Tracker (Outcasts Book 3)

by Cyndi Friberg

  “Ask her why she likes me when most other males upset her,” he suggested as the sun sank behind the trees.

  Sara posed the question in Sarronti and whatever the cub said made her laugh. “According to Wenny, I am strong enough to control you, so she has no reason to fear you.”

  “I see.” He crossed his arms over his chest, trying not to be annoyed by the cub’s perspective. “I think Isolaund has given her battle cats a distorted view of life in general.”

  “Wenny definitely sees Isolaund as the ultimate authority, so it stands to reason that the cats expect the rest of the world to be ruled by females.”

  “For all we know the Sarronti could be a matriarchal society,” he mused. “Alonov clearly has power, but that doesn’t mean their Guiding Council isn’t populated with females. We simply don’t know.”

  She nodded, but had no comment.

  A few minutes later one of Dr. Foran’s assistants showed up with the dart gun and six prefilled darts. “We can make more darts if you need them,” the tech said, then hurried back toward the Wheel.

  Xorran looked over the compact weapon, then tucked it into the back of his pants. “It will be dark in a few minutes. It might be best if we waited until—”

  “Not a chance,” Sara insisted. “Heather is not spending another night in that place. This has gone on long enough.” Her chin came up and her shoulders squared.

  He knew that look. Nothing he said would change her mind. “It’s almost impossible to find a trail in the dark.” It wasn’t a lie, just a gross exaggeration. His abilities had nothing to do with the physical world. Energy patterns didn’t care if it was day or night.

  “Wenny’s nose works just as well in the dark. Why do you think so many cat species hunt at night? It gives them an advantage.”

  “The overlord is right. I’m going to have my hands full with you.”

  She just laughed and walked over to where the harness and leash were looped around one of the fence posts. Wenny accepted the harness without too much resistance, but fought against the leash as soon as she reached the end of its length. With the cub in tow, they headed for the storeroom where they had slept the night before. They retrieved solar-powered torches and jackets, then headed off through the trees.

  “Do you remember where you first saw us in the river?” Sara asked after they hiked for a few minutes.

  “Of course. Our introduction was memorable.”

  She flipped on her torch and lit the ground ahead of them. “Let’s follow the river back to that spot, and I’ll take it from there.”

  “Works for me.” The ground was uneven and hilly. Even with both torches activated, the forest grew dark fast. He wrapped the handle of Wenny’s leash around his wrist and grasped the leash itself. For the most part Wenny tromped along through the underbrush without complaint or resistance. Whenever she ran too far ahead, Sara slowed her with a sharp voice command.

  “She is remarkably well-behaved for a wild animal,” he concluded.

  “She was born in captivity,” Sara said. “I’m not sure she still qualifies as wild.”

  They followed each dip and curve of the river, soon locating the spot where he’d first seen them.

  Sara took the lead as they headed deeper into the forest. Trees closed in on them, becoming almost oppressive. If it weren’t for their torches, it would have been completely dark.

  “I’m pretty sure it was right around here,” she insisted a few minutes later. “I remember that rock formation and that cluster of fallen logs.”

  Wenny sniffed the air, then pulled back her teeth in what looked like a painful grimace. “Is she okay?”

  Sara glanced at the cub and said, “She’s fine.”

  “Then what is she doing?”

  “On Earth cats have a sensitive olfactory gland in the roof of their mouth. It’s called the vomeronasal sac or Jacobson’s gland. The expression she just made is called the flehmen reaction. They suck air into their mouths, so the gland can identify territory markings and potential threats.”

  “Earth’s cats smell through their mouths?”

  She smiled. “Basically. Apparently karrons do too.” She nodded toward the cub who was still making the strange face.

  Suddenly, Wenny detected something that excited her. She took off so fast it nearly ripped his hand off. He ran after her, but even Sara’s commands were ignored. Wenny headed straight toward a clump of bushes and pawed insistently at the ground.

