“But they persuaded you to believe it’s what should be done. The idea has been forced on you since birth.” Rasha heard Lu returning and pulled up. “I won’t be lined up like a beast of burden to be chosen by any man. It is not for him alone to do the choosing. Shouldn’t I also be able to choose for myself?”
“No,” Chiza said. Her answer was confident and sure. She added, “For the sake of your people you forsake that choice to better your kingdom. If the royal house was passing to a princess, it would be her duty to choose from the princes. It makes no difference the gender of the royal doing the choosing. We should be proud to be among those given the opportunity. There are so many, due to an accident of birth, who will never get the chance.”
“I’m a courier, with no allegiance to any one kingdom or nation. I deliver, and I do it well. It’s better than being a pawn of the palace,” Rasha replied.
She itched to have the princess as far away from her as possible. The question was coming. One she dared not answer. The one that made the acid in her stomach churn until she thought she might be sick.
“The day may come when you must choose a side. I hope you and I will stand on the same side on that day,” Chiza said.
Rasha’s breathing returned to normal as the silence ate up her last words. It wasn’t the question she’d been expecting—the one that always seemed to tear her from the inside out.
Lu returned, food in hand, and found the two in the middle of the heated debate, neither able to occupy the same space on the back of Rasha’s beast.
“She’s right, we may have to choose a nation someday. I’ve thought about it myself, and I’m with Chiza.”
“Of course you are,” Rasha said, sliding off the beast and leaving Chiza to find her own way down.
“What does that mean?”
“It means only this: be careful which side you stand on. You’ve known her for but for a few days, and you’ve known me for two whole years. Which of us is more likely to betray you and slit your throat?” Rasha stormed off into the woods. Lu and Chiza were becoming unbearable.
Rasha wondered why Chiza failed to use her endless supply of self-righteousness to learn a proper skill like combat or defense training. The girl got on her nerves. The princess lacked the most basic of survival skills. Rasha used her short swords to cut through the brush as she marched through branches and weeds.
She couldn’t leave the two of them for long, so she returned to where she left them and found that Lu and Chiza had already made camp. Lu had the meat over the fire and rotated it every few minutes, cooking it evenly.
Lu frowned at Rasha. Maybe he noticed the set of her jaw. She shook her head. Lu couldn’t know. Chiza shouldn’t know. There was nothing to do about it now. She’d deliver her cargo to the palace of Adalu and be on her way as fast as her tuskin beast’s pace allowed.
Lu and Chiza twittered back and forth until Chiza fell asleep on his shoulder. Neither of them spoke to Rasha as they ate and prepared for bed. Rasha rolled her eyes. What did she care if they wanted to be more than friends? Lu was getting into serious trouble. He had the same look on his face as when he found a new beastie. The heartbreak would come, it always did. This girl, promised to the prince, would never choose him over her duty. Rasha wouldn’t get involved. She’d made that mistake before.
Instead, she rested with her hands behind her head on her patch of covered dirt and looked up at the sky. One large and one small moon lit up the night sky making it difficult to see any other constellations. Rasha reached for her amulet and said a brief prayer to the Universal for their safety on their continued journey. They needed all the help they could get.
13
The next day, Rasha was grateful Lu and Chiza had kept their chattering and giggling to a minimum. Thinking of what might lie ahead was difficult enough, trying to navigate through areas where it might not be acceptable to bring the princess or places where they would be recognized. They hadn’t had an incident in almost a day. The competing kingdoms would strike soon. That’s how she’d do it. Maybe that’s why she heard them coming before they attacked.
Lu was talking to Chiza about his family at the time. Startled, he looked over at Rasha, who nodded as she climbed off of her tuskin and brought it to him. Chiza slipped from Lu’s to Rasha’s. He pulled Temi’s pouch from his shoulder and placed it over Chiza’s. Something in her eyes caught Rasha’s attention, but she didn’t have time to decipher it. They were closing in.
Lu handed the reins of his beast to Chiza, who shook her head and whimpered. Lu slid down to the ground so he could cover the row of trees opposite.
