The Warrior's Pet (Cadi Warriors Book 1)

by Stephanie West

  "And what happens when the Scelus spy sees the shroud go up in flames but there's nothing inside?" Ismat's asked his logic sound.

  "You have a point, but where did you get these bodies?"

  "They are the monks from the catacombs beneath the temple. They were happy to honor and serve their people in life, they will be just as happy to do it again in death." Ismat smiled.

  "Well no wonder they looked like mummies." Giselle thought at she helped the few warriors get the bodies situated. She wondered how old some of them actually were.

  Giselle adjusted her cloak as they exited the walls of the Nazario. She was dressed as a child in mourning, a hood covering her head to hide her distinctive pale skin and blonde hair. There were enough warriors accompanying them so that it appeared like Kagan's army had come to the city's aid to assist in dealing with the dead which they had. Giselle hoped Vigdis would just assume the rest of the army was inside the city while the funeral finished.

  The men and women around her stood tall as they made their way across the field. They had to avoid the covered pits in the ground as they moved toward the still raging funeral pyre.

  "Remember you're in mourning." Giselle whispered loudly. It shouldn't be a hard act, most of them still were grieving.

  The task at hand had given the mourning Cadi a purpose to stand up for, a way to get even. So many of the surrounding people looked too proud to be going to a funeral.

  Several people hunched their shoulders. One woman leaned into a warrior and shook. Giselle had to repress a grin at the subtle yet effective alteration.

  Giselle held Jolana's hand as they walked. She squeezed it as she looked at the woman.

  "Have faith." Giselle encouraged.

  Grainne, Jolana's mate, was one of the men occupying the many hidden burrows in the field. He and several other warriors would be tasked with guarding the gates should it come to that.

  "I got so lucky the first time. I just pray that luck holds." Jolana hung her head as she spoke about her fears for her mate.

  Giselle wanted to say that her luck would hold. She wanted to tell all the people who had become her friends that everything would be fine, but that would be a lie. In all reality, not everyone would survive tonight. That was a hard thing to wrap your head around. It was maddening wondering where the ax might fall to cut you off from your loved one forever. You hoped it passed you by and yet at the same time felt selfish and cruel for wishing it on someone else.

  Giselle instead nodded and leaned into the woman to offer her support and glean some for herself.

  Once they reached the funeral bier Ismat started chanting and bellowing out a long drawn out prayer over each of the bodies as his fellow monks were committed to ash. One of the females wailed and collapsed to the ground as a body was placed on the fire. The sound of her anguish wasn't feigned. The poor woman had actually lost her mate and used this opportunity to let out the grief she'd been bottling up.

  The ceremony wore on slowly and the sound of the enemy cloaking pulse grew in volume out in the dense forest. Giselle was glad it didn't get so loud she was deafened by the shrieking device. The sun finally dipped on the horizon and their group made its way back into the walled city. As the gate sealed behind them Giselle prayed like hell the enemy had seen enough to think they had the upper hand.

  Madhava

  Madhava ventured to the edge of the forest by the walled enemy city of Nazario. He wanted the truth behind why Vigdis insisted they trace the Vidya Cadi army here. If his Daimio was going to lead them into the lion's den Madhava wanted to assess the situation for himself.

  Vigdis had been so certain that Kagan quo Rordan would bring his army against the Scelus Cadi even though it was on the far side of the swamp. Vigdis insisted to Madhava that he dealt the Kagan a blow that couldn't be ignored but refused to say how. Vigdis quo Carnager, the Daimio of the Scelus Cadi was suspicious of all his commanders. It made Madhava's job leading his army practically impossible.

  The day came and went for Madhava to march the Scelus Cadi army out to meet the Vidya Cadi in battle, only to find Kagan was a no show. Madhava wasn't surprised, Kagan was no fool.

  Madhava looked past the line of trees out onto the field to see that Kagan's warriors were escorting several of the citizens to a funeral pyre. Madhava paused as he took in the sight.

