Huntress

by S. J. Sanders

  The key joined the slip in her bag as she leaned back and ate a bit more cheese and bread, one hand ruffling through her short blonde hair, rubbing her scalp. This was more of a mystery than she was expecting.

  The Master of the Order was obviously embroiled in something in the west, but what? What was the Master plotting?

  11

  Tah crept along the tree-line, his eyes fastened on the tall wooden walls of the village. Sanctuary, they called it. He snorted. The word made him think of a place warm and safe—a den carved into the earth—not this. The tall walls of logs, each end aggressively pointed, looked more like a place of punishment than anything he would ascribe to a sanctuary. It was clearly designed to keep the dangers of the woods out.

  His eyes scanned the length of the wall, fighting back a grin. If humans thought a wall like that would keep out a Ragoru who truly wished to get inside, they were mistaken. He could easily scale the fence without suffering more than a mild inconvenience.

  With one hand, he scratched at his jaw, wondering just where the human was. Night was falling, the sky darkening quickly. Although Gund had insisted that he leave the huntress be, to return when she is ready, he eyed the human settlement curiously. It was a place strictly off-limits to him by the customs he was raised by. Rules that were drilled into him since he was a rog. Normally, he wouldn’t have cared, but with the female hidden within, he was filled with the strongest desire of wanting to know.

  Yes, he’d spent much time climbing along the rooftops of the Citadel over several revolutions, spying on the Order and the Master, but other than his brief entrance into the Master’s chambers, his view of the human world was always at a distance. Gund refused to allow them closer experiences. Staring through the windows of the Master’s great den from the roofs had been a form of torture when he wanted to explore and touch everything.

  How much more personal would it be within the village? What might he be able to experience? It was dangerous to think about. A shiver of excitement ran over his fur.

  Gund said to leave her be, but wouldn’t they all benefit if he got closer? He could ensure that nothing happened to the human for his triad’s benefit, and he could keep an eye on her and make sure she didn’t do anything to betray them while he satisfied his curiosity. His brothers expected him to be scouting the outer edges of the woods watching for humans. They wouldn’t notice his absence if he was quick.

  Eyeing the wall, he grinned and settled into a low crouch. He was far enough away from the lit outposts along the wall that he could easily slip in under the cover of the shadows. He watched a human stretch and lean on the fencing carelessly. Tah wouldn’t have any trouble getting in unobserved. The humans were bored and inattentive. It worked in his favor. With one last glance toward the woods, scenting for the approach of his brothers, he sprung up, four clawed hands gripping the fence as he pulled himself up and over.

  His feet hit the well-packed earth with a muffled thump, the toes on his paws splaying to support his balance at the sudden impact. Tail held out stiffly from his body, he sniffed the air warily, searching for signs of anyone lurking in the area. His ears pricked forward. In the distance he could hear a dog barking, and a harsh human voice scold the animal.

  A smirk pulled at Tah’s mouth.

  Drawing the scents into his lungs, he immediately latched onto the rich scent of the huntress and tracked its trail through the town. He noticed several dark shelters with wheels. Nearby, there were hooved creatures that he recognized from the Citadel. They were load-bearing creatures, used to pull various wheeled contraptions that carried humans or items about.

  Curious, he eased forward, trying to not move threateningly as he observed them. He had never seen one up close. The scent was of a prey creature, forage-fed. He could smell the fear coming off their flesh, thick and musty. It inspired his hunger, though he shoved it aside. They were obviously valuable to the humans, since they were well-cared for and securely tied near the encampment.

  The animals were tied together, their feet hobbled, and a long line anchored them to the largest of the vessels near a basin filled with water. They eyed him and blew out nervous puffs of breath from large, flaring nostrils. The one nearest to him, a dappled gray creature, tossed its head with a plaintive sound as he leaned in close. He was too intent on observing the short, buffed fur that covered their bodies outside of the long threads of the mane and tail, to worry about the animals’ reactions. They didn’t like him. That was clear enough. Another made the same sound, the animals becoming louder. Again, a dog barked, sounding closer than before… or perhaps it was a different one.

  Tah grimaced at the anxious animals, his curiosity satisfied. He turned away, his eyes roaming over the vacant stretch of street in front of him. Numerous human dwellings clustered around the area, and the scent of water was strong from the well to his left. It mingled with the lingering scents of numerous human bodies that had moved through the area during the course of the day. The pungent mixture made his nose wrinkle, and he sneezed.

  If the scent of humans was that strong near the ground, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to explore the village. If it weren’t for the allure of the forbidden and his eagerness to experience something new after so many revolutions of the same thing, he would have turned back. However, seven years of tracking the Master, and before that ten more of fighting and defending themselves from rival males, kept him moving forward. Though the human village stank, this was something acutely different.

  The human dwellings were boring in and of themselves in the night. They were closed up and mostly dark. A few places had lights burning bright within them, one of which was a place that the scent of the huntress disappeared into.

