Hunt for Justice (12 page)
Authors: James R. Vernon
"Understood."
"Get to work on our dinner. I expect you both to turn in as soon as we eat and the sun sets. We will be leaving as soon as the sun climbs over the wall."
"I don't think that's going to happen," Ezzy said. Shayua took a threatening step towards her, but Ezzy stopped her with one raised hand and pointed up the road with the other. "We have visitors."
Seven men were walking down the road. Each had a hand on a weapon.
"You two stay seated." Shayua already had her bow back in her hands and an arrow nocked. "I want them to come to us. Don't say a word."
The men were close enough now that Ezzy could make out their faces.
"I don't think talking is going to help."
The man leading the rest was the bounty hunter, Ben.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
"You're not going to be able to talk to them." Between the red-skinned bounty hunter and the ones she had beaten up and robbed, it was easy for Ezzy to decide whom she would rather have as a captor. "Those men are bounty hunters as well. We've run into them before."
"Then it won't be a problem," Shayua replied. Her bow remained drawn.
"You don't understand. The last time I saw the man leading them, I had my Vithalos toss him into the Melcoi River."
"After robbing him," Nolan chimed in.
"Well, he was rude."
"It doesn't matter what you did," Shayua barked. "If they are bounty hunters, they will follow the code. I'm the one that caught you, so your bounty is mine."
"I don't think this man cares about rules or codes or whatever you bounty hunters follow."
"You know nothing. The rules were set by the goddess Avien'zia herself. A true bounty hunter will not break them."
"If you say so. Then why do you still have an arrow aimed in their direction?"
"Just be quiet."
Ezzy did as she was told. It was difficult to just sit there with Ben's eyes locked on her as his group approached. He did not look happy. None of the men looked happy. Had any of the others been there that night? She hadn't paid them much attention.
"That's close enough," Shayua called out when the men were a stone's throw away. "What are your intentions?"
The group stopped. Most had a hand on their weapons, but none had drawn a blade. Except Ben. He had a knife in his hand as he took a few more steps forward. When he spoke, his voice was calm but firm.
"My name is Ben Karren. Those two sitting at your camp are my bounties. I plan on taking them back to Lurthalan."
"Unfortunately I have claimed them already."
Ben's eyes narrowed.
"I had already claimed them days ago. They--"
"You cannot claim them if you cannot hold on to them."
"This one had her Vithalos beat up my men. Then she robbed me and tossed me into the river. I'm not about to let--"
"None of this matters. By Avien'zia's Code, they are mine."
Ben's jaw dropped. His men shuffled about nervously behind him. Despite the situation she currently found herself in, Ezzy felt a smile creep its way onto her face. She had to admit she was starting to like Shayua's straight-forwardness. As long as it wasn't directed at her, of course.
"Now," Shayua continued, "if you wish, I can return whatever money they have on them to you.
"No, that's not good enough," Ben spluttered, finally able to find words. "I've suffered too many insults and put too much work into hunting these two down to let them go now."
"The Code states--"
"Damn the Code! They are mine, and I plan on teaching the girl some humility on the way back to Lurthalan."
"Watch what you say when it comes to the Code. You tread on dangerous ground." Shayua's voice had grown cold and her bow had come up slightly.
"No one follows the Code. Now stand aside before I decide--urk!"
To say Ben looked surprised as the arrow thudded into his right thigh would be an understatement. The impact was enough to stagger him backwards and twist him around, but to the man's credit he was able to stay on his feet. He gripped the arrow shaft with both hands and stared at it. His mouth worked but nothing came out. Shayua, on the other hand, already had another arrow ready to fly. Its point rapidly shifting directions to aim at each of the remaining six men in turn. Her eyes were narrowed, and her grimace let both of her lower incisors peek out of her lips.
"The Code is everything." A fire touched Shayua's voice. "Without the Code, we are nothing more than thugs and murderers. If you are either of those things, I will grind you all beneath my boots."
"You can't take us all." Ben replied through clenched teeth.
Ezzy marveled at the man's confidence. Even with an arrow in his leg, he still made demands. Despite the way the arrow was causing him to lean to one side, Ben raised his knife and seemed ready to fight.
"I can kill enough of you with my bow before you get close enough to have a fair chance against the rest in hand-to-hand combat. Are your men ready to risk their lives when a single arrow could kill them before they take a few steps?"
"You have no idea who you're dealing with. Men! Show her our colors."
Each man with Ben in turn pulled out an orange piece of cloth from their various pockets and bags and raised them to their heads. Seven men now stood before them with orange headbands.
"By the Abyss..." Nolan groaned.
