Hunted in the Valley (Old Sequoia Valley Book 1)

by C. R. Pugh

  He grabbed his horse’s reigns and mounted in one fluid motion. The horse danced in place for a moment, but Thorne quickly gained control. He held out his hand to me. Having never been on a horse, I hesitated.

  “Take my hand. I’ll pull you up to sit in front of me,” he instructed.

  I bit my lip and stared apprehensively at his mount. He wasn’t the meek and playful animal I had met two days ago. His front hoof dug into the ground impatiently and his powerful neck bobbed up and down, as if he understood the urgency as well.

  “I don’t know how to ride,” I admitted.

  “I know. Do you trust me?”

  They were the same words he’d said to me in my dream last night. I smiled and took the hand he’d extended to me. Without any effort at all, he lifted me up into the saddle. He took the reins in one hand and wrapped his other arm around my waist, pulling me snug against his chest. Was it just a day ago that I was afraid to be this close to another person?

  “Relax,” he murmured, his lips brushing the back of my neck.

  I was beginning to think he did that to me on purpose, just to make me shiver.

  “That’s going to be difficult,” I said, mentally scolding myself. I shouldn’t feel nervous when sitting close to him.

  “Because of my horse or because of me?”

  “Both,” I admitted.

  He chuckled softly in my ear and placed a feather-light kiss on my exposed neck, sending even more chills down my spine. The strong body of his horse began moving at a steady gait. “Do not worry, little warrior. We will be home soon.”

  Thorne led the way. With two of their horses killed in the fight, Brock was riding shotgun with Max on the captive’s cart, while Pierce and Archer followed in the supply cart. Gunter rode the other horse, trailing behind everyone.

  If the danger was someone or something other than Pierce, I had no idea what it could be. More soldiers? It seemed unlikely that Two could have had time to gather more men from the compound. I glanced around once more, looking for signs of any danger; the glint of moonlight on a rifle or the yellow eyes of a Saber. But there was nothing in the darkness.

  It seemed difficult to believe that it could be Sabers. I hadn’t seen any in weeks and their den was far from here, closer to the compound. My blood could have attracted them to us, but the rain should have washed all traces of the scent away. Night Howlers were always a threat as well, but there were no cries filling the skies tonight.

  Whatever was out there, it wasn’t good. My neck was still tingling and that meant something was coming.

  32

  Thorne

  I had been traveling this road for many years and I had never had such an ominous feeling. Usually the trip back to Peton was more lively and victorious. The last hunt, the Warriors fell into singing crude songs that they had learned from Peton’s taverns. Now, the ever-present threat of General Wolfe seemed to taint the air around us, choking us.

  Ravyn had been tense in my arms ever since we had left the campsite hours ago. Every now and then I caught her rubbing her tattoo and then peering through the tangle of shrubs and trees that had grown wild around the dirt path we were following.

  “I have been watching our surroundings,” I murmured. “I see nothing in the shadows.”

  “You’re sure?”

  I gave her a reassuring squeeze. “What has you worried, little warrior?”

  “I just … have a feeling,” she mumbled slowly. “Like someone or something is out there.”

  “Why do you think that?”

  She nervously cleared her throat. “My neck tingled.”

  She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye, as if she were waiting for me to ridicule her. Knowing she was already extraordinary made the strange comment easier to swallow. Ravyn never rambled about ridiculous things like other women, and she would not reveal something so odd if it were not important.

  “And?”

  “My neck always tingles when there’s danger coming.” She took a deep breath and covered her tattoo again. “Ever since General Wolfe branded me, it’s like the ink in my skin is warning me that he’s close. I felt it back at the camp.”

  “Do you feel it now?”

  “No.”

  Her answer surprised me. “Do you think the danger has passed then?”

  “I don’t know,” she said as an apology, covering her face with her hand. “I’m just useless. The General has a habit of being full of surprises, none of them good. There’s no telling what he’ll do next.”

