Pathfinder's Way (41 page)

She was going straight to the operations
master and getting orders for the first scouting party leaving
here. She had stayed too long, and it was time to do what she
should have done months ago. Leave.

“Shane, wait up.”

Shea turned to see who was calling her, but
her feet didn’t slow a beat even when she saw Eamon ambling towards
her. She increased her pace until she was walking as fast as she
could without running.

“Shane, kid, wait up.” Eamon jogged after
her. Catching up, he placed a hand on her shoulder and forcibly
pulled her to a stop. “Why didn’t you stop?”

She jerked one shoulder up in answer and
looked down at her feet.

“Shane.” Eamon’s voice held a note of
warning.

She looked him in the eye and said through
gritted teeth. “Was just in a hurry is all.”

His eyes narrowed as they took in her closed
off expression, and the way she immediately dropped her gaze after
answering him.

“Bullshit.”

Shea glared at him while her jaw took on a
mutinous slant.

“Are you just now being released?”

Shea’s face froze as she squinted up at him
before glancing over her shoulder at the tent she’d just left.
Darius and Caden walked out and were heading for Fallon’s quarters.
Caden tossed a glance her way, taking in Eamon’s worried stance and
her angrier one.

She turned her back. “Just now? Do you mean
to tell me you and the others were released earlier?”

“I was freed shortly after we were separated.
Phillip was released even before that and Buck not long after
me.”

“What?” Shea semi screeched as her eyebrows
climbed to her hairline.

That’d been hours ago. The sun had risen at
some point during her detainment and was now a giant ball of orange
hanging low over the mountains as the sky lightened to an almost
painfully vibrant blue.

Shea’s stomach grumbled reminding her that it
was early morning, and her last meal had been the pastry the guard
had given her.

“I take it they just finished debriefing
you.”

She gave him a glare and spun on her heel.
She was going to find one of the cook’s fires, get some breakfast,
then head to her tent for a nap. Afterwards, she’d head for the
operations master and see what she could do about getting out of
here.

Eamon’s long legs easily kept pace with her
shorter ones, content to leave her to her thoughts as she strode
along, her face holding all the warmth of a thunder cloud.

“Your story couldn’t have been that different
from ours.”

“What?”

“I’m just trying to figure out why they kept
you so long.”

Shea turned her head slightly as if she’d
seen something, not wanting him to see the caution that was
suddenly there.

“With us, they just asked why we thought to
leave the main search. Once they thanked us for saving Hawkvale,
they released us. Was it not the same for you?”

Shea shrugged, careful to keep her face
turned away. “I think they were a little more suspicious since I’m
a Lowlander.”

Eamon frowned as he considered this piece of
information.

“They thought I might be a spy so I think
they checked out your stories before they debriefed me.” She tried
for a grin but only managed a half-hearted grimace. “Guess they
believe that now, since they released me.”

“Suppose so.” Eamon’s eyes were alive with
suspicion and a little bit of concern.

Shea smothered the guilty feeling she had at
telling him half-truths. “This’ll be a pretty amazing story to brag
about when you get together with the other scout masters later,
huh?”

He gave her a half grin. “I probably won’t
have to fetch my own ale for a while.”

“Maybe you’ll even get that promotion to
field master they should’ve given you ages ago.”

He made a pleased expression and looked off
into the distance.

“Go ahead and sleep as long as you need,”
Eamon told her after they had gotten a plate of biscuits, eggs and
bacon. “We’re off the mission roster for the time being.”

Shea nearly choked on the mouthful of fluffy,
buttery biscuit. Swallowing harshly, she gasped, “What?”

“The orders of the Warlord’s second. He wants
us close for the time being.” Eamon was absorbed in trying to pick
up the last scraps of egg with one of his biscuit halves and missed
Shea’s stricken expression. “I think it’s because he wants us there
when Hawkvale wakes up.”

Shea’s eyes widened slightly, and she became
absorbed in fiddling with her food.

“Whatever the reason, we’re tied to camp
until the restriction is lifted.”

