The Unspoken: Book One in the Keres Trilogy (44 page)

Journer is talking to the group.
“
Saddlebags are loaded with supplies. Don
’
t follow the river, that
’
s where they will look for you first. Two days
’
travel from here, there is another river due northwest. Get to it. You each have enough water,
”
she pats a cluster of large flasks tied to one of the saddles.

“
And Harc, everyone has one of your shooting sparks in case you are forced to separate.
”
Harc forces a hard little smile to her lips in answer.

Abbot stops me beside the same dapple-gray horse I rode on the scavenge.
“
That tunnel leads to the north side of the city,
”
Abbot says pointing.
“
When you get to the end of the tunnel, you will only be a few hundred feet from the outer wall. Don
’
t slow down and don
’
t turn back for anything.
”
He clasps my head in both his hands.
“
You
’
re going to be fine. I had some supplies to help you continue your training packed in your saddlebags. When I see you again, I expect you to have at least tripled your abilities.
”
He kisses me hard on the forehead and throws me up into the saddle.

Loshee hands me the dragon wing wristbows and attaches the quivers of bolts to the front of the saddle. She moves to each member of PG3456 and 3453 handing them weapons, swords and spears, telling them quickly how to use them. Then Zink helps Frehn climb up behind me.
“
He
’
s not strong enough to ride alone yet. It will be at least two days before he is back to normal.
”

I look around at my friends, faces firm and brave, ready for the coming war. They watch me to make the first move. I look back down at Zink and Abbot, who stand close to my legs. Zink reaches up and grabs my outstretched hand.
“
Be careful, and I
’
ll see you soon,
”
he tells me.

I try to smile at him and pull my chin high as I look at Abbot. I nudge my heels into my horse
’
s sides and we move towards the tunnel leading above ground. I turn in my saddle to look at Abbot, Zink, Loshee and Journer one more time. They stand together, solid and un-moveable, like warriors facing certain death. Abbot wipes his left thumb across his lips and slowly holds out his palm. A warm sensation covers my body like a blanket.

Frehn
’
s arm around my waist tightens in a hug. We enter the tunnel and walk the horses slowly up the inclining earth floor. Round doors slide mechanically as we pass through different sections of the tunnel. It
’
s several tense minutes before we see the moonlight reflecting water, signaling our approach to exit. I pull back on the reins and turn to face everyone. Eleven pairs of anxious eyes look back at me waiting for a plan to deliver them to safety. Wex and Doe are riding together on the same horse as are Flast and Drim.

“
Get out your maps,
”
I tell them.
“
We will run together towards the rocky place here,
”
pointing to a series of boulders marked on the map three miles northwest of Chelon.
“
If pursued, split up into threes. Flast and Drim, with Som and Harc. Poy and Revvim with Wex and Doe. Sotter and Merit will follow me and Frehn. If that happens, we regroup in the woods here.
”
I point to a place about halfway up the slope of a mountain to the northeast of Chelon.
“
They will see us heading for the northwest and assume we will be trying for the river. Don
’
t stop for anything. Don
’
t turn back. We will wait until the morning to leave from the regroup spot. If you haven
’
t been able to get there before we leave, keep moving north, northeast until you come to this river. Follow the river upstream. Does everyone understand?
”
They each nod and refold the maps, safely putting them in pockets or pouches.

“
Alright. On my signal.
”
I hold up my hand, watching the night outside the tunnel. When I
’
m sure there
’
s nothing lurking on the other side, I swing my arm down, digging my heels into the dapple gray. My horse rears slightly and we shoot out from the tunnel, hooves pounding. Seconds later I hear the horn. We
’
ve been seen already. The Mothers must have discovered empty beds in the residence blocks and have been on the watch.

We tear through the forest at breakneck pace, Frehn gripping me and the saddle tightly.
“
Can you see anyone?
”
I call to him. He turns in the saddle and I hear him stifle a cry. Straining my neck, I look behind us. Five masked figures in black mounted on mammoth horses are charging towards us, their robes flying revealing inner linings as red as hawthorn berries.

I shoot a web of light from my wristbow, attaching it to trees hoping to impede their path. The five in black avoid it easily.
“
Go!
”
I shout and two groups split from my left and right sides.

