by C. R. Pugh
I looked down into the Warriors’ camp. Perhaps it wasn’t such a bright idea to remain so close to them, but it made me feel like I wasn’t so alone in the Valley.
General Wolfe had isolated me from everyone and had tried to break me too many times to count. My face and body didn’t hold any scars, but I worried that my mind and heart always would. I wondered again about the scars upon Thorne’s face. Did bearing the scars minimize the memories of the pain somehow? His scars were not from torture, but from battle. I didn’t think I’d mind having some scars from a great battle. But lasting marks from torture – they would be a constant reminder for me and anyone else who saw them.
Then it suddenly hit me: Thorne was hiding his scars from me.
He had purposefully angled his body when we spoke yesterday in order to hide his scars from my sight. Was he afraid that I would shrink away or pity him? The thought that anyone would respond to him in that way infuriated me. There was no other reason why he should be ashamed of them, unless there were citizens in Peton that made him feel weak because of them. I wouldn’t know for certain why he was hiding his scars unless I confronted him about them.
I scoffed at that plan. Thorne didn’t want me to see his scars. Asking him about them would probably not go well.
The camp below was quiet. I hadn’t seen a soul wandering around since I’d woken up this morning. Thorne seemed like the kind of man who would be out of bed well before dawn to get to work; training, taking captives, and doing whatever else they did out here. If they were gone, possibly to find more captives, then it was time for me to go. I’d stayed too long anyway. I was putting them in jeopardy simply by being here. Two had been given plenty of time to pick up my trail and follow me here.
I leaned my head back against the sequoia and let out a deep sigh.
You’re procrastinating now, I thought. You have a plan. It’s time to get out of here and follow through with it.
Thorne had mentioned that Peton was on the coast. I glanced down at the camp again.
Don’t even think it.
I shook my head over my own foolish thoughts and climbed down from the tree. I was packing up my rope and checking my weapons to continue my journey to the coast when I heard a strange sound in the camp. It sounded like an animal; one I’d never heard before. There hadn’t been many kinds of animals in Terran: small goats, chickens, and a few pigs. There were none at all at the compound, so I was interested to see what sort of animals the Warriors of Peton valued.
I surveyed the camp carefully for any sign of the Warriors. It was hard to believe that Thorne had left his camp completely unattended, but that was convenient for me. There was no one in sight at the moment. I was going to take a quick peek to satisfy my curiosity and then leave for good.
The Warriors’ camp was fairly small and surrounded by thick undergrowth that grew rampantly beneath the canopy of sequoias. There would be plenty of places to hide as I approached the clearing.
I circled the camp until I saw them. Just on the edge of the clearing, there were six beasts that I’d never seen before; not in real life anyway. They were horses. I stared at them in wonder. There had been pictures of them in the Terran history book and I remembered seeing them as a child, but our teachers had told us these animals had gone extinct. I should have known better. What did the Terran people know of anything outside their electric fences? The pictures did not do justice to these proud animals. They were magnificent creatures.
Cautiously, I drew near the largest of them; black with white legs and a smooth white stripe down the length of its head to its nose. Its black mane and tail flowed long and silky, making me want to run my fingers through it. His onyx eyes watched me as I slowly crept toward him. When he suddenly snorted and bobbed his head up and down, I paused and looked around carefully. It would be just my luck to have an animal give away my position to an enemy. I had no clue if this behavior was friendly or not, but I was too curious to care, so I continued slowly edging forward.
I thought, maybe I could tempt him with something to eat? But what did I know of animals and the things they ate? I couldn’t remember what the book in Terran had said, so I took out one of the small apples from the bottom of my bag. I held it out to him, hoping he wouldn’t take off my fingers. I chewed on my lower lip and squeaked fearfully when he snorted again. He leaned forward to sniff the contents in my hand. After what seemed like forever, the horse pressed his wet snout into my palm and snatched up the fruit with his teeth and lips. As soon as he withdrew, I jerked my hand back and held it close to my chest. I laughed breathily in relief that I still had all my fingers. The gorgeous creature seemed to be enjoying his treat.
Before I could stop myself, I extended my hand again, moving even slower so I wouldn’t startle him. My fingers grazed the tip of his nose. When he didn’t move or react, I smiled widely and continued to stroke the animal’s long snout.
“You are amazing,” I whispered to him. I giggled again when he snorted and nudged me with his nose, looking for more treats. Still grinning, I backed away, having lingered long enough.
When I reached the outer edge of the Warriors’ camp, I suddenly felt strong arms wrap around me, pinning my arms to my sides.
“Thorne, let me go!” I shouted, believing it was the Warrior sneaking up behind me. I didn’t struggle against him. My first instinct was to break his hold, but I knew he’d never hurt me.
He didn’t let go. In fact, his grip on me only tightened. Then he started dragging me backward, into the woods.
“You sure did make this easy for me,” he mumbled into my ear.
My heart dropped to my belly. It was definitely not Thorne.
