Whisper (21 page)

If the ride to the Breken city had been unpleasant, the ride back was proving intolerable. Jacob’s presence was like a raw wound to the group. Even Khan struggled with the situation. Dearra had ordered Jacob to ride in front of her, where she could keep an eye on him, but allowing another horse to take lead and set the pace was proving to be a challenge for the mighty stallion. No matter how much Carly tried to soothe and comfort his wounded pride, he would break into a canter and prance ahead of the offending animal to regain the lead, whereupon Dearra would bark at Jacob to get back to the front once more. Jacob would snicker under his breath, annoying Dearra further, and spur his horse forward, while Carly patted and whispered to Khan, only to repeat the whole cycle a few minutes later. To the onlooker, it must’ve looked like a strange game of tag, indeed.

From where Daniel and Darius were hiding amongst the stone formations, some three hundred yards distant, it was unclear what was happening, but what
was
evident was that Carly and Dearra were no longer alone. The fact that the women had emerged from the deadly city was a relief, but until the identity of the man in front could be ascertained, the relief would have to be guarded. Without a word to one another, Darius and Daniel mounted their horses and began to follow. They would need to get close, a difficult task as there was precious little cover to hide them on their way, but there was nothing they could do about it.

“What does Brin say, Darius?” Daniel asked.

“Nothing. He won’t answer.”

“What do you mean he won’t answer?” Daniel said. The volume of his voice rose slightly with his degree of concern. “Is there something preventing him? Is he even there? Maybe something’s happened!”

Darius grimaced, hoping the sound of Daniel’s voice wouldn’t draw attention to them. “No, he’s there,” he said. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I
can
tell he’s there. He just won’t answer me.”

“Sword’s a nuisance if you ask me. Can’t get it to shut up when you want him to be silent, and then when you want to get something out of him? Forget it!”

“What do you want me to say?” Darius chided. “I can’t make him speak. Our options here are pretty limited: we can follow as we have been and wait until we get back to Bandar to discover the man’s identity, or we can make our presence known now.”

“That thought sounds as if it could cause us some problems later,” Daniel said trying to exercise caution. “They aren’t likely to be pleased with our presence. Carly’s been a little…unpredictable lately.”

“That’s a bit of a different story. I mean, if you’re afraid…” Darius let the accusation hang between them.

“Like you’re not?” Daniel accused. “This has nothing to do with being afraid,” he continued, defending himself. “I just don’t think it’s necessary to let them know we didn’t think they could handle this on their own. I mean, they
do
have their pride, and—”

Darius yanked hard on his horse’s reins and held a hand up to silence his friend. A low rumble, like distant thunder, reached their ears. Daniel saw puffs of sand whipped into miniature dust devils some small distance behind Khan’s prancing hooves. There was a noticeable ripple in the sand, large enough to be seen, even from this distance, and though he had no idea what had caused the phenomenon before him, it didn’t take long to realize that whatever it was, it wasn’t good. Darius leaned forward and fiercely dug his heels into the sides of his mount, and Daniel followed suit.

***

Neither Dearra nor Carly noticed the rippling sand. Dearra was too busy struggling to keep her seat, while Carly focused on her fight to retain control over the headstrong stallion. Just as the waves were almost upon them, Khan tossed his head and sprinted forward, overtaking Jacob. Once more, Carly wrestled with him, letting a low oath escape her dainty lips as she fought to bring him back under her control.

This time, Jacob could not contain his laughter, which only served to aggravate the situation further. Dearra turned her head to tell Jacob, very politely, to please shut up, but her words stuck in her throat when she saw the two riders closing on them quickly. It took a moment for her mind to realize the riders were Daniel and Darius, and to read the look of terror and fierce determination on Darius’s face.

Ignorant of the other riders, Jacob continued to laugh until he was thrown from his horse when a serpent of immense proportions burst suddenly from the sand beneath him. He landed some fifteen feet away with a muffled thud. The scream that erupted from his horse was mercifully cut short as the deadly sand serpent took it in its mouth and burrowed its body beneath the shifting sands with its prize.

Carly turned toward the horse’s cry and had only a fraction of a second to take in what was happening.

It was at that point Brin had found his voice again; Dearra heard his prayer to Tolah echoing in her mind. Darius was not so quiet, on the other hand. Dearra heard him quite clearly as he continued to close the distance. His cries of “Run!” hardly seemed necessary though, as the sand had once again began to simmer around them as if boiling, and small dust devils whipped once more on the surface.

Carly was getting ready to spin Khan away when Jacob’s cry for help caught her attention. “Damn it!” she said under her breath, and swung back around, charging toward the frightened man. Dearra held an arm out to him and gripped Khan’s sides tightly with her legs as she braced for Jacob’s added weight.

Jacob grabbed on to Dearra’s arm, and, with some difficulty, hauled himself atop Khan’s lofty back. He barely had time to settle in behind Dearra, before Carly urged the horse onward.

