Hunted: The Warrior Chronicles #2 (24 page)

“Yes, yes. I will not be discovered, though. I thought a nice ride through the countryside might clear my head. It was a small risk, but worth it, I think. I did wonder, you see.” Burson did his customary glance at the sky that Shanti had come to recognize as either thinking about his Wanderer texts or his
Seeing Gift
in some way.

“Is this where we ask what he wondered?” Sanders drawled. “Because I’d just as soon let him wander around on that horse and talk to himself.”

Shanti couldn’t help a smirk. “Be good, or we’ll put you back with him and Rohnan.”

“The mind reader and the madman—hopefully the Captain doesn’t hate me that much.”

“What did you wonder?” Cayan asked, still looking out at the older man.

“Well,” Burson straightened up until Shanti could only see his chest. “It seemed as though the journey was leading to a dead end. This is the reason I needed some air, of course. I could not fathom why the All Mighty would lead us to a closed door. We are on the right journey—I am sure of it. But I could not see how we would not die after the Shadow Lands. I wondered if the next milestone, the most important milestone, wouldn’t be reached. Which, currently, seems likely.”

“Comforting,” Sanders snarled. “Just a ray of damn sunshine.”

“You mean passing the trials?” Cayan asked Burson.

“Yes, of course,” Burson replied. “So I wanted to ponder that great mystery and see if we weren’t missing something.”

“And what did you
See
?” Shanti asked, trying to see the man’s face.

“Xandre is an exacting man,” Burson said in a wispy voice. “Everything must be in his control before he engages. He must know all the pieces and how they work before he makes a move. Shanti taught him this valuable lesson when he was young and new to his self-made position. That had been a big setback for him. It took him a couple years to recover. He is cautious now. And rightly so, with an enemy such as the violet-eyed girl.”

“How does this relate to our situation?” Cayan asked.

Shanti could see Burson’s elbow move. She bet he’d just ticked the sky with his index finger in that weird way he did. “We will soon introduce a new element. A new, incredibly destructive weapon. One that Xandre does not know how to combat, does not even know exists. He will be set back, again. Hit in the blindside, once again. And he will have something new to covet—one that he has not studied—one that will inspire fear in Xandre. The unknown makes him wary.”

“Your
Gift
,” Shanti said, meeting Cayan’s eyes.

“But when does he see it?” Cayan asked. Wariness crept into his gaze.

Shanti shook her head slowly and looked out at Burson again. “Are we about to run into trouble, Burson? Is that why you couldn’t wait to tell us this?”

“What are you doing outside the cart?” Tara’s voice boomed down the line. “We’re in sight of the gates, you fool. Get inside! Boys, get into your barrels. Everyone close up your tarps.”

“Great timing, as ever,” Sanders said as Burson fell back. “Deliver a message like that, leave us hanging, and then drift away. That guy never fails to amaze me.”

“The question is, if we
do
run into trouble, do I show my
Gift
now, or try to wait until after the trials?” Cayan asked softly. “When is the right time?”

Shanti shook her head again in response. She didn’t know, but she had a feeling that answer would be crucial.

W
ith their tarp
closed and their
Gifts
shielded, Shanti and Cayan could do nothing but listen to the clomping of hooves and the creak of the cart as they made their way along the road. Tara made outbursts and inspired raucous laughter from the few up front with her, one of which was Tomous. It sounded completely natural. Tara hadn’t had the chance to prove it, but she seemed tranquil under pressure. She was a lucky find.

“What’s all this?” Tara asked in suspicion, using the common trader language as Shanti’s cart slowed.

Shanti looked at Cayan, who had a throwing knife in his hand. Sanders held a dagger over his knees, staring straight ahead without expression. These men were ready.

“Inspection,” came a gruff voice.

“Since when?” Tara asked in outrage. Leather groaned before the soft thud of boots hit the dirt. “I was here not two weeks ago. I got a buyer.”

“Listen, doll, this ain’t a tax or a shakedown. See them guys in the black shirts? Yeah, them’s Graygual and Inkna. Just looking for passengers.”

“Passengers?” Tara started laughing. “Well, have your look. But don’t you be getting sticky fingers pawing through my stuff. And don’t get the rugs dirty, neither!”

“Lady, where do you hail from?” came a cultured voice sounding completely out of place with the language. Obviously an officer of some sort.

“Tomous, follow that beady-eyed sod, will ya? I don’t trust him with my stuff,” Tara’s voice boomed. “I come from all over. I’m a trader for hire. Or haven’t you heard of that?”

“Enlighten me,” came the cultured voice, a little closer.

