I blew out a breath.
“I shouldn’t speak when I’m angry.”
I wanted to believe Gaz had let his temper get the best of him, that he was just talking and had no intention of really hurting anyone.
He squeezed my hand.“Mara, I’ll always take care of you—"
We heard a shout, and I jumped guiltily.But the group wasn’t looking at Gaz and me.They were looking up at the sky where a pair of large black vultures circled in the distance.I had seen their kind before.They feasted on death and were often present after the Hollows finished with one of their kills.The vultures never ate the Hollows, though.If a patrol killed one Hollow and had to pursue others, it was sometimes hours before we could return to burn the first.The vultures always stayed clear.I’d never once seen a vulture circling a dead Hollow.Morll said Hollow flesh was poison as it was already rotten and decayed before we ever put them down.From the smell of them, I was inclined to agree.
I didn’t catch that sickly sweet smell now, which gave me even more reason to believe this kill wasn’t a Hollow.The tall grass obscured whatever it was, but Gaz took off at a jog to reach the place.Taio and the Zuleniis followed.Finnrey waited for me.All the walking today had helped my sore muscles, but I was still tender in places.
“I don’t like this,” she said.
“I don’t either.”I didn’t mention that I liked the conversation I’d had with Gaz a moment before even less.If we wanted to survive this journey, we had to protect each other and work together.I wanted to trust Gaz, but I was starting to realize that nothing I’d believed about him or my father or Earsleh was what I’d thought.Was Finnrey who I thought her to be?I glanced at her, but she pointed ahead.
“They found it.”
The group had formed a half circle, and Finnrey and I joined at the end.“What is it?”
“A deer,” Nize said.“I saw a picture once in a book.”
The creature had long, slim legs, brown fur, and a small tail.I couldn’t tell much more than that as it had been gnawed through in places.
“Hollows killed it,” Gaz said, pointing to marks on its flank.“Those are from teeth.”
I’d seen the work of Hollows before and agreed with Gaz.One or more Hollows had caught the deer and feasted on it.That didn’t surprise me.The surprise was seeing the deer at all.I would have been reassured that a deer could have survived in this area—if it hadn’t so clearly been taken down by Hollows.
“The kill is still relatively fresh,” Finnrey said.“Maybe a day or two ago.”
I couldn’t stop myself from looking over my shoulder.Hollows had been here recently.What if they still lingered?
“We keep moving,” Taio said.
“We should track those Hollows,” Nize said.“We don’t want them surprising us later.”
“No.Keep moving.”Taio started west again, leaving the deer behind.The Zulenii followed him.
“He’ll get us killed,” Finnrey muttered.“Gaz is right.Protocol says we track and kill the Hollows.”
“That’s on patrol,” I said, watching as Gaz and Nize put their heads together and walked.Now what were they planning?“If we hunt Hollows now, it may take days to find them.The faster we move, the better.”
“I hope you’re right.”
I hoped so too.
***
WE REACHED THE FIRSTpatrol outpost with an hour before dark.Jolen had told Gaz and Nize that, unlike patrols in the south and north, western patrols had reinforced outposts where they slept at night.Teams might venture out for a night or two, then return to the outpost to resupply before going out again.There were outposts in other areas of the kingdom, but Jolen said after the coordinated attack in the west, the outposts here were strengthened and fortified.
The land was so flat that we saw the outpost an hour before we reached it.That meant they could see us as well.If we’d been Hollows, the patrol would have plenty of time to form a unit and attack.Instead, a couple of women I vaguely recognized from Highcastle called down from the top of a wall made of tall wooden poles carved from tree trunks.As I’d seen few trees on our journey thus far, I realized the tree trunks must have been brought in from another area of the kingdom.
“Gaz!”one of the women called.“Is that you?”
He shielded his eyes and looked up.“It is.I have Nize, Lady Finnrey, and Lady Mara with me.”
The women leaned over further and nodded to us.Then their gazes went to the Zulenii.I could tell when they spotted Yung and the drawings on his face.The women drew back.“With whom do you travel?”
“These are people from Zulen.They passed this way a few days ago and we are escorting them back.”
