Cornerstone (14 page)

“
Milady, if we head a bit north here, the slope is easier going. Otherwise it is going to be steep up ahead. The brush gets more dense, as well, if we stay the course we're on.”

“
What do you know, kid? You expect us to believe you know one hill from the next? Prolly not been through here but what—once?” Khane questioned. “The fastest route would be to go as the birds fly, Milady.” Khane's mood mirrored the temper of the snow. The morning's gently swirling flakes had become a ruthless torrent that froze to their cloaks, their hair, and anywhere else it could stick. Emariya's nose was already numb with cold, and she could scarcely feel her toes.

“
If it pleases Milady: I regularly rode between the estate and its residents on errands for Lord Calkirk. I know these hills as well as I know our own stable yard.” The boy looked directly at Emariya as he spoke, avoiding Khane's glare.

“
We'll follow Rink.” Emariya thought she saw an almost smug smile on Jessa's face when she sided against Khane. She reined in her filly and fell in behind Rink.

She tried to bring it up that night once they had made camp. “You don't like Khane much.” It was a simple observation. The boys were tending the horses while the girls saw to the fire.

“
I don't trust him,” Jessa said cautiously, looking over her shoulder, presumably to see if anyone else was in earshot.

“
Why?” Emariya kept her voice low.

“
He already told us he was a thief! He cheated people—honest, trustworthy people don't do that!” Jessa was indignant. “Besides, what do we really know about him?”

“
We don't know much about Rink, either, but you seem just fine with him,” Emariya pointed out.

“
He's a child, it’s different.”

“
Obviously my brother trusted him, or he wouldn't have sent him with us. He's given us no reason not to trust him. Just try and be nice, all right?”

Jessa nodded. Emariya suspected from her expression that she had more to say, but there was no chance for her to do so. Khane and Rink chose that moment to come back from tending the horses. Whatever else Jessa had wanted to say would have to wait until they could find another moment alone.

***

It hadn't felt strange traveling near Warren's Rest or even Calkirk. Emariya had made enough trips with both her father and brother that the rolling hillsides were familiar to her. The farther they traveled, though, the less familiar things became. She had rarely accompanied them when they had traveled to the estates that lay closer to Thalmas. Even when she had, they traveled more north then. There were few estates near the Thalmas border. Instead, most were situated toward the middle of Eltar, or near the coast. It was considered safer to be farther from the borders. Emariya had heard stories of the ruins of an old estate that sat near the Borderlands. They were unlucky enough to be near the borders of both Sheas and Thalmas, and as such, the estate saw more than its fair share of fighting. Eventually the inhabitants had all abandoned it, moving farther away from the borders and leaving the estate to fall into a dilapidated state of disrepair.

Emariya hadn’t expected to see such a rapid change in landscape. Where they had started out traveling across steep hills bordered by thick patches of brush, weeds, and a few trees, now the land was becoming more flat and open. The snow had stopped for the time being and the entire world seemed quiet and still except for the sound of their horses’ hooves steadily pounding the earth.

They hadn't seen anyone at all since they rode past the homes spread out near Calkirk a few days ago. Khane said they would be coming to a few cottages soon as they approached the Uplands. Emariya kept a close eye out, looking for signs of the skirmishes her brother had told her about. She hoped seeing her going to Thalmas to bring an end to their constant conflicts would give the residents there hope. The people of the Uplands weren't pledged to any individual estate, but instead each made their meager living on their own. They were dependent upon trade, both with each other and with Thalmas for their survival.

As was their usual form, Emariya was riding slightly in the lead. She would take time later to wonder where the shout had originated from.

Stop!

Hearing the command, Emariya instinctively listened, pulling up her filly with one hand while throwing up a hand in signal to the others behind her.

Khane rode closer. “What is it, Mi—”

A gunshot rumbled through their ears, echoing across the frigid plain.

“
Go!” he shouted, his horse leaping forward in response to his swift kick. The others wasted no time in following his lead.

Emariya leaned close to her filly's neck as they raced forward. Ahead of her, Khane gestured at a rocky outcropping. She nodded, thinking he meant for them to head there. Confusion tugged at her for a moment when her escort didn't turn his mount toward the rocks, but instead seemed to be trying to give them a wide berth. Another burst of gunfire cracked through the air. A flash exploded from the rocks, gracing her with sudden understanding. There was not only someone behind those rocks, but they were shooting at her! Terror seized her chest. The thudding of her heart pounded all the way to her ears. Her throat was full, and she swallowed hard, struggling to get a grip on her fear. It was no use; her chest heaved as she breathed heavily, the panic washing over her, capturing her senses one by one. She squeezed her eyes tight, attempting to shut out the reality. She was about to die.

“
Milady! Come on!” Khane waved her toward him, away from the rocks.

She hadn't even realized she was bringing her filly to a stop. Khane's shout brought her to her senses. Shaking her head to clear it, she turned her horse from the rocks to follow Khane. Jessa and Rink were a bit off to their left, riding side by side as fast as their horses could go. The problem was that there was nowhere for them to go. The wide-open land left them no cover. Suddenly, Emariya realized that while that left them nowhere to hide, it also meant that whoever was shooting at them also had nowhere to hide. Fortunately they had something that their attackers didn't: horses that were just as anxious to get away as their riders. Emariya gestured frantically, beckoning her companions closer.

Khane had obviously come to the same conclusion. “Our best chance is to outrun them. I don't think they've got horses, so we should be able t’ put a fair amount o' distance between us if we keep moving.”

Jessa's eyes stretched wide, mirroring the fear Emariya felt, but she nodded. Both the girls were terrified, but unharmed.

“
The second shot hit a bag on my packhorse, but he don't seem to be hurt none.” Rink's outrage did a poor job of concealing the fact that he, too, was afraid.

