Trials by Numbers

by Kimberly A Rogers

  “More like attempted to order me to run away and leave you behind. Again.”

  Mathias wrapped his arm around me, drawing me close to his side, then pressed a kiss to my temple. “I am better, Lauren. Now stop your fussing, woman.”

  “If I worry about you, it’s for good reason.” I wrapped my arms around him and gave him a quick hug before reluctantly stepping away from his long lean warmth. Some things were still far too tempting to play with for long. “Are you sure you’re going to be all right with Ilia? I don’t really want to worry about you strangling our guide while I’m trying to coax this deer out of hiding.”

  “You don’t have to worry about me strangling our guide while you’re successfully coaxing the Hind out of hiding.” He caught me by my jacket lapels, tugging me close, and then he leaned down. “I promise. No strangling.”

  “Good.” The word came out way more breathlessly than I had intended.

  Mathias didn’t seem to notice, however, as he glanced back at the huts. Then, he leaned in closer and kissed me. I returned it willingly, wrapping my arms around his neck, before Ilia called in his native tongue to the horses. Reluctantly stepping out of Mathias’ hold, I knew the satyr was taking his unofficial role of chaperone rather seriously even though I was equally positive that Mathias had not told him of that need.

  Looking up at him, I was glad the darkness and my complexion hid my blush. I cleared my throat as I said, still a touch breathless, “You need to behave. You’re a distraction.”

  Mathias laughed. I hadn’t realized how much I missed the sound until now. Then, he leaned down and kissed my cheek. “You are correct. But, can you blame a man for losing his head over you?”

  “Yes.”

  As I walked away, he laughed some more. An answering smile curved my lips and I bit back an actual laugh. No need to encourage more misbehavior in the man.

  * * *

  Chapter Six

  Lauren

  I stepped out of the hut into the pre-dawn gloom and blinked at the horses. Eulalia and Chavdar were nearly blocking the path between me and the second hut, where Ilia and Mathias were still sleeping judging by the snoring. The horses’ ears twitched as they snuffled my bare arms. I raised a finger to my lips, shushing them, before ducking back inside to grab the satchel. When I returned with apples, Faustus quickly joined the pair in eagerly waiting for a treat.

  Once all three horses were munching on their apples, a sense of being watched crept over me. I leaned slightly to my right and caught a glimpse of something light-colored in the spruces on the far side of the second hut. The Hind? Not quite believing my own eyes, I started to edge toward the spot. Something rustled, and then I spied the Golden Hind as she snorted and shuffled away from the clearing around the huts.

  I started to turn back, to wake Ilia and Mathias, but then I stopped. This was my task. Mathias had said he wasn’t allowed to help and, perhaps, his presence was part of the reason I hadn’t been able to get close to the Hind before now. Creatures could be even more in tune with their ability to sense the presence of a predator, after all. Or it was simply how the Trials worked.

  Turning back to the woods, I scanned the trees for another hint of color. Please, please, please. There. I crept closer to the far side of the clearing, the one closest to the river, slipping my hand into the satchel and pulling out an apple as I did.

  The Hind stuck her head out for the briefest moment, nostrils quivering. She wanted the apple. That much was for sure. She leaned forward and then jerked her head back with a snort. She turned and vanished back into the trees. I followed as fast as I dared, praying my half-formed crazy plan would actually work.

  Scrambling through the trees, the sound of the river grew louder as I followed in the Hind’s wake. I shoved the apple back into my satchel. Dropping one now seemed like a risk I didn’t want to take. My steps slowed as I recognized the arch jutting out of the ground. The Marvelous Bridges. There were a smattering of trees growing along the top of the larger arch and for the first time I had a clear view of the Golden Hind as she paused partway to the top. She looked like she had been bathed in sunlight as the early rays of dawn lit her hide and horns lending an extra glow to the golden textures.

