Arrows Of Change (Book 1) (18 page)

Broden was not one to sleep heavily when in an unfortified
place, even if he did have friends standing watch. He kept dagger and bow close
as he rolled into his bed, and kept himself in a light sleep—light enough that
his eyes snapped open at the first hint of hoof beats thundering toward them.

It was a very strange thing indeed for a man to risk neck
and horse riding about this late at night. Why, it be close enough to midnight
to question why a man be out on the road at all.

Smoothly, he rolled out of his bedroll and onto his feet,
then regretted it as sore muscles twinged. Grimacing in pain, he nevertheless
scooped five arrows out of his quiver and set them in his hand, drawing one arrow
free and nocking it before joining Amber where she stood. The woman had staff
in hand, eyes narrowed in the darkness as she tried vainly to see who was
coming.

“How many?” he asked quietly.

“Four or five, I think,” she answered slowly. “I can’t
properly see them, that’s just my gut reaction from the sound. Who would travel
around at this speed so late at night? You can’t see the road!”

“Aye, they like as no’ break a leg at the pace they be
setting.” Which meant that they were desperate to cover distance for some
reason. It could be these travelers had no interest in their group, but Broden
was a paranoid man, and he would not take bets on it. Turning his head, he
called, “Ashlynn.”

His wizard snapped awake and lifted up onto one elbow.
“What?”

“We be getting visitors.” Broden inclined his head toward
the noise.

She rose without a word and came to stand by his side. As
she moved, the whole camp came awake and most at least sat up, weapons in hand,
waiting to see if it was danger riding toward them or not.

The group of five thundered ever closer, and as they did,
the light from the fire lit up their silhouettes. Broden raised the bow to full
extension, aiming for the man in the lead. Ashlynn, he was pleased to note,
drew a spell into the air and held it there, ready to fire if necessary. They
waited in silence, eyes locked on the riders, ready for trouble.

Ten feet or so from the group, the riders reined to a sharp
halt, the back hooves of the horses digging into the ground and sliding in the
soft soil. “Ashlynn!” a man’s deep voice boomed out.

Instantly the spell in her hand faded as Ashlynn responded
in surprise, “Tierone?!”

Broden blinked. Tierone of Dahl, Edvard’s older
half-brother? Storm and winds, what was the man doing riding like that in pitch
darkness?

Tierone lost no time dismounting and striding forward. As he
came into reach of the firelight, Broden took his measure of the man. Aside
from that inky black hair, he and Edvard did not look kin at all. Tierone was a
towering figure of a man, bulky with muscle that was obvious even under a
well-tailored black suit. This was the Duke of Dahl? He looked more like a
lumberjack.

“Ashlynn, what is going on?” he demanded, grabbing her by
both shoulders. “I got a message from Edvard saying that Bria, Darisa and Catriona
have been kidnapped and are being held hostage by Zelman two days ago. Then
this afternoon, my guards reported seeing you with this group tearing through
my lands in a blazing hurry, heading south. Did you find where Zelman put
them?!”

“Yes. We know which city they’re in, at least.”

Broden belatedly relaxed his stance and folded the arrow
back in with the rest, holding them easily in his hand.

They stood silently by as Ashlynn quickly filled her
blood-brother in. Broden studied the group as they talked, and saw patches of sweat
on the horse’s hides. They must have been riding hard for hours straining to
catch up.

Tierone’s expression was hard to read by firelight, but the
way his jaw was set and his hands clenched into angry fists was easy to see. By
the time that Ashlynn was done, the man was shaking his head in tiny jerks, as
if he wanted to deny everything.

“Why?” he gritted out around a clenched jaw. “Why take them?
Leverage against Edvard?”

“It be a sound ploy, from the Iyshian king’s eyes,” Broden
pointed out flatly. “It be family that drove Edvard to rebel after all. So what
better way to make the man obey again, than to keep his sisters hostage?”

Ashlynn snarled, “Unfortunately true.”

“I’m sorry,” Tierone said cautiously with narrowed eyes,
“who might you be?”

“Broden Ravenscroft,” he introduced himself before jerking a
thumb in Ashlynn’s direction. “Her partner.”

“P-partner?!” Tierone spluttered. “When did this happen?”

