Rai turned around just in time to watch Laan climbing out of the wagon. "Sleep well?"
"Yeah, you?" Laan fished around in the wagon, pulled out a water jug and poured some over his head. He vigorously shook his hair, sending water droplets flying in every direction. Rai burst into laughter and backed away from him.
"Your turn?" He offered her the jug, his brow arched in challenge.
"Thanks, but I'm holding out for a nice, warm bathtub at the Waystation."
Laan shrugged and poured more water over his head, repeating the process. Rai laughed again.
At that moment, Stoi emerged from his wagon. "No time to waste. We should be on our way." He started getting his horses hitched and ready for the day's travel.
Laan walked past Rai, dripping water. "Well, duty calls. Ready for another fun-filled day sightseeing?"
Rai nodded, and then she assisted Laan in preparing their horses.
Stoi seemed to consider for a moment, then turned to her. "Like I said yesterday, Rai, the view from up here is something to behold. Why don't you have a look around? Laan and I can do our parts without much time lost from your help. I'd wager you won't be back this way for some time."
"Thanks Stoi, but just this once."
Rai walked back to the road, and saw what Stoi was explaining. From the far side of the road the entirety of the valley they'd been traveling in yesterday was visible and cloaked in a thin haze. As she looked down onto the road far below, a momentary jab of vertigo coursed through her. She found the feeling an unpleasant one, and she decided that if she ever had to travel that road again, she'd make sure she was inside the wagon for this stretch of it.
Deciding she'd had enough of the dizzying view, Rai turned and faced the other direction, where the sun was just beginning to crest over the distant hills. Vast plains rolled softly ahead of her, giving way to dense forests in the distance. She saw rivers in the southwest. The early-morning sunlight reflected from their winding surfaces, shiny ribbons draping across the green of the forest. Rai wondered why the Az'Un hadn't chosen to develop cities in these northern ranges. The land was more fertile and most likely easier to farm than the swampland they currently had to deal with.
Startled by the voice behind her, Rai recognized it as the gravelly Guardian's from last night. "The view is indeed lovely, but we should be on our way now."
Rai turned to face him, annoyed that she hadn't noticed his approach. Despite the fact that he was at least a head taller than she was--or any Az'Un she'd yet met, for that matter--she didn't find him intimidating in the way Stoi did, despite his station, height, or lean brawn. A look of intense curiosity emanated from his pale blue eyes, half hidden behind locks of dark black hair. A brief look of something borderline predatory passed over his face. It hit in the pit of her stomach, but Rai wasn't scared in the least. If anything, it felt like an unspoken challenge, although Rai couldn't begin to imagine why.
"I'll see if they're ready." She turned and walked back toward the campsite. What in the world had gotten into her?
Stoi watched her closely as she approached, having noted her exchange with the Guardian. "You look a little shaken?" Laan also seemed keenly interested, and again Rai noticed their collective distrust of the Guardian.
"He strikes me as a consummate hunter."
"That's how they're trained," Laan placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, he's not after you."
"Did he say anything?" Stoi asked.
"He suggested we get moving as soon as we can." Stoi relaxed at this, as did Laan.
"Well, I think we're about ready, but if he wants us to move then we'll have to eat our breakfast rations on the road. How about you Laan, everything ready to go?"
"Sure, ready when you are, boss."
Stoi turned to Rai. "Choose your wagon, kid. Personally, I'd pick mine. That guy over there looks shady to me."
"Well, how about I ride with Laan this morning and with you after lunch? We ARE stopping for lunch today, right?"
Stoi clapped her on the shoulder, guffawing. "Hah! Not eat lunch? Don't be ridiculous! Besides, the horses will need to eat and rest too. We travelers need our sustenance, after all. We don't want to push the horses too hard either." He frowned in the direction of the now mounted Guardian. "Well, our hero appears ready to go, so let's mount up!"
