“Yup, I understand.”
“And no-“
“Caden! I understand. I’ll stay hidden. Iwon’t run out to get killed or distract others who could getkilled.”
He watched her skeptically. “You’re awfullyunderstanding. Completely different from your scout master’sdescription.”
She grinned. Ah, to be arguing with Eamonagain. She missed driving him crazy with her latest stunt.
“Believe me. I have no intention ofinterfering in your mission. I know as little about swords as youdo about beasts. I am quite aware and embrace my limitations.”
Their entire conversation took place nearlysilently, as they kept their mouths close to each other’s ears.
A bird’s call came trilling through theforest. That was the first sign.
Caden’s body hardened next to hers as he usedhis hands to signal his men.
The archer’s must have come into view. Nowall they had to do was wait until Fallon sprung the trap for theaction to begin.
Shea settled down and rested her chin on theground. It wouldn’t be too long now.
They waited.
And waited.
And waited an eternity more.
Or so it felt.
The second bird call came.
Rustling came from where the archers hid.Shea could see the barest hint of movement from her hiding placeamid the underbrush.
Caden glanced to his left and with his righthand pointed forward twice before looking to his right andsignaling those men. They crept silently from their hiding spots,moving swiftly and lethally to the hidden archers. Caden tappedShea on the shoulder before following them.
A furor rose from below, the furious sound ofmen engaged in battle, some killing, some being killed. Fallon musthave set off the trap and was even now engaging the enemy.
Caden’s men dispatched the archers withlittle to no fuss. He emerged into Shea’s vision and signaled ‘allclear’ then gave her the sign for ‘stay in place’.
Shea heaved a sigh of relief that one partwas done. At least Fallon and the rest would have a fightingchance.
Caden disappeared back behind the trees,leaving her to her thoughts. And the growing boredom.
She raised her head as she heard a rhythmicpounding. Rising, she peeked out of her hiding place. A large,brown stallion thundered over the hill carrying someone. Hairflared behind the rider’s head, and the flash of a face was brieflyhighlighted before the rider was gone. Up and over the hill andracing at breakneck speed along the ridge.
Indra.
Shea didn’t have time to call for Caden. Shewas up and racing down the hill at an angle to Indra in an effortto intercept her. If the woman had any hope of escaping, she’d needto head over the hill and then pick her way back down to the valleyfloor. The ridge would grow too steep and ragged for travel byhorseback.
Shea ignored the men’s shouts behind her. Sheraced over uneven ground, leaping down steep grades, trusting herlegs to hold her. She sank deep into her mind, visiting a place shehad made her home over the years. A place where the protests of herbody, the aches and pains, disappeared and all that was left wasthe surge of her muscles, the air pumping in her lungs and theblood flowing through her veins. The serenity of this place and thesingle minded purpose of taking that next step made her feel likeshe was flying, like she would never stop. In that moment, it feltlike she could run all the way to the Highlands without everstopping.
Her feet found firm purchase without her eventhinking about it and almost immediately she left Caden and his menbehind, their voices fading as she widened the distance betweenthem.
Shea caught glimpses of Indra and her mountracing through the trees. Their progress was much slower than hersas the horse struggled with the uneven surface.
Sea leapt through the air, using a fallentree as a spring board to give her jump height and tackled Indra,their combined weight carrying them both to the ground for a bonejarring thud. They rolled down a sharp incline, tumbling end overend. Shea landed one punch and then a vicious kick to Indra’sstomach before the momentum carried them away from each other.
A tree caught Shea in the side, bringing herto an abrupt halt. Grimacing and touching her split lip gingerly,she found her feet and staggered towards the other woman.
