Secrets of the Swords, Book 1

Chapter 33: On to the Next Place

Lucidity was slow to return to Suthe the next morning. Frowning at the crick in her neck, she squinted and rubbed at her eyes, only to realize she was on the edge of something and about to fall off. With a gasp, she flung out her arms, but the movement only rolled her the rest of the way, and she landed on a wooden floor with a solid thump.

"Ow-w-w," she groaned, taking a moment to lie in self-pity before sitting up and rubbing her arms.

Confusion slowed her movements, and Suthe looked around, piecing together the events of the previous day. For some reason, she was still in Fai. She had fallen asleep on the sofa in Seolosu's apartment, she belatedly realized, and that had been what she'd just fallen off of.

Stumbling to her feet, Suthe made her way over to the dictionary on the dining table and flipped through the pages thoughtfully.

The door to Seolosu's bedroom opened with a slam, and Suthe jumped as the general poked her head out, ruffled hair adding to her bewildered expression. When she only saw Suthe in her living area, however, she seemed to relax, and slowly stepped out, lowering a dagger that Suthe belatedly noticed was clutched in the general's hand.

"Sorry," Suthe began, not sure how much of her words Seolosu would understand. "Did I wake you?"

Rather than reply, Seolosu approached the table and gestured for Suthe to pass the dictionary.

Today. Must. Leave.

Solosu then pointed at Suthe, to make her message clear.

Suthe nodded, a nervous lump forming in her throat. The general had been more than kind in allowing her to stay the night. But would her magic work today, or would she still be stuck in Fai? She couldn't depend on Seolosu's help indefinitely. Suthe knew the general must be busy with her own work, and was already kind enough by not reporting her and Ulsper's whereabouts—wherever Ulsper actually was, now...

"Oh!" Suthe turned to the table as idea came to her, then looked back up at Seolosu. "Do you have a pen and paper?" She mimed writing, hoping her question would make sense.

It did, thankfully, and Seolosu brought over the requested items. Suthe took them with thanks, then cast her gaze to the paper, a thoughtful frown creasing her brow as she thought over what to write.

Alaera,

I hope you are okay – I want to thank you again for all your help while I was visiting Sylterra. But I need to ask for your help once more. I'm in Fai now, and the man I left with is missing. I'm okay, but I think he's in danger. Please make a visit to Forgeborough – there's a man named Calatar, with red hair. Tell him that his friend is in trouble. He should know what to do.

Suthe

She was careful not to mention Ulsper's name, or anything about the Twin Blades in the letter. As it was already, the fact that it was written in Montese might be enough cause for suspicion for anyone who might be checking Alaera's mail. But Suthe only knew Alaera's address, not Calatar's, and so she would need to ask the woman of this one final favor. Perhaps the fact that Alaera worked in the diplomatic office meant that she often received letters in different languages, and this letter would be overlooked in any postal inspection – it was the only hope Suthe could cling to. If Seolosu didn't know about Ulsper, asking for Calatar and Marrene's help was her last resort.

Suthe folded the letter and wrote Alaera's address on the front before handing it to Seolosu.

"Can you make sure this is sent in the mail?" she asked. "I—here," she dug around in the pocket of her coat before her fingers brushed against something cool and circular. Suthe withdrew her fist to find a few Andilirish coins resting within. "I'm not sure how much it will cost, but..."