The Dragon Thief [I]

The Flame of a Salzkadra [7]

Chapter Seven
The Flame of a Salzkadra

Lannasia

She used the back entrance to the inn and soft footed to the stable, her years training as a thief aiding her in her stealthy escape. As Lanna entered the battered building, she saw a squadron of northern soldiers exit an adjacent inn and start for The Broken Chalice.

She was so, so stupid. Due to leave hours ago, Lanna was prepared to skip town. Finding a merchant willing to escort her in a wagon during sundown with the coin she had was never to be an issue. A fine-looking mage and the temptation of alcohol however was another matter completely –a dangerous one that mislead her to make the foolish mistake of having northern soldiers catch up to her.

She sighed and entered Aria's stall.

"Hey," Lanna cooed as she moved to saddle Nox's horse. Aria was quietly watching her as Lanna approached. "I need to make a quick escape. Please help me out Aria. If I make out of Riftling and to Heron safe, I promise to return you to your owner."

The horse brushed its nose against Lanna as if to agree. She mounted Aria and set off into the streets of Riftling, headed for the main gate. When she got there, a sleepy guard halted her. Lanna offered a couple gold pieces for instant passage, then set off in a canter onto the King's Road, taking it south to Heron.

The Southern Province was well known for its blazing summers and dry heats. Flatlands stretched across the horizon with the occasional skinny tree dotted about. Aria was, as her name suggested, fast. Lanna had by sunrise covered tens of kilometres and had found a nice large tree, a rarity of its kind, to rest beneath.

"You smell like Nox," Lanna said to Aria as the horse lightly grazed a patch of dry grass before them. "Or maybe Nox smells like you."

She couldn't help but have the apprentice mage on her mind. Her last encounter with Nox was one that had her pondering during her quiet ride from Riftling. There was certainly flirting. Lanna never minded giving back just as much as she received. How would have the night turned out if the brawl and the arrival of Kantillion's men hadn't interrupted them? Would she have merely left the next day, hungover from a night of drinking, flirting and bickering in their rooms?

Lanna had meant it when she had said she didn't like goodbyes. Perhaps it was better she had done it this way, slipping away without their knowledge. Goodbyes usually meant forever. Nothing in her life was permanent. She was orphaned when she was young, her family lost to a common plague. She abandoned her teachings at the Terybred church with the priestesses shortly after being rescued from the streets. Even her Thieves' Guild was under threat, courtesy to the treacherous plans of a certain High Lord and its incriminating nature should he fail to dethrone the King.

"So it's better to leave first, right Aria?" Lanna spoke aloud. The horse kicked in the dirt and huffed. Was that disagreement?

Lanna frowned. "If you knew my situation, you'd have done the same."

Aria huffed again, earth kicking up as her snorts billowed into the ground. Lanna grew ill-tempered and rose from the shade.

"So you're saying I should have stayed at the inn? Let Kantillion's men drag me and the mages to his court in Bouldwin and take the artefact from me? You know that could lead to mass civil war, assassination of King Hyllerion, and the ruination of the Thieves' Guild right?"

Aria looked up with round, glossy eyes and blinked.

"No, you wouldn't know," Lanna grumbled. "Because you're a horse. And I'm crazy for justifying myself to a horse. Let's just get to Heron and let Milena deal with this."