by Linda Mooney
Every few miles Croat called for a halt. They were short stops, just long enough for everyone to get a drink and to catch their breath. When her two carriers tired, she was traded off to two more men.
She couldn’t tell if they resented having to bring her along, much less carry her. Their thoughts were on Croat’s plan and their survival. But there was no way she could have made it on her own. She simply didn’t have the strength or the stamina to move as fast as they did.
They used no lanterns or torches. All they had was the moonlight and their inherent abilities as Lupan. There was little talking. They saved their breath for the trail.
Once in a while a child would ask to be put down, but if they couldn’t keep up, they were quickly placed on someone’s back. There was no slowing down for anyone. A couple of times Tora caught sight of a child in human form fast asleep on an adult’s back, his hands and feet gently tied together with a piece of cloth to prevent him from falling off so the adult could have his hands free.
She was not far from the front of the line. Although she had yet to catch sight of him, she knew she had been put there because Croat wanted her near him, close by where he would know she was safe. Overall, it was hard to believe over a hundred Lupan could move so silently and so swiftly through the woods.
There was a series of grunts, not loud but still audible. She recognized the signal for a halt. Rather than gather in a crowd, as humans would do, the Lupan disbursed into the surrounding brush. She couldn’t understand why, unless they did so to relieve themselves. But all of them at once?
“Want to stretch your legs?â�� one of her bearers asked. He held out a hand to help her up after they had lowered her sling to the ground.
Tora thanked him. â��I’m sorry. This is probably going to sound inane to you, but have I met you before?â�� The Lupan looked like all the others, except for the fact that she was gradually beginning to notice little differences between them, like a notch on an ear, or the color of their fur. This one had an aura of familiarity about him. She squinted in the dim light and finally noticed something. â��Osanis?”
He paused, mouth open in surprise. �Very good! A guess?� He then quickly glanced at his hand.
Tora softly laughed. â��I don’t read minds. You have to get that false notion out of your heads. That’s not what my abilities do. And, no, I didn’t sense you. No, the truth is, I remembered that scar you have on top of your muzzle. I saw a similar scar above your lip when you were human.â�� She pointed to her own upper lip.
He smiled. Even in his Lupan form, it looked very human. �My replacement will be here in a moment,� he told her, and vanished into the trees before she could reply.
Somewhere Croat was nearby, although it was hard to tell. Among all the other Lupan, it was difficult to identify which one was him, and she hadn’t seen him since he had stopped by Deelaht’s late that afternoon to tell her what he had planned for her. In fact, she hadn’t seen him as Lupan since she first left to return to Neabush.
Regardless, their connection was strong, and it would become stronger the longer they were together. At the moment she could sense his urgency. His worry. His moments of indecision as he plotted out what they had to do. She sent him a mental hug of reassurance.
Tora tried to swallow but her throat was extremely dry. Looking around, she hoped to spot someone with a water bag. A group of men -emerged from the woods to stand a short distance away. One of them looked over at her. He was a big male, as big if not slightly bigger than the other males, with fur that was darker than the night sky. He had huge shoulders and heavily muscled arms. He looked powerful, giving the indisputable impression of strength and leadership in his stance and demeanor. She glanced downward. The square of material hanging between his legs was barely large enough to provide modest cover.
It was when he started walking toward her that she knew for certain. The sling was gone, the bandages were gone, and he almost glowed with health.
“You don’t recognize your own husband-to-be?â�� he teased her as he handed over a water bag.
She drank long before answering him. â��You forget. I’ve only seen you in your other form when you were beaten to a bloody pulp. Or wrapped in so many yards of bandages, you resembled a swaddled babe.â�� Tora stared at him, knowing she didn’t have to hide her amazement. Taken for what he was, there was no denying how beautiful he was in his nonhuman guise. His dark chest bore myriad scars, but it was warm under her hand. The skin goose-pimpled from her touch.
“Then how did you know it was me?â�� Croat smiled. â��You have poor night vision, and I was too far away for you to see the color of my eyes.”
“When you looked at me, you became aroused,â�� she whispered, then dropped her eyes down to where a definite tenting of his loin cloth gave him away. Croat gave a little growl.
“You have captured more than my heart, woman. If we weren’t in such a hurry, I would take you a short ways behind the nearest copseâ��â�� He stopped suddenly, tilting his head in that way that told her he was thinking. A massive, clawed hand closed over hers, which recently had their own bandages removed. â��What’s wrong, Tora?”
She started to answer when she caught movement from the corner of her eye. Croat was aware of it almost at the same time.
“Time to move on.â�� It was one of the male Lupan Croat had been conversing with a moment ago. Tora suspected it might be Goldon. Or maybe Amrin.
Croat nodded. â��Let’s move.â�� He looked back at her and gave her hand another gentle squeeze. Tora knew he would resume their conversation later, when there was time.
She hurried back to the sling to find two different males waiting for her. Everyone was back on the trail in less than a dozen heartbeats.
