War (The True Reign Series) (25 page)

“
About time!” Neco teased.

“
How did getting everyone off the other ships go?”

“
There were no issues. So far, everything is going according to plan.”

Glancing behind him
, Darmik saw Rema already on her way down. “Is the village safe and secure?” Darmik whispered.

Neco nodded.
“There is nothing to worry about.”

Darmik
noticed Neco had changed into fresh, dry clothing. Scanning the fishing boat, he wanted to know who was aiding them. Two older-looking men with white hair and gray beards stood near the helm of the vessel.

“
They’re good men,” Neco said. “I’ve known them a long time.”

Darmik suspected there was more to the story, but Rema had just planted her feet on the plank. With outstretched arms, she made her way across with ease. Ellie followed close behind.

“Move to the port side,” Neco instructed them. “It’s a tight fit.” There were nets strewn all over the place on levers. Darmik assumed the nets were used to capture the fish.

Rema took his hand and led him
closer to the railing. They were soon joined by their friends. Once everyone was on board, the grapples were removed and the boat lurched away from the warship.

“
Come on,” Neco instructed Darmik and Savenek. “Help me raise the main sail.” Neco grabbed ahold of a thick rope, pulling it with all his might. Darmik took hold behind him, and Savenek clasped it further back. The three tugged until the rope went taut and the sail was raised. The boat continued to rock as it made its way toward the channel.

Darmik had never been on such a small
vessel before. They bobbed up and down with the swell, and for the first time ever, his stomach felt as if it had dropped out of his body. Darmik feared he would vomit. Refusing to show any sign of weakness in front of Rema, he took a deep breath and headed toward the bow. He hoped the position out in front would ease his nausea.

As they neared the shoreline, the swell increased and the boat
jounced up and down so violently that water sprayed him in the face.

“
This is absolutely fantastic!” Rema laughed, coming to stand next to him. “Have you ever experienced something so exhilarating?” She wore an enormous smile that was contagious, and Darmik couldn’t help but grin and bear the torture.

Even though the sun
shined brightly in the sky, the air was chilly since the winter season had not yet ended. The boat lurched to the side as the main sail lowered and a smaller one rose in its place. The ship entered the narrow channel. Rocky cliffs towered on both sides of them, casting a shadow over the passageway. The boat slowed, and thankfully, the swell vanished. It was eerily quiet. After a hundred yards, the channel opened to a small harbor where one other boat sat docked.

“
The smell is utterly atrocious,” Rema whispered. “I guess it’s from all the fish.” She pointed to the landing where several piles sat discarded.

Although Darmik
’s stomach felt immensely better, he was still eager to be on solid ground. The ship pulled alongside the wooden pier and Neco jumped onto it with ease. He quickly tied the boat up and attached a board to the side of the ship.

When it was Darmik
’s turn to exit, he almost lost his balance because his legs were unstable. Luckily, Savenek was right behind him and he managed to steady Darmik so he didn’t fall into the water. Darmik went to help Rema down the ramp, but she made it off with ease.

“
Let’s get everyone organized while we wait for the remaining soldiers to   join us,” Rema said. “So…how do we go about doing that?”

Darmik loved how she stood there with her hands on her hips, determined to accomplish her goals
, but not really knowing what to do. “Would you like me to take charge?” he asked.

She nodded.
There was only one problem with him taking charge—Rema’s safety. He couldn’t lead the platoon and watch out for her at the same time. He saw Neco out of the corner of his eye. Darmik waved, catching his friend’s attention. He immediately came over. “We need to organize everyone,” Darmik informed him.

“
I agree,” Neco replied.

Darmik glanced over at Savenek
, who stood joking around with Audek and Vesha. It appeared money was exchanging hands. They were probably betting again. “Rema, if you want me to take control of this platoon while we travel to Werden, I will do it, but I’m going to place Neco in charge of your safety.”

Rema nodded.
“That’s fine. Just find a job for Savenek to do so he’s occupied and not making mischief.”

“
Of course.” Darmik chuckled. “Before I take command, I need to speak privately with Neco.”

He watched Rema walk over and join Audek, Savenek, and Vesha. Turning to his friend, he said, “I
want Ellie, and them,” he nodded to Rema’s group, “in her personal guard.”

“
I understand,” Neco said. “But if you want me to watch over and protect her, I need someone to watch your back. I think you should consider Savenek.”

“
I can handle these men,” Darmik replied.

“
I know, but I’ll only agree to head Rema’s guard if you have Savenek with you.”

“Why Savenek?”

“He’s not from Emperion and he’s more qualified than Audek.”

They stood, staring at one another. The corners of Neco
’s mouth pulled up. He knew he’d backed him into a corner. “Fine,” Darmik agreed, shaking his head.

He quickly got to work, organizing the platoon.

With two hundred and fifty men, he needed a scouting party in order to safely travel across the region of Adder to reach Werden unharmed. He surveyed his surroundings. There was only one wooden building at the end of the pier. There appeared to be a valley between the cliffs behind it. The area was rather exposed, and Darmik wanted to get further inland so they would be concealed among the dense vegetation.

The boat left to get another load of soldiers.

“Listen up!” Darmik shouted to the approximately seventy people standing around. “I need a scouting party. If you have this particular skill, let me know.”

Several dozen raised their hands
, and Darmik picked twenty men. “If you were chosen, come forward. The rest of you, wait patiently.”

