Serpent's Child (The Mindbender's Rise Book 3)

by D J Salisbury

  “Just a scratch.” She peeled back her coat sleeve and showed off the gash on her forearm. It wasn’t bleeding too much anymore, but her coat was pretty messy. “A new battle scar.”

  “Noodle brain.” He tore the hem from his shirt and tied it around the cut. Trust the kid to keep her from bleeding to death. “We’ve got to get out of town, and soon. Are they following us?”

  “Not yet.” She pushed the inner gate closed, wedged it with the wimpy pole, and scooped up the claws. “That should slow them down a little.”

  “The longer they’re stuck, the happier we’ll be.” He staggered upright, and looked around for something. Probably his crutch. Still back inside the temple. “I’m so tired.” He swayed to one side.

  Careful not to stab him with a claw, she stuck her arm under his hand and balanced him. “What happened in there?” Nothing she could think up made sense. “You passed out and the place went crazy.”

  He hung onto her arm and limped forward. “They trapped a power in there, a wizard’s ghost, maybe. Or a dragon’s ghost; it didn’t feel human. I reached out to it for help, and merged with it instead. But having a willing, living body join with it freed it the same way the blood sacrifices had chained it. I guess as a ‘thank you’ it helped us out. Or else it just hated that wooden dragon beyond measure.”

  The kid hesitated, but shrugged. “I think it was only half free until you opened the door. If the priests had made another sacrifice before that…”

  “It would’ve been trapped again. I’m glad it’s free. I hope it comes back and eats them.”

  The kid laughed and waved at the temple. His knees buckled.

  Lorel dropped the claws and scooped him up before he hit the ground. He’d passed out again. Good thing, too. They’d get back to the wagon lots quicker if she carried him.

  It was kinda hard to run and carry him with sword-sized claws crossed in front of her face, but the way downhill to town was easy enough. All the people on the road cleared off the path like magic. Or like they were scared of a tall ugly girl carrying a tiny cute boy. Or maybe it was her blood-splattered coat. Or the gore-dripping sword-claws. Didn’t matter. They got out of her way and that’s all she cared about.

  Tsai sat up on the wagon’s driver’s bench and stared. “It’s not even noon! How’d you get into trouble so quick?”

  The kid wiggled in her arms. “It’s our secret talent. We need to get out of Padue, though.”

  Tsai jumped down from the bench and looked up at her. “You hurt?”

  “Just a scratch.” She dropped the claws into the courtyard dirt.

  The kid snorted. “She’s already proud of her new scar. Put me down.”

  She tossed him up to the driver’s bench. “Get ready to move out.”

  “Hey, it moves.” He bounced the seat a couple of times. “This should save my weary tailbone. Thanks!”

  Tsai bowed to him, and turned back to Lorel. “I’ll saddle the horses, you get the team harnessed.”

  He reached one hand down toward the ground. “Give me the claws. We can’t leave them here.” He stowed them inside the wagon.

  But he never asked about his crutch. She guessed it was obvious she’d lost it. Maybe now he’d figure out he didn’t really need it.

  It took way too long, and a whole lot of cussing, but finally they were out on the road.

  The kid jiggled the team’s reins. “We need to head east to confuse the pursuit.” The horses ignored him, like usual, and plodded along the street.

  “We can’t go east.” Tsai reined Sumach in to ride close to the wagon. “The only road goes north and south. I checked our options this morning while you were gone.”

  Planning an escape route. Smart girl, though it was sad she knew them well enough to guess they’d need one.

  The kid puffed out his cheeks. “Then we need to go south and circle back around the town.”

  “I checked that, too. Hikers could make it around, but probably not horses, and certainly not a wagon.”

  “Blast.” He slumped a little. “There’s no way to hide our tracks. How long until they start chasing us?”

  Nightshade pranced, and she patted her lad’s neck to calm him. “I’m surprised they ain’t after us now.” She’d been watching, though, and except for worried looks at her bloody coat, folk were mostly ignoring them.

  He perked up again. “Maybe no one has noticed anything’s wrong yet. There wasn’t anyone wandering around all the time we were there besides the priests. And I think they’ll be out of action for quite a while.”