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Chapter 31
Allies
It was not long after dawn when they arrived near the outskirts of Neabush. The day threatened to be gloomy. Dark clouds barely let in any sunlight; the wind smelled of oncoming rain. Croat signaled for them to scatter, and motioned for Tora to join him and his small circle of guards.
“You and I are going to walk into town together, Tora. No, don’t be afraid. I’ll be with you, and our people are surrounding the village right now as we speak. But we first need to remove all the people directly associated with the baron. You can help identify the men who were placed here to carry out his orders.”
Gesset nodded. â��Whoever you signal, we’ll take them out.”
“But…they have guns,â�� she started to protest.
“Any man allowed to have a gun will automatically be targeted,â�� Croat said.
“We have the element of surprise on our side,â�� another Lupan added with a grin.
She took a nervous breath. â��What do you want me to do?”
The men were already beginning to change into their human forms and put on the clothing they’d brought along. Tora watched the transformation of her lover, realizing it was the first time she had witnessed all of him shifting. The black fur thinned into nothingness or became hair. The charcoal gray skin lightened. The clawed hands morphed into a man’s. Still, the greatest change was in the face. She stood in stunned silence at the quickness of it all.
They dressed as their bodies shifted. Croat gave her a wink as he dropped his loincloth in the tall grass and gave a nod to the others. The men vanished into the woods like smoke.
Tora glanced around the suddenly empty clearing. There was not a soul to be seen although she knew there were at least a hundred Lupan within listening or visual distance from them. Neither could she hear them, but she could sense their rising expectation.
“Tora.”
She whirled around to face him.
“Here’s what we’ll do. We’re going to walk in together. The villagers will recognize you but they won’t know me. They’ll assume I’m either family, your lover, or a friend. Either
way, they’ll try to overcome us both.”
Tora’s first impulse was to look down at her hands as the memory of her torture came flooding back. Croat placed a hand over them.
“My men are watching us. They’ll be prepared when the baron’s men converge on us. What we’re needing from you is to keep us informed of the villagersâ�� intent. Let me know if they’re reluctant or getting ready to pounce. If they’re siding with the baron’s men, or reacting purely out of blind fear.”
“What if they attack us?”
“We’ll keep you safe. Don’t worry, my love.”
“I won’t.â�� It was a risky plan. In fact, everything that would occur this day would reshape their future in one way or another. She could only pray it would be for the better. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she smiled and nodded. â��I’m ready.”
Lacing his fingers through hers, Croat gave her hand a gentle squeeze and began to lead her out into the open, over the cleared fields, and toward the center of town. In spite of having a vague idea how the Lupan planned to overcome the baron’s men, and knowing that strength and cunning, as well as surprise, was on their side, she couldn’t help but feel nervous.
This was why she had to come along with them. They started toward the first row of buildings which sat along the periphery of the village. She could see people in the distance, going to and from the market area, running chores and doing their daily work. Once she was spotted, the cry would go out. Whether or not the villagers knew of her escape from the baron’s men a few days ago, they would recognize her and take action accordingly. If Croat and his men had tried this alone, they would not have succeeded without first revealing themselves.
Besides, she knew who ran the town, and who was responsible for turning their backs when so much atrocity was being committed under the baron’s aegis.
They had barely taken a dozen steps toward the village when a woman screamed, �Sensitive!� Several people ran up to verify her cry, then ran off to inform the authorities. Croat sent her a burst of determination to give her courage.
Five men with guns came racing around the corner and immediately circled her and Croat. All aimed their rifles at the couple.
“We’d heard you’d escaped,â�� one man with a white insignia on his left breast intoned. â��Thank you for making it easy to find you again.â�� He waved the weapon at them, motioning them to move ahead of the guards. Tora noticed how he sized up Croat, especially the fact that she and he were holding hands.
The men kept them surrounded as they slowly walked into the village and toward the open square. Macobiak was waiting for them when they arrived. The rest of the villagers remained at the edge of the communal area, keeping plenty of distance between them and what was happening in the center of town.
“What do you feel?â�� The question was so soft, for a moment Tora wondered if she had imagined it.
What did she feel? Calming herself, she closed her eyes and concentrated on the reactions from the people around her. It was hard to explain what she did, or how she could read others without touching them. Her mother admitted to Tora that she was the only Sensitive who could do that, who could affect others without the initial contact, because she was a Beginner. It took years for Tora to grasp the differences between what she was capable of doing, and what her mother did.
Sometimes the emotions of others were like silent cries that she could still somehow manage to hear. At other times those emotions resembled a wall of clear water between her and the other person, flowing and rippling depending on the intensity of what the other person was feeling. From trial and error, Tora discovered that she could reflect back those silent cries. And as for the walls of water, those were the best kind, the most effective ways for her to reach the person on the other side.
The baron and his men were silent criers. Their fear of her was a nonverbal wail so strong, it literally shimmered in the air above them like heat.
