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Storm Runner-Wolfwalker 03-Harper, Tara K
Chapter 15
A graying storm; a prison planned;
Betrayal sweeps across the land.
The pack runs through the Black Ravines;
Betrayal makes the howling keen.
The Gray Ones call; the pack flees by;
Wolfwalker, come with us or die.
On the southern edge of the Black Ravines, Aranur paced the clearing
restlessly. They had stopped for a break barely five minutes earlier, but he
was already irritable, anxious to get going. It would be at least another five
minutes the dnu were still watering at the stream. He glanced at the sun,
then swept his gaze over the group. Ten archers, five swordsmen, himself,
Tehena, and Gamon. He had wanted more archers because it would be an
ambush, not a ground fight, but he had insisted on the swordsmen just in
case they had no idea how many raiders would follow Dion and the other
scout back across the border. He brought the strategist, Tehena, along only
on Gamon s insistence. His uncle said she could use the experience, and
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this ambush would be a good testing ground. With Dion and the other
scout as the bait, Aranur was not so sure he agreed. If he was honest, he
thought sourly, he would admit the other reason he did not enjoy Tehena s
company: she was a hard woman. There was no softness in her not even
for Dion, the one person to whom she gave unconditional loyalty. She
rarely spoke, and when she did, there was a bite to her words that could
make even Gamon wince. Why his uncle insisted&
He sighed. Gamon insisted because, despite Tehena s shortfalls, she was a
damned good strategist. Not having studied tactics in the schools had not
hurt her thinking. She had the kind of mind that could worm her way
around any obstacle, adapting the Ariyens to the terrain when she could,
and changing the terrain when she could not shift the fighters. It was easy to
forget her youth. She was seventeen and looked to be thirty. Her thin hair
hung limply, and her scrawny frame had picked up no meat on her bones
even after a year of good eating. The dator drug that had addicted her, then
aged her, had left her thus, and even the best that Dion could do for her had
not regained a month of her youth. Looking at her now, seeing her stillness,
her wary distrust, he wondered if she had ever been a child.
They had gone only a kilometer farther when he grew uneasy. He was last
in the line, letting Gamon take the lead, and he had been watching their
backtrail closely. He could swear there was someone on the trail behind
them. Twice now, perhaps a kilometer back, a shadow had passed behind
the trees when he looked. He glanced around, but Hishn had disappeared.
Moon-worms. Jans, he called softly ahead. Watch the forest. Pass the
word. There is something behind us.
Quickly, the message swept up the line. As soon as they passed beneath the
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next stand of trees, Aranur stopped and reined around. The other riders
stopped by his signal. He stared at the trail behind them. Waited. Patiently.
Waited.
There he was right. Look, he called softly. Two of the men and one of
the women dismounted, coming to stand beside his dnu, their bodies
carefully half behind the trees. At the distance of the rider behind them and
with their browns and striped greens, they could not be easily seen. The
movement came again. Someone was climbing the trail after them.
What& Aranur s eyes narrowed.
That isn t a man, the woman archer said slowly. Nor a woman, unless it
is a small one.
Aranur swore vehemently. Dag-chewing, worlag-spawned rastin-baited
worms. He dismounted. Take my dnu. He handed the reins to one of the
men. I ll catch up to you later.
The man hesitated. I m not sure I like that.
Aranur grinned without humor. I m damned sure I don t like it, but if I
want to catch that boy, I d better be able to step out from behind one of
these trees like a ghost, or I ll spook him.
Boy? The woman was incredulous. She glanced back along the trail.
Comprehension dawned. You mean Tomi? He was following you and
Dion around like a dog&
Aranur nodded. He took an emergency pack from the back of his saddle and
set it into a hollow in the tree roots. Tomi would not notice it there, and if
things did not go well, Aranur himself might need it.
The man holding his dnu shook his head. You mean that boy has been
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Storm Runner-Wolfwalker 03-Harper, Tara K
following us all the way from town?
Aranur nodded shortly. And probably no one even knows he s missing.
You want help? What if you run into trouble catching up to us?
It s not necessary. Gray Hishn will warn us of any danger.
The burly fighter nodded slowly. The Gray One left you and went back to
him?
Dion must have realized Tomi was following us. She is still linked to
Hishn, even though the distance must be as great as it ever has been. If
Hishn smelled the boy, Dion would know. She would have been worried
out of her mind about him riding alone. He shook his head in disgust. She
would have asked Hishn to go back. I can t see any other reason for a Gray
One to run with a boy who is afraid of wolves.
Why not have Hishn tell you that the boy is behind us?
Aranur smiled grimly. I cannot speak to the wolves myself. Unless Hishn
caught my attention, I would not know there was anything to say between
us. Later, both Hishn and I will be waiting for her contact with the
ambush, we will need it but that will be when she is close to both of us.
At this distance, Dion s link must be pretty weak. Besides He shrugged.
Dion knows we would not get far without noticing that we were being
followed.
The woman mounted her dnu. We ll stop at the bottom of the next ridge. If
you aren t caught up to us by then&
Thanks. Better get going. Aranur glanced back. He will be able to see
these trees soon enough.
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Storm Runner-Wolfwalker 03-Harper, Tara K
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