“Carly!” Darius said, his voice more in control now, sounding hard, demanding, and Breken. “Make your way to that area there!”

“Where those scrub weeds are?” Carly yelled back, not sure if she was looking in the right place. “What good will that—?”

His voice boomed. “Just go!” To Daniel, he said, “Follow them! Stay tight to them!” Darius yanked hard on his reins and his horse screamed out in protest, tossed his mighty head, and reared on hind hooves.

Darius turned to face the monster that pursued them. “Darius!” Dearra cried. She tried to wrench free and jump from Khan’s back, but Jacob’s arms were like unyielding restraints around her, and Carly never slowed.

The sand shifted and churned, and a wave of earth drew rapidly towards Dearra, Carly and Jacob. For a moment it seemed that it would pass Darius altogether and pursue them, but then Darius drew forth a small blade, ran it along his hand, and wiped the blood upon the neck of his mount, turning the dark hair there even darker.

The shifting sands paused and then turned toward him, swelling like breakers as they drew near. Darius reached into his robes and withdrew another object. He pressed it firmly to his injured hand, wrapped a bit of cloth around it to hold it in place, and then, unexpectedly, threw himself from his horse’s back, rolling several times before jumping to his feet and drawing his sword.

The beast that lurked beneath the sand seemed to pause, as if confused that there seemed to be two targets where moments before there had only been one. A thin, red ribbon emerged from the sand. It paused and turned towards Darius as if it were searching for something.

Darius held perfectly still. The horse, on the other hand, stomped restlessly, the smell of blood making its nostrils flare wide. The red ribbon flickered toward the horse as if it were a tongue tasting the air, and then disappeared as quickly as it had arrived.

The sand continued to vibrate violently for a moment, and then, in a surge of blinding speed, the great serpent erupted from the ground, sending the horse in a tailspin as it tried in vain to save itself from the attack.

Then, seconds before it would have been too late, Darius leapt forward, swung his sword in a high arc, and caught the snake just behind its left eye. The muscles in Darius’s arms strained as the blade tore through the serpent’s bone and muscle, and came free as it sliced through the top of the serpent’s mouth. A shower of blood gushed out as the great serpent fell dead on the sand.

Daniel and Carly were already half way back to Darius by the time he looked up. They all slid quickly from their horses who were hesitant to draw too near the carcass of the slain serpent.

“Thank Cyrus you’re all right!” Dearra exclaimed. “What were you thinking? You could have been killed? You still may be!” Dearra stalked toward him, her stride determined and stiff with anxiety.

Darius walked toward her as well, his face a mask of rage that Dearra didn’t stop to interpret. Rather than stop when he reached Dearra, Darius strode past her instead. Two strides more took him to his destination and his fist crashed into Jacob’s face. Jacob’s nose was smashed beneath the powerful assault with a very satisfying crunch. Jacob stumbled back under the crushing blow, and managed to right himself only to be knocked completely off his feet a moment later when another fist connected with his eye.

“Stop! Darius! No!” Dearra wailed desperately. She tried to grab hold of Darius’s arm before he could land another blow to Jacob, who lay prone at his feet, but she was restrained by Daniel. “Wait!” she said. “You don’t understand!”

Darius grabbed hold of Jacob’s shirt and lifted him from the sand and rock, while his other hand prepared to strike. A sudden gust of wind came from out of nowhere, blinding them all with dust and sand. The wind’s intensity increased until it became a howling fury, forcing Dearra and Daniel to the ground. Then, in a burst of power, Darius was forced backwards as well. He settled on one knee, bracing against the gale.

Carly lowered her outstretched arms slowly, and as she did, the wind weakened. When her hands came to rest at her sides, it was with one last puff of air, which was followed by complete stillness. Carly looked down at her hands and murmured, “Outstanding,” quietly, her voice sounding both surprised and pleased.

“What in the name of Cyrus was that?” Daniel asked. He reached up to brush the sand from his hair with his hand.

Jacob sat cautiously upright, spit blood from his battered mouth, and reached up to his nose to snap it back into place. He spat once more.

Dearra stood slowly and began brushing the grit from her garments. “Thank you, Carly. I thought I was going to have to do something drastic. That was pretty impressive, but also kind of scary, you know?”

“You’re welcome, Dearra. And you have nothing to be afraid of, you know that. But if it makes you feel any better, I think I scare myself a little bit too.”

“Dearra,” Darius growled. “You have exactly five seconds to explain what’s going on before I strangle Jacob.”

“Now, now,” Jacob taunted, finally standing upright, “you don’t want to do that. Dearra would have to kill you first. Isn’t that right, my sweet?”

Jacob’s last comment was the final straw for Darius who sprang forward, hoping to make good on his promise.

“Darius! Stop! I gave my word to Lord Falco! Stop! For Phillip’s sake!” Dearra laid a hand on Darius’s sleeve, and she lowered her voice to a whisper. “Please, Darius. Please.”

