Between the Veil and Crown

Arvek 48

The reception for Kendra joining the party was less than cordial, save Cor, who greeted her like an old friend. While the two enthusiastically greeted each other, Rasinod pulled Arvek to the side.

"Why are you bringing in this woman?" Rasinod demanded to know. "Did we not see her in the Ault prison? What of her tells you she is trustworthy in any capacity?"

Arvek gave him a cold look. "At least I know not to trust her. But what can be said about you? Were you not supposed to be trustworthy?"

Rasinod clenched his jaw. "I did what was necessary. She-"

"You defied me and told the guards to do the same," Arvek said. "You restrained Cor, and forced Selim to be reliant on your treatment and care, giving him no other opportunity. Kendra I know is suspicious. But you have done more damage than she has."

Arvek did not give Rasinod time to answer. He turned away sharply and began giving orders to the guards regarding placement. It was clear from their expressions that they were not in favor of Kendra joining them, let alone leading them, but none were going to argue with Arvek. Cor placed himself at the lead with Kendra, continuing the conversations they had the first time they were together, as if no time had passed. Arvek made sure he was between Kendra and Rasinod's cart.

He knew there was no way of keeping Kendra from knowing Selim was in such a weak state. However, he believed himself capable of preventing her from learning more. She was not to go near Selim, or be involved in any conversation regarding him. Arvek made this clear the previous night. He felt as though she were laughing at him when he set those boundaries, but he did not care.

It was not long after they set off that the topic of music came up between Kendra and Cor. As before, it became less of a conversation and more of a slew of traveling songs in which Cor had little knowledge but attempted to sing anyways. Amazingly, it did not bother Arvek that much this time around. It probably was helped by the fact that he could feel Rasinod's glare boring into the back of his head. Knowing that Rasinod was irritated brought an odd sense of satisfaction. In the periods where Cor and Kendra stopped singing, Arvek had to resist the temptation of instigating more music.

Unlike on the trip down, Arvek noticed that they gained a lot of attention from other travelers. Some remembered their manners once they recognized who it was, giving him as much of a bow that could afforded them as they kept their eyes on the passing party. He would have preferred not to be the center of attention, but at this point, it couldn't be helped. It was be stared at or risk taking Selim through a riot.

When they stopped for a break around midday, Arvek took the opportunity to hide away from the constant attention by crawling into the wagon with Selim. It was also comforting to keep Selim close, being able to keep an eye on him while being surrounded by people he could no longer trust. A part of him hoped that Selim would wake up so he could talk with him again. There was a small piece of hope that Selim would have made a miraculous recovery and the treatment would no longer be necessary.

"And we would be over this mess," Arvek told his unconscious brother.

Unsurprisingly, Selim had no comment.

The silence served as an answer enough, though. Left with nothing but reflection, Arvek realized the mess would not be over. Amelia still wouldn't be dealt with, and the Veil would still be a disaster. The laziness of the commanders pervaded his mind, pushing out any other thought he would have otherwise. He could not return home and ignore the problem. It was a rotting house, ready to collapse at the slightest breath. If the Rangers had a mind to take the villages, they would have every opportunity to do so, and they would have very little opposition. Arvek would have a hard time faulting them too, given how much they seemed to contribute to the villages as it was.