Opik sighed, shook his head. “So says the only person he truly cares about.”
She frowned. Decided it wasn't worth fighting about now, and went back to eating the last of the flatbread.
“You look like you need a break.” Opik's words startled her and she raised her head. She didn't remember resting it on her knees. She turned to him and blinked.
“You're right. I was almost asleep.” And that was no good when she was supposed to be on watch.
“I'll go down, ask Kas to send someone up to relieve you.” Opik rose and touched his fingers lightly to the crown of her head. “Garek made it to Shadow to get you. He's not going to let the little matter of a few sky raiders get in his way now.”
She forced herself to smile, then watched him disappear down the side of the hill.
The Star was climbing to its zenith, and even though the heat of high summer was over, the cooling breeze had died down and in her guard uniform she was hot and uncomfortable under its glare.
She shuffled into the shade thrown by the rock she'd been sitting on, and pressed herself against its cool side, still untouched by the Star's light.
When she heard the murmur of voices, she thought it was the replacement Opik had gone off to fetch, and she frowned at how they could have come up the hill so quickly.
Then she realized the soft conversation was coming from above her, from the path that wound down from the pass above the village.
She gathered herself into a crouch, making sure she was still deep in the shade, glad she had brought the spears off the hot rock with her.
She grabbed one in a loose fist, straining to hear.
A woman spoke, more clearly now the newcomers had moved closer. “I don't think you understand--”
“Stop.”
The woman's sentence was cut off with a vicious hiss.
“No more talking, we must be getting close. And you're wrong, I understand perfectly.”
“Do you, though?” A third voice asked, the tone dry and sarcastic. And weary, as if this wasn't the first time this argument had played out. “I've walked the walls with Garek, and so has Darla. Forgive us if we're a little concerned about forcing him to do something he doesn't want to do.”
“He'll do it, or be branded a traitor.” The hisser had the power of righteous zeal in his voice.
“Sure.” The third person spoke again, a challenge in his voice. “A traitor to the liege of West Lathor, or a traitor to the liege of Harven?”
There was a beat of silence.
“What do you mean by that, Haz?”
“I think you know.” Haz's voice maintained its low, clear volume. “What was that Harven ambassador doing coming out of the briefing room just before we were given our orders to come fetch Garek back? Who's the traitor here, Gaffri?”
There was the sound of a scuffle, and Taya risked looking around the rock to the path.
A man and a women, Haz and Darla, if she were to guess, were struggling against four others. One had to be the hisser, Gaffri, and it appeared he had three others willing to support him. They were all dressed as guards.
And they were obviously from Garamundo.
What had Haz said? He and Darla had walked the walls with Garek.
And those two at least were unhappy with whatever it was they had been ordered to do.
“What are you going to do? Cut your team by a third?” Darla tossed her head, and her long, dark braid flicked over her shoulder, striking one of the men holding her on the cheek. She was dressed in clothes similar to the ones Taya had on herself--thick trousers and a long-sleeved shirt with a leather waistcoat.
“Better a smaller team than a knife in the back,” Gaffri told her. He was a big man, broad in the shoulders, with a barrel chest and dark red hair cut close to his head, like Garek wore his.
Darla shrugged. “I'm loyal to the liege.” She waited a beat. “Of West Lathor.”
Gaffri jerked back his head. “Then you'll have no trouble carrying out the order of the town master the liege of West Lathor appointed to Garamundo.”
“I'd have no trouble with it, if it wasn't impossible to carry out, and if I didn't suspect it was more to do with the strange alliance the town master is openly forging with Harven,” Haz said. He was much leaner than Gaffri, with light caramel skin and almost no hair at all.
“Impossible to carry out?” Gaffri laughed. “Garek's one man.”
But the other three with him looked less certain, and Haz shook his head. “You've been listening to the guard master for too long. Utrel's made a hobby out of undermining Garek, of painting him as not quite as good as he seems.”
“And why would he do that?” Gaffri flung a hand in front of him in derision.
“Because he's piss scared Garek will take his job.” One of the three holding Haz said, and Gaffri frowned at him.
“It's the truth, captain.” Another of the men shrugged, loosening his grip on Darla.
She shrugged free, glaring at her team mate.
“You're blowing this out of proportion.” Faced with more resistance now, Gaffri lifted up both hands, all reasonable and logical. “Why wouldn't Garek agree to come back with us at the town master's order?”
“Let go, Fek.” Haz jerked his arm out of the hold Fek had on him. “He won't agree because he's not a Gara guard anymore, and the town master has no right to issue him with an order. He had to stay two years instead of one as it is. He won't come back.”
Darla nodded. “Never.”
“Why did you two come along then, if you thought this was such a useless waste of time?” Gaffri's hands were in fists.
“Because we were ordered to do it, and we are still Gara guards.” Darla sounded like she was explaining things to a toddler.
“I bet you're wondering why two guards who aren't in the town master's pocket were sent with you?” Haz asked, and from where she crouched, Taya saw Gaffri's face darken.
“I caught a glimpse of the list, and two names had been struck off, and Darla and mine added. So my guess is there is more than one officer who has seen just as clearly as we have what's going on, and decided to level the playing field a little.”
