Progeny (The Children of the White Lions) (68 page)

Jak was beyond baffled how the man had come to be here. Jak could have left the man a detailed map to this fort and the sergeant would have not been able to find this place.

Frowning, he shook his head slowly, certain the sergeant would be over shortly to talk to him.

“Well, that will certainly be an interesting conversation.”

He had no idea how to explain any of this to the man. Spirit soldiers made of moonlight, mages, a White Lion, ancient prophecies. The sergeant was likely to think him mad.

“Jak?”

Glancing down, he found Sabine still staring up at him, her expression calm and steady.

“Mind telling me who all those men are?”

“Soldiers of the Great Lakes. Red Sentinels.”

“Why are they here?”

Holding Sabine’s gaze, Jak sighed.

“I’m guessing for they are here for us.”

A frown on her face, Sabine asked, “Did you and your family do something wrong, Jak?”

His eyebrows lifted and he gave a dry chuckle.

“We were born. Does that count?”

Sabine demanded, “What is going on here?”

Rubbing a hand over his face, he replied, “How about I go find out?”

Sabine gave a firm nod, saying, “You do that.”

Helene tilted her head back to look at her sister.

“I’m scared, Sabine.”

Smiling down at the toddler, Sabine stroked Helene’s hair.

“Don’t be. Everything is fine.”

Jak bent down beside the pair and looked into Helene’s small face.

“Hey, Helene. Can you do something for me?”

The little girl nodded, silent.

“Good.” Pointing to Nikalys and Kenders, he said, “Your job is to make sure they sleep well? Can you do that?”

Helene looked over at his brother and sister and nodded again.

Patting her on the head, he said, “Thank you.” He shifted his gaze to Sabine. “I’ll be back.”

Sabine nodded as he stood and faced the chaos.

“I want answers, Jak.”

Without looking back, he muttered to himself, “I’m not sure you do.” He strode toward Broedi and the tomble, walking up as the little redheaded man was speaking excitedly.

“—she heal them at once? And so quickly?”

Broedi was eyeing the tomble with caution. “She is gifted, that is all.” As Jak approached, he looked up and began to ask, “Are they—”

The tomble interrupted, saying, “Gifted?” He was incredulous. “Gifted?” Shaking his head, he said, “What she just did should be impossible!”

Broedi replied, “Yes, well—”

“I don’t know a single mage who could have done that,” interjected the tomble. “She didn’t even let them heal themselves! She just did it—” He cut off, his eyes widening as though he had suddenly arrived at the answer to a playman’s riddle. “Eliza Kap! The Masterweaver! That’s who her mother is, isn’t it?”

Jak’s hand drifted to the hilt of the sword he did not know how to use. Stepping between the tomble and his siblings’ unconscious bodies, he said, “Broedi?” The name carried with it a clear question: what do we do?

Smiling, the tomble stared up at Broedi, eyes wide, and whispered in awe, “Then you
are
Thonda’s champion…”

Broedi quickly moved to Jak’s side—also positioning himself between the tomble and Jak’s brother and sister—a low, lupine growl emanating from his throat.

The tomble eyes widened further, dancing between Broedi to Jak. Throwing up his small hands, he took a few steps backwards.

“Ah…I should explain.”

“Yes, you should,” growled Broedi. “And quickly.” His voice carried a clear warning.

Keeping his gaze locked on the hillman, the tomble called over his shoulder, “Nathan? A moment, please?”

Sergeant Trell—kneeling beside one of the previously injured men—glanced up, peered at the trio, and frowned. After patting the soldier’s shoulder, he stood and strode toward the group, his gaze darting from person to person.

Jak.

Broedi.

Sabine and Helene.

Nikalys and Kenders.

Jak and Broedi for a second time.

Stopping beside the tomble, the sergeant said, “Nundle, what did you say to make the large Shapechanger look so upset?”

“I may have gotten a bit ahead of myself.”

“We spoke of this, Nundle.”

“I know,” replied the tomble. “But I did not expect all of…this.” He waved around at the fort and the injured soldiers. “I got a little excited.”

“Who are you?” rumbled Broedi. “While I appreciate your help, I must wonder as to why you offered it. Why are there Red Sentinels here? With a Tracker, no less?”

Alarmed, Jak glanced around the camp, searching.

“There’s a Tracker here?”

“Yes,” growled Broedi. “There is.”

