Amelia glanced back. The fire along the riverbank crackled, burning as strong as before. She needed to reach another location with more hiding places. Or at least a clear shot of the moon to see how much longer this had to go on.
Naatos flipped one of the fallen logs over. Beetles scurried from the rotten wood. He wasn't leaving, but at least he had moved away from her.
Amelia shifted herself forward, creeping along on her hands.
Thin, spiky legs pricked against her wrist.
Amelia froze. Her heart raced faster. A coin-sized spider sat there, staring up at her.
Amelia's mouth went dry. Images flashed through her mind: the hook-fanged spiders. Keep it together, keep it together. Their awful milky-white eyes. Their horrible fangs and venomous stings. She closed her eyes to calm herself, but the surges remained, vivid and horrifying. Her stomach knotted, and bile filled her throat.
The top of a tree crashed beyond the small clearing, tearing Amelia's attention free. The spider fell from her hand, and she bolted. She followed the same erratic pattern as before, running, dodging, and zigzagging.
"Amelia!" Naatos shouted. "That's enough!"
It certainly wasn't. But that wasn't the point of his shouting at her. It sounded like he was just behind her, but he wasn't. Her elmis were so clear now she didn't even have to question them. She swung to the left, ducked under a thick series of hanging vines, crawled up the embankment, and kept going.
Her arms and legs pumped with steady rhythm. The impulses became stronger, warning her to dodge and which way to go. Exhilaration filled her. She put more and more distance between herself and the Vawtrians, then burst into a large clearing filled with waist-high grass. She couldn't hear either Naatos or WroOth any longer.
Amelia looked around, startled. This was the clearing she'd debated crossing earlier. She'd come in a large circle. The blue sock she'd cast aside earlier perched on a stiff bit of grass. Now what?
Along the edges of the forest was a sleuth of bears. There had to be at least eighteen. Some sat on their hindquarters, bringing up pawfuls of juicy ripe berries while others rooted in the dirt for sweet roots. Each had a distinctive blue-dyed patch on its backside.
Free-range bruins! Raised in the communities, trained, and then released back into the wild for three years as tradition required. Those who returned to the Libyshan cities and towns were welcomed back and made part of the royal stable and guard.
Amelia suddenly remembered a common game she'd played with the bruins when she was little. Any child raised near bruins learned to play this game, which taught the bruins the children's scent, showing the children not to fear them in the process. It was perfect.
Slipping up to the largest bear with a white ring dyed into the blue patch, Amelia held out her hands. "Hey, hey," she whispered. The white ring signaled that this was the leader of the sleuth. The others would follow him if they were like most Libyshan bruins.
The bear snuffled at the air, his large black nose twitching. "Good bruin." Amelia glanced over her shoulder. No pricks or twinges warned her to hide. She really hoped that this worked. "What's your name? I bet they called you something like Cera or Milka, didn't they?"
The large brown bear's eyes remained cautious but calm. None of the other bears paid her any attention.
Amelia smiled and brought her hand closer to his snout, keeping her motions slow and her voice little more than a whisper. "You're probably one of the last batches of bears that they prepped, aren't you? That blue is awfully fresh. Maybe we even played together when I was little? I loved playing with the bruins, and I met so many. No one was afraid I'd hurt big strong creatures like you."
The bear snorted. He shook his head, but his ears remained forward.
"All right. Good." Amelia glanced over her shoulder again. Her neck muscles started to tighten in warning. She didn't hear anything, but that meant little. Naatos had adopted his stealth mode again.
"Come on, bruin." She tapped him on the shoulder. The bear at once reared onto his hind legs. Amelia jumped up, wrapping her arms around his thick furry neck and clinging to him like a baby koala. "Colina, bruin," she whispered.
The bruin dropped down on all fours. The grass bent against Amelia. With her face buried in the bruin's neck and fur, it was hard to breathe, and the musky stench made it even harder. But this was far better than risking open ground alone. "Good bruin, good bruin," she cooed. "Now vespacha!"
The bear shuffled forward. To Amelia's delight, the other bruins followed. Forward they went, ambling at their own pace across the broad grassland.
