by Cheree Alsop
Suddenly, both lions looked over their shoulders. They shifted their paws uncertainly, looked back at Sleek, and then vanished into the rapidly growing darkness. I could feel Sleek's split second of relief before the wind shifted and brought him the scent that had chased off their attackers.
The smell of carnage and hate was unmistakable. Terror filled Sleek as he sent the image to Bown. He heard the man's sharp intake of breath. “Breizans,” he breathed.
I jerked my hand back from the fox; my body trembled. I could see the animals they wore, faces frozen in angry snarls and stained with the blood of the prey the men ate.
“What is it?” Mrs. Voise asked, clutching Sleek to her. “Can you find him?”
The fox met my eyes, his own bright with pain and fear. Andric took a step closer to me, and I realized that most of the people in the banquet hall had gathered tightly around us, waiting for my answer. No one spoke.
“Yes,” I said, forcing my voice to remain firm. “But we've got to go now.”
“Oh, thank goodness! You're an angel,” Mrs. Voise replied. Fresh tears streamed down her face. She pulled me close and hugged me as tight as she could with Sleek between us. The fox reached up and grabbed one of my hands gently between his needle sharp teeth. The image of Bown crouched between the boulders came to my mind again with urgency in the fox's thoughts.
“I know,” I promised. “I'll find him.”
Sleek let my hand go and his eyes closed with a shudder of pain.
“Where's the animal?” Jesson's familiar voice rang out. The crowd gave way and he hurried up to us. The healer gathered Sleek up in his arms and spoke quietly to Mrs. Voise. He nodded once to Andric and me, then disappeared through the onlookers.
“I'm coming with you,” Mrs. Voise told me, her voice determined.
I nodded, knowing that if I was in her situation, I would be going as well.
“Right,” Andric said. He turned to address the Antorans. His voice carried easily over the crowd with the tone of one accustomed to giving orders in crisis situations. “We leave in fifteen minutes. Anyone coming along meet us at the southern gates and bring your weapons. There might be more than mountain lions waiting for us.”
I hadn't said anything about the Breizans, but somehow he had guessed. Andric came with me to our hallway; the rest of the Crowns followed. I heard them speaking quietly among themselves, but I didn’t want to hear what they said. Andric turned and faced them. “This’ll be dangerous. Anyone who doesn't want to come, please don't feel forced. In fact, I'd prefer it if you stayed here.”
He looked directly at me, but I shook my head. “I'm the only one who knows where he is.”
“You could tell Bayn and Freis. They'll find it.”
This time, Tisha and Kaerdra's mouths fell open and Kenyen and Danyen exchanged glances, but I ignored them. “No. I told Sleek I would find him, and I keep my word. You’d do the same.”
Andric opened his mouth to argue, then realized we had an audience. He closed it again, nodded without a word, and walked back down the hall.
“You talk to them?” Nyssa asked breathlessly.
“Not now,” I cut her off. Did no one else comprehend what danger Bown was in? Then I realized that they didn't. No one but Andric knew. At her hurt expression, I put a hand on Nyssa's shoulder. “I'm sorry. It's just that Mr. Voise doesn't have much time. There are Breizans up there, and he's surrounded. It'll be chance if we find him before they do.”
“Breizans!” Kaerdra said in horror. Tisha turned white.
Trevin spoke firmly to his sister. “You should stay. You don't want to get in the middle of another Breizan attack.”
“You, too,” Landis put in, grabbing Tisha up in a hug as if she was already in danger. “If you go, I'll be too worried about you and won't be able to protect anyone else.”
Tisha nodded, and when he released her, she grabbed Kaerdra's hand.
“Nyssa, Brynna?” I asked. Both girls shook their heads, and I was relieved. After spending a month training them, I knew their weaknesses in battle, and neither acted well under pressure. I couldn't think of a situation more pressured than an attack by a Breizan horde.
