Thread Slivers (Golden Threads Trilogy) (49 page)

D
ITANI WAS COOKING SOME RABBITS they had bagged earlier. Lebuin decided to take advantage of the lull in conversation to check on Ticca, as he had roughly once a mark since they had parted company. She had gone to town, had dinner, and now had a room for the night. This time when he checked, Ticca was just climbing into a bath, and after a moment of marveling at how beautiful she was he rather guiltily stopped looking. He shifted, looking at Ditani to see if somehow Ditani could see what he had witnessed or done, only to notice his pants were far too tight.
Oh my Lord, I am fully aroused. I never really considered Ticca that way. Lord, don’t let Ditani see this.

He turned around as he stood, so that his back would be to Ditani. “I am going to... ah... practice a little while you cook.”

“Milord, we just finished practice.”

He moved off slightly, coughing. “I... ah... want to test something with magic.”

Ditani called after him, “OK, don’t go far. I’ll call when the rabbits are done.” He wasn’t sure but he thought he heard Ditani chuckle.
Oh Lord, he noticed.

Walking a short distance, he played with some light telekinetic tricks. His air powers were really back to nearly full strength. He had even momentarily cast the cleaning incantation he used and was enjoying not feeling as grimy.
Now if I can get water involved I can even heat up some river water or a pool to take a comfortable bath out here. I wish we had all gone to town; I could use a nice bath too.

Pulling his knife out, he toyed with hitting stick targets that he floated around. Watching the knife fly he had an idea. “Ditani, can you put those rabbits aside for a moment? I need someone to help test something.”

Ditani came walking over. “So you really are testing something?”

Lebuin laughed. “OK, Dad, really I didn’t mean.”

Ditani waved his hand. “It was only natural. She is taking a bath?” Lebuin laughed, nodding. “OK, so you wanted to test something.”

“Yes please, grab these sticks and throw them in any direction you want, but wait for a moment or three so I don’t know when you are going to do it.”

Ditani shrugged, taking the sticks he made like he was going to throw one but didn’t. Instead he tossed the one in his off hand, using an underhanded toss. Lebuin threw his knife fairly accurately but still it was slightly off. He gave it a telekinetic kick to both adjust its course and to accelerate it. The knife pierced the stick efficiently and they fell together to the ground. Ditani whistled. “Did that knife just change course?”

Lebuin nodded. “Yes, I just thought of this. I have been using telekinetic magic since I was about eight for all kinds of things. I just realized that I can do it almost instinctively so I thought it might improve my combat skills if I used it like a third hand or to improve accuracy on moving targets.”

Ditani walked over and picked up the knife stuck through the stick, pulling it out. He tossed the knife back to Lebuin. As Lebuin caught it Ditani drew his knives. “Let’s see if you can really use it as a third hand. If so it would be a real advantage because it couldn’t be seen.”

They sparred for another mark, until it got too dark. Lebuin slowly figured out how to use his magic while knife fighting. It was most effective against Ditani. He wasn’t so sure how it would be against Ticca, but he smiled to think of the next time they sparred and he could try it. “If you don’t mind a little extra practice I’d like to do a half-mark more in the morning like this.”

Ditani nodded as they walked back to the camp fire. “It really is a bit shocking at first. I couldn’t find a way to defend against it. I think you have found a real advantage should we have to fight for real.”

The night passed peacefully enough. When they got up he checked on Ticca again. She was eating breakfast. So they did the Path and various dances. When they were finished he checked on Ticca again and she was standing in a burned-out ruin of a house talking to a well-dressed man. “Uh-oh.”

Ditani looked at him. “What is it?”

“It looks like Ticca is inspecting a burned-down home. Yes — she is opening a safe with the key you gave her. Magus Vestul’s house is burned to the ground.”

“What about the tower? That is where his library is.”

Lebuin concentrated. Thankfully Ticca moved to a metal door and rubbed on it, exposing a key hole. “It looks like a Dolphin door.”

“Yes, that is the door to the tower.”

“Well then the tower is still there, and is untouched except for smoke stains.”

