Pulling her cape securely about her, she stepped through the gate and into what appeared to be a deserted roadway. The night was dark and cold and snow was beginning to fall. Mara stood still for tense moments, undecided. She could hear the sound of many horses and knew that the royal stables Tajarez had told her about must be nearby. Moving in the direction of the sound keeping well into the shadows, she saw with relief that she had been correct in her assumption. The stable was darkened and there seemed to be no one about, but she knew she must still not take any chances. She inched along the wall, and it seemed to take her an eternity to reach the stable.
She opened the gate to the first stall she came to. Feeling around in the dark she found the leather rein and slipped it over the head of the horse. She could hear one of the horses rearing and kicking against its stall, and she saw it was Tajarez's black stallion. Tajarez was in the palace. He had returned!
Mara led her horse quickly out of the stall and swung herself onto its back. She urged the horse forward, and the animal readily obeyed her command and broke into a gallop.
The back roadway soon led to a main thoroughfare, and Mara was forced to check her horse's speed. There were many people milling about, and she saw the stalls and shops where the people displayed their crafts and wares.
Fearing to be discovered at any moment. Mara urged her mount on to a faster pace. She had chosen her time well, for the shopkeepers were busy closing for the day and did not seem to notice her as she passed by them.
She fastened her eyes on the tallest mountain peak, remembering that that was where she had entered the valley. She rode straight toward it. When she reached the outskirts of the City, she had no trouble finding the road that led to the mountains. She had passed no one. The cold weather seemed to be working in her favor. No one would want to be abroad on a night like this. Any sane person would be at home with her family, she thought bitterly.
The roadway began to slant upward as she drew closer to the tall mountain. Just ahead of her was the tunnel that meant her freedom.
Mara had no thought any more for her safety, or about what she would do once she was through the tunnel to the outside. She would not think about the fact that she had brought neither food nor water with her. It was bitterly cold and she had no shelter from the night winds, but that did not trouble her. All thoughts were pushed to the back of her mind. Her only aim in life was to escape this valley.
Mara was well within view of the cave now. She could see the light from the torches piercing the darkened night. Dismounting, she led her horse behind a clump of bushes and peered up the mountainside, knowing that somewhere in the dark recesses of that mountain was a sentry who might stand between her and freedom. Deciding her only hope was to ride boldly up to the entrance of the cave, she remounted and urged her horse forward. She wondered momentarily if there was some kind of password that she would need to get through the mountain?
When she had almost reached the cave a voice came to her from somewhere up above.
"Where do you go?"
"I go to meet my husband," she said, voicing the first thought that entered her mind.
"Is he with the advanced hunting party?" The man called down.
"Yes, I ride forward to welcome him."
"Proceed," the man said.
Mara did not hesitate to impel her horse forward, entering the cave at a fast gallop. Leaving the valley had been almost too easy. Evidently they did not concern themselves with the people who left the valley, only the ones who entered.
The sound of the horse's flying hooves made a deafening echo as it reverberated against the walls of the cave. Mara was now concerned with reaching the other side of the entrance before the hunting party the guard had spoken of returned. It would be devastating for her to have come this far only to be discovered and taken back to the City.
She reached the end of the cave, and she had to slow the horse as they climbed down the steep embankment. Once they reached level ground Mara kicked her mount in the flanks and the horse raced onward.
The snow clouds had moved on, and Mara was grateful that a full moon now lit the countryside, enabling her to see where she was going. The snowfall on this side of the mountain must have been heavier than in the valley, for there were several more inches of snow covering the ground than there had been in the City.
She pointed her horse in a northerly direction, and her spirits soared. She was free!
The horse raced forward into the night. Mara could feel the strong muscles of the animal as its powerful legs covered the ground at an astonishing pace. She had chosen her mount well. She could not imagine any horse's being capable of outdistancing this one.
Mara did not know how long she had been racing the horse, but she could feel he was tiring and she slowed him to a walk. Glancing skyward she saw the clouds had moved over the moon again, and a light snow began to fall. She did not mind the snow, for if anyone had discovered she was missing and come after her, he would be unable to track her.
It soon became too dark to try and guide the horse, so Mara gave the animal its head and allowed him to take her where he would. The horse seemed to sense Mara's urgency and renewed his effort. On and on the great horse thundered into the night.
Once again the clouds moved away, giving Mara a clear view of the moon. Judging from its position, she estimated it was somewhere around midnight.
The cold wind whipped at Mara's cape, its icy fingers stinging her cheeks. Pulling the cape more securely about her, she tried to make her mind a blank, but was not entirely successful. She kept remembering the night before, when Tajarez had held her in his arms and whispered love words in her ear. Tonight he would hold his queen in his arms. Would he also murmur words of love to her?
Tajarez opened the door to Mara's room without knocking. He scanned the room, only to find it was empty. He smiled to himself. Tonight would be special for he would tell Mara that she was his wife.
