Chapter 13 #2
“Don’t—you were doing what you thought best in a difficult situation. Outsiders are always the first ones suspected when something goes wrong.”
That held true no matter the species.
“Still, without your interference, I would have lost my House and my Overlord. I thank you for what you did. I know it cost you.”
“Since you’re feeling so grateful, maybe you can tell me why Liara insisted you join us on this trip?”
“Those are separate matters.”
“Oh, well. I tried.”
“Yes, you did.”
Maksym beckoned Kira over as Bez was just finishing with the pair of Tuann on overwatch duty. “Heir, it looks like we need to split up. One group to guard the gate. Another to investigate the wanderer’s enclave.”
Kira had to admire Maksym’s way of taking charge without seeming too. He’d used the word “heir” deliberately. Usually, he referred to her as “youngest”. Despite Raider supplanting her as Wren’s youngest yer’se. The last two sentences were tacked on to ensure she knew what was expected of her.
While Kira appreciated the reminder, it was unnecessary.
Third lesson from Himoto—always safeguard your exit strategy.
“Two from you to help protect the gate,” Kira informed Bez.
Since his people had already set up an overwatch and were familiar with the area, they made the most sense.
“Maksym will stay behind with them,” Kira continued.
Really, the ginger menace was the only one present on her side who she could task with the job. Finn was going to stick to her like her shadow. Raider was too used to watching her back to consider any other alternative.
And Jin—was Jin.
Dylan would cling to his coattails.
Roderick—she didn’t have any authority over. So, he was out too.
Someone she trusted had to remain behind, though.
Maksym was her best and only option.
“The rest of us will head for the enclave,” Kira finished.
She waited a moment, but no one argued.
“Arly and Tage, remain here with him,” Bez ordered. “Az and Pye, you’re with me.”
Az and Bez’s companion from Ta Sa’Riel headed for the trees.
“Don’t stray from the marked trail,” Az threw over her shoulder before disappearing to take point before Kira could stop her.
It wasn’t until Finn touched a nearby tree with a hand wreathed in ki that Kira understood. A simplified version of House Roake’s sigil, a lu-ong curled around a stone, glowed on its trunk.
This version looked more like a squiggly line than one of the giant serpentine creatures who were considered both sacred and monstrous by the Tuann, but she got the idea.
It didn’t take long for Kira to learn the reason for Az’s precaution.
The ground turned spongy the moment you stepped off the marked path. Kira’s foot sank almost to her mid-calf before she managed to catch herself.
Raider pulled her back onto stable ground. “Is it just me or is this place creepy?”
“No, it’s definitely creepy,” Kira agreed.
The forest was eerily silent except for a faint moaning. The trees rocked back and forth with the rise and fall of those sounds. As Kira watched, the ground around the base of a tree lifted, exposing the root ball before settling back into place.
“It looks like it’s breathing,” Jin commented, looking fascinated.
Kira thought he’d forget himself and try to zip forward to investigate. The same way he would have as the J1N. Thankfully, he recalled himself in time, and she didn’t have to risk life and limb to go chasing after him.
Instead, Jin dug into his pack, fishing out a metal figurine that looked like a tiny hummingbird. It came alive in his palm. Wings moving fast enough to blur.
“What was that?” Pye demanded as it disappeared into the trees.
Kira glanced at Jin to find him intent on the hummingbird. She didn’t think he’d even heard the question.
The Tuann took a threatening step toward them. “What did you do?”
Kira blocked his view of Jin with her body. “Just a little surveillance. Nothing to worry about.”
“Quit messing around before you get someone killed.”
“How about you worry about yourself and leave my people to me,” Kira advised with a hard smile.
“His actions could endanger us all.”
“I can assure you that if we die, it won’t be because of something he did.”
Probably.
Bez looked back. “Problem, Pye?”
Kira quirked an eyebrow at Pye in challenge. “Well? Is there?”
The Tuann’s features tightened but he backed down. “No, no problem. Just imparting a little friendly advice.”
Bez’s gaze remained on Kira even after Pye had moved on. Kira stared back at him.
Jin, oblivious as usual to the trouble he’d caused, glanced at her. “What are you doing?”
Kira broke eye contact to look down at her friend. “Nothing you need to worry about. Find anything?”
Jin handed Kira a flat piece of glass that he’d dug out of his pack. “See for yourself.”
She glanced down at the scroll. “What am I looking at?”
