True Warriors Sing by Rowan Erlking (classic book list .TXT) 📕

Ljev and Tia slept in the eating hall surrounded by the crowds, as they did not want their heroes to leave them without notice. Still, the KiTai warriors rose early, saddled their horses, and headed directly east to the main road just as Jonis suggested. The townspeople walked with them as far as they could, children tossing flowers after them and mothers crying, asking the gods to bless them on their journey.

Perhaps the gods did bless them because about an hour into their journey they found an abandoned road from the heydays, which made their trip go much master. The road itself led directly to the nearest westerly town, one called TaLi. They reached the skirts of it near nighttime, forcing them to seek after an inn. Both Ljev and LjuBa listened while watching for signs of the baron’s men. So far, nothing 

Actually, the mood in TaLi was different from the central town of DiNo, though in size and shape they were the same. On the west side of the forest yet the east side of the highway, it clearly had more KiTai visitors, obvious in the lack of stares they got from the locals. Occasionally they would look up at the pair, and some took double takes at the blood edged hole in LjuBa’s coat then and at the livery on the horses, which was clearly foreign. But after that they would just shake their heads. LjuBa also noticed the sound on the air was lighter. The people didn’t seem to care they were there in town at all.

The inn they found was also nicer. Two floors, the wood moldings were well washed and oiled, the company inside smiling and bowing to them as they walked in to the register desk. This time Ljev checked into a room right next to LjuBa’s, stabling the horses themselves to make sure Jonis’s animals got the best care.

After getting their separate room keys and inspecting the rich yet cozy accommodations, Ljev met LjuBa again downstairs in the dining hall where entertainers with string instruments and wood pipes were playing tunes as singers sang for travelers and bar maids serving rounds of drinks to the local men just finished with their day’s work. Though the locals’ eyes flickered to them when the two red haired strangers greeted each other over a hot plate of soup with a side of venison to share at a table near the fire, they averted them in boredom just as quickly…except for one.

A man rose from his seat, drawing a knife. In a leap, he grabbed for LjuBa, his arms wrapping around her as his knife aimed for her neck with a thrust.

But it sliced air, unable to even reach her neck.

In the next second, Ljev had thrust his sword into her attacker’s gut, his eyes fixed on the fiend’s face. The attacker looked down at the sword in his stomach, choking with shock, then lifted his eyes to the angry face of the KiTai warrior as Ljev hissed out through his teeth, “You don’t lay a finger on her.”

LjuBa had already pulled away, staggering from both attacker and defender. The attacker’s face, she knew. “It’s one of those bandits.”

The entire room was still around them, frozen in horror at the swift exchange. One bar maid had dropped a mug, the water sloshing out at her feet.

Yanking his sword out of the man, Ljev nodded.

“Was he trying for revenge?” LjuBa murmured, watching the bandit crumple to his knees, dying in the middle of the floor even as several locals skirted around them to get out of the eating hall. 

“I don’t care,” Ljev said with bite then plucked up a napkin from the table, wiping off his sword. He nodded to the innkeeper who was staring from the open doorway, just as immobilized as the others. “About the mess, sorry.”

The innkeeper blinked at him then looked to the dead man bleeding on his floor once more. His lip quivered as he glanced to his employees

“He was a bandit,” LjuBa added.

“Oh!” the innkeeper and several others nodded, sighing with counterfeit relief, just trying to make the tone go back to that of ease and comfort. Then the innkeeper gestured for two of his men to drag out the body from the dining hall. The other patrons watched, even as the KiTai pair went back to minding their own business.

Ljev turned back to their table, urging LjuBa to sit also. “They’ll leave us alone after this.”

“You don’t think the baron’s men will find us here?” she asked.

He shrugged. “It is doubtful they would come this close to the highway, but you never know.”

Despite that, when both KiTai warriors returned to their rooms, they slept soundly. Not a soul disturbed them.

LjuBa and Ljev mounted their horses early in the morning, riding as far as they could on the main highway for one day. They crossed the border to KiTai Central, before making camp that night. They rose again as soon as they could on the next day, riding as fast as they were able back to the center of the provenance where both of them lived. 

When they reached the skirts of the sprawling capitol they took their ride at a slower pace to MiKial’s home, Ljev bracing for a scolding. The Royal City was nothing like the towns in the Eastern Provenance, more like a glorified village than anything else though the king’s castle was in the center. The pressed sand was more level than in the towns, and the homes were wonderful familiar shapes. LjuBa led the way this time, rushing to the front door of the home, leaving their horses at the fence. Ljev followed her, his chin lowering to his neck as his shoulders hunched, his teeth already set.

“Father!” LjuBa kicked off her boots, practically tossing them as she called out, hopping up to the shiny wood floor. “Father!”

