Chapter Eleven #2
A sharp bark sounded, penetrating the vision. Thea started in the saddle, gripping the horn with a gasp.
Cal and Kipp were riding so close their horses were whinnying in protest, but both young men’s concerned gazes were trained on her. Ahead, Dax barked again, as though he sensed her coming back to them.
‘What the fuck was that?’ Cal demanded, scanning Thea’s face as she gathered herself.
‘What was what?’ she managed, her throat feeling raw and swollen.
‘We didn’t know if you were having some sort of fit, or if you’d passed out,’ Kipp blurted, his whole lanky body tense as though he’d expected to have to catch her. ‘I mean, you didn’t even have that much fire extract, Thea…’
‘I’m fine,’ she muttered, her voice thick. Her magic, her connection to the storms – it was getting out of control. First she had hurt Wren, now this? How long before she had an outburst and revealed who she was to the realms?
‘No one ever believes that old chestnut,’ Kipp informed her, his face still serious.
‘I must have fallen asleep. I… I haven’t been sleeping well,’ she told them.
‘Nightmares?’ Cal asked.
‘Something like that.’
But Kipp narrowed his eyes, still not giving her mare any space. ‘Why do I get the feeling we’re not getting the whole story?’
Thea forced a smile. ‘The wraith slayer has her secrets, Kipp. You can’t be the only mysterious one around here.’
At last, Kipp acquiesced, though he didn’t look happy about it. ‘If you feel faint again, fucking say so. We can’t bloody well return you to Hawthorne in pieces – he’d skin us alive. Probably poor Torj, too.’
‘He would not —’
Kipp silenced her with a challenging look and she threw up a hand in surrender.
‘If you two would shut up…’ Cal murmured from a few feet ahead, where Dax had come to a stop at a crest in the trail.
Thea was still reeling from the strange vision the storm had shown her, her magic still vibrating in her bones, but she urged her horse up alongside the others, where they peered over the ridge.
‘Hide the horses,’ Kipp said suddenly, his voice full of command. ‘Stay low to the ground.’
Thea and Cal did as he ordered, dismounting swiftly and tethering their horses out of sight.
‘On your bellies,’ Kipp told them, already crawling back to the peak of the trail on his elbows.
Thea’s heart rate spiked. Whatever was over that ridge wasn’t good news for them, that much was clear.
When she found her place beside Kipp and took in the sight below, her heart lodged in her throat.
Far down on the shore were several boats pushed up into the sand, and a small unit of men gathered on the beach.
They wore no colours Thea recognised from Harenth, Tver or Aveum, nor was it likely anyone from the three kingdoms would seek to moor here.
There were far better ports for access to Thezmarr… if that was what they wanted.
‘Look…’ Cal whispered, pointing out to sea. There was a much larger ship anchored out beyond the shallows, though again, Thea didn’t see any recognisable banners or flags.
‘Who are they?’ she murmured.
‘Can’t tell,’ Cal replied.
Thea turned to Kipp, but her friend was studying the force below, his lips moving as he counted.
‘We should get closer,’ she said, starting forward.
Kipp gripped her arm with surprising strength. ‘No.’
‘But you want to be able to report back, don’t you? We just need to get a little —’
‘No, Thea,’ Kipp said. There was no amusement or lightness in his tone.
‘He’s right, Thea,’ Cal put in. ‘We’re not to act, those were the orders —’
‘It’s not acting if we’re just creeping a bit closer for a better look.’
‘Yes, it is. We’re Guardians now, Thea. We must follow the orders we’re given,’ Kipp told her.
‘Then why send Guardians instead of scouts?’ she snapped.
‘Osiris and Esyllt sent me especially. I have a better understanding of armies and how they work than any scout.’ Kipp spoke without any of his usual bravado, just stating a fact. It was the most serious Thea had ever seen him.
He waited expectantly.
She drew a deep breath. ‘Alright.’
Kipp gave her a grateful nod and went back to his counting.
* * *
Thea didn’t know how long they stayed on that crest, but slowly, the sky was darkening.
‘Shouldn’t we be heading back?’ she asked.
Kipp shook his head. ‘I’ve changed my mind…’
‘About what?’ Cal said sharply.
‘Taking action.’
Thea raised a brow. ‘Oh?’
‘Those are invading forces down there,’ he told them, chewing his lip. ‘I won’t leave them unchallenged and primed to attack Thezmarr or Harenth.’
A thrill shot through Thea. ‘So, what’s your plan?’
‘First, we’ll need a distraction.’ He gave Cal’s bow and quiver a meaningful look. ‘Perhaps it’s time the Flaming Arrow earnt his name…’
Cal gave a wolfish grin. ‘Just tell me the target.’