I ran to my room, pulled on thick riding pants and a woolen shirt, then fastened the cloak Andric had given me around my neck. I was already sweating and slightly dizzy from the contact with Sleek, but I ignored it and pulled on my boots. I hurried to the stable thinking that I would be early, but I was surprised to see at least twenty-five Antoran men and women ready to ride out. Andric addressed them, and I couldn't help but wonder how he had managed to put on his black and green riding gear, organize the departure, and be composed enough to prepare his people for a harsh ride.
I felt anxious eyes on me as I made my way to Andric's side. He nodded in welcome, but his eyes were tight with worry. Knowing perhaps more than the others what to expect, I couldn't leave this ride up to chance. I dropped to one knee in the snow and, putting a hand on both Bayn and Freis, showed them the images the fox had given me. If something did happen on our journey, I wanted to be sure they found Bown as quickly as possible.
When I stood up, I could feel Andric watching me and knew he guessed my intentions. He opened his mouth, I assumed to tell me to stay, when Drade appeared. “Princess Kit,” he said, motioning me to one side. I followed him to his horse Sorn. “I need to stay,” he said quietly.
At my look, he frowned with anxiety. “Sleek's not doing well and Jesson needs my assistance. Sorn will protect you on this trip and bring you back safely.”
The horse whickered quietly and took the corner of my cloak in his teeth.
“Thank you,” I told the Horsemaster. I ran a hand through Sorn's shaggy hair. “We'll be careful, I promise.”
Drade shook his head. “Don't promise what you can't guarantee. Fighting Breizans is no joke, but Sorn is experienced and can handle himself. It'll be dangerous, but he's the best protection you can get.”
A shiver ran down my spine, but I thanked him again and swung onto Sorn's back. Without guidance, the horse made his way to where Andric had mounted Tereg. The other Crown Princes were already on their horses and accepted swords that Smithy Hensas handed out. He stopped next to Sorn, his eyes apologetic.
“Your sword isn't ready yet, Princess, but I've got one that should do you well.” He handed me a plain but strong short sword about the size of the one he was making for me. “It's held up under worse circumstances, and should defend you well with the skills you’ve shown at practice.”
“Thank you, Master Smith,” I told him, touched. I strapped the sheath’s belt around my waist and my heart started to pound with the impact of what we were about to do. The ghost of an eerie wail echoed in my head. I clenched my jaw and pushed it away.
“You'll be alright,” the Smithy said. He reached up a beefy hand to pat my shoulder. His eyes were reassuring, but his brow creased with worry. “We'll see you back here soon.”
“Fall in,” Andric commanded. His voice rang through the crisp evening air.
The sound of horse hooves on snow, creaking leather, and the chink of metal on metal answered his command. At the Prince's motion, I took up position just behind he and Jashe. The Captain nodded to me in welcome, his expression calm. The sight of him reassured me, though my anxiety made Sorn jittery. He sidestepped and pawed at the ground. I forced my whirlwind of thoughts to slow and smoothed the fur on his neck.
Chapter 18
Andric and Jashe led the way, following the directions I gave them. Bayn, Freis, and the other wolves ranged out ahead and picked up the scent of Sleek's blood on the snow. The group was quiet, anxious, and expectant. Andric had warned them about the Breizans, for which I was grateful; we all knew what lay ahead.
Snow started to fall until we were peering into the night. We had to trust our horses' sure feet to keep us on the right path as we galloped. I kept my hands wrapped in my cloak, gripping Sorn's muscular sides with my legs as Andric had once shown me.
&nbs
p; We slowed the horses from their mile-eating lope well after midnight. Bayn waited for us in the scattered moonlight, his ears pricked and teeth bared. I could see the bloodstained snow that he followed, and hoped that Drade and Jesson had been able to bind Sleek's wounds. I recognized the pattern of the trees and the rising slope from the images the fox had given me. The mountain lions had attacked them not far from here.
The horses breathed hard, but their ears turned at every sound and they inhaled the air loudly as they searched for what had stopped the wolves. Andric motioned for us to ride carefully. He led Tereg ahead at a cautious pace, and the rest of us followed, starting at every sound and straining our senses for any sign of Breizans.
“They're too smart to let us see them even if they are here,” an older man whispered behind me.
“Shhh,” his neighbor hissed.
