“Farther north?” Cassendir mused. “There isn’t anything past the plains…Just the Plaguelands of Yureun, and no one goes there.”
“Well. Off to Rhodia it is. I have to meet with whoever it is that has taken the throne while the heir is missing.” Loren said with a sigh, feigning optimism. She spurred her horse on, and stopped again after a few steps. “Ma’trii? Are you coming?”
The wolf shook his head, and remained seated. Ma’trii was adamant in staying far away from the Beastman city. He looked back at Kae, and they shared a look.
“Ma’trii will stay outside the city, but will be within earshot if I want to call him.” Kae said. “It’s alright, we do it all the time when I have to go to the Markholme market. He’ll be fine.”
Loren sighed, and relented. She was uncomfortable with leaving any of her party behind, but it was a safer option than risking Ma’trii shot by the sentry guards. The princess spurred her horse on again, continuing at a steady pace through the tall grass of the plains till they got to a clearing.
It was a wide space, where the tall grass was periodically cut down, providing the sentries upon the walls with a clear view around the city’s gates. The walls themselves were made of packed earth, mud, and straw, with high towers spaced around the city. As Loren approached the closed gate of the city, a Beastman posted above the gate called down to them.
“Who goes there?” said a raven Beastman, angling his head with a jerk to look at them.
“Travelers from Aldoran.” Loren replied, raising her voice to be heard above the wind of the plains. “We’d like to buy supplies before continuing on our journey.”
The Beastman angled his head again, taking note of the travelers. They did not look like a threat, and travelled simply. He turned to another guard and discussed quietly. “The gate will open, hold there.” The raven Beastman called down, before disappearing out of sight behind a wall. The gate creaked open, rising steadily into the wall.
Loren urged her horse on as the portcullis slid to a stop. She rode at a walk into the city, but was stopped by the same raven Beastman that she saw atop the wall.
“Is there a problem, sir?” Loren asked politely, trying not to show her nerves. She suspected that her parents had sent word to neighboring kingdoms that their daughter was missing. The princess realized, belatedly, that the guards of Rhodia might recognize her, as she had been invited with her family to Rhodia by Gaturr every so often as she was growing up.
This Beastman at least didn’t seem to recognize her. “Standard checks, ma’am. By orders of Doreos, King of the Beastmen.” The raven squawked.
Loren frowned. She recognized that name. “Doreos? I thought the king was Gaturr?”
The raven jerked his head side to side. Loren realized that the crest he wore on his armor had changed, it was no longer a tree on a green ground as it had been for generations. It was now a pair of golden horns on red. “No ma’am, the former king was assassinated. His Warmaster, the bull Doreos, assumed command.”
“But the heir to the throne is-“ Loren started.
The guard held up a taloned hand, and uneasily looked over his shoulder. “I know ma’am, and I agree.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “But prince Kaiten has yet to be found. I would suggest, while you’re here, keep your head down and don’t say a word against Doreos. He has carried out executions against Beastmen who have spoken out against his succession already. And he doesn’t care for humans.” He lowered his hand and held his halberd at the ready, the picture of a guard standing at attention. “Buy your provisions and be on your way, ma’am.”
Loren nodded, muttering her thanks to the raven and led her friends on down the packed dirt road. The streets of Rhodia were familiar to Loren. The air was dusty from the dirt and sand kicked up by Beastman feet, wagon wheels, and horses’ hooves. The path from the main gate wound through a sprawling market, with the noise of merchants yelling over each other, calling their prices cheaper than their competitors, and proclaiming their produce was fresher. Loren noticed a lion Beastman selling live chickens. She shook her head; it couldn’t possibly be the same chicken-selling lion Beastman she had seen in Markholme. Maybe there were chicken-selling lion Beastmen in every major city. The princess couldn’t help but smile; the Rhodia market was so much like Markholme, she missed it already.
Kae and Cassendir followed Loren closely, but slowly. They took their time looking around, pausing their horses’s walk to take a closer look at some of the wares the merchants were selling. Kae was so distracted, and Cassendir paused so often to write in his book even on horseback, that Loren had to turn around and come back for them.
Loren found Kae pausing at a merchant’s stall where weapons were laid out on a velvet sheet. There were knives of all kinds, alongside swords, spears, maces, and halberds. The huntress picked up a particularly handsome looking bow made of a study lightwood, and smiled as wide as she could. The princess couldn’t help but laugh as she pulled the gold coins needed to buy the bow and a quiver full of arrows and pressed it into the merchant’s hand. She also nudged the princess for a knew dagger while they were at it.
Eventually, they reached the center of the sprawling city, where the king’s palace stood.
Loren led them towards an inn, only a couple streets away from the central palace. The princess had tried other inns,
