Had that been wrong?
She had so little guidance in this but her own conscience, and it had felt right. Felt good to lay a working of health, speed and accuracy over him.
To give him something that would protect him.
She couldn't regret it, but he may well feel differently.
And soon she would be able to find out for herself.
Was that why she was suddenly nervous as they approached the Rising Wave?
Right now, she could imagine him as he had been at their final farewell, pulling her close for a desperate kiss.
What if she arrived and he had another woman? Had given up waiting for her?
Or perhaps worse, was angry at the workings she had woven into his very skin.
And then, of course, there was the matter of her lies to Deni and the other Venyatux she had befriended since she'd joined the column.
She did not want to hurt them, or lose their friendship, but she knew when the truth came out, she would.
“Avasu!” Deni's shout came from her right, and she turned in her saddle to look. She was using the name Carila had given her, and it made her think of him every time someone in the Venyatux column called her.
She missed the old man, and his raucous laugh.
Deni waved his arm, and she urged her horse into a canter to reach him, trying to shake off the melancholy of what was to come when the truth was revealed.
Deni was a friend, and she had so few of those.
“You speak Skäddar, don't you?” He smiled at her as the wind played with his long plait.
“Yes.” Very fortunately for the lie she was living here, she did. Carila had spoken it, and he had taught her everything he knew.
“There's a missive for the general from the Skäddar, but it's in their language, and the general doesn't read or write Skäddar.”
That was interesting.
Ava followed Deni to the very head of the column.
She hadn't come into contact with the general yet, and only interacted briefly with her lieutenants when she was assigned her duties for the day.
She was in no hurry to attract their attention, but it might be worth it to find out what the Skäddar had to say about the Rising Wave and the war Luc was taking to Kassia's capital.
Sybyl was waiting for them, off to the side, and they joined her.
The general and two of her lieutenants were bent over a missive, and a Skäddar warrior sat on a short, sturdy pony near them, the blue and green whorls of decoration on his face absolutely fascinating to Ava.
She nudged her mare toward him, until she was right beside him. “Greetings.”
He looked away from the general slowly, eyes narrowed.
“Do you mind if I look at the beautiful patterns on your face?”
The Skäddar's eyes narrowed a little more. “Why?”
“The design is complex and beautiful and I'm interested in patterns.”
“Your Skäddar is rough.” The warrior went back to watching the general.
“I know. I'm sorry. I think I'm the best you're going to get.”
“I can understand you, so that is all that is necessary.”
Ava couldn't help moving a little closer, her gaze still fixed on his face. The design looked very complex from afar, but she had the sense that if she got a little closer, she would discover it was actually simple but clever.
“No closer.”
With a sigh, Ava backed away. “Whatever they mean and whoever painted them, my compliments.”
The Skäddar flashed her a look of surprise, but before he could say anything, Deni rode up.
“The general wants you now.”
With a nod to the warrior, she turned her horse and trotted up to the general with her gaze lowered.
“You spoke to him?” The general's voice made her look up and catch her gaze.
She nodded.
“What did he say?”
Ava's mouth quirked. “That my Skäddar is rough but he can understand me well enough.”
The general looked at her with what seemed to be expressionless eyes.
Ava held still in her saddle, her gaze steady.
“What does this say?” The general had not plaited her hair, unlike most of the soldiers around her, although she had gathered it at the top of her head, and the wind blew it in long, silky strands of black and silver behind her, like a banner.
Ava took the proffered roll of parchment and opened it.
She took her time reading it, wanting to make sure she understood.
She had always spoken Skäddar better than she had read it.
“Well?” The general's impatience was communicated only by her horse, which danced beneath her.
“It says you are rude.” She lifted her gaze from the missive and shrugged.
The general made a sound at the back of her throat. “That is not all it says.”
Ava shook her head. “It says you asked them to spy on the Jatan and to let you know what the Jatan decided to do after the Kassian attack on their border. Then you left to join the Rising Wave without waiting for their leaders to discuss your request and the offer that accompanied it. This has forced them to send one of their best warriors down through Venyatux territory with a message on their decision.”
The general slid a look at the Skäddar warrior and then turned back to her, her face neutral.
“It says they will do as you ask if you agree to not only grant Skäddar special trade status, but create a trade treaty that includes Grimwalt, so all three northern lands have preferential trade agreements.” Ava couldn't help the lift of her eyebrows.
Her parents had been trade emissaries for Grimwalt. Since their murder at Kassia's hands, she had no idea who had taken their place, but she knew for sure the general did not have the authority to speak on Grimwalt's behalf.
Grimwalt had never bowed to any country—although they did have a special relationship with Venyatu. They may even agree to a request from Venyatu for a three-way trade treaty with Skäddar. But that wasn't something the general could promise.
“That's all?” the general asked.
She nodded.
“How do they end the missive? Who signed it?”
She looked down again. “We await your response. The Skäddar Collective.”
The general made the sound at the back of her throat again. Then she lifted a hand and beckoned the warrior over.
The wiry, muscular man moved his mountain pony over slowly, in no rush to obey.
Ava kept her gaze on his face and he shot her an exasperated look.
“Ask him if he can stay one more day and travel with us.”
Ava didn't realize the general was speaking to her for a moment, then remembered why she was here.
She repeated the request in Skäddar and the warrior's lips thinned.
“Why?”
Before she could translate, the general moved in even closer, and lowered her voice. “Tell him we will join with the Rising Wave tomorrow. Two of our scouts have already encountered the rear units and they are going to stop moving and wait for us to join them. Tell him it would be good for the Commander of the Rising Wave to have an opportunity to send a letter to his leaders as well.”
Ava hadn't known they were so close.
Her heart leaped in her chest and she forced her gaze to her hands to hide her reaction. She repeated the request, and the warrior looked at her suspiciously.