“Still,” I said. “It’s a good sign that we’re on the right track. We should stay here for a little while. Stock up, wash up ...”

A number of us had begun peeling off our layered clothing, and the effects of not having bathed in a while were kind of obvious.

Jasmine sat up and peered around us. She pointed off to her right. “There’s a body of fresh water over—”

The sound of hooves on the road startled all of us. The impromptu plum picnic had made me feel lazy and content, but we’d spent too much time on edge recently to go totally lax. We were all on our feet as a group of riders came into view. Just like the scenery, these gentry were a sharp contrast to those we’d seen in the blight. This group was clean, well dressed, and obviously eating well. They looked strong and healthy—and had weapons drawn. We followed suit, though I hoped an altercation wouldn’t be necessary.

I also figured this probably wasn’t the most ideal situation for Rurik to negotiate, so I stepped forward before he could attempt to take control. Dorian joined me, and I tried to look pleasant and nonthreatening as I faced the riders.

“We don’t want any trouble,” I called. “We just want to pass through peacefully.”

“We can pay for the plums, if that’s the problem,” added Dorian helpfully.

“We know who you are,” snapped one of the riders. She was a woman with graying, curly hair and bore the air and authority of a leader. “And we know why you’re here.”

That caught me by surprise, and I wondered what had given us away. Had someone leaked our plan to Varia? Had our descriptions been spread around? Did she have all of her kingdoms on high alert?

“So just turn back now,” the rider continued. “We don’t want your kind here.”

I blinked in confusion. If Varia was on alert for us to attempt some ploy, she would hardly have her people simply send us away. “I ... I don’t understand,” I said.

“You’re like all the others,” she said in disgust. “Dragging yourselves in from your wretched lands, trying to steal our food. Go back to where you came from and reap what you’ve sown for not acknowledging our queen as your mistress.”

Dorian immediately figured out what was going on. “Do we look like refugees simply here to steal food?” That might not have been the best question since we had just stolen food and looked kind of tattered. Still, there was a big difference between us and the other gentry we’d passed on this journey. “The reason we’re here is to fall upon your queen’s mercy. Our king sent us here to plead with her.”