  "What has Vigdis done?" Madhava stared at the fire that extended for hundreds of feet. A massacre unlike any he'd ever witnessed had occurred here. The enormous pyre still raged consuming the countless bodies that had been piled onto the inferno. This was the very definition of madness.

  Giselle

  The hour was growing late as Giselle wandered the garden behind the regent's manor. The stars were so bright here on Cadi. Giselle nearly laughed as she realized there wasn't a single constellation she could identify only to remember where she was again.

  "Unbelievable."

  She glanced up at the not too distant wall to see the warrior there on watch. The few men still inside the city walls were positioned so that it looked like the regular watch was on the stone embankment. Even Ismat had taken up a position to add to their visible numbers. The females and children were inside attempting to keep their mind off of the coming battle. The Toufik females and children no doubt doing the same in their wing. Giselle debated going to seek out her Toufik friend to keep her mind from straying to Kagan in worry.

  "Giselle." Jolana startled her with her breathless interruption.

  "What is it?"

  "The children were playing Hunt." Jolana said twisting her hands. Hunt was apparently like Hide and Seek. "We cannot find Sabin."

  "Oh okay. I'll help you look. Maybe he found a really good hiding spot."

  Giselle wandered the manor calling for Sabin, but the longer she spent searching the more she began to fill with dread. It was getting late, Sabin would've come out by now.

  A horrible thought struck her. What if he decided to approach the warriors in the forest? They were his people after all. Little Sabin had no clue all the plans that were about to take place, but he did know the Scelus Cadi army was out there somewhere in the woods.

  "Jolana stay here I will go find him."

  The thought of the boy out there with the imminent battle had Giselle worrying her lip. That very same army had murdered Sabin's entire village. The idea of that mob getting their hands on the sweet boy had Giselle sick to her stomach.

  Giselle moved with purpose to one of the few gates in the city wall that a child his size or person her size could open on their own. Giselle stood still when she saw that it was ajar. The boy had left it open so he could get back in, but in doing so he'd left them all at risk. Giselle peered out and was horrified to see the moving figure of something small heading for the tree line. Her hand flew to her mouth.

  She needed to call Kagan, Dagaa, or any of the warriors, but they'd all stowed their comms till after the EMP blast that should be coming any time now. She would have to retrieve the boy on her own and high tail it back. Giselle slipped out and shut the door glad that she had a code to get back in once she retrieved Sabin.

  Giselle ran across the field. This side of the city hadn't been dug up, so she didn't have to fear falling into a pit during her moonlit sprint. She almost made it when frustratingly Sabin's shadow disappeared in amongst the dark trees.

  Giselle reached the edge of the woods and called out. She was glad the Scelus Cadi had turned off the awful cloaking pulse otherwise she wouldn't be able to hear a thing. They probably felt concealed by the trees. Fools!

  "Sabin where are you?"

  The little booger couldn't have gone that far so quickly in the thick undergrowth of the trees. Giselle pushed forward hesitantly calling for Sabin. Giselle's foot caught a rock sending her stumbling through the dense brush. Giselle righted herself only to see her worst nightmare. Illuminated in a pale blue artificial light were a dozen Scelus Cadi warriors garbed in red.

  Dagaa

  Dagaa almost cu
rsed out loud as he watched Giselle land in the middle of one of the many small camps of Scelus Cadi warriors.

  With the help of Stone, his Toufik brother in arms, Dagaa had been scouting out and identifying the locations of the various enemy camps. They were on the hunt for which group held Vigdis quo Carnager. Dagaa was downright amazed at the stealth the Toufik exhibited moving through the underbrush. He felt like a liability plodding along, even though among Cadi warriors he was no slouch at this game.

  They had just identified this group when Stone saw Sabin moving in. It was a simple thing to capture the boy and silence him quick, but neither of them spotted Giselle till it was too late.

  "Of course the brave female warrior came after the child." Dagaa thought as he shook his head. "Kagan is going to lose his mind."

  Stone passed Sabin off to one of the other Toufik males who quickly spirited him out of danger while the two of them crouched and watched to see what the Scelus Cadi warriors would do with Giselle.