Rustling sounded among the trees. "The trail ends here," WroOth said. "Maybe she doubled back into the forest."
Amelia tried to see the moon, but the bruin's neck was in the way. She squirmed a little, her muscles and core uncomfortably tight. At least her gown and cloak were close enough in shade to the bruin's fur to blend.
"No," Naatos said. Amelia couldn't see him, but he wasn't as far away as she would have liked. "The trail doesn't go back into the forest. She's here."
But getting farther away, Amelia thought. She closed her eyes, focusing hard, trying to push the thought that she had returned to the forest into his mind. But he was more focused now. Even from here she could feel his calm and confidence. It wasn't so easy to push the thought to him this time.
The bruins continued shambling along. Except for the occasional contented growl or sneeze, all became silent once more. Amelia didn't like this.
Then came the rush of wings. Someone was flying overhead.
A dull thud and crunch of grass a fair bit away shook the ground. "She isn't in the grass, but she is out here." Naatos.
"Maybe she's hiding under the bruins. There was some sort of game the Libyshan children played. Just tap it on the shoulder like this." WroOth's voice was much closer. Grass broke, and one of the bruins gave a low grunt.
Amelia slid her head to the other side of the bruin's neck. Naatos and WroOth now stood in the midst of the sleuth. She gritted her teeth, annoyed.
Naatos turned toward her. Amelia swallowed hard, freezing in place. But he didn't seem to notice her. "It's over, Amelia. Just come out now."
"If she did that, where would the fun be?" WroOth tapped another bear on the shoulder. It stood at once. "Besides, there's only sixteen more left. And…" The bruin placed its paws on his shoulders and licked his head. "That was entirely unnecessary. What is it with you creatures? Ugh. No, no, no hugging."
"At least it isn't a camel." Naatos approached the bruin nearest Amelia and gave it a firm tap on the shoulder. It obeyed at once, lifting its black and silver paws as it stood. He recoiled when the bear tried to hug him.
Amelia dropped onto the grass as quietly as she could, calm and focused. She had either passed the time or was very close now.
The bruin stepped over her, not even breaking its gait. The other bears standing and swatting at the grass masked her movement. Her arms, legs, and core ached, but she flipped onto her stomach and crawled through the grass. A quick glance over her shoulder revealed the moon had already passed the double crescents.
Relief flooded Amelia. Yes! She had done it! Looking around, she caught sight of a large boulder a short distance away. The wind blew across the grass, making it sway and rustle.
Naatos and WroOth continued to tap the bears on their shoulders. They had their backs to her at the moment. Savoring her victory, Amelia climbed up onto the rock, folded her hands over her knee, and watched. Now she just had to hope that the rest of her plan came together as well. How perfect would it be when they realized she was watching them yet again?
26
Naatos’s Confession
Amelia remained seated on the rock, her breath baited. Numerous phrases rushed through her mind. Each one was more appealing than the last. They ranged from a triumphant "I won" to a taunting "Over here" to an almost flirtatious "Were you looking for me?" But deep down, Amelia knew it was best to remain silent.
She
kept her hands folded over her crossed knee, her grass and mud-stained skirt as neat as she could make it. The cloak had slipped to the side, revealing the top of her shoulder. The good one fortunately. Self-consciousness flashed through Amelia as she remembered those scars. Why did that have to matter to her, she wondered. Chastisement flowed through her mind. Those horrible marks meant nothing. Amelia lifted her chin and drew in a steadying breath. She needed to focus on this.
Naatos and WroOth continued tapping bruins on the shoulders, at first trying to avoid being hugged but never quite succeeding. One of the bruins playfully struck Naatos in the head and then thrust its wet snout against his neck. One of the smaller ones nibbled at the edge of WroOth's doublet and knocked him over when he tried to push it aside.
Amelia hid a smile. Even though they were trained for battle, these bruins were much friendlier than the ones on Earth. Uncle Joe had lectured her again and again about how bears on Earth weren't like Libyshan bruins. A sad and frightening discovery she had struggled to accept. These bruins had been bred for this behavior and more starting centuries ago. A gift from the Bealorns to the Libyshans for their kindness in giving them shelter during the Belgan Raids.
