9. Fireside Dreams

Chapter 9

Fireside Dreams

With a firm grip on Nylian, I got my feet under me and pushed out of his grasp. I waded to the shore, shoving my wet hair and water out of my face as I moved. The breeze that had been so pleasant a few minutes earlier was now a knife slicing through my skin and freezing me to the core as it pressed my soaked clothes against every inch of my body.

I glanced over my shoulder to make sure Nylian was coming too and found the elf a few steps behind, his glare still directed at Adeline, who was snickering on the bank.

"Did you have any luck?" I inquired, hoping to move the woman on to topics that weren't likely to get her killed.

"How about that?" She waved both hands toward the camp. My gaze followed her dramatic motion to where Jasper was sitting in what appeared to be an explosion of black feathers.

"What did you kill? A raven?"

Adeline dropped her hands to her sides, her shoulders slumping as she gawked at me. "We got a turkey. A very large, plump turkey. What about you?"

"I got nothing, but Nylian snagged at least five big fish."

The thief looked at the ground as I made it to dry land. "I see only four here."

"A fox snagged one prior to your arrival," Nylian murmured as he joined me. He lightly placed a hand on my lower back and pushed. "Come. We need to get a fire going before you get sick."

" Mn ," I grunted with a shiver. No argument there. After picking up two of the fish, while Adeline grabbed the other two, we started for the campsite. "Sorry about ruining our fishing. You could have caught double that if I hadn't fallen."

"There is nothing to apologize for. The four fish plus the turkey will be plenty for our meal tonight."

"Yeah, but I never got to show you that I could be a master fisherman like you."

Nylian's expression softened, returning to something closer to a smile. "I'm sure you'll have another opportunity. Right now, your lips are turning blue." As he spoke, he lifted a finger to brush my trembling bottom lip. Unfortunately, my hands were full of fish, making it impossible to bat his hand away.

"I'll be fine once I'm dry. You should be grateful I didn't have the chance to show you up." I quickened my pace to put myself temporarily out of Nylian's reach. My brain was focused on keeping all my body parts from freezing off right now and hadn't had a chance to turn over the stunning information Nylian had given me.

I mean, he'd obviously been teasing me in the stream. It wasn't like he was attracted to me. That was impossible.

Okay, the body I'd gotten zapped into was pretty fucking hot, but that was all I had going for me, and Nylian didn't strike me as shallow. Other than a pleasant appearance, I was an idiot. A bumbling loser. While I might know some high-level information about this world, I didn't possess the survival skills needed to get by. I could barely ride a horse, couldn't hunt, couldn't fight, and couldn't skin a dead animal if I were lucky enough to kill one by accident.

If I ended up here long term, maybe I could find a job as some kind of bookkeeper or shopkeeper's apprentice. I'd be a useful town boy who worked indoors and earned money to buy food I didn't have to kill first. Roughing it in this world was too difficult for me.

But Nylian and me?

That would never happen. While he hadn't admitted it yet, he was a prince and one day, he was going to return home in all his glory. He was going to need someone at his side who could stand as his equal.

Don't get me wrong; the flirting was flattering. Whose ego wouldn't like a little stroking from a sexy prince? But I was straight, and we were just friends. I knew better than to take anything Nylian said seriously.

As I reached the campsite, I paused near Jasper and smirked. The teenager was a mess. His hair was sticking up in every direction, and there were smudges of dirt across his face along with a few scratches, as if he'd physically fought the turkey and nearly come out the loser.

"Why don't you use magic to get all the feathers off the bird?"

Jasper sighed. "Addie won't let me use magic on our food."

"Are you fucking crazy?" his sister screeched. "He's still learning. The way his spells go, the bird would explode or be brought back to life as some kind of fifty-foot zombie turkey."

"That's a good point," I mumbled, remembering how he'd attempted to turn the ogres to stone and instead had shrunk them. It was best if his magic wasn't anywhere near our food.