But the villagers…
Croat stopped and released her hand in order to draw his arm around her waist as they all came to a halt. Her lids snapped open just as the constable gave the signal for his men to take them prisoner. Tora barely got a glimpse of the others coming up behind the baron’s men, when suddenly Macobiak and his guards were taken hostage instead. For every man who had held a rifle, two of Croat’s men held their arms. The guns fell onto the ground. The takeover had been swift, unexpected, and bloodless.
Except for…
“The horses!â�� Tora said.
He smiled. â��The stables are under watch. No one will be able to warn the baron.”
She glanced over her shoulder at the people staring in stunned silence.
“Who are you? I demand you release us! Immediately!â�� Macobiak was turning red with indignation as he struggled against the rock-hard grips on his arms. He glared at Croat. â��Who the blazes are you? Are you in league with this bitch witch?”
She felt Croat’s anger rise quick and hot, but he continued to smile at the man. She got the impression he wasn’t accustomed to keeping his temper in check.
On the other hand, the constable was not as adverse. â��You’re dislocating my arms, you bastards!â�� Macobiak winced. â��Who in blazes are you? Get this fucking cunt out of my sight!â�� The remark only served to make the two men detaining him tighten their hold. But a coldness spread through Croat as he stepped closer to the man.
Tora glanced around. There was an overwhelming feeling of expectation coming from Croat and his men. It wasn’t long before she understood why he didn’t answer the constable. Burgari came running up to them.
“We have the judge and eight others in custody. As far as we can tell, that’s all of the baron’s men.”
Croat stared at Macobiak. â��Are there any more of the baron’s underlings here?”
“I’ll make sure you rot in the baron’s dungeons, witch lover. Let me go!”
“No, thank you. He’s already tried and failed. Now, one more time.â�� Croat reached out and caressed Macobiak’s chin. As he slowly pulled back his hand, it changed, dissolving into long, ebony claws. The constable’s face paled as his eyes widened in shock.
Leaning in, Croat got almost nose-to-nose with him. Tora watched as human features began to change. Elongate. A snarl lifted Lupan lips to reveal canines capable of ripping out a throat in seconds. Croat stopped just short of changing fully, and to Tora, the partial metamorphosis was more horrifying than when he was completely Lupan.
“Are there any of the baron’s puppets left?â�� Croat’s voice was rough, deep, and barely above a growl. The sound of it sent shivers down her back.
Macobiak narrowed his eyes. â��I hope I get to see you skinned alive, and your freak pelt pegged on my cabin wall.”
Croat pulled back, the smile remaining on his lips as his features returned to normal. �Tora, what did you sense?� he asked, keeping his eyes on the constable.
During this little reveal, Tora realized his transformation had been blocked by the presence of the others, preventing the villagers from seeing. She frowned at the man who had been instrumental in her recent torture.
“He’s feeling defeat. Fear. Dread. I think he’s hoping someone from the castle shows up and discovers what’s happened, but he’s not expecting anyone soon.”
“That’s what I hoped you would say.â�� He looked around at his men and gave a nod. Macobiak and his guards were hustled away.
Tora watched them go. �Where are you taking them? Are you going to kill them?� Immediately she felt him trying to calm her.
“We’re going to keep them where they can’t escape or hurt anyone. As for their fate, that’ll be left up to the townspeople.â�� There was a sadness in his eyes when he looked at her. â��We abhor wholesale slaughter unless it’s done in self-defense.”
The rebuke worked. Tora felt her face flame. Once again she had made the mistake of thinking of t
hem as being more animal than human, when the opposite was true. In fact, the Lupan were no more animal than she was a witch. True, they had the ability to shape-shift, a power equal to hers as a Sensitive. But that ability did not make them any less than human. When they were Lupan, they continued to speak and think as men would. Their actions were guided by their human beliefs and morales. They were, inasmuch, humans wearing a second skin that enabled them to gain a greater edge in strength and endurance than if they remained as men. Only when they were overwhelmed by fear or pain did their animalistic natures come to the fore�and only because of their instinct to survive.
He took her by the elbow, and together they turned to face the remaining villagers. â��Good people of Neabush.”
“Sensitive! He’s in league with the Sensitive!â�� a voice yelled.
Croat gave her elbow a squeeze. â��What are they feeling? Fear?”
“Yes.â�� Thick fear, and getting thicker because the men they had expected to protect them had been overcome. Not with violence, but still overcome.
“Can you calm them long enough to let me have my say?â�� he whispered.
Tora looked at him. â��I’ll try.”
Their emotions were like water, but Tora was grateful for that. Water meant ripples. If she could affect one small area of their emotions, the ripples would work their own way outward, until everyone within reach felt them.
She closed her eyes and concentrated, extending herself toward that liquid wall of fear that verged on panic. Panic which could escalate into full-blown madness with the wrong word, sound, glance, or action. Madness that could result in…
Don’t think, Tora. Do. Find the emotion and touch it just as if you were holding their hand.
Mummy’s words were there inside her head, instructing her like she had always done.
Find it and touch it.
They felt fear, and she had to calm them.
The water shimmered like a breeze on a pond.