Rasha grabbed a long dry branch from the ground and struck the backs of both beasts and yelled, “Now.”
Rasha listened to their approaching voices and confirmed it wasn’t who’d been following them before. The roar that burst through the trees was not the stealthy tracker.
Rasha nodded at Lu to cover her six, and when the men came through the trees, she saw from their clothing they’d come from the eighth and the ninth kingdoms. The men they’d fought earlier were with them, and, although still damaged from the last time, led the charge against them now. Gorg’s partner, the one with the broken nose, came for her, but she was ready for him. She pulled out her swords and held him off, giving Lu more time.
Lu was behind her prepping his equipment.
“How long?” she yelled. She fought him off more easily this time with two swords.
“I’ll need at least two minutes,” he yelled back as he backed closer to her.
“Two minutes? Are you sure it will work?”
“Yes, but it needs two minutes!”
“Great, then, a minute after we’re dead they’ll be down.”
Rasha kicked the man nearest her in the sensitive area between his legs, then slammed an elbow into his back. She pushed off of him and landed a kick to the side of the man opposite her. Lu bobbed backwards trying to avoid getting a blade to the face from an attacker with a long sword. Rasha stepped between them and took the brunt of the clash against her own sword, the hit almost knocking it from her hands. She fell backwards, taking her swords with her and luring the man away from Lu.
Lu used his speed to get around two large guys that tried to pummel him with tall staffs. Lu grabbed the end of a staff and used it propel him around the men. From behind Rasha, a man grunted as he raised his sword to cut her down. Rasha pivoted to the right and the man in front of her dropped the sword against her blade. Their swords clashed with a loud crash.
“Lu, now!”
“It’s not ready!”
“I don’t care!”
Lu sat the device on the ground and jumped behind the nearest tree.
“Now!” he yelled, and the device sent a pulse that moved so fast it was invisible and every man within ten feet of it dropped, unconscious.
“Where’s the princess?” Rasha asked. Before Lu could shrug a scream pierced the quiet of the woods. They ran toward it. Chiza hadn’t gotten very far, and the frightened beasts had run off. She was struggling with a man that stood head and shoulders above the others they’d been fighting. Rasha moved in front of him with her swords drawn.
He pulled out a sword of his own and held it to princess’ neck.
“Lu?” Rasha asked between clenched teeth. Things were getting more out of hand than she liked.
“No, it will take too long to prepare.”
“Suggestions?”
“Nothing I want to give away.”
“Well, if you’re going to do something, do it,” Rasha told him as she circled the man holding Chiza by the neck.
Her screams echoed for miles. Lu moved to the left, and the man grunted and pulled the sword closer to Chiza’s neck. This only scared her more, and she screamed even louder. Something whizzed past her ear and landed on the large man’s cheek and stuck. He swatted at it but it was too late. The small projectile, no larger than a pin, stopped him. The sword in his hand tumbled to the ground, and he fell to h
is knees and flat on his face. Rasha was looking at the dart, so she didn’t see the other man come out of the trees in time.
He was on her in seconds. He landed a punch that made her see stars. She groaned and spun away from the punch to get out of the way before he could hit her again. She didn’t make it. He dropped the butt of his sword on her back and it brought her to her knees. She fell beside the larger man she’d just taken down. His pungent sweat assaulted her nose and she wondered if this would be the last thing she’d ever smell.
A grunt came from somewhere above. A man had propelled himself from the woods and stood between Rasha and her opponent. He raised his long sword in challenge, giving Rasha time to crawl out of harm’s way and see who had come to her aid.
The young man’s moves seemed almost to be in slow motion to her as her brain tried to capture and retain what she saw. His long hair swirled around him as he spun his long sword, landing a fierce blow that sent the other man backwards. He tried to raise his sword, but his awkward thrust missed the young man by a mile. Instead his young opponent ran him through, and the shock on his face mirrored the shock Rasha felt.