  She placed a hand on top of mine and I laced our fingers together at her waist. I welcomed the touch but it concerned me that Ravyn was so anxious.

  “You’re usually calm and collected when danger is lurking about,” I remarked.

  “I worry about more than just myself now,” she said, squeezing my fingers.

  “Whatever is out there, we will face it together.”

  For the first time in my life, I was not looking forward to the excitement of a battle. I wished that we were at my mountain home, out of danger instead of waiting for it to catch us. Keeping Ravyn safe had become the most important thing to me. Was it possible that merely a week ago I had scoffed at the notion of having a wife? Or of anything being more important than my position as commander?

  After silently signaling the Warriors to have their weapons at the ready, I gave my stallion a nudge to quicken his pace. Unfortunately, we would never make it to Peton at a gallop. The wagons would fall apart on the road and the noise would alert whoever was hunting us. It was better to remain quiet and vigilant.

  “Tell me something about your life, Thorne,” Ravyn said, interrupting my thoughts. She was resting her head against my chest, her fingers still entwined with mine, and staring out into the dark forest.

  “What about my life?” I asked quietly.

  “Anything,” she said. “I could use a distraction.” She peered over her shoulder at me, turquoise eyes twinkling every time a hint of moonlight peeked through the foliage.

  “I am not a good story-teller,” I confessed.

  “I don’t mind.” Then she suggested, “Tell me how you and Gunter became friends.”

  “Gunter and I grew up together as boys. We’re the same age. Our families lived next door to each other before my father took his place as an Elder.”

  “Were your families close friends?”

  “I thought so when we were younger, but now that I’m older I do not think so,” I recalled. “My father was always at the Council Hall. Gunter’s father was a wood-worker and always around so he looked out for me and my sisters. He died a few years ago.”

  I thought back to my life with my family, trying to picture my father at home, but I could only remember his absence. My step-mother and Kemena were the ones who had stayed at home, making sure that my sisters were brought up properly. I was at the Warriors’ barracks and the training grounds, trailing after Commander Hawke.

  “Father was busy even before he became an Elder of the clan. My step-mother mostly took care of my sisters … until Lenna was born.”

  “How old were you when she died?”

  “Kemena and I were children when our mother died,” I explained. “Father remarried and Tallon was born soon after. Several years later, my step-mother died giving birth to Lenna. Kemena was fifteen years of age at that time, I was eleven, and Tallon seven.”

  “What happened to your sisters after your step-mother died? Who took care of them?”

  “Kemena, since she was the oldest. Gunter and I had already begun our training to become Warriors. With our step-mother gone, and father off at the Council building most of the time, I immersed myself in my training. Commander Hawke told me once that he’d never seen anyone advance so quickly at such a young age. He and Gunter’s father became my biggest supporters during that time. I was determined to make something of myself even though my father didn’t approve.”

  “Why wouldn’t he approve?” Ravyn asked. “Being a Warrior is a
prestigious position, isn’t it?”

  I shrugged. “He wanted me to be a politician, like him. He hates that I don’t want to follow in his footsteps. Gunter is the ambitious one.”

  “I see,” she said with a quiet giggle. “You’re not ambitious at all, challenging for commander at eighteen years old.”

  I chuckled at her teasing. Maybe it was ambitious, but it would never be good enough in my father’s eyes.

  “You said Kemena is a healer in your village?” Ravyn inquired, quickly changing the topic. “How did she manage it while taking care of your sisters?”

  “Healers begin studying at the age of sixteen usually, but Kemena decided to wait. She was only fifteen when our step-mother died and had too much responsibility with Lenna. I’ll be forever grateful to her. Once Lenna turned four, Kemena was able to begin her training. Lenna was a little more independent and Tallon was older, better able to help out with our youngest sister.”

  “I wish I knew more of healing, other than what my own body can do,” Ravyn remarked. “Perhaps she could teach me?”