14
Thorne
I woke up well before dawn again. Sitting by the small fire, I sipped my coffee and listened to the sounds of the birds and insects making their sweet music as the sun rose. It was quieter here than in Peton. It was even quieter than my home up in the hills away from the village. From my mountain retreat, I could hear the sounds of the waterfall that flowed down the hillside behind my cabin. There were mornings I would hike out to the very edge of the mountain that overlooked the Fairuza Sea, listening to the sounds of the waves crashing against the shore. I would watch the water turn incredible shades of orange, yellow, and red as the sun came up in the east. After a few hours, the water transformed into the vivid blue-green that I loved so much.
All I could see now were the blue-green of her eyes.
Was it only two mornings ago that I had considered this time alone before sunrise a gift? I could not sit here any longer with nothing else to keep my mind occupied except a black-haired female.
Dumping my unfinished coffee in the dirt, I roused the men.
“Thorne, what has come over you?” Gunter grumbled. “It’s not even dawn yet.”
“Let’s get on with it. If we leave now, we could catch a few sleeping and be back before lunch again.”
“If you say so.” Gunter sighed but got himself ready anyway. “I think you’re just bored. I’m telling you, a life-mate would relieve you of this need to work so hard.”
I scoffed. “Work must go on regardless.”
“You know, Thorne, I look forward to the day that you eat your words.”
***
“We hit the jackpot, men!” Brock announced excitedly after we had stumbled upon four exiles this morning. “Day three! Archer won his wager.”
“Quiet,” I hissed. The soldiers that had been tracking Ravyn could be anywhere and I did not want to bring them here by mistake. I gave Gunter a knowing look and he nodded back.
“Right, let’s keep it quiet on the trip back. No need to attract unwanted attention,” Gunter ordered.
Brock and Max merely shrugged. Archer was nonplussed over the command, but Pierce glowered at me before returning to help the exiles. I shook my head and ignored him.
“Are we going to keep all four, Commander?” Brock asked more quietly. “We already have the one back at camp
.”
“We never leave one behind alone. There is always room for one more.”
We had chanced upon some sleepers, just as I had been hoping. There were four of them living together just southwest of our camp. They had taken shelter within a cave-like crevice in the trunk of one of the sequoia trees. Pierce was the one who had located them. It was a lucky coincidence because I never would have spotted them in their hiding place.
These exiles would do well in Peton. They would have been dead in a week as starved as they looked, or the Sabers would have found them. At first they had resisted, but the offer of food and shelter silenced any arguments about coming with us.
This was why we came on the hunt three times a year. Not only did we add numbers to our workforce in Peton, but we were also saving people who would die without help.
As we travelled back through the thick forest, I stumbled upon a new trail; one that did not belong to us. I beckoned Gunter over.
“What have you found?” he asked.
“Take a look here.” I pointed to the trail.
“Looks like a man’s footprints. Large boots, I’d say,” Gunter speculated. “The man is probably a good six feet tall. Why? You want to track this one too?”
I started getting a bad feeling as I crouched down to get a better look. The footprints were heading in the direction of our camp and my gut was telling me that they belonged to one of the soldiers. Even if it was not a soldier, it could have been a thief after our horses or supplies.
“I’m going to run on ahead and check it out,” I told the Warriors. “I will see you back at camp.”
The trail was easy to follow. Too easy. Whoever had left these tracks did not care if anyone followed him. This either meant that he was arrogant, ignorant, or extremely dangerous. I was hoping for the first two options.
Fifty feet away, the trail turned and headed away from the camp, which confused me even more. It was possible that some barbarian had been wandering around in this area. That would explain the tracks left behind for anyone to spot.
I still felt uneasy. Ravyn had warned me that the soldiers would follow her; that they would keep coming for her no matter the cost. If this was a soldier …
But she told me she was leaving this area. She had mentioned heading east to the coast. Ravyn should not be anywhere near here.
Maybe I was being paranoid, but my mind would not let it go. I was consumed with images of Ravyn being hurt or captured and, for once, I was torn in my sense of duty. Following the trail would be a simple way to lay my misgivings to rest.
I ran my hand over my messy curls. The commander in me knew that I should go directly back to camp. The Warriors should come first. Making certain our supplies and horses were secured took precedence over everything else. Even Ravyn.
She was a well-trained warrior, like me. Ravyn had proved that she was capable of taking care of herself in a fight, especially with only one opponent. I should not be worrying or having any sort of feelings for this woman. It was absurd that I had even thought about claiming her and bringing her back to Peton. I did not need a life-mate.
Finally, I made up my mind. Returning to camp was the responsible thing to do.
When I reached the edge of the clearing, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. Anticipating an attack, I hid quickly behind a tree until I caught a glimpse of the flowing black hair that had been haunting me.
Ravyn was standing on the other side of the clearing amongst our horses and petting my own beast; the most temperamental of the bunch. He hardly ever took to strangers so easily. Her mouth moved, soothing him. I nearly shouted a warning when she reached up and stroked his head, but my stallion stood perfectly still. When she laughed, it was a pure delight to hear. I frowned when I realized that I wished it were me. I craved her touch and her laughter.
Gunter was right. I wanted her and I couldn’t ignore it anymore, but I would not be able to force her to come with me to Peton. I must earn her trust.
