Hunted: The Warrior Chronicles #2 (5 page)

When Shanti saw what waited near the larger road, her heart started to pound and she yanked back on the reins without thinking. The horse skidded and bounced to a stop, breathing hard. Shanti stared with a churning mind, also breathing hard. Rohnan’s horse pranced to a halt beside her, warning and fear radiating from him. The old man was there a moment later, smiling at the sky.

A large group of black clad men blocked a hasty escape. Twelve Graygual, ten on foot and two on horseback. Shanti couldn’t see the stripes on their tunics, but none of them had the intellect of a higher-level officer. The Hunter wasn’t one of those twelve.

A group of
Sarshers
stood in two neat rows, five in each on the grass at the side. One wore white—a master executioner, an expert at attacking with his
Gift
.

“The Superior Officer thought we’d go east. Toward the Shadow Lands.” Shanti analyzed the minds ahead. The officers on horse were keen and level-headed, probably skilled with a sword, but hopefully not excellent; they lacked a cunning that most advanced swordsmen had. The others were lower ranks and wouldn’t pose too much of a problem for her and Rohnan. It was the addition of the
Sarshers
, though, that gave her cause for concern.

She wasn’t as good a fighter when she was engaged in mental warfare at a distance. Fighting with a sword and her
Gift
simultaneously was something she’d trained for all her life, but fighting one person with a sword, and another with her mind, was like patting one’s head while also rubbing one’s stomach. It took great concentration and slowed her down. With ten of them, all reasonably powerful, her odds did not look good.

“They are too many, Rohnan,” Shanti admitted. “We have no chance. It’ll take everything I have to fight off the mental attack, even with your help through a power merge. You can’t take on twelve Graygual, not with two of them being good swordsmen.”

“Can we race them to the route we mean to take?” Rohnan asked with a desperate edge to his voice.

“Then what? We’ll have to walk the horses even if I manage to find it quickly. The Graygual will just pour in after us, mentally fighting the whole way. I can feel them already, gathering power. We don’t have much time.”

Rohnan looked over at the old man. He was staring into the distance with sparkling eyes. “If we’re killed, or taken, he’ll be taken as well. I don’t know what he’s capable of, but he’s important or they wouldn’t have organized this quickly. We can’t let them have him.”

She knew what Rohnan was saying.
Kill him—we can’t risk Xandre with him.

Shanti looked at the old man. He sat so peaceful. So placid. He was waiting patiently in his own world as two powers fought over him. He didn’t seem worried, or afraid of what might come. With the prospect of death, or capture by a people that had whipped and beat him, that seemed odd. Maybe he
was
mad.

She thought back to when she had first realized Cayan had a powerful
Gift
. She remembered thinking she had to kill him—she’d even tried. She was so thankful she had failed.

Shanti hung her head as the Graygual began to walk in their direction, readying for battle. “No, Rohnan. I know this was the way we always agreed we’d handle this situation. We’d kill our own people, we’d kill ourselves, and we’d kill any human weapons before Xandre could use them for his own devices. It seems logical, I guess. And so far I’ve followed the wishes of our people. I killed our friends and family when they were captured. I attempted to kill Cayan…”

She swallowed through the lump in her throat and watched the collection of black uniforms draw closer. The path she had to follow seemed so obvious. It was also the opposite of her instinct this far on the journey.

“Chosen or no, at some point I have to think for myself,” she said, coming to a decision. “At some point, I have to trust the Elders. I have to
believe
that I am on the right path. This is that moment, Rohnan. You found this man. I found you. And we will all go and join with Cayan. That feels right. So I will trust in it.”

She barely heard Rohnan’s sigh.

A somber voice said,
“You are in a prison of your own devising. Only when you allow yourself freedom of thought can you obtain freedom of mind. The path is before you, you just have to push through your fears to traverse it.”

“And I’m positive he can understand us,” Shanti said, tucking her map deep into her binding to make sure it stayed. If she failed, she’d betray the only other uprising she knew of. She couldn’t fail.

The weight of the gold was light in her hand as she pulled away the satchel and tossed it to the old man.
“Hold this for me, please. I’ll collect it later if I’m still alive.”
She swung her foot over her horse’s back and jumped down.

