Oliver’s face heated. “No, I’m not a soldier. But I can see when my friend needs to rest. You did enough, Tess. Even I slept. There is a limit to our skill. Especially when you’re dead on your feet. He did the right thing. You shouldn’t be angry with him.”
“Anger is the only safe emotion I know how to feel around him.” The words came out before I could temper them.
Oliver tried to hide his smile, but he failed. Miserably. “Someone should warn him then.”
I glared at Oliver, and bit back a frustrated growl. “At least tell me progress has been made,” I snapped.
He sat down next to me and stretched out his long legs. “Progress has indeed been made. Whatever could be salvaged of the village was. The rebel army and village men, the ones that are still able, have been tearing down the pieces of the wreckage that are beyond repair and assessing how much damage has been done to the forest. And I have blessed and prayed for every injured tree that needed the Light’s healing touch.”
I stared at him. “You?”
He shifted nervously, staring at his feet. “The villagers didn’t seem to care that I haven’t taken my final vows yet. They really do believe their trees are holy.” He looked up at me again, holding my gaze with pride I had never seen in him before. “I couldn’t deny them.”
“You did all of that while I slept?” Shame crept over me, reddening my cheeks and turning my skin hot.
“Yes.”
“I could have helped.”
He nodded and this time his expression remained serious. “You did. It’s okay to rest, Tess. Nobody will fault you after you plunged directly into a blazing inferno and dragged man, woman, and child to safety by the sheer strength of your will.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Oliver, honestly. I didn’t do as much as that. I helped, but nothing that grand.”
His lips pressed into a frown. “Don’t tell that to the rebel army. They’ve decided you’re some kind of saint. Or goddess. They’ve been talking about your heroics all day.”
I rolled my eyes. “I worked with them. They saw my puny attempt at rescue. I could barely carry the children to safety, let alone full-grown men and women.”
“And yet you’ve managed to impress them. The exploits of your daring heroism grow exponentially every time they’re told. You have a big reputation to live up to. You might want to start exercising more regularly. I’m afraid of what they’ll expect of you next. Slaying dragons, perhaps? Wrestling sea creatures back to the abyss?”
“Didn’t you correct them?”
“I will admit, at first I tried. But nobody wants to listen to me when the tales of you are so much more amusing.”
“Where did they come from? Surely Arrick put them to rest.”
“And yet, he seems to be the most obviously entertained.” He paused, a strange, thoughtful look furrowing his brow. “Anyway,” Oliver continued, “once you’d been made into something quite significantly more than human, the army collectively decided to let you sleep. No one could come within ten yards of you without one of them intervening.”
“That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”
Oliver grinned at me again. “Your reputation will soon spread far and wide. Everyone will be telling tales of Tess the Mighty.”
“Let’s hope not,” I groaned. “That could be a very dangerous rumor.”
“Nevertheless, princess, the damage is done. Next time we stumble upon a burning village, maybe it would be better for you not to rush into the middle of the inferno.”
“Lesson learned, monk.”
We were silent for a while, watching the activity of the makeshift camp. A controlled fire burned nearby. Someone had started to cook over it and the scent drifted through the air, bringing my hunger alive.
I hadn’t eaten since lunch the day before. After working through the night my stomach had turned into a growling beast.
“The villagers say that it was the Ring of Shadows that set the fire. The royal army did nothing to intervene. And now they are saying that every village across the realm has been ordered to pay ten percent more in taxes to the Seat of Power in order to pay for future protection. People or places that do not comply will be left to the devices of the Shadows.”
“Ten percent more?” Hunger disappeared, replaced with white hot fury. “The villagers don’t have more to give, Oliver!”
Oliver jumped to his feet again. “Then we need to be on our way as soon as possible. The sooner we arrive in Elysia, the better.”
My voice shook when I asked, “Do you think I can do anything? Change anything?”
Oliver turned away from me, walking to the pen where the horses had been temporarily confined.
He returned with my satchel. He set it in my lap and my hands instantly gripped the smooth leather, clutching the precious cargo hidden inside. Shiksa poked her head out of the flap and lifted her pink nose to sniff the still smoky air.
“You have to,” he told me. “There is no other choice.”
Thunder cracked through the air. It rumbled through the camp, causing gasps from the women and growls of concern from the men. When the thunder continued to pound, I realized it wasn’t thunder at all, but horses’ hooves racing toward us.
The rebel army pulled their weapons and turned to face the quickening roar of hooves beating against the dirt road. I jumped to my feet next to Oliver, slinging on my satchel and searching in vain for my weapon.
I’d set it down sometime yesterday. It had been in my way, clanking at my side and swinging wildly whenever I needed to hurry. I didn’t know if it was still where I had left it or if someone had moved it to a safer location. Either way, I didn’t have it with me now.
“I’m weaponless,” I hissed at Oliver.
Eret’s low chuckle announced his arrival. He stood near us with weapon drawn. “That is too