  The warriors all jumped up ready for a fight only to see it was a small cloaked figure that had stumbled on their camp. One warrior roughly yanked Giselle towards them, assuming she was wayward child, but her hood fell back exposing her pale face and long golden hair. For a moment the enemy was stunned.

  "Hey isn't that Daimio Vigdis' pet? The one that was stolen." One of the warriors exclaimed rather loudly.

  The fools knew not to light fires that might be seen, but none thought to keep their voice down.

  "It is. Contact Madhava."

  Dagaa listened, crouched in the brush, as the warrior talked to his commander over the comm. Dagaa smiled over at Stone. Perhaps Giselle stumbling into the forest wasn't all bad. The warrior was instructed to bring Giselle to where Madhava and Vigdis were camped. Dagaa would only be too happy to follow.

  The Scelus Cadi warrior made so much noise as he escorted Giselle through the forest, Dagaa and Stone didn't have a hard time following him. Giselle's pale face turned this way and that looking around nervously. She knew Kagan's men were out here but didn't know exactly where.

  Giselle was shoved into a slightly larger more lavish camp than the rest. Stone melted into the darkness to notify the others of the location leaving Dagaa to watch over Giselle. This was his prime target, the others knew what to do. Dagaa was conflicted. As Giselle's Second Dagaa was ready to storm in and take her back by force, but that would get them all killed. Instead he watched hoping Giselle didn't give up any information under duress.

  "So why exactly was my stolen pet wandering the forest at night?" Vigdis asked the warrior as he tugged Giselle away from the male.

  "I do not know Daimio. She just stumbled into our camp." The warrior said nervously.

  "And why is she cloaked?" Vigdis huffed as he tugged at the clothing Giselle wore.

  Giselle pulled back, yanking the material from Vigdis and tucked it around her with a cold shiver. The male just chuckled and pushed her back.

  "She does speak. You could ask her." Madhava suggested as he looked shrewdly at Giselle.

  Vigdis snorted then shrugged. "So pet what were you doing in the forest?" Vigdis demanded but didn't look as if he expected much.

  "Escaping." Giselle said without batting an eye.

  Dagaa almost snorted at the quick lie she offered up.

  "Escaping? To where?" Vigdis laughed.

  "Anywhere I don't care. Look what the bastard did to me!" Giselle sobbed in outrage as she showed them the new brand on her shoulder then covered it quickly.

  Vigdis eyes widened at the warrior's ink.

  The brand hurt like a bitch Dagaa knew. It would be a good reason to runaway, but Giselle had done that to herself. She looked terribly stricken and indignant. She played her part so well she almost convinced Dagaa that she was fleeing. Giselle was a wily female.

  "That son of metcor put his name on my pet!" Vigdis raged. "First, he steals what is mine then he brands her." Vigdis shook with anger. He was holding Giselle too tight Dagaa could see by the way she flinched. "Where is that bastard now?" Vigdis asked her as he gripped her arms.

  "I don't know." Giselle said innocently.

  "So how did you manage to get free?" Madhava asked as he eyed Giselle.

  Madhava was cunning and shouldn't be underestimated. Any warrior that did found themselves at the losing end of the warrior's blade.

  "He wasn't paying much attention to me. Do you have any idea how many dead bodies there are in that city?" Giselle shook her head in disgust. "I figured this was as good a time as any."

  Dagaa smiled. Giselle was playing the ignorant pet yet feeding them information that made it seem like Kagan was preoccupied with the tragedy that had befallen Nazario.

  "Well don't get any ideas about sneaking off." Vigdis tugged Giselle to him and pawed at her breast.

  Dagaa watched her cringe.

  "I won't unless you plan on branding me too." Giselle replied looking meek. "That was awful. How can you possibly stand it?" Giselle asked as she touched the marks on Vigdis' skin.