  “She would enjoy passing on her wisdom. She’s the best in Peton along with her husband, Aaron.”

  I pinched my lips together and felt my face and neck heating up. I had never been one to chatter on or share things except with Gunter. He had been my only friend for a long time. For some reason, Ravyn brought out this new side of me. I wanted her to know me and my family. Hopefully, she would come to care for them as much as she seemed to care for me.

  “Please don’t stop,” Ravyn said, interrupting my thoughts. “I like hearing about your family. It’s helping me relax.”

  I peered through the trees for any sign of soldiers, then continued on.

  “Kemena has always been the responsible one. She is not a Warrior, but she is tenacious when it comes to protecting the people she cares about. She honors our family well. Lenna will be much like her.” I let out a frustrated sigh. “And then there is Tallon. She is fifteen now, and I do not know what to do with her most of the time.”

  Ravyn chuckled softly. “What do you mean? She’s a Warrior, you said. What’s wrong with her?”

  “She is headstrong, argumentative, and stubborn … completely undisciplined. She’s skilled, I will admit that. But she is willful and constantly trying my patience.”

  Ravyn giggled softly. “Sounds familiar.”

  I shook my head. “You and Tallon are nothing alike.”

  She glared at me over her shoulder. “I was talking about you.”

  “Humph.”

  “Headstrong, argumentative, and stubborn?”

  “Perhaps,” I reasoned. “But I am not undisciplined.”

  “With you and Kemena as her older siblings, I doubt she’s as undisciplined as you think.”

  “You have not met her. When you do, you will understand.”

  “Maybe you’re right but, having had a sister, I know how easy it can be to compare the strengths and weaknesses of siblings. That was one of the things that had made me feel so alone in Terran. People were constantly talking about how beautiful and well-mannered Camellia was. Even my own father would brag about her right in front of me. He acted as if I wasn’t there.”

  The way her family had treated her had my teeth grinding again. My own father was not around but at least he did not criticize me or disparage my achievements to other citizens. If anything, he encouraged my efforts because it made him look good.

  “You are her older brother, Thorne. You are a strong Warrior and commander. That has to be complicated for you both,” she said perceptively. “I’m betting she feels like she has a lot to live up to with a legacy like that. She has much to prove, to you and to the clan.”

  “I never thought of it this way,” I admitted.

  “And I didn’t have that obstacle when I was training. I had nothing to prove to anyone – only myself. I also started training at an earlier age. How old was she when you allowed her to begin?”

  “Females cannot begin training until they are thirteen,” he explained.

  “You see?” Ravyn pointed out. “I had a three-year head start. She probably still has a lot to learn. She’s lucky to have such a gifted and dependable person to teach her.”

  She turned her face up to me and kissed me softly. “I have full confidence she will be a better Warrior because she has you.”

  I was struck speechless by her perspective. I had never looked at Tallon in that light. She was very skilled for her age and training level. Perhaps she should be given more opportunities to prove herself. Commander Hawke had done the same for me, Gunter, and Pierce. Once we returned, I decided I would work on remedying the situation.

  “What about your tattoos?” she inquired, brushing her fingers along my forearms.

  “What about them?”

  “Does every Warrior have tattoos that represent their own name?”

  “No,” I said, grinning. “I got them as an act of rebellion. Hawke, the commander before me, has one; a huge hawk spread across his back and shoulder blades. My father disapproved of them. I got mine just to defy him.”

  “Oh, Thorne, you didn’t,” Ravyn teased.

  “I wanted to be like him. Hawke, that is. Father didn’t speak to me for weeks when he discovered what I had done.”

  “I’m not condoning your rebellion, but I’m glad that you got them. They suit you.”

  After a few minutes of silence, I suggested that Ravyn get some sleep. I was accustomed to just a few hours of sleep at night, but I was not sure if she was. She seemed to be keeping up with me, but I did not want her strength to wane if we encountered more soldiers.

