Lacuna - N.R. Walker Page 0,7
door. “Hurry up, or the water will be cold by the time I get in it. Don’t forget to wash your hair.” Crow rolled his eyes as Soko disappeared into the common room, but then Soko called out, “And don’t piss in the water.”
Crow chuckled, then closed his eyes and slid down below the surface.
Chapter Four
Tancho, Karasu, and Kohaku dismounted from their horses and walked across the stone bridge to meet the three guards of Aequi Kentron. One guard rang a bell to signal their arrival, just like they did the last time Tancho had been here. He’d been to Aequi Kentron before, thrice, and the familiar castle looked as welcoming as it always had.
Kohaku’s eyes were wide with excitement, having never been this far from home.
Karasu, on the other hand, looked around uneasy.
“Welcome, King of the Westlands. An honour bestowed upon us,” the first guard said, wearing the Kentron yellow cape, the compass rose on his chest plate.
Another guard took their horses, but not before Karasu took her saddlebag. “We will deliver it to your quarters on your behalf,” the guard said.
She looked him right in the eye. “Thank you for the offer, but I am able to carry it.”
The guard was a little taken aback and looked to protest, but the first guard waved his hand to let the matter go. “This way to the west-wing quarters, if you please. After such a journey, there have been baths and supplies prepared in anticipation of your arrival. The guards will bring your belongings.”
The castle itself was picturesque with the turrets and flags. Time and untold number of feet had worn the sandstone like smooth river pebbles, which made Tancho smile. History and tradition were an honour he prided himself on, and he could only imagine who had walked these halls before him, and how long ago.
The Aequi Kentron castle was well over a thousand years old, built over and fortified as the years allowed. The ancient scrolls and artefacts were somewhere in the vaults, deep in the underbelly of the castle, with the original crypts and catacombs guarded by legions of Elders’ Consuls over the centuries.
Tancho felt as though he was walking on sacred ground.
Kohaku still grinned with excitement, though Karasu eyed everything with caution. She always was the serious one, but her behaviour was a little odd. When they were shown their quarters and finally left alone, Karasu inspected the rooms, the view, and Tancho knew she was determining which rooftops were accessible from which windows, angles and distances, and then she sniffed the foods spread out on the table.
“Okay, Karasu,” Tancho said. “What bothers you? You refused to let them take your belongings, you already have our escape plans worked out, and now you suspect our food might be poisoned?”
Kohaku spun to stare, bread already halfway to his mouth. “Poisoned?”
Tancho shook his head to put him at ease, but Karasu crossed her arms. “I do not like this place. It feels . . . off.”
“Off?”
“Something is not right here.”
“This is old land,” Tancho explained. “It is sacred. Perhaps our ancestors know you’re here.”
He’d meant it is a joke, but Karasu didn’t smile. “You can ridicule me if you choose . . .”
Tancho went to her and put his hand on her arm. He trusted Karasu and her intuition, but this was the first time she’d been so far from home. “We are seven days from home, seven days from our oceans and from the push and pull of the water. Seven days in the saddle—”
“And I have not complained once,” she replied. “Kohaku, on the other hand, complained like an infant from the moment we left the palace.”
“I did not,” he said, his mouth full of food.
Tancho and Karasu both stared at him because he had, indeed, complained like a wailing infant for most of the journey. Tancho eventually turned back to Karasu. “I would ask you to give it time. We are here for just one week. Maybe tomorrow we can inspect the grounds and perhaps that will put your mind at ease. It really is very beautiful.”
She held his gaze for a long moment before resigning with a hint of a sigh. “Fine. Though I don’t like it.”
Tancho gave a nod. “Noted.”
“This is really good,” Kohaku said, shoving a slice of fruit into his mouth. “You should try it.”
“We would if there was any left,” Karasu said, swatting his hand away. “Tancho eats first, you know that.”
“I was starving,” he cried.
“It is fine,” Tancho said,