Chapter 5

Liuz was tired and confused as they crossed the bridge.

All around him was unfocused activity, shouts and movement seemingly without cause. Something had disturbed the camp in the night, and like hornets in a shaken nest soldiers and civilians now swarmed looking for the danger.

Or, like him, fleeing the danger.

Kasia walked beside him, holding her fabric doll as she yawned. She had not said much, the hard work of the past few days having taken its toll. He wasn't even sure if she was awake enough to understand what was going on. This could just be a dream. Who's to say she'd be wrong?

His eyes flicked behind them. Why, exactly, he and Kasia were among the first across was a mystery. This put them at the head of the column. Liuz wasn't sure he wanted to be in the front. Oh, sure, being stuck in camp for hours waiting for his turn to cross the river wouldn't be great, but once across he'd prefer to be in the middle, surrounded by others. It was just more ... comfortable.

He also didn't know why the hell Urszuli and her children were now accompanying them.

"Has anyone seen Tymon?" Urszuli asked, head swinging back and forth. Liuz felt a strange urge to grab a tool and tighten the joint so obviously loose. Roda let out a tired sigh, Liuz able to tell her expression even just seeing the back of her head.

"He's a few wagons up, Mom. Don't worry."

"I'm not worried."

Both her children glanced at each other, then back at Liuz and Kasia. He shrugged. She wasn't his problem.

The bridge ended. Liuz stepped onto solid ground, a weight he had not noticed suddenly gone. Not only were they now safe, but ... the bridge had worked. He and his sister had helped build something that was saving lives.

Father would be proud.

Walking in the dark was scary.

Even with her brother beside her, and the slow wagon providing a place to hide if need be, Kasia still felt uneasy as she trudged along. She heard noises over the creaking of the wagons, saw lights in the distance across the empty river. The faint echo of trumpets from behind did not help either. What was happening back in the camp? Were Elves attacking? Was the King OK? The young ruler flashed before her mind. She had stood at the back of the crowd as King James addressed the people from a wooden stage. Addressed ... her. That's what it felt like. He was talking just to her, Kasia's mind and heart captivated. He wasn't like the old King. King Lawenza had been old. His voice, when speaking from the Palace balcony, had been thin. King James sounded like a REAL King. Looked it, too, even without a crown.

A numbness went through her legs. Kasia clutched at Liuz's arm while still keeping a firm grip on her doll. Her brother grabbed her, one arm around her waist for support.

"You OK?"

She felt guilty at the concern in his voice. He had worked as hard as she. Walked as far. Yet, he now had to work harder due to her weakness. Kasia took a deep breath, forcing her legs to keep going.

"Legs are tired." She grabbed one of the canteens, fingers trembling as she trusted him to keep her upright. She took a quick swallow. Then a longer one. It seemed to help.

"It'll be OK," he said. "We'll rest soon."

She wasn't sure she believed him. It already seemed like they had been walking for hours. If they stopped, that meant nobody could cross the bridge until they started again. Her resting would put others in danger.

Put the King in danger.

Gritting her teeth, Kasia forced herself to straighten, to put one foot in front of the other. She would NOT slow them down.

"There was an attack on the bridge."

Liuz heard the whispered gossip as he lay in the grass, the trembling in his legs slowly subsiding. Kasia seemed to be asleep already, doll clutched to her chest as she lay on her side. He doubted they'd be resting long, not long enough to do her much good. The sun was just peeking over the horizon. Surely they'd be moving again once it was light.

"I heard it was Elves, with fire arrows," another voice said.

"I think it was the Watu, from that city."

"We beat them off, whoever it was. That woman who was with the new King. The one with the brown skin. She defended the bridge all by herself."

"Where were the soldiers?"

"Don't know. I'm just saying what I heard."

Liuz rolled onto his side towards his sister, away from the speakers. He didn't believe a word of it. Rumors were always wrong. A woman fighting? That was just...

He paused mid-thought. The woman next to the King at the bridge HAD been wearing armor, and she did have brown skin. He hadn't known what to make of that. Yes, those who worked in the sun had darker skin than those who spent all their time indoors, and your skin lightened in the winter, but how could someone get THAT dark? There had also been something about her eyes. He had seen something in front of them. Almost like circles of glass, held up by her nose. Why? He didn't know.

