EPIC: Fourteen Books of Fantasy (360 page)

Lee
slid
from
his
horse
and
stared
across
the
damaged
road. “Blast!”
He
spat
and
spun
around.

“It
would
seem
we
will
take
the
long
way
around
after
all,” said
Millet,
in
a
failing
attempt
not
to
sound
self-satisfied.

Lee
paced
back
and
forth,
fists
clenched.
Finally,
he
let
out
a roar.
His
voice
echoed
repeatedly
off
the
mountainside.

“Screaming
won’t
get
you
across,”
came
a
woman’s
voice from
behind
a
rock,
a
few
feet
off
the
trail.

Lee
turned
swiftly
and
drew
his
sword.
“Who’s
there?”

A
young
woman
appeared.
Her
straight,
flaxen
hair
was
cut
to her
shoulders.
She
was
slender
in
build,
yet
strong
and
toned, made
apparent
by
her
well-fitted
black
leather
trousers
and
blue cotton
blouse.
Her
dark
eyes
and
olive
skin
made
Lee
think
of the
women
of
his
homeland
on
the
coast
of
the
Western
Abyss. In
her
right
hand
she
held
a
long,
curved
dagger.

“Do
you
intend
to
rob
me?”
she
asked.
Her
voice
was
feminine
and
musical,
yet
contained
a
hint
of
danger.

Lee
stared
at
her
for
a
moment,
then
threw
his
head
back
in laughter.
“Put
away
your
blade,
girl.
We
mean
you
no
harm.”

Millet
leaned
down
from
his
horse
and
whispered,
“As
she may
not
be
alone,
it
may
be
wise
to
make
certain
she
means
us none
either.”

This
spawned
more
laughter.
“Do
you
mean
us
harm?
Tell
me quickly.
My
companion
thinks
you’re
dangerous.”

“Then
your
companion
is
a
much
wiser
man
than
you,”
she remarked.
“This
close
to
the
pass,
all
travelers
are
suspect.”

“Then
why
reveal
yourself?”
asked
Lee.

“Better
to
reveal
myself
than
get
discovered,”
she
replied.

“I
see
your
point,”
said
Lee.
“But
my
friend
is
right.
It
would be
rather
odd
for
anyone
to
be
alone
so
close
to
the
Dashivis Pass;
least
of
all
a
young
girl.”

“I
have
seen
twenty
years,”
she
shot
back.
“And
I
am
not alone.
My
brothers
should
be
returning
soon.”

Lee
scrutinized
her
for
a
moment.
“You
lie
well.
Sadly,
I
am not
an
easy
man
to
lie
to.”
He
stepped
forward.
“So
why
don’t you
tell
me
what
you’re
really
doing
here?”

The
girl
stared
at
Lee,
her
hand
wrapped
tightly
around
the dagger.
“I
am
heading
to
Baltria.
I
am
in
a
hurry,
so
I’m
using the
pass.”
She
looked
at
the
road
and
frowned.
“At
least,
I
was until
I
got
here.
I
was
just
about
to
look
for
another
way
across when
I
heard
the
two
of
you
coming.”

Lee
rubbed
his
chin.
“Well
then.
We
should
get
started.”
He sheathed
his
sword.
“I
am
Lee
Starfinder,
and
this
is
Millet.”
He bowed
low.

“I
am
Lyndria,”
she
replied.
“And
I’m
not
certain
your company
is
welcome.”

Lee
cocked
his
head
and
flashed
a
roguish
grin.
“As
we
are both
traveling
in
the
same
direction,
it
seems
unavoidable.”

“True
enough.”
She
put
away
her
dagger.
“I
was
just
about
to head
east
and
see
if
there
is
a
way
across.”

“As
good
a
plan
as
any,”
said
Lee.
“What
say
you,
Millet?”

“I
say
you
both
are
fools,”
he
replied.
“But
as
I
am
not,
I suppose
it’s
up
to
me
to
see
you
keep
your
foolishness
to
a minimum.”

“I
see
your
friend
isn’t
exactly
a
pleasant
fellow,”
said Lyndria.

Lee
shrugged.
“He’s
just
grumpy
when
he’s
tired.”
He grabbed
his
horse’s
reigns.
“I
hope
we
can
get
them
across
as well.
I’d
hate
to
go
on
foot
the
rest
of
the
way.”

They
followed
the
gorge
east
through
the
forest
for
a
mile, until
they
came
across
a
makeshift
bridge.
The
earth
was
well trodden,
though
no
clear
trail
led
from
it.
Lee
examined
the structure
and
declared
that
the
horses
could
cross
safely.

“You
should
be
asking,
who
built
the
bridge
?”
said
Millet.
“Not,
is
it
safe
to
cross
?”

Lee drew
his
sword.
“I’m not
turning
back
now.” He
smiled
at Lyndria.
“Besides,
we
are
obligated
to
act
as
protectors.”

Lyndria
sighed
and
looked
at
Millet.
“He
thinks
he’s
rather charming,
doesn’t
he?”

Millet
rolled
his
eyes.
“You
have
no
idea.”

They
led
the
horses
across
the
rickety
bridge
and
made
their way
back
to
the
road.
The
rocky
terrain
forced
them
to
walk
the horses.
Lee
tried
his
best
to
maneuver
himself
next
to
Lyndria, but
she
expertly
kept
herself
closer
to
Millet,
who
was
clearly amused
by
this.

“We
should
reach
the
pass
within
the
hour,”
said
Lyndria. “Unless
you
two
are
tired?”

“We’re
fine,”
said
Lee,
boastfully.
“I
could
walk
for
days without
rest.”

Lyndria
gave
Lee
a
weak
smile.
“How
nice
for
you.
But
I assume
you’ll
be
riding.”