  So much for his holo-shield concept. Those bushes were definitely real.

  Wenny growled and whined, looking back at Sara beseechingly.

  “She keeps saying ‘home’ and ‘mother’. This has to be it.”

  They searched the bushes for a trigger or control panel, but found only spindly branches and prickly leaves. “There’s nothing here,” he muttered, frustrated by their apparent failure.

  But Wenny kept vocalizing and digging, clearly convinced she was in the right place.

  He slowly circled the bushes, looking at them from every direction. They looked like ordinary shrubs, so what was causing Wenny’s reaction?

  “Have you lost your mind!”

  Xorran snapped his head around and found a beautiful elf female glaring at them. She had pale hair that flowed to her hips and flashing, shimmering eyes. Her coloring was lost in the dimness. Was her hair silver or blue? Was this Isolaund or—

  He understood her! Why could he suddenly understand Sarronti?

  “Arrista,” Sara said with a guilty smile.

  Wenny rushed up to the elf and greeted her with a happy figure-eight around her legs. Arrista paused to pet the cub. So this was the servant, not the master.

  “Why are you back here?” The question snapped with demand as Arrista straightened. “You promised to keep Weniffa safe. If you had been detected by the guards, Wenny’s life would be forfeit.”

  “I’m worried about Heather.” Sara didn’t switch to Sarronti. Smart. No need to reveal her new ability when Arrista could understand English.

  “Your red friend is safe. We have hidden her where even General Alonov will not go.”

  “Take me there,” Sara said firmly.

  “No.” The elf glared at Sara, undeterred by her demand. “You will wait until Lady Isolaund contacts you again. She has agreed to the prisoner exchange, but the Guiding Council must approve the action. They never do anything quickly.”

  “I have only your word that Heather is safe,” Sara pointed out. “I want to see her.”

  “We have only your word that Weniffa is safe, and yet here you are. We are not the ones acting dishonorably.”

  “How did you know we were out here?” he asked Arrista. Her sudden appearance seemed suspect.

  She looked at him, arching brows raised. Then she asked Sara what he’d said. She really couldn’t understand English without the translator link.

  “Can you understand my words?” the elf asked.

  If they ever wanted Arrista to trust them, they needed to be truthful with her. He nodded. “I don’t know how, but yes. I know what you’re saying.”

  Sara translated and Arrista’s eyes narrowed. She looked from him to Sara and back. “Are you two intimate?”

  He nodded, refusing to offer details.

  “Translation lenitas are aggressive, but harmless. They often pass from body to body with intimate activities.” He felt a faint ping inside his mind, and then she said, “I will be able to understand you now.”

  “Thanks for the explanation.” But she hadn’t answered his question. “How did you know we were here?”

  “All of Isolaund’s cats are tagged. Their lenitas are locator beacons, but they also serve other purposes. Wenny set off a perimeter alarm. Luckily for you, Isolaund is in with the Guiding Council, so I saw the warning light instead of her. I reset the alarm, but it will keep going off until Wenny is out of range. You need to leave now!”

  “Come with us,” Sara offered suddenly. “Your life would be very differen
t if you leave the Underground.”

  Arrista sucked in a breath and pressed her hand to her throat. “I cannot...it’s impossible.”

  Sara moved closer, advancing with slow yet steady strides. “It’s not. Our home would protect you from the sunlight and you would no longer be anyone’s slave.”

  The elf lowered her arm as her head tilted up. “I am not a slave. I serve Lady Isolaund by choice.”

  “You told me those in your designation have no control over anything,” Sara reminded. “That sounds like slavery to me. Our men fought a war in order to escape such attitudes.”

  “Just go.”

  Arrista’s shimmering gaze shifted to him and he saw the conflict in her eyes. He’d thought Sara was being melodramatic, but her instincts were right on the mark. Arrista was seriously tempted by the offer, yet something powerful held her back.

