Alex frowned. “How do you know the direction?”
She finally turned her face up to look at him. “Because I saw the eagle fly over with a fish in its talons. Big fish, too, so it’s a decent-sized lake.” She smirked. “Honestly, Captain, you soldiers should look up as often as you look down. You walked right under me.”
That was where she’d been—in a tree, after effortlessly leading him on a chase for over a mile. Part of him wanted to turn her loose and see how many Norsari could track her down, but that was far too risky. “You shouldn’t be in the woods alone,” he said. Sage snorted, and he grabbed her arm to make her stop. “Have you forgotten how dangerous it is out here?”
“What are you talking about?” Her forehead wrinkled.
She didn’t know about the Casmuni. It wasn’t like he could tell her, either. Alex searched for something that would serve as an excuse. “Remember that boar the Ranger squad had? They roam all over this region. Don’t tell me you don’t know how aggressive they are this time of year.”
“I haven’t seen signs of any.” She looked dubious.
“That doesn’t mean you won’t run into signs in five minutes,” he insisted.
Sage shrugged and turned away. “I can take care of myself. But in any case, you’re here now. Keep an eye out.”
“That’s not all,” he called to her back. “You left the camp without telling anyone. No one knew where you were or why you left. You’re part of an army unit now; you can’t just wander off whenever you feel like it. Do you know how much time I lost looking for you?”
Sage stopped and lowered her head. “I’m sorry,” she said to the ground at her feet. “I wasn’t thinking. I only wanted to be ready for tonight. I’m not used to keeping you informed.” She took a deep breath. “I won’t do it again.”
Her apology was genuine, and he could tell she realized how in the wrong her actions had been. It took everything he had not to pull her into his arms and tell her it was all right, he was just glad she was safe. If he did, though, more than kissing was likely to start.
“Come on,” he said instead. “Let’s find that lake and then head back. I’m parched.”
27
THE SHORT DISTANCE to the lake was silent, as was the walk back to camp. Sage felt guilty at how much of Alex’s time she’d wasted, but that he’d come after her fully armed spoke volumes. Something was out there, and it wasn’t wild boar. Coupled with Corporal Wilder’s information, it wasn’t hard to make theories.
Alex fully expected to run into Casmuni—in Demora—yet no one else knew anything about it, except maybe Ash Carter, and he was gone. Was Alex supposed to meet with them? That might explain the secrecy and Ambassador Gramwell’s involvement, but if so, Alex obviously didn’t trust them.
Sage made herself two promises: she would double her efforts in her translation project, and she’d continue training in combat while she was here. The second might be tricky—all the recruited soldiers were far beyond her in both strength and skill. She’d probably be stuck with the squires, but it was better than nothing.
The lecture on edible and poisonous plants went well, and she didn’t even have to ask Alex if she could teach more—he’d already added her to the schedule. When she started Nicholas’s lessons, she included the other squires as often as possible, both for their benefit and to create a little competition to get the prince to put in more than a nominal effort. Sage quickly fell into a routine of teaching and training, becoming a camp authority in the classroom and everyone’s adopted little sister in the training grounds. Both roles felt comfortable. She rarely saw Alex, as he led back-to-back training patrols that often lasted two or three days. At first she thought the trips had some other purpose, but none of the men she talked to on their return described seeing anything unusual.
As promised, the Ranger squad stopped by the Norsari camp a couple weeks later, and Sage wasn’t surprised to learn Ash Carter had taken charge of them. She sat up late into the night, listening to their descriptions of the land along the southern border, including the Beskan and Yanli Gorges the Kaz River flowed through. Both were narrow with sheer walls, but the Yanli was far more dangerous.
“The sides ain’t just steep.” Corporal Wilder was deep into his wineskin, gesturing grandly with his hands to emphasize his descriptions. “They’re smooth as glass except where it’s broken and jagged. Nothing grows down there. We call it the Demon’s Alley for the black color and the sharp rocks. The stones make good cutting tools, though. We’ve used it as a quarry—at least what we could reach.”
“What could’ve created something like that?” Sage asked in awe.
He shrugged. “Never heard a theory that made much sense, but it’s a deadly place. A few guards rode a boat through it on a dare two years ago, but half of them didn’t make it. Stupid way to die.” The corporal spat into the fire.
Sage looked across the flames to where Alex sat with Ash Carter, watching and listening. There was no jealousy on his face over her speaking with another man, but his eyes had a glint of sadness. Their gazes met, and she issued a mental challenge: Come over here and talk to me if you want.
Alex looked away. A few minutes later he left the circle of firelight with Ash.
“So, Corporal,” she said, keeping one eye on Alex. “Have you seen any Casmuni in the last few weeks?”
Wilder shook his head. “Not a one, but Sergeant Carter has us searching.”
“Did you cross the river?”
“Not yet, the water’s been high and temperamental. We’ve stuck mostly around the area from last year.”
A chill went up her spine. “What happened last year? I thought you said you’d only ever seen Casmuni on the other side of the Kaz River.”
“Around September we found a place where they crossed and camped and scouted about. The thing is”—he shifted to speak to her in a more confidential manner and lowered his voice—“I’m not sure I agree. Our Sergeant Starkey was new at the time—I been out here going on four years. No one listened to me, though, they just followed Sarge.”
Sage could barely breathe with excitement. “Why do you think he’s wrong?” she whispered.
“Well, it seemed a bit large and obvious, like whoever was there wanted the signs to be found. That always makes me suspicious.” Sage nodded in agreement, and he continued. “Second, they had horses. I’ve never seen a Casmuni horse.”
“And you’d think if they came to the river for water, they’d bring them,” she said.
“Right.” Corporal Wilder was getting more excited. “And third, they were there in September. Much later than I’ve ever seen Casmuni appear—they only come in spring and early summer.”
According to the documents Sage had studied, there were two trade routes between Demora and the Casmuni capital city of Osthiza: a circuitous path that went around to the fortress at Vinova and south, and a shortcut through the desert following a network of springs. However, the desert route could only be used a few months of the year, as many of the water sources dried up in the summer. She’d wondered why they didn’t just follow the Kaz River all the way, but after hearing Wilder describe the Yanli Gorge, she understood.
The corporal was right: If the Casmuni were to come here, they’d only do it when the desert could be crossed.
“Anything else?” she asked.
Wilder shrugged. “It looked like they went into the desert, but tracking them was impossible. Wind blows everything away after a day.”
“So if it wasn’t Casmuni, who do you think it was?”
“Who else but the Kimisar?”
That sounded like a rather far-fetched theory, even for someone who had already shown a hatred for the Kimisar. “Here? I’ve never heard of them going beyond Tasmet.”