Fallon could have been chiseled from stone,for all the movement he made. “Who is she?”
“Shea, her name’s Shea.” Paul made a movementforward but a harsh hand at his shoulder jerked him back. Whennobody spoke, he figured they wanted more. “She’s our village’spathfinder.”
There was sudden interest from all of the mensurrounding them.
“Explain this term.”
“Hold your tongue,” Witt hissed.
“What do I care for her?” Paul said. “Sheleft us here to die.”
“This isn’t just about her,” Witt warned. “Besilent.”
“A pathfinder is a village’s link to theoutside world.”
Paul’s words were almost drowned out byWitt’s roar.
Fallon nodded at the guard, and a blade washeld to Witt’s throat as a warning.
At the touch of cold steel, Witt wentstill.
“A person who has passed the test can act asa pathfinder to other villagers or escort expeditions into thewilds. They’re able to navigate the mist that creeps across thelands. Our elders say they guard the knowledge lost during the lastcataclysm.”
Darius and Fallon shared a look.
The inability to circumvent cliffs andintermittent mist at the Highland borders were the biggest reasonsthey hadn’t invaded the Highlands yet. If this woman could do whatthey said, she had a talent worth seeking out even if Fallon hadn’talready been interested in her for other reasons.
This other issue about the cataclysm wouldneed to be explored more in depth. Both men had noticed that someof the villages held weapons they’d never encountered beforeinvading this land. Fallon’s people had no weapons that could killover that distance with the same accuracy and efficiency.
If the Lowlanders had had the weapon ingreater numbers, they would have been able to hold their landagainst any invader.
Fallon had already given orders to have anyof these so called “boomers” confiscated and brought back. If theseHighlanders really knew where to find more, he could only imaginewhat he could do with such a useful tool.
“I thought finding your way once the mist hadfallen was impossible. How are they able to guide people throughit?” Fallon queried.
Paul’s face took on a truculent look and hesaid, “They have some special technique they refuse to share. Youhave to pass several tests before they reveal their methods. It’sprobably just a way to keep us dependent.”
Fallon sat back and propped his head on onehand, tapping his cheek with a finger. This guild sounded like thefirst form of overarching authority he’d encountered since comingto this land. Smart of them to control who learned of the mist’sweaknesses. Gave them a way to influence events without having touse force.
If Paul’s story was true, Fallon may havejust found a solution to the problems his army was currently havingand a powerful weapon for the future.
Blade to blade, his army could defeat anyforce the Lowlands or these Highlands, for that matter, threw athim. So far the battles had been few, and his army had annihilatedall foes.
However, there was the little matter oflocating new villages and circling back to the places they’dalready subdued. It was one of the reasons they had been camped inthis valley for the past three months rather than pressing on totheir next target.
One out of every three supply trains wentmissing, and the scouts he sent out ended up dead or lost. The oneswho straggled in were missing the majority of his soldiers andspoke of monstrous creatures ambushing them on patrol.
Shea might be the answer to all hisproblems.
“Can you take me to where she’s heading?”
Paul opened his mouth to say yes, but Wittspoke first. “He can’t.”
Witt grimaced as steel broke the skin and atrickle of blood trailed down his neck. Fallon waved the bladeaway, interested in what the man had to say.
Witt straightened, not bothering to wipe awaythe blood. “If he tells you he can, he’s lying. He’ll lead you incircles, because he doesn’t know the way.”
“I could find them,” Paul hissed.