“Three weeks ago,” Ashlynn said with supreme satisfaction.

“Nay, lass,” Broden objected. “It be less time than that. Five
days, give or take.”

She snorted, amused. “You were mine the minute I met you,
Broden. We both know that.”

He opened his mouth to protest only to find he couldn’t
think of a single word to say. Amused, he simply shrugged and let it bide.

Clearly, Tierone didn’t know what to think about this. He
had other things preying on his mind that he had to deal with first. Broden
could almost see him shelve their partnership into a slot to be revisited
later. “Ashlynn. Tell me that you’re not going after our sisters with just this
little group.”

“I have a better chance of getting in and out, quickly, than
if I took an army. We both know that.” Ashlynn softened her tone a hair and
repeated, “We know that we cannot afford to deploy an army when it’s taking
every man we have to hold our own borders. That’s why Edvard sent me.”

Tierone went very still, staring off into the distance as he
thought it all through. He could not argue that Ashlynn was not worth twenty
fighting men all by herself, not after all the damage she had done in two
different battles. “Perhaps you are right.”

Broden freely admitted that Riana got her meddling spirit
from him. It seemed he could not help himself sometimes, and this was one of
them.

“Duke of Dahl, it seems queer to me that ye be loyal to Iysh
still. Does no’ the capture of yer sisters anger ye?”

Ashlynn waved a hand near her thigh, a silent
don’t ask
that question right now
sign, but the question was already out.

Tierone looked him dead in the eye as he asked, “Who are you
to ask?”

“I be yer blood-sister’s partner, sworn to her protection. I
be the father of Riana Ravenscroft, new citizen of Estole and Ash’s partner,”
he answered without a trace of apology in his tone. “New I be to Estole, but
she be home to me now, and I wish to protect her. And so I ask ye, Tierone of
Dahl, why be ye loyal to a man that will kidnap yer family?”

Tierone stared him down for several painfully long seconds,
the silence stretching between them so tight that it nearly hummed. Then he let
out a soft, “Heh” before relaxing a hair. “I now understand why Ashlynn likes
you. You’re just as blunt as she is. Well, Master Broden, I tell you honestly
that at first I didn’t understand why Edvard was so bent on separating from Iysh.
It seemed foolhardy to me. But over the past few months, I’ve slowly seen what
he did, and I feel that I now understand why he made the decision he has.”

Ashlynn licked her lips, eyes wide with hope. “Then, will
you join us? Tierone.”

His eyes shifted to her, expression unreadable. “It’s bad
enough Zelman has kidnapped my family without saying a word to me. I realize
that they’re Edvard’s sisters, but they’re mine too. He should have at least
sent me an apology, or offered to let me hold them captive, instead of sending
them to Lorand. But if he’s willing to do this to me, then what is he capable
of doing to his citizens without conscience? No. I think my time of loyalty to
him is at an end. I will join you, Ashlynn.”

Beaming, she threw her arms around his waist and hugged him
tight. “I’m so glad.”

He patted her on the head indulgently, expression soft as he
looked down at her. “I know. Edvard will be delighted when I tell him. But
let’s keep this between ourselves for now. There are games afoot that I want to
know about and unravel before they hurt not only Estole, but Dahl as well. I
will declare my rebellion at a later time. Right now, let us focus on getting our
sisters back. What is your plan?”

Ashlynn outlined it in quick, broad strokes before finishing
with, “We can’t plan more than this without detailed information, which we don’t
have at the moment.”

Tierone nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, I see the problem.
Alright, I’ll let you go for now, but keep me posted on your progress. If the
situation doesn’t turn out as you expect it to, I’ll send down men to help you
break them free.”

“Should I contact Lorcan?”

“Yes, do so. I would have brought him with me, only he was
on the other side of Dahl and out of contact when I was told you were riding
through my lands.” Tierone looked about ruefully. “I was too impulsive, it
seems. Now I’m out here in the middle of nowhere with no mage light to get home
by, or any equipment to sleep here tonight.”

“I can attach a mage light to the top of your heads,”
Ashlynn offered. “It’ll only last about three hours, though.”