  Then, she bounded for the top. I bit back a groan as I realized I would need to climb it too. Lovely. My ankle was much improved, but it wouldn’t take much of a fall to wreck it again and earn myself a much more invasive surgery not to mention longer recovery time. Still, I didn’t linger at the foot of the bridge for long. Letting the Hind get away wasn’t an option. No matter what Mathias claimed, there was still some sort of time limit on how long the Trials could last. It had been almost two weeks since I received the challenge of completing the Trials, and I hadn’t even completed the first task yet.

  Fortunately, there was a ghost of a trail that snaked along the middle of the bridge. I managed to scale my way to the top of the arched stone without falling or even being forced to crawl. I paused at the top, my breath catching as the dawn’s rosy rays lightened the valley below. The river twisting beneath the arches looked like a pretty dark ribbon stretched over white fabric before vanishing once more. I heard a raptor’s shriek and instinctively looked up, searching for the bird of prey, but I couldn’t see anything. Of course, being in the Rhodopes meant we were close enough to Greece that it would not take much for that cry to belong to a griffin or a harpy or even a roc that had crossed over from Turkey. None of which I particularly wanted to encounter today, especially the harpy. Griffins were probably unlikely since most of them liked to guard treasures and, surely, Ilia would have mentioned if we were close enough to any treasuries to worry about having to deal with such a guardian.

  I wiped the light sheen of sweat off my brow and started moving again. I had already stayed too long at the top. The trail down the other side was a little trickier to navigate, and I skidded on loose patches of moss a couple times, leaving me shaky and sweaty by the time my feet finally hit solid ground again. I blew out a breath as I looked over my shoulder at the fast flowing river and the natural bridge spanning it. I didn’t say anything, just shook my head as I turned back to the new problem at hand . . . finding the Golden Hind since she had vanished again.

  After wandering around for several minutes, I found myself in a small clearing. It was as though the Hind had completely disappeared from the face of the earth. I ran a hand through my hair, shaking it out, as I struggled to come up with a plan. It was at times like this that I really wished I was a Seeker instead of a Spotter because at least then I would be able to find a sense of direction and point myself after the Golden Hind. My talent for seeing numbers wasn’t doing me much good right now.

  Feeling a crummy blend of exasperated and useless, I turned in a circle. The little clearing was devoid of anything save for a few scolding songbirds. I tilted my head back to study the lightening sky. “How am I supposed to save him if I can’t even get past the first task?”

  Heaven didn’t answer. But it would have been bizarre if there had been an audible answer. At a loss for my next clever plan, I finally pulled out three apples. I placed one on a rock, the second on some exposed roots, and the last on the far end of a fallen tree trunk. Then I sat down on the opposite end, tucked my satchel between my feet, and propped my chin in my hands. All I could do was wait, hope, and pray that this laughingstock of a plan actually worked.

  A grunt and touch on my leg jerked me out of a light doze. Opening my eyes, I was confronted by a pair of golden antlers. What in the world? Another grunt and touch on my leg brought my gaze down to where the Hind was nosing my satchel.

  I started to move my hand, but she snorted and skittered away the moment I shifted my body. However, she didn’t leave the clearing. A quick survey of the area confirmed my suspicions. She had already eaten the other apples. The Hind stood only a few feet away, ears swiveling and liquid eyes bright. Her golden tan sides were rounded, but she wasn’t breathing too heavily. A good thing, I guessed. Reac
hing into the satchel, I pulled out another apple and I also snagged the ribbon, which I placed in my lap. I took out a pocketknife and started slicing the apple.

  The Hind edged closer as I placed apple slices on the log. Soon she had lipped them off the log and swallowed them. I still had one slice left, which I held out to her. Sitting perfectly still, I didn’t even dare to breathe as I watched the Hind dip her head nosing closer as she snuffled at the apple slice. Finally, her breath warmed my palm as she nibbled on the slice.

  Moving with slow care, I touched the side of her muzzle. The Hind snorted, but didn’t pull away. I stroked the short coarse hair and then reached into my satchel for a second apple. This one I sliced into fourths. After she had eaten all four slices out of my hand and moved on to the next sliced apple, I dared to pick up the ribbon. Keeping her occupied with apple slices, I managed to twist the ribbon around the base of her antlers, and then created the rest of a makeshift halter. By some miracle, she didn’t pull away and run. I grinned as I ran a hand down the length of her face. This was actually working.

