Shadows can heal too

Moi Tsarevich

The trees parted, and a group of mounted men charged onto the beach, thirty soldiers of the First Army, King's men, heavily armed. Bianca wasn't surprised at all, no wonder soldiers noticed their presence within the fold.

"Easy, Summoner," the privateer whispered to a panicking Alina. "Let me handle this."

"Since you've handled everything else so well, Sturmhond?"

"It might be wise if you didn't call me that for a while."

"And why is that?"

"Because it's not my name."

The soldiers cantered to a halt in front of the crew, the morning light glittering off their rifles and sabers. A young captain drew his blade.

"In the name of the King of Ravka, throw down your arms."

Sturmhond, Bianca, and Stefan stepped forward, placing themselves between the enemy and the wounded crew. Sturmhond and Stefan raised their hands in a gesture of surrender.

"Our weapons are at the bottom of the lake. We are unarmed."

'Oh please'

'Nikolai? Unarmed? Nah'

'The idiot didn't think about the grisha in the crew did he?'

"State your name and business here," commanded the young captain.

Slowly, Sturmhond peeled his sodden greatcoat from his shoulders and handed it to Tolya. An uneasy stir went through the line of soldiers. Sturmhond wore a Ravkan military dress. He was soaking wet, but there was no mistaking the olive drab and brass buttons of the Ravkan First Army, or the golden double eagle that indicated an officer's rank.

Even though he was soaked, Stefan was in a dark blue military uniform as well, with the silver wolf that indicated his high rank in the army. Soldiers shuddered when they saw the wolf plastered on his uniform.

An older man broke through the lines, wheeling his horse around to confront Sturmhond, Stefan, and Bianca. Colonel Raevsky, the commander of the military encampment at Kribirsk.

"Explain yourself, you three" the colonel commanded. "State your names and business" he turned to Sturmhond and Stefan, "before I have you two stripped of those uniforms and strung up from a high tree."

"I am Nikolai Lantsov, Major of the Twenty-Second Regiment, Soldier of the King's Army, Grand Duke of Udova, and second son to His Most Royal Majesty, King Alexander the Third, Ruler of the Double Eagle Throne, may his life and reign be long. I'm with my friend, his royal highness Stefan Grimjer, the second son of the king of Fjerda and the Duke of Elling"

Shock passed like a wave through the row of soldiers. A nervous titter rose from somewhere in the ranks. Bianca just scanned the rows of soldiers but Raevsky did not look amused. He leapt from his horse, tossing the reins to a soldier.

"You listen to me, you disrespectful whelp," he said, his hand already on the hilt of his sword, his weathered features set in lines of fury as he strode directly up to Nikolai and Stefan, without turning his head to Bianca. "Nikolai Lantsov served under me on the northern border and I was Stefan Grimjer's mentor..."

His voice faded away. He was nose to nose Nikolai, but he did not blink. The colonel opened his mouth, then closed it. He took a step back and scanned Nikolai and Stefan's faces. His expression change from scorn to disbelief to what could only be recognition. Abruptly, he dropped to one knee and bent his head.

"Forgive me, moi tsarevich," he said, gaze trained on the ground before them. "Welcome home."

The soldiers exchanged confused glances. Nikolai turned a cold and expectant eye on them. Then, one by one, they slipped from their horses and dropped to their knees, heads bent.