Fear prickled along my spine. It was easier to think of the savage men as mindless beasts than it was to accept them as coldly calculating creatures waiting for us to ride into a trap. My heart started to pound so loud I worried Andric could hear it. Sorn snorted softly; his head turned from side to side as he peered into the shadows. I ran a hand down his neck and tried to project calm thoughts.
We made our way through ghostly white boulders and trees that twisted as though writhing in pain. The only sound was the crunch of the horses' hooves in the snow. Their breath fogged white in the moonlit air as they picked their way along the snow-covered path after Andric’s pack. Our nerves strained with every broken twig. Finally, we came to a place where the snow was scattered; huge paw prints and the footprints of a single human marred the haunting, moonlit landscape.
Andric slid from his horse and I followed despite the look of caution he threw me. Mrs. Voise dismounted as well and caught my hand, her eyes wide and lips tight with the fear of what we might find. Falen fell back to protect us, his eyes on the ever changing shadows in the lightly falling snow. We followed Andric, Captain Jashe, and two more Antorans as they trailed the path Bown had left.
I knew I wasn't the only one who saw the other tracks. Freis walked beside me, and when I sat a hand on her head I could smell decay, pain, and fear. Her hackles were raised and she kept her eyes constantly on the darkness around us.
When we reached the boulders that leaned against each other, trepidation slowed our steps. Andric bent down and peered into the darkness between them. “Bown?”
A moan answered.
Mrs. Voise dropped my hand and ran forward, crying his name. She fell to her knees in the snow at the base of the rocks and reached in for her husband. “Oh Bown, Bown, never leave me again. I don't know what I'd do without you.”
“Mylena?” His voice was weak at first, unbelieving. “Is it really you?”
Andric crouched near the opening while Jashe gently guided her back enough so they could lift the man out. Bown yelled in pain and clutched his side when they eased him from between the rocks. Falen threw down his cloak. They eased Mr. Voise onto it so that he sat against the rocks.
“Mylena, it is you,” Bown said, his voice filled with relief and pain as she threw her arms around his neck and threatened to never let go. Bown's eyes shone with disbelief when he lifted them to stare at all of us, coming to rest on his prince. “Prince Andric?”
“Sleek found your wife and she bought him to us.” He gestured to me. “He showed Princess Kit where you were and she led us here.” Andric rose and looked around. “But we're in danger. We need to get moving.”
Bown nodded. “Something chased the lions off, and they aren't friendly.”
The rest of us exchanged glances. 'Aren't friendly' was the mildest description of Breizans I had ever heard.
“Is Sleek alright?” Bown asked his wife as she wrapped his side in clean rags.
“He was pretty bad when he found me. I don't know how he made it home,” she told him honestly. “But Healer Jesson and Horsemaster Drade are looking after him. He's in the best hands possible.”
“Right.” Bown failed to disguise the worry on his face that overshadowed the pain from his wounds. He lifted an arm to Jashe. “We'd better get out of here.”
Jashe was helping him to his feet when the howl of a wolf sounded behind us. Andric unsheathed his sword and shouted, “Everyone to defensive positions!”
Immediately, the atmosphere changed from one of reunion to fear and tension. Jashe settled Mr. Voise back against the boulder and handed him an extra sword. The rest of us took up positions around the fallen man. Andric stood at my left with Trevin at my right; Kenyen and Danyen waited anxiously next to Trevin, and Landis stood at the other end near several Antorans. I saw their exchange of worried looks and adrenaline rushed through my veins.
Before we got completely set, the wolves howled again. The horses started to whinny and stomp where they waited down the hill. A shrieked sounded, and my blood turned cold with the memory. My mind froze at the sight of long, stringy hair, bared human teeth, and bodies covered in bloodstained animal carcasses. An Antoran stepped forward and slashed the first attacker across the throat hard enough to throw the Breizan backwards. Then we were engulfed.
I let go of the present and let my body fight the way it was trained. The sword Smithy Hensas had given me was a good one and held true during the onslaught of jagged, blood-stained blades. I closed off my fear and let my arms block the swings and thrusts meant to end my life.