“You are harder to kill on horseback,” Rohnan said as he twirled his staff.

“Think before you speak, Rohnan.”

He smirked. “True. All they’d have to do is blow in your direction and you’d fall off, land on your head, and be killed by a rock. I’ll take the riders, you take everyone else.”

“Sounds fair,” Shanti said in a dry tone.

The sword glinted with a dangerous light as she freed it from the scabbard. Her knives hugged her thigh in comfort. The sun continued its slow rise, shining down on their battlefield as if Death wasn’t present in every moment. Shanti closed her eyes and felt the trees swaying in the light breeze, infusing her with strength. The grasses gently tapped her legs, grounding her. The minds of animals moved deep in the dense foliage way ahead of them. Shanti and her party would be joining them. She
felt
it. The Elders were guiding her feet this day. They would not let her fail.

She brushed Rohnan’s mind and was immediately merged with family. Shanti glanced at the old man, who was squinting at the Graygual. She waited until he caught her stare with intense, calculating eyes before she said,
“You don’t want to be captured—both for your benefit and ours. You might’ve been treated reasonably well so far, but that won’t last. If we start to lose, you had best run. Freedom is more than a state of mind.”

He nodded, almost imperceptibly. Then, in her and Rohnan’s language, said, “You are a rare creature, and the loyalty you inspire is legendary. I am seeing but tiny glimpses of the fruits of your labor, but it is enough to nod to the Divine Leader—or the Elders, in your case. They’ve chosen correctly. But you are a long way from your journey’s end, and you have yet to balance with the Left Hand. An exciting prospect—I am eager to meet the prophecy.” He put his hand to his chest. “I have been selected to guide you, Wanderer. I have waited long for my path to intersect with yours, and now that it has, we have much planning to do. So please, continue. I will ensure we move forward.”

Shanti couldn’t help the gaping stare.

“Here they come, Chosen,” Rohnan said as he kicked his horse to a trot.

Shanti ripped her gaze away from the old man. There were questions that needed answers, but first there was a battle to win.

“Told you he wasn’t mad,” Rohnan yelled over his shoulder as his horse carried him away. “I’m right, admit it. I know everything.”

Shanti started to run. “You still got captured with no hope of escape. Being right doesn’t mean you’re not stupid.”

She heard Rohnan’s snort, but felt his mirth drip away. The Graygual on the ground started to run, too, their feet thundering on the dirt as they increased their pace. The horses trotted behind them, but Rohnan was closing the distance. They’d go faster soon.

The
Sarshers
stayed where they were, no doubt waiting until she was good and close before unleashing their nasty tricks. She didn’t wait. With a sharp blast of power, she aimed for the
Sarsher
in the white shirt. Her mind slammed against a tight block, sending the man a step back into one of his comrades.

Didn’t expect that much power, huh?

The first Graygual fighter met her, then. She slashed down with her sword. He raised his weapon for a block. Her arm vibrated from the clash. Without losing speed, she stepped to the side and stabbed with her other hand. The blade of her knife jammed in his eye. She pushed him back with her forearm and yanked her blade free. Tossing it up, she caught the tip and threw it at a Graygual with a face ruined by a wicked scar. His throat blossomed around the hilt and blood poured down his neck.

She threw another sharp mental jab at the Master Executioner. Her power smashed into his mental block, again. She sent another pulse, battering at him. Trying to break down his shield. Weakening his defenses.

A sword whipped by her head. A quick feint and rapid feet had her at the Graygual’s back, deftly stepping over the dead bodies from moments before. She stabbed through the center of him and whirled to three oncoming figures. She slammed down her mental shields, knowing this was the perfect time for the
Sarshers
to attack.

She blocked a sword strike from a thin man while dancing left. She kicked high, catching one of the three in the face. His jaw cracked. She snatched a knife as she spun. The blade sliced across a vulnerable throat. The follow-through had her arm even with the thin man’s neck. She stabbed, only to catch air. He’d ducked.