Walking out into the hallway he rapped on Palomas's door. When there was no answer, he was not unduly concerned. Most probably Mara was with Sasha.
Falon came running down the hallway and almost collided with her king. "Palomas has been searching for you, my king, we cannot find the queen anywhere," she said in a voice bordering on hysteria.
"When was she last seen?" Tajarez snapped.
"I served her the noon meal and she told me she would not have need of me anymore today. That was the last anyone saw of her."
"Have you checked with her brother?"
"Yes, he and Palomas searched the palace, but no trace was found of her."
"Where are Jeffery and Palomas now?"
"Palomas is searching the garden. She could not have left the palace by the main entrance."
"Find Jeffery and tell him to report to me immediately."
Falon did not hesitate, but ran down the hallway to find Jeffery.
Tajarez had just reached the anteroom when Palomas rushed up to him. "I have found no sign of her, my king, but the gate in the garden was open, and one of your horses is missing," he said, grim-faced.
"Great Father, she has done it, she said she would get away, but I did not believe her. Have you sent someone to the cave entrance?"
"Not yet. I waited to report to you first."
"See that three horses are made ready, and try to arouse no suspicion. You, Jeffery, and myself, will ride to the entrance at once."
"I have already had the horses brought around to the front. I anticipated your order, my king. It seems once again I was lax in my duty. I did not think she was this desperate."
Tajarez looked past him to Jeffery, who had just entered the anteroom. "No one is at fault but myself, Palomas. Knowing Mara as I do, I should have seen this coming."
The three men raced to the door and down the steep steps, each fearing that Mara might have made it through the entrance to the valley.
When they reached the cave, Tajarez and Jeffery waited below while Palomas climbed up to question the gua
rd.
"Your sister has made me very angry, Jeffery," Tajarez said grimly.
"You knew the pressure she had on her. Knowing Mara you should have expected something like this."
"My first mistake was in listening to you and Tabo. Had I told Mara the truth of her identity when I wanted to, this could have been avoided."
"Perhaps, who can know?"
Tarjarez's horse was prancing about restlessly, and he restrained it with his powerful leg muscles, and finally brought it under control. "If she has managed to leave this valley, her life is in great danger. Not only could she freeze to death, there are wolf packs that roam the countryside."
Palomas ran down the mountainside and jumped on his horse. "She passed this way hours ago, my king," Palomas told him.
Tajarez jabbed his horse in the flanks, with fear in his heart. Great Father, he prayed silently, let me find her in time!
27
I feel as if the very air about me has drawn a breath.
He will come, the wind whispers, he will come.
Mara dismounted and rubbed her hands over the flanks of the stallion. In spite of the cold the animal was lathered and sweating from the fast pace at which they had been traveling.
"I have used you sorely," she said, looking about for some place where she could find them shelter from the cold. "You are sure to become ill if I do not get you out of this wind." She was surprised that she had spoken to the horse in the Lagonda language, which seemed more familiar to her now than English.
In the distance she could hear the howling of wolves, and she shivered from fear. She realized that she feared the wolves more than any other danger she could imagine.
Picking up the trailing reins, Mara led the horse over to two large boulders that came together in a vee shape, thinking they might offer some protection.
Forcing the animal down to its knees, she sat with her back to the rock and pulled one edge of her cape over the horse's back, trying to offer him some warmth.
"He will never find me," she said, as she rested her face against the sleek neck of the horse.
It had begun to snow again and Mara huddled closer to the horse, hoping to borrow some of his warmth. She was totally exhausted. She knew she had been foolish not to plan her escape better, but there had been no time. She wished she had at least had the foresight to bring a warm blanket, or a fur robe.
How long could she last without food, she wondered. If the snow melted she knew she would find green grass underneath for the horse to graze on, but what about herself? Perhaps she would be fortunate enough to find a trapper, someone like Jake and Zeke, but she discarded that thought. This was too far west; she doubted there was another white person within hundreds of miles. The only other people she was likely to encounter would be Indians. Mara considered for a moment if she would rather become the captive of some savage tribe of Indians, or be found by a Lagonda warrior who would take her back to Tajarez.
What was Tajarez doing now? Was he lying beside his queen? Was he at this very moment making love to his wife? Tears scalded Mara's eyes. Why could she not put him out of her mind? She thought of Andrew, and was glad he was safe and warm. He would grow up never knowing how much his mother had loved him.
Thinking was too painful. What she needed was sleep. She closed her eyes, but the image of Tajarez's face flashed before her. I will never see him again, she thought.
The cold seemed to seep into her body, and her hands and feet felt numb, but she tried not to think of her discomfort. Instead she wondered what Tajarez's reaction would be in the morning when he discovered his prisoner had escaped. She almost wished she could be there to witness his anger when he found her missing. Again his face flashed before her, and the look he wore was not one of anger, but of sadness. Mara, groaned, "Leave me in peace, Tajarez, I do not want to think of you."