My heart pounding inside my chest, I stepped into the clearing. This was an entirely new sensation. Was I … nervous? I had never felt nervous in my life, not even when I challenged for the right to be Peton’s commander. I swallowed back my anxiety and kept going.
Suddenly Ravyn stiffened. I thought she might have detected me drawing close, but then I heard her shout, “Let me go, Thorne!” That’s when I noticed the man behind her. He had wrapped his arms around her middle, holding her prisoner and she believed it was me.
Ravyn’s face went white when he whispered something inaudible in her ear. When he began dragging her backward into the dark of the sequoias my gut twisted up in knots.
Quickly drawing my dagger, I was after them at once. It was not the darker soldier that Ravyn feared, but I was certain it was one of them and was eager to bring him down.
The man struggled to keep hold of Ravyn’s thrashing limbs as he dragged her through the brush and between the sequoias. She stomped down on the instep of his foot and elbowed him repeatedly in the ribs. He cursed loudly at the pain she dealt, but still he didn’t loosen his grasp. A white hot fury surged through me when he twisted Ravyn’s arm up behind her back in an attempt to restrain her.
I charged through the brush just along the opposite edge of the clearing. The man froze in alarm when he spotted me sprinting toward them. He had made it only a short distance because of the fight Ravyn was giving him. In sheer desperation, he rearranged his grip on her and drew the crossbow that had been hidden behind his back. I recognized him at once and ached to throw my dagger straight into his heart, but I couldn’t do so without hurting Ravyn. She slammed his arm down with her elbow before he could shoot and, with a simple twist of her hands, she had him disarmed.
I was nearly upon them and preparing to attack when I heard Ravyn cry out in pain. She screamed a second time when the man yanked his blade out of her side. My bellow of rage echoed through the trees as I watched her body crumple to the ground at the man’s feet. After giving her a look that could only be described as repentant, the man fled into the woods with his bloody knife and crossbow.
My footsteps faltered momentarily at his sudden retreat. I didn’t understand it. I continued to gape at him until he disappeared into the dark forest. Every instinct in me screamed to chase him down and tear him limb from limb, but that would only leave Ravyn injured and alone, so I let him go.
Why would he flee rather than fight? And why try to drag her away alive if he only meant to kill her? If he had truly wanted her dead, he had missed his opportunity when she was distracted by the horses. He could have stabbed her right then and saved himself a fight.
Dismissing my concerns for now, I turned my attention to Ravyn. Her hand pressed down on her side where the wound was bleeding heavily. Her lungs drew short, painful breaths and her eyes were full of unshed tears. When I knelt down at her side, she sweetly reached for me with her free hand. I clasped it tenderly and held it to my chest.
“Thorne,” she whispered, “you’re here.”
My voice was gruff with pent up anger. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner. You’re badly injured.”
I was not the skilled healer like my sister, Kemena, but I had seen enough injuries to know that Ravyn’s could be life-threatening if it was not treated.
“I’ll be alright.” She smiled weakly.
The tears began to trickle out of the corners of her eyes. I used my thumb to wipe them away and smoothed her hair back from her beautiful face. If she died, I would hunt this man down to the ends of the earth.
“You’ve lost too much blood. I must take you back to camp.”
“No!” Ravyn shook her stubborn head at me. “Leave me.”
I ignored her ridiculous argument. “You will come with me. I won’t let you die.”
She needed stitches. Even that much was obvious, and I knew Gunter always brought his needle and thread for emergencies like this. Reluctantly, I released her hand so that I could tend to her wound. I slipped off my shirt in
order to bind it with the material.
“That’s nice,” she said dreamily.
If she had not been in such a dire situation, and I had not been so furious, I would have laughed. Her gaze lingered on the tattoos that covered my chest and shoulders as I worked to wrap the cloth around her body. When her eyes met mine again, her cheeks flushed.
“Sorry,” she choked out. “I think the blood-loss has made me light-headed. I wouldn’t normally say that.”
I grinned. “If you do not die, you can look at me all you want.”
She smiled and blushed again. “I promise I won’t die.” Her eyes shut for a second as if she had passed out and then opened wide with rekindled fear. “Leave me here, Thorne. I want you to be safe. Please, go!”
“You’re a stubborn little warrior, but I am more so. You will come back to camp with me. No more arguments.”
Careful not to disturb the wound, I lifted Ravyn from the ground and cradled her in my arms. There was no struggle from her. She wrapped her arms around my neck and tucked her head under my chin as I made the trek back to my tent. As much as I wanted to enjoy the feeling of her body pressing into mine, I knew her lack of physical protest was not a good sign.
“I’m going to pass out,” she murmured against my skin.
“I’ll take care of you,” I assured her.
“That man; he wasn’t a soldier.”
My jaw clenched, still angry over his attack. “He was one of those brothers from the village.”
“Why would he do that?” she asked, her voice raspy and weak.
“We’ll discuss it later, when you are healed.”
“Thorne?”
“What is it, little warrior?”
She whispered so quietly I could barely hear her. “Please don’t be afraid of me.”
My brow furrowed at the curious remark. Why would I be afraid of her?
“Don’t …” She took a deep breath and exhaled. “Don’t let the General …”