Her gentle plea was enough to make him hesitate. He turned to look into her golden eyes, sighed heavily, and shoved Jacob roughly away from him. “Fine!” he said, “but someone better start explaining what’s going on!”

It was dark and cooler than Royce would have thought possible as he and Reo made their way around the outer edge of Bandar. He wasn’t sure where they were going, he only knew they needed to go
somewhere
. It all seemed so simple when he’d first planned it: sneak aboard the boat, make his way into the port city, and find his father. Once he’d found him, they certainly wouldn’t be able to send him back, nor would they be able to spare anyone to look after him, so they’d have no choice but to allow him to help with the rescue.

It was the perfect plan, until, that is, he had seen the city. All his years on the sheltered island of Maj had not prepared him for Bandar. Reo walked tightly to his side, and once or twice when someone had dared to creep too close to him, perhaps sensing an easy mark, the massive wolf gave a throaty growl, sending the would be thief looking for less hazardous targets.

Near dawn, Royce smelled the familiar aroma of manure. If there were cattle or sheep nearby, there would be hay, and maybe a place to hide and rest. He approached the enclosure cautiously, and was surprised to see a herd of monstrous horses. The animals nickered and side-stepped with agitation as the wolf drew near, but they did not panic or flee, so Royce slid a pole aside to allow him to gain access to the corral.

He was exhausted, but he was even thirstier, and so he made his way to the trough that held water for the horses. He brushed a bit of floating straw aside and plunged his face into the tank, letting the water wash over him before drinking deeply. He was so caught up in his need that he did not see the man standing nearby in the shadows.

A heavy hand startled Royce when it descended onto his shoulder and pulled him upright. “‘Ere now! Wat’s this? That water be fer the ‘orses, not for skinny boys wat weren’t invited no how.”

The man shook Royce gently. Reo growled menacingly, but the man seemed either to not hear or not care. Reo didn’t seem to know what to do. A part of him probably wanted to attack the stranger who was touching his boy, but Darius had taught him to control his instincts. Still, the wolf crouched low, ready to spring, his lips pulled back showing lethal teeth as he let out an unceasing snarl.

A voice that sounded like music more than anything else, called out softly, “Scoggins? Scoggins, what is it?”

“Not much, me lady. Jest a boy o’ some sort. I recken I’ll jest boot ‘im off.”

A girl approached with a gait so smooth and effortless, she appeared to float toward them. Royce looked at her closely and realized she was not girl after all, but a full-grown woman. Still, she must’ve been the smallest lady he had ever seen, even smaller than Carly! “Please, lady!” he said. “I’m just tired and thirsty. On my honor as a Maj, I wasn’t going to steal or nothing like that!”

Reo’s throaty growl increased in volume, but Scoggins held fast to the panicked boy.

“Wolf, hush now,” the woman chanted in a voice soft and warm. “The boy will be fine. Come now and rest beside me.”

To Royce’s great astonishment, that’s exactly what Reo did. The growling stopped, and the giant wolf laid down at the lady’s side, placing his great muzzle on her dainty feet.

“Young Maj, my name is Aesri. May I know your name?”

Scoggins had released his grip, seeming to vanish as quickly as he had come, once he was content his mistress had everything well in hand.

“Royce, ma’am,” he stammered.

“Well, it is my pleasure to meet you, Royce. What brings you to the city? Business, I presume.”

“Sort of. I am on a rescue mission.”

“That is certainly a noble undertaking. Who do you seek to rescue?”

“My friend from Maj. He was taken by the—” Here Royce paused and looked around to make sure no one was near before whispering, “by the Breken.”

“Oh,” Aesri said, nodding her understanding. “That’s quite a formidable foe. Were you planning on a direct attack, or did your course of action call for more stealth?”

Royce was sure she must be teasing him, but she looked at him so sincerely that it was hard to know for sure what she was thinking.

“I…I was hoping to find my father and my friends. They are already here, and I thought that I could…help.” Even to his own ears his plan sounded childish, and his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “Well, anyway, that’s what I thought.”

“Well, young Master Royce,” Aesri said, “I am certainly glad you are here. There is much to be prepared. Shall we go inside my tent? If you will allow me, I may be of some small assistance to you in this matter. I happen to know that your friends have met with a setback and are desperately in need of your support. It seems Rah has led you to me just in time.”

Some of this made no sense to Royce at all, but remarkably, it seemed that she
had
taken him seriously. Not only that, but she had just offered him aid.

“Yes ma’am, I sure would like your help!”

“Royce?”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“I think that when people are planning a rescue mission together, they are allowed to be a little less formal, do you not?”

“Yes ma’—yes, Aesri.”

“Good boy! Now, let us go, shall we? If I am correct, there is no time to waste.”

Aesri held a tiny hand out to Royce who twined his fingers with hers, and a sort of peace filled him, replacing his fear with fierce determination
.