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It seems like a long time of riding, fighting to balance both himself and Harok on Embox’s back with Baby trotting beside them, before Tobi sees the lights of Urynwud, candles burning in the windows of the vegetation covered towers.

He did not believe he would be so happy to see Urynwud again.

22

TOBI

They are spotted by the watchtower and the iron gate of the zhilvar opens for Embox. She trots through it and into the wide courtyard. The guards on the watchtower have alerted the Solwen. There are several guards and members of the council waiting for them. Jer and Sami are there too. Sami has a rope harness ready for Baby.

Tobi is glad to see two healers.

They rush forward to help Harok down from Embox. “Careful. Irgo hurt,” Tobi shouts. “Arm. Top arm broken. Exceli hammer.”

Tobi slides down from Embox and takes the rope from Sami. He calls Baby to him and puts the harness on her. Her fur is covered in blood. But she seems quite calmed after her long run through the forest. He hands the rope to Sami. “Wash,” he says to her in Ambolk. “Wash beast. Put in stall.”

As Sami takes the harness, someone lays a heavy hand on Tobi’s shoulder and says, “You will come with me, kushir.” Tobi looks around to see Olladin. His face is stone.

Tobi nods. Olladin is looking at him like a kushir who ran away. Which he supposes he is. Will he face more of Harok’s wrath for this?

With a firm nod, Olladin takes Demonica from Tobi’s hand. Tobi blinks at it. He had almost forgotten he held it. A sword so big and heavy, and yet, it had felt oddly light in his hand. As if moving it would have been easy.

Olladin hands it to one of the other guards.

Tobi glances back at Demonica as he allows himself to be marched out of the courtyard. He tries to see Harok, but he is hidden by the healers and advisors that crowd around him.

Tobi is taken to his chamber and locked inside.

He turns and looks at the room. It looks exactly as he left it, but for some metal bars that have been fixed over the small window. He was so angry with Harok last time he was here. He doesn’t know how he feels about him now.

His body hurts and he is hungry, tired and dirty. He pulls a fresh alit from the chest and changes into it, tossing the one covered in blood and dirt on the floor. But his skin is still smeared with mud and filth. He paces around the chamber. He checks the door that leads to Harok’s room and finds it locked.

What will happen now? Harok is injured, perhaps mortally.

And the Rose Court told the Exceli to make sure that Tobi never escaped Urynwud. Lymok says that order came from the Thousand Eyes. From Chancellor Vindar himself. Tobi has not seen Vindar since he left the Rose Palace. But he has long been aware Vindar kept track of him. He has been approached over his years in Northern Azuria by many a handsome man — never the same man, but they all had the same air — that came to see his show and then seduced him in the same way, following up their pleasure with the same questions about his plans, his feelings about the Rose Court, his mother, his father, his brothers. He always knew those men were one of Vindar’s Thousand Eyes. And it seems Lymok was one too. Lymok has joined the Exceli. Tobi is certain Lymok survived Harok’s attack, fleeing into the trees. And the Azurian Empire is supplying the Exceli with weapons.

He needs to tell someone this. About all that has happened. But he is a prisoner. He sits down on his bed.

There’s nothing he can do.

After a while he hears sounds in Harok’s room. He races to the door. “Harok,” he shouts. “Irgorye. Tell them to let me in.”

There’s no response. Is Harok even able to hear him? Tobi keeps hammering and yelling until he tires and gives in. He sits on his bed and waits. He waits and waits as the sun outside climbs the sky.

The only people that come to his room are his body servants and two healer women, who wash him and see to his wounds. None of them speak to him, even when Tobi tries to talk to them in Ambolk. His wounds are minor compared to Harok’s smashed shoulder. But he has bruises on his ribs from kicks and one on his face from where he was punched. His lip is torn and the healers treat it with a stinging salve.

Then, they leave, and he is alone again. An imprisoned kushir. Perhaps he will never be freed from this room again.

But eventually the door to Harok’s chamber opens.

On the other side stands Mereli. Tobi has to fight an urge to shove him aside. “Let me see Harok,” he says, trying to keep the desperate snarl out of his voice. “Does he live?”

“Kushir,” Mereli says evenly, “Irgo Harok lives. You can see him shortly.”

“Then let me pass,” Tobi says, and this time his voice is a snarl.

Mereli shakes his head. “You will, I swear it. But first,” he says, “I need you to tell me what happened. It appears you left Urynwud with Lymok.” Mereli walks over to the newly-barred window and looks out. “You climbed from this window? That is quite a feat.”

“I came from a circus,” Tobi says bluntly.