Kipp was all business as he laid out his rather brilliant strategy. The trio couldn’t take on the forces themselves, but that didn’t mean they were powerless, and the dark of night offered ample cover for inflicting damage.
‘We’ll wait until they’ve eaten and drunk their fill. Let’s hole up here at the foot of this ridge for an hour or so,’ Kipp said. ‘No fire. Just eat your share of the rations and get some rest. I’ll take the first watch.’
Thea accepted a piece of bread from Cal as Kipp returned to his post. ‘I’ve never seen him like this,’ she remarked, reaching to stroke Dax, who’d nestled beside her.
‘He’s always like that after a meeting with Esyllt. The two of them are always whispering away in his study… Thick as thieves.’
‘You don’t ask what they talk about?’
‘Oh, I ask,’ Cal said. ‘But he never says a word. For all his messing around, Kipp takes his role very seriously.’
‘I can see that.’
Cal studied her for a moment, his lips moving as though he wanted to say more, but he didn’t. Instead, he sighed. ‘Get some rest,’ he told her. ‘You’re still looking a bit off.’
‘Gee, thanks.’
‘Don’t mention it.’
Thea curled up on her side as night fell around them. In the distance, thunder rumbled once more, and that ever-present magic inside her sparked to life again, utterly unnerving. Even Dax’s presence by her feet did little to calm the storm within.
She pulled her cloak tight under her chin. Seeking what little comfort she could amid the power she didn’t understand, she pictured Wilder Hawthorne’s face.
* * *
Thea woke with a start to Cal shaking her gently by the shoulder.
‘It’s time,’ he murmured. He jutted his chin towards Kipp, who waited at the top of the ridge, a small pack strapped to his back.
Thea wasn’t sure how she’d managed to sleep, but with her friends spurring her into action, she was alert within moments. ‘We’re really doing this? Going against orders?’
‘Absolutely,’ Kipp said, not taking his eyes off the camp below. ‘They’re well on their way to being drunk now,’ he told her as she came to stand beside him.
‘I’ll need fifteen minutes to get down to the camp and find a position,’ Cal said, shouldering his quiver of arrows and testing the string of his bow.
‘You can do it in ten,’ Kipp challenged.
Cal clicked his tongue in frustration, shaking his head before he crested the ridge, disappearing into the night.
Kipp’s face broke into a wide smile. ‘Now, we wait.’
They didn’t have to wait long.
Ten minutes later, a fire sparked to life at the northern end of the camp below: a flicker of light at first, before wild flame roared into being.
‘Thanks, Cal,’ Kipp murmured, already starting down the hillside. Thea followed.
The enemy camp was abandoned in chaos as the men surged towards the fire, buckets of water in hand. Cal had lit one of their supply crates on fire, and judging by the size of the flames, it was the one with all the liquor.
Thea stifled a laugh at that.
While the forces were distracted, she followed Kipp’s lead, sneaking through the site.
In the darkness they went from boat to boat, boring holes in the vessels’ hulls with their daggers.
The timber splintered beneath their efforts, but it wouldn’t be until the boats took on water that their enemy would know something was wrong.
Thea was onto her fourth when she heard the distinct crank of a crossbow being loaded —
‘Kipp!’ she shouted, throwing herself against the side of the boat.
Her friend moved just in time, and Thea launched herself after their attacker.
Another bolt came for her, whistling through the air, but she ducked and, in three paces, she’d caught up.
A second later, she disarmed her opponent and, without hesitation, dragged her dagger across the fragile column his throat.
Warm blood spilt into the sand, a ragged choking sound escaping the enemy.
‘Gods, Thea…’ Kipp murmured, frozen in shock.
But Thea didn’t think about how quickly she’d acted, how easy it had been to take a life, not even as the dead man’s blood puddled at her boots. Instead, she spotted something on his cloak.
‘Kipp,’ Thea said softly. ‘Look…’
She pulled at the sopping garment, running her fingers over the small sigil she found on the fabric.
A pair of wings.
For a moment, Kipp only stared at her bloodied fingers, but he soon shook himself out of whatever trance he’d fallen into. ‘Bring it with you,’ he said, his expression grim.
Thea nodded, ripping the design from the cloak and stuffing it in her pocket, leaving the corpse to the mercy of the incoming tide.
‘Fire’s almost out,’ she warned with a glance towards the plumes of smoke at the far end of the camp.
For good measure, Kipp spilt drums of oil across their sacks of flour and grain. ‘Let’s get out of here.’
Like shadows in the night, they slipped away.