Endure - Sara B. Larson Page 0,27

their numbers significantly before your escape?” Eljin pointed out, reminding me of all the men I’d been forced to hew down with my sword recently. Men who were intent on hurting — or killing — me as well. But it didn’t assuage the guilt that rose like poison, burning through me. Somewhere in Dansii, those men had families. Mothers. Wives. Children.

I didn’t respond, and we lapsed into silence again. We’d skirted two villages that afternoon; the path Rafe had taken had kept him away from the people of Antion so far. Until an hour later, when we realized their trail headed toward the village that lay ahead of us in the oncoming twilight, not around it.

Dread quickened my steps as we rushed toward the medium-sized settlement carved out of the jungle’s threatening embrace. Smoke curled up from the chimneys of the homes that dotted the fairly large clearing. A rutted road cut down the center of the row of homes and buildings, heading toward the largest building. This was larger than the village I had grown up in — but if it was anything like mine, that building was where the people bartered for goods. It was a market and a school and whatever else it needed to be. The jungle was too hard to keep at bay, so the people of Antion had learned to only use as much space as was absolutely necessary. Hector had outlawed all festivals and celebrations of any sort when he became king, except for weddings and funerals. But I wondered what it had been like before he came to Antion and stamped out the old ways; if once, perhaps, this building had been used for other means as well.

As my gaze traveled over the little town, I noticed that they had two extra buildings that ours hadn’t had. One of them was two stories tall and had a sign out front, with the symbols of a horseshoe and a bowl with a spoon in it painted on the wooden surface. Behind the two-story structure was a building that appeared to be a small stable.

“Is that an inn?” I whispered.

Eljin nodded. “And a place where travelers can exchange horses for a nice fee. We must be closer to the main road than I realized.” Horses were a rare commodity in the jungle and generally were only kept and used by those closest to the largest roads. The animals were an ineffective mode of travel on the smaller paths through the dense foliage of the jungle between most of the villages.

We crouched in the protection of the forest as darkness swiftly fell, blotting out the details of the village.

“Let’s do a sweep before we investigate any further. Keep an eye out for Rafe and his men,” Eljin murmured to me, gesturing that I head to the left and that he would cut right. “Meet me behind there if you don’t find anything.” He pointed at the largest building, close to the inn and stable. Small, tightly constructed homes lined the rutted, weedy road that led out of the village and deeper into the jungle. I nodded and slunk forward, slipping between shadows and trees to conceal myself. The light of fire and candles created a warm glow in the windows of the homes I skirted. In my village, we’d had wooden shutters that we latched at night, but some of these villagers were wealthy enough for glass. The laughter of children was a quiet, almost dreamlike sound on the apathetic breeze that did little more than stir the hot, humid night air. I paused, peering through the darkness, wondering if Rafe and his men were here somewhere. Would they have stopped at the inn for the night? Could we be this close to Rylan?

My mind churned and my heart ricocheted against my lungs as I hurried forward, straining for any sign of Rafe, or of a struggle of some sort. But by the time I made it to the back of the largest building to wait for Eljin, I’d seen no sign of them. Only families gathered in their homes, safe from the threats Antion brandished at night, behind their closed doors and secured windows.

I waited as the minutes dragged by with no sign of Eljin. Had something happened to him? What if he’d run into Rafe? Sinking into a low crouch, I silently unsheathed my sword and crept forward, my back to the dark, silent building. The buzz of insects was the only sound