A Valkyrie's Apprentice: Book Two

Teach Me

The room stilled in shock. Before Kaden found his voice faster and slammed a palm to the wood. "How in gods did the boy end up so far from his home town?"

"It is no town. It is the capital of all of Kanton. From what I have studied, it is the largest and most populous of all in the mortal realm. I hope the boy has a good memory." She finished, playing with her blade again.

"This is okay. At least his family lives." I reasoned. "We may be orphaned scoundrels but that does not mean we should press that upon a boy with his life ahead of him." I said more firmly.

Kaden seemed in agreement before I had even said the words. "Here, here!" He rumbled. "I will cross the continent for the lad."

John sighed and took a deeper drink before pushing it back and eyeing us both. He finally set sights on the child that gripped his cup with both hands. "Oh, hells. I will not deny him this. What is one more dusty adventure to our group." He muttered.

"Good." I said flatly. "Now there must be a faster way to travel the desert than by foot?" I ventured, turning back to the Valkyrie.

She kept her eyes on the dagger that spun between her fingers in thought. "Animals will consume your water. Boats do not travel by land. You would need something that could utilise your power and my own. I used my winds to push our sails faster, as you used your fire to propel your craft... If we could maybe–"

"Let me! Gods let me! I have been dying to use these hands!" John blurted out spitting water between us. I wiped some droplets off my face slowly and glared.

"Keep the seas in your mouth and perhaps I will let you."

Yanu giggled and Kaden shoved more food in his mouth.

"Something with a sail perhaps? We could find materials in the market but I am not sure how much that will cost–"

A large sack of gold dropped from Kára's hand on the table and the eyes of the boy had never shot wider seeing such wealth. John merely scoffed and swiped it away–but not before she stopped him with a lethally fast hand.

"Materials to travel only." She stated in a deathly calm.

"Well it would seem I could not even entice a common whore in this land so you have nothing to fear." He snapped. I rolled my eyes and leant back in my chair.

"Where do you always get such wealth from anyhow?" Kaden got out.

"That is for me to worry about, mortal." She cut back. "See to it, it is spent well. A wind and flame powered craft along the sands could see us to the capital in less than four spans."

John clapped his hands together and threw Yanu a wicked grin. "Prepare to see those parents sooner than you think!"

Yanu stared at him blankly while Kára translated. The sudden excitement that overtook the boy was damn right adorable, I found myself smiling in satisfaction. If the kid had a chance at a normal life away from a group of immortal and mortal killers then we had to push his path back on track. Lest he became as hopeless as the lot of us.

"The craft will do for the deserts but when we reach the mountains we will rely only on–"

"Mountains?" I cut in, suddenly realising the journey before us was no menial task. She threw me an amused look.

"There is a reason the Kanton empire has never been felled in the past. None could march an army effectively to seize the power tucked within the highest mountains of the continent."

"I thought it was all desert land?" John probed with a frown.

"Mortal, if you ventured in any direction for long enough in your own land you would find snow capped mountains soon enough. It is how the realm is made." She retorted exasperated already by his obliviousness. But I too was surprised.