[Ridge]
Kadeeth carried me the rest of the way. We slept under the trees and ate small animals he hunted and cooked, drinking water from streams we happened to cross along the way. My ankle has reduced to a dull throb, which gives me hope that it's not broken. The heat and swelling has also gone down some, so I might be able to avoid infection as well, but I won't get too ahead of myself.
Kadeeth told me more about the night of the fire along the way. He named some of the dead bodies he came across, which didn't include anyone I recognized. Not that it makes their deaths any less sad, but I can't help the slight feeling of relief that my new friends may have made it out of the attack alive.
We reached the Riddothas hunting land about half an hour ago, if I had to guess. Now that we've located the actual cabin, we're scoping out the area. There are no guards posted around the property, which is immediately a bad sign.
"There's no one here." Kadeeth states, dread seeping into his voice.
I straighten out my posture, "We don't know that. They could be inside." He gives me the side eye. I already know we're alone, but a part of me is holding on to the childish idea that maybe they'll show up.
"Shouldn't I be the delusional one, it doesn't make me feel safe that my Knight can't properly assess a dangerous situation." He quips. Humor doesn't fit the circumstances, but it sure does fit Kadeeth.
We're both squatting a good distance back from the building behind some tall rismint trees. Rismint fruit tastes exactly like it sounds, minty. It's probably one of my favorite commoner dishes when turned into a sauce for cooked potato slices. Rismint sauce and potatoes are a popular, cheap meal often served in bars and small cafes around the entire country. Fuck, I'm hungry.
"Maybe we got here first?" I add uselessly.
He mills it over for a split second, probably out of desperation to see his family, before flicking me in the forehead and standing up. I almost reach to pull him back down, until I remember that there's no one here for us to blow our cover to. I join him on my feet, although most of my weight is piled on the left side.
He beckons for me to put my arm over his shoulder, "Here, lean on me." Instead of slinging me on his back again, he helps me hobble my way to the front door of the cabin, "Hopefully they didn't clear the place out." He laughs awkwardly.
"We'll be fine." I squeeze his shoulder reassuringly as we both try to fit through the door.
Inside it's decorated in typical masculine fashion. It makes sense since this is the only Riddotha structure that the Duchess wasn't responsible for garnishing. It's entirely the Duke's design. Although I suspect he might have hired someone to do most of it for him. I can't picture the Duke being super into interior design.
Kadeeth leaves my side to do a brisk walkthrough of the main rooms, "It's fucking empty."
"That doesn't mean there aren't supplies left, or that they won't come back." I remind him. Our more pressing concerns should be gathering the materials we need to treat our injuries, mainly mine.
Of course, that's not accounting for the fact that emotion often outweighs logic. We've seen plenty of that at play recently, even within our own relationship. Reason never seems to win out over sentiment. I learned that word from Kadeeth, sentiment. I like it.
"I can't believe they left." His eyes go a smidge wider as a thought suddenly occurs to him, "What if they never even made it here?"
I launch off of the wall I'm leaning on for support and stumble over to him. I wrap my arm back around him and lead us both back through the rooms until we find one that looks like a study.
"If they were here, there will be traces of their presence leftover from their visit, no matter how brief. They may have even left something deliberate, possibly for you to find." I nod, convincing myself of my thought process, "That's what I would've done, if I couldn't stay, but wanted someone to find me."
His eyes light up and he starts walking frantically towards a corner of the study. He bends down and knocks on a few boards before finding the right one. When he's satisfied he digs his fingers into the slight cracks between the boards and plies one up. It pops up and he tosses it aside.
I shuffle closer to get a better look, using the desk to support myself. I'd really like to start the search for medical supplies, but I understand this is important too. It's just getting increasingly difficult not to say anything. As much as I'd love to switch focus right now, I know it's just my pain talking, and that Kadeeth is going through his own kind of pain.
His family, however frustrating at times, is out there somewhere, anywhere. It makes sense that he must be anguished that he can't find them. If I put myself in his shoes, I probably wouldn't be able to think about anything else either.
"There's a note!" He jumps up and invades my space, shoving a crumpled piece of parchment into my hands. The paper is yellow and cracked, but the ink is new.
I unfold it and read aloud, "Had to head south to evade enemy pursuit. If need find us, follow the Trail."
I look up at Kadeeth as I finish reading. He's deep in thought, mulling over each word one at a time. He looks at me, then down at the paper. His eyes narrow and he plucks the note out of my hands. He scans the back and zeros in on the bottom corner.
"By the time you reach cabin, enemy will be gone. West up to you, son." He reads carefully.
The sentences are broken up and choppy, but they get the point across. The bad grammar and sloppy handwriting suggest that whoever wrote it must have been in a rush. Judging by the last word, it was most likely the Duke himself.
He knew his son would make it to the rendezvous point. So, he left him a clue to his whereabouts, and gave him a task.
To protect the West.