“Be glad to. Lately, folks have been a bit under the heel. Seems a bunch of dirty low-lives have come through and turned small towns upside down. Folks are afraid to leave their homes. They’re afraid to travel the roads, and it
ain’t
because of thieves, neither. They’re afraid of organized army-types…”

Sanders gently shifted forward and lightly shook his head. He was probably worried about the thinly veiled contempt in Tara’s voice. He probably thought she would push the Graygual into action. And if it had been one of the low-lives in question she would have. But she knew what she was doing—she knew the sort of man that had stopped her. Officers thought the tactics and heavy-handedness of the lower ranks were disgusting. An officer might take a beauty from a town and force her to be his concubine, but she would be treated well in her new life. The officers thought any woman should be proud to bear his children, and as such, didn’t think of it as forcing. To them, that was different to taking a woman in the streets against her will. Tara was playing the part of disgruntled trader perfectly. She was making money off the Graygual tactics in this lie, but she didn’t much like why. Shanti nearly laughed.

A shadow fell over the tarp right before the fabric rustled. A wad of material shook before being pulled back. A ruddy face appeared with blue sky behind him. Cayan held up his knife to throw as Sanders leaned forward, ready to launch himself over Shanti and at the man. The man’s eyes widened slightly, but he made the motions of peering through the cart, anyway. When he was done, he tugged the tarp closed again. They heard, “Vegetables and bread. A couple days from going off.”

“It’s food, ain’t it?” Tara yelled defensively. “It’ll keep people from going hungry.”

The man grunted as he moved away. The shadow of Tomous moved away behind him. Sanders settled back. Cayan lowered his knife.

They waited another ten minutes before the same cultured voice said, “That bodyguard’s a little young, isn’t he?”

“Young and handsome, just like I like ’em. He can go for hours.” Tara laughed.

“And cheap,” the gruff man called from down the line.

“Well, hell. Do I look like I’m swimming in gold coins?” Tara shot back.

“I should report you for trying to sell poisoned goods,” the gruff man said as his voice neared. Footsteps passed their cart. “That wine smells rancid.”

“Hey, I don’t produce it, I just sell it. If people want it, then they want it.”

“Whatever,” the gruff man replied.

“Move on,” the officer called.

“Waste of time,” Tara grumbled. They heard the leather of her saddle creak. “I’d have fresher goods if I didn’t have to worry about stuff like this.”

“Ten minutes ain’t going to make a whole pile of difference with them goods,” the gruff man said.

The cart groaned as the procession started moving. “Just stick to what you’re good at—standing there like a lump,” Tara badgered.

Shanti allowed a soft sigh to escape her lips. She let go of her knife and wiped her sweaty palm on her pants.

“Wait,” called the cultured voice. The breath caught in Shanti’s throat as the officer followed up with, “Stop! Let me see that horse.”

“That horse is going for market,” Tara said as the progression ground to a halt again. Shanti picked up her knife.

“Where did you get that horse?” the officer asked.

“Which one? That black one?” Tara was referring to Cayan’s horse. “Why, you want to buy it? Beauty, ain’t he? I’ll give ya a good price.”

“No. The brown stallion. You, son, bring that horse here.”

Shanti squeezed her eyes shut.
Please be a normal horse, you bloody bastard. Please be timid.

“I haven’t seen the equal to Shanti’s horse,” Sanders said in a low whisper. “Hell, any of those Graygual horses. Cayan’s comes close, I’d recognize the blood line of Cayan’s horse if one just showed up out of the blue.”

Cayan nodded. It was a finely bred animal, and his city had bought it from the Duke to secure the blood lines. It made sense that people who knew horses would recognize finely bred animals. Unfortunately, this officer was one such man. Just their luck.

“Bring him here, I said,” the officer called again.

“I’m trying, but he’s…” that strange horse-growl cut Xavier off. Sanders and Cayan both looked at Shanti.

“Get ready. Everyone who meets that horse remembers him,” Shanti uttered in defeat.

The horse whinnied. Hooves stomped. Xavier let out a sound of surprise before the officer yelled, “Grab that horse! Grab those horses!”

Another whinny followed in front of them. The cart started rocking and shaking. It jerked forward and then back, as if the more timid horses pulling it were rearing.

“I can’t use my power!” someone shouted.

“Apprehend them!” the officer yelled.

“That’s our cue!” Sanders jabbed the tarp with his sword and slashed. Cayan punched through the back and spilled out onto the dirt as Sanders leapt out over the side. Shanti followed Cayan as the muffle on her
Gift
disappeared. The cart jerked forward as she jumped. Cayan caught her arm and steadied her, giving her one moment to take in the scene.