  Ravyn shifted in my arms and rested her head back on my shoulder. “I don’t like to sleep,” she whispered, staring up at the night sky. “If I close my eyes, I’ll have nightmares.”

  I wanted to insist that she try to rest, but it was Ravyn I was dealing with. I could not make her do anything she did not want to do. I bit my tongue for once and continued to lead the caravan toward Peton.

  Dawn was finally approaching. With every step my horse took, I had expected to hear Ravyn raise an alarm, but she remained silent and watchful. I could not speak for the other Warriors, but I was certainly breathing easier. The ride out of the Old Sequoia Valley had everyone on edge. There had been no sign of the soldiers or any other threats, and we had been moving so quietly, I felt positive we would have heard something approaching. I scanned the trees for danger countless times, even upon arriving into the outer rim of the Old Sequoia Valley. There had been nothing. The Warriors from decades before had deemed this outer rim of the Valley a safe zone because they had never spotted Sabers or barbarians so far out. The forest was thinner, the trees smaller, leaving fewer places to hide or stalk prey. In the grassy fields that led to Peton, one could only crouch down in the tall grass. It was not ideal for an attack. Surely, whatever Ravyn had felt, whatever was out there, would have attacked by now.

  Rays of light streamed through the trees around us from the rising sun, giving the forest a friendlier feel. The trees here were not giant sequoias like those in the deepest parts of the forest. These had leaves that had turned beautiful shades of yellows, reds, and oranges, showing the change in the seasons. The path was lined with them, their branches hanging low, creating an archway for us. We were halfway through autumn and it would only be a few more weeks before the first snow fell on Mount Asa.

  “These trees are lovely,” Ravyn said with an admiring gaze.

  “They are,” I agreed. “Many are fruit trees. Apples, peaches, and cherries, mostly.” I pointed out a few of them as we passed by.

  “I’ve never seen leaves this brightly colored before,” she said in wonder. Her eyes were wide, taking in the incredible array of colors.

  “It is my favorite time of year. The fruits are harvested, which means I do not have to eat as much seaweed.”

  Ravyn giggled and then reached out with both hands to graze her fingers through the leaves hanging over
us. The birch trees were dazzling shades of pure sunshine, and the maples were clothed with scarlet flames. Her excitement and the smile on her upturned face thrilled me.

  “They are so beautiful, Thorne.”

  It was not the trees I found beautiful. She was even more stunning now that she was in the light of day. The black tendrils around her face had dried into corkscrew curls framing her high cheekbones. Her eyes sparkled brightly, like the choppy waves of the Fairuza Sea in the early morning sunrise. The urge to stare at her was overwhelming.

  The path wound its way through the last of the trees. The prairie spread for miles with green grass and clover, waving carelessly with the breeze. Looming before us was Peton’s rocky mountain range. Only a small hill obstructed our view of Peton, so I gave my stallion a kick and trotted ahead of the other Warriors. We reached the top of the rise, just past the line of trees into the plain, and there in the distance was our grand city.

  The moment was lost when Ravyn stiffened against me and gasped. My stomach dropped as she slapped her hand to her neck.

  Instinctively, I turned my stallion to look back at the trailing Warriors, who had just left the shelter of the woods, and I knew from Ravyn’s expression that we were all about to be ambushed.

  33

  Ravyn

  The second I felt it, I jumped from the saddle and snatched up one of the rifles from where Thorne had tied it down.

  “Wait!” Thorne snapped at me. He hopped down and grabbed his weapons as well. Then he slapped the rump of his horse, sending him running toward Peton.

  “What did you do that for?” I asked.

  “The Warriors waiting for our return will see it as a signal for help.”

  Thorne shouted warnings to his men as we moved toward them. They were sitting ducks now that they were out in the open, just beyond the trees. There was nowhere for them to take cover, no safe place to go.

  “Can you sense what is coming?” he asked as we ran.

  “It’s only ever been soldiers,” I said. “But we’ve killed so many. I wouldn’t think …”