A bird’s eye view of the forest formed. Several spots were marked with yellow dots.
“Someone went to a lot of trouble to set traps in the surrounding area. The majority are concentrated on the ravine’s easiest points of access. A few are strewn out through the forest. They look much older though. My hummingbird mapped at least twenty before I recalled her.”
“The enclave is aware of the world gate then,” Kira said.
If they weren’t, those traps wouldn’t just be concentrated around the ravine but more evenly distributed through the forest around the enclave.
“I can’t tell by the placement if they’re trying to deter visitors coming through the world gate or whether they’re hoping to prevent others from finding it,” Jin said.
Kira handed back his scroll. “When we reach the enclave, we can ask them.”
Jin’s excitement dimmed somewhat. “How much further do we have to walk?”
“As long as it takes,” Az announced, appearing from the forest like a ghost. “What’s the hold up?”
This close Kira could see the color of Az’s eyes. A blue so pale they were a little spooky.
Kira took the scroll out of Jin’s hands and handed it to Az. “Jin found something. Were you aware of just how many traps there are in the area?”
“Of course. We had to clear a number of them to create a path.”
“Funny how no one thought to mention that to us.”
Az offered the scroll back to Jin. “We thought it obvious. Wanderer enclaves are notorious for being riddled with traps.”
In other words, Kira should have known and compensated for that already.
“Why is that?” Jin asked.
Unlike Bez, there was no trace of hostility or antagonism in Az’s face or behavior. She was professional and forthright.
If a little brusque.
“Houses dislike when wanderers congregate. They’ve been known to send out hunting parties as a way to convince them to move on.”
There was the faintest note of bitterness that made Kira think Az wasn’t a fan of the practice.
“I imagine there’s no love lost between wanderers and those from the major Houses. If that’s the case, why did Caius come here alone?” Kira asked.
Az’s gaze held surprise as it jumped to Kira’s. “Caius and this enclave have history.”
“What kind of history?” Kira asked.
Az considered Kira, weighing her carefully. “The kind that is hard to forget.”
“Helpful,” Jin quipped.
Dimples creased Az’s cheeks when she smiled. “I apologize. His story isn’t exactly a secret. It just happened so long ago that it’s rarely mentioned anymore.”
At Kira’s inquiring expression, Az offered. “His parents helped found this enclave.”
“Caius is a wanderer?” Jin asked.
“Caius—no. His parents, on the other hand. They left when he started walking. Voluntarily—I should add.”
It was rare for Tuann to leave their House, but it did happen. Usually, only when they committed a crime against their House and were banished. Occasionally, a House fell, and those Tuann who couldn’t find safe harbor became wanderers by default.
Very few left voluntarily. Those who did faced a lot of prejudice. Even more so, in some ways, than those in exile.
Tuann required social bonds to survive. Otherwise, they turned dangerous.
Solitary Tuann were considered not quite right in the head. It was a brush Kira had been painted with on more than one occasion.
“It couldn’t have been easy on Caius,” Kira guessed.
As a child, he would have faced the constant judgment of the adults around him.
“No,” Az agreed. “It wasn’t.”
A suspicion rose as Kira considered Az closely. Things that she had overlooked earlier started to make more sense. Such as the fact that none of Caius’s pod wore synth armor.
There was a deep look in Az’s eyes as she met Kira’s. “Have you guessed it yet?”
“You’re a former wanderer.”
All of them were.
“Observant. Most heirs aren’t.”
“I wouldn’t have survived if I wasn’t.”
Caius had quite literally changed the course of their lives. That had either created a loyalty as deep as an ocean trench or bred a resentment as corrosive as the worst acid.
It also put a few things into perspective. Like their familiarity with the area. And why Harlow had insisted on sending them with Kira when there were so many others she already had a rapport with.
He suspected betrayal.
Worse—Az and the rest realized that.
No wonder Bez was so hostile.
“I enjoyed this conversation,” Az announced. “It’s been very—how should I say—illuminating.” She smirked. “I would watch yourself from here on out though. There are those in the enclave who would do anything to get their hands on the heir to a major House.”
Kira hated when people subtly threatened her. Why not just say what they meant to her face? Why be so roundabout with it all?
“You don’t have to worry about this one. She’s used to people hating and or wanting to kill her on sight,” Jin said.
Az’s gaze dropped to him. “I wouldn’t underestimate this enclave. They might be wanderers, but many of them originally came from Major Houses.”
