Several paces after Lamorun’s announcement, Lakhoni’s way became clear and smooth, winding in long, slow curves through and around the forest at the river’s edge. Simra, just ahead of Lakhoni, brushed her fingertips along a tree trunk as they passed another cluster of trees. “Lakhoni, feel this.” She continued walking.
Lakhoni slid his hand on the tree trunk. It was smooth to the touch. The bark felt like it had been polished. “What kind of tree is this?”
“I don’t know,” Simra said. “It doesn’t feel natural.” She jerked to a stop, nearly bumping into Hilana. “Why are we—” she cut herself off. “Oh.” Lamorun and Hilana had both stopped and were staring off to the left of the path.
Lakhoni followed the direction they were looking. “What is that?”
“It is carved faces and animals in a huge tree trunk,” Alronna said, stopping next to him. She pursed her lips. “What does it mean? Now, there’s the question.”
They continued down the path, the river several paces to the right. With the canyon behind them, they had come to an area of dark hills and wide, shallow valleys. Thick trees clustered everywhere and tough, wide-bladed grass grew wherever rocks weren’t. Scraggly brush pushed up between large sections of flat stone. The ground was dark with rich looking soil. Moss of varying shades of green covered much of the rock that dotted the landscape.
“Another one.”
Lakhoni followed Simra’s pointing finger to see another tall carving. It stood taller than Lakhoni could reach, with strange faces carved into what appeared to be a tree trunk that had been stripped of all branches and worked on right where it grew. One of the animals was a bird with a hooked beak. All of it was dark brown, the natural color of the wood.
“I wonder who did these.” Lakhoni’s curiosity was strong, but it felt like Gadnar was just beyond reach ahead of them. If they could only move a little faster, they could catch him.
“Maybe those people up in the canyon,” Alronna said, still taking up the rear.
“All this way down here?” Hilana scoffed. “Unlikely.”
“Those people had boats and obviously came down this way sometimes,” Simra said. “They must at least interact with whoever did this. Maybe they trade.”
“Whoever they are, let’s hope Gadnar didn’t find them.” Lakhoni fought the urge to break into a jog. They could be falling behind with every step. They’d lost too much time. He caught up to Simra and walked beside her. He kept his eyes constantly moving, taking in the landscape, the flashes of river through the trees and rocks, and the terrain ahead. The boat had carried them closer to the mountains they had spotted a week ago. The craggy ridges loomed high not far ahead. To either side were long rises and drop-offs as they traversed the wide river valley. Everything looked completely different from the simple hills and rivers and forests of Lakhoni’s home. The land gave the appearance of huge creatures having fought and torn up the earth, leaving a jumbled mess behind.
“Shouldn’t we go find out if they saw him?” Simra asked. Her voice was still rough and rasping.
“It’s a good idea.” Lakhoni glanced at her face and swallowed his argument for going faster. Her cheeks were pale and eyes tight. She looked like she was going to fall over at any moment. “You need to rest.”
She shook her head. “No, I’m fine.”
“You were nearly eaten by that river yesterday.” Lakhoni called to Lamorun to find a place to take a break. “You need to rest.”
“We have to keep going.” Simra pointed behind them. “Or Gadnar’s going to kill more people like he did back there.”
“We’re doing this together and we aren’t going to kill you from exhaustion.” Lakhoni took her hand and squeezed.
They found Lamorun stopped at a flat space just off the trail. It was partly shaded by a few trees and was big enough for everyone to sit on a dry part of the ground. Lakhoni helped Simra down. Lamorun and Hilana said something about trying to find food and headed toward the river. Alronna watched them go. “Those two should have ribbons on their arms too.”
Lakhoni nodded. “But you tell Lamorun that and he gets angry.” He handed his water skin to Simra.
“Not everyone is like you two,” Alronna said. She adjusted the hilt of the Sword of Nubal so it wasn’t sticking into her side as much.
“Like us?” Simra wiped water from her lips. “What does that mean?” Color was already returning to her face.
“Are you serious?” Alronna sighed dramatically. “You two actually talk to each other. You don’t hide anything.”