  * * *

  Mathias

  “Lauren!”

  There was no response to my call. Nothing to indicate where she had been or gone. My hands curled into fists as I bit back a curse. I never should have listened when Ilia insisted we take advantage of there being two huts to give Lauren privacy. She wouldn’t have been able to just disappear if I had been in the same hut.

  I made my way back toward the huts, heart sinking and worry rising, when I spied the satyr standing in the clearing. The worry in his gaze did nothing to assuage my own concerns. Holding his gaze, I couldn’t keep the frost out of my voice as I asked, “Did you find nothing?”

  “No sign.” Ilia gestured to the horses and added, “Eulalia’s saddle was not touched.”

  That was little comfort. Lauren wouldn’t have saddled the mare and ridden off. The ground here was rockier and didn’t hold signs of passage long. The morning sun was already heating the ground, burning away the dew. Lauren had left her go bag as well as her jacket when she vanished, which meant two things. Either she left for a particular reason and possibly got lost or she was taken.

  My jaw worked as I struggled against the cold. I had to find Lauren. “Did you check the river?”

  The satyr frowned. “The river is not safe, eh, too deep and fast to cross.”

  I shook my head as I stormed past him. If Lauren had slipped and fallen into the river, would I even be able to find her? I wasn’t certain if I would know if something . . . fatal had happened to her. In my memories, my father did not ask after my mother, only my brothers. But how he knew she was dead, I never knew and never asked my uncle. The stories . . . The only thing they agreed on was that losing your mate was . . . singularly devastating and often deadly. My pace increased until I was nearly running through the woods. I had to find her.

  The clattering sound of Ilia’s cloven hooves behind me grew louder until the satyr finally drew abreast of me. He held out a hand and pointed to my right. “That way, Myrmidon,” he huffed. “I saw something.”

  I didn’t question him. I just turned and ran. My steps slowed slightly as I reached the river’s edge and the larger of two natural arches bridging the two sides of the valley. They stopped completely as I looked up at the arch and my jaw dropped. Lauren was picking her way down the side and she wasn’t alone. A white ribbon with gold glinting down its length ran from her hand to the Golden Hind. The animal’s attention was on her satchel and it followed with far more docility than I had ever expected from a creature with its legend.

  Ilia mumbled under his breath in Bulgarian, “As I live and breathe, she’s truly done it. Caught Artemis’ pet with apples and a ribbon. I never thought I’d see the day.”

  Pride burned away my own disbelief as I watched Lauren leading the Hind closer. I wanted to shout, but restrained myself. No sense in spooking the creature now. Once they were on solid ground once more, Lauren’s hand slipped into her satchel and she cut an apple into slices before feeding them one by one to the Hind.

  It was only then that she noticed us. She offered a bright smile that further thawed the cold in my veins, replacing it with a desire slowly warming beneath her smiling presence as though she were the sun come to earth. Lauren brushed her hair behind her ear and it took everything in me to keep my hands at my sides instead of pulling her close. She fed the last apple slice to the Hind as she quietly stated, “I think we should go to Perperikon now. But first, we need more apples.”

  “I will go,” Ilia said calmly. He bowed slightly to Lauren and added, “Congratulations, eh, completing the impossible.”

  The satyr gave us directions on how to circumvent the town of Chepelare before he went off at a run. It was only then that I allowed myself to move closer to Lauren. My fingers itched to touch her, and I allowed them to settle on her shoulders. All too soon they dropped to her tattooed wrist. Rubbing my thumb over the fox head, I broke the silence in a low whisper, “You’ve achieved the hardest part. And, did a smashingly good job of it.”

  Lauren’s smile warmed me once more. “Now, we just need to get her to Perperikon.”

  “With you handling her, that will be the easiest part of the journey. If I were a betting man, I’d lay money on it . . . and you.” I looked her over, my fingers still tracing over the skin of her wrist, and then added, “I was wrong to doubt you, Lauren. Forgive me.”