  Tah stared at the entrance, his nostrils flaring as he scented the area. He could smell an odd sour smell permeating the lower floor, accompanied by the richer scents of cooking food. While the scent of humans was thick at this level, he looked up to the series of narrow windows that lined the wall.

  This he understood. This was like the Master’s great den.

  Quickening his steps, Tah paced around the outside of the dwelling, his eyes trained on the windows, until he discovered the most advantageous way up that would attract minimal attention. At the rear of the building, he was able to climb a series of foul-smelling refuse bins to boost him onto the roof. Once perched, he made his way slowly along the length of the roof until he found where the huntress’s scent was the thickest as it mingled with the Master’s. Tah was thrown into a state of confusion at the combined scents.

  The scent of the Master was old, but it didn’t stop the black anger from roiling through him. It screamed betrayal through his mind.

  With his keen vision, he could make out her movement as she pulled up her hood and walked to the door. It whispered open, and another female moved in with a large tray from which seeped heady aromas. The voices of the females were audible as they greeted each other.

  “I would have thought you would be relaxed and dressed for rest, not pinioned into your leathers still,” the stranger scolded as she set the tray down.

  The huntress laughed quietly. The sound was so soft that Tah almost missed it. It skated along his nerve-endings, sending an unfamiliar surge through him. He’d never heard such a sound from their assassin before. It was alluring, just as much as the stranger things of humans.

  He wanted to hear more of it. He lusted for it. To taste more of the richness of humanity.

  “I bathed. I am just more comfortable in my attire in case there is an emergency that forces me to leave prematurely. Getting dressed and undressed is an inconvenience. I limit myself to only these clothes that I wear, and no others.”

  “No wardrobe at all?” the other female choked out. She fumbled awkwardly as if uncertain what to say to that. Tah didn’t understand the objection. He considered it rather practical for traveling. Humans only wore one set of coverings at a time. Why travel burdened with excessive material that is not required? Although
, admittedly, even if she had wanted to travel with more clothing, she had not been in the position to gather it when he and his triad were escaping with her through the Citadel.

  “Not with me, at least,” the huntress amended, amusement tinging her voice. “When I am done with my current travels, perhaps I will settle somewhere and consider some new clothing.”

  “See that you do,” the stranger harrumphed. “You are a pretty woman. It is not too late to find a strong man to see to your needs.”

  Tah felt a darkness settle over him, driving into him, twisting through his belly. That female was in the protection of his triad. Right now, she was theirs. There would be no other male to place a claim upon her until they released their claim. He felt the desire pulsing through him to rend any offending male into a meaty pile of carnage. His dark thoughts were distracted when their female’s voice drifted to him.

  “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind once I retire.” The edge of her laughter was stronger this time, but their female stood poised by the door until her companion nodded in a quick snap that bespoke some sort of imagined authority as she set the tray on the table.

  “Eat up then. I’ll be back to collect your things soon. All that muscle on you, but you’re too thin,” she tsked on her way out the door.

  Tah breathed a sigh of relief that the female was finally gone. The huntress lingered in place, and she pushed a hand up wearily, knocking back her hood before finally picking her way over to the table. She sat down and lifted the covering from the tray. The scent of rich, fatty meat drifted over to him, seasoned with unfamiliar scents.

  Enough waiting.

  Pushing the shutters open, Tah dropped through the window, landing heavily on a wooden floor. The floor was like that of the Master’s den, not like the smooth floors of Ragoru dwellings. It was rough and in places splintered, where it scratched against the thick pads of his paws and jabbed into the tender spots between his toes.

  The huntress had sprung to her feet at his intrusion and was currently staring at him with a mixture of irritation and amusement. Sighing, she raked a hand through her short mane, and her face softened with the briefest of reluctant smiles.

  “I should have known that I would not get a full night’s peace without you,” she remarked at length.

  He snorted in reply and pushed his way further into the room, his head turning this way and that as he investigated it. The room was empty of everyone except them, and his suspicion finally settled and quieted. His eyes flicked back over to their female, his female, before he began to move in on the food.

  “That food is meant for me,” his surly assassin said with a disgusted look.

  He picked up a thick chunk from the large portion of meat and tossed it into his mouth, savoring the burst of exotic flavors over his tongue. Never had he tasted human food. He narrowed his eyes and sat in the chair she’d occupied moments before, gesturing to the spare against the wall.

  “There is plenty here for both of us. Seat yourself and eat,” he returned gruffly.

  She stared at him, her pale eyes studying him for several minutes before she huffed out a breath and stalked to the other side of the room. With one hand, she gripped the chair and hauled it over to the side of the table, the legs bumping along the floor in the process, and sat across from him. With a final glower in his direction, she skewered her own portion of meat before sinking her teeth into it savagely.

  He grinned at her. “Just so you know, female, Ragoru consider biting to be an erotic exchange between mates. Your teeth are not threatening.”

  She choked, her eyes watering, and even he stilled, uncertain as to what possessed him to say such a thing. With a final wheeze, she settled back to look at him… and then burst into laughter, the rich feminine timbre setting his desire ablaze.

