The Channel (The Gifted Book 2) (12 page)

Randell glanced around him. "It looks like we have a herd. What are we going to do with them?"

"First, we get them to safety," said Daen. "Then we decide what to do next."

"How long before ...?" Rhea asked Daen.

"I told them two or three days, but with these horses, we should be there later today. Hopefully they will be there when we arrive. "

"We're meeting them in Eantan?" Randell asked.

"Yep." Daen said as he secure a saddlebag.

Rhea walked over to the food pile, and before packing it up, she made a cheese sandwich and stowed an apple in her pocket for later. Her stomach had returned to normal, and she was hungry, hungry because she'd left her food on the forest floor and hungry because she'd just used her gift and the energy within her. She considered the dried meat, but it wasn't the least bit appealing.

Daen put the jewelry in the saddlebag marked with a crest he didn't recognize. He assumed the bag and jewelry belonged to the family whose crest was engraved in the leather, but he couldn't be sure. "We'll hand this bag over to the authorities when we get into town. Maybe the rightful owners can be found. As for the money, there's no way to know who it belonged to. And to be honest, we can use the funds."

Randell tossed Daen the bag of coins he had taken from Bestian. "Bestian had this on him."

"Gauvin had a similar pouch." Daen held up the pouch. "I wonder where they got these horses."

Taulin pointed to the legs and underbody of one of the two horses. "They're coated in the same reddish dirt as the ones we took from the false warriors. Maybe these two got separated?"

Daen lifted the hoof of the horse he was standing beside before checking the hooves of a couple others. "It would appear they've, at least, been in the same territory recently."

Taulin handed Daen some rope. "Here. Use this to tie them in a chain. There aren't enough of us to manage all of them."

Rhea turned to Taulin. "We're heading for Eantan as well. Do you want to ride with us? Before you answer, remember that two attempts have been made on our lives already. You join us at your own risk."

She glanced at Daen and Randell looking for any concern they might have. Randell winked and gave her a smirk. Daen shrugged and continued to ready the horses.

