Hamish cleared his throat. “What are you looking for?” With so many questions crowding his thoughts, this seemed the simplest.
“My glasses case. It should be along here.” Darshan continued to pat the shelf as if the room was still dark.
The case sat just before one of the lanterns. The dark brown wood made it difficult to pick out from the shadows, but not impossible for those who knew what to look for. “Exactly how far can you see without these?” Hamish asked, handing over the case.
Darshan stretched his arm out before him, his palm flat as if it were pressed to a wall, and wriggled his naked fingers. “This far, clearly. Beyond that, I steadily lose details until it’s all just coloured blobs.”
“And you expect to compete when you cannae properly see your opponent?” A civil war. That was what the bloody man was going to start.
Darshan’s jaw set into a stubborn line as he secured the wire frames over his ears. That determination echoed in his eyes when he glared up at Hamish. “I will manage. Same as I always do. Or did you think I have no experience attempting tasks without the advantage of regular sight?” There was a drop of venom in his tone, not acidic enough to mean much harm.
Hamish rolled his tongue, opting for silence. He had seen Darshan fumble his way around unfamiliar environments during their travels. Usually, it had been to relieve himself and he had stumbled into something along the way more often than not.
No matter how he tried, Hamish couldn’t imagine the man winning a sword fight or traipsing through a forest for long without running afoul of something. If they hadn’t noticed Darshan’s addition to the union contest, then maybe they wouldn’t notice if he also vanished. Especially this early on. “Dar—”
Darshan held up a hand. “Let us not speak here.” Giving a curt jerk of his head, he descended the tunnel with the ball of light leading the way.
Hamish followed, running a considering eye over Darshan’s outfit. It could’ve been the shadows, but the garb didn’t just have the vague appearance of what the competitors wore. It was identical. “Where did you get those clothes?” If there was a woman tied up somewhere, they were going to be in more trouble than if Darshan’s whereabouts were revealed.
“Your brother assisted me there.”
“Me brother?” Hamish blurted. Now he was looking for the signs, the fabric did seem frayed. Old. “Gordon? He’s in on this? For the love of—” He pinched the bridge of his nose. Of course this would have to be his brother’s plot. That was how Darshan knew about this tunnel. Nora wouldn’t have handed the Udynean a key, especially after the man’s outburst at the dinner table, and none of the children were old enough to have access. “What has me bloody brother gotten you to agree to? What did he tell you?”
Scoffing, Darshan flapped his hands as if shooing a fly. “What makes you think your brother is involved any further than gifting me the appropriate garments? Why assume he did anything as crass as gossip?”
“Because you cannae have thought this up on your own. You dinnae ken anything about the union contest, you said it yourself.” Whether or not Darshan acted alone now, Gordon would’ve been the one to bring this mad plan to the Udynean’s attention. “What has me brother been doing?”
“Training me.”
“Train—?” All this time? And with no word from either of them?
We’ll find a way out of this. His brother’s promise echoed through his mind. This was Gordon’s solution? Throw Darshan into this manic press for Hamish’s hand? Did he honestly think Darshan could win? That he would want to win?
“I thought you’d been kicked back to Udynea,” Hamish mumbled. Whilst Darshan had arrived by ship, he didn’t have to leave that way. An escort over land would take longer, but it would see him out of Mullhind within the day. “I thought—”
“That I had left you here to spend the rest of your life screaming on the inside or worse?” Darshan slowed so that they walked side by side. He had lowered the scarf from his face. Apparently, he had found time to shave with his busy schedule—one that didn’t include informing Hamish of his intentions—and sported a style similar to the moustache and short, goat-like beard combo he’d worn upon his arrival. “Do you honestly believe I would choose to have you deal with that toxic woman who dares to claim herself as your mother alone?”
“Watch who you’re badmouthing,” Hamish snapped. “That’s me mum. The woman who gave birth to me.”
Darshan whirled on him, shock and indignance plastered over his face. “You will defend her after what she has done to you? That woman deserves a retribution fit for the gods. You owe her no allegiance, especially when she treats you in this manner.” Regret dulled his eyes as soon as the words had left his mouth. “That was unworthy, my apologies. It is not my place to dictate how you interact with, or think of, your family.”
“Well, you’re right on that.”
“It is just, seeing you having to hide your true feelings, the real you, from everyone. And then being forced into this, I cannot—” He hung his head and sighed. “If she were my mother, I would have disowned her long ago. I could never leave you here, even if I did not—” He turned from Hamish, lengthening his stride whilst rubbing at his neck and jaw.
Hamish attempted to catch up, surprised at the sudden speed.
“I think—” Darshan stilled as they reached the gate, stopping with a lurch that almost caused Hamish to collide into him. “Back in the woods,” he whispered, clutching the thick iron bars. “Seeing the damage that bear had done to you. I realised then, I did not…” The words grew soft, almost hesitant. He peered over his shoulder. “I did not wish to lose you.”
Hamish wet
