The Gauntlet Thrown

by Cheryl Dyson

CHAPTER ELEVEN

  REED

  Toryn started awake as something pebble-sized bounced off his chest. He blinked for a moment and then looked over at Redwing suspiciously. Redwing was conversing with Davin earnestly. Toryn switched his gaze to Verana; she was still asleep.

  Having no one to blame for his wakefulness, Toryn climbed grumpily to his feet.

  "What goes on?" he asked Redwing.

  "We are going to get Alyn back."

  "She is here?"

  "I believe so."

  Toryn strapped on his sword. "What are we waiting for?" he demanded.

  "You." Redwing grinned.

  Toryn, Davin and Redwing checked their weapons and proceeded into the jungle after awakening Verana. She assured them that she would stay with the horses. The rain started again, a fine mist that did not hinder them, but it made Toryn even more irritable.

  "Do we have a plan, or are we just going to go in there and start slashing away?" Toryn asked. "How many of them are there?"

  "Five men and a woman. We will go and fetch our horses first. The thieves will likely be watching the horses closely, expecting them to give warning of our approach."

  "And won’t they?" Toryn asked. "Give warning?"

  "No. They won’t." Redwing winked at him and grinned.

  "Oh. Then what?"

  Redwing shushed him. "We’re getting close."

  They walked around the bandits' camp until they approached it from the west, behind the picketed horses. Darkling, Fireling, Fang, and Thistle stood within the group of horses, perhaps a dozen in all. None of the steeds reacted to their presence; they merely continued to munch contentedly on their grain, though Darkling swiveled an ear at them as if in greeting. Toryn looked suspiciously at Redwing and was rewarded to see the look of concentration on the Falaran’s face. So, he was doing something to the horses. Toryn vowed to have another talk with Redwing when this was all over. He wanted to know exactly what Redwing could do with his strange abilities. Obviously, he could do far more than just utilize his ‘odd feeling’ to track people and animals.

  They moved closer to the horses, but stayed within the concealing undergrowth. Redwing indicated Alyn’s position to Toryn, who nodded and crept off.