She took two fast steps and struck, her sword slashing through the stomach of the fighter with a broken jaw. The thin man’s sword came down, barely missing her head.

He was getting irritating.

She turned to him, only to find herself squaring off against two more. Metal rang somewhere behind them.
Hurry Rohnan, I’m about to be overrun!

Knife in one hand, sword in the other, she feinted one way then the other and waited for someone to bite. A sword came, as expected. She danced out of reach then stepped back, cleaving a huge man through the gut. He staggered, cutting off an advance from the thin man.

“Hurry Rohnan!” she shouted.

She swung and thrust, dodging one swing and blocking another. Another man joined the foray as the thin man darted behind her. She spun toward the little bastard.

“Bloody die!” she yelled in frustration, striking. His sword swung as a grin lit up his face. Another man was closing in to her side. Things were getting dicey.

Then she realized that the mental attack had not come.

In a rush, she peeled back the block from her
Gift
, wondering if they were waiting for another attack from her before engaging. Instead, she met nothingness. It was as if no one in the clearing had mental powers.

She blocked the quick man’s sword and jerked forward with her knife. The blade cut through fabric but only entered a shallow amount of skin. Taking a lesson from Sanders, Cayan’s army Commander, she kicked upwards as hard as she could. Her foot connected with the apex of the quick man’s legs. She heard the second crack of the battle, but this one elicited a higher pitched scream.

She mentally stabbed again, intending to blast through the block and snatch up anything that came at her. Her
thrust
met soft, squishy tissue. Like a hot knife directly into an exposed brain, her power sliced right through, killing the Master Executioner in an instant.

A sword appeared above her. The sun glinted off its clean blade as the death blow raced toward her. In a moment of panic, she stepped to the side and
slashed
with her
Gift
. The man howled in agony. He contorted backward. One hand clutched his head, the other dropped the sword and tried to reach behind him to claw at his back.

Without a moment to lose, Shanti turned with sword, ready to meet the next attacker as she prepared a killing sweep of the
Sarshers
. A staff with a wicked, curved blade swung down. Rohnan had finally arrived.

She let loose a blanket of mental pain, aiming for the
Sarshers
. They were staring at the dead Master Executioner or looking confused and wild-eyed. But why weren’t they using their powers?

Not about to question the help of the Elders, she
raked
through their exposed and fragile minds, completely vulnerable without blocks or attacks. They each clutched at their heads and screamed as she stepped forward and slashed through the body of a Graygual.

Seeing Rohnan advancing on the remaining Graygual with a killing strike at the ready, Shanti threw the blade. The knife struck the middle of the red circle on the Graygual’s breast. Deep crimson stained his front as his shaking hands groped for the hilt. Rohnan pulled back his staff as the horse ran by. He glanced off toward the
Sarshers
, who had all sunk to their knees and fallen where they knelt.

He slowed his horse to a walk as his incredulous gaze came to rest on hers. “How—”

“I don’t know,” she said, checking to make sure everyone was dead.

“We should search them.” Disgust lanced Rohnan’s voice.

Shanti nodded as her gut twisted. Swallowing back bile at the most loathsome part of killing on the run, she bent to the first dead and bloodied body and searched his clothing, pulling out money and weapons, but leaving personal artifacts.

“I hate this part, too, but it’s necessary.” Rohnan slid off the horse and followed her example.

“We haven’t much time before someone comes to check in,” Shanti murmured, patting down the next man. She glanced again at the downed
Sarshers
. “They never engaged. It was like they suddenly lost their mental power.”

She moved to the next Graygual as two horses trotted up. The old man led Shanti’s horse by the lead. He said, “We all have different gifts. It is how we use those gifts in unison that will determine the eventual outcome.”

Shanti wiped her hands on a clean part of an enemy tunic before she straightened up. She used her palm to block the rays of the sun as she looked up at the old man. His mind was as unreadable as ever. “You can block mental power. Is that what you mean? That is your
Gift
?”

“We have much to discuss, but not now. Let us look at that map and get out of harm’s way.”

“There is no getting out of harm’s way,” Shanti responded, pulling out the map. “The Hunter will find our trail and track us. The best we can hope for is to outrun him.”