The young man’s sun-kissed skin identified him as another humanoid. When he turned toward her, he still had his teeth bared from the fight. But in an instant his features relaxed, and he smiled at her. His bright blue eyes and dimpled cheeks made him look even younger than she imagined him. He couldn’t be much older than her.
Rasha crumpled to the ground before the young man could reach her.
* * *
The pounding in Rasha’s head woke her. That or the screeching from the back of her skull. No, not inside her head, she realized. Outside. Chiza was still screaming. Strong hands lifted her from the ground and helped her stand. She was about to thank Lu when she realized the face she saw was the stranger’s. She stared at the young man who’d fought off the last of their attackers.
“You’ve got a nasty bump there. I’m sorry I took so long.” He reached out as if to touch her face and she backed away.
“Shut her up, Lu, or I will,” she warned, startling the princess into silence.
“I’m Jak Ostari.” He held up a hand, palm out, waiting for her to greet him, but she didn’t move her hand from the tender spot on her head. He realized she wasn’t going to return the greeting and dropped his hand. “I hope I didn’t startle you. I heard the commotion and came to help. The screaming reached all the way to the main road. There were a couple beasts wandering around that way. I assume they’re yours.” His smile reached his eyes.
Rasha knew of Jak. A former courier with a reputation as good as, if not better than, her own. Before she’d come along, he’d been the best, with a perfect record. Until about a year ago when he didn’t retrieve a fetch. No one knew what the fetch had been or where it went, only that he’d refused to do it. Afterwards, he quit being a courier and became a tracker.
Lu raised his hand to welcome him.
“I’m Lu, thanks for your help,” he said, still standing with Chiza. She clasped his arm with both hands as if he kept her safe. Rasha wondered if Lu noticed.
“Nice to meet you Lu, I’m Jak. Who is this lovely vision?” Jak said turning his attention to Chiza.
“Chiza,” she replied. She didn’t elaborate or seemed charmed by him. That made Rasha smile. Chiza was smarter than she’d given her credit for.
“Jak? The Jak?” Lu stammered.
“I don’t know if I’ve earned the article, but my name is Jak.”
“You’re the most famous courier I know, other than Rash. Well, I feel like I know you. I mean, we’ve never met but I’ve seen your work. I mean your former work. I know you don’t deliver anymore. It’s a shame, because everyone says you’re the best.”
His babbling embarrassed Rasha. She’d recognized him too, but she wasn’t swooning.
“I mean, four years. No one has even come close. You’re a living legend. I can’t believe you’re here.”
“Not four years. Three years and seven months.” He seemed embarrassed by the praise. He pulled at the collar of his coat. The tattoos on his neck didn’t hide his blush.
Rasha had enough of Lu’s gushing and cleared her throat.
“Lu, let’s get the animals. We need to be on our way.” Rasha found her footing and started toward the beasts.
“No, don’t trouble yourselves, I’ll get the animals. Just rest. You need it,” Jak interjected, and started off into the woods.
“It’s a good thing we ran into Jak.” Lu beamed with happiness.
“He did seem to be here at just the right time,” Chiza said.
Rasha thought so too.
“A little too convenient to be coincidence,” Rasha said.
“What do you mean?” Lu asked, but Rasha began swaying on her feet, and he leapt to catch her. “You need to sit.”
Rasha didn’t have much of a choice in the matter. Her ears rang and her back ached.
She slid into a sitting position. She tried to lean back against the tree but the pain in her back made it impossible, so she turned her shoulder to it instead.
“See to the beasts.”
“I’m not leaving you alone.”
“I won’t be alone,” she sighed. Lu seemed to realize that Chiza was still clinging to his arm with both hands. He gently detached himself before going off to follow Jak.
“Do you think it’s safe to leave them alone?” Chiza asked, sitting down on the ground beside her.
She’d come a long way, Rasha noted. Before this little journey she’d never sat down in the dirt on purpose.
“It’s fine. If he’d wanted to hurt us he would have let the others take us and then picked off the survivors.” She didn’t need to name herself as the one being picked off while she sat with a tree holding her up.