Suddenly the horse raised his head and rolled his eyes wildly. Mara moved out of his way as the animal stumbled to his feet, and whinnied. Mara looked about trying to determine the reason for the animal's fright. It was impossible to see more than a few feet because of the falling snow. The horse reared up on its hind legs and pawed at the air. Mara grabbed at the trailing reins, trying to soothe the frightened animal.
Was it possible that Tajarez had found her already? she wondered. She did not pause to consider, but jumped on the back of the horse. The animal did not need any urging, he leaped over the rock and landed on the other side with a jolt that almost unseated Mara. She hugged the side of the horse's body with her legs, and held tightly to the reins.
Suddenly a new and terrifying sound reached Mara's ears. It was the sound of growling and snarling and it came from close behind her. Looking back over her shoulder, she saw the reason for the horse's fear. They were being pursued by wolves! Mara could not make out their number, all she could see were the menacing eyes that seemed to glow like hot coals in the darkness.
Leaning low over the horse's back, she prayed they could outrun the wolf pack. Her mind was in a frenzy. She wondered what it would feel like to be torn apart by hungry wolves. Did they kill their prey first, or would they eat them while they were still alive? Mara fought against the bile that rose in her throat—the taste of fear!
Why had she been so foolish as to try to run away from Tajarez? Was her only escape from him to be found in death? she wondered. At that moment she wished she could see him.
Would Tajarez be glad that her escape from him had ended in tragedy? Or would he grieve for her? Casting a quick glance over her shoulder she saw that the wolves were gaining on her. They had spread out and were circling the horse. Their eyes gleamed menacingly in the darkness.
Mara could just make out the shadowy shape of the lead wolf, when her mount reared up on its haunches and pawed at the air. Mara gripped the reins tightly, not wanting to be unseated. By now a lone wolf was nipping at the heels of her horse, and the animal kicked out in pain. The horse seemed to sail into the air, and it came down so forcefully that Mara's hands slipped from the reins, and she went flying through the air to land with a thud in a deep snow bank.
She rolled over and over, then down a steep embankment. By the time she had jumped to her feet, she could hear the agonizing sounds the horse was making and knew it was being torn apart by the wolf pack.
Tears wet her cheeks as she stood helplessly, unable to save the horse that had served her so well.
"Tajarez, Tajarez, come to me," she cried out. "Oh, my love, I am so frightened!"
There was the sound of the wolves fighting among themselves, and Mara knew they the horse and she knew it was dead. She hoped its death had been quick and merciful.
Mara could not see what was happening on the other side of the steep embankment. She strained her eyes in the darkness.
A gasp escaped her lips as she saw a pair of red glowing eyes peering down on her from the top of the embankment. One of the wolves had broken away from the pack and had spotted her.
Taking a step backwards she bumped into the trunk of a tree. Without taking her eyes off the wolf, she groped above her head trying to find a handhold. Her fingers were numb, and she could not seem to hold on to the branch. She could see the wolf more clearly now as it came slinking toward her. Her heart missed a beat as she noticed that a number of snarling wolves were now charging toward her behind the first one.
With renewed strength, Mara grabbed the tree branch and swung herself into the tree just as the first wolf reached its base.
The tree was not a big one and the branch she was on dipped with her weight. Mara feared that the branch would snap and she would fall to be devoured by the snarling beasts below. One of the wolves seemed to be more daring than the others. It leaped into the air, almost reaching Mara's haven.
Reaching over her head Mara grasped a higher branch, but it dipped downward, and she knew it would not support her weight. She could climb no higher. The venturesome wolf seemed to sense her plight and lunged at her with renewed courage and daring. Mara began
crying hysterically as she saw the snarling fangs that could easily rip their prey apart.
"Tajarez, help me!" she screamed, knowing it was but a matter of time before the hungry wolves reached her.
Tajarez was the first to hear the wolf pack as they fought over their kill. He did not slacken his pace as he strung his bow and placed a silver-tipped arrow between its rawhide strings. His mind drew a picture of Mara being torn apart by the wolves, and when he came in view of the wolf pack, tearing at the flesh of the dead horse, that fear did not diminish. He released the arrow and it found the heart of one of the wolves with deadly accuracy.
Tajarez was aware that Jeffery and Palomas also fired at the blood-crazed animals. Tajarez had dismounted and was running among the wolves before his horse had come to a halt. Looking around frantically for some sign of Mara, he did not know whether to be relieved or even more fearful when he did not see her.
Jeffery and Palomas had joined him and were driving the angry animals back with flying arrows that never failed to hit their targets. The surviving animals fell on their wounded companions and began to rip them apart, showing no discrimination in their lust for food. They had no qualms about eating one of their own species.
"She is not here," Tajarez yelled. His eyes were wild as he looked at Jeffery. "Great Father am I too late!" he cried out.
"Listen," Palomas said. "I hear more wolves in the gully."
Savage Splendor (Savage Lagonda 2) Page 31