Part III
Chapter Twenty-Five
Theos wanted Andros to stop talking. And he would be happier if the sleigh could stop moving, too, because there was something about the shifting slide of it that was making him queasy. But apparently Theos had used up all his wishes just getting out of the dungeon, and had no luck left to make his new dreams come true.
“Are you listening?” Andros demanded. “We might need him to get past the sentries? Fine, but why the hell did you have to hit him?”
That was enough to make Theos speak despite the nausea. “He’s theenemy.”
“You’re an idiot. I’ve told you twenty times that he let me and Gunnald come find you. And then he could have raised the alarm, but instead he came running after us. He must have had important news. And we could have heard it if you hadn’t knocked him out!”
“He set up the ambush.” He’d caused the death of Theos’s friends, his brothers. How to explain the sense of betrayal, the confusion, the absolute tragedy of seeing strong warriors butchered for no reason? He couldn’t. “You weren’t there, so you don’t know.” Theos wasn’t afraid of violence, and he’d been in his first full-fledged battle at fifteen; but he’d never felt so trapped and helpless before, never been taken so completely unaware. He’d never trusted someone only to have that person betray him so horribly. And there’d been no excuse for it because Theos absolutely should have known better than to trust Finnvid, of all people.
Andros didn’t respond immediately, partly because he was busy driving the sleigh; Torians used horses, but it was mostly the women in charge of them. Andros clearly wasn’t comfortable with his task. Once he’d gotten the team straightened out and moving as he apparently wanted, he turned back to Theos and said, “I wasn’t there. I don’t know. Buthe let me and Gunnald come find you. And hedidn’t raise the alarm. So whatever happenedthen, it seems like he’s helping usnow.”
Theos didn’t bother responding to that. As if there was anything that the Elkati could do that would make up for what he’ddone.
He glanced down at the lump next to him in the back of the sleigh. They might still need the tied and gagged princeling as a hostage, but it was tempting to just push the body out into the snow. Maybe the coward would freeze to death, maybe he’d live long enough for Theos to return and take revenge against him and the rest of his murdering, lying clan. Either way, at least Theos wouldn’t have to sit beside him any longer. Wouldn’t have to think about him.
“We should reach the sentries before dawn,” Andros said over his shoulder. “We’re supposed to just drive past them; Gunnald said they aren’t primed for threats from inside the valley, and no one will have raised the alarm yet. Still, keep your head down in case of arrows.”
Theos shuddered at the thought of more arrows, but when, after what seemed like a lifetime of gut-rocking sleigh travel, they passed the sentries, nothing flew after them except a few surprised shouts.
They didn’t get much farther before the trail became too narrow and steep for the sleigh. “We could keep the horses,” Andros said doubtfully as he struggled to unhitch them. “You could ride one.”
Theos shook his head. “Turn them loose; I’d rather walk.”
“Are you fit for it?” Andros’s voice was deliberately casual.
Theos forced himself to be honest. Andros had seen his injuries when he was naked in the dungeon, so there was no hiding the external, but Andros had to know the rest. “They fed me, but not a lot. And I lost blood. I’ll be weak.”
Andros nodded. “Well, you weak is better than most men strong. Let’s play it by ear.”
Theos turned and yanked the Elkati out of the sleigh as the freed horses wandered away. If he was still unconscious after so much time, Theos had punched him too hard and done permanent harm. It wasn’t a thought that should have bothered him.
Luckily, the Elkati twisted as he fell, getting his feet under him and showing that he was not only awake but quite lively. Theos jerked the bonds on the prisoner’s hands, pulling him forward. “If you run, we’ll catch you. If you slow down, we’ll drive you ahead of us on the tip of our swords. Understood?”
“You want to take him with us?” Andros said in amazement. “I thought you said you just wanted to use him to get past the sentries.”
“The sentries gave us no trouble, so I guess he worked. Maybe he’ll be useful again.” The Elkati’s pack was still strapped to his back, so Theos worked his arms into the straps of the pack Andros had scavenged for him, then prodded the Elkati forward and fell in behind him, trying to ignore the protests of his abused body. His muscles would warm up soon enough, and then he’d know for sure how much trouble he was in.
“How will he be useful?” Andros persisted.
“You said you wanted to talk to him. Can’t do that if we leave him.”
“This is stupid,” Andros said. Still, he jogged ahead and took his place at the front of the line, breaking a path for the others. The snow wasn’t quite deep enough for the snow flats, but Andros had two pairs of them strapped to his pack, ready for later. Two pairs, not three. Well, let the Elkati fight the drifts. A tired prisoner was a good prisoner.
Once they started up the hill, Theos needed all his energy and concentration just to keep moving. Sacrati training involved a fair bit of endurance work, and Theos knew the tricks. His injured body might give out before it should, but his mind was strong.
He walked until Andros stepped to the side of the path and handed him a pair of the snow flats, and only then did he realize that his leg was damp with something that wasn’t sweat or snow. One of his injuries must have worked itself open, and he was bleeding. He should tell Andros. It was the responsible thing to do; his body was a tool, and it needed to be repaired and then maintained if it was to stay useful. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He was tired of being injured; maybe if he ignored the problem, it would go away.
So they walked on. Dawn came late, the sun blocked by the towering mountains. Shortly after the glare hit the snow, Andros stopped walking and looked behind them. Theos let himself turn, as well. They were on top of a hill and could see almost all the way back down to the mouth of the valley. There was no sign of pursuit.
“Guess nobody wants to get him back,” Theos grunted. A part of him was sorry; he would have liked the chance to fight rather than run.
But Andros was frowning at the prisoner now. Without asking Theos’s permission or even opinion, he spun the Elkati and untied the gag from his mouth. It was just a strip of sinew; Finnvid should have been able to breathe around it, yet he still gasped and sputtered as if he hadn’t been getting enough air. Theos refused to feel guilty about that.
“Why aren’t they behind us?” Andros demanded. “Why didyoucome out after us?”