"No. Stop eating my clothes." WroOth struggled back to his feet and smacked the bear on the nose. "Stop it. Stop now." He gave it an annoyed look as he sidestepped it.
Amelia grinned. When she used to play with the bruins in the courtyard and stables, there had been one young bruin who had always wanted to eat the leather trim or coverings on her toys. She'd peeled them off and given it to him whenever she could. Vorec had scolded her for encouraging such a bad habit. What was that bear's name? Ulma. Yes. It looked as if Ulma was growing up quite well. A few years longer and he would return on his own to Telhetum with the rest of his sleuth.
She glanced back between the brothers. The moon was still sinking behind the mountains, its silver light dimming. It was tempting to rush this part, but why let them know when they could waste a little more time?
Naatos circled another bruin, his gaze on the ground. "Amelia, I am losing my patience." He tapped the silver bear's shoulder and peered under it, not quite managing to avoid the bear's friendly paws.
"All right! That's enough." WroOth spun about as Ulma nipped at him once again. He paused, catching sight of Amelia. His eyes widened.
Amelia smiled and winked at him. Winning felt good. It needed to become a habit.
WroOth tapped Naatos on the shoulder.
"What?" Naatos snapped. He turned, stopping short when he saw Amelia.
Amelia fluttered her fingers at him.
"How long have you been there?" he demanded.
"Long enough to know that I won." Amelia pointed toward the mountains and the translucent glow of the fading moon. "So now we negotiate. I am willing to give you some of what you want if you give me some of what I want."
Naatos's eyes bored into her. "Where were you hiding?"
Amelia smiled. "Lots of places."
"Well played, dear heart." WroOth glanced around at the bears. The bruins shambled along, crushing the grass beneath their paws. "Very well played indeed."
Amelia lifted her hands and shoulders in an exaggerated shrug. "Who knew?"
"And what do you hope to accomplish from all this, viskaro?" Naatos folded his arms, apparently hoping to stare her down. "You realize I have no obligation to listen to any of your demands, much less give you anything. There's nowhere for you to go now, and if you don't come with me, I'll throw you over my shoulder and take you back."
WroOth gave Naatos a sidelong look. "That is neither flirtatious nor charming."
"It's all right." Amelia tugged the edge of her cloak. "He doesn't like losing. And neither do I. As for what I accomplished, you know what I accomplished. I saved the Machat. You'll never reach them now. And I also demonstrated that I am a force to be reckoned with. I may not be able to shift shapes or kill people without dying myself. But I am neither helpless nor am I weak. Being your wife does not change who I am, Naatos. I can get away from you and stay one step ahead of you any time I choose. You say you can throw me over your shoulder. Well, I say you won't get the chance. But why should we go there when we can reach a compromise? There are so many more unpleasant things that could happen."
WroOth gripped Naatos's shoulder. "That does sound reasonable." His fingers dug into the black leather as he gave Naatos a meaningful glance. Then he returned his focus to Amelia. "However, you did get in the way of my vengeance and caused me a great loss. Don't think I will forget it, little sister. You and I will have a rematch at some point. After I have ensured you have no more of that cursed concoction." He sniffed and tweaked his nose again.
Amelia laughed. "Sure. I find one advantage and now you want to take that away."
Naatos stared at his brother, his jaw tense. "You should go."
"Remember what we talked about," WroOth said under his breath. "No breaking." He leaped into the air and snapped back into his dragon form. He gained height swiftly and then dove down, crossing over near the bruins. A few growled, but most shuffled on, ignoring him.
Amelia remained on the boulder. Stay calm, she thought. This is it. She resisted the urge to adjust her clothes or her hair. It was easier to appear confident than feel it. She had to go back with Naatos, but she needed to make this as convincing as possible. Please don't let this be a mistake, Elonumato.
A heavy silence fell over the grassland. Amelia continued to watch Naatos, and he stared back at her. In the depth of that silence, Amelia heard everything: the whistling of the wind through the grass, the footfalls of the bears as they lumbered away, even the singing of pin-striped cicadas. Should I say something, Amelia wondered. No. Let him respond. If all he wants is a staring contest, then that's what he'll get—Heavens, does this man ever blink?
