“Besides, the attack was too transparent. The Zolians began to suspect the king’s involvement. It’s remained mere suspicion for the time being, but if the king doesn’t stop this scheme soon, and the Ahfal Oma go too far, the Zolians will take action.”
Something shone in Van’s eyes. “Is that why you shot the Dog King when he set his dogs on the Zolian soldiers?”
Sae nodded again. Van gazed at her steadily. “Did you think you could get away with it?”
She didn’t answer.
“So you knew and did it anyway.”
Sae turned her attention to the fire. She felt Van’s gaze on her and whispered, “Because we’d finally achieved a balance. After a very long fight and so much blood.”
Van sighed and placed a hand over his mouth in contemplation. He stayed that way for some time but then lowered his hand and asked, “Why were you spying on me? You’ve been following me since I was in Oki, right?”
Sae regarded him with surprise. “You knew?”
Van gave a wry laugh. “I admit I didn’t notice at the time, which was pretty stupid of me. I only realized it when you held me in the forest the other night. I remembered catching your scent in the forests of Oki.”
Sae raised her eyebrows. “My…scent?”
Van sighed, looking embarrassed. “Ever since that dog bit me, my sensitivity to smell has heightened.”
I see, Sae thought, and then she blushed. She began speaking quickly to hide her confusion. “I was under orders to keep an eye on you. You’ve survived this new strain of black wolf fever, and my father told me that Kenoi, the man you call the Dog King, was looking for you.”
As Sae spoke, the thundering of her heart gradually subsided. She continued while stoking the fire with a stick. “We learned quite early on that Kenoi was ill and looking for a man who’d survived a bite, like him. He wanted a successor.”
Van frowned. “If so, then they waited a long time before making contact.”
“I can only assume that they weren’t ready. We don’t know everything, either.”
Van’s frown deepened. “Is the Echo Master in league with the Ahfal Oma?”
Sae shook her head. “No, of course not! The master of Yomida Forest has no connection whatsoever to Kenoi and the others. I know he was concerned about the Kinma dogs. That must be why he summoned you.”
“But you were there, too. And Nakka as well.”
Sae opened her mouth but quickly shut it. Hesitantly, as though searching for the words, she answered, “It’s hard to explain, but it seems several throwing rings were cast at you from different directions at the same time. When we met in the baths, I told you that I had been injured, remember?”
“Yes.”
“Well, that was true. I was badly wounded while pursuing your trail after you escaped the salt mine. Some of the locals rescued me and took me to the Echo Master. After that, I often went to the baths. They’re a great place to hear all the gossip and learn what’s happening in Oki.”
“So you were there by coincidence?”
Sae shook her head. “No. I saw Assenomi go to your camp, so I went ahead. I knew that Kenoi had made his first serious attempt to contact you, so I had to stay close.”
Still frowning, Van scratched his chin. “There’s something I still don’t understand. It seemed like Nakka had worked there for quite a while.”
“Yes, he’d been there for a long time.”
“But—”
“I know. He’s the one who abducted Yuna. My guess is that he was forced to take on that role unexpectedly, precisely because he happened to work there. He’s a Yusula Oma.”
“Yusula Oma…the People of the Marsh?” Van repeated, and then his eyes widened. “Oh, I see. He’s from Yukata.”
“That’s right. He told me as much during a chat. He clearly wasn’t trying to hide it, either. He said he was involved in the incident that led to the Ahfal Oma’s expulsion from the Yukata Plains. That’s how he ended up at the northernmost end of the country. The Ahfal Oma have always treated the Yusula Oma like their servants, and if they ask them to do something, the Yusula Oma must obey.”
The two fell silent for some time, staring at the fire.
“Why?” Van asked suddenly. “Why did you lead me to the Ahfal Oma? Considering your mission, wouldn’t it have been better to stop me?”
A pain stabbed at Sae’s chest, and she looked down. He’s smart. If she tried to gloss over things, he was sure to notice. If he felt the slightest trace of doubt, the delicate trust between them would crumble. Sae paused for only a moment. After making up her mind, she lifted her head. “We used you.”
Van’s expression turned stern. “Used me?”
“Yes. We’d reached a dead end.” Sae took a shallow breath. “The Ahfal Oma feared that the king might change his mind, so they kept their hand cleverly hidden. They had informed the king that they intended to work with the Gansa to trap the Mukonians, but we couldn’t learn anything about what they intended to do afterward.”
Van’s eyes narrowed. “So you harried your prey into the pack of hounds. You wanted to see what they would do once they had me?”
Sae nodded. However, that wasn’t the only thing on her mind when enacting this plan. She’d also worried for this man and for Yuna, too. The Ahfal Oma tended to be hasty. If Van hadn’t pursued Yuna, they might have decided she was a worthless hostage. The notion that a child might be killed had proved to be more than Sae could bear. She’d desperately wanted to save her somehow.
If I could have… Sae would have told Van everything that night in the forest. She’d longed to do so. To sit down with Van and plan how to save the child and him as well.
Regrettably, that had been impossible. Sae’s father and the others had been hiding close by. They only saw this man as a tool. The moment he stopped being useful, they’d kill him without hesitation. Some time ago, they’d confessed to Sae that when the time was right, they would kill Van to prevent him from becoming Kenoi’s tool.
“And what did you learn?”
“Hmm?” Sae blinked, confused by the question. Upon realizing what Van was talking about, she shook her head. “Nothing yet.”
A smile touched her lips. “If not for this, perhaps we would have by now.”
A birdcall sounded from a distant place. The buzz of morning was beginning to fill the forest. Van watched the treetops where the birds hopped from branch to branch, then returned his gaze to Sae. “What are you going to do now?” he asked quietly.
What was she going to do? Sae didn’t even need to ask herself. She had to rejoin her father and the others who were tracking Kenoi. Yet the mere thought of that made her chest grow tight. This brief time away from her father and his men seemed so achingly precious.
“What are you going to do?” she countered.
Van stroked his chin. “I’m going to look for Yuna. I’ve been thinking about where to start. She wasn’t in the village of the Ahfal Oma as far as I could tell.”
He laughed. “She’s quite something when she cries, and stubborn, too. If she were surrounded by strangers, she would cause a ruckus, shouting for all to hear. I suppose they might have given her something to induce sleep, but still, I would have known if she were there.”
Sae nodded. “I don’t think she was there, either. The other Molfah told me that Nakka went into the village but left again quite quickly with Yuna on his back. I tried to follow his tracks, but they stopped me.”
“I see.” Van nodded. “In that case, where did he take her?”
As long as Van walked free, Yuna still had some value as a hostage, so they wouldn’t hurt her. Even so, impatience flared in his chest when he thought of her being all alone and afraid. “I suppose this must seem like a strange request, but…” Van trailed off, hesitating. “Would you help me find my daughter? If your circumstances allow it, of course.”
Sae stared at him in surprise.
With a slightly embarrassed frown, Van added, “I don’t know the Yukata Plains at all. It would be helpful if you came with me.”
Instinctively, Sae wondered if her father and his men would let her, then she laughed at herself internally. She didn’t care what they thought.
She looked at Van and nodded.