Curse of Blades (Blades #1)

Chapter 13

[Note: This was originally included in Curse of Blades: Book 2, but as of July 28th, 2021, I began combining the 3 Curse of Blades books into a single one.]

The next afternoon Wildas unexpectedly appeared at Coulta's door after the midday meal. Myri had said he could go back to his usual routine as long as he didn't push himself, and Coulta had been told that he'd be going everywhere Wildas went. Coulta had just been wondering where he was supposed to meet the prince, and was relieved by the prince's arrival. Wildas was dressed in dark blue riding clothes and wore a blue-and-gold twisted cord of rope from his left shoulder to his right hip. It was the same cord Coulta had seen him wear into Arren, and which Coulta assumed to be some sort of mark of station.

"Would you like to go for a ride?" Wildas asked with a smile. "I thought I'd give you, Myri, and Anil a tour of the city and the castle."

Coulta nodded. "That would be helpful."

He followed Wildas into the hallway, where they were joined by Myri only moments later. As they wound through the passageways leading out to the castle grounds, Coulta tried to remember every turn. He knew it would take a few more walks before he knew his way around the castle.

Once outside, Wildas led them to a gate in the surrounding wall, which Coulta would have expected to lead to a steep drop into the river, from what he'd seen on their approach to the city days ago.

"Are we bringing Anil?" Myri asked.

"We're going to get her," Wildas answered as the guards bowed and opened the gate.

On the other side was a wide path that led down to a large expanse of land on which a stable and pasture were situated. A few mares grazed in the pasture with tiny foals close by. Looking straight ahead, Coulta saw a large tower on the cliff opposite the castle, across the river. There were horses in a pen, along with what was probably a barn. He was surprised to see a few people practicing archery, and was unsettled by the fact that they wore green clothes similar to Varin's soldiers.

"That's Algoma's watch tower," Wildas explained when he noticed the direction of Coulta's gaze. "The other side of the river is Algoma, and they're our ally. We have towers along the river from the coast to the end of our land, and so do they. We help each other patrol the river." He pointed off into the distance, along the river. "The country of Dyrai is a mutual... problem of ours. It's a three-week journey across the stormy Corintha Sea, but it's a straight shot from the mouth of the river to Dyrai's shores. Sometimes they try to cause trouble by sending small forces in to keep us busy. Not a real attack or declaration of war. Just a ship trying to damage some cities every few years. The emperor just likes to remind us that he's still interested in someday taking us over, I suppose. The Algoman soldiers at the tower visit Ryal from time to time. They actually buy supplies here instead of having them sent from inside Algoma. Sometimes our soldiers have friendly tournaments with them, too."

Coulta was once again reminded of how sheltered Varin had kept him. Dyrai and Algoma were new names to him. "Where's Berk?" he asked, thinking of the only other country he had heard of, thanks to his father.

Wildas turned to point along the river in the other direction. "The river begins at the Alta Mountains. Berk is on the other side. They are more of a trading ally than an ally in war, because they have no enemies there. It's mostly cold and snowy, with very short growing seasons. Not even Dyrai wants to invade them. They were our enemy at one point, long ago, when they managed to take control of Phelin for a time."

"That was before Grand King Caolan, wasn't it?" Myri questioned.

The prince nodded. "Let's fetch Anil, then I'll show you all Ardan's Rest."