"Should those pieces of cloth mean something to me?" Shayua looked at each man in turn. "Are the headbands magic of some kind?"
"Not magic," Ben grunted. "But they do bind us as brothers. You might not have heard of the Orange Hound gang in Lurthalan. But you will when we take your beaten body back there. We're going to make sure everyone knows our name. Just like they will know that one bounty hunter tried to stand against us and was put down like a fire-faced half-breed deserves."
The words were barely out of the man's mouth when he launched himself to the side, one of Shayua's arrows passing through the space where his head had been. With a shout, the rest of Ben's men charged. Two never made it more than a few steps as an arrow pierced their chest and a third was knocked off his feet as one of Shayua's arrows struck his shoulder. Then, the world became chaos.
Shayua tangled one man's weapon up in her bowstring and threw him to the ground as he charged in, which disarmed them both. She twisted to avoid the thrust of a blade and caught a second man with a right cross that freed a few of his teeth. He hit the ground and remained in a crumpled heap. Then the other men overwhelmed her.
The last uninjured man discarded his weapon and tried to tackle Shayua. While she was trying to throw him off, Ben and the man who had been struck in the shoulder joined the fight, diving at her feet. Shayua was able to stay up for a moment, but when the one she had initially tossed joined the fight, she was strong-armed to the ground. Bodies flailed about as the four men wrestled to pin Shayua's arms and legs. She was strong, but the men had numbers as well as weight on their side and were quickly getting the upper hand.
The thought of escape flashed through Ezzy's mind, but only for a moment. There was flatland all around them and even though she might be able to get away, there was no way that Nolan could move very fast. Plus, something about seeing the woman at the mercy of those men didn't sit right with her.
"We should help!" Ezzy shouted, charging towards the melee.
"What? Wait!" Nolan's words were lost to her as she dove at the closest man.
She collided with the uninjured man, her momentum carrying him off of Shayua. The man smelled of tobacco and sweat. They rolled around on the grass, trying to jockey for position. The man ended up on top of her, both of his hands going for her neck. While his hands went to choke, hers struck instead, punching him directly in the throat. A sickening gurgle escaped his mouth as both of his hands left her neck and grasped at his own. With a twist of her hips she dislodged the man from on top of her. He fell onto his side and continued to struggle to take in his breath. Not wasting any time, Ezzy rose and planted a quick kick to the man's face. His gurgling and thrashing stopped. Ezzy spun to find her next target.
Shayua stood over two of the men, their bodies still and both of their necks at odd angles. She held Ben by the throat, his feet kicking in the air.
"You insult Avien'zia by claiming to be a hunter of men in her name. I should snap your fool neck and drop you at the gates of her temple."
Ben wheezed and clawed at her hand to no effect.
"But that is not what I have planned for you. Instead, you will tell these Orange Hounds that the title of bounty hunter is not to be taken by common thieves and cutthroats. No matter how powerful you think you are, you are mice compared to those that truly worship the goddess of the hunt." She tossed him away like a child would discard an old toy. "Now run back to Lurthalan, dog, and tell whoever you call master that the will of the gods should still be feared and respected."
Ben struggled to his feet and shot Shayua a look that clearly conveyed his feelings towards her. Then he glanced at all of his fallen companions. His anger faltered and he hobbled off without another word. Leaving Ezzy with Shayua.
"You," the bounty hunter said, leveling a finger at Ezzy.
"What?" Ezzy tried her best to return the strong woman's gaze. Tried and failed.
"You came to my aid." Her voice was flat, not giving a hint if Shayua was appreciative or condemning. "Why?"
"I saw you as the lesser of two evils. As unpleasant as you have been, I figured you were a better captor than those men."
"And that is the only reason?"
"Maybe."
"Well, your reasons are your own, but your actions have created a problem."
"What kind of problem?"
"I have to accept that you may have saved my life, as I'm sure if those men had won the struggle they would have tortured me and then taken it."
"Um, ok. I'm not sure what to say."
"Neither do I. I have yet to decide what I am to do with you."
"Well, you could always let us go."
"The thought had crossed my mind. It would ease my--"
Shayua cut off as she lurched forward and crumpled to the ground. Nolan stood behind her, his walking staff gripped tightly in his hands.
"Should I hit her again?"
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Temple Bounty - 35 Silver (Alive)
Orange Hound Bounty - 60 Silver (Alive)
"I still think this is a bad idea."
Ezzy rolled her eyes, even though Nolan was walking behind her. They had had this conversation the previous night and again this morning when they awoke. Now, as they came to the end of another day of walking, he wanted to bring it up again? The man could be so frustrating.
