Chapter 14

14

Your destiny may seem a mystery, but clues lie in the shadows along your path.

~ Winter Moon Priest Dazibaru

The overgrown trail Jankarr found through the preserve was too narrow for the taybarri to ride side by side, but that didn't keep him from sending curious glances over his shoulder at Kaylina. Frequently.

Exhausted, she didn't ask him what was on his mind. As soon as they escaped the Kar'ruk-filled preserve, she planned to flop her face into Levitke's fur and sleep until they reached… whatever safe place Jankarr intended to store her. But with towering trees all about, vines flicking now and then, and the threat of invaders remaining, she didn't dare doze off. So she noticed Jankarr's glances.

When they reached a wider section of the trail, he slowed his taybarri to walk beside Levitke.

"I have so many questions," Jankarr said. "Will you answer them if I ask?"

"My favorite color is lavender, I'm sworn to Elsavi, the Forest Goddess, and I cheated twice on tests in school, but only because my grandmother had high expectations and let us know—sternly—if we didn't perform to her standards."

Jankarr's mouth drooped open.

"Those weren't the questions you were wondering about?" Kaylina didn't want to answer anything about Vlerion or those clawed and bitten Kar'ruk, and she was positive that was what Jankarr was pondering. She worried about accidentally giving away Vlerion's secret.

"No, but why your grandmother instead of your parents?"

"My father was long gone by the time I was in school, and my mother was… is more focused on herself these days." Kaylina didn't want to talk about her family or her mother's addiction to tarmav weed either. "Grandma is the founder of the Spitting Gull and the matriarch of the family."

"Huh." Jankarr glanced into the forest ahead. The birds were chirping, and there weren't any musky scents, so hopefully that meant all the Kar'ruk were in a different part of the preserve, being chased down by Vlerion, Targon, and the other rangers. "My first question is why was Vlerion naked in that valley?"

She blinked. "Based on what we were doing when you all showed up, you can't guess?"

"Well, I don't know why he would be naked and you'd still be dressed. Sort of dressed." He glanced toward her chest but quickly looked away. "I could see both naked or both with rumpled clothes, but, uhm."

"Is this really the burning question that has had you glancing back at me for the last half hour?" Kaylina asked to buy herself time to think of a reason since the real reason was tied up in the beast change.

"One of them. It's not like Vlerion to let himself be caught with his pants down when enemies might be in the area. And that was a lot more than his pants down." Jankarr arched his eyebrows. " Your pants were almost down."

"Yes, thank you for the recap."

"Sorry." He shrugged and smiled sheepishly.

As she'd noticed before, he was handsome, and she suspected that sheepish smile had gotten him out of a lot of trouble with women in his life.

"He was tense after the battle," Kaylina said. "I offered to relax him. I gave him a massage, which he appreciated."

"Oh, yeah, we all saw how appreciative he was." Jankarr smirked, then waggled his eyebrows. "I'm kind of tense. It's been a long day."

"Are you going to hop off your taybarri and strip if I offer a massage?"

"I might. Did you see the battle with the Kar'ruk? Were you there?"

"I was… hiding in the ruins. I did mess up an archer's shot with a sling round, but you may have seen in our earlier battle that my lead shots don't faze them in the least. I cracked one guy in the head, and all he did was look at me."

"Yeah, even swords aren't great weapons on them. I'd like to get my hands on one of their magical axes, though I've heard the berry juice, or whatever it is they coat them with, wears off and has to be reapplied. Supposedly, the ingredient only grows in their frigid land to the north. Our people have tried to find it, trade for it, and bribe Kar'ruk for information on it, but their people keep the secret close." Jankarr glanced at her again. "Did the taybarri join in the battle?"

Kaylina started to shake her head but realized he wondered about the claw and fang marks. "Yes. I believe they were crucial in Vlerion's victory."

She lay an apologetic hand on Levitke's shoulder, not wanting to lie about the taybarri involvement, but… if it kept the rangers from figuring out what had truly killed the Kar'ruk, that would be ideal.

Levitke looked back at her without whuffing or giving any indication that she minded. If anything, her soulful brown eyes seemed to hold regret, like maybe she wished she had been there in the battle instead of running.

No. Kaylina patted her. Better that the taybarri hadn't been where they could have been accidental victims of the beast.

"The Kar'ruk bodies were more, ah, ravaged than is typical for enemies the taybarri take down." Jankarr watched her.

"Were they? It was a chaotic battle. Vlerion was outnumbered. Like I said, I wasn't much help, unfortunately."

"It didn't look like any died to sword wounds."

Kaylina shrugged. "You said slender blades don't do a lot against them."

"Vlerion usually manages."

She gave him another shrug. "I don't know. Like I said, I was hiding. And I'm tired. Could we just ride?"

She willed the trail to grow narrow again. Or for a vine to swing down and cover Jankarr's mouth. No, she had better not wish for that.

"Sure. I was curious, that's all. A lot of people have been mauled by claws and fangs lately." He kept watching her.

Why did she have a feeling he wouldn't be content to just ride ? She was starting to wish she'd asked to stay with the rangers, but Targon hadn't been in the mood to do her any favors.

"You haven't been reading those newspapers, have you?" she asked.

This time, Jankarr shrugged. "I've seen them. All the rangers are talking about them. We're being implicated, and none of us know why."