  “There’s nothing to forgive.”

  Unable to resist a moment longer, I allowed myself the luxury of slipping my hands through her hair. Then, I hooked a finger beneath her chin and gently pushed until she was looking up at me, her dark eyes shining with pride and . . . love. Her mouth curved into a faint smile. I lowered my head and pressed a light kiss to her lips.

  The kiss only lasted a fleeting moment before the Hind gave a snort and pulled away, tugging Lauren after her. I repressed the urge to curse the beast for its timing. But, perhaps, it was better this way. We needed to get a move on after all.

  * * *

  Lauren

  The city of Perperikon had been built to impress. Its thick stone walls were weathered and occasionally had sections of watch towers now open to the air, but it still created a massive presence on the mountainside. The multi-story palace was missing its roof, and it was clear that the topmost floor was more shell than anything else. Yet, it still created an imposing sight. There were columns elsewhere that testified to the former presence of a temple. A church still stood as well, barely visible over the tops of the walls.

  There was a small village near the valley floor, and Ilia led our strange caravan around it curving higher up the foothills to avoid passing through the town itself. Something I didn’t object to at all. The Golden Hind had mellowed considerably in the six days we had been travelling, but I didn’t want to risk her being spooked by the town. To lose her so close to the end of the task would be, well, it would be absolutely devastating.

  As we got closer to the city towering overhead, I decided to swing down from Eulalia’s back. I could see numbers glowing faintly in the distance as more people noticed our approach. Occupying myself with feeding the Hind another slice of apple, I tried to keep my nerves under control so I didn’t end up spooking her myself. I blew out a breath as my fingers tightened around the ribbon. Looking into her dark liquid eyes, I quietly murmured, “Just a little further and then we can both relax.” Or so I hoped.

  Mathias didn’t say anything as Ilia continued leading us closer to the city. I resisted questioning the satyr’s directions when he didn’t veer off toward any of the lower paddocks I could make out. Instead, he guided us toward the open gates leading through the city’s thick outer wall. More numbers appeared and every last one of them was a 6 or a 7. More satyrs, of course, and also some dryads and sylphs. But there were also two minotaurs, each shouldering heavy war hammers with round shields strapped to their backs.

  A sense of unease prickled down my back as we passed through
the crowd. How many here were potential dangers? I eyed the shadow of the palace and wondered whether some of the 7s might be dragons. I couldn’t recall if there were any royal dragon families living in this corner of the world, but the possibility loomed like an unwelcome cloud.

  I repressed a shudder and kept my focus on the Golden Hind. And, on Ilia as he waved for me to keep moving. More people started to line the sides of our path, whispering to each other in fast low conversations that I couldn’t catch enough words of to even determine the language being used. A glance over my shoulder confirmed Mathias was still riding Chavdar and bringing up the rear of our little party with the other two horses following close behind. He caught me looking at him and dipped his head in what had to be the tiniest nod given in the history of nods. It still made the knot of nerves slowly unwind as I turned my attention forward again. It didn’t matter how many high numbers were here. I had a 10 at my back, and he wasn’t going to let just anything happen.

  Still, my legs threatened to turn to jelly with sheer relief when Ilia finally stopped in front of a corral tucked near the back corner of the city between the palace and the mountain. Somehow I forced myself to keep moving, to keep walking steadily as I led the Hind closer. She snorted as we neared the slender birch poles making up the corral, but didn’t balk. For a moment, it was so quiet I was certain everyone watching was holding his or her breath. Then, as I led the Golden Hind into the corral, the hush eased. Ilia swung the gate closed and the whispers started again, but I ignored them all as I worked on untying the makeshift halter. Then, I offered the Hind the last of the apples. She munched it eagerly, not even flickering an ear as I walked away from her.

  Ilia was grinning, his bright smile slashing through his beard, as he opened the gate for me to slip out. He patted my arm, hand warm even through the leather sleeve of my jacket. “Well done, Lauren.”