Huntress

by S. J. Sanders

  Now the male was stampeding among a very protective, aggressive species. If this continued and their triad got out of it alive and whole, Gund would be surprised. He had to stop Tah. Immediately.

  Orth sped up on his side, his breath coming out in hard pants. The male met his eyes and Gund gestured for him to try and cut Tah off. Orth grimaced but nodded, springing forward with a spryness that was surprising considering his injuries just a short time ago. Though smaller, Orth was built for speed as he raced alongside Tah. He came close to being slashed and gored by angry Mintars as he dodged them. At the last minute he turned, cutting Tah off so that the maddened male barreled right into him.

  Tah growled angrily. As he pushed himself to his feet, he stumbled, disoriented by the impact, but Gund didn’t give him an opportunity to recover. Sprinting forward on all six limbs, he rushed Tah, pinning him brutally to the ground. Crouched over him, he bared his teeth and growled.

  “Get off,” Tah snarled, struggling to knock him loose.

  Gund snapped his teeth close to the male’s face, unequivocally getting his attention. “Cease this foolishness before you hurt someone or get one of us killed,” he growled. “You relinquished your claim to the huntress—you insisted!—or do you forget?”

  The male beneath him stiffened in response to his words, going lax only a moment later with a defeated sigh. “You are correct,” he stated grimly. “I did.”

  With a nod of his head, Gund shifted off his brother and then froze at the sound of feet approaching all around them. Orth sat off to the side, still stunned from the impact given the expression on his face, yet he too froze at the undeniable hostility rising around them. Tah seemed to finally realize just how much trouble they were in.

  “Rut me dead,” he groaned.

  “You would only be so lucky with the way these males are looking at you,” Gund growled in a low voice.

  A particularly fierce-looking male stomped up to them, the dry ground crumbling between the claws that gripped it. His face was contorted with rage, his nostrils flaring with every hot, hard breath.

  “You dare…”

  “What is going on?” For the first time in so many days, Gund looked upon Heidi. His heart hurt just to look at her. It had been why he sent Orth to tell her. After everything, he hadn’t been able to face her. When she finally set eyes on them, she froze, her eyes widening in surprise, and something flickered within their gray depths before her expression shut down, replaced with an implacable mask.

  She looked as she did when they first met, her hair short and spiked chaotically around her head and her face a mask of cold indifference. There was nothing of his rya in her eyes as she looked at him.

  “What are you three doing here?” she asked, her tone icy.

  The large male glaring at them, swung around to look at her with surprise. “You know these males?”

  She lifted one shoulder in a careless shrug. “We were acquaintances with a shared goal. They also seek to kill the Master.” Her lip curled slightly with humor before the expression dropped away.

  The Mintar shook his head, but there was something speculative in his gaze as he slowly withdrew. He motioned to several males nearby, one who still held his dark-haired mate closely to his body. Their bodies were no longer locked together as she was held high in his arms in a protective gesture, but the look on his face as he glared at them was unforgiving.

  “Take these males and restrain them. I must see to the comfort of our… guest… before I deal with them.”

  The males nodded. Tah started to struggle beneath Gund, making him hiss in warning to his triad brother. “Do not move. They are not outright killing us—which they can very well do. Just cooperate, and for the love of the Mother and the blessed Fathers, do not do anything stupid.”

  Tah grunted and went limp as the males closed around them. Gund did not fight as a male came upon him at each side and pulled him to his feet. They did the same with Orth and Tah. Although they were left with a set of arms unrestrained, they walked with them to a penned area toward the back of a tall wall of rock.

  “We will put them in the reserve pen here in the canyon,” the male to his left grunted.

  The others muttered their agreement and the Ragoru were led into a fenced-in cavern within the rock wall. There were numerous poles that supported what looked like storage areas. They were separated, each taken to a different pole. There, their limbs were promptly secured together before they were tied with a lead to the nearest pole. The males did not speak to them, other than giving them hard, disapproving looks, before filing out. Gund leaned back against his pole and sighed.

  “So we are just going to wait here until they are ready to kill us?” Tah muttered from the opposite side of the cavern.

  “Shut up, Tah,” Orth muttered, sounding so much like Heidi in that moment that it brought the first smile in days to Gund’s face. Tah growled back, but otherwise fell silent.

  For a time, they sat there with nothing but silence between them for company. The sound of stones scattering near the entrance finally drew Gund’s attention. Glancing over, he cocked his head at the sight of three younglings gathered at the entrance, watching them curiously. They all looked nearly identical in features, and he wouldn’t have been able to differentiate whether they were male or female by looking at them if it weren’t for the color of their hides. A small female toward the back smiled shyly at him before one of the young males puffed out his chest and moved in front of her.

  “Do not let them get close to you, Shazi,” the little male warned, imitating an adult’s gruffness. “You saw what they did. I bet they eat calves.”

  The female’s eyes widened in horror as she glanced up at the male. “Do you think…?”

  “Why not? Look at them. Humans look weak, but we know that they kill calves to make armor out of our skins.”