"And I still say it was the only thing we could do."
"Not the only thing..."
"It was the only acceptable thing to do. Nolan, please don't start. We've been walking all day across the grasslands, I'm tired, and I'm certainly not going to change my mind now."
"Fine, fine. But you are going to have to let her go at some point."
"I know."
Coming to a stop, she turned to look at their prisoner. Shayua was draped over Paz's shoulder, her hands tied behind her back and her ankles bound. The cold, calculating look the bounty hunter was directing towards her though sent a chill down her spine. The woman hadn't said a single word the entire day. That stare was more than enough to express her feelings.
"I don't know what she'll do if we let her go."
"She'll probably take you over her knee and--"
"Me? You're the one that smacked her in the back of the head with your staff. I would think if she was mad at anyone, it would be you for blindsiding her."
"I'm not the one she's been shooting daggers at with her eyes."
"I know."
"And I'm not the one that's kept her tossed over Paz's back all day. I'm sure the jostling around hasn't been the most enjoyable traveling experience. Especially all bound up."
"I know, I know!"
With a thought, she had Paz drop their packs, then take Shayua in both hands and place her on her feet. Ezzy had her Vilathos keep a solid grip on the woman. Who knew what the trained bounty hunter could do, even properly tied up. By the gods, Ezzy hoped they had properly tied her up. Well, she would keep her distance and try to reason with the woman.
"Nolan, why don't you start setting up camp while I have a friendly conversation with our new traveling companion."
"Ok, but I'll be right here when she gets free and starts tossing you around."
Ignoring his comment, Ezzy walked up to the woman, keeping out of easy reach just in case Shayua somehow got free. Nolan was right, they had to work things out. Better now than later.
"Ok, it's getting late and I'm sure you don't want to sleep wrapped around my Vilathos's shoulders. Can we come to some kind of understanding?"
Shayua continued to stare at her for quite some time, then finally looked away. "Yes."
Well, that was a good sign.
"I want to let you go, but I can't have you turning around and knocking Nolan and me senseless."
"That is not my plan."
"Well, would you be so kind as to let me know what you're planning?"
"No."
Throwing her hands in the air, Ezzy began to pace in front of the woman.
"How do you expect me to let you go if you won't tell me what you are going to do? What am I even saying? How could I even know if what you tell me is the truth? You might say we should call things even, and then as soon as you are untied, turn on us."
"I do not lie. If I said I was going to let you go, I would."
"So, you are willing to let us go?"
"I don't know yet."
"You are the definition of frustrating! Can you tell me anything?"
"I have no intention of hurting you or the old man. But I will stay with you until I figure out what is the right thing for me to do."
"Well, that's a start. Anything else?"
"You frustrate me. I do not know what to do with you."
"Good! Then at least you know how I feel. How about this, if I let you go, do you swear not to attack us in our sleep?"
"That I can do."
"And after all your talk of honor, I know you wouldn't go back on your word."
Shayua's lip curled downward, exposing more of her sharp teeth.
"I'll take that as a yes. I'm still going to have Paz hold on to your weapons though. Now here, turn around so I can untie your hands."
"That won't be necessary."
Shayua brought her hands forward, the untied rope dangling from her wrist. She knelt down and started working on the binds around her ankles, as calm as if she were lacing her boots. When she was free, she stood back up and gave Ezzy a quizzical look.
"So, what now?"
"Um, well, now I guess we settle in for the night. Have something to eat. We'll want our energy for tomorrow. We should reach the north side of Rensen forest, and then it will be slow going since we won't be taking the road."
"Good. I will cook."
"Oh well, you don't have to do that..."
But the woman was already moving. She strode past Nolan, who raised his walking staff in a defensive manner. She ignored him.
"Do you have kindling gathered? I did not see you picking up material as you traveled."
"Yes," Nolan said, still brandishing his staff in her direction. "We had a supply already. It's behind the bag holding our cooking pot."
"Thank you."
While Nolan stood in shocked silence, Ezzy moved to the woman's side. She pulled out the pot and its stand while Shayua started building a fire. Nolan might not be able to handle surprises, but Ezzy was more adaptable. Plus, having the woman cook for them, instead of knocking them around, was a much better option.
"So, Shayua, that's an interesting name."
"Do not ask about my past. It will prevent unpleasant situations."
"I wasn't trying to," Shay turned and gave her a pointed look. "Okay, maybe I was, but it's just I've never seen anyone like you before."
