Page 14 of Quest
I gave my head a rigid shake. I didn’t want to doubt my comrades. Our task was difficult enough without complicating it with unfounded suspicion; complete trust in my entourage was imperative if I hoped to succeed, especially in the herbalist upon whose skills everything rested.
“I’ve seen that look before.” Jiang suddenly appeared beside me, arriving in his usual inconspicuous way befitting my top guard. His dark eyes narrowed in the direction Ren had departed. “You don’t trust him.”
Despite my effort to mask my feelings, as usual he seemed to possess the uncanny ability to peel back the defenses guarding the emotions I vainly tried to protect.
Guilt immediately prickled for having been caught doubting my comrade on such flimsy evidence. Though I had a reason for caution, I still felt I’d failed in my duties as prince towards one of my beloved subjects. I sighed. “I hoped no one would notice.”
“Though you made an admirable attempt, I’ve known you too long for you to be able to hide your reservations,” he said. “I know you haven’t fully trusted that herbalist since his sudden appearance in his father’s place…nor have I, for in my experience your instincts have never been wrong.” Which meant that in his unfailing loyalty towards me he didn’t trust Ren either, but contrary to my own efforts he wasn’t as skilled at concealing it.
I frowned. “So you feel as if something is off as well? On the surface nothing appears amiss, yet I sense Ren possesses a secret he’s desperate to conceal.”
“And you fear this secret will sabotage the mission?”
I nodded grimly. The possession of secrets alone wasn’t something to condemn the lad…but the nature of his secret would determine whether he could be trusted to participate in a mission as important as this. Deceit was something I couldn’t tolerate in any form.
Jiang considered a moment. “There also seems to be something strange about his sudden appearance in a mission he wasn’t recruited for.”
I agreed. Though nothing appeared amiss with Ren’s motives, the circumstances still didn’t add up. “I’m troubled that his father didn’t provide him with the full details of the mission.” While my makeshift test had proved Ren as a capable herbalist, it had made it all too clear that he only possessed a vague understanding of the task that lay before us, as well as the exact reason we required his presence.
The entire situation left me uneasy, even as I understood it was necessary, considering the gravity of the circumstances. I couldn’t risk the mission until I knew for certain Ren was a man who could be trusted, something I was beginning to doubt more with each interaction.
As desperate as I was to unravel this perplexing puzzle, now wasn’t the time with our deadline so pressing. “Make preparations to leave; we didn’t make as much progress as I hoped yesterday and I want to ensure we reach our first destination by afternoon.”
“We’re only so far behind because thatherbalistisn’t up to the task; his incapability is downright pathetic.” It was rare for Jiang to voice his dark complaints even to me; he wouldn’t have dared if we hadn’t been alone. But though I usually allowed my lifelong friend the freedom to speak freely, I felt a strange surge of protectiveness towards the victim of his remarks, the same feeling I’d experienced when witnessing Ren’s weak excursion throughout yesterday’s journey.
“Whatever my current misgivings, nothing has been proven. Thus you will treat Ren with respect.”
Jiang frowned but bowed, accepting my order without further argument. Yet his obedience didn’t mean he wouldn’t dispel his suspicions and continue to keep a close eye on Ren…as would I.
When we returned to the clearing, Jiang immediately went to work dismantling camp with his usual efficiency, and I made my way over to Kael. He had just finished drafting today’s travel plans, using his geography expertise to carefully navigate the best route through the unforgiving terrain.
I carefully scanned the map he presented, studying each checkpoint and landmark before nodding in approval. “This seems like the most efficient plan for today’s itinerary.”
Kael traced his finger along the route. “We’re only about an hour’s pace from the misty mountains, which will be the most treacherous climb thus far. I predict it will take at least three hours to ascend before we reach the summit.”
The silvery mountains loomed in the distance, shrouded by a misty fog that concealed any hint at how steep and strenuous the climb would be. “Only three hours?”
Kael heard the unspoken doubt in my tone. His gaze flickered in Ren’s direction where he sat several meters away, hard at work making what I assumed to be another strengthening draft, with several other unidentified elixirs arranged in neat rows beside him. Though he moved with an efficiency that befitted his skill, his entire posture remained stiff, as if guarding against an invisible threat only he could see. My wariness grew as I observed him.
Kael hesitated. “Considering the capabilities of the entire group, perhaps a more accurate estimate would be it taking the entire morning and most of the afternoon.”
I pursed my lips to suppress the sigh aching to emerge. I knew it couldn’t be helped, but it was still frustrating when each day we delayed only increased the damage rendered on my kingdom from the curse’s lingering tendrils. “I see.”
I said nothing more, knowing it was unwise to share my current reservations with Kael; it would be unfair to Ren to voice my suspicions with anyone outside my full confidence. Though I’d worked with him on several missions, my faith in Kael wasn’t the same unshakable trust I’d forged with Jiang.
Kael’s gaze lingered on Ren. Though he maintained his usual good cheer, my observation was too attuned not to notice the subtle tension between the two, which was surprising considering how well they’d gotten along thus far. “Is something wrong?” I asked.
“Nothing wrong, per se…” Kael’s narrowed gaze lingered on Ren, a small smile toying at the corners of his mouth, as if he possessed his own secret. “That herbalist is certainly aninterestingfellow.”
Curiosity urged me to press the matter, a temptation I might have been able to resist if not for the almost terrified glance Ren cast in our direction before hastily looking away when he caught us watching him. Kael responded with a rather unsettling smirk that left me uneasy, escalating my misgivings.
“For the sake of peace within our group I must ask whether anything has occurred between you two.” I rationalized the prying question with the excuse that the information would serve as potential evidence of whether or not my unfounded reservations held any merit.
Kael’s peculiar expression cleared with a chuckle. “Nothing of the sort. Unlike Sir Jiang, I harbor no mistrust towards the lad. In contrast, Ren seems to be wary of me since I simply caught him bathing alone; the interaction appears to have unsettled him.”
I recalled how uncomfortable he’d been when we’d interacted after his bath. “That alone isn’t too unusual if the boy is simply shy.” A trait that belied the feistiness I’d already witnessed.
“Hmm, perhaps.” But I could sense there was more about their interaction that Kael wasn’t telling me. I would have pried more deeply, but the morning was growing later; with all the extra rests we would be forced to take thanks to Ren’s frailty, we needed to leave now if we had any hope of reaching our destination by nightfall.
