Traitor's Moon

43 DIRE SIGNS

Nyal rode all night and picked up the trail of Beka and the others just after dawn. They'd returned to the main road and pushed on at a gallop. Spurring his lathered mount, Nyal hurried on, hoping to catch up.

As he rode, he went over in his mind what he could say to Beka that would reassure her without giving away his own complicity in her friends' escape. At last he was forced to admit that, barring Seregil's own testimony on his behalf, there was little he could do for the moment except ensure her safe return to the city. Not that this should be such a difficult task. They were in Akhendi territory, after all.

Caught up in his thoughts, he galloped around a curve and was nearly thrown when his horse suddenly shied and reared. He clung on, yanking the gelding's head around and reining it to a standstill, then turned to see what had spooked it.

A young Gedre lay in the middle of the road, his face covered in drying blood. A chestnut mare grazed nearby.

"Aura's mercy! Terien," Nyal croaked, recognizing both man and horse. This was one of Beka's escorts.

Dismounting, he went to him and felt for a pulse. There was a nasty gash over the boy's

eye, but he was still breathing. His eyes fluttered open as Nyal examined the wound.

"What happened?" Nyal asked, pressing his water skin to the boy's lips.

Terien drank, then slowly sat up. "Ambush. Just after sun up. I heard someone yell, then I went down."

"Did you see anyone?"

"No, it all happened so quickly. I've never heard of bandits this far south on the main road."

"Neither have I." Nyal helped him onto his horse. "There's a village not too far from here. Can you get yourself there?"

Terien grasped his saddle horn and nodded.

"How was the Skalan when you last saw her?"

Terien let out a faint snort. "Sullen."

"Was she tied?"

"Hand and foot, so she wouldn't fall off if her horse bolted."

"Thank you. Find a healer, Terien."

Sending him on his way, Nyal strode into the trees and looked for signs of the ambushers. He found the prints of at least six men, and where they'd hobbled their horses.

Leading his horse, he walked on down the road, reading the marks of an ambush and chase in the trampled earth. Around another bend he found three more of his men. Two Gedre brothers were supporting his cousin, Korious, as they headed back in his direction. There was blood on the Ra'basi's arm.

"Where are the others?" he asked, heart hammering in his chest.

"An ambush, not an hour ago," Korious told him. "They came out of nowhere, with their faces covered. Teth'brimash, I think. They killed two of the Silmai, back down the road. We lost some others in the initial attack."

"What happened to Beka?"

Korious shook his head. "I don't know. She was with us until the second group jumped us here, then she was gone."

"And you haven't found her horse?"

"No."

"Terien's coming your way. Be sure he gets to a healer."

He found the marks of Beka's horse a little further on. It appeared she'd broken away in the confusion and burst past the ambushers, chased by two other riders.

The tracks turned up a disused sidetrack, and for a moment Nyal couldn't get his breath. He knew this road. It came to a dead

end in an abandoned stone quarry. He pictured her, bound and defenseless, clinging to her horse's mane as armed horsemen bore down on her. Her sword and daggers were still lashed behind his own saddle.

"Ah, talia, forgive me!" he whispered. Drawing his sword, he spurred his horse on, dreading what he would find.