Nylian took the fish from my shaking hands and laid them near Jasper. "Would you mind preparing the fish? I will make the fire." Jasper didn't have a chance to answer. Nylian was already putting a hand on my shoulder and redirecting me over to where we'd sat to whittle the spears. He shoved me down and pointed at my nose. "Sit. Don't move."

"But I can help. I've gotten much better at starting fires. I?—"

"Don't. Move."

Adeline snickered somewhere in the background, but I ignored her. The elf was serious, and I was more afraid of crossing him than her mocking. Only when I nodded in agreement did Nylian finally begin pulling some kindling together. Naturally, he had it roaring in no time, and I was on the fast track to being dry.

As evening approached, the incident in the stream was forgotten and we filled our bellies with roasted turkey and fish. Definitely a delightful break from the endless amounts of red meat I'd been eating. I'd still kill for a fucking vegetable. I'd sell my soul for a potato. Hell, I'd sell Nylian's soul for some mashed potatoes. But I had a feeling my meals weren't going to have any variety until we reached Riverhold. For now, I needed to be grateful that I was lucky enough to have fallen in with two people who were very skilled at killing their food.

I stood up, turned my ass toward the flames, and rubbed the seat of my pants, trying to get the last of the damp patches on my clothes to dry. "Not that I want to be that guy, but how much farther until we reach Riverhold?"

"At the pace we're moving, I believe we should make it there in about two days," Jasper answered.

"Assuming we don't run into trouble along the way," Nylian warned.

Adeline clapped her hands together and rubbed them. "And I'll get paid. Easiest money I've ever made on a protection detail."

That had to be true , I thought with a sigh. However, my intention hadn't been so much that she'd protect us from bandits and predators, but that she and Nylian would fall in love. What a waste of money that turned out to be. I didn't understand what the elf wanted, but I wasn't willing to ditch the harem idea yet. He stated he was attracted to men and women. Maybe I needed to broaden my scope. Find more caring, compassionate, authentic people who would help Nylian and not care about his bloodline.

Not that there was anything wrong with Adeline's approach to life. It was clear that it was her responsibility to look out for herself and her talented younger brother in a cutthroat world. Of course, she was ruthless and mercenary in her dealings with others.

I stepped away from the fire and smirked at Nylian. "Try not to jinx us."

"Jinx us? Why would I jinx us? It's not like I'm the one who's a magnet for trouble."

"Shh!" I hissed, hurrying over to his side with my hands raised to cover his mouth. "There are probably gods listening to your nonsense and preparing ways to smite us. No more nonsense."

With a low chuckle, Nylian grabbed my wrist and pulled me onto the log next to him. "The gods have plenty to keep them busy. They don't need to worry about us."

"Whatever. You'd be surprised at how the gods can multitask," I muttered as I twisted my wrist until Nylian released it.

"I'm not so worried about the gods, but the guards at the ferry keeping us out of Ulmenor," Nylian said.

That really was our next problem—assuming something new didn't eat us before we reached Riverhold. The elves of Galinaes weren't the most welcoming sort. They didn't like humans at all. The elves of Wolfrest were more tolerant of humans, or at the very least, indifferent toward them.

However, the key thing was that Wolfrest maintained a relatively open border, allowing the peoples from the other nations to cross freely for trade. Galinaes was a smaller kingdom and maintained very strict borders. Elves from Wolfrest had less trouble getting into the country, but they still needed at least a token reason.

Humans, on the other hand, needed specific paper work to prove they had a reason to be there, along with a set time frame. If a human dared to overstay their pass, they could expect immediate deportation…or worse, death. Getting caught without paper work or an invitation was an automatic death sentence since you were seen as a spy.

Nylian had a shot at getting in with minimal fuss because he was an elf. The key was that he would need to pass himself off as a Galinaes elf rather than a Wolfrest elf. There was no specific difference between the two. They came from the same lineage but had suffered a split when a war broke out between two sisters thousands of years ago.

No, the key thing was for no one to recognize him as Prince Xeran of the Wolfrest royal family. That would undoubtedly cause problems.

"So, how are you planning to get into Ulmenor?" Jasper asked with more interest than was wise.

