The Beast That was Promised ✔

TWELVE: Sneaking Away

Getting to Ziya was easier said than done. Even so, it had only taken a day of preparation and discussion between him and Ashera before they were ready to go. Planning was easier than actually doing it, but he had no other choice. He needed to get to Ziya before it was too late.

Dinner the night before had been a quiet affair. He and a few nobles from Ishmar had sat at the long table, discussing the war as there were no other topics worth talking about. It was then that Nerin learned of a supply run heading from Ishmar to the northern half of the army. It wasn't quite where he needed to go, but it was far easier than stealing a horse and riding out of the country without being spotted, which had been his original plan.

As the sun set, he got to work, packing a bag with all the clothes he would need. It wasn't going to be like last time, when he had been stuck with only a few sets of clothes for the entire journey to the west and beyond. He would go prepared, which is why he stuffed as much gold into a pouch as possible and ripped the maps from the books on his desk.

He was leaving the book from Turian's laboratory behind. He no longer needed it. There were no more answers it could give him. He knew all he could about the Old Gods and the true history of the realm, there wasn't anything else he could do except act on what he knew. And that meant running from the task his brother had given him.

After he'd gotten back from a prayer he no longer cared about, he wrote a short letter to Fentir. It didn't state where he was going or what he was planning to do, just that he was leaving and that he had to look after Ishmar as best he could until one of the brothers returned, if that happened. Someone needed to look after the country and Nerin was no good at it. He had something more important to do.

Of course, he had needed Ashera's help to do it. There was no way he would be able to get any food for his travels without her and so, had sent her down to the kitchens while he was at dinner under the pretence of helping them. She was supposed to steal as much food as possible for him.

He didn't have to wait much longer. They were to meet in the middle of the night, not long before the supply run was supposed to leave the palace. It was easier for them to leave in the middle of the night, not many people to disturb it. It was also the perfect time for Nerin to sneak out, not many people to catch him.

A quiet knock sounded and Ashera shuffled in before he could say a word, pressing her back to the door with wide eyes, as if she were playing some kind of game. "I have everything," she said and in the dim candlelight, showed him two closed rucksacks.

She placed them both on the bed and opened one, grinning at him. Within sat more food than he had ever thought possible, more than enough for him to make it to Ziya. If he'd been with Isiah and the others still, it would have fed them for at least a week.

"Thank you, Ashera," he said and if it had been any other situation, he would have hugged her. "Is there more food in the other one? I don't think I need that much."

Ashera shook her head. "No, these are my things."

It took him a moment to realise what she meant. "Ashera, no, you're not coming with me," he said. Hadn't it been obvious that he was just planning it for him? But he'd never said so and he'd asked her to help him. Of course, she would think she was going with him. "It's far too dangerous."

"But... I don't want to stay here. I want to help you," she argued, dropping the bag and crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'll be heading into a war zone! It's too dangerous!" he cried, trying to keep his voice down. They couldn't be discovered because he'd raised his voice. The guards weren't stationed outside his room for once because he'd ordered them away under the pretence of there being no assassins. He'd proposed it as a test and Fentir had been too tired to argue.