  Gund felt sick. That was what Heidi had meant about the Order valuing the skins of calves. They killed them, removed their beautiful hides, and used it as armor. His eyes snapped over as the male who’d ordered their imprisonment pushed into the cavern. His arms were laden with a large basket that smelled of food. His purple eyes raked over the younglings fondly as he batted them away with his tail.

  “Away, all of you. Your mothers will be looking for you,” he grunted sternly despite his soft expression.

  It was clear that the Mintar calves didn’t fear him, because they all grinned at him before scampering away, presumably to find their mothers. The male smiled after them, but his expression hardened when it finally came to rest on their triad. He approached and set the basket in the center of the room long enough to loosen the bonds of one pair of their hands enough to allow them some freedom to eat. From the basket, he distributed smaller baskets filled with meat and vegetables.

  “I will bring water presently,” he said as he passed the food around. “But first I want to speak with you.”

  Gund’s ear pricked curiously toward the male. This wasn’t what he’d been expecting. He inclined his head as the male’s eyes drifted over to him, unerringly determining that he was the lead. Gund inclined his head in agreement, a hard smile tilting one corner of the male’s mouth.

  “Excellent. As you may guess, I am the head of the clan guard. The safety of the clan is my highest priority. What has happened today was reckless, dangerous, and utterly unforgivable, and I would have had you killed immediately for endangering our females and young by your actions if it weren’t for one factor alone.”

  Gund cut a glance at Tah, who winced before returning his attention to the Mintar. “Which is?”

  The male inhaled deeply. “I recognized your scent. The three of you cling to the human. Your scent on her is fading, and I suspect it will not be too many more days before it disappears completely, but there was just enough for me to recognize it. I am not sure what transpired that made you abandon your mate, but a part of me understands the instinctual need to protect her regardless.”

  Tah opene
d his mouth, likely to protest Heidi’s status as their mate, but Gund gave him a sharp look and he snapped his teeth shut.

  “We were… separated,” he stated. It was a severe stretch of the truth, but he hoped that Heidi wouldn’t have said anything to indicate otherwise. If they were seen as a single unit, they all might be able to survive their unfortunate encounter with the Mintar.

  The male cocked his head to the side, considering his words before shaking his head in amusement. “You have offended your mate something serious for her to disclaim you. It is unfortunate that you separated. Perhaps if you had remained together, we would not have been able to take her unaware when her senses were deafened by the river. We caught her scent hunting near the river’s edge and were able to ensnare a lone human easily.”

  “We know of the reputations of Mintars,” Tah growled. “Did you take our female for your own?”

  The male turned an amused look on Tah. “I did not, although I would have if circumstances were different. She is aggressive, with a strong will… She will not submit before any male. It took much to subdue her. She would have been a worthy and much-prized mate for any male among our clan.” His lips pinched together in displeasure. “Unfortunately, the Master has a prior claim, and we are obligated for the safety of our females and young to yield to his command.”

  Orth’s bindings rustled as he turned himself to brace frantically against it, struggling to get loose. “You cannot! He will kill her!”

  The male shook his head, a dark chuckle escaping him. “Unfortunately, he will do a lot worse than that. I have seen the Master at work against his enemies firsthand.”

  Tah whined, his body shaking in horror. “Please, there must be some way we can convince you not to give her to him.”

  The Mintar looked at him and inclined his head slowly. “I had every intention of doing so, though I have wavered at her insistence and sworn vow that she would kill the Master. She seems quite certain, and though I wavered, my first responsibility is to my clan. But now the gods bring you to me and I cannot ignore their commands. I have spoken to the clan priest and he insists that you will be the death of the Master. Although the Order will plague us, its power will diminish. My people agreed it would be a worthy trade. The Master forbids us to select a new queen to rally behind, and this harms us. We will gain much by his death.” His eyes turned sharp as he looked directly upon Gund. “Do you swear to kill him?”

  “On my honor,” Gund growled. He would have killed the Master before, but now he definitely would, since he was a direct threat to Heidi. He wasn’t merely running from her; he was hunting her in turn with all the power at his disposal.

  Tah and Orth growled their agreement and the male relaxed, a smile flickering over his face.

  “Very well. I shall reunite you with your female and we will plan how to get you to the Dunvar Citadel without any suspicion falling upon you,” he said finally. “As it happens, one of our clan females was of Dunvar before her mate rescued her. A fine tale that perhaps you will hear one day if her mate doesn’t end up skinning you for interrupting their moment of shared pleasure away from their calves.” He chuckled as he stepped away. “Eat. I will have drinks brought to you, and before sundown your female will be with you again. There is much to arrange in the meantime.”

  28

  Heidi leaned against a wall, sipping from a mug of hot tea in her hands as she ignored the triad behind her. She was there in the spirit of cooperation because Bakin said this was the only way they would be able to get to the Master. This was not only her chance at freedom, but also her shot to live long enough to kill the asshole. If that meant playing nice with the Ragoru—then so be it.

  Her back turned to the Ragoru, she watched as Bakin brought in a formidable-looking Mintar. He was big enough that he almost outsized Bakin, though it looked like he’d suffered a broken nose a time or two, and seemed like he could eat bricks for breakfast… or a Ragoru, with the way he was glaring at Tah. Knowing the Ragoru was perfectly safe from the male’s ire, Heidi allowed herself a satisfied smirk.