Adeline caught that tone, too. "No."

"What?" The young wizard sat up, his hair flopping in his face as he whipped around to look at her.

"You think that whatever they figure out, we can do, too. No fucking way."

"Why not? We'd be careful."

"And if we're caught, we're dead." She pressed a finger to the middle of his forehead and pushed. "Especially you, little wizard. They'd probably think you're there to steal all their secrets or sabotage them."

"Yeah, but to spend just five minutes with one of their wizard masters would make it all worthwhile." Jasper's dreamy sigh left me shaking my head.

"There are few things in the world worth risking your life for," I murmured.

"And what would make your list?" Nylian's question was almost a wicked purr. I glanced over at the man and fought very hard to not roll my eyes at him. I knew what he was doing. He was trying to find a reason to leave me behind. Sneaking into Ulmenor was going to be dangerous for both of us. There was a thin chance Nylian could fast-talk his way out of an execution, but there was no way I'd be as lucky. I was risking my life by accompanying him.

"I'd risk my life for a good, honorable cause that I believed in."

A slow smile spread across Nylian's lips and he shifted his gaze to the fire. "That's acceptable."

"I'd also do it for a good friend who needed my help."

That made his grin grow even wider. "You mean your specialized help with distractions?"

"No one does it better, and this seems like a situation where distractions might come in handy."

"We'll see. Right now, I'm thinking sneaking might be our best bet."

"Caravan," Adeline announced decisively.

My head popped up, and I stared at the woman across the fire as she lounged against a tree, her arms behind her head. "You think?"

"Definitely. Most human caravans from Edros, and even some Wolfrest caravans, when Edros and Wolfrest aren't fighting, prefer to travel up to Riverhold and cross by ferry if their ultimate destination is Ulmenor." She sat up and rested her arms on her thighs. "Crossing the border anywhere south of that and traveling north through the country is an enormous hassle. If a royal guard or the local law enforcement spots you, they'll demand to see your papers. It doesn't matter if you showed your papers to someone else five seconds earlier. Landing directly in Ulmenor, doing business, and getting the hell out on the next ferry is the best option for a businessman's sanity. Plus, caravan guards would charge way more if they have to put up with that bullshit constantly."

Nylian rubbed his chin and lifted a dark-blond brow at Adeline. "Sounds like you're speaking from experience."

She shrugged. "I might have bribed and sneaked my way into a few caravans over the years. Plus, caravan guards love to tell stories over a pint of ale. I've picked up a few things."

"By the sound of it, there are going to be a lot of caravans arriving in Riverhold and waiting for the ferry," I stated. "All we need to do is talk to some caravan drivers, find someone who's willing to take a bribe to add two names to their manifest."

"It would be better if they could add four names," Nylian countered.

My mouth fell open. Was he serious? It wasn't all that long ago he'd fought me on bringing them along as an escort to Riverhold, and now he wanted to keep Adeline and Jasper with us through Ulmenor. What the fuck was he thinking? Was it possible that his opinion of Adeline was finally changing after our conversation in the stream? I was afraid to hope.

"No!" Adeline shouted.

Jasper jumped to his feet and thrust one fist into the air. "Yes!"

The woman rose as well and grabbed her brother's arm, pulling it down. "Absolutely not. I don't want you anywhere near Galinaes. Besides, how the hell are they going to explain your presence? We can at least pass for caravan guards. Even if we change your clothes and hide the grimoire, you don't look like a guard."

"We could say he's an apprentice to one of the guards," I suggested.

"Who? You?" Adeline cackled, and I groaned at her. Yes, I looked like someone who could wield a sword and kick ass, but that image disintegrated the moment I attempted to do either. People would pity Jasper if he claimed to be my apprentice.

"If we found a caravan from the kingdom of Kodra, he could remain a wizard and pass as one of the guardians," Nylian chimed in.

Jasper's head popped up and the young man instantly brightened. "Seriously?"