No answer.

“SoFija! S’vjeTa!” She rushed over the wood to the kitchen, searching for her sisters.

Remaining in the entryway, Ljev pulled off his shoes, glancing at the washed wood with trepidation. He had never entered the home beyond the kitchen. This had even been the first time he had entered through the front door.

“S’vjeTa?” LjuBa rushed out of the empty kitchen where not even the hearth fire was lit. There were also a few cook things out, as if they had left the home in a hurry. She darted past Ljev again looking to him. “Come on in and help me!”

He dropped his boots down, taking the first step inside the master warrior’s home.

“SoFija?” LjuBa ran into the back rooms, sliding the doors aside. They were empty. She ran into the washroom where she saw her father’s warrior uniform tucked into the wash bucket. At least he had made it safely back. Jonis had been right. So she ran into her father’s room next. “Father?”

“I don’t think anyone is home,” Ljev said, walking in. “Listen to the house.”

She did, perking up her head. The house felt empty. The normal rhythms of her sisters and father were nowhere to be heard. LjuBa looked to Ljev. “Where do you think they’ve gone?”

“The village felt somewhat empty when we returned, didn’t it?” Ljev said, gesturing for them to head back to the front of the home. “Maybe something is up that we didn’t notice in our haste.”

LjuBa nodded. “Maybe they found the prince.”

Ljev sighed tiredly. “Maybe. But we’d better hurry. I have a feeling something wrong is going on.”

Nodding, LjuBa grabbed her boots and yanked them back over her sock feet.

They were outside, listening to the air as they marched over to the horses. LjuBa blinked at the barrenness of the road, the passersby appearing severely distressed in their rush to get somewhere. She darted over to a girl she knew who sold butter and cheese in the town square. “YuLija! YuLija! Where are you going? What’s going on?”

YuLija halted, her eyes widening at LjuBa. “Where have you been? LjuBa! Your sisters have been going crazy looking for you!”

“Where are they?” LjuBa asked, searching the road the same time Ljev got the horses, untying them from the fence though he followed after her cautiously, much like his old self.

Shaking her head, YuLjia pointed to the castle. “At the trial. Your father is in a lot of trouble.”

“My father?” LjuBa blinked at her.

YuLija nodded. “Yes. The king is furious with him for losing the prince.”

LjuBa’s mouth popped open with shock.

Ljev rushed up, addressing YuLija. “How angry is the king?”

“He is going to behead him if MiKial doesn’t reveal where the prince has gone to,” YuLija replied, blinking up at Ljev’s face, somewhat startled that such a good-looking squire was addressing her. Like with LjuBa, it was hard for her to maintain the proper distance between them with how entrancing his eyes were.

“Why is the king blaming only my father?” LjuBa snapped, practically yelling at her. “Hundreds of warriors must have been sent to look for the prince!”

YuLija just shrugged. “He’s the captain of the guard, I guess. I don’t know. Don’t shout at me.”

“We have to stop it,” Ljev said at once and grabbed LjuBa’s hand, dragging her back to the horses. They both mounted, riding so fast from YuLija that she felt as if a whirlwind had blown her back.

Their clattering hooves rattled over the stone bridge when they crossed through the merchant’s district to the castle grounds. Ljev urged his horse ahead of hers, calling for LjuBa to stick with him since he knew the castle’s ins and outs better than she did. And as she followed on his heels feeling the rush of blood go to her face and chest in their race past guards who practically staggered back from them, she hoped they were not too late. The moment they reached the main doors of the white stone castle, they abandoned the horses, Ljev shouting at the guards standing there to let them pass. The guards offered no resistance, merely staring after them.

The crowd filled in the doors and hall to the main court where the king’s voice reverberated off of the high stone walls, hardly giving them space to push through.

“…Tell me one last time, how is it that you lost him! Where is he now?”

“I do not know, sire,” MiKial’s mournful voice answered.

LjuBa tried to look over the heads, but she could barely see anything beyond the first five feet of them.

“Come on.” Ljev grabbed her hand and pulled them through the multitude, shoving people back with his other hand. Most refused to part until they saw Ljev’s furious face, his gray eyes fixed on his destination only. Soon they were five feet from the front of the crowd.

“You have failed me,” the king shouted. “Guards! Hold this traitor as I dispatch him personally.”

“No!” LjuBa cried out, shoving hard to get past also, as Ljev still pulled her forward.

They broke through, Ljev not stopping even at the forefront of the crowd, brazenly shoving aside the armed guards that were keeping the watchers’ at bay. He pulled LjuBa out with him.

“Father!” LjuBa cried out, racing to where the guards had him stooped before the king on the dais, the king’s sword bare and shining, its blade rising to hack off