twice, one copy for you. I can answer any questions you might have.”
Bryn took the small book and placed it in his bag, grabbing another and handing it to the scout.
“Stick around for a couple of days in case anything comes up when I debrief the king,” he ordered. “Thank you.”
“Of course, sir.” The male bowed again.
Bryn waved for her to follow him, and they left the clearing as the thin male began to set up his camp, whistling softly as he did.
“Trauma,” Bryn whispered.
“I didn’t want to guess.” She got that vibe but didn’t really think about it because it was presumptive.
“It’s hard to avoid now,” Bryn said softly. “Back in Olost, the number of free slaves was trumped by the number of free Andinna. There weren’t many of us with the scars on our necks or the ear piercings. Now, there’re hundreds, if not a couple thousand who don’t show the physical damage.”
At his words, she reached up and touched her own. Normally, her scars fell to the back of her mind, ignored. She was scarred, and that was the end of it. There was no way to remove them. Instead of tatua like most Andinna, her journey was written on her skin in scars. Her tatua came later, and more than half of it had been given to her by a goddess with an agenda Mave didn’t understand.
“Yeah…” Mave didn’t know what else to say.
“Do you mind if I read while we walk? I normally use this time between meetings to get a preliminary look at the reports.”
“It’s fine. I’m just enjoying the scenery,” she said with a smile, letting her hand drop off her scar. He reached out with his free hand, and the tips of fingers grazed over that telltale scar. She remembered him the day when her collar was removed—the scream, the pain, and the bandages put on her neck. It felt like a lifetime ago.
“I wish I could show mine so openly. It makes you seem so strong, and from being your husband, I can promise everyone that impression is the correct one.”
“We all have our limits. I don’t think anyone would look at you and call you weak. Read your report.” She crossed her arms as they walked through the forest on a light trail, worn-in, probably thanks to her husband.
They stopped at a large, hollow tree, so old it had opened up at the base, leaving a pseudo-cave underneath it. Bryn stopped her before she drew too close and made a clicking sound with his tongue. Suddenly, a female head popped up, eyes wide as she took in her visitors. Mave was impressed by the female’s build as she stood. She was tall and athletic, definitely someone who could run or fly for ages.
“Good evening, sir,” she greeted before flicking her eyes on Mave. “Good evening, Champion.”
“I’m picking up reports. When did you get back in?”
“Just this morning.” Reaching into her things, she pulled out a book and exchanged it with Bryn, just like the previous scout. Bryn gave her the same order, then started walking again without further conversation.
Mave gave a friendly wave to the scout and followed him, letting him read as they walked. A frown formed as he read the first book, then started the second. They seemed to walk forever, going to half a dozen other stops before heading back in the direction of the valley and their village.
“You okay?” she asked cautiously, seeing the concern and frustration brewing in him.
“I don’t like these reports,” he answered. “We can talk about it in the war room as I set up to brief Alchan. I want to see how it looks on the maps before I make any assumptions.”
“Okay. Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it now?” The silence was beginning to kill her.
“There’s been…troubling activity over the last month since summer started. My scouts have had run-ins, and two of them are three weeks late getting back. No one has seen any evidence of them, either.” He sighed. “That’s the risk of being a scout, getting caught by an enemy patrol or being alone and injured. I haven’t been able to put pieces together from what they tell me about Shadra’s troop movement, but I think tonight, I may have a much clearer picture.”
They walked to the war room together, well after dark.
“And this is what you do before you go home,” she said softly as he laid out the reports and read through