  Nobody but the two babies she’d chased off. If they were lucky, them kids were still in hiding. She wasn’t counting on it, but she didn’t have many options. “Act normal while we’re in town. We’ll hurry after we’re away from people.”

  The kid glared at her. “Last time you told me to act normal, I nearly died of fright.”

  “But nothing went wrong, did it?” Last time she’d hidden them in plain sight. It oughta work this time, too. For a while, anyway.

  He just sighed. “At least take off your blood-stained coat. It looks like you’re waving a big sign saying, ‘I killed somebody’.”

  Tsai giggled.

  “It’s too fraying cold to strip down to my shirt.” And she was too tired to argue with him. She nudged Nightshade’s ribs and rode ahead of the wagon.

  Folks moved out of her way even faster than before.

  ***

  At sunset, Viper yawned and checked the position of his troops. Tsai’dona rode point about fifty feet ahead of the team. He doubted anyone had gotten ahead of them, but agreed it was wiser to keep an armed scout as lookout. Besides, they raised less dust when they were spread out.

  Lorel galloped in from her position at the rear and reined the black stallion close to the wagon. “How far do you think they’ll follow us?”

  He scooted to the edge of the driver’s bench and craned his head around the side of the vehicle. Dense forest and the winding trail defeated his efforts to see any pursuit. Or much of the road, for that matter. “Are you sure they are following us?” Icy wind blew through his hair. He shivered and pulled his coat tighter across his chest.

  “That’s my job, kid. You trust me, don’t you?”

  The Kyridon poked its nose through the partially open door. “This one corroborates the swordling’s assertion that this assembly is pursued.”

  Lorel glared at the serpent. “What did it say?”

  “That you’re right, we’re being followed.” He jiggled the reins. Poppy snorted quietly, but Periwinkle only twitched his ears. The poor creatures. He’d been goading them forward for several hours, and the road was mostly uphill. “I’m sure you are tired.”

  “What? I ain’t tired, except maybe of them thread-snipping priests.” She stood tall in the stirrups for a few seconds. “I’m gonna ride back a couple of miles and check out the road.”

  “Don’t let them see you.”

  “What you think I am, kid? Some limp thread?”

  “You are a city slicker.” Viper chuckled, but tried to swallow the sound. “Your idea of wilderness is an olive orchard.”

  She huffed and smirked. “I sure remember who hated going into the forest, plains brat. I spent lots of time outside the city when you was studying with old Trevor.”

  “Trevor took me into the forest!”

  “Once, maybe. Mostly old Trevor stuffed your head in a book and left it there.” She stood up in the stirrups again, causing her horse to fidget. “All you ever did was read.”

  “All you ever did was quarrel with your father.”

  The Kyridon arched and looked down its nose at both of them. “This conversation should terminate prior to a significant altercation.”

  Lorel snarled and swung her fist at the serpent.

  The Kyridon snatched its head inside the wagon.

  Viper laughed. “All it said was ‘stop bickering’.”

  “A body can’t have a friendly talk around here
no more.” She glared at the wagon door. “I got enough snarky talk from my dad, toad, I don’t need none from you.”

  “A question, pine tree. Won’t they hear your horse coming?”

  Lorel blinked at him, but sighed. “Weaver’s chamberpot. I keep forgetting you know a little about hunting. Yeah, they might hear him.”

  What did she mean, he knew ‘a little’ about hunting? Who’d been feeding them for this whole trip?

  She swung off her horse and tied the reins to the back of the wagon. She loosened the girth, patted the stallion’s neck, and strolled into the forest.

  The turybird had gotten quieter since their days of crashing through the forest looking for a place for sword practice. Not much quieter, but he trusted her to fight her way out of any trouble.

  He went back to watching the team haul the wagon forward. To watching Tsai’dona’s red-clad back sway up the tree-lined road. To watching for any movement. And to trying to stay awake.

  “Wake up, kid.”

  He sat up with a start. Sunrise glimmered on the top of the mountain. “How embarrassing. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

  Lorel snorted and swung up to the driver’s bench. “Tsai picked a good place to stop.”