  12

  Heidi watched Tah as he shoveled food into his mouth. The sight was appalling but not surprising. She’d seen how some of the men in the Order ate. Though she liked to eat with swift efficiency, it seemed that these men had something in common with the hungry Ragoru. Neither were likely to appreciate the comparison. Her lips twitched with amusement.

  Tah glowered at her. “Why are you smiling at me?”

  “I am not smiling at you,” she said. “I am just wondering how much of that you are getting in your mouth.”

  He paused, looking down to inspect himself, and she clucked her tongue. “You eat like you expect your meal to get up and walk away. Let me just tell you now—you don’t have to chase it down. And stop calling me ‘female.’ You know my name.”

  He grimaced. “It is not a good name.”

  Her eyebrows winged upward. “And what would you consider a good name?”

  Tah considered her for a moment, his tongue licking his long, sharp teeth. “Sivel.”

  She snorted a laugh. “You dislike Heidi but think Sivel is a good name?” She grabbed a warm roll from the platter, tore it open, stuffing it with hot beef, and took an appreciative bite.

  His expression darkened, his brow slamming low. “Sivel is the name of my mother’s mother. She was an honorable female, head of our family line.”

  Heidi choked, her eyes streaming as the morsel of food attempted to go down the wrong way when she inhaled sharply at her blunder. Her lungs burned until she managed to clear the obstruction.

  Fuck! Tah was an ass, but she didn’t get her jollies insulting people’s grandmothers.

  Turning her head to the side, she managed to swallow and wipe her face before she could collect herself and face the male once more. He was scowling at her, peering attentively at her face.

  “You are not permitted to expire, fem… Heidi,” he ground out. Her name rasped exotically off his tongue in sharp, guttural tones. It was different from the sighing flow of the Ragoru name, but it sounded intriguing when it came from Tah.

  She chuckled weakly and waved a hand dismissively. “Do not worry about me. I am not going anywhere soon. I swore that I wouldn’t die until I saw the Master dead at my feet. That oath kept me alive, made me force myself through the painful period of healing and cooperation. I refuse to lay down and die. Does that satisfy you?”

  He eyed her, his mouth working as he ate whatever food he put in there, and then grunted with a short nod.

  “What are you doing here anyway, Tah? I know for a fact that this was not part of the plan.”

  The male sighed and cast a disgruntled look to the table. “I dislike being banished into the woods to wait. I dislike being told that I have to stay where I am told, as if I am a trained animal. I know that Gund says such things for a reason. He is our lead and it is his place. But I still did not like it.”

  He glanced around the room with interest, taking everything in with an air of appreciation as his eyes seemed to fix on various points. His gaze lingered on the thick bedding with an expression of longing that she found difficult to ignore. As if sensing her eyes on him, he jerked his head back toward the table, focusing his attention on the food.

  Heidi dropped her attention to her plate and allowed him his privacy. She wouldn’t needle him over his obvious conflict of desires. It was a cheap shot. They were almost getting along and, surprisingly, she didn’t want to ruin it. Instead, she watched him pick over the food with careful scrutiny. He ate the preserved refried fish, the majority of the beef, and appeared to relish the cheese, after giving the latter a careful sniff. The small tarts, thick cuts of bread, and blackberry jam were left untouched. He would glance at them with an odd expression on his face but never reached out for them.

  “I discovered something,” she broke in, and the male glanced at her while eating. “The Master not only has a four-day head start on us, but I found some clues. A key and a note with a code. I am not sure what it means, but I have no doubt it will be important when we reach Dunval. I am beginning to think that there is a reason the Master has a residence in the west despite its terrible reputation. A reason he never took me west when I went everywhere else at his side.�
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  “What reputation is that?” The thoughtful, studious tone of his voice startled Heidi. It truly seemed for the first time that they were speaking as allies rather than snarling at each other. It was surreal. She didn’t realize how long she stared at him until Tah cleared his throat and gave her an odd look.

  Heidi shook her head and gave him a wan smile. “My apologies. The west, particularly Dunval, has had a worrisome reputation for quite a few years now. Like most places, their population was uneven, the females outnumbering the males, but a generation ago a terrible sickness swept through the city that attacked women far more brutally than men. I suspect that it is because the males were kept safe while the women continued to labor throughout the diseased city. In the end, few females survived the pandemic. The males, not wishing to relinquish the luxury they had, began to deal with dishonorable people who traded in human flesh. They chose the best among the females to be their wives, and others they put to labor around the city. This practice still exists and has become a cultural norm in recent years from my understanding. It is not a place where one who cares about the reputation among the other Citadels would risk being seen, much less having a home among them.”

  Tah’s face drew down into harsh lines. “This is abominable… and this is the place that the Master runs to. What did you find then? You said you found something?”

  She nodded and patted her pouch at her hip. “They are meaningless as of right now, but I am quite certain they will become clearer. The note is clearly some kind of code, and the key must go to something important. The twisted serpent is the herald of the city, especially among the women’s district, as they call it.”

  “Not much that will help us now, but it will be invaluable I imagine,” he muttered.