"Right!" Both Laan and Rai replied in unison. Stoi climbed into his wagon and took the reins, setting his team into motion. Laan and Rai were not far behind.
Today the Guardian rode a few feet in front of them. Rai wondered how bad Stoi's mood would be after staring at their escort's backside all morning.
CHAPTER TEN
The morning passed quicker than Rai had expected, even though they'd awoken with the sun and traveled past noon already. This was just her second day of travel with the Durmah, and already she felt an uneasy edge accompanied their journey. Stoi made no signal to stop; he just pulled off to the side of the road and Laan followed.
When they stopped their Guardian escort came around a moment later and stopped as well. He pulled a device out of his pocket, scanning the area around them. He must have found something of interest, because he turned and rode off into the forest, disappearing from their view. Knowing that there were possible threats along this road, Rai would have preferred having the Guardian stay by their side.
Laan lead the horses to a nearby stream to drink, and Stoi readied their feedbags with a mixture of oats and grain. It was already past lunchtime so Rai tended to their own lunches: bread, cured salami, hard cheese and fresh fruits. Laan unpacked three stools from the cargo area of the wagon, where the trio sat and ate lunch in silence. The forest was quiet around them, so much so that Rai took note of it and wondered about the lack of bird song.
"I remember the Guardian asking us to travel at a fast pace, but did he also ask us not to talk? Is there some sort of prohibition against talking that I don't know about?"
"Well, well, no he didn't." Stoi looked apologetically at her. "Sorry for the silence, kid. I guess we're just a bit more stressed than usual this trip, with the travel warning and all. I've been traveling this route for close to a decade. It's rare to have problems on this road."
"I wouldn't take that windbag too seriously. I'd bet he's just making it all up so he can feel important." The two of them chuckled in agreement. She didn't believe the Guardian would do such a thing, but she'd prefer to think of the Guardian as making up stories rather than there being any real danger.
High-pitched shrieks in the distance cut their laughter short. Immediately Rai remembered the Iron Wolves and Terrors that the Guardian mentioned last night, and by her cousins' reactions to the ominous screams, she feared one of those options was likely the source. All three scrambled into motion. Rai tossed the stools into the wagons, Stoi removed the feedbags from the horses, and Laan hitched the horses to the wagons.
"Shouldn't we just retreat to the safety of the wagons?" Rai remembered Laan's confidence in the safety the offered.
"We could hide away in the wagons, but the horses don't have that luxury," explained Stoi.
"Are you sure the wagons can outrun ... whatever those are?" Rai asked.
"No," Stoi answered. "I'm sure the Guardian will get them before they get us, so we'll have nothing to worry about. However, I'm not about to wait around and watch."
"Do you know what they are?"
"There are a few possibilities," Laan replied. "A number of predators call these forests home. The Guardian mentioned Iron Wolves last night, so maybe that's them. You can bet whatever it is isn't friendly. I've never been chased by something friendly on the road." Laan didn't mention the Terrors as an option.
Another shriek poured from the forest and all three of them piled onto the wagons, Rai riding with Stoi in the front. With the reins of the horses in one hand, Stoi reached under the wagon seat with his other hand and retrieved a hefty crossbow. He set it between his legs, arrow down, leaving his hands free for the reins.
The high-pitched shrieks continued, coming from behind them. Even over the noise of the creaking wagons and the horses, the hideous sounds got closer. The terrified horses ran down the road, away from their pursuers, needing little prodding from their handlers.
Although Rai kept looking back toward the direction of the shrieks, she hadn't yet seen their escort reemerge from the forest line. The roadside had a good thirty feet of cleared ground on each side of the road, lending plenty of visibility to the travelers.
Looking back and listening intently, Rai searched for the source of the sounds. Her hearing focused on the beasts' barking. The sounds of the wagons and horses faded as if muted by a great distance. From the different timbres and styles of the yelps, she somehow knew the shrieks came from at least two, potentially three sources. All were in close pursuit of their wagons but still out of sight. The beast's voices held a ravenous, desperate quality to them. Focusing harder on the sounds, Rai heard the animal's claws scraping over rocks and ripping through wood in their frenetic pursuit.