“It’s two getting home, so that should suffice. Thank you.
I’d rather not stay out here, not when there’s so much to be done.” With a last
pat on her head, Tierone turned to Broden and said mildly, “When the
opportunity presents itself, we will speak further, Master Broden.” His tone
promised that the opportunity would present itself, and soon.

Broden inclined his head, partially in agreement, partially
in farewell. Edvard and Tierone might not look kin, but their protective
instincts where family was concerned was apparently one trait they shared. This
man did not like that an unknown man was partnered with his blood-sister.
Broden fully anticipated an interrogation at some point in the near future.

Ashlynn fixed the glowing mage lights onto the top of
everyone’s head, as well as the horses’ before Tierone’s group mounted again
and headed off. Fortunately, at a slower pace than what they came in on.

As they left, Amber leaned in and asked in a low tone,
“Broden, do you normally greet people with an arrow in their face?

Broden blinked at her, all innocence. “Aye, lass. Problem?”

This tickled her funny bone, as Amber’s face split into a
slow grin. “I now understand why you and Ashlynn get along so well.”

“Does the same thing, does she?”

“The magical version of it, yes. Ha! If that’s the way you two
think, I feel almost sorry for the criminals in Estole.” Amused at the thought,
she went to the fire and fetched a mug of tea.

Broden personally didn’t see an issue with being well
prepared to meet unexpected guests. As long as he did not shoot anyone he
should not, where was the problem?

The next day of riding was just as brutal as Broden feared
it would be. Ashlynn had them all up before the birds were even properly awake,
her fear for her sisters pushing her hard. No one argued or complained, just
winced as abused muscles protested.

Broden would admit, if asked, that his eyes could not see
into the distance as well as his daughter’s. That was not to say that his
vision was poor. She just had good eyes, was all. He kept his eyes peeled and
on the terrain around them as they rode, half out of habit, half out of fear
that Iyshian soldiers might well lie in wait for them. Ashlynn had taken them
onto the highway, away from the foothills, but they were still within a stone’s
throw. It was an easy enough place to hide a platoon of soldiers without much
trouble.

They went most of the morning without seeing a hint of
trouble. The day warmed up considerably, and the traffic on the highway picked
up as well. Caravans of trade goods, outriders, and couriers all passed them
with friendly waves and hellos. They had just left Dahl, and Iyshian territory,
so that friendliness might disappear soon.

Rounding a large curve in the highway, they saw nothing
ahead of them except clear highway. Broden was considering lunch, and a good
place to stop and take a short break, when he caught something strange out of
the corner of his eye. It was sheer instinct that had him yelling out,
“Ashlynn! RIGHT!”

Within a split second, several things all happened at once.
His mage shields, courtesy of his wizard partner, snapped up around him with an
audible hum, like a flight of hummingbirds. He barely registered it when
something hard impacted against the shields with a crack, and splintered,
pieces flying off in every direction. Broden didn’t think it was an arrow or
anything like that, but some sort of magical attack.

He did not question it or try to figure it out. He slung his
bow off his back, grabbed an arrow, and kneed the horse about so that he could
have a clear shot at the ambushers already making their way to them.

Ashlynn swore even as she fired off a spell. “CIRCLE ABOUT!”

Broden saw sense in the order even as she gave it. On this
relatively flat space of highway, they had nothing to use for cover, and people
could easily get to them from behind. But if they formed a circle, watching each
other’s backs, they had a better chance of living through this. He directed his
horse with knees and heel to come in closer to Ashlynn’s side, with Seth on his
right.

They were barely in formation when the ambushers impacted
with them, charging at full speed, swords waving. Broden stood in his stirrups
and fired off two arrows in quick succession, picking riders out of their
saddles. With the way they swarmed about the group, he couldn’t get a firm grasp
on their numbers. But he did not need to. His job was to protect everyone’s
backs and to make sure that no weapon got anywhere near Ashlynn.

She had enough trouble as it was.

There was one wizard in the group, a too-thin man that looked
like a raven perched on his horse. He remained safely back from the fighting,
sitting calmly as he fired off one attack spell after another, all aimed to
weaken Ashlynn’s shields. She was grimly fending off each attack and firing her
own when she had breath to do so. Broden spared her a glance in between
shooting the soldiers trying to get to her. From the sweat dewing her forehead
and the frantic speed that she worked her magic, this was a tough opponent.