  Dagaa knew Giselle too well. The cunning woman was attempting to stroke Vigdis' ego. She never ceased to amaze him. The fact she wasn't a blubbering mess was enough to earn his admiration. Dagaa wished he could go in and rescue Giselle but that would betray their operation. He hated that fact. If anything happened to her Kagan would be devastated. But there was nothing to be done, the little warrior was on her own till a better opportunity presented itself. Dagaa prayed that Ismat was right, and that Giselle was indeed blessed by Kali.

  11 The Battlegrounds

  Giselle

  It was as cold as a witch's titty, even the adrenalin coursing through Giselle wasn't keeping her warm. She wished she'd put on warmer clothes. Then again she was lucky she had her clothes still. All it would take was one of the enemy seeing the bite marks on the crook of her neck and her little charade would be over.

  Giselle sat in quiet anticipation as many of the warriors dozed and the others that were supposed to be keeping watch talked openly about the upcoming siege on the city. Vigdis had retired to a tent that was too large for the small clearing while his commander Madhava kept watch. He seemed to be the only one doing his duty.

  She hoped little Sabin was okay. She had to assume he was since no one was reporting a lost boy amongst the camps.

  A howling sound echoed in the distance. Then several more responded deep in the forest. Giselle shivered knowing that the call hailed the beginning of the attack.

  "It was foolish to run away. Those things you hear could tear you limb from limb." Madhava commented as he looked out into the night.

  Giselle nodded looking appropriately fearful. She held her breath hoping the silent EMP would do its job. Giselle glanced over at the artificial light as it flickered and then died.

  "Dammit." She heard Madhava curse as he approached the failed light source to see what was wrong.

  Giselle debated moving to press herself against one of the trees to wait out the coming attack, but as she started to move a light filled the small clearing. She looked to see Madhava had lit a torch. Quickly she sat back down.

  In the distance there was a great commotion. It had begun. The sounds of shocked cries and fighting erupted all around. Vigdis stumbled out of his tent as the sleeping warriors rose up in shock.

  "What the hell is going on?" Vigdis bellowed.

  "Report." Madhava grabbed his comm and yelled into it only to see that it was dead. "We're under attack."

  Just as Madhava uttered those words half a dozen Toufik came barreling out of the dark forest. They moved fast attacking the startled warriors with a ferocity that was unrivaled. The shadow from the torch Madhava gripped made the Toufik seem larger than they truly were. The warriors were so stunned to see how violent the gentle Toufik could be that several were dead before anyone raised a weapon. Giselle cringed as a warrior's neck was twisted with a sickening crack by a set of large hairy hands, less than a foot away.

  The fight was picking up but t
he Scelus Cadi warriors were no match for the Toufik among the trees. The hairy beast descended from the trees, attacked with deadly accuracy, then retreated, only to strike from a different angle a moment later. Madhava realized this as he guarded Vigdis, his sword drawn.

  "To the open road." Madhava gestured.

  "What is wrong with those beasts are they diseased?" Vigdis shouted.

  Giselle was ready to slink off but Madhava gripped her arm and gave her a suspicious look as he tugged her behind him. Several enemy warriors followed as they abandoned camp but through the shadows Giselle saw the Toufik picking them off left and right. There was a barrage of distinct crunches or gurgles as the men at the edges of their group were thinned out.

  They made it to the road as other enemy warriors poured in from the forest all around them. From this vantage it was harder for the Toufik to come out of the forest and attack then melt back in without being seen, so they held back. The Scelus Cadi warriors all around her looked into the dark forest clearly shaken. They never expected such an attack from the Toufik.

  "What the hell was that?" Vigdis demanded. "Why the hell won't the damn rota work and where the fuck have half the manx gone?"

  Giselle knew the answer to those questions, but she did her best to look appropriately afraid.

  Madhava shook his head in confusion, obviously disturbed.

  "Well you better figure it out or your head will be next on a fucking pike." Vigdis railed.

  "Why don't you tell me what is going on here since you my Daimio are completely capable of striking out on your own." Madhava sneered.

  The Scelus Cadi warriors were overwhelmed with shock and confusion, many standing frozen, others turning in wary little circles looking for the angry Toufik. Giselle had to repress a smile. The goal had been to shake them up, and it was working.