“
All right, then, we'll ride hard for a few minutes, then, on my signal, we'll slow. The horses can't hold their pace too long. We need t' keep it steady,” Khane instructed.

As they picked their speed back up, Emariya was grateful that Khane had taken charge. Now that the most immediate danger was over, she had time to think. She was embarrassed that she had shut down so quickly in the face of crisis. They were supposed to be able to depend on her as their leader, and first she almost led them straight into an ambush, and then she completely panicked. Although that wasn't what had happened first, was it? She tried to think back—what had happened first? She'd heard someone shout 'stop'. But it hadn't been the voice of any of her companions. Had it been one of the gunmen? She decided she would ask Jessa when they stopped if she had recognized it.

Later that evening, they finally slowed enough that they could talk. “Where was the first shooter?” Khane asked her.

Emariya was surprised. “I don't know, I didn't see him.”

Rink joined the conversation, “But then why'd you tell us to stop? If we hadn't, that first shot woulda had you for sure, Milady!”

“
Didn't you all hear someone yell for us to stop?” Emariya looked at them each in turn, puzzled. They were all shaking their heads. “Jessa?” She was sure Jessa must have heard it—she'd practically been right next to her.

“
I'm sorry, Riya, I didn't hear anyone.” The redheaded girl chewed her lip, looking worried.

“
I swear I heard it. Someone yelled 'stop', so I did,” Emariya insisted. She was sure that the voice had been familiar to her, and she hadn't even considered ignoring it.

“
It's all right, Milady, we believe you.” Rink tried to reassure her, but the way he raised his eyes at her left Emariya fairly sure he had more he wanted to say. For whatever reason, he chose to remain quiet.

Jessa nodded her agreement. “Don't fret, whatever it was likely saved our lives.”

Khane said nothing.

They were all weary by the time they finally stopped to make camp. They had traveled as far as they could, but they and their mounts were exhausted. They found a small copse of trees that hopefully would afford them some cover. At least the snow had stopped. For the first time, they decided against making a fire. They also set up a rotation for a watch, to keep a lookout in case anyone approached. Khane volunteered to take the first shift.

“
Thank you,” Emariya said quietly, walking over to where Khane was sitting with his arms folded, resting his elbows on his knees. He'd removed his heavy cloak and was using it to sit on.

“
What for?” As ever, he was gruff.

“
You took charge today when I couldn't. We needed you, and you came through.”

“
Your brother tasked me t’ protect you, Milady, I was just doin' as I was bidden.”

Emariya couldn't read the look that had come over his dark blue eyes. “Still, you saved all of us today, and I won't forget it.”

“
Wasn't all of us they was shootin' for, Milady, least as far as I can tell.”

That thought, more than any other, chased any hope she had of sleep away. Emariya wondered if knowing who had been shooting would have offered any comfort. Guns were a rarity in most of Eltar, but it would make sense for those in the Uplands to have acquired a few from their better-armed Thalmas neighbors. She was still partially awake later when a noise nearby caused her to silently raise her head just in time to see Khane step off into the trees. She propped herself up on an elbow and tried to listen closely. Had he heard something? Trying not to make any noise, she crawled out from under her blankets. She headed quietly in the direction in which he had gone.

Emariya let out a small yelp when someone grabbed her shoulder from behind. She spun around to find Khane looking at her suspiciously. “I saw you leave camp, and I thought maybe you saw someone coming.” She looked around; there wasn't any sign of anyone else. “Why are you out here, anyway?”

“
Just needed a moment of privacy, Milady, if you get my meaning.” He looked at her pointedly.

She realized his leather shirt was untucked and his belt had been removed. “Oh! Yes, yes. Of course. My apologies.” The heat of embarrassment warmed her cheeks. As there was no privy or chamber pot to be had, they had come to a sort of unspoken agreement that each time they made or broke camp, they would all give each other some privacy. She chided herself for not realizing that he had simply stepped away to relieve himself. “I'll take the next watch.”

“
Suit yourself,” Khane agreed as he headed toward where Rink and Jessa were still sound asleep.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The Forgotten

The next few days passed without incident. They all agreed that Emariya was likely the target of the shooter; they couldn't agree on was why. Emariya couldn't wrap her head around the fact that someone out there might actually want her dead. Instead of Emariya, Khane rode at the front as they made their way through the outskirts of the Uplands. Beside him rode Rink, who had one of their packhorses hitched behind him. The second packhorse was now hitched behind Emariya and Jessa rode to her right, giving her some protection from either side. Now, she wouldn't be as easy of a target. Emariya couldn't speak for the others, but it didn't really make her feel much better. The only good thing that seemed to have come from the shooting was that Jessa seemed less mistrustful of Khane. It was something, at least.

Their uneasiness grew as they started to pass more and more cottages as they neared the Uplands. The people here were different, Emariya realized with a shock the second time she saw someone watch them silently from their doorway before walking inside and shutting the door without offering as much as a friendly wave. She could feel their eyes on her through their windows as she passed. Near Warren's Rest, it would have been unthinkable for people to behave so rudely. They depended on each other for friendship, for trade, for survival. And she was used to being at the center of it all, as the lady of the estate that tied them all together. But who could these people depend on? It was a sobering thought. All they had were themselves.

“
I would have thought they would be happier to see people. I know I'd sure be lonely out here, with my nearest neighbor over an hour’s ride away,” Jessa remarked after seeing a small blonde girl go scampering into her mother’s arms at the sight of the horses coming near. The girl's mother glanced up at them, put down the bucket she'd been carrying, and hurried inside with her daughter. She hadn't even spared a glance back over her shoulder at them before slamming the door.