Broden was very afraid she would not be able to defeat him.

He killed two more soldiers that got within clear range of
his bow, thoughts racing even as he fired. After spending three weeks around wizards,
he had a little more knowledge of how magic worked. Ashlynn had said once that
magic was not infinite—that it depended on the strength of the caster. If the
caster was weak, or tired enough, then the magic would falter. Right now, it
was a question of stamina, he judged. How long could Ashlynn fight afore sheer
fatigue drained her of magic?

There was a small break, nothing more than five seconds
where most of the opponents he could get a clear line on where already fighting
someone else. Broden saw in those five seconds that neither wizard was paying
any attention to the other fighters—Ashlynn because she trusted that Broden
would protect her from conventional weapons. The Iyshian wizard, because none
of their group could get anywhere near him.

It might wound the lass’s pride a mite, but he could not
just sit there and let her be hurt, even if it was another wizard she fought
against.

Broden flipped an arrow in his hand with seamless efficiency
and took aim, fletching to ear, and fired—straight at the Iyshian wizard’s
chest.

Despite everything that Broden had been told about a wizard’s
weapon shields and magic shields not being compatible, and a wizard not being
able to defend himself against both at once, he still really didn’t expect his
own arrow to go through the man’s shields. Well, maybe he only half expected
it. If nothing else, he reasoned that the arrow might prove a good distraction
for Ashlynn to take advantage of.

But to his surprise, the arrow went right through the
protective shield around the Iyshian wizard as if it wasn’t even there. With a
meaty
thunk
, it hit right in the chest. The man did not even have time
to grunt, or gasp, or say a word. He just toppled over sideways, dead before he
hit the ground.

Ashlynn paused with a spell half-formed on her lips and
looked at Broden in shock.

Shrugging, he admitted sheepishly, “I did no’ think that
would work.”

For a second, she just stared at him with wide eyes. Then
her chest jerked with a silent laugh before she lost it entirely and laughed
aloud.

A laughing woman is an odd sight on any battlefield, even
one as small as this one. The other fighters took notice of her, some of them
slowing or disengaging completely, the Iyshian soldiers retreating several
feet, trying to figure out what was going on. One of them took notice of their
fallen wizard, and then panic spread. They did not like the idea of fighting a wizard
all on their own.

Ashlynn realized she had a chance to end the skirmish
semi-peacefully, and stood in her stirrups, voice booming out at an unnaturally
loud level, “Take up your dead and retreat! I will not pursue you.”

One man, the most senior soldier, called back, “Do we have
your word on that, Ashlynn Fallbright?”

“Aye!” she said with a smirk, borrowing one of Broden’s
words.

Without further argument, they signaled agreement and went
about picking up their fallen. Ashlynn gestured for her group to gather in
closer and follow her.

Broden kept an eye on the enemy as they retreated, of
course, not wanting anyone to pull a cheap trick. He also scanned his comrades
as they rode, and saw a few minor hurts here and there, but they were all intact.

Tant pulled up beside him and asked in wonderment, “I saw an
arrow sticking out of the wizard’s chest. Did you do that?”

“Aye,” Broden replied deadpanned. “Wizards can no’ shield
against weapons and magic at the same time, ye see. I took advantage of the
man’s preoccupation with our lass here and shot him.”

The lad let out a low whistle. “Clever. I must remember
that.”

“You say that with such confidence now,” Ashlynn remarked in
amusement. “But you weren’t actually sure that arrow would go through his
shields, were you?”

Broden just chuckled, not admitting anything.

Tant looked at him suspiciously. “Either way, it obviously
will. But that wizard tells us that we were right about ambushes being set up
on this highway. A normal patrol wouldn’t have a wizard in it normally. So what
do we do now?”

“Stop for a few minutes while I heal the wounds,” Ashlynn
responded promptly. “Then I put temporary shields on everyone so that a wizard
can’t easily pick you off, although those won’t last more than the day. Other
than that, all we can do is keep a sharp look out as we go. This is the only
road that leads to where we want to go. Going cross-country will be too rough
for us, and only cause delays.”

She like as not was right.