Mistaking the slump in her shoulders for
disappointment at being sidelined, he clapped her on the back.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll put us back on the roster soon.
They’ll probably have so many expeditions for you that you’ll wish
you were still stuck at camp.”

Shea’s lips stretched tight across her teeth
in a smile that felt more like a grimace. “You’re probably
right.”

“I’ll see you at supper then,” Eamon told
her.

She nodded as he left before staring unseeing
at the tents across from her.

What was she supposed to do now? If she’d
been taken off the roster, that meant no assignments. She was stuck
here.

Already, Darius was suspicious of her. He’d
outright told her she reminded him of herself. Caden’s sharp eyes
hadn’t missed anything either. She doubted she could get through
too many more encounters with them before her secrets were
revealed.

Somehow she had to find a way onto one of the
outgoing parties. How was still a mystery, but she’d figure it out.
If it came down to it, she would try to sneak past the sentries.
She knew their habits now. It’d be difficult but not
impossible.

She got to her feet and brushed the dirt from
her pants. Sitting here would get her no closer to freedom. She
needed to put a plan in place before people knew she’d been
restricted to camp. Sleep would have to wait a few hours.

Hopefully, she could trade with another
scout. Maybe one that had been out hunting for Hawkvale last night.
Chances were a scouting party wouldn’t leave until later in the
morning which might even give her enough time to get a nap.

She cut down a small alley sandwiched between
two tents and plodded past a few campfires with the smell of
breakfast clinging to them. Though it was still the early hours of
the morning, the sun was up which meant the Trateri were up.

She headed for the tent where the scouts were
given their assignments. Usually there were a couple of scouts
hanging around outside. She hoped she’d find someone she knew.

“Shane!”

Clark’s hand was a blur as he stood up and
waved madly to attract her attention. The men sitting with him
studied her as she made her way over to the group.

She felt her stomach sink as she was greeted
with an open curiosity verging on approval. They possibly knew
about Fallon’s rescue.

Clark bounced to her side and grabbed her arm
to drag her in front of the other men.

“This is Shane. He’s the one who came up with
the idea to start the board of beasts.” The two on the left dipped
their chins in acknowledgement.

“That’s a pretty impressive idea you had,”
the larger one said gruffly. His hair was a scraggly mess reaching
down to his shoulders, and his features were blunt and weather
beaten. “The knowledge I’ve picked up from that book saved mine and
my men’s asses more than once now.”

“My captain has made it an order that one of
us is to report to the board of beasts before and after a patrol to
get updates in case any new information has been put up there,” the
younger one said. His warm, brown eyes twinkled with good will and
his features still had a trace of baby fat.

“Clark played a bigger role in that than I
did,” Shea said uncomfortably, grateful that they were talking
about beasts and not Fallon.

“Don’t sell yourself short, boy,” the first
man said. “Way Clark tells it, it was your idea originally. You got
to accept praise when it comes your way. Else people begin to think
you got false modesty, and you’re thinking you’re better than
them.”

He finished his speech by taking a huge bit
out of a biscuit and then gulping down some of his drink.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Clark piped up again. “Shane, is it true
you’re the one who found the Hawkvale? That’s all anybody has been
talking about since we rode into camp.”

Damn. She was hoping he hadn’t known. This
meant everybody here knew as well.

“I heard you and your men refused to give
Hawkvale to his personal guard and got punished for it,” the
brown-eyed man said eagerly.

Shea gritted her teeth. Did everything from
last night make the rounds? These men gossiped worse than the old
biddies in Birdon Leaf.

All eyes were on Shea. Even those outside the
circle of men she was talking to. Those at neighboring fires had
given up any pretense of ignoring them and had turned to
listen.

Left with no choice, Shea confirmed, “My team
and I did find Hawkvale.”

Clark let out a whoop, and Shea cringed as
his brown-eyed friend echoed it. The bigger man chewed thoughtfully
on his biscuit while examining her closely. A low rumble came from
the neighboring campsites, and three men stood and ambled closer to
stand with arms folded over huge chests behind the three men
sitting before Shea.