Taulin was already mounting his horse. "I'm not concerned and would welcome your company. Thank you."

~~~

Beth sat quietly on her horse, hidden from the tunnel entrance. It didn't take long for two horsemen to appear. Upon exiting, they stopped to check the tracks.

"One horse went to the left and two continued on."

Damn!
Beth held very still, praying her horse would do the same.

"Maybe she's hunting ... like last night?" The smaller of the two men suggested.

The larger man didn't say anything. He just studied the tracks to the left. Slowly he turned in his saddle and scanned the trail behind and above him.

Beth didn't breathe. She held her head low by her horse's neck as she tried to stay concealed behind the foliage.

"Durth? What are ya thinking?"

"I don't like it."

"What do you want to do?"

Durth was quiet, contemplating their next move. The message they'd gotten said to follow three women traveling to meet a woman and man. But there was something about the women they followed, something he didn't trust.

"We follow the two tracks." Durth snapped his reins and his horse took off, wanting to get away from the tunnel.

The smaller man hesitated.

"Berdie! Come on!"

Berdie kicked his horse and took off after Durth who was well down the trail leading to the road.

Beth waited for them to get far enough away before revealing herself. She rode the high trail, parallel to the main road, following Durth and Berdie as they headed south to Eantan.

Gradually, the high trail curved back towards Stone Mountain, forcing Beth to leave the trail and head into Eantan. She'd lost sight of the men for a few moments but found them heading into town.

She ducked behind the buildings and followed them, out of sight from their prying eyes. The men, she assumed to be spies, stopped at the local livery to stable their horses before approaching the inn at the end of town.

Beth dismounted and crept closer, leaving her horse tied to the blacksmith's fence rail.

"How do you know they went inside?" Beth could hear Berdie questioning Durth.

"Where else would they go?" Durth hesitated and then veered to his right. "We'll go in this way." He headed for the tavern situated at the far end of the inn.

Beth watched as they made their way inside the tavern before taking her horse to the stables behind the inn. After she paid the attendant to care for her horse, she joined her commander inside.

13
The Inn

The foursome left the bodies of their would-be assassins where they fell, just like they left the six false warriors. They didn't have the time or the means to bury them. The body count was rising, and they hadn't even reached their rendezvous. Rhea wondered when it would end.

They continued north, along the base of the Kinling Mountains, until the trail forked. Daen took the path to the west, leading away from Kinling and, hopefully, towards their destination.

As they rode, images of the dead men kept flashing through Rhea's mind. She wanted to cry, scream, and hide, but still held back her tears. She closed her eyes and prayed to whoever might be listening. She needed help dealing with what had happened today, what she'd done. She didn't come here to be this person, a weapon, a killer, but that's how it was starting to feel.

Rhea reached out for the Libraim, the entity that supposedly had chosen her for this role, but got no response. She opened her eyes again, the feeling of disappointment pressing heavily on her chest and heart.

"You can't hide from it. You can't make yourself forget. But, in time, you'll find a place for the memories you're having." Rhea recognized Taulin's voice at her side.

She couldn't look at him or anyone for that matter. "What if I don't want to remember?"

"We're shaped by our actions. The fact that you grieve for what has happened is good. It means you've not lost your humanity."

His words were soothing but not enough. "I keep telling myself that it was kill or be killed, but then I wonder if I could've done something different."

"You mean let yourself or your friends be killed? That's what would have happened if you hadn't defended yourself. The men you fought earlier and the men with the arrows ... they weren't good men and you wouldn't have been the first life they'd taken." Taulin reached out and placed his hand over hers, and the forest disappeared.

Once again she was in the cavern with the Libraim. Warmth and feelings of comfort soaked into her body, easing her pain. This time, the only image she was given was that of Taulin, coupled with the sensation of being safe. She wanted to stay there, away from the horrors that she'd faced ... the horrors that might yet be ahead of her, but it wasn't to be. In a flash, the forest and all its sounds were back.

She slowly opened her eyes. "Oh! What are you doing?" Rhea came to in Taulin's arms, almost falling from his horse when she realized where she was.

"He kept you from falling." Daen explained as he held her horse's reins. "It happened again, didn't it?"

Rhea nodded and looked up at Taulin. "Um ... thanks. You can let me down now." She slid from his lap to the ground and then got back on her horse.

Randell came to her side, but before he could ask, she answered him. "I'll be fine." Rhea glanced at Taulin, nodding slightly, silently thanking him for his assistance before she gave her horse a little kick and took the lead, separating herself from the others, needing time alone.

Randell and Taulin watched her pull away from them, both physically and emotionally. Daen glanced over his shoulder at the two men with a puzzled look. "What did you say to her?"

Taulin shrugged. "That she shouldn't try to forget."

Daen held Taulin's gaze while he thought about his advice. He wasn't sure he'd want her to remember the pain, but Taulin was right. He was still quite young for a Luxatran, but he showed maturity.