This awareness confused Rai and for some reason reminded her of the time she'd met the Matriarch and smelled fear on her. This assumed that they'd be able to escape the howling beasts without incident.
Still astonished from what she'd just experienced, Rai turned to look at Stoi--wondering if he'd also had the hearing shift and if it wasn't just her alone having these odd sensory moments. From his hardened expression and keenly focused gaze on the road ahead, it was clear to her that he hadn't shared in her bizarre episode.
"See anything?" he asked. Stoi's scar stood out prominently, an angry red color against his ashen face.
"Not yet." Rai turned again, watching the road and wondering if her attention in that direction would once invoke the super-attuned hearing, but it did not. The beasts had ceased their shrieking, and were making a bizarre hooting sound. Had the creatures scented them?
As if to confirm Rai's fears, Stoi said, "Sounds like they're getting close now."
"How long can the horses run for?"
"Long enough, I hope."
Laan was following close behind them, and Rai saw he had a crossbow of his own.
"Shouldn't the Guardian be showing up about now?"
"He should indeed, unless he somehow got lost." The eerie hooting sounds were now quite loud behind them. "Why don't you get in the wagon, kid? Kait will have my head if I let anything happen to you."
"Sure--provided these things chasing us don't end up having both our heads."
"Don't worry too much ... this isn't the first time we've had trouble. I'm sure the Guardian will handle it. For the time being, you get into the wagon and bolt the door. I can climb in with Laan if things get rough. Don't open it until we give the all-clear."
The thought of leaving Stoi locked out was unnerving, although she took some small comfort in knowing he had the crossbow. Rai told herself that he was just being extra careful with her welfare.
"Whatever you say, Stoi." Rai reached around, grasped the side rail on the wagon, and walked carefully along the lower step-rail toward the back of the wagon, grasping the upper handrail.
After she reached the back end of the step-rail, Rai looked up just in time to see a large animal burst out from the tree line behind them. The beast was a large, four legged thing covered in scales from its head to tail. Two more emerged from the trees a moment later, loping along on all fours, close to the ground. At the sight of their prey, the three creatures let out a fresh round of triumphant hooting. They were no more than five hundred feet away, and Rai realized that on a flat road, they'd catch up to the wagons in mere minutes.
Laan's eyes caught hers; he'd been watching her, fear evident on his face. Guessing he wanted to know how many followed, Rai held up her a hand displayed three fingers. She had no idea what to call the breasts, and so didn't even try to explain them in sign language. Laan turned pale in response to this information, and fidgeted with the grip on his crossbow.
Rai flung open the back door, easily swinging inside. One of the pursuing beasts let out a terror-filled shriek that quickly changed into gurgling and plaintive whines. Somehow, Rai knew that once one of the three animals was now on its way to the grave. Had she heard that death rattle before?
Rai reached to close and bolt the door, when her eyes fixed on the array of weapons Stoi kept mounted along the ceiling of the wagon toward the rear. At that moment, something emerged from the darkest reaches of her mind, some force that wouldn't allow her to hide away in the back of the wagon. She grabbed a dart gun and a crossbow from the weapons rack, and then quickly secured the gun under her belt. Mounted on the sides of the crossbow were six shafts, each with a sharp steel tip. She loaded a shaft into the crossbow.
Rai closed her eyes. This is crazy. The last sound from the beasts sounded like a kill shot, thus the Guardian must have returned and killed one of them already. Still, she hadn't yet seen the Guardian--for all Rai knew she'd imagined the noise and its meaning. There were two more beasts on top of Laan.
With grim determination, she said aloud, "Stoi and Laan need me. I'm not about to just sit here and hope everything turns out all right!"