One of the black figures gives chase to Wex
’
s group and one gains quickly on Harc
’
s leaving three thundering after mine.
“
Take the reins,
”
I yell to Frehn. He holds them tightly while I turn my body around in the saddle, facing Frehn.

“
What are you doing?!
”
Frehn yells over the sound of six sets of hooves hammering the ground beneath us.

“
Starting offensive maneuvers,
”
I say calmly back. Leaning around him, I shoot a series of green light darts from my wristbow, while sending trees crashing to the ground from a flick of my wings tattoo. The darts connect with one of the figures in black, knocking it from its horse. The figure in the lead methodically peels back its black robe, revealing a long red stick. By the curve of the hip now exposed, I can tell the figure in black is a woman. She pulls the stick from its sheath and tucks it into her shoulder, looking down it at us. I hurl a wall of red light to protect our flank as a spark emits from the stick and something tiny and gold shoots through the air at us. It splits the light wall in two and drops out of sight.

“
They have long guns!
”
Sotter yells to me.

I glance up at Frehn
’
s face, his skin ghostly white. We can
’
t keep going at this pace. It will kill him. Lunging to the side again, I fire off a bolt of lightning and follow it quickly with a net. The lightning just misses the woman and explodes against the large tree she swerves around, but the net wraps around her arms as she raises them for a second shot. Frehn lurches in the saddle, slumping over me.
“
Frehn! Oh fie!
”
I scream,
“
Fie!
”

Savagery boils over inside. I fire my wristbows, and a flash of white light floods the forest, blinding me. Smoke curls around the trees, obscuring the scene. The woman in black bellows in pain as the red long gun comes flying from the smoke, spinning end over end, connecting with a sickening thud against the back of Merit
’
s head. His eyes flutter, and his body goes limp as if his spine is being pulled out of him. He tips off the saddle and we are out of sight before his body hits the ground.

All sound rushes from me. The forest that closes around the scene takes on an artificial quality as we gallop away from Merit. An emptiness floods through my body as I stare behind us, waiting for Merit to reappear. To gallop forward from the smoke and woods, whole and alive. I envision Harc before me in a silent scream of agony, her face and hands shaking with the incomprehensible truth. Merit is gone.

Frehn
’
s head lolls to the side at a sickening angle, his eyes rolled into the back of his head. As if I am knocked forward, sounds bursts around me once more, thrusting me back into consciousness. I feel desperately around his back, looking for the bullet entry, but I don
’
t have time to locate it before the third figure in black has caught up with us again. The figure
’
s robe flying open behind it like a cape, the deep red lining creating a chilling image of streaming blood. Feminine curves are silhouetted against it. Eyes blaze behind the mask as she inches closer, horse hooves and snorts blotting out every other sound. I wrap the reins around Frehn
’
s partially limp body to tie him to me.
“
Hold on to me, Frehn, hold on,
”
I tell him. I glance to my right where Sotter urges her horse to keep pace with us, her face bloodless, wet with tears but her expression resolute.

The woman in black reaches for something on the back of her saddle and I send a wave of ice at her chest. I make contact with her, and I can see the ice form a shell around her torso but it doesn
’
t slow her movements. A green band of smoke issues from my wristbows, wrapping around the woman, crushing her. It shatters the ice shell and squeezes the woman tightly, trying to crush the life out of her. And she still reaches for her weapon, pulling it forward, firing wildly as I pull a force push off my shoulder with my finger tips and hurl it at her. It connects with the bullet that has just left her red gun, reversing its direction, smashing it into her chest. A piercing screech fills the forest, then deafening silence.

We push the horses faster for what feels like hours, until we reach the base of the mountain and locate a small pond. Letting the horses drink, Sotter and I pull Frehn from the saddle and search for the bullet hole.

“
There,
”
Sotter
’
s finger points to a tiny red mark under his scapula.

“
Is that all?
”
relief spreads through me. No blood, it can
’
t be that bad.

“
It
’
s a biting bullet.
”
Sotter starts ransacking the saddlebags.
“
We have to dig it out before it chews its way through his heart.
”

I stare at her.
“
Chews its way?
”

“
They bore into the skin and make their way to the nearest vital organ. They are slow though. I was assigned to the factory that makes them for the last few months.
”

“
Slow,
”
I repeat looking at the mark.