"Dropped or lost, we've no time to search
for them--what use will those scraps of paper be to us when Elni is in
flames?" Eldan seemed unconvinced, so Aevin went on. "I will not stop
you if you want to go after them, but you know safety is found in groups. I am
asking you to come with us to Elni."
"And
I'm coming." Eldan replied at length, casting a rueful glance back at the
bushes. She shouldered her crossbow and started forward. Aevin followed while
Kalen rushed to pull together his gear before they were out of sight. That girl
could set a hard pace.
She
strode along in stony silence. Kalen had never known what to do when Syriel was
angry, and Eldan was even worse. Never make a girl mad. He determined to
make it a rule of his life. Aevin, on the other hand, was in the best of
spirits. He effortlessly kept pace with Eldan, smiling broadly and pausing to
make cheerful remarks about the birds songs or the beauty of the forest.
Excessive optimism used to grate on him, but somehow, coming from Aevin, it put
Kalen at ease.
"Tell
me about the mountains, Kalen. What was it like growing up in their
shadow?" Aevin had to repeat himself twice before Kalen realized he was
being addressed.
"Well,
it's..." Kalen had never given the mountains any thought. They were just a
part of life in Elni. "It's shadowy. The sun sets early, and the winters
are very cold. The soil is shallow and difficult to farm on the south side of
Elni."
"I
suppose all beauty comes with a price. One can marvel at the sun on the leaves
of the Dinab, but I would not raise a family with the wild beasts found here.
With all beauty, you must determine if it is worth the cost, wouldn't you
agree?"
"I
supposed so." Kalen's attention was more focused on the branches trying to
slap him in the face than Aevin's
musings. "How far are we from Elni?"
"Nearly
three days still. We're near Terraphel, so we will need to go a little out of
our way if we would avoid their scouts."
Eldan
dropped without a sound. For a moment, Kalen thought she'd fainted, but the
Aevin pulled him down to join them in the underbrush. The dark, seamless stone
walls of Terraphel could just be seen through a gap in the bushes.
"Someone's
been busy." Kalen followed Aevin's eyes. He could just see the legs of the
horses, row upon row, trudging out of the gate on overgrown, cracked hooves. A
cavalry--poorly kempt, but impressive in size. Since when had Fellyre used
horses in war? They were foot soldiers--they always had been and always would
be. Not only would this cavalry make them more formidable, but--
"We
can't outdistance that. They'll be at Elni by dawn tomorrow." Eldan's tone
was flat. "We've failed."
"Ever
stolen a horse?" Aevin rose to a crouch, taking a careful step forward.
"We'll have to ride hard, but it is the only way. Did you ride in the
Elnite cavalry, Kalen?"
"Yes--but
not often. Horses and I don't--"
"If
you've been on a horse, you'll be fine. Eldan?"
"Of
course."
The
procession dragged by like a giant centipede. Their slow pace was both
promising and frustrating. They would make poor time if they continued thus,
but Aevin's plan had to wait until the final stragglers left Terraphel. The
last few came in a cluster of eight--more than they needed, but not impossible
to take down if Eldan knew how to use that crossbow she so proudly carted
around.
"Wait."
Aevin caught Eldan's arm as she set a bolt from her quiver on the string.
"Not yet or you'll bring the whole force down on us." They sat in
silence, Eldan impatiently practice-aiming, as the horsemen disappeared it rows
into the trees. They were riding north-west; Kalen hoped that indicated an
intent to skirt the forest the long way, adding almost a full day to their
journey.
Thwump!
The final rider dropped like a stone from his mount. The next horse reared in terror, sending its
rider to the ground in cloud of dirt and curses. A horn sounded the alarm,
adding to the frenzy as inexperienced riders tried to turn their frightened
mounts. Kalen was on his feet in an instant, silently cursing Eldan's
impetuousness. Aevin was two steps out of the bushes before they realized she
hadn't fired a shot.