  “If you’re not ready to escape, then help us,” Sara urged. “We do not want a war with your people. Educate us. Tell us how to avoid the coming fight.”

  The elf shook her head and lowered her gaze. “It cannot be stopped. It has already begun.” Without another word, she stepped out of the stream of light coming from his torch and melted into the darkness. “Damn it.”

  “We’re obviously close.” Sara sounded as frustrated as he felt.

  “Come on. Let’s get Wenny a safe distance away.” He started walking, but hit the end of the leash and the cub refused to move.

  Sara gave the command for follow. Wenny ignored her, staring longingly at the bushes.

  “Wenny we have to go. Now!” Sara repeated the command, but again the cub ignored her.

  Xorran tugged on the leash, dragging Wenny across the ground a foot or two. “She’s not budging.”

  “Can you blame her?” She approached the cat slowly, cautiously. “I shouldn’t have brought her here. I was thinking of Heather, not Wenny.”

  Wenny waited until Sara nearly reached her, then turned and bared her teeth, growling with obvious menace.

  Sara held up both hands. “I’m not going to hurt you, sweetheart, but we have to get out of here.” Slowly, she extended her hand and Wenny snapped at her, sharp teeth coming precariously close to Sara’s hand.

  “This is pointless.” Xorran pulled the dart gun from his pants and shot the cub before Sara had time to object.

  Wenny growled and twisted, desperately trying to dislodge the dart.

  They had stressed fast-acting when they’d told Dr. Foran what they needed. Apparently, the doctor took them seriously. Within seconds, Wenny’s head drooped and she wobbled unsteadily. It took her a bit longer to go under completely, but Xorran was still pleased with the result. He walked over and scooped up the cub.

  “Sorry, love,” he said to Sara. “We don’t have time for a battle of wills.”

  Mercifully, Sara didn’t argue. She followed him through the trees, rushing to keep up with his long strides. They reached the river without incident, and Sara took the lead.

  “Is she still breathing? She went out awfully fast.”

  He paused to watch the rise and fall of Wenny’s fury chest. “She’s fine. Stop worrying.”

  “It’s my job to worry about her,” Sara grumbled.

  When they reached the enclosure, the overlord was waiting for them. And he was clearly angry.

  “What were you hoping to accomplish by this little stunt?” the overlord demanded, standing in front of the gate.

  Xorran shifted the cub higher against his chest and widened his stance. He needn’t have bothered.

  Sara moved in front of the overlord and motioned Xorran toward the enclosure. Though she hadn’t spoken, her message was clear, Get Wenny settled while I take care of this.

  “Wenny helped us identify the location of an entrance,” she told Kage in a calm, clear voice. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to activate the door.”

  “And what if you had?” the overlord challenged. “A tracker and an unarmed female were going to take on the elves?”

  Sara put her hands on her hips, clearly ready for an argument. “We weren’t going to take on anyone. It was a recon mission. We were going to locate Heather and then determine our next action based on her exact situation.”

  Xorran nearly laughed as he carefully placed Wenny in her shelter. They hadn’t really had a plan beyond finding Heather, but the overlord didn’t need to know.

  “If you weren’t able to open the door, how do you know you found the entrance? Could you actually see the door?” Kage persisted.

  “Wenny grew very excited and clawed at the ground. And she kept saying ‘home’ and ‘mother’.”

  The overlord snorted as he folded his arms over his chest. “I wasn’t aware that karrons could speak.”

  “She’s telepathic,” she said emphatically.

  “Gods above, you’re serious.” He moved closer to the enclosure, looking at Wenny with new interest. “Is that how Isolaund controls them? She can actually reason with them?”

  “I’m not sure reason is involved. More like loyalty through fear. The battle cats are pampered and fed well. And staying in her favor ensures their progeny an opportunity to be trained as well. But if they fail her, they’re discarded like rubbish. She has abandoned entire bloodlines because of the failure of one cat.”

  “The servant told you all of this?”

  She shook her head. “Wenny did.”

