The Ippos King (Wraith Kings #3) - Grace Draven Page 0,61
her, where he proceeded to wolf down the bowl's contents, much to her undisguised revulsion. He set the bowl down between his feet and winked at Anhuset. “You missed out,” he said. “The boat's cook makes a fine porridge.”
“By all means,” she said in her driest tones. “Help yourself.” She nodded toward the group clustered at the stern. “I see you advised them about your plan. What did they say?”
Serovek shrugged. “The usual arguments about traveling in a larger group, reluctance for playing the messenger.” He chuckled. “I think they've convinced themselves we'll be babes among fiends without them to guard us.”
“I'm surprised one of them didn't consider me a fiend.” She waved one clawed hand at him.
“Ogran was the first to suggest you deliver your own message to Saggara.”
“You'll forgive me if I don't find that surprising.” The yellow of her eyes swirled in countless shades from burnished gold to daffodil, mesmerizing Serovek. “I pity whoever has to pair with him on the trip, though not enough to suggest you have him stay with us.”
“The rest are used to him. They'll just ignore his sourness as usual.”
A frown line creased her brow. “Margrave, would you grant a request?”
His eyebrows rose. This was unusual coming from Anhuset. “Of course.”
“Send Ogran to High Salure. I'll have my message for Brishen prepared for when we split up, but I want someone other than him to deliver it.”
The thought had crossed his mind as well. He saw no reason for Ogran to shirk his duty were he one of the pair chosen to travel to Saggara, but if it eased Anhuset's mind to assign the task to someone else, Serovek had no issue. “As you wish. You may have to scrounge for parchment. I doubt the captain keeps a stock on-hand, but it won't hurt to ask. If there's none to be had, decide what you want to tell Brishen and repeat it to the men. Between the two of them, they'll memorize and relay it.”
Her deepening frown told him she wasn't thrilled at the second choice, but their options were limited, and the next village or town near a boat landing was another day's travel, and another delay if they waited to buy writing supplies before sending messengers to their destinations.
Anhuset finally nodded. “I'll keep it short either way.” She eyed the empty bowl, then Serovek. “I can't believe you ate all of that vile slop.”
He grinned. “And it was my second bowl.” She shuddered. “If you threaten the cook enough, he might be willing to part with some of the fish he's saved for the midday meal.”
“I'm not that hungry to go through the trouble.” The brief touch of her claws on his arm sent a pleasurable tingle across his skin. “I thank you for letting me sleep, though you exaggerated how I would have reacted to Ogran waking me.”
“I wondered if you were awake.” He'd suspected as much. Exhausted or not, she'd never be one to sleep deeply. “And I disagree. Look me in the eye and tell me you wouldn't have eaten his liver if he'd shoved his foot in your back to wake you.”
She wrinkled her nose, eyes glowing bright in the hood's darkness. “I don't want to look in your eye. It moves too much and is strange.” The tiniest smile played along her lips. “I've no doubt Ogran's liver would have tasted a lot better than that gruel you just shoved down your gullet.”
The crew and his men all turned toward Serovek at his laughter, some with puzzled looks, others like Erostis with a considered scrutiny that moved from him to Anhuset and back again. Serovek knew what they thought. What about this taciturn, intimidating Kai woman fascinated him so?
Everything.
While Anhuset composed her message, he spent the time reviewing the map he'd brought with him of the Lobak valley. The wagon and its precious cargo precluded leaving the roads for a shortcut through rougher country. Several of the paths marked on the map were hardly more than drover roads, and they'd be lucky if they didn't have to stop more than once to repair a broken wheel. Ogran, who hailed from this part of the Beladine hinterlands, had assured him before their trip that the wagon could make it.
“Some spots will rattle your brains, especially if the local folk have driven cattle or sheep through after a hard rain and it's dried since. We'll just have to go slow and nurse the wagon along. Once we