Conrad snorted. “After that, I ... I had to tell them. Some of my people may not agree with my choice not to have an heir, but the Lord of a Water Knights Village is never a Knight. But my people understand. You have that effect. They love you.”Kanisa sat on the edge of the bed and groaned. She fell back and reached above her, stretching. The softness of the bed felt amazing beneath her.Conrad’s hands slid up her shirt. “I missed you.”Kanisa smiled at him. She opened her mouth to say the words and yawned instead. With a chuckle, Conrad unbuttoned her shirt. “Your clothes are different.”“Fashions have changed.”“The clothes look good on you, but you’ll be more comfortable out of them.”“Good excuse to get me naked.”Conrad smiled and Kanisa sighed and relaxed. Conrad moved to get up and Kanisa pouted, tugging on her shoulders. Conrad chuckled and leaned over her to press a kiss to her lips. Kanisa moaned, hands tangling in Conrad’s hair. The kiss did more than make Kanisa’s heart s
Conrad’s mother had found the clothes he’d worn during his last stay in the village, and it felt nice to wear the heavier linen pants and the longer tunic. The boots were more comfortable and sturdier than the flat footwear worn in the city.Kanisa had been to one council meeting during his year at Knights Village. It was interesting. Council meetings at the castle in the city were held behind closed doors with only the king, his scribe, and his most trusted advisors in attendance. In Knights Village, the council was held in the town square, with the Lord , Fisherman, Hunter, and Farmer presiding over the meeting and keeping everything in order. All of the villagers were welcome, and most showed up.The entire scrutiny of the town turned to Kanisa when he stepped into the bright summer sunlight, blinking stupidly until he could see. Fortunately, the distrustful looks from his first council meeting were gone, and most of the villagers looked anxious but determined.“Sorry,” Conrad said
Kanisa looked up.Conrad had a soldier in his arms, knife at his throat. The one that had touched Kanisa first. There was a bleeding gash on Conrad’s arm, and Kindle Dee was limping.“You kill him and you will be hunted,” another soldier said.Conrad smirked. “That is going to happen eventually anyway.”Kindle Lou moved to Kanisa, helping him up and then away, to their horses. Kindle Dee limped over and they all started shoving things back in their bags. When they were through, and all on their horses, Conrad pushed the man away from him.Another stepped toward him, and Conrad unsheathed his sword. “You are all very poorly trained soldiers. Tell the king to teach you how to get out of someone’s grip without getting your throat slit.”Kindle Dee brought over her horse, and he climbed up on it, keeping her sword free. She motioned for the others to go, and Kanisa followed Kindle Lou. Conrad moved his horse backwards, keeping his eye on the soldiers until he was far enough away to spin a
The sun had yet to rise over the Eastern Mountains when the four of them packed up their belongings and headed out of the city. They had a hearty breakfast and real coffee, and stopped at the markets to replenish their supplies. The innkeeper did not say how far up the mountain the village was and they had no idea if they’d be able to find food. Kanisa also bought extra cloaks and blankets because Western shores were warm and the others did not understand just how far the temperature could drop in the mountains.Near the edge of the market, Kanisa grew distracted by hanging parchments covered in artwork. The sunlight danced on one image in particular, making the flame look alive.“You like ink?” a voice asked next to her.Kanisa turned and smiled at the proprietor of the tent. He was barefoot and bare-chested, showing off the scrolls of tattoos that covered his body.“You’re very talented,” Kanisa said.“Do you have some?”Kanisa nodded and took off her tunic to show the man.“Very go
Sora Gulden did not have a helpful plan beyond what he told the villagers when he left almost eight years before.Kanisa lay awake that night, with Conrad curled against her, and tried to figure out what Sora Gulden was planning. What came next?Kindle Dee snorted from the other bed where she slept with her sister. The Earth Knights Village did not have many beds. Most preferred to sleep outdoors, against the ground. Even without being knights themselves, they enjoyed the feel of the Earth beneath their skin.It gave Kanisa a reason to sleep next to her lover. Though Conrad felt like a hearth blazing with fire in the middle of the winter when he slept.Kanisa turned on her side and watched him sleep.Sora Gulden’s only plans when he left the Earth Knights Village was to get to the city and do some research to figure out where the other Knights lived. He had always been so studious, his father had said. He had stumbled upon Falcon, the Knight of Air, and his little brother Fangs, short
Kanisa was only vaguely aware of people stopping to watch Miyavi work. She concentrated on the touch of the needles, the swipe of cloth, the caress of talented fingers.“That’s enough for today,” Miyavi said.Kanisa moaned in disappointment.Laughing, Miyavi cleaned up her skin, and then moved around his tent. Kanisa lay on the table, noting how low in the sky the sun was and how sore her muscles were.“You know the steps in protecting what I have done?”Kanisa nodded. “I need some healing oils though. I left mine at the cas-the last place I lived.”Miyavi grinned at the slip but did not question him. “Come back in three days. We’ll either finish it, or we’ll get some more work done on it.”===========Conrad called her crazy when he saw the new ink. Kindle Dee and Kindle Lou laughed. Especially when she tried to sit on anything or anywhere. She did not sleep much, and spent late and early morning hours down at the hall of the inn, drinking to dull the sting.“Lover not putting out?”
Dawn barely touched the peaks of the snow covered mountains as they made their way through the city. Vendors had only just opened their stalls, and the smell of fresh baked bread and sweets lofted through the air. It was chilly enough that Kanisa pulled up the hood on her cloak and they left the city without being stopped, though they noticed that those trying to enter the city were being searched.“Good timing,” Kindle Dee muttered.Kanisa agreed, especially when she caught sight of a poster that may or may not have had her face on it pasted inside the guard post.The trip to the capital city from Daranoon was a shorter journey than the one across the country. Even riding slow, they had only a short time to decide what to do.“We need to stay alert,” Kindle Dee said. “What if Sora is up at the Garden Village already?”“Well, we could not wait to find out, and to go into the mountains would cut off our fastest and best route to the castle,” Kindle Lou said. “He can catch up. And maybe
Kanisa pulled her horse level with Dawn’s. The young man looked exhausted, but he smiled at Kanisa anyway.“You are a little sneaky,” Kanisa said, “knowing who I was at the castle and saying nothing.”“Sora told me not to. He has always said that the less I know and the less other people know then the less they can be hurt or taken advantage of.”“Which is why he was so cryptic with me.”“Partly. And because he said you were smart enough to figure it out on your own.”“Figure out what?” Kanisa mumbled.Dawn shrugged. “I do not know. I do know that Sora suspected that King Horgwart was not as pure and just as we all thought, but he did not elaborate. All he told me was that if he did not come to the stables for a ride--”“--what kind of a ride?” Falcon asked with a grin.Dawn ignored him. “--every week then something happened to him. I waited two weeks and Sora did not come. He said to go to the Garden Village and meet up with my brother and you, if you were there.”“I hope Sora is oka