  “What else have you learned from your new pet?” His gaze narrowed and his expression sharpened. “How many elves are there really? How large is their army? Do they have access to spacecraft?”

  Again, she shook her head. “Wenny won’t tell me anything that endangers the elves. As I said, she is extremely loyal, despite the fact that Isolaund sent her away.”

  His only response was a thoughtful grunt.

  “We saw Arrista again,” Sara told him. “Wenny’s locator chip set off some sort of alarm.”

  “Wenny has a locator chip?” His scowl returned in a flash.

  “The elves already know where to find us,” she pointed out. “It’s not like we’re hiding from them.”

  “Did anyone else know you were snooping around?”

  “No,” she assured him. “Arrista turned off the alarm before anyone else saw it. I tried to convince her to defect, but she isn’t ready.”

  Xorran joined them near the gate, though he stood on the inside of the fence. “She might never be ready, Sara. Like the cub, Arrista is strangely loyal to Isolaund.”

  “That’s not unusual. Slaves are often so beaten down they can’t comprehend a life free of bondage. Besides, she would be much more valuable to us as a spy than a refugee.” The overlord looked at Xorran as he asked, “Can you find the entrance without the cat?”

  “Easily. But the door is undetectable.”

  Kage shrugged. “It might not be for Torrin.”

  Why did the overlord always think of Torrin when he needed assistance? “What can he do that we didn’t try already?”

  He started to speak, then changed his mind. “That’s Torrin’s story to tell.”

  “May I ask a question, sir.” Xorran knew the overlord responded best to respect freely given.

  “Of course.”

  “How did you know where we’d gone? We weren’t gone that long.”

  “Dr. Foran mentioned the dart gun in his latest report. I dropped by to ask you about it and all three of you were MIA. It didn’t take much to figure out where you’d gone.” He looked at Sara and shook his head. “Your mate isn’t known for her patience.”

  “Arrista assured us that Heather is safe from Alonov, so I’m hoping that will settle Sara down.”

  Sara scoffed. “Not likely.”

  The overlord laughed. “I’m so glad she’s yours, not mine. Get her back to the Wheel as soon as possible. It’s not safe for you two to be out here alone.”

  “Wenny will protect us,” Sara’s tone was just sarcastic enough that Xorran wasn’t sure if she was serious or not.

/>   “Not from Isolaund she won’t,” the overlord’s tone hardened, all friendliness gone “I’m serious. I want you both inside the Wheel within the hour.”

  “Yes, sir,” she muttered, sounding more frustrated than facetious.

  The overlord left without further discussion.

  “You really shouldn’t piss him off. He can be one mean son of a bitch.”

  “Not to a female,” she predicted. “I can see it in his eyes.”

  “Well, he could easily make my life miserable, so I’m asking you nicely to behave.”

  She smiled. “Since you asked so nicely, I’ll try.”

  Chapter Seven

  Word from the elves didn’t arrive for another three days. Sara was so angry with the delay that she wanted to scream. If it hadn’t been for Arrista’s insistence that Heather was safely stashed where Alonov couldn’t find her, Sara would have tried again to sneak into the Underground. With or without Xorran’s assistance.

  Just the thought of Xorran helped calm her. He was the perfect combination of fierce protectiveness and patience. They’d spent the last three days together only separating for short periods of time. Sara had lunch with Thea and Lily on the second day, and Xorran had to update the high command yesterday. Other than that, they had been side by side, or in other interesting positions. Each time they shared pleasure—she decided she liked the Rodyte phrase better than human euphemisms—was more wonderful than the last. The transfer link created a closeness that was simply not possible with two humans. She felt like she’d known him for years, not days.

  “The elf contingent will be here at dusk,” Xorran told her.

  “They better bring Heather with them or this could be another stall tactic.”

  “We’re aware,” Xorran sighed. “The overlord wants you there. He thinks it will be good for Heather and he wants you to verify what they say.”