Read Online Heir of Iron (The Powers of Amur Book 1) by J.S. Bangs - Free Book Online
Authors: J.S. Bangs
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advised Cauratha from distant Ternas. In the letter Gocam addressed Cauratha warmly, then spoke directly:
You have received a letter from a student of mine in Davrakhanda. Accept his invitation. He is not a foe.
There the letter ended.
Mandhi looked up at her father. “I don’t understand.”
Cauratha raised his palm to indicate ignorance. “I don’t understand either. But it is from Gocam. Gocam has never led us astray.”
“He led us to Navran.”
Cauratha groaned. “Navran is perhaps not who we expected, but Gocam was not wrong when he said that my son lived.”
“And so what? Do you really think we should go to Davrakhanda?”
Taleg cleared his throat and passed the page back to Cauratha. “I think we should go to Davrakhanda. And we should bring Navran with us. It’ll be a jolly excursion.”
Mandhi scoffed. “You can’t be serious.”
“While I
am
having a lovely time chasing Navran out of gambling pits every day and dragging him drunk back to the estate, a change of pace might do him well. Give him new sights to see. New places to vomit.”
Cauratha winced at Taleg’s joke, but he nodded. “He can’t do worse than here. Perhaps Davrakhanda will be good for him. And when you’ve spoken with Sadja, take him also to Ternas. Gocam will certainly do
something
to him.”
“And if it’s a trap? Why should all three of us walk into a dangerous pit?”
Taleg began counting on his fingers. “First, Navran certainly can’t go alone. He’d be dead or drunk or lost at sea before he ever got within sight of the city.
I
can’t go alone, since I’m just a bodyguard. I suppose that just Mandhi and I might go, but Sadja didn’t ask to see us. So it’s got to be all three of us.”
Mandhi shook her head. “We can’t all three go. They’re purging Uluriya again in the north, and you want us to walk into the heart of it.”
“You’d be going to Davrakhanda,” Cauratha said. “Not Majasravi. I’ve gotten no complaint from our brothers in Davrakhanda for their safety.”
“Plus,” Taleg said, “I would be with you. No one takes me for an Uluriya at first, and barely anyone will dare fight me. You’d be as safe there as here in Virnas.”
She caught the weight of what he didn’t say. The two of them and Navran, who already knew of their marriage, alone on the road for so many weeks, in the guest-houses of strangers whose gossip would never get back to Virnas. She stamped down the heat in the bottom of her belly. They had been stealing isolated nights, here and there, a half a dozen in the month since the wedding. Travel would be freedom.
“We would have to leave quickly,” she said. “To get to Davrakhanda and Ternas to see Gocam, and to get back before the rains. We’ll be on the road for months.”
“We can leave the day after tomorrow,” Taleg said. “Why wait?”
“I shall have to write Sadja-dar a letter,” Cauratha said, “which you can carry with you. He knows we are Uluriya, so hopefully he will be prepared for our coming. What else he knows, you will have to see. Gocam will know you’re coming, of course. But Mandhi.” He folded his hand over hers and smiled at her with a warm, helpless expression. “Come back quickly. I missed you dearly during your last excursion with Taleg.”
“We’ll return as soon as we can,” Mandhi said. “I don’t want to stay away any longer, either.”
“Very well. Taleg, will you leave us for a moment?”
“Certainly.” He bowed to both of them. “I’ll let Navran know of our plans. Hopefully he’ll be sobered up enough to just glare at me rather than cursing me.”
When the curtain fell across the door again, Cauratha said in a low voice, “I have been thinking of your marriage.”
Mandhi heart tightened into a stone. For a moment she forgot to breathe. “With whom?”
“Veshta has made some inquiries for me. There are a few young men in the city who would be suitable. I have spoken with a young saghada who lives on
You have received a letter from a student of mine in Davrakhanda. Accept his invitation. He is not a foe.
There the letter ended.
Mandhi looked up at her father. “I don’t understand.”
Cauratha raised his palm to indicate ignorance. “I don’t understand either. But it is from Gocam. Gocam has never led us astray.”
“He led us to Navran.”
Cauratha groaned. “Navran is perhaps not who we expected, but Gocam was not wrong when he said that my son lived.”
“And so what? Do you really think we should go to Davrakhanda?”
Taleg cleared his throat and passed the page back to Cauratha. “I think we should go to Davrakhanda. And we should bring Navran with us. It’ll be a jolly excursion.”
Mandhi scoffed. “You can’t be serious.”
“While I
am
having a lovely time chasing Navran out of gambling pits every day and dragging him drunk back to the estate, a change of pace might do him well. Give him new sights to see. New places to vomit.”
Cauratha winced at Taleg’s joke, but he nodded. “He can’t do worse than here. Perhaps Davrakhanda will be good for him. And when you’ve spoken with Sadja, take him also to Ternas. Gocam will certainly do
something
to him.”
“And if it’s a trap? Why should all three of us walk into a dangerous pit?”
Taleg began counting on his fingers. “First, Navran certainly can’t go alone. He’d be dead or drunk or lost at sea before he ever got within sight of the city.
I
can’t go alone, since I’m just a bodyguard. I suppose that just Mandhi and I might go, but Sadja didn’t ask to see us. So it’s got to be all three of us.”
Mandhi shook her head. “We can’t all three go. They’re purging Uluriya again in the north, and you want us to walk into the heart of it.”
“You’d be going to Davrakhanda,” Cauratha said. “Not Majasravi. I’ve gotten no complaint from our brothers in Davrakhanda for their safety.”
“Plus,” Taleg said, “I would be with you. No one takes me for an Uluriya at first, and barely anyone will dare fight me. You’d be as safe there as here in Virnas.”
She caught the weight of what he didn’t say. The two of them and Navran, who already knew of their marriage, alone on the road for so many weeks, in the guest-houses of strangers whose gossip would never get back to Virnas. She stamped down the heat in the bottom of her belly. They had been stealing isolated nights, here and there, a half a dozen in the month since the wedding. Travel would be freedom.
“We would have to leave quickly,” she said. “To get to Davrakhanda and Ternas to see Gocam, and to get back before the rains. We’ll be on the road for months.”
“We can leave the day after tomorrow,” Taleg said. “Why wait?”
“I shall have to write Sadja-dar a letter,” Cauratha said, “which you can carry with you. He knows we are Uluriya, so hopefully he will be prepared for our coming. What else he knows, you will have to see. Gocam will know you’re coming, of course. But Mandhi.” He folded his hand over hers and smiled at her with a warm, helpless expression. “Come back quickly. I missed you dearly during your last excursion with Taleg.”
“We’ll return as soon as we can,” Mandhi said. “I don’t want to stay away any longer, either.”
“Very well. Taleg, will you leave us for a moment?”
“Certainly.” He bowed to both of them. “I’ll let Navran know of our plans. Hopefully he’ll be sobered up enough to just glare at me rather than cursing me.”
When the curtain fell across the door again, Cauratha said in a low voice, “I have been thinking of your marriage.”
Mandhi heart tightened into a stone. For a moment she forgot to breathe. “With whom?”
“Veshta has made some inquiries for me. There are a few young men in the city who would be suitable. I have spoken with a young saghada who lives on
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