”

“What did you do?” he demanded. His voice was low as they walked along the deserted stone bridge. It was long and tall as the falls continued into the infinite mist below and around them. The castle appeared to be balanced on a precariously thin podium of stone. Perhaps the spirits truly were keeping this city together. It seemed to defy laws of nature.

“I did nothing, now release me before I scream and every soldier swarms on you.”

“What, all ten of them?” Hilt laughed, though he did release her. “Where the hell is your army, Lieutenant?”

Kya’s brow furrowed as they walked together. “I don’t know. I… I think he’s already gone north.”

Damn. ‘He’ was obviously the King. Apparently the runt gathered all of the soldiers he could manage and fled to his little hiding spot.

“So your Capital is defenseless?” Hilt asked, a smile prickling at his lips.

Kya was silent, but he watched as what little color in her face drained away. This could turn out better than he thought. 

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