*****
By the time the sun had peeked over the horizon, the brothers had already been on the move for a good two hours.
“When we find them, we’ll know.” Luke hopped over a fallen log and didn’t bother looking back to see if Jasper had made it over. “Two are identical twins; redheads.” He dodged around a tree, over a boulder, and under a broken branch. “The third has dark brown hair and a scar that runs from over his left eye to his right jawline.” He glanced back. “I was told a Zerpanay, but I find it doubtful.”
Jasper snorted his agreement and jumped over a fallen tree. “I say we do the same thing we did with the last one.”
Luke nodded and increased his speed.
It was before lunch when they finally managed to catch up to the small pack they were looking for. Jasper spotted the redheaded brothers instantly.
“I guess they picked a few more members on their travels.” Luke counted five men in the clearing. The brothers stood and started into the clearing. Jasper grabbed the first man he could, one of the twins, and quickly slit his throat before anyone else was aware of what was happening. He heard the sound of steel on steel coming from his right and he ignored the urge to see how his brother was doing.
The second redhead screamed in anguish and anger. A black haired man joined him and the two stalked toward the Namael. Jasper met one thrust of a dagger with a counter of his own. The vibrations traveled up his arm and he pushed as hard as he could, trying to unbalance his opponent. The redhead punched him in the side. Jasper turned on his heel and jammed an elbow into the man’s face. There was a satisfying crunch as he managed to break the Maj’s nose. By then, the second man had shifted and Jasper turned in time to see a coyote crouched and ready to leap at him. The coyote’s head came up in surprise as Jasper shifted into his tiger.
“They’re cats!” The redhead with the broken nose tried to scream the warning but mostly managed to choke on the blood running down the back of his throat. A swipe of Jasper’s massive paw sent him sprawling to the ground. The coyote jumped at him, its jaws snapping mere inches from his throat. Jasper growled and pounced on it. He felt his teeth sink into the skin and muscles on the back of its neck. He squeezed as hard as he could until he heard the snapping of the spine in his jaws.
He turned his attention to the redhead who was scrambling backwards in an attempt to sneak into the woods. Jasper stalked towards him. He pressed his paw onto the man’s chest and started to press down with all of his weight. The man screamed as the claws pierced the skin.
Luke stuck one of his daggers into his opponent and felt the blood spill over his hand. He fell forward as the second Maj slammed into him in his wolf form. Luke scrambled onto his back and jammed his arm into the wolf’s mouth as hard as he could. Its teeth punctured the skin and he sucked in a breath at the pain. His hand went to his belt where his second dagger sat, waiting to be used. He swung his arm in an arc, hoping to stab the wolf in the side. It noticed the movement and jumped to the side. Luke shifted and the wolves launched themselves into the air. Luke’s jaws locked around the other’s leg. The brown wolf yelped and managed to get out of the grip. Luke shifted, hand on his dagger, and watched as the wolf circled slowly, looking for an opportunity. It turned slightly. Luke threw his dagger as hard as he could and watched it sink into the dog’s side. He ran, knocked the wolf onto its side then used the dagger to slit its throat. He turned to see Jasper getting ready to kill the redhead.
“Jasper! Stop!”
Jasper vaguely heard Luke but pressed a bit harder with his paw. He watched as the man’s face started to turn blue.
“Jasper! The third one’s not here!”
Jasper shifted back and hauled the man to his feet with a growl. The brothers each grabbed an arm and slammed him into a tree. Jasper’s dagger pressed against his neck.
“Where is he?”
The redhead started to shake his head but stopped as the blade bit into his skin. “I don’t know who you’re looking for!” Tears fell from his eyes and mingled with the blood from his nose.
“The man with the scar; he was with you when you crossed into Namael territory.” Luke took his dagger and pressed the point into the man’s side.
“He left yesterday! He went north!”
“Where was he going?”
“He was going back.”
Jasper growled. “Why?”
The man was sobbing uncontrollably. “Please…”
Luke pressed harder on his dagger. “Why?”
The smell of urine filled their nostrils while the Maj continued to beg. “Please, don’t kill me. We had strict orders. Find the General and kill him and his son… Martin wanted to have a bit of fun. We weren’t supposed to touch the women.” He frowned. “Who are you?”
Jasper sneered. “I’m the son you were supposed to kill.”
The man looked to Luke.
“I’m the son you didn’t know about.”
“Tell us why he went north.” Jasper ignored the bit of hope in the other’s eyes as they met his.
“He said he wanted to find another one; he’d had so much fun with the girl that he was going to abduct one and bring her home.”
Jasper’s dagger slit into his throat just as Luke’s plunged into his side. An instant later, the Maj was lying in a bloody heap on the ground. The brothers collected their daggers and started north.
Ghosts: A Quelondain Short Page 8