Trail of Flames by Marlow York

Author:Marlow York [York, Marlow]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-11-07T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Icouldn’t tell which was stronger—Anza’s embarrassment for being caught, or her pride preventing her from thanking us. As I watched her struggle to wrap a bandage around her left arm the next morning, I grappled between wanting her forgiveness and my irritation at her stubbornness and impulsiveness.

Saven sighed with annoyance. “She isn’t the only stubborn one. Just go talk to her.”

At the risk of getting punched again, I strode over and took the roll of gauze from her. “Hold the bandage.”

Anza stared at me a moment, then begrudgingly pressed her hand to the square of cloth covering the cut on her bicep. I wrapped the gauze carefully, but she didn’t flinch. “If you’re going to say I told you so, just do it,” she said.

“I’m not going to say that.”

“But you believe it.”

I pursed my lips and secured the gauze with a knot. “It doesn’t matter what I think. Fact is, you made a mistake, you paid for it, and that’s it. No need to shove it in your face or dwell on it.”

“And that’s what you think I should do for you?”

Mjoll growled softly, but Anza ignored her.

I looked at her cold eyes. “That’s up to you.”

It was safe to say I wasn’t getting an apology or forgiveness; she was still too prideful for that. However, her silence was better than anger and her downcast eyes were better than the usual glares of hatred. I handed her the roll of gauze and turned to gather my belongings.

“That was…icy,” Saven observed as he followed beside me.

“It went better than expected. She didn’t hit me.” I gave him a wry smile.

“If it makes you feel better, Mjoll thinks Anza is being childish too. She tells me the girl doesn’t hate you as much as she pretends to.”

I snuck a glimpse at Anza, but when our eyes met, she looked away. The rest of us followed her along a deer path.

“I suppose that’s…reassuring?”

“The Northern Forest should end soon.” Cypress fell into step beside me. “Beyond that is the Sea of Zemore.”

I cocked my head at him. “The what?”

“Oh, right.” He chuckled. “The City just calls it the Eastern Sea, which I think is the most uncreative thing I’ve ever heard. But to the Istkaal, it’s known as Zemore. More formally, Vasil ti Zemoras.”

“Istkaal?” I asked stupidly.

Anza snorted. “For the love of…”

I glared at the back of her head, but it was embarrassing to be the only one who didn’t know what Cypress was talking about.

“This is all new to me too,” Saven said reassuringly. “Humans always come up with such silly names for things.”

Cypress explained. “The Istkaal have power over water and oceans. Zemoras is the God of Water, and Vasil ti Zemoras translates to ‘Kingdom of Zemoras’ in the Istkaal language. The City, controlling and deceitful as they are, would never refer to the ocean by its true name, lest they admit to the existence of the Istkaal clan.”

“We were taught the Eastern Sea is very dangerous,” I said. “That was probably just another lie to keep us from trying to find it, right?”

“Well…no.

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