"The kingdom of Kodra maintains only a small naval force. Most of their trade goes over land." Nylian stood with the spear he'd made for killing fish and used it to poke at the logs, resettling them before adding another few. "Because of the long distances their traders must travel, they will often hire a wizard to accompany the goods and men to assist in the protection. It's a much higher expense, but it's also why you find only the truly high-quality goods, such as gems, crystals, and some of their finer fabrics outside the kingdom."

"I thought Kodra just traded with Lockeheim to their west," Adeline interjected.

Nylian grunted as he stuck the point of the spear into the ground and leaned on the stick. "It's their preference during the summer and early fall months when the pass through the Broken Shards mountains is clear and safe, but for half of the year, the pass is unusable."

"Well, it sounds like we have a few options," I said, letting relief leak into my voice. "I would imagine we'll be in town for a few days. We can stock up on some supplies and poke around the town, searching for the right opportunity that will get us into Ulmenor."

"We'll find a nice inn to get rooms in," Nylian agreed, a half smile teasing up one corner of his mouth.

There was no holding in my happy sigh. Rooms at an inn meant I could get a bath and finally be clean. It meant regular meals. And with the coins in my pouch, I could buy a change of clothes and nice soaps. Yes, this all sounded heavenly.

Just maybe, if I could get away from Nylian for a while, I could find a wizard to look at my coin. Not that I didn't trust Jasper. He was a good kid, and he seemed far more honest than his sister, but I needed someone with a lot more experience and magical knowledge. Flipping this damn coin had to be more than a one-way trip to this world. I had to find a way home.

"Don't go rushing off to spend my money!" Adeline shouted. "The moment we step foot in Riverhold, I want to get paid."

"And exactly how is that going to happen?" Nylian drawled. "We told you we don't have the money on us. How is that going to magically change the second we enter the town?"

Adeline snarled and drew a knife to point at Nylian. "Don't think you and this one can sneak away from me." She moved the blade from Nylian to me to the elf again. "I'm sticking to you two until I get paid. You hear me?"

"Of course. You're not exactly quiet," Nylian muttered, and I struggled not to snicker. If I did, I was pretty sure Adeline was going to poke a new hole in me I didn't need. He pulled the spear from the ground and returned to his spot on the log near me. "Are you dry now? Warm enough?"

"Yep. Clothes are dry, and I'm warm. Nothing to worry about. No illness here. You're not ditching me yet."

"I'd at least wait to ditch you in a town. I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to survive on your own without me to watch over you."

"And you need me to watch your back in town to keep you from getting killed. Face it, you're stuck with me."

A strange expression I couldn't quite read crossed Nylian's handsome face, but it was gone too quickly, lost to the shadows cast by the flickering fire. "Get some sleep. I'll take the first watch tonight."

"Are you sure?" I'd taken the first watch the past two nights because I struggled so much falling asleep on the hard, cold ground.

"It's fine. I want to think about the Riverhold plan some more." He turned his head toward Jasper and Adeline, who were getting their meager pallets ready to sleep. "We'll start out at first light. The more miles we can cover each day, the faster we can get to Riverhold."

I lay as close to the fire as I could stand while wrapping my cloak across my torso. With my right arm pillowed under my head, I reached out with my left to catch the edge of Nylian's cloak before he could take up a guard position away from the fire. The elf stopped and kneeled next to my head.

"Make whatever plans you feel you have to, but they have to include me," I whispered harshly, hoping the crackle and pop of the fire masked my words for Jasper and Adeline. "You need my help. You're not going anywhere without me. Even Galinaes."

Long, slender fingers drifted down and threaded through a stray lock of my hair, pulling it from where it had fallen across my forehead. "I know, Lockhart. I know."

Nylian straightened and moved away from the light so his eyes could adjust to the darkness of the surrounding forest. I don't know whether it was the soft ripple and splash of the nearby stream or the unexpected swim we'd taken, but I had little trouble falling asleep that night.

However, those five words followed me into my dreams, leaving my heart aching. There had been something heavy and unsettling in his tone, as if he didn't find my presence reassuring, but something that made him weary…and maybe even sad.