He also didn't know about this King. Liuz had not been impressed by his speech just as darkness fell. He was too young, to start with. Kings should be old. Older than his father had been, at least. This one was way younger. Hell, he didn't even have any facial hair! How could a King not even have a mustache or beard? It just wasn't right.

There was a shuffling nearby. Sitting up, body protesting, he saw Roda sliding her seated form through the grass. He gave himself a shove backwards, so Kasia wouldn't be between them.

"What is it?" he asked. Roda lifted her crutch.

"The handle seems loose."

"Let me see." She swung the end towards him, letting out a startled cry as the tip headed straight for his face. Liuz leaned back as he hands came up, catching the crutch.

"Sorry!" Roda dropped her end, hands going to her mouth. "Did I hit you?"

"Nope." Liuz pulled the crutch in, checking behind to see if anyone was in danger of being jabbed. The handle in his lap, he examined it.

"Can you fix it?" Roda asked. She had pushed herself closer. "I can probably go without it, if I had to. My ankle still hurts a bit, but..."

"The rope is just loosening. If we can get some more, I can re-wrap the handle on. No real problem."

She let out a sigh, hand touching his.

"Thank you."

"No problem," Liuz repeated. He pushed the crutch back towards her. She took it, careful to maneuver it around both him and Kasia. The end passed an inch over his sister's sleeping head. The two sat silently.

"I'm sorry you're stuck with us again," Roda finally said. "I know we're a bother."

"Well, you are a girl." Liuz expected to be hit after that remark. Certainly that would have been his sister's reaction. Roda just nodded in agreement.

"I know. And Rafal is useless."

"I was kidding. I don't mind you being here." Her expression showed skepticism. He shrugged, eyes looking across the river. Liuz was too tired to argue the point.

The sound of horses began to fill his ears. Looking back the way they had come, he saw Winged Hussars riding towards them. One of the men Liuz had worked with the past two days stood, raising a hand.

"What news?"

The officer did not slow, but he nodded as they passed.

"All are across! We march again once we reach the front!"

"Take your time!" someone yelled. There was laughter. The lead wagon was not that far ahead. Liuz lowered himself back down into the grass. He wanted to enjoy the next few minutes while he could.

Kasia woke under the night sky.

She blinked, trying to get her bearings. Vague images of stumbling off the road, collapsing onto the grass. She shook her head. Had she been THAT tired? Was she THAT weak? Even as she thought that, a wave of exhaustion went through her.

Yes, she was.

Kasia looked down at herself. She was still dressed, a blanket placed over her. Liuz must have done that. A bowl of stew with a spoon sat a foot away in the grass. Liuz, again. She felt herself blushing. Her brother was too perfect. She had to be stronger. Picking up the bowl, her hands barely felt any warmth. It must have been sitting there for awhile. Her stomach pleading for nourishment, Kasia began spooning the tepid stew into her mouth. It was good. Or her hunger was just not discerning. She suspected both.

Her eyes adjusted, taking in the rest of the camp. Most seemed to still be awake, gathered around fires in the circle of wagons. The circle seemed bigger, more space between the wagons. As if there was less fear, less need for protection. Perhaps there was. They were across the bridge. Their army was gathered around them. Who would dare attack, now that the new King had shown his power?

Kasia caught the outline of Liuz next to one of the fires. Roda was beside him, Rafal on the other side of her. She hadn't decided if she liked Rafal yet. He didn't really seem to DO anything, which was both bad and good. Certainly he didn't work like Liuz, or like her for that matter. On the other hand, he didn't bother her, and did seem to care for his sister. All pluses.

Her ears caught faint conversation away from the others. Near a wagon, the hulking form of Tymon was towering over Urszuli, her body almost touching his as she looked up. Kasia could not make out words, but felt her cheeks heat as she saw the woman's small hand reach up and place itself on Tymon's arm. Kasia turned away, focusing on her stew.

It didn't mean anything.

Liuz was actually enjoying the walking.

Most of it, he suspected, was not just being rested, but not having endured the extra week of plodding that the others had. Wagon travel, for all the bumps and boredom, had its advantages and now he was enjoying the change of pace. He noticed the others seemed to be happier as well. Morale, if nothing else, was high. He heard conversations, even singing somewhere behind them. People were still talking about the King, or the Dark Hussar. Continuations of the previous night's conversations. Wasn't there anything else that interested them? Especially since it was all rumor and conjecture.