  Tsai’dona shrugged. “With himself dead asleep, I didn’t have much choice. Couldn’t wake him up.”

  He’d been so tired after their encounter in the temple, it was a wonder he’d lasted that long. He felt wonderful now.

  His stomach growled.

  If she heard it, Lorel ignored his humiliation. She pulled her boots off and wiggled her toes. “I’d’ve camped here if the snipping priests weren’t so close. Where’s the toad?”

  The Kyridon slithered from beneath the wagon. “This one attends.”

  “Where was you all night?”

  “This one stood sentinel throughout the moonlit interval.”

  “I’d surely like to see you stand.” Lorel smirked and waggled her eyebrows.

  The serpent glided into a coil and stared down at her.

  It was time to change the subject. “Tsai’dona, did you scout ahead last night? Did you see a place nearby where the trail splits?”

  She nodded and pointed northwest. “The far end of this valley has three ways out. I didn’t go any farther, though. That’s when I noticed you weren’t behind me.”

  Lorel grinned and shoved her feet back into her boots. “Our little sleepy head.”

  Give him a break. Just because she could go all day and night without sleep didn’t mean that everyone could. For that matter, he’d bet she’d slept beside the trail last night. She didn’t look half as tired as she ought to be.

  He nodded to Tsai’dona. “Lead us to the main split, and don’t worry about leaving a trail. In fact, the messier it is, the better.”

  “It’s pretty messy right here.” Lorel gestured behind the wagon. “The horses been eating a path all along the road for a mile.”

  Tsai’dona sighed. “It seemed wiser not to unharness them.”

  They’d dragged the wagon along the verge, and it still hadn’t awakened him? Blood rushed up to burn his cheeks. It was a wonder she hadn’t called him worse names. “I hope they got enough rest. We’ll have them running for a while.”

  Lorel shrugged and slid down to the ground. Tsai’dona stretched and walked over to her mare. Both of them saddled their horses efficiently.

  The team looked back at him, probably wishing they’d landed a better owner. Or wishing for water. “Is there a stream nearby?”

  Tsai’dona nodded. “About a mile ahead. Ready to go?”

  The Kyridon slithered up the side of the driver’s bench and inside the wagon. Viper waited until it was settled on his bunk before clucking at the team.

  They actually moved forward on command this time.

  Around noon, Lorel twisted in the saddle to face him. “The trails split here.”

  “We need to head northwest.” He stood and looked ahead, then stepped up on the springy driver’s bench. Should he climb up to the roof? He didn’t really need the extra height. Balancing on one foot on the flat-but-wobbly seat was hard enough. Standing on the arched roof would likely send him tumbling into the grass.

  “That’s the middle fork.” Lorel reined her horse in to walk beside the driver’s bench. “It looks like a miswoven path though. Goes into a rocky valley.”

  She must have spoken with Tsai’dona before she woke him. “Which one looks easiest?”

  “The north path, over there.” Tsai’dona pointed to the right. “It seems to be the main road.”

  “Perfect.” That was probably the road to Noran, where they’d be expected to go. There were no other towns past Padue. “Any rocky patches between here and there?” He dropped down to sit on the bench.

  “Up closer to the end of the valley.” Tsai’dona spread her arms. “Between here and there it’s all grass.”

  “Better yet.” Viper twitched one rein. The team turned a little to the right. “If we head due north and double back to the northwest pass, I think I can hide our trail and make it look like we’ve taken the main road.”

  “Sounds good to me.” Lorel gazed around the valley floor. “I’ll cut some brush. When we turn onto the rocks, I’ll tie it to the back of the wagon. That should help wipe out some of the wheel marks.”

  Viper nodded. “I appreciate anything that makes my life easier. Illusions wear me out almost as bad as sword practice.” He glanced at her through his lashes.

  Lorel rolled her eyes. “I ain’t seen you touch a sword in years.”

  He laughed and jiggled the reins. The horses walked a little faster.

  Less than an hour later, she rode in from her position at the rear and shrugged at him. “We got trouble, kid.”