Her horse and the other two stolen Graygual horses were galloping at the guards’ horses. Shanti’s horse got there first and reared, battering the other horses with its hooves. His fellow warhorses were just as wild, biting and bucking and kicking, following the Bloody Bastard’s lead. Shanti didn’t have time to marvel. The Graygual were on their feet with swords drawn, running at Tara and Tomous.

“Tara, Tomous, run ahead and warn the ship’s captain that we’re coming,” Cayan ordered.

“Do we kill these men, sir?” Sanders asked as he dove onto a running officer. His compact body of muscle knocked the taller but lankier man to the dirt. Sanders kicked away the officer’s sword and rolled him over amid a cloud of dust.

Cayan glanced at Shanti.

“Kill them quickly, we must flee!” came Burson’s voice. He was running toward Shanti. “Unhook the horses from the carts. We must take those.”

Tara took off at a gallop as an arrow sailed past her back.

“Daniels!” Cayan yelled. He pointed to two archers. Daniels was already on it. He loosed an arrow. The shaft dug into the middle of a black-clad chest. Another arrow stuck into the neck of the Graygual beside him. Xavier had reacted as well.

Sanders pulled his knife across the neck of the Graygual before snatching the man’s sword and hopping up. Cayan ran forward, sword out, as a Graygual approached Sanders’ back. Cayan slashed down and opened a red gash along the man’s arm. The Graygual spun, without surprise or pain in his expression. He didn’t have time to raise his sword before Cayan stabbed him through the chest then yanked out his blade. In a single motion he chopped at the man’s wrist. The Graygual’s hand and sword dropped onto the road.

Sanders snatched that sword too as he started running toward his horse. Rohnan unhooked the mounts from Shanti’s cart before running to his own animal. Reaching it, he jumped on. His staff spun as he kicked the horse into action, chasing two Graygual on foot who were trying to get to the loose horses of the Honor Guard. The boys were still spilling out of their cart amid rolling barrels.

“Do I use my
Gift
, Burson?” Shanti yelled as she ran toward a tame horse newly freed from the cart. Before she reached it, her horse thundered up and stopped at her side. Without another thought, she jumped up onto her animal—he was wild and unruly, but he was hers.

“No! No powers,” Burson barked. He looked behind him wildly. “Not yet. Hurry! We must go!”

Cayan swung his leg over the back of his horse as the boys mounted theirs. Rohnan turned his animal toward the front of the progression. The ends of his staff dripped crimson.

The sound of steel rang out. Etherlan feinted and blocked a Graygual’s downward swing. Before he could counter, the Graygual arched back. Blood gurgled out of his mouth as Tobias pulled his sword from the man’s back.

“Let’s go!” Cayan called, urging his shining, black horse forward.

“Where to, Burson?” Shanti asked.

“We need to reach the ship before the Graygual,” Burson said, coaxing his horse into a rapid stride. “When I cut off the Inkna, I felt others reach this direction. They are monitoring each other. They know we are here.”

Everyone pulled their horses together, and as one urged the animals faster and faster until they were galloping toward the bustling city. The remaining traders stayed behind to deal with the carts.

The weeds and wildflowers on the sides of the road gave way to small houses and tended bushes. Structures closed in on them and people started to litter the streets. Shops and fish markets crouched beside the road as they neared the city center.

“Keep going!” Burson yelled.

The horses clattered through the streets. People scurried or dived out of the way, shocked and shaken, yelling at their backs. Burson did not slow and neither did anyone else. They wound through the streets and forced through crowds. Burson had clearly been to the city before and knew his way. Or maybe his
Gift
was leading.

The shops came to an end and turned into stalls run by traders or fishermen’s wives. A wide expanse of blue opened up before them. The sun glittered on the stretch of sea leading to forever. Masts rose, tall and stark, in the sleepy harbor. A ship was making its way out of the sheltered harbor toward the wide open sea.

The lane led down to the docks. Traders and fisherman moved to and from ships.

“There!” Marc pointed at a large, weather-beaten ship at the beginning of the docks. Tomous stood in front, staring in their direction. Tara was already on the ship gesturing wildly to a skinny man wearing dirty overalls over a splotched brown shirt with the legs rolled up to his calves. His feet were bare, as were those of his crew running around him.

“Captain!” Alarm colored Tobias’ voice.

Shanti glanced at Tobias and saw that coming down a parallel lane ran twenty horses carrying Graygual and a few Inkna. Hooves behind them had everyone turning in their saddles to see another group running directly behind them. The Hunter’s men were closing in.

“We’re too late!” someone yelled. It sounded like Tepson. “We’ll never make it!”