Ieduin halted the horse and dismounted in front of a trio of men. The first was as big as a bear and built like one, too. He stood with his arms crossed, grey eyes hard as stone. The other was a younger, less sturdy version of the first, though no less intimidating. Exactly the type of young man Ruith would’ve wanted for the Crows, if he was interested.
And the third was Rowan. He’d had enough sun that his skin had darkened a shade, and there was dirt up to his elbows. His shirt was sweat stained, his hair a tangled mess. At first glance, Ieduin would have taken him for a farm hand and not a king.
Ieduin’s heart stuttered at the sight of him, and his first involuntary thought was to wonder what he tasted like.
Down, boy. There’ll be plenty of time for that later.Ieduin stepped away from his horse and crossed the distance to hold out his hand.
Rowan gripped him by the forearm and smiled. “Welcome to Greymark, Commander Ieduin.” He added a second hand, squeezing with both.
Dammit, he’d forgotten how profoundly the sound of Rowan’s voice affected him. It made his heart race and butterfly wings flutter in his stomach. That smile was full of mischief and promise. It was all incredibly distracting.
Ieduin squeezed back. “It’s good to see you again, sir.”
Rowan’s grin widened.
Ieduin flushed, shifting as he realized his mistake. “I mean, Your Grace.”
Rowan made a small humming sound that might’ve been approval. Whatever it was, it made the hairs on Ieduin’s arms stand on end.
Ieduin cleared his throat, pulled his hand free, and stepped back, gesturing to the others. “You know Rixxis Amaranth.”
“It’s lovely to see you again, my dear,” he said warmly.
“And this is Tofi Runecleaver, our mage commander.”
Tofi stepped forward. “Tofi would like to confer with whomever commands your mages as soon as possible. Are they here?”
“That would be Peter McGovern,” Rowan said, and gestured to the young man beside him.
Tofi’s eyes slid to Peter and the two mages sized each other up before Tofi finally asked. “What manner of mage are you?”
Peter uncrossed his arms, extending one hand out to his side. At first, nothing seemed to happen, but then a mist formed, spreading around them.
“You are an elementalist?” Tofi questioned.
Peter nodded once.
“Aye, one of few words,” said the other man. “My boy’s not spoken a word since he caught the fever as a child. Paralyzed his voice beyond healing.” He stepped forward and offered a hand. “I’m Ewan McGovern. Carpenter.”
“Advisor to the king,” Rowan added proudly. “My right hand and commander of Greymark’s forces.”
“That’s a lot of hats to wear,” Ieduin said.
Ewan shrugged. “I’ve got a big head.”
Rowan laughed.
“If you are the king’s advisor, then you must know of the dead cluttering your crossroads,” Tofi said.
Ewan’s expression turned grave. “Aye, we took them down at first, but anyone that touched them immediately fell ill with some plague. No one who’s touched them has survived. We’ve had no choice but to just leave them.”
“Just leave them?” Tofi’s chest puffed up as if he were about to explode. “You cannot just leave them! Burn them! Burn the bodies if you must before they spread sickness. Do you not know they are watching you? That the dead are trapped here with nowhere to go? Does this not concern you?”
Ieduin put a hand on Tofi’s shoulder. “It’s been a long ride, and we have a lot to discuss, but I think that can wait until we have a proper strategy meeting.” He gestured discreetly to the onlookers.
The people nearby had halted their work and turned to watch them, fear sparking in their faces.
Rowan nodded, brow creased. “We’ll set our first meeting for tonight. I’m sure you’re tired and eager to rest and wash up after the long journey. Come, let me show you my home.”