A
second ambush--but there was no time to think about that. Aevin spun his spear
once in his hand, then descended into the fray with Kalen on his heels, under
the cover of Eldan's crossbow fire. Aevin's spear took the first man, lodging
under his ribs and ripping him from the saddle. Taldyr's lessons on taking
horses returned as Kalen dodged the flailing hooves of an injured horse to
catch the girth of a nearby saddle. The rider swung at him, and he ducked
beneath the mount's belly, hooking his axe in the strap and dropping his full
weight into it. He hung for a moment, wondering if he had made a terrible
mistake, then dropped as the strap split, sending the rider hurdling after his
own sword stroke. "Only cut the girth if you can mount easily
bareback..." He cursed his own
idiocy and stuck the axe back in his belt to free both his hands. Aevin was
already in the saddle charging the scattered warriors, his spear lowered like a
jousting lance, and his distraction served for Kalen to catch one of the
riderless horses. The beast made only a feeble attempt to avoid him; Fellyrians
clearly believed in breaking any spirit from their horses.
The
moment Eldan had claimed the remaining beast, Aevin wheeled his horse around,
calling them to follow. Kalen caught a glimpse of one of the other
assailants--a long-handled glaive swept around like a reaper's scythe,
severing horse legs and human limbs with every stroke. A piercing, single-note
war cry rang through the clearing. What kind of madman--
Assassin.
She grinned, relishing the carnage, leaving horses and riders writhing in their
death throes. There was no time to wonder where she had come from or what she
was trying to do; Kalen wheeled his horse around and galloped into the trees
after Aevin and Eldan.
The
gallop lasted less than a minute before the beast fell back to a loping walk.
Of all the horses to steal...He kicked it with all his force, eliciting a
brief canter that quickly gave way to a lazy attempt at a snack on some tall
grasses. After repeatedly stopping to wait for him, Aevin finally took the
reigns and led it by force.
Some
hours had passed before they heard the first sounds of pursuit. Aevin ordered
Kalen to mount up behind Eldan, leaving his lazy beast loping down a side trail
as a decoy, but the sound of hoofbeats behind them did not even hesitate. Eldan
pushed her horse on, cursing Kalen's weight for slowing them, while Aevin
circled round to bring up the rear.
"Kalen!
For Taril's sake, give us a chance to catch up!" Eldan ignored Jaened's
voice and kicked the horse harder.
"Eldan,"
Kalen gasped over the jolting of the horse's lively gait. "Eldan, it's
Jaened. Should-n't we wait up?"
Aevin
reigned up, shouting for Eldan to do the same. She obeyed without a sound, and,
in another instant, Jaened and Assassin emerged from the bushes behind, their
horses snorting and stamping in protest as they slowed their pace.
“Greetings,
my friends,” Assassin’s sarcastic grin descried her friendly manner. “I trust
you are all well?”
“Be
damned, Assassin. If you—”
“Eldan.”
Aevin had a skill for silencing people with a single word. He turned to address
Assassin. “Will you hinder us? I have seen your skill, but you are
outnumbered.”
Assassin
threw back her head in a loud harsh laugh. “I, hinder you? I saved your
bleeding lives back there. Lead on, Tassin. Consider me your guard—or not, as
you so please.”
Aevin
nodded abruptly and wheeled his horse around, pressing on towards Elni. The
rest followed, Eldan cursing under her breath, Kalen half in shock. Had Aevin
gone mad? May as well invite a wild Naresh into their company!
Aevin
maintained a hard pace and, as night shadows began to descend on the forest,
they reached the crest of Thyra Hill. They pulled up briefly to get their
bearings. Elni was hard to spot even from the heights at that hour, but there
was no time to stop for the night.
Much
to all of their chagrin, it was Assassin who sighted the city and set them on
their course. There was no denying her skills—that was what frightened Kalen
most. Thyra Hill was a six hour ride from Elni. They covered it in four. Kalen
felt the horse stagger under them as they came upon the gate; the beast would
likely die within a few hours. He’d once cared about such things, but, with the
whole city in danger, a broken old horse’s death meant nothing.
Aevin
dismounted and set to pounding on the gate with the blunt end of his spear. No
answer came.