  Viper craned around to peer behind the wagon. A band of at least fifty fighters marched into the far end of the valley. He swallowed hard before he could squeeze a word out. “Lightning strike them.”

  “Ain’t no chance they’re gonna miss us.”

  “A blind man couldn’t miss us.” He thumped the wagon’s brightly-colored door. Why hadn’t he stopped in Crayl long enough to repaint the vehicle a nice dull gray?

  “Time to make a run for it.” Lorel kneed her stallion to the left.

  “Wait. Signal Tsai’dona to ride back to us. Both of you stay close to the team.” He shook the reins, and the horses lumbered into a slow trot, generally headed west. Amazing. Why were they obeying now? Did they pick up on his nervousness? “Keep the wagon between you and the Paduans, and keep us moving to the northwest.”

  “Weaver’s chamberpot.” She reined her horse in and waved at Tsai’dona. “What’re you doing?”

  Viper jerked his chin to the right and closed his eyes. His carefully plotted illusion slid out of his mind and out to hide reality. It moved easily now, but the farther away it got …

  Tsai’dona trotted her mare back to them. “Now what?”

  “Stay close to the team, he says.” Lorel glanced back at their pursuers, then in the direction he’d indicated. She stood up in the stirrups and gasped. “Blood in the Weave.”

  He opened one eye and peeked. A replica wagon was trundling away to the northeast, a trail of wheel tracks in the broken grass behind it.

  “Bog swallow it,” Tsai’dona whispered.

  Lorel stared at the wagon creaking along beside her, and back at the illusionary wagon. She slapped her thigh and laughed quietly. “Magic stuff. I forgot about that. What do them Paduans see over here?”

  “Meadow.” Viper covered his face with one hand. His head was starting to hurt. “Endless grass. Warn me when the ground changes. This is taking everything I have. It won’t fool them when they get close.”

  “I hear you.” Lorel laid one hand on her sword.

  Tsai’dona reined her horse to keep Lorel between herself and the wagon. “We’ll keep watch.”

  The Paduans slowly marched closer.

  It was beyond sad that fighting men could
walk faster than two large horses could pull the wagon. He’d definitely overloaded it. Dumping out the Crayl blades was an emergency response, though. Especially when his enemies could pick them up and use them against him.

  Near the valley wall, Lorel coughed to catch his attention. “We’re near the rocks, kid.”

  He tucked the reins between his knees, mopped sweat off his face with his coat sleeve, and studied the golden-brown granite ahead. “Have they changed course?”

  Lorel blinked at him. She stood in the stirrups to check the Paduans. “Nope. They’re still headed northeast.”

  “Praise the Thunderer.” He rubbed his sleeve over his face again. The rough wool didn’t do much to remove sweat, much less the agony trying to explode out of his head. “Tell me when we’re out of sight.”

  “Ain’t far, kid.” Lorel watched him with more attention than she had in a lunar. “You’re looking sorta green.”

  “I’m feeling a lot green.” And the world around him was turning gray. But he had to hold on a little longer.

  Tsai’dona glanced back. “I don’t see them. I think they’ve gone into the northeast pass.”

  Viper pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes. Could his eyeballs pop out from internal pressure? He’d never held an illusion at such a distance before. And never one he couldn’t even see. “Sentries?”

  Lorel reined in to circle behind the wagon. “I don’t see none.”

  They must be out of sight by now. He released the illusions and wheezed in several slow breaths. The grayness around him faded into sunshine.

  The northwest pass opened before him. A valley rolled into the mountain, golden stone rising sharply to the right, and falling into a deep, pine-studded valley to the left. A wagon-wide trail wound between huge boulders growing out of the ridge.

  “I’m going ahead to scout out the trail.” Lorel kneed her horse into a trot and vanished between the rocks.

  Tsai’dona hesitated until he waved her onward. No need for a bodyguard when no one was nearby.

  He jiggled the reins. The horses trudged forward. Their harnesses rattled and jangled so loudly he worried their pursuers would hear and run back. The team looked tired, but he didn’t dare halt this near to the valley. And the sandblasted Paduans.