  The Mintar’s scowl did not improve any when Bakin whispered in his ear, but he did turn and lift a woman off his back, setting her gently on the ground in front of him. Both of his hands came to rest possessively on her shoulders.

  There was no mistaking that she was mated to the huge male.

  Bakin strode forward, sweeping an arm out toward the couple. “This is Faltz and his mate Beni.”

  Beni smiled cheerfully and waved. Whatever stress had been caused by the Ragoru rampage seemed to be forgotten. “It’s Benita, actually, but everyone calls me Beni. Bakin told us everything and we are happy to help… Aren’t we, Faltz?”

  Faltz looked like he wanted to tell everyone to kiss his rump and die painfully, but he grunted in agreement and spared a gentle look toward his mate that utterly transformed his craggy features. Beni patted his lower fore-shoulder fondly and grinned at them.

  “You guys really made a scene. Scared me so much I climbed Faltz like a damn tree—once I got off his dick, that is,” she snorted in laughter.

  Faltz sighed. Heidi felt a smile pull at her lips. She couldn’t help it. Beni was delightful.

  “Anyway,” Beni continued, “all is forgiven. Water under Miracle Bridge, as we say in Dunvar. Even muddy water looks pretty damn clear on Miracle Bridge.” She giggled with a bubbly laugh. She didn’t seem to notice the vacant looks thrown her way, all save her mate, who let out a raspy, deep chuckle and stroked her coffee brown hair lovingly.

  “Your plan, my danmi,” he reminded her gently.

  “Oh, right.” She turned her head to give him a sheepish look. “Thanks, cookie,” Beni chirped, causing Heidi to nearly choke on her tea. “The Master of the Order is well known to be great friends with the Dunvar chancellor, Theo Rundall. The chancellor brags about it continuously, last I heard. Quite a vile man,” she said with a shudder. “The chancellor likes to show off his influence, especially when Master Hildbrant is attending. It is about time for the annual Fool’s Ball. I guarantee that not only will the Master be there, but that it will be a lavish, overdone affair with expensive costumes. The Ragoru would be able to go easily with a few props since many men like to masquerade as Ragoru. It is considered quite an achievement if you can pull off a convincing Ragoru costume. We will just have to make some adjustments so that you look more like pitiful attempts than the real thing.” She took a breath of air and hummed as she looked at them speculatively.

  Gund choked on something just behind her, his wet cough filling the room. Just beyond his sputtering and Orth’s concerned murmurs, she could hear Tah muttering about how odd humans were. There was a note of curiosity to his voice, however, and she knew that he was enamored with the idea.

  “And this will all come together so easily how?” Heidi questioned with a polite raise of her eyebrows. “I do not know a costumer.”

  Beni clapped her hands. “I am so glad you asked. My mother is the chief seamstress of Dunvar—and I know a thing or two about that! We smuggle her over the river from time to time to visit without anyone knowing. I have no doubt we will be able to get to her workshop without any problem. By now, she will have finished with all of the fittings for the elites days in advance, so it will be unlikely that anyone will intrude.”

  Heidi licked her lips. If they went through with this plan, they would be pinning a lot on its success. Attending a masquerade ball in disguise felt like the height of stupidity… but it was possible that the Master would never expect such an outlandish strategy.

  “It seems this is the best option to get close to the Master,” Gund growled, having recovered from his coughing spell.

  Heidi pinched her lips together, loath to agree with him on anything, but in this case she had to, because he was correct. There would only be one chance. She could spend the next several years lurking and planning and not come up with half as good of an opportunity.

  Letting out a slow breath, she nodded in agreemen
t. “How soon can you get us over the river?”

  Bakin grinned then. “Tomorrow. I will arrange an escort to get you over the bridge before sunrise. From there it is a short run to Dunvar where you will take the old tunnels beneath the city to your destination.”

  “It is actually a very short distance,” Beni chirped. “Faltz always gets me there quick as a whip. Oh, this is so exciting! Like one of the old adventures that my papa used to tell around the hearth when I was small. Rogues with swords fighting tyranny!” She plunged her arm forward as if wielding a sword with such exuberance that her mate caught her up in his arms once more with a growl.

  “No adventuring or fighting, Beni. Get them in and then find a place to hide,” her mate scolded. Heidi stifled her amusement as the younger woman pouted.

  Bakin chuckled. “It seems that everything is set, then. I encourage everyone to get plenty of rest. Dawn comes early.”

  Beni nodded and was picked up by her mate before being deposited on his back. Heidi approached the Mintars, who sent her curious looks.

  “If it is all the same, I would rather not sleep in here… They tend to snore,” she confided with a chuckle, which made the males smile. She pretended not to hear the affronted huffs and snarls behind her.

  Bakin inclined his head. “It may take a few minutes, but I will arrange something,” he agreed pleasantly, with a cutting smile toward the triad, before departing.

  That was one item taken care of—now for the other. “Beni, I was wondering if you might have a spare tunic or shirt. I am afraid mine got sacrificed for torches.”