"Explain to me why you are doing this?" He stood there like a statue.
"You really want me to say it?" Amelia scoffed, folding her arms. "You three would have found the Machat, and you would have killed them all. I knew you'd follow me. So I offered you what you want. You didn't really think I'd stand aside and let you commit genocide." Amelia dropped her gaze to the grass. The breaks and bends shone silver. "I can understand how having a large army and using some violence in the beginning might, in your estimation, result in less violence later. But I don't see how genocide can ever be acceptable."
"No, I mean why are you surrendering."
"I'm not surrendering." Amelia pressed her hands on the rock, resting her weight on her palms. "I'm going to negotiate with you and return with you to the Temple of Selgooko or Ecekom. Wherever you choose so long as it is not a Libyshan city. As for my demands, they are relatively simple."
"And what changed? You rejected me absolutely." The sternness in Naatos's gaze couldn't hide his bitterness.
"I asked for eight weeks. Then I found out about the Truth Bringers." Just thinking of the Truth Bringers brought a foul taste to Amelia's mouth. "I knew I had to reevaluate."
Naatos approached her. Suspicion glinted in his eyes. "I do not question why you sought to waste mine and my brothers' time. You have made that clear from the beginning. But after you wasted my time and ensured the Machat escaped, you presumably could have tried to run."
His suspicion cut into her. The sensation stabbed over her like a thousand pinpricks. Her elmis tightened along with the back of her neck. Amelia suppressed the cringe. This was swiftly becoming more uncomfortable. But there was something else, something she needed to understand.
Naatos circled the boulder, continuing to study her. "And yet you didn't try to run. Once the deadline passed, you came out here and placed yourself conspicuously in my sight, demonstrating with utter clarity and your own words that you were not captured. That you are here of your own accord. Is it because you did not think you could truly escape but wanted to make it appear that you could?"
Maybe I should have let him think he caught me. Amelia's pride bristled at that thought. H
e had caught her before. Why should she soothe his ego? Her muscles ached from the tension. "Well, Naatos, frankly I'm confused. You wanted me to come with you when I didn't want to come, but now that I am willing, you don't want me?"
Naatos chuckled coldly as he stopped in front of her. A hint of longing flashed through his eyes. "Oh, I want you, Amelia. Never question that. And if you are sincere in your statements, then I am delighted."
Amelia raised an eyebrow. "You certainly don't look delighted."
"And you aren't sincere."
Amelia rolled her eyes. "Would it make you feel better if I tried to escape? I could run up that hill. You could turn into something fearsome and terrorize me if it would soothe your suspicions. Oh, wait, we did that! And I agreed to negotiate with you. Not that you've done any negotiating so far. But think about it. What have I said that I couldn't be sincere about? I haven't said that I love you because I don't. I haven't said that I want to spend the rest of my life with you because I don't. But what I have said is that I am willing to bargain with you."
Naatos placed his arms on either side of her and leaned forward, his hands resting on the boulder. The heat radiating from him pressed against her. "That does not explain the why, and that is what I must understand. Make no mistake. You will go with me. But I will also understand what your purpose is."
"I've already told you my purpose. I'll give you some of what you want."
"What I want is a wife in more than name alone. I want your cooperation. I want your loyalty. I want your love."
Amelia scowled, pulling back. That was an utterly unreasonable request, and yet a flicker of something had passed through her. Her own anger increased in response. "What difference does love make? Except to make me bound to you, I suppose. Certainly not a relationship. If you had wanted a relationship, you wouldn't have treated me this way."
"Treated you this way?" Naatos echoed, raising an eyebrow. "If all I wanted from you was the carnal, I would have taken it, Amelia. How many times could I have taken you, willing or not? You were in my bed in nothing but my tunic. You were in my arms. Time and again I have had the opportunity. And for those moments and whichever more I might have chosen to take, do you not think I would have enjoyed it if I wanted nothing more than your body? To have the Third Nalenth and the daughter of my enemy writhing beneath me and giving me pleasure? There is no written Vawtrian law against it. And yet I have restrained myself though my own body demands you."
Enemy Known Page 23