Reminded, Ashlynn turned and looked at him, brow quirked.
“How did you know they were there?”

Broden had to think about it before he could answer. “Flash
of light. Reflection, mayhap, off someone’s sword.”

Tant blinked. “That’s it? That could have been anything.”

“I survived many an ambush by being a paranoid old man,”
Broden informed him drolly. “I listen to me instincts. A flash of light coming
from near the foothills be queer—no man has business being over there unless he
be up to no good.”

“A valid point,” Ashlynn agreed. “From now on, we treat
anything seen from the foothills as a possible threat until it’s proven
otherwise. Broden, we ask that you be your usual paranoid self the entire
trip.”

He winked at her. “Done.”

It was not the last ambush they came upon as they rode.
Broden tallied four ambushes, although Ashlynn claimed one of them didn’t count
because the attempt at hiding was so half-hearted that only a blind man could
not see them coming. Regardless, they were all a little worse for wear by the
time that they came to Lorand. If not for Ashlynn’s healing magic, they might
have lost one or two before the city ever came into view. A man cannot expect
to be ambushed multiple times during the course of two weeks and not lose a
party member.

They came around a bend in the road and Lorand appeared,
nestled in between several foothills, a lake sparkling in the distance. From
the way that people had spoken of it before, Broden expected a large city, but
it was little bigger than Estole. It had stout walls surrounding an inner city,
made of thick grey stone, with many an outlying street of homes and businesses
branching out from it. The city looked old, established, not half-formed like
Estole was. He remembered Ashlynn saying that because of the highway coming
right by its door, and the Trilakes next to it, that Lorand was something of a
trading hub. The traffic coming in and out of the city certainly made it look
that way.

Broden had worried a little about entering the city, because
no matter how you looked at them, they were a warring party. But with this much
traffic made up of every nationality, they’d blend right in and not get a
second glance. He let out a low breath of relief, and a worry he’d been
carrying fell off.

Ashlynn gestured for him to ride a little closer to her, so
he nudged his gelding over until they rode stirrup to stirrup. “Broden,
our…friend in the city will be at the Gandering Goose. How much experience do
you have on rescuing people?”

“Done it more times than I care to recall,” he admitted
frankly. “It be a tricky business, timing-wise, but with this lot I think our
chances be good. It depends on how much we know. But lass, I warn ye, afore
today, I have never had cause to break into a fortified building. It be bandit
hideouts, and caves, and the like that I know how to breach.”

She nodded, accepting this. “Still, I think you’re the most
experienced man in the group. None of us have ever done anything like this
before. Since that’s the case, you go with me when I talk to our friend. You’ll
know better than me what questions to ask and what information we’re missing.”

Lass had a good point. He nodded in understanding.

It was a simple matter to ride through the streets and reach
the inn. It lay on the outskirts of the city, not anywhere near that inner
wall. Broden eyed it thoughtfully as they stopped in the main yard. Seemed a
solid enough place. It was made of brick, one of the few buildings he’d seen of
solid brick, with vines growing up along the walls. There were plenty of
windows, letting in light and air, and through them he could hear much laughter
and happy conversations. He liked the vibe of the place, and smiled slightly as
he slung himself out of the saddle.

“Seth,” Ashlynn called.

Seth popped up beside her. “Yes?”

“Take mine and Broden’s horses. We’ve got someone to meet.”

“Sure thing.”

With an incline of her head, Ashlynn silently requested that
Broden follow her inside. She went through the door, pausing a moment to let
her eyes adjust from the bright sunlight outside to the slightly dimmer
interior. Broden did the same, although he scooted a little more to the right
to avoid blocking the doorway. When he could see properly again, he was glad
that the inside looked like he had imagined it would. Clean wooden floors
polished to a shine, solid oak tables and chairs scattered throughout the room
and filled with patrons, walls painted with murals of everyday life. A fine
establishment, this was.

Ashlynn maneuvered her way around the tables and people, and
straight to the bar at the far end of the room. She ignored the stout man
tending to customers on one end, and instead went to the other side, where a
leaner lad with a mop of curly dark hair stood wiping down the counter. He
looked up as she sat in the stool, blinked at her, then recognition dawned on
his face.