“Why would we?” Lakhoni grinned at Simra. “We all know I’m a fool who made a bad choice and left her behind. I will always be making up for that.”
“You are a fool,” Simra said. “For far more reasons than that.”
“I really like this girl,” Alronna said.
“I don’t need this abuse.” Lakhoni laughed. “And who is the fool that brought this one a betrothal ribbon?”
“See?” Alronna stood and performed a series of stretches, breathing audibly through all of them. “You even insult each other, like Lamorun and Hilana. And you are always together, like those two. But you admit your feelings and those two seem like they never will.”
“Never will what?” Lamorun and Hilana rounded three trees growing tightly together.
“Nothing,” Alronna said. She dropped her arms from a high stretch. “How are you carrying fish?”
Hilana laughed, flashing a grin at Lamorun. “I told you they would be surprised.”
“I catch bigger food,” Lamorun said with a grumble.
“We’re hungry now,” Hilana said.
Lakhoni gathered dry leaves and twigs and piled them. “I’ll start a fire.”
“Good.” Alronna turned, assessing their surroundings. “I’ll find wood.”
Hilana tipped her head backward toward the river. “We found a calm pool not far from here. These silvers were just sitting there for the taking.”
“You caught fish with your hands?” Simra asked.
Lakhoni struck his flint with the low edge of his dagger and blew small flames to life.
“You just have to be fast,” Hilana said. “In and out quicker than they can react.”
Lamorun handed Lakhoni a few branches broken into small pieces. “Use these.”
“We cleaned them at the river,” Hilana said. She snapped a thin, straight branch from a nearby tree and skewered the three fish she held. Each one was the length of two hands, with scales that glimmered with reflected light.
Alronna returned with more firewood and they finished cooking and sharing the fish. It wasn’t enough food to fill his belly, but the white flesh was mild and quieted the roar. It also helped Simra’s color.
As they broke up the small fire and gathered to recommence their journey, Simra took a long drink of water. “I’m surprised I still get thirsty after drinking most of that river.” She wiped her hands on her breeches.
“Most?” Hilana laughed.
“Judging by how much she threw up, she tried hard to drink the whole thing,” Lakhoni said. Some of the shine was back in Simra’s eyes and the knot of worry in Lakhoni’s gut loosened a little.
As they walked, thinking of Alronna’s stretches, Lakhoni realized he hadn’t done anything in the way of training or practice for a long time. Those late nights in Zyronilxa while trying to get into the king’s temple compound, fishing for dinner and practicing what Gimno had taught him seemed years ago. Could he still feather leap?
The questions caught him up. He was so eager to catch Gadnar but how could he hope to overcome the powerful man if Lakhoni didn’t remember how to fight? He’d spent so much time healing over the last months that he wouldn’t be surprised if he turned an ankle or worse in the first moments of a fight.
They passed another of the carved trees. As the others continued on, Lamorun stayed and inspected the strange thing. He caught up to Lakhoni a minute later. “People must live near here,” Lamorun said, w
alking to Lakhoni’s right. “Clear signs of feet and old shavings of wood, almost certainly from the tree being carved.”
“Then where are they?” River, rocks, grass, and trees were still all Lakhoni saw. No people. No movement beyond rushing water.
“Could be that Gadnar came though and they were wise and hid.” As they walked, Lamorun held his cudgel under one arm tightly and worked on the sharp stone blade at the top, tightening it in its place.
“Possibly.” Lakhoni said.
“Maybe they just don’t like visitors,” Simra added. She held an unrolled bandage in each hand. She had pulled them from her pouches and was waving them to dry them as they pressed on.
“Also wise,” Lamorun said. “It would be best to speak with them and find out if they saw Gadnar. I would like to be certain we are still on his trail.”
“I don’t want to lose time.” Lakhoni rolled his shoulders, conscious of how tense his muscles felt. He and the others could train together in the evenings when it got too dark to walk.
“Unless he already found the map on the Tablet and used it to find the Rod. He could be trying to raise his army from whoever these people around here are.” Hilana walked just ahead of them. “Then the wise thing to do would be to find whoever carved those things and talk to them.”
