He did as she asked. Sliding behind the tapestry, she saw a section of the wall had been removed to create an inlet, which had been filled with food, blankets, and a piece of paper. She pulled everything out, setting it on the floor. When she stepped out from the tapestry, Odar let it fall back against the wall, concealing the hidden inlet.
“I’ll be damned,” he mumbled. “Just what we need.” They sat on the ground, examining the supplies. “I’ll tie the blankets to the horses. We have enough food in the saddlebags to last a couple of days, so eat what you can of this and I’ll pack the rest for later.”
She picked up the paper and unfolded it. “It’s a map.” She showed it to Odar. It looked like it started at the cabin they were currently in, went through the forest, along a trail, and to a spot marked Hunting Lodge. “What do you think?” A trap? Or Kerdan’s way of helping them out of Russek?
Odar sat staring at it for several minutes, his fingers tapping on the floorboard. “I say we follow it.” He finally looked at her. “Somehow, you knew about this place. I have to assume Kerdan wanted you to find this.” Folding the map, he shoved it in his pocket and stood. “Let’s go. If Kerdan knows about this place, I’m sure someone else does too.” He pulled her to her feet.
Allyssa nibbled on a roll while Odar packed their things. Once everything was ready, they went out to the barn and mounted the horses. Riding through the forest in the daylight, she was able to see how strong and well-trained her horse was. Kerdan must have chosen these horses for them. He must have known they could carry them to Fren. A thought occurred to her, and she said, “Jomk.” The horse whinnied. This was Kerdan’s warhorse. And the map had been an unexpected gift from him as well.
They traveled hard and fast most of the day. Just as the sun started to set, they came upon a crude wooden structure.
“This is it,” Odar stated. “The map leads us right to here.”
The place didn’t have a door, but at least it had a roof. Dismounting, she tied Jomk to a post and went inside. It was a small room without any amenities. Odar brought in the blankets, laying them out for them to sleep on.
“This is what hunters use when they’re out tracking game. It’s meant to serve as a shelter from the snow or rain for a few hours—nothing more.” He handed her some bread and cheese along with a water skin.
She took the food and sat down, eagerly eating. Her back ached, her legs had turned to mush, and her arm stung. Worse than any of that, her torso felt as if it had been smashed to bits. She would have to find something to relieve the pain, or she would not survive the journey. Maybe she could put the medicine for her arm on her ribs and legs.
After she ate her food, she crawled under the blankets. The wind had picked up, shaking the walls and the roof on occasion. Laying there, she could hear something fluttering when the wind blew. Without a fire or any sort of light, she had no way of examining the corners for a mouse or a leaf. She decided to assume it was a leaf since it sounded like one. Only, after ten minutes or so, she still couldn’t sleep, so she reached out, feeling around for the leaf. Her fingers encountered it. She plucked it up, about to shove it under her blanket, when she felt how thick it was. Not a leaf, but a piece of paper. Going over to the open doorway, she held it outside so the moonlight would illuminate it. Sure enough, it was another map that would lead them from this location to another hunting lodge due east.
When did Kerdan hide this map here?
“Is something the matter?” Odar asked.
“I found another map.” She crawled back under the blankets, trying to get warm.
“Maybe I don’t hate Kerdan as much as I thought I did,” he mumbled.
Chuckling, she snuggled deeper into her blankets, her pain forgotten. The fact that Kerdan had taken the time to hide these maps so they could navigate their way out of Russek, that he supplied them with food, and he gave them horses, proved that he was rather brilliant and more thoughtful than she gave him credit for.
***
The following days passed in a blur. During the daylight hours, Odar and Allyssa traveled as hard and fast as possible, following the specific path Kerdan had sketched on the map. They didn’t encounter a single town, person, or soldier as they raced across Russek, stopping only at night to sleep for a few hours in the empty hunting lodges. Each one contained a new map leading to the next location. The snow eventually receded, making travel easier. If it weren’t for the maps and lodges, they’d be either lost or dead by now. They spoke very little, and she kept all her energy and focus on remaining upright in the saddle.
A week into their journey, she ran out of healing salve. The wound on her arm wasn’t getting any better. The skin had turned bright red, and her entire body ached.
“It’s okay,” Odar assured her. “We’re not far from Fren. Only a day or two at most. Hang in there.” They rode a little slower that day, not making it to the lodge until after dark.
The next morning, they set out at dawn. As she rode atop her horse, sweat beaded on her forehead. Something was wrong. Clinging to Jomk’s reins, she followed Odar, hoping she’d feel better soon. She just needed to rest. Or maybe some more medicine. After midday, they came to the top of a hill, pulling their horses to a halt to observe the valley below.
She slouched atop the horse, thankful for the brief respite. Her bruised ribs stung from the constant jarring movement of the horse, and several of her cuts were red, puffy, and oozing liquid. She hated this kingdom and couldn’t wait to be out of it. “Is that all that separates us from Fren?” she asked. The army had obviously been here based upon the trampled grass, trash, and burnt firewood lying about.
“Yes. My land starts on the other side of this valley.”
She didn’t see any movement below. “Where do you think everyone went?” If Kerdan had been successful in killing the king and ascending to the throne, he could have withdrawn the troops. However, they had no way of knowing the state of things.
“Hopefully, they’re not in Fren. Are you ready?”
“Yes.” No. It felt like a trap. A valley devoid of soldiers that they had to cross through. Would an arrow be impaled into her back? Would she be dragged back to Clovek?
Odar nudged his horse down the hill.
She pulled out another piece of white willow bark and stuck it in her mouth, hoping it would ease her pain. “Nice and gentle,” she murmured to Jomk as they began the decent. When she reached the base of the hill, all remained quiet.
“There’s a town not far from here,” Odar commented. Of course, Kerdan would lead them right to a town in Fren so they could seek the necessary help. He could have left them to fend for themselves, but he didn’t. “I want you to lay low in the saddle. No matter what, do not stop until you’re in Fren.”