She shifted uneasily. So much for not drawing
attention to herself.

“I told you,” Clark crowed. “I told you I
knew him. I can’t believe this. I’m friends with the man who saved
Hawkvale. You’re going to be a legend, Shane. After this, you’ll
probably be promoted, and I’ll get to say I knew you when you were
just a Daisy.”

Shea smiled tightly in response to the nods
of appreciation and crossed her arms over her stomach.

“Clark, could I speak to you alone for a
second?” Shea grabbed Clark’s arm and hauled him away before he
could answer.

“Shane, what’s the rush?” Clark asked, nearly
stumbling as she swept around a corner.

Her eyes darted around, making sure they were
as alone as they could get in this tent city. No one seemed to be
paying undue attention to them, but there was an itching sensation
drilling into the back of her head as if they were being watched.
Another subtle scan of the area didn’t reveal what set off her
instincts, but she’d learned over the years to pay attention to
them. They’d saved her life more than once.

There were men dressed in the distinctive
green of a scout and the more common browns and tans of a front
liner. None paid undue attention to Shea or her companion and
continued on their way.

She took a deep breath, forcing a composure
she didn’t feel.

“When’s your next mission?” she asked.

She felt a twinge of guilt at the innocent
questions in his eyes.

“Not ‘til tomorrow morning. They wanted us to
rest up a little. Why?”

How much should she tell him? Not the truth,
but maybe a version of it.

She allowed some of the frustration she was
feeling to register on her face and dragged a hand through her
short hair. “This stuff with the Hawkvale is just making me a
little antsy. All the attention is kind of getting to me. Not to
mention our squad has been taken off the register for at least a
week.” She gave him a sheepish smile. “I’ve never been in camp that
long. I guess I was just hoping that I could tag along the next
time you or one of the others head out.”

“I can ask Perry if you could come with us,”
Clark offered.

As a scout, he understood what she was
talking about. Sometimes spending all your time with a small group
of men out in the great wide expanse made it difficult to come back
to the chaos of camp life. Being forced into a rest could wind a
scout up quicker than any beast encounter.

She considered his offer. Tomorrow would be
too late. She needed to leave today. Preferably ten minutes from
now.

“Still, it’d be a shame missing all this
recognition,” Clark continued. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Hawkvale
doesn’t throw you some kind of feast.”

She shrugged off-handedly. “I’ve never really
been a fan of attention. Besides, I doubt they’ll invite me to any
feast. I’m not Trateri.”

“I don’t think it’ll matter if you’re
Trateri. You might even get adopted into a clan because of this.”
Clark’s eyes lit in excitement. “That’d be something. If you became
a true Trateri. You’d be one of us.”

“You wouldn’t happen to know of anybody who’s
leaving sooner? For instance, this morning?”

Clark sighed, disappointment clear in his
eyes. “I think Remy’s group is leaving this morning. I’ll ask if
they can use another scout.”

Shane nearly leapt forward to hug Clark but
at the last minute turned her excitement into a brisk pat on the
back.

“Meet me at the corral in an hour,” he told
her. “If he says yes, you’ll leave directly from there.”

Shea smiled big, and Clark stilled. He
blinked, as if seeing something he hadn’t before. The smile fell
from her face.

“Thanks, Clark. I owe you for this,” Shea
continued, ignoring the look of surprise and speculation on Clark’s
face.

“No problem.”

Shea’s mind was already on her small tent and
its belongings, mentally cataloging what she needed for her journey
and what she could leave behind. She gave him another distracted
smile before setting off for her tent.

An hour later Shea leaned against the rough
fence encircling the corral, bag packed, waiting for Clark and his
friend. The sun felt good on her face and the morning had warmed
significantly. It was going to be a hot one.

She straightened as Clark came into view with
a taller, skinnier man following close behind. The second man
looked like a stick, complete with knobby elbows and long, thin
limbs.