They reached the gates of Landow late in the morning.
Soon after, they stood before Landow’s main hall, waiting for an audience with the governor.
It didn’t take long for the young man they had met before, Jace, to greet them. He offered them a short bow. “I take it you found something?”
“We did,” Brandt replied. “Is the governor in?”
“He is. He’s finishing a meeting but should be done by the time we arrive.” Jace led them with sure steps through building. They came to a small room with a low desk. Brandt noted that the room was incredibly neat, no doubt reflective of Kye’s own personality.
Kye rose to greet them.
“What have you learned?”
Brandt took a deep breath, aware of how this would sound. “I believe Landow will be invaded within the week.”
“The Etari?” Kye wore a puzzled frown on his face.
“Warriors from beyond our shores,” Brandt clarified.
Kye sat down behind his desk, looking up at them. His look was skeptical. He turned to Ana. “Is this true?”
Ana nodded. “We were pursued by invaders here. They approach from the north.”
Kye turned to Jace. “Send more scouts north. Double patrols around the wall.”
Jace turned and left through the open door. Kye turned his attention to his guests. “What can you tell me?”
Brandt related what he knew, from their discovery of the small force to their pursuit. He held off on saying much about his visions. They were hard enough for him to accept. “They’re dangerous,” he concluded. “Just a few of them managed to give us trouble.”
Kye leaned back, taking in all the information Brandt had just dumped on him. “Do you know when they will arrive?”
Brandt shook his head. “I’m not sure. They’re looking for a gate of some sort, and are heading straight here. Have you ever seen or heard about a mysterious gate in the area?”
Now it was Kye’s turn to shake his head. “I’ve never heard of anything like that.”
Just then Jace came back, a single nod of his head indicating he’d passed Kye’s orders along.
Kye stared off in the distance for a few moments. “We’ll send birds to the emperor immediately. He’ll need to know what is coming. But the nearest reinforcements are many days away at a hard ride. If we’re going to stop this, we can only count on ourselves.”
Brandt had assumed the same. The invading force was small, but he still worried. “Ana and I are willing to help. How can you use us?”
Kye thought for another moment. “We could use you at the city gate. If this gate you speak of is within the city, the invaders will try to enter. Your strength and eyes could both prove valuable.”
“Very well.” He glanced over at Ana to see if she had anything to add, but she was silent. “We will report to the captain of the city guard.”
“There’s no need,” Kye answered. “I want you two easy to reach. Jace, will you accompany them and keep me updated on what they discover?”
A moment seemed to pass between the governor and his aide, some silent message Brandt could only guess at. Jace bowed and led the former wolfblades out of the government center.
Outside, Jace turned to the others. “Do you two have a place to stay?”
“No,” Ana said.
“I can get you set up in the city watch barracks.”
Brandt shook his head, giving Ana a meaningful glance. “I think I would prefer a place with a bit more privacy.”
“Very well. How soon do you think you will need to take station on the wall?”
“Tomorrow morning,” Brandt replied.
Jace bowed to them again and was off.
“Are you sure waiting until then is wise?” Ana asked once they were alone.
“No, but we’ve been on the run for days, sleeping in the wild. Kye is doing all that he can. We’ll rest and recover, and tomorrow approach the problem with fresh eyes. We need the sleep.”
Brandt looked off to the mountains in the distance. “Then we find the gate and stop whatever is coming.”
54
They rode hard.
Their journey reminded Alena of her flight from Landow. They endured long days looking over their shoulders for any sign of the Lolani, either ahead of them or behind. She wasn’t surprised their paths didn’t cross. The plains were wide, and even a slight initial deviation could result in large distances over time. Azaleth’s tracking skills were superb, but even he couldn’t find their trail.
This part of Etar wasn’t like the mountains around Landow, where only a few known trails existed. Anyone could cross the prairie anywhere, leaving far too much space to search.
Fortunately, she didn’t need to find the Lolani. Knowing their destination, all she had to do was arrive there first. So they rode, pushing their horses to the brink.
The most difficult part of their journey was crossing the river. This far north it widened considerably, and they lost a day finding a ferry that would take them across. Azaleth wore his red cloak for the crossing, deflecting questions with vague answers about establishing a new trade route.
Then Alena was back in the imperial lands close to her home.
Once away from the ferry, Alena changed into imperial clothing, as did Azaleth. The farther they traveled in their red cloaks the more questions they would receive. Travel for imperials within the empire wasn’t restricted, so hiding Azaleth’s Etari features was easier than stopping to explain their trip to every passing soldier.
By the time they reached the woods south of Landow, Alena’s thighs chafed, and if she didn’t ride a horse for a year, she didn’t think she would miss the experience. Even in the empire, Alena continued searching for the Lolani invaders, for any flash of unnaturally pale skin. She saw nothing, though.
Eventually they came upon the walls