Sergeant Trell held up a hand and said, “First off, the Tracker will not touch any of you. Should he try, I’ll tie him to a horse and send him back into that fort. I understand our appearance might be worrisome, but we mean you no harm. In fact, we—” he glanced down at the tomble “—would simply like an opportunity to speak with you.”

Nodding quickly, Nundle said, “Very much so, please.”

Jak exchanged a quick look with Broedi. The stoicism was gone from the hillman’s face. For once, he seemed as surprised as any normal soul might be.

Peering back to the soldier, Jak asked, “Speak about what exactly, Sergeant Trell?”

Turning to Jak, Broedi rumbled, “And how is it you know each other?”

“Remember the soldiers I met on the road before I found you in the woods?” asked Jak. Nodding at the Red Sentinel, Jak said, “This is the sergeant I spoke with.” He looked back to Broedi. “It’s what I was trying to tell you in the fort. I recognized him.”

Broedi lifted his eyebrows.

“That seems quite a coincidence.”

Nodding, Jak agreed wholeheartedly, “An impossible one, I’d say.”

Sergeant Trell turned to stare at the looming ruins.

“Speaking of the fort, should I worry about those…whatever they were?”

Nundle shook his head vigorously, saying, “Not at all. They’re confined within the walls. They guard. They will not sally forth.”

“Are you sure?” asked the sergeant.

Broedi, his intense gaze resting on Nundle, rumbled, “The tomble is correct, Sergeant. The Imperial soldiers will not trouble us out here. We are safe from them.”

Sergeant Trell met Broedi’s eyes and, after a moment, nodded.

“Good to know. Now, if you don’t mind, I need to see to my men.” He glanced about the grasslands. “We’ll set camp here and, after that, I’d like to trade tales.” He peered between Broedi and Jak. “What say you?”

Jak looked to Broedi. The hillman was glaring at the soldier, clearly unhappy with the situation.

“Broedi?”

Without taking his eyes from the sergeant, Broedi rumbled, “Yes, uori?”

Nodding to Sergeant Trell, Jak said, “He treated me fairly on the road.” Looking to the soldiers, he added, “And they helped us in the fort. I say we listen. Besides, Nik and Kenders are passed out. We’re not going anywhere for a while.”

After a long moment of quiet, Broedi rumbled, “Agreed.”

Sergeant Trell nodded once. “Good.” Glancing at Jak, he gave a wondering shake of his head, a tiny smile on his face. “Nice to see you again, Jak.”

“You as well, Sergeant.”

With that, the soldier turned and strode back to his men, calling out orders for camp to be set. The soldiers leapt to obey. Even those who had been injured joined in, seemingly unaffected by their ordeal.

Broedi looked at Jak and rumbled, “I’m going to check on your kaveli and iskoa.” He glanced at the tomble before looking back to Jak. “Say
nothing
, uori.”

As Broedi moved off, Jak studied the soldiers, looking for the corporal and the nobleman’s son but spotting neither. It took a few moments, but Jak realized the group before him was about half the size of the detachment he had visited along the Southern Road. The Sentinels hurried about, putting the camp together, continuously glancing over at Jak and the others with expressions of wonder affixed to their faces.

“They’re probably trying to make sense what’s happening.”

Looking down, Jak found tomble beside him, staring up. “You can add me to that list.” It was beyond implausible that he had come across the same group of soldiers weeks ago. The tomble’s presence made things even stranger.

Nundle continued to peer at Jak, the look upon the tomble’s face one of straining to see something that was invisible. The staring made Jak uncomfortable. After a few moments, he pointed to his brother and sister.

“Well, then…I’m going to go check on them.”

The tomble nodded. “Of course. Go, go.” Nundle smiled wide.

Jak gave the tomble one last curious look before spinning around and walking back to where his siblings lie. He felt the little man’s eyes staring at his back as he strode away.

Broedi was standing over Nikalys and Kenders, his arms crossed across his chest, and glaring at the soldiers. Besides Sabine and Helene sitting on the ground, they were alone. As Jak approached, he looked to Broedi.

“What now?”

“We talk,” rumbled Broedi, his eyes never leaving the men busily setting up camp in the moonlight.

Stopping beside the hillman, he faced the soldiers, too.

“What do you suppose the tomble’s story is?”

“I hope to find out.”

Hesitant to say too much in front of Sabine and Helene, Jak paused before saying, “He seems to know quite a lot about…things.” He felt Sabine’s glare but ignored it.