“Well then, we might yet discover what we need.”

Lebuin broke contact. “Well, I’ll check again in a bit.” They checked their traps and found they had bagged some more rabbits. Carrying these back to camp, they sat down to relax. Lebuin checked on Ticca again. She was riding in the forest, fast. He gave her a small tug, to which she gave the emergency ‘run’ signal. He stood and gave her another tug. She repeated the signal. “Ditani, pack, we have to move.” He gave her the two-tug ‘yes’ signal.

Ditani sprang up and began packing their gear. Lebuin kept his Sight on her as he helped clean the camp. They did everything to erase their presence as Ticca had taught them. They then led their horses on foot through the forest.

“What is going on?”

“I don’t know, but she is riding fast through the forest and she is some distance east of us.”

“East, that is back towards Llino. She isn’t coming here?”

Lebuin concentrated; Ticca had actually changed her direction after his first directional tug to angle away from them. “No. In fact, she is moving away from us.”

“Are we going to help, against her instructions?”

“Of course. I hired her, not the other way around.”

“Good! Which way?”

Lebuin pointed and they carefully followed Ticca, making sure to leave no trail.

Ticca stopped and Lebuin did too. “Wait, something is happening, I need to concentrate.”

Ditani started watching for trouble.

“She has taken a position on a rocky overhang. She has some kind of cloak on that is blurring my vision of her slightly… someone is coming. It looks like she is going to ambush them. Wait! She just jumped off of the ledge in front of him, instead of jumping him from behind? Why would she do that?”

Ditani stepped closer. “Was she pushed? What is happening?”

“I didn’t see anyone near her but I couldn’t see clearly through that cloak of hers. They are talking. I think it is the Nhia-Samri warrior she fought at the Llino gate and it looks like they are going to duel… yes, now they’re fighting.” He watched the fight, giving Ditani a running commentary, when Ticca’s face told him something was wrong. “Something is changing. They are changing their fighting styles slightly. She beat him before, but this time I think Ticca is in trouble.” He watched as the man stabbed her in the hip. She cut at his arm, but he grabbed her and then lifted her to throw her on her back as he landed on top. Then he stabbed her through the shoulder and she went pale, closing her eyes. “No!”

Ditani grabbed him. “Is she dead?”

“No, they were not mortal wounds, but she is unconscious. Wait, he is talking. He’s binding her wounds. Now he lifting her and is tying her to a large tree. He is using very strong knots and strong ropes pulled very tight. He is cutting open her leggings and is treating her stab wound with a salve.”

He started moving again. “We need to get there, and she is at least a day away at this speed. There might be more of them, we will need to be extra careful.”

They moved stealthily and steadily toward Ticca’s location. Lebuin kept his mind partially open to her the entire time. At first it was difficult to maneuver and watch Ticca. But eventually he got used to it and they made better time. “She is waking up. They are talking again. My Lord, he has a whip and is using it on her! He must want to know where we are. Faster!”

They continued easterly as fast as they dared. When they got close, Lebuin used his precise knowledge of where Ticca was to allow them to circle widely around. They found a safe location to leave their mounts and slowly crept up, using every skill Ticca had taught them, until they were within hearing range of the clearing. They could hear the Nhia-Samri talking to Ticca in a cold voice that sent chills down Lebuin’s back. “Stay awake please, this really isn’t fun unless you are awake to feel it all. Would you care for more healing? Let’s close up this wound here, huh. I think I should maybe give you a little energy boost. Here is a little more stimulant — that’ll keep you going a bit longer, aye?”

Lebuin’s blood boiled as they separated to come from two sides. Moving silently, he timed it so that he and Ditani would emerge at the same time. His steeled himself, blades out to free Ticca. Hopefully she was in good enough condition to move.

Stepping out, he saw that Ticca was trying to spit something out and her clothing was in ruin from all the shallow knife cuts and whip strikes. He grabbed the Nhia-Samri warrior with his telekinetic incantation and lifted him off the ground so he couldn’t move and rushed to Ticca’s side to cut her ropes.