“Wish they'd had a quiet word with us first to warn us.” Darla straightened her clothes.
“I have no idea what you're talking about.” Gaffri turned back to face forward on the path, but Taya could see he was shaken, perhaps no longer as sure of himself as before.
“I'm guessing those who are worried about what's going on might even have sent word to the liege,” Haz said, conversationally, as they all followed behind Gaffri. “It'll be interesting to see how long the town master hangs on to power after that.”
“That's assuming he's doing something improper. He may be acting on the liege's orders, for all we know.”
“Of course.” Darla's voice was mocking. “You never know.”
Gaffri turned to glare at her over his shoulder.
The sound of children laughing rose up from the valley below, and without another word, they suddenly all moved in a quieter, more stealthy way.
Like predators.
Opik would have found Kas by now, and a replacement might be on his or her way up. Taya was suddenly afraid for whoever it was, even though it sounded like these guards were here for Garek, not to cause trouble with the villagers.
She couldn't get down to Pan Nuk before them, the path was the fastest way.
But she couldn't let them go on alone, and enter the village without warning.
She looked down at the spear in her hand, and the one on the ground. No sense in looking dangerous. No sense giving away her secrets.
She patted the knife hidden in her boot. That would have to do.
She waited until the head of the last guard dipped below the horizon, then rose up, leaving the spears tucked against the rock, and moved onto the path, whistling a cheerful tune. She made no effort to walk quietly, and kicked a few stones for good measure.
The man at the back
of the group was one of the ones aligned with Gaffri--Fek, she thought Haz had called him--and he stopped and turned toward her as she crested the hill, hand going to the sword hanging from his belt.
She made herself smile widely, and wave.
“Hello! Have you come to help us already? That's wonderful.” She kept moving forward, forcing her expression into a look of open friendliness. She hoped.
She stopped in front of the man, and gave another cheerful smile. “Welcome to Pan Nuk. Not that it's looking its best at the moment, but you understand that, I'm sure. Did you bring any leviks with you, or are they coming later?”
Fek blinked. Said nothing.
“Who are you?” Gaffri shouldered Fek out the way, and Taya let herself frown at his rudeness.
“Perhaps the place for introductions is in the village.” She didn't want to stand alone with them any longer than she had to. She stepped around Gaffri. “The town master will want to welcome you himself. I'll show you the way.”
Her offer gave her an excuse to jog ahead of them, and she could sense their confusion and hesitation.
They didn't know how to deal with her, and they didn't want to give away their agenda. Not yet.
They must also be wondering who else the village could be expecting, given her greeting. She'd used it as a way to put them off balance, but perhaps it would also make them think more carefully about their actions, if they believed other guards were due here.
“Kas!” She hoped the relief in her voice wasn't obvious to the guards behind her as she rounded the last corner. Her brother was standing on the roof of their house, searching the skies. “We have visitors. The guards we were expecting!”
Kas turned, eyes going wide, and then he disappeared.
By the time she reached the end of the path behind their house, he was standing with Eli and Opik, but she had the sense everyone else was just out of sight, behind houses and sheds.
The children who'd been laughing earlier were nowhere to be seen.
There was a moment of silence. She tried to catch Kas's eye, but his full attention was on the guards behind her.
“You're not from Juli,” he said. Kas had been a guard in Gara, of course he would know their uniform.
“You're expecting guards from Juli?” Gaffri asked, and he wasn't good enough to hide his shock.
“Yes.” Kas's answer was curt and deeply suspicious.
He finally looked at Taya, and she gave a tiny shake of her head.
“If you're not the guards the liege is sending us from Juli, why are you here?” Eli asked. He shifted, and Taya realized just how tall he was. His time on Shadow had honed him, too, so that every muscle was defined. His hand was curled around something small, and she realized with a frisson of shock it was one of the small black devices Garek had stolen from the guards on Shadow that shot white lightning.
She shuffled a little further away from the Gara guards to get herself out of the line of fire and Gaffri frowned at her as he noticed. Neither he nor his team said anything and the silence stretched out.
“Is this to do with Garek?” Kas finally asked.
“And why would you think that?” Gaffri's voice was soft.
“Because you're from Garamundo, and Garek just finished two years' conscription there.”
“Where is Garek?” Gaffri looked past Kas, as if trying to see behind him.
His question should have been unremarkable, but there was something so aggressive in the way he spoke, everyone straightened.
“Why do you ask?” Opik crossed his arms over his chest.
“We have an order for him, from the town master of Gara.”
“He's doing something for the liege in Juli.” Taya spoke for the first time since she'd brought the guards to the village.
There was a truly startled silence from the guards this time.
“Well, when will he be back?” Gaffri tried hard to look relaxed, his hand dropping from his sword for the first time since he'd seen Kas.
Eli shrugged. “We don't know. Perhaps with the guards from Juli later today or tomorrow morning; perhaps not. It depends what the liege's orders are.”
“He left Gara less than three weeks ago. How has he gotten an offer from the liege already?” Darla's gaze was also straining beyond the house, trying to see more of the village, and Taya saw her interest at the state of disrepair.
