There it hovered for a moment while the grin tugged up on the corner of Ryl’s lips. To him, the significance of the gesture was earthshattering. A defining moment with long standing effect he hoped would ripple throughout the land. The single handshake would be the beginning of the events that would set straight the Kingdom from the twisted course it had followed for a millennium.
Fire surged through his veins, spreading the heat of insuppressible triumph through his body.
Ryl reached out his hand, meeting the captain’s with an audible clap, albeit the sound was lost over the receding cries of the fleeing nobles and spectators. The significance of the act shook the very foundation of The Stocks.
Chapter 25
No sooner had Ryl clasped hands with the captain, then the pair was nearly pulled from their feet as young Aelin crashed into his side. The strength in the boy’s embrace was staggering. A thought passed quickly through his mind; an acknowledgment of the true powers that were blossoming in the child's veins.
He’d grown taller throughout the last cycle. Though still under ten cycles in age, his muscles were well defined, likely a combined result of his labor in the smithy and scant calories. Tears rained from his eyes like a summer downpour.
“You’ve grown, young man,” Ryl said as he broke his handshake with the captain, resting his hand on the ruffled hair atop Aelin’s head.
Le’Dral took a step backward from the pair. He nodded his head at Ryl.
“We need to move the tributes beyond the line of my men,” Le’Dral offered. “They stand at an arrow’s distance. Anything less is inviting injury.”
Ryl agreed with the captain’s assessment, however he had no intentions of staying in the village for long. They would need to move quickly. Ryl understood the reasoning behind the questioning look on Le’Dral’s face.
“You hold a precarious position, Ryl,” the captain stated. “They will descend on Cadsae like a wave. From the little I’ve seen today, you and your allies are no doubt skilled beyond comprehension. Know that there are nearly ten thousand troops in the port city. You can be assured the capital with be sending more when word reaches their ear.”
Ryl knew the news would reach the capital city of Leremont before long. It wouldn’t take an intellectual to connect the destruction of the facility at the Martrion Ruins with this upheaval at The Stocks. They would descend upon The Stocks with a collective force never before mustered by the Houses of Damaris.
“All will be explained in time, captain,” Ryl answered cryptically. “Know that we have no intention of holding Cadsae. We move to the north.”
“To the north lies nothing but farmland. You know that,” Le’Dral countered. “The only location close to a defensible position is …”
The captain’s voice trailed off as his eyes widened in a look of both shock and surprise.
“Aye, captain,” Ryl responded. “We make for Tabenville. Can your men ready the supplies? We’ll take the wagons, mules and all the provisions we can muster. We need to move quickly.”
The need for haste was unnecessary to stress. Le’Dral knew full well the predicament they’d put themselves in. His face broke from his official regimented pose as a sly smile crossed his lips. He nodded before hastening toward his men, barking out orders along the way.
The mass of tributes had slowly crept closer as he’d spoken with the captain. The handshake along with the urgency were understood by all. The tributes parted as the captain rushed through their midst.
Ryl turned his eyes on the gathered mass of tributes. Friends, family, faces that were nothing more than a memory since their separation a long cycle earlier. His eyes landed on Sarial, her cheeks wet with tears. She rushed forward, pulling him into a tight embrace. He could feel the warm moisture pooling on the shoulder of his cloak.
Gently, she pushed herself away. She looked up at him through glossy, water-soaked eyes. She spoke quietly between racking sobs.
“I’ve seen you in my dreams, Ryl,” she whispered. “I knew you’d return to us someday.”
He leaned down planting a gentle kiss on her forehead.
“There’s no power in the world that could keep me away forever,” Ryl said softly. There was no power in the world that could contain the smile that spread across his face.
“Welcome home, Ryl,” a voice came from the crowd. Quinlen stepped forward from the edge of the group. Ryl greeted his friend with a nod before addressing the entirety of the group.
“There will be time for greetings, and time for explanations soon,” Ryl announced. “I regret that the time is not now. We need to move and move quickly. The full brunt of the Kingdom’s guard will be upon us soon. To them, we are the truant. We are the rebels. Gather whatever possessions you cannot live without, all the food you can carry, and meet behind the line of Le’Dral’s men. We move north with speed.”
His words were laced an overpowering sense of urgency. Though he knew his friends longed for a greeting, they would understand the need for expediency.
With a smile and a nod, Ryl guided young Aelin toward Sarial’s waiting arms. Gently turning the young man, she, Aelin and the tributes broke from the group with a disorganized alacrity, rushing like water back toward their meager rooms to gather what little they called their own.
Kaep backed up a few steps, stopping beside him, her eyes never leaving the nearly empty palisade.
“Can he be trusted, Ryl?” she asked softly. He watched the object of her questioning ahead, issuing orders to his troops. The men under his command scattered at his word, moving rapidly in the direction of their prescribed tasks.
“In my heart, I truly believe so, Kaep,” he acknowledged. “In my head, I cannot yet reconcile the truth of it. Any allies will be an asset, they will yet be on a short leash.”
He turned his head to face the phrenic archer at his side. Her hood