Clutching the crossbow in her left hand, Rai climbed back out onto the step-rail. She was now right back where she'd been a minute ago, except now she was well armed. Laan gaped in surprise at her and pointed frantically toward the wagon door as if to say, "Get back in there!" Rai held up the crossbow for him to see, hoping its presence would communicate her resolve. Besides, she was right at the door. Jumping back inside was always an option.
Moving to her left along the step-rail, Rai reached the back corner of the wagon. Looking back at their pursuers Rai's heart sank. The beasts were much closer now, traveling nearly half again as fast as the horses. Confirming her previous interpretation of the beasts' sounds, only two of the animals continued their pursuit. She'd come to the correct conclusion before. The sound had happened when one of the beasts fell.
Beyond the beasts, Rai spotted the Guardian on horseback. He was in hot pursuit of the creatures, but Rai wasn't sure he'd catch up in time to deal with both of them before they overtook the wagons. Steeling herself, Rai turned her full attention to the beasts themselves.
She understood how these beasts had earned the name 'Iron Wolves'. Rai searched for possible vulnerabilities--but there weren't many. They were covered with apparent impenetrable scales--each about the size of a man's fist. Around the legs and face the scales form-fitted around every inch of hide, leaving nothing exposed. The slighter of the two was as high as a horse, with the larger beast being a few hands taller. Despite their size, they moved gracefully, their long claws and razor sharp teeth gleamed silver. Rai bet only a direct shot between the scales or in the face had any real chance of hurting such a formidable foe.
The wolves, now less than twenty feet away from the back of Laan's wagon, focused their full attention on Rai. Rai mused that they must be pleased to view their prey perched so invitingly on the back of the wagon, holding on with her right arm hooked through the handrail.
She swore they noticed the crossbow in her hands and hooted to each other about it. This caused Rai a moment of panic. Would it make them go after her? She glanced down at her crossbow, and then looked back at the Iron Wolves. Are they smart enough to recognize this weapon as a threat? The smaller of the two surged forward, toward Rai. It was now just five feet from Laan's wagon. Rai caught a glimpse of The Guardian, he was closer but still too far behind to lend any real aid. Sheer, unbridled anger eclipsed her panic as she looked towards their would-be protector with dismay.
Rai raised the crossbow to shoulder level, and pulled the trigger. The shaft hissed through the air, destined for the closer beast. To Rai's great chagrin, the wolf anticipated the move, and lunged to the side. The bolt glanced off the beast's back. Its thick scales served their protective task. Rai was stunned. She'd underestimated the intelligence and foresight of her adversaries.
Rai swore under her brea
th and threw the crossbow into the wagon, not willing to take the time to redraw the string, especially with only one hand free. She drew the dart gun from her belt instead, just in time to watch the lead beast jump forward and latch onto the back of Laan's wagon. It clawed itself up, relying on its curved, long claws seemingly designed for just such climbing feats. Reaching the top of Laan's wagon, the beast's eyes fixed on Rai and her dart gun. For a moment, Rai imagined it was somehow evaluating her ability to fire the weapon. The wolf's muscles rippled as it crept toward the front of the wagon, digging claws in with each step. For his part, Laan was beside himself with fear. His pale white face and wide eyes were wide, and a thin sheen of sweat had enveloped his skin. Laan kept looking back to try to see what was on his wagon, but from his seat he couldn't yet glimpse the approaching Iron Wolf.
Rai aimed the dart gun at the creature's head. She had no idea what impact this weapon would have on such a huge beast, but it was all she had. She did have one big advantage this time. The wolf was now confined to the roof of Laan's wagon. It had minimal room to elude the dart, the way it had dodged the crossbow's bolt. If Rai's aim was true, that is. If.
Rai knew she wouldn't get a second shot, considering how close the beast was--it would reach Laan any moment now! The two wagons very were close to each other at this point, no more than twenty feet apart.
The Dream Sifter (The Depths of Memory Book 1) Page 9