Broedi rumbled, “He does, does he not? Both who I am and—” He stopped, glanced askance at Sabine, then back to the soldiers. “We will see what all he knows.”

“That’s it,” said Sabine, her tone firm. “I want answers. Now.”

Looking over to her, Jak said, “Sabine, I’m just not sure if—”

Sabine cut him off, saying, “I would have to be blind, deaf, and brainless to not know there is something odd going on. Kenders is a mage. Whatever it is that Nikalys does is plainly not natural.” Her eyes locked onto Broedi. “Not to mention the giant man who can turn into a cat
and a
bear
.”

Facing her, Jak said, “Sabine, it’s not—”

“I’m not done! What are you all running from?” Pointing at the soldiers, she asked, “Them? Because if so, then it seems rather strange they
helped
you when they found you!”

Jak said, “Actually, I’m not sure why—”

“They ride right in, swords drawn and save us all from getting sliced by spirit soldiers. Bless the gods! Listen to me! ‘Spirit soldiers!’ If I had not seen it, I would
never
believe it!”

Jak did not respond for two reasons. The first was that he had no idea what to tell her, and the second being he expected she would interrupt him again the moment he opened his mouth. Broedi’s gaze had never left the soldiers throughout her brief interrogation.

When neither of them replied, her eyes, cold and steady, darted between them both.

“Are you running from the Cabal?”

Broedi finally looked away from the Red Sentinels, his gaze shooting to her.

“What did you say?”

Nodding as if Broedi had just confirmed something for her, she said, “Kenders slipped up and almost told me, but said she couldn’t unless you—” she pointed at Broedi “—said it was fine. I was content to let you have your little secret.” She looked to the soldiers and the fort. Only, it seems that it’s not so little.” Staring back to Broedi and Jak, she demanded, “I deserve to know what I’ve gotten me and my sister into!”

When she finished, she sat motionless, her steady-eyed gaze boring into Jak and Broedi. Now that she was quiet, Jak heard a couple of quiet sobs. Helene had begun to cry again. Sabine noticed as well. Her eyes softened as she dropped her head and pulled her sister tighter. “Hey, it’s all right, Helene. Shhh. Everything is fine. There’s nothing to be afraid of.” After a few moments of consolation, Sabine’s glare returned to Jak and Broedi. In a softer tone than before, yet no less intense, she said, “Tell me.
Now
.”

Jak admired Sabine’s tenacity. She simply wanted to protect her sister, her only remaining family. The same thing Jak wanted. He respected that. Looking to Broedi, he said, “I think we should tell her. She has a right to know.”

Sabine shot him a grateful look, while the hillman remained quiet and pensive. After a long moment, Broedi finally nodded and rumbled, “I will share everything. But I have one condition, uora.”

“And what is that?”

“Once you know the truth, you must stay with us. You cannot leave unless I say you can.”

Not sure that he liked the sound of that, Jak asked, “What are you saying? They’re captives?”

“Name it what you will,” rumbled Broedi, staring at him. “If they know the truth, they remain with us. Too much is at stake.” He peered down at Sabine. “I would, however, prefer that your company be voluntary.”

Jak wanted to argue with Broedi, but a glance down at his unconscious brother and sister shoved away his reservations. Broedi was right. Too much was at stake.

Sabine took only a moment to consider before nodding her head.

“Agreed. Even with the madness that follows you, you remain the sweetest of the sour.”

Helene shifted in Sabine’s lap, stared up to her sister’s face, and asked, “Are we staying, Sabine?” Her cheeks glistened in the light of the soldier’s torches.

Sabine offered a tiny, reassuring smile while patting her sister’s back.

“Yes, dear. We are.”

Helene rested her head back on Sabine’s shoulder and said, “Good.” She yawned. “I’m tired.”

Sighing, Sabine stood from the grass and eyed Broedi and Jak.

“I’m going to get Helene to sleep. When I come back, we are talking, yes?”

Broedi rumbled, “If you so desire.”

With a satisfied nod, Sabine strode off, away from the chaos of the camp. As Jak caught the first few quiet notes of
Happy Times at the
Fair, he looked over to Broedi.

“I guess your secret isn’t much of a secret anymore, is it?”

With his gaze on Sabine and a slight frown on his face, Broedi rumbled quietly, “Do not worry, uori. I have others.”

Broedi watched the soldiers closely as they set up camp.