“I
will
not
ride
while
you
walk,”
said
Lee.

Lyndria
nodded.
“Then
perhaps
Millet
would
allow
me
to
ride with
him.”

Millet
smirked.
“Of
course.”

Lee
opened
his
mouth
to
speak,
but
no
words
came.
He
stood there,
flushed
with
a
mixture
of
embarrassment
and
anger,
then cleared
his
throat
and
pretended
to
check
his
saddle.

The
moment
they
entered
Dashivis
Pass,
the
wind
picked
up and
grew
colder.
Millet,
reaching
into
the
pack
bound
to
the saddle,
pulled
out
his
blanket
and
offered
it
to
Lyndria
sitting behind
him.

“That
is
not
necessary,”
said
Lyndria.
“I
am
accustomed
to
the cold.”

Millet
pulled
out
a
second
blanket.
“I
brought
two.”

Lee
huffed
and
spurred
his
horse
to
a
quick
trot.
“Hurry.
I
want
to
cover
as
much
ground
as
possible
before
the
sun
sets.”

Millet
laughed
at
Lee’s
discomfort
and
followed.
“Careful, Lee.
Your
horse
isn’t
as
resilient
as
you
are.”

Dashivis
Pass
was
little
more
than
a
narrow
trail,
barely
wide enough
for
a
wagon.
The
sheer
rock
walls
of
the
mountainside were
jagged
and
cracked,
and
the
howl
and
whistle
of
the
wind drifted
down
like
a thousand
angry
spirits. The
ground
was more or
less
even
and
easy
to
navigate,
worn
smooth
over
the centuries
by
thousands
of
travelers.
Intermittently,
there
would be
caves
large
enough
to
shelter
in
if
needed;
some
were
little more
than
shallow
cavities,
others
disappearing
deep
inside
the mountain.
Each
time
they
passed
one,
Lee
became
noticeably uneasy.

“Too
many
places
to
hide
for
an
ambush,”
he
remarked.
He slid
his
hand
to
his
sword
and
glanced
back
at
Millet.
“How
long did
you
say
the
pass
is?”

“About
three
days’
ride,”
Millet
replied.

“So
tell
me,”
said
Lyndria.
“How
long
have
you
two
known each
other?
You
seem
unlikely
traveling
companions.”

“Lee
is
my
nephew,”
answered
Millet,
before
Lee
could speak.
“And
you’re
not
wrong
about
the
“unlikely”
nature
of
our relationship.
I
have
been
looking
after
him
since
he
was orphaned,
ten
years
ago.”

“Is
that
right?”
Lyndria
asked
Lee
playfully.
“Does
he
look
after
you?”

“He
thinks
he
does,”
said
Lee.
“But
most
of
the
time
he’s
just an
annoying
busybody.
If
we
run
into
real
trouble,
then
you’ll see
who
needs
looking
after.”

“I
hope
not
to
find
out,”
remarked
Millet.
“I
would
rather our
journey
be
uneventful.”

Lyndria
smiled
and
shook
her
head.

By
the
end
of
the
day,
the
wind
was
picking
up
in
earnest, and
the
temperature
had
dropped
so
that
even
the
blankets
were of
little
help.
They
found
a
shallow
recess
in
the
rock
wall,
just large enough
to
house
both
them
and
the
horses.
Millet
set
about building
a
fire
and
preparing
a
meal,
while
Lee
set
up
the bedrolls.

It
was
then
that
Lee
noticed
something
he
had
missed
before. He
looked
up
at
Lyndria.
She
took
a
step
back,
just
outside
the cave.
Her
demeanor
had
changed.
She
looked serious...dangerous.
Lee
scanned
for
his
sword.
It
was
several feet
away,
leaning
against
the
wall
near
to
the
horses.
Before
he could
move,
Lyndria
nodded
her
head
and
six
ragged
looking men,
clad
in
filthy
brown
tunics
and
pants,
leaped
into
view. Each
of
them
was
holding
a
crossbow.

“I
was
wondering
when
you’d
notice,”
said
Lyndria. “What
is
the
meaning
of
this?”
cried
Millet.

“She
had
no
pack,”
said
Lee,
disgusted
with
his
own ineptitude.
“No
one
would
travel
so
far
with
only
the
clothes
on their
back.”

Lyndria
laughed.
“Precisely.
And
please
do
not
try
to impress
me
by
dying.
I
would
rather
you
come
peacefully.”

“So
you
do
not
intend
to
kill
us?”
asked
Millet.

“Not
yet,”
she
replied.
“So
if
you
wish
to
live
a
bit
longer, allow
my
men
to
bind
and
blindfold
you.”

Lee
crouched.
The
muscles
in
his
legs
tensed.
“If
they touch
me,
they’ll
wish
they
hadn’t.”
His
voice
was
deep
and menacing.

The
men
shifted
nervously
and
trained
their
bows
at
Lee’s heart.

“Don’t
be
stupid,”
said
Lyndria.
“Not
only
will
you
die,
but so
will
your
uncle.
Do
you
want
his
death
on
your
conscience?”

“Please,
Lee,”
begged
Millet.
“Do
as
she
says.”

Lee
glared
at
Lyndria
defiantly.
He
stood
there
for
a
full minute
as
the
tension
continued
to
build.
Finally,
his
shoulders sagged
and
he
nodded
his
head.
Two
of
the
men
placed
their bows on
the
ground
and tied
Millet
and
Lee’s hands
behind
their backs.
Lee
grunted
as
the
rope
was
pulled
tight;
too
tight
for
him to
slip,
and
expertly
knotted.
His
eyes
never
left
Lyndria
until
he was
blindfolded.

“If
you
kill
me,”
said
Lee.
“I
want
the
blindfold
removed.
I would
see
the
face
of
my
killer.”