“Are you going to be all right? I’ve never seen you like this.”
“I’ll be fine.” Rasha said and hoped it was true. She’d never sustained such a blow before. The man, though smaller than the others she’d fought, got close enough to lay his hands on her. “Is Temi with you?” she asked, distracting her reluctant caretaker.
“Um, I’m not sure.” Chiza looked into the pouch and lifted the lid. Temi wasn’t inside. “Oh no, he’s not there.”
“No doubt he got scared when the screaming started,” Rasha told Chiza with what she hoped was a playful smile.
Chiza smiled back and said, “I was scared too. That man was so big. Where did that dart come from?”
Rasha frowned. She’d forgotten about the dart in all the confusion.
“Was it Lu?”
“No, I was looking right at him.” Chiza’s voice trailed off at and she looked down at her fingernails. She’d admitted to something she hadn’t wanted to.
14
Jak and Lu returned leading three tuskins with them. Temi bounded alongside them. Jak’s beast looked identical to theirs. She considered that and came to a conclusion. No doubt he had followed in their tracks making it impossible for them to discover him.
Jak and Lu leaned over and reached for her at the same time, helping her from the ground. She twisted out of Lu’s grasp, and he retreated to help the princess get to her feet. Jak, however wouldn’t let go, ignoring her attempts to shake him loose.
“How long have you been following us?” Rasha asked. She knew the answer, but she wanted hear it from him.
Jak laughed. Lu and Chiza were standing there looking shocked at her brazenness. The idea either hadn’t occurred to them, or it had, but they’d been afraid to make the accusation. Temi growled as if just noticing that he didn’t belong. Jak looked at them and then back to Rasha. He would answer her. She figured he was debating about whether he should tell them the truth. Not that it mattered now, here he was. He came to the same conclusion.
“I’ve been following you since you left Sidoa.”
Lu gasped, but Chiza seemed unsurprised.
Rasha didn’t let their reactions affect her. She waited for him to
elaborate.
“I’m not at liberty to share with you my mission in any detail. But I can tell you I’m not here to hurt you in any way.” He offered them a warm smile.
The three exchanged glances, then Lu and Chiza waited for Rasha to speak. Temi sniffed at his ankles, exhaling in short huffs.
She shrugged. “Let’s not debate it out here. It’ll be dark in a few hours. We need to get Chiza someplace safe.” She tried to pull herself up onto the tuskin, but Jak’s hands gripped her waist and lifted her onto the beast. Then he climbed up behind her.
“What are you doing?” she snarled at him.
“You’re not well enough to ride alone. I’ll be here in case you tip off,” Jak said. slipping his hand around her waist. Lu helped Chiza up onto Rasha’s beast. Lu mounted his own, bringing up the rear.
He had quite the nerve. Rasha was seething. She was more than capable of riding by herself. It hadn’t been her first fight. Rasha spurred her beast and the tuskins following her increased their speed to match. They hadn’t gone more than a half a mile before she was dizzy with nausea. She had to breathe deeply to keep her head from spinning.
“Ho,” Jak said holding up a fist to stop the others.
Rasha’s dizziness subsided, but only a little. Jak took the reins and clicked through his teeth to urge the animal forward at a slower pace. Her stomach settled enough for her to speak again. She was grateful, but she wasn’t ready to admit it. His arm around her middle made her squirm, and she pushed it away.
Jak laughed.
“I haven’t forgotten that you haven’t told us. Why are you following us?”
“I can’t tell you that, I’m still bound by the code. But I’ll tell you this. The road we’re on is no longer safe. It will not get you to the first kingdom unharmed.”
“How do you know where we’re headed?” Rasha turned to look at him, and got another dizzying headache for her trouble.
“You’re going to Adalu. Why else would you be taking the north road this time of year? I’m no stranger to this road. No one else takes it to visit the Twinlands. You’re headed to the first and you’ve brought enough warm clothing to survive a few days on the road until you get there.”
The Courier's Code (The Bolaji Kingdoms Series Book 1) Page 5