“His many acts of bravery brought him to the liege's attention,” Opik said.
Again, a startled silence.
“What did he do?” Haz asked.
“He flew to Shadow in a sky craft and rescued us from the prison camp where we were being held by the sky raiders.” Eli's gaze flicked up to where Shadow hung above them.
Gaffri opened his mouth, and Taya thought he was going to laugh at the notion, but something stopped him.
“The sky craft that was stolen from Gara,” he said softly. “That was Garek?” He looked at them all with more attention than he had before.
“You were held by the sky raiders?” Haz stared at them.
“Yes. For months. The liege is sending guards to help us repair our village from the damage the sky raiders caused when they took us, and from it lying abandoned while we were prisoners.”
“You thought we were the guards from the liege.” Darla looked across at Taya. “You're expecting them today?”
“At any moment.” Opik smiled.
Gaffri muttered a curse under his breath.
“I can pass on whatever it is you were sent to ask Garek,” Kas said.
“I'm afraid that won't work,” Gaffri said. “We've been asked to put an important offer to him. I've been tasked with it personally. We have our own camping gear, so we won't be in your way, but we'll stay a few days and wait for him.”
“What offer is that?” Opik asked.
“It's confidential.” Gaffri spoke in a stiff, hard staccato, as if he wasn't used to explaining himself.
Darla had a smile in her voice, but her face was impassive. “Of course, knowing that he's working for the liege directly now does complicate things, as the liege comes before the town master of Gara. Doesn't he, Gaffri?”
“Yes.” His answer was stiff. “But I'll wait to ask him, just the same.”
“Well,” Kas shrugged. “I certainly won't turn down the offer of help from Gara guards, if you have to stay anyway. Welcome.”
Gaffri hadn't offered to help, but with Kas's hand extended in a bonding promise, he reluctantly hooked his thumb around Kas's and grasped his hand.
“I'll show you where you can pitch your tents,” Opik offered. “Come with me.”
He walked around the house, and Darla and Haz followed him. Fek and the other two hesitated, then did the same, and eventually, Gaffri tramped after them with ill grace.
“I heard them talking and hid. They're here to take Garek back to Garamundo, whether he wants to go or not.” She spoke quietly, and Kas and Eli both bent their heads to hers so she could lower her voice even more. “Darla and Haz aren't convinced Garek will agree, and don't want to force him. The other three will listen to Gaffri, who thinks he's going to be able to take Garek back, willing or no.”
“I thought he looked stupid,” Eli said. “Because only a fool would think he could make Garek do anything against his will.”
That was true, Taya told herself. But it would get ugly when Gaffri didn't get his way. And there had been enough ugliness in Pan Nuk already to last a lifetime.
SIX
“I hear you're Garek's intended, Taya.” Gaffri set his plate aside and leaned forward.
He had to raise his voice to be heard over the conversations all around the camp fire, and for a moment there was silence from those directly around them.
Taya wondered who'd given it away. Or maybe no one had, and Gaffri or one of his men had been eavesdropping.
“Yes, I am,” she said.
She looked around at the gathering, and felt a strange lurch in her chest to see everyone here, sittin
g around a fire together when they could be eating dinner in their houses, doorless or not.
Some part of the way things had been done up on Shadow had become a habit for them.
She wondered how long it would take for them to drift back to cooking dinner in their kitchens again.
One thing was certain, the children were loving it. Loving the party feel of it, and loving being able to see all their family together.
Perhaps that's why they'd done this for a second night in a row. The joy of the children was precious enough to hold onto with tight, grateful hands after four months of being away from them.
“I didn't know Garek had an intended.” If Gaffri realized the scrutiny he was getting from those around him, he didn't show it.
Taya shrugged. “Garek isn't known for sharing his private business.”
“I knew,” Darla said. She smiled at Taya. “All the women who walked the walls knew.”
She wondered what Darla meant by that.
Gaffri swiveled his head to look at his fellow guard, and there was displeasure on his face. “You didn't mention this before.”
“I didn't know what Taya looked like, or even her name. Just that Garek had an intended back in Pan Nuk.” Darla held Gaffri's gaze, and didn't look away.
“What does it matter?” Eli asked. He was sitting between Taya and the Gara guards, and he leaned forward. “What business is it of yours, anyway?”
“If the Gara town master had known, perhaps he would have made allowances in his offer to Garek, so he could bring Taya with him.” Gaffri gave a smooth smile. “As it is--”
“Guards approaching.” Pilar burst from the Haret road. Gaffri and his unit had been put to work clearing it of undergrowth while everyone else concentrated on their houses, and the way was partly open and clear now.
“Guards from where?” Kas had been standing in the shadows--Taya'd noticed him watching the interplay between herself and Gaffri, but now he stepped forward.
“From Juli's my guess.” Pilar shot a quick look at Gaffri, then back to Kas.
“Go back, lead them in,” Kas nodded to him, and Pilar turned and ran back into the darkness.
“Eyes like a gool,” Opik said admiringly as they heard the thump of his footfalls disappearing into the night.
Calling the Change (Sky Raiders Book 2) Page 4