Darmik grabbed Neco
’s arm. “Assign twenty to serve as Rema’s guard.” Neco gave a curt nod, understanding the type of person Darmik expected to have guarding their empress.

Darmik
met with his scouting party, telling them his expectations: he wanted a report every thirty minutes—no matter what, and they could organize themselves however they saw fit. Darmik scanned the ground until he found a small piece of driftwood. He wasn’t sure of their precise location; but he had a general idea of where they were. Pulling out his dagger, he used it to carve a simple map of Adder and Shano. He marked the main towns to avoid, and the direction the scouting party needed to go in order to reach Werden. Once he was confident the men were ready, he sent them off to ensure the first leg of the journey was safe.

Darmik was concerned they didn
’t have the supplies necessary to travel so far. Luckily, the Emperion soldiers were not only trained to survive off the land, but they were used to it. Darmik appointed a squad of twenty to act as the hunting party. They were responsible for gathering enough food to feed everyone.

Darmik planned to travel during the day, and
to stop and sleep when the sun went down. He figured there would be approximately one hundred and ninety soldiers with him at any given time. The rest would be hunting or scouting, and twenty were assigned to guard Rema.

Almost all the soldiers had been transported from the warships to the harbor. Rema came up behind him, slipping her arms around his waist, hugging him.

“How are things going?” she asked.

He turned around so they were facing one another. “Excellent. We
’re almost ready to go.”

She looked
up at him with her sapphire eyes. “Before we do, I want to meet and thank those who helped us today.”

Darmik wasn
’t keen on the idea of her interacting with the locals, but he understood her desire to do so. He looked behind her at Neco, who stood with her guard of twenty.

“Fine.” Darmik kissed the top of her head. “But I
’m going with you.”

Neco
came forward and took her arm, escorting her toward the wooden structure. Instead of going inside, they went around the shack toward the valley behind it. They climbed the small rise, all twenty of her guards in tow. At the top, it flattened out, revealing a small village, hidden from the harbor below. Two dozen wooden houses were situated in a horseshoe shape. A well was located at the end, along with a rickety-looking barn. About a dozen people of various ages milled about. Darmik came forward and stood at Rema’s left side.

Neco raised his arm in greeting.
“We’d like to meet with the elders. Are they available?” He held onto Rema’s right arm while her guard spread out around them. The people of the village all stopped, staring. No one moved. “We mean you no harm,” Neco added in a soft voice.

Darmik
realized that the presence of so many strangers must be intimidating, not to mention the fact that most had blond hair and blue eyes, making it obvious they weren’t from around here. “How about everyone wait just below the rise, out of sight?” he suggested. The soldiers went down the hill about twenty feet, still within earshot if called upon.

A middle
-aged woman with tan skin and dark hair approached. “What do you want with us?” she asked.

“
I want to thank you for your help,” Rema answered in a clear, confident voice.

The woman looked
Rema over. “Who are you?” she demanded.

“
My father was King Revan, and my mother, Queen Kayln. I am the sole survivor.” The woman took a step back, lowering her basket to the ground. “I mean you no harm,” Rema continued. “I am here with an army to remove Barjon and Lennek from power. I will restore peace to the island.”

The woman fell to her knees, bowing her head. Other people took notice, whispering
amongst themselves. Two men came forward. One had long, white hair and a white beard. The other guy, who was much younger, had black hair and brown eyes. Both wore simple brown pants and tunics.

Neco bowed.
“Thank you for your help today,” he said. “It is greatly appreciated. I would like to introduce Her Majesty, Amer Rema.”

Both men stared at
her, not uttering a single word.

Rema stepped forward, toward the
m. “I am here to restore peace and prosperity to the island. I want to know how I can help you.”

The younger man raised his eyebrows, skeptical of her claim.
“How you can help us?” he asked. “We are the ones helping you. And you better not bring your war here.”

“
We will be leaving shortly, and no one will ever realize that we were here or that you helped us,” Rema assured the man. “I want you to know that when I am in control of this island, you may come to me at any time for help, and I will give it.”

Darmik suspected his father had no idea that this fishing village existed, and these people clearly wanted it to remain that way.

A small child ran up to Rema. “You look funny,” the girl said.

Rema squatted down, coming eye level with the child.
“I know,” she said. “My hair and eye color are very different from yours.” The little girl nodded. “But I’m from here, just like you.” Rema held up her arm, revealing her tattoo of a curved stock of wheat with a sword down the center.

“
You’re from Jarko?” the child asked.

“
I am.”

The girl reached out and touched Rema
’s hair. “Why are you here?”

Rema smiled.
“To thank these kind men for helping me and my friends.”

The little girl nodded
, as if she knew what was going on. “Maybe I’ll see you again.” She turned and skipped away.

Rema stood.
“Thank you for your assistance.” She nodded her head to the two men in a show of respect, turned around, and left.

Darmik hurried after her. He glanced back in time to see Neco shake hands with the older gentleman.
As they went down the hill, Rema grabbed his hand, holding tightly. At first he thought it was to gain her balance; but he realized she was shaking.

“
Are you well?” he whispered into her ear.

“
Yes,” she replied without hesitation. He squeezed her hand. “It’s just that…well…I am responsible for
all
these people. It is a huge obligation.”

“
It is,” Darmik agreed, “but one that you are perfectly capable of handling.”

She squeezed his hand back.