“Lebuin, run. It’s a trap. RUN!”

Lebuin looked up at the man he was holding five feet off the ground. “He can’t do anything up there.”

“Not him, behind you!”

His heart skipped a beat as the hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stood on end at the warning. Fear-fueled adrenaline surged through him, letting him start to duck and spin around as a knife cut deeply across his shoulder. He screamed in pain as he lost control of his powers momentarily. The Knife he had been holding in the air dropped and landed well, as if expecting the fall. Lebuin’s training paid off as his feet found footing and his knees bent without real thought, lowering him below the worst of the strike.
Damn it. If I hadn’t moved that would have really been bad.

He now was crouched facing a beautiful woman who, like him, had two blades out ready for a fight. For the forest, the woman was amazingly well-dressed. She had a forest-patterned silk shirt over formed padded armor. Her light green leggings were the color of the grasses. She had well-worn but excellently cared for calf-high boots with dull brass buckles. She was wearing a cloak that blended perfectly with the forest. She shifted, bringing her other blade around. He was in the totally wrong position, so he reflexively used his magic as he had practiced with Ditani and it worked, deflecting her blade. He riposted rapidly and she actually had to dodge backwards to avoid the strike.

Ticca’s voice, dripping with anger came unexpectedly from his left rear. “Damn it! When I say ‘run’ I mean ‘run’! You two are going to get us all killed.”

He glanced over and Ticca was no longer tied to the tree behind him. In fact she was diving for her knives by the fire. Her hands and feet were still tied but since the rope had been stretched around a tree it wasn’t exactly a hindrance to her movements without the tree there.
How did she get off the tree?

The lady assassin in front of him didn’t give him any more time to think. She stepped in and started attacking him furiously. It was all he could do to block her attacks. Lebuin stepped back, trying to get more space, and she stepped in, keeping the fight close enough he could smell her perfume. She was fast and as they fought she smiled wickedly. He used every trick he had learned using his telekinetics and variations of the patterns that Ticca had shown him. They caught her off-guard and she spun away.
I actually am doing this! Lord, I never would have believed I could fight like this!
Glancing at Ditani and Ticca he could see that they were doubling up on the other Nhia-Samri. Ditani had a couple of cuts on his arms and his side. But they didn’t slow him down.

I need to stop this so I can help them, that guy might be too much.
The girl sheathed one of her knives and parried his attacks one-handed. She was concentrating very hard, trying to open her belt pouch.
Whatever is there is not going to be good for me.
He pushed himself to go faster. She tried to step backwards to gain space. He knew if he let her get to the pouch it might be over for all of them. So he stepped in close to her. She was forced to block some of his attacks with her open hand by hitting his wrist.
That is a neat trick. I should have Ticca teach me that.
While he was admiring her bare-handed technique he missed what the other hand was doing. Her blade hit his so hard his hand stung and one of his knives went flying away.

She smiled at this change.
Can’t give her a moment. I need another knife.
Which is when he spotted that her blade was sheathed with the hilt right in front of him, so he grabbed it.

Ticca dodged as Ossa-Ulla tried to slide his knife across her chest. She stepped back in, trying to get inside his attacks and grapple with him. Keeping it body-to-body was giving her an advantage. He was as fast as she was, but he didn’t have enough training in extreme close combat. Ditani was doing a good job of not becoming a pin cushion and was helping to keep him busy. Still, the two of them were having a problem ending it. He kept slipping between the attacks and counter-attacking.

Finally, the break she was looking for came. He stepped into a depression that he wasn’t expecting. This caused him to have to shift his weight back to the other foot momentarily, leaving him stuck with both legs grounded. If she hadn’t been up close she would have missed the chance. She took it, viciously bringing her knee up dead center into his groin. He flinched in pain and jumped backwards. This gave Ditani an opening to cut downward, planting the point of his knife into Ossa-Ulla’s shoulder. Ossa-Ulla was seriously hurt, but not out of the fight. He dropped to the ground, doing a reverse roll, and coming back up as fast as she could step forward to continue the attack.