“It may not look it, but we’re pretty hardy,” Jin assured her. “So many people have tried to kill us over the years that learning about a few more isn’t such a big deal.”
“These aren’t humans. They won’t be so easily dealt with.”
Jin’s lips twisted cruelly. “A blade in the back kills just the same no matter who is wielding it. Count humans out at your own peril.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Az drawled, humoring him before gliding away.
Kira and Jin watched her go.
“What do you think?” Jin asked once she was gone.
Kira nodded at Bez and Az. “Those two are far more dangerous than they let on.”
She’d thought Bez’s lack of self-possession was strange in someone who served under Caius. Even with the stress he and the rest were under, he was too quick to anger. Someone with so little control over their emotions wouldn’t be entrusted with the role of First.
“They’ve been playing us for fools,” Kira whispered.
That bad attitude. His prickliness. All fake.
She wasn’t certain anything he’d shown was real. Every interaction meant to poke and prod Kira into revealing herself.
“Himoto always said confrontation was the best way to bring out a person’s true self,” Raider commented.
Kira glanced in the direction of the ravine. “Maksym knew.”
It appeared her uncle wasn’t the only one intent on testing her.
The trail grew increasingly difficult as they hiked over rough terrain. Jin resorted to allowing Dylan to carry him for the last few miles when he became unable to keep up.
When they stopped to take a break so Az and Pye could scout ahead, Raider walked over to join Kira. “I have a bad feeling about this.”
“You’re not the only one,” Kira said.
There was no sound in this forest except the constant moaning of the trees. Where were the birds and insects? The animals?
There was nothing. Just dead air.
Just then, Pye crashed through the trees. “Bez, something’s wrong. You need to see this.”
Kira and Raider traded glances before they darted after the Tuann without a second thought.
Finn dogged their heels while Dylan followed at a much slower pace.
Soon, they reached the top of a hill overlooking a long valley. Nestled at the far end, on the side of another hill, was a settlement that looked like it had been cracked open like an egg.
“What happened here?” Raider breathed.
Part of the structure had collapsed in on itself.
The other half looked like it had suffered massive weapon damage.
There were gaping holes in the walls and ceiling.
What remained had been blackened by fire.
Even the giant trees in the surrounding area hadn’t been left untouched.
They too had burned until little remained but soot and ash and the occasional tree stump.
“They put up a fight,” Az remarked.
Fat lot of good that had done them.
There was zero movement in the enclave. Any survivors had already abandoned the settlement—or they were dead.
“I want a closer look,” Bez announced.
He slid down the steep embankment before racing across the valley toward the settlement.
Az dropped down after him. Pye following a second later.
“Yeah. Okay. Let’s just run straight into a potentially hostile situation without forming any kind of plan. It’s not like I’m the boss or anything,” Kira snarked.
Raider stared at the hill at the back of the structure. “Does anything about this scene strike you as strange?”
“Everything about this is strange,” Kira said grumpily.
From the method of attack, to why Caius was on this planet in the first place.
“We shouldn’t let them get too far ahead of us,” Finn observed.
“You go ahead,” Raider said, tapping Kira’s shoulder with his fist. “There are a few things I want to check out.”
Kira looked at Finn, wishing she could send him with Raider.
His flat expression said that wasn’t an option.
“I’ll go with him,” Roderick offered.
“Thanks.”
The two walked away, sticking to the shadows as they flitted from tree to tree.
“Jin, are you able to monitor comms?” Kira asked.
“I could block them too if you wanted.”
“Just monitor them for now. I want to know if our friends down there try to talk to anyone.”
“You think they could be a problem?” Finn asked.
“I think,” Kira said, choosing her words carefully, “that we should be careful.”
Right now, the only people she trusted were on this hill.
“Let’s move out,” Kira ordered.
Jin waved away Dylan’s assistance when the oshota went to pick him up. “I can do it myself.”
That assertion proved false a couple moments later when he found the hill’s slope too steep for someone of his size.
Still, Jin stubbornly persisted, dropping to his butt and scooting down a foot at a time. A torrent of loose dirt and leaves were dislodged in the process.
Feeling eyes on her, Kira looked up to find Dylan watching her. Speculation on his face.
Even caught staring, he showed no trace of guilt or chagrin. He treated it as if his actions were natural, sending her a cordial nod before following Jin.
“Be careful, Kira. That one is dangerous,” Finn warned.
“That’s the thing, Finn. I’m always careful.”
It just never seemed to matter.