Freis appeared at my side, sent there by Andric who fought desperately against three Breizans. He had been backed against a tree with low branches that impeded his swing. Out of nowhere, Tyd, the small gray male wolf, leaped from the darkness with a snarl of rage. Distracted, the Breizans turned. Andric and Bayn finished them quickly.
The Antoran next to me cried out, then fell to the snow clutching a spear that stuck through his chest. I sliced at the now unarmed Breizan and caught him across the stomach. His entrails spilled onto the snow. The scent made me want to vomit. I fell back to the wounded Antoran to see if there was anything I could do, but his eyes had already glazed over and stared blankly at the snow that fell through the trees around us.
Two more Breizans rushed at me before I could think. Landis sliced one of them across the shoulder and he fell, tripping his companion. I chopped down with my sword like an axe and cut off his head before he could rise back up. Landis and I stared at each other for a split second and horror reflected in both of our faces before another attack tore us apart.
I found myself back at Trevin's side. The Prince held his sword in his left hand, and a deep cut ran down the right. I moved to his right side to protect his weakness. The blocks and parries came naturally to me though my brain was fogged with fear. Horses let out horrified screams and the Breizans sounded their wordless shrieks that sent mind-numbing shudders up my spine. I could hear the growls of the wolves and the hiss of a bobcat that had come with one of the Antorans.
It all blurred into one big mess of blood, shadows, snow, and tangled bodies. I forced myself to keep a grip on my sword despite the blood that covered its hilt, though I couldn't remember how the blood had gotten there. Snowflakes landed on the fallen bodies as if they were a natural part of the landscape instead of recent losses in a life and death battle.
The stark contrast between the still forms and the demented, hideous creatures that attacked us made me want to laugh and cry at the same time. I was torn between the adrenaline of battle and the urge to curl up in a corner and wish it would all go away.
By time the Breizans stopped attacking, there wasn't an inch of white snow in sight except the flakes that landed on our bloodstained faces, hair, and arms with a normalcy that felt severely out of place amid the wreckage. Surprisingly few Antorans had been injured considering the number of Breizans that lay dead around us. Besides the man killed by the spear, one other man and one woman bore potentially fatal wounds.
The rest of us who had more minor injuries helped the others down to the horses. Sorrow filled me to find that two of the horses ha
d been killed and two more injured enough to have to be put down. The two dead horses had bite marks on them as if they had been mauled by wild animals. Ice ran through my veins at the realization that it was the Breizans, not wild animals, who had done it.
I made my way slowly back up to the boulders to where Mylena waited with her husband. Bown was pale, but he nodded at me when I neared them. I was about to ask him how he was doing when a blur of motion caught the corner of my eye. I turned in time to see a black and gold creature leap from a tree at Mrs. Voise.
Without time to think, I ran forward and unsheathed my sword. Time slowed. I heard Bown yell, followed by echoes from below as I shoved Mylena out of the way and turned with my sword raised. The weight of the mountain lion crashed into me. My head hit one of the boulders and stars exploded in front of my eyes. The hilt of the sword I gripped was jammed against the rock. I heard the mountain lion yowl and felt it slide down the blade, the weight of its body thrusting it deeper than I could have managed.
It tried to free itself, and a claw caught me across the cheekbone like a blade of fire. The lion's movements slowed, and its weight crushed me down. Men and women yelled. I could hear Andric's voice above them calling my name. Sharp pain ran from the back of my head and I could barely breathe past the suffocating mass of the lion. I tried to answer, but dark spots danced in my vision and grew larger until I fell into the hole they created.
***
The ground was softer than I expected, and a lot warmer. The scent of lavender touched my nose. I moved my fingers and felt soft sheets beneath them. My head pounded, centering from the back of my skull. Bandages had been placed around my forehead. I opened my eyes slowly.
I was in my room at the Antoran castle. Moonlight filtered down the white stones, giving the room a dim glow. The snow must have stopped if the moon no longer hid behind snow-laden clouds. I reined in my dazed mind and forced my gaze back to the room.