“I don’t think Gadnar is out raising an army already,” Alronna said. “I feel like we would see people trying to get away from him if he was making an army.”
“A good point,” Lamorun said. “How a man such as him could raise an army is unimaginable.” He grew pensive and finished working on his cudgel and took it by the handle to let it swing freely. “Except I saw Molgar and Shelu scare and inspire men and women to join their wicked cause.” He mumbled something under his breath that sounded like “inheritance.”
“People will do unimaginable things in the name of their cause of choice,” Lakhoni said. He looked ahead and behind, marveling at how his injuries from the fight with the lizards had already closed and healed somewhat. Battling a frigid mountain river, it seemed, loosened things up. “Such as crossing the entire land to stop a man who should be dead and keep him from building an army and killing hundreds of innocents.”
Simra finished rolling up one of her bandages and replaced it in its pouch. “Let’s just keep going and watch for signs of people nearby. If we can talk to someone without taking too much time, we will.” She pulled another bandage out and let it unfurl to dry.
“We can always talk to her,” Hilana said drily. She dropped a hand to her dagger.
Lakhoni peered ahead and saw that Hilana was pointing at a figure that had appeared near some trees just off to the right. Dark hair spilled off her shoulders and down her front. She was taller than Lamorun and built thickly, with strong legs visible below the hem of her dress.
Alronna slipped past Lakhoni and Simra and joined Hilana. “Hello!” She adjusted her belt so the sword was a little more out of reach. “Please don’t be afraid.”
“I am not.” The woman’s voice carried loud and firm from her distance of twenty or so paces away. She stepped out of the shadow of the trees. Her face was painted with reds, yellows, and whites to look almost as if she were a hairy, fanged creature. “But you should be.” She raised her hands and clapped twice.
Rustling came from all around the companions. Lakhoni looked behind and to the sides. At least thirty women and men had materialized from the trees and rocks. All of them had painted faces and bodies, many with feathers adorning their hair and sticking out of bands high up on their arms. Every one of them had weapons with sharpened rocks or points. And their faces were tight with anger and determination.
“Hold,” Lakhoni said, flashes of being captured by the Zhimana coming back to him. There was no time for this. He put his hands out and raised his voice, trying to bite back his anger. “We are not here to harm anyone. We’re chasing an evil man who might have passed through here recently.”
The first woman who had appeared stood tall and walked closer, her long strides landing heavily on the ground, but carrying her quickly. She stopped in front of the companions, thickly painted eyebrows drawn down in a fearsome expression. She pulled a noisy breath in through her nose, as if she were sniffing the companions. “You seek the broken one?”
Lakhoni had to fight the instinctive urge to back up. The woman’s demeanor, with her painted face and arms and scowl, were fierce. “Broken one?” He looked to his companions. They shrugged, clearly unsure. “He’s a murderer and might be injured.” Lakhoni put a hand to his chest. “My sister put an arrow right here, but he lived.”
The woman’s eyes flashed over to Hilana, then Simra, then settled on Alronna. “You are the sister?” She stepped right in front of Alronna.
“Yes.” Alronna fidgeted with her belt, obviously fighting the urge to reach for her sword’s assuring hilt. “I shot him. He should have died.” She frowned. “I thought he did.”
Lakhoni leaned a little toward the painted woman. “The broken one? Are we talking about the same person? A man named Gad—” He stopped, completely unsure of what to do or say.
The woman grabbed Alronna by the shoulders and pulled her into a quick embrace, then pushed her back and stared as if into her soul. “Your courage can save us all.”
Every hair on Lakhoni’s arms and neck stood as cold tingles washed all over him. What in the name of the Ancestors was going on?
Alronna sputtered. “What?”
The woman stepped back and address the companions. “You have little time but we will tell you what we can.” She clapped once and a rustle sounded as the gathered warriors melted back into the trees and shadows. “I am Betta, of the Marapuc.” A man, perhaps a finger’s width shorter than Betta, joined her, walking with long, languid steps. The paint on his face was blacks and grays and clearly depicted a jaguar. “This is Ekalb.”