Daen returned to his forward position, wondering what kind of hardship the young prince had faced in his short life to give him such insight.

Rhea thought about what had transpired and wondered if it was a coincidence that Taulin was there when she needed help. She looked over her shoulder, pretending to check on everyone but focused on Taulin.

Their eyes locked on one another for a brief moment, and her heart fluttered in her chest as she remembered what it was like to wake in his arms. Before Taulin could see the blush rise in her cheeks, she turned to face the trail again, doing her best to ignore the mixed emotions that battled within.

The trail they followed had a slight incline, so when they cleared the forest a couple of hours later, they were at the top of a hill looking down into a valley whose surface was divided into uneven shapes and sizes. In some spaces, they could see livestock, while other spaces held various crops.

Barns and homes dotted the edges of the valley floor, but high above them, straight across from where the foursome stood, was a town nestled into the hillside.

Daen pointed straight ahead. "That's Eantan."

"I'm so ready for food and a bath." Rhea turned to Taulin. "Where are you meeting your brother?"

"The inn."

"Which one?"

He laughed. "There's only one."

Rhea looked at Daen. "I assume that's where we're going as well?"

Daen nodded.

She nodded and took the lead again, making her way down the hill into the valley. Rhea could see the trail wind its way across the valley floor and up the other side to the town. It looked like a fast ride.

When they arrived in town two hours later, Daen led them to the guard station. Randell made a mental note of everything he could see. He'd seen renderings of medieval castles before, and now he felt like he'd just rode into one.

There was a tower surrounded by a stone wall. Within the wall, around the base the tower, were smaller buildings he assumed were barracks, maybe some offices. The smoke from one building suggested it might be a dining hall with a kitchen.

They waited outside while Daen dropped off the personal valuables they had recovered from the false warriors. They didn't know if the items would find their way back to their rightful owners, but they knew they shouldn't keep them.

"Did they believe you about the false warriors?" Randell inquired as Daen approached his horse.

"They're going to spread the word."

"Are we ready to go to the inn?" Taulin was looking to the end of the road where the inn stood out in grand fashion, much different than the Green Tavern. It was built with large stones, as if cut from deep within Stone Mountain. Lights glittered from behind wreaths that hung in the windows, reminding Rhea of the holidays at home.

Daen took the lead. "Our next stop is a stable that has room for nine horses. We'll try the one across from the inn first. It's larger than the one behind it."

Fortunately, the stable had plenty of space. They paid the stable boy to feed, water, and groom the horses as they grabbed their gear and headed for the inn.

The entrance of the inn opened onto a large lobby with chairs and tables not unlike the lobbies of the nicer hotels Rhea had seen at home. The chairs and tables were handcrafted, unlike the mass-produced furniture she was used to seeing.

They briefly took in the lay of the lobby before Daen turned left and headed for the check-in counter. "I'll get us some rooms. Taulin, have you made arrangements?"

"My brother might have. I'll come with you and check."

Randell pointed in the opposite direction. "Daen, we'll see if there's a table open."

Rhea and Randell stood at the entrance of the dining room and looked for an open spot. Randell was pleasantly surprised by the establishment. Again, it was nothing like the Green Tavern. It reminded him of the fine dining rooms portrayed in movies taking place in the late 1800's, early 1900's.

There were wall sconces hanging from plaster walls that had been papered above the chair rail and painted below. The tables had white cloths, and meals were served on china. Beverages were served in what looked like crystal. The people wore a mix of clothing, some like Randell and Rhea, others were more finely donned.

Rhea spied a table with two familiar women. "Randell, it's them ... the table by the fire place."

As if she sensed them, Lanne looked right at Rhea and shook her head ever so slightly. Her face was straight, unemotional. Gaibel straightened and started to turn in their direction, but Lanne placed her hand over Gaibel's, stopping her from looking.

Randell had never seen Lanne or Gaibel, but the two women he was watching had an uncanny resemblance to Rhea. He got a quick glance at Lanne's aura and saw her tension, her fear. "Come on, something is wrong. Let's find Daen."

Daen and Taulin met them halfway across the lobby. "Is the dining room full?"

Rhea shook her head. "Lanne and Gaibel are in there, but they have someone with them. We started to approach, but Lanne shook her head."

"Something isn't right, Daen." Randell glanced back at the dining room entrance.

"Then we need to stay clear until they give the all clear," said Daen, reluctantly.

Taulin turned towards the dining room entrance. "Kaurl should be here. Let me take a look." Taulin headed for the dining room with confidence.

"Did they have rooms for us?" Randell asked.

Daen held up two keys. "You and I are bunking together. We got the last two rooms next to each other," said Daen as he gave Rhea one of the keys.

Rhea glanced to the dining room, but Taulin was gone. "What about Taulin?"

"His brother got him a room earlier. Our room is
between
yours and his."

Rhea caught his emphasis of 'between' and almost laughed.
Good grief. What did he think would happen?
Then she remembered Taulin's arms keeping her from falling from her horse and decided it was probably for the best.