"I'm sure a girl that grew up in a situation like yours has not seen a lot of the world."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Esmerelda Ciantar, daughter of Meganan Ciantar and Alexia Ciantar, siblings Maxanan and Moxanan, one of the oldest Hawkpurse families in recorded history." She spoke as if she was reading from a history book. "Bonded to a Vilathos by Nolan Bintershad. Trained in hand-to-hand combat. Willful and stubborn. Father deceased, murdered in the Deadlands, family home burned down, probably by a rival family--"
"Stop!" Ezzy had heard enough. Her father's death and the downfall of her family were not things that should be checked off of a list. "You know nothing about who I am or what I've been through. You know nothing of the stresses and dangers of being a Hawkpurse. You're just a bounty hunter, responsible for nobody but yourself."
For a moment, Ezzy thought she had gone too far. Shayua stared back at her with a blank expression. Her dark grey eyes seemed to probe Ezzy to her very soul. Tensing, she expected the woman to lash out. Instead, she got laughed at.
"That is true," she said, laughing lightly. It was a strange sound to hear from the serious woman. "I haven't suffered the same life you have. I presumed too much, and it is clear what I learned about you does not match what I have seen. Except perhaps the part about being stubborn."
Was that a joke? Shayua had stopped laughing. The blasted woman was impossible to read.
"Yes, well, I am sure there are a lot of different stories about my family, just as there are about the other Hawkpurse families."
"Perhaps. I've never hunted a member of a Hawkpurse family before. If I may be so bold to ask, what has driven you to a life of crime? Surely you had some money put away even after everything that happened."
"What? I'm not a criminal."
"You have a bounty on your head. That makes you a criminal."
"No, that's just a misunderstanding--"
"How do you misunderstand the willful destruction of property?"
"It was in self-defense. I was ambushed by those Orange Hound fellows. Not the ones we saw, but a group of them in Halyquain. I had Paz give them a sound beating; it just happened that some nearby buildings were damaged in the process."
"I saw no mention of any of this in the bounty."
"Of course not. From what I've heard, the gangs run things in Halyquain. I'm sure they twisted the story around, especially if they are holding some kind of grudge against me."
Shayua spit on the ground. It was disgusting, but before Ezzy could call her out on her behavior, the bounty hunter spoke.
"A corrupted bounty. These Orange Hounds spit in the very face of Avien'zia. Why the goddess has not struck all of them down is beyond me."
"That's exactly what I was thinking." At least she was now.
Shayua grew silent for a moment as she used a rock and piece of flint to light the brush and get the fire going. When she had built the flame up, it made her eyes sparkle in the fading light of the evening.
"Esmerelda," she said, her tone all business. "I have decided to reject your bounty. I will not take you back to Lurthalan."
"Thank you, Shayua. That's a relief to hear."
"You travel to Shade now, correct? I will go with you."
"Um..." The last thing Nolan and Ezzy needed was a hot-headed bounty hunter following them around. Especially one that stood out as much as Shayua. Now, how to reject her in the nicest way possible? "That is very generous of you to offer to protect us, but with Paz I really don't see the need..."
Shayua barked a laugh. "I am not coming along to protect you. Those Orange Hounds need to die for the mockery they made of my goddess and their corruption of my profession. I would be insulting my goddess if I allow them to live. Since they seem most interested in you, I will have the best chance to kill more of them if I stay by your side."
"Now wait a minute, you can't just use us as bait."
"I don't know," Nolan cut in. "Those Orange Hounds are going to be after us anyway. One more set of eyes, especially attached to someone as skilled as Shayua, would certainly help."
"Paz can handle..."
"Paz didn't stop Shayua from getting the drop on us."
"This arguing is pointless," Shayua said as she placed their pot over the fire. "I wasn't asking permission to accompany you. I simply told you I was coming. It's not up for discussion."
"I could just as easily have Paz toss you over his shoulder again."
"And eventually you would let me go again." She pulled a few pieces of jerky out and tossed it into the pot, then began to cut up a potato from their supply of food. "Either way I will be with you as you travel. Best to let me use my own feet and not monopolize your monster's arms."
Shayua was right. As much as Ezzy hated to admit it. Her "stubborn side," though, wanted to have Paz show her who was in charge here. Maybe another day of being tossed over its back would teach her a thing or two. Probably not, though. Getting on the woman's good side was a better idea. Ezzy had a brief flash of the bounty hunter standing over the dead gang members. Definitely better to be on her good side. That didn't mean giving in nicely.
"Just finish cooking. If you are going to stay with us, you need to pull your weight."
Good job, Ezzy, you told her.
She didn't let Shayua's laughter diminish her sense of authority one bit.