Lakhoni’s head was still spinning at what Betta had said to Alronna. “I’m Lakhoni.” He met Alronna’s confused stare and shook his head as the others introduced themselves. What had Betta meant by such a cryptic statement? “This broken man. Have you seen him? Did he—”
“He is the Red Prince,” Betta said, slicing the air in front of her with one hand in a silencing gesture. “Our totems have shown him to us.”
“Did he pass through here?” Alronna asked Betta, who was still standing directly in front of her.
Betta held out a hand and Ekalb, who had not blinked yet while staring at Lakhoni, gave her a leaf-wrapped bundle. “Near.” She opened the bundle.
“Did you see him? Did he have the Rod?” Alronna asked, then reeled back as Betta reached for her face, dark red paint on her thumb.
“Be still, girl.” Betta made a harsh sound, like a dog barking but softer. “You have little time and this totem will ward off the water evil.” She reached for Alronna again.
Alronna put her hands up to block Betta’s paint covered finger. “You will not put that on me until you start speaking clearly.” She squared her shoulders and stared Betta down.
Betta looked at Ekalb and let out a noisy sigh. “The broken one is sustained by the tainted water. He seeks healing and power from the pure water to the west.” Betta motioned toward the craggy mountains. “You spilled his blood with your courage and have chosen the path of justice and protection. As a guardian, the earth totem will help you fight the evil within the broken one and triumph.” She frowned. “If you are brave enough, you will earn the warrior’s rest.”
Alronna’s mouth had dropped open as Betta spoke. Now she turned slowly to Lakhoni and swallowed, her breath catching in her throat. “Did you understand any of that?”
Lakhoni shook his head and glanced at Lamorun and Hilana, whose expressions of profound confusion were no help. He looked at Simra. “No. Other than him being called the Red Prince, not really. Did you?”
Simra put a hand to Alronna’s arm. “I think you should let her use the paint.”
Betta immediately reached for Alro
nna’s face again. Alronna grabbed Betta’s wrist tightly. “You may do this, but we need more explanation.” She released the woman and dropped her hands to her side. “This is ridiculous.”
Simra cleared her throat. “I think I understood. Mostly.” She bit her lower lip, then spoke again. “You’re saying Gadnar is the broken one. He’s being helped by something evil in the water, but he’s trying to also be healed by pure water in the mountains.” She paused, looking from Ekalb to Betta.
Ekalb nodded. “That is what she said, yes.” The man had a deep, warm voice and he spoke slowly. Which sounded strange coming from such a fiercely painted face. Betta dipped another finger into the shallow clay cups she held, which was the bundle Ekalb had given her. This next color was a shade of brown. Lakhoni craned to see what Betta was painting, but didn’t dare move or get in her way. These two were strange and he didn’t want to delay any longer than necessary by disrupting what they were doing.
“And Alronna,” Simra continued. “Because you shot him back at the city, Betta wants to help you by painting your face. Which will give you a totem of the earth.” Simra grimaced. “Whatever that is.”
“A totem is an animal spirit,” Ekalb said. “It guides, watches over, and protects.” He cocked his head slightly and stared at Alronna, unblinking again.
“So if you kill a walan, its spirit becomes your protector?” Hilana sounded like she was struggling to hold back a laugh. “Or a hapcha?”
Ekalb and Betta both threw a dark glare at Hilana. “We don’t kill animals,” Ekalb said, venom in his voice. He gestured at the clothes of animal skin that the five companions wore. “Unlike you.” He hissed and made a sour face, then continued. “And no, a totem is not the spirit of one murdered animal. It is a greater spirit. A powerful being that lives here and in our hearts,” he pressed a hand to his chest, “and between the stars and moon and clouds.” He gestured at the sky and the land around them. “As well as in all things in creation.” He brushed a wrist across his chin. The gesture put Lakhoni in mind of something, but he couldn’t place it.
“A servant god,” Lamorun said, leaning toward Lakhoni. “Sounds familiar.”
Red Prince Page 16
