The Forest King by Alex Faure

Author:Alex Faure [Faure, Alex]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-11-20T21:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Darius was shaken awake the next morning by Kealan. “Up,” the man said, a now-familiar command delivered in the tone one might use with a dog. Ellish said something in a sharp voice, and Kealan stopped shaking him.

“When you’re ready,” he added in a sour tone. But there wasn’t any heat behind it, and Darius wondered what Ellish had said to him. He doubted any of the Volundi had much objection to Kealan ordering Darius about.

Fionn’s bedroll was empty.

Darius surged to his feet, his weary muscles protesting. Where was Fionn? He was just starting after Kealan, his mouth open to demand Fionn’s whereabouts, when Fionn stepped into the clearing.

His hair was damp, and he carried his boots under one arm. Bedwyr was at his side, murmuring something. They had clearly just visited the creek to wash. Fionn’s gaze fell on Darius, and for the briefest of moments, a smile lit his face. He broke eye contact hurriedly and said something to Bedwyr.

Darius had had enough of roundabout conversations and secret glances he could barely read. He had saved Fionn’s life in front of all the other Volundi; there was little point now in pretending that he didn’t care about his well-being. He went right up to Fionn. “Are you well? Is it good for you to be walking around already?”

Kealan, brushing his horse nearby, translated. “I’m well,” was Fionn’s reply. “Thankfully, the Robogdi are as inept at treachery as they are at trade negotiations.”

This earned a chuckle from the others. Fionn swept past, moving with only the slightest of limps. Darius felt a surge of frustration. He wanted to tell Fionn to sit down, to rest. He had been knocked unconscious and almost killed. Surely he could let the others see to his horse. Fionn stopped and turned to Darius with a strange look on his face.

“You will ride with him on the journey home,” Kealan translated.

Darius blinked. He opened his mouth, but Fionn was already gone, waving his servant to his side. He watched dumbly as one of the Volundi fetched his horse, which had already been watered and saddled. Another man brought him a loaf of bread and some hard Celtic cheese.

After a few moments of bustling activity, the Volundi mounted, and their cavalcade set off. Darius expected Fionn to ignore him as he usually did, his bizarre command forgotten, but he waited until Darius pulled his horse alongside his. Sedd rode on his left, where there was room for two horses, and Ellish was out in front again, picking out the easiest path.

Darius had been half-right; Fionn ignored him during the ride. But then, when they stopped for their midday meal, one of the women disappeared into the brush. She emerged with a handful of purple berries, plump and ripe. She offered them to Fionn, who shook his head and motioned to Darius.

The woman went to him, hesitation on her face. She held out the berries, and Darius took them with a murmur of thanks in the Hibernian language.

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