"The Kar'ruk don't have claws, do they?" Kaylina tried to remember the hands of the archer who'd shot at her, hopeful the deaths in the city might be blamed on the invaders. But, no, she was fairly certain the Kar'ruk had dark nails but not claws.

"No," Jankarr said.

The beast wasn't the only being around with claws, but there weren't that many predators that wandered through Port Jirador. There were taybarri, of course, but they weren't that bloodthirsty. Thus far, she'd only seen them leap into battle against threats to the kingdom.

A vine dangling from a branch flicked, drawing Kaylina's eye to a few stone slabs set back from the trail. Moss, leaves, and more vines almost hid the ruins. She wanted to urge Levitke to move past the area as quickly as possible but spotted what might have been a boot sticking out of undergrowth near one of the slabs.

"Stop, my friend." Jankarr patted his taybarri. "I smell…"

Levitke and his mount whuffed uncertainly and looked around. Kaylina caught the odor too, the musky Kar'ruk odor.

She pointed toward the ruins—toward the boot. "There's something over there."

Or someone . A Kar'ruk?

A faint breeze blew toward the ruins instead of away, else they might have caught the scent sooner.

"Stay on the trail." Jankarr slid off his taybarri and drew his sword. "I'll check."

Since Kaylina wanted nothing more than to leave the preserve, she didn't mind obeying the order, but she did load her sling. Thus far, the vines hadn't drawn her into trouble, but this could be a Kar'ruk trap, the boot placed as bait to lure them to investigate.

Jankarr stepped off the trail, looking at drag marks on the ground and broken branches. The vine flicked again.

Kaylina pointed at it. "Watch out for that. The vines here can come to life and entrap you. It happened to Vlerion in the ruins by the lake."

"I've heard stories about them." Jankarr skirted the vine as he approached the boot. "Rangers respect the wilderness and the animals and plants within. It's a shame that this place hates us."

Kaylina didn't ask if he knew the full story of the curse. He probably did, just not the part about Vlerion and his family.

Using his sword, Jankarr gingerly lifted a leaf-laden branch next to the boot. That revealed the leg and the Kar'ruk body attached to it, attached but smothered in vines.

The thick green tendrils were wrapped numerous times around the warrior's midsection, and one had snaked around his neck too. The haft of his axe was visible in the dirt, a vine also securing it.

Kaylina assumed the Kar'ruk was dead, but the boot twitched, and the warrior's eyes popped open.

Swearing, Jankarr jumped back and raised his sword to strike.

The Kar'ruk growled weakly at him and shifted, but he couldn't move more than an inch, thanks to the vines that pinned his torso and limbs to the ground. That didn't keep hatred from burning in his eyes as he glared at Jankarr.

"Targon wanted a Kar'ruk brought in alive to question." Jankarr didn't lower his sword, but he looked thoughtfully toward his taybarri. "If we could keep this guy wrapped up and subdued, he would do. Assuming he doesn't have any poison in his mouth to kill himself with."

"And assuming you can break him free of the vines. It's not easy."

"How did Vlerion escape?"

Kaylina hesitated. How indeed. "I feebly whacked at the vines with his sword." True. "But the taybarri were the ones with the strength to break them." Possibly true, even if they hadn't been around to do it.

"Ours can help then. Or maybe this would do the job." Only a thin tendril wrapped around the axe haft, so Jankarr was able to cut it free. Despite a coating of dirt and pieces of cut vegetation, the sharp head glowed a soft blue. "Beautiful craftsmanship, and it tingles in my hand."

The Kar'ruk snarled, fingers twitching toward Jankarr. No doubt the warrior wanted to throttle him for presuming to touch the weapon.

"Sorry, my enemy." Jankarr shifted the axe to aim at one of the thick vines binding the Kar'ruk's torso. "I'd feel dishonorable for using your weapon and taking advantage of your predicament, but you are trespassing on kingdom land and doing who knows what out here. No." Jankarr's jaw clenched. "I know exactly what you've done."

He had to be thinking of the injured woman and dead men.

"Do you want me to help?" Kaylina asked when the tip of the thick vine twitched. "So far, the plants in here haven't bothered me. I assume because I'm not a ranger."

She glanced at the brand on the back of her hand and almost added, Possibly for other reasons , but worried she'd already shared too much with Jankarr. He was rubbing his mental sticks together to make fire too quickly for the safety of Vlerion's secret.

"Nope." Jankarr hefted the axe overhead but paused to wink back at her. "I'll take a massage afterward, though, if you're inclined."

"I don't think you want to get naked out here." Kaylina watched the twitchy vine, worried the Kar'ruk wasn't the only one who would end up entrapped.

"Vlerion seemed to think it was the thing to do."

"He's a unique soul."

"I've noticed that." Jankarr chopped the axe into the vine. It cut halfway through on the first blow. "Given how much prettier than him I am, you'd think the ladies we ride past would proposition me , but they're oddly drawn to him." After he cleaved the vine in half, he gave her another look, one more curious and puzzled than his wink.

"Scars intrigue girls. And I'm sure you do fine too."

"When I'm not beside him, yes. Do you think I should let myself get hit in the face more often? You know, for scars?"

"You could go to one of the playhouses and have a makeup artist paint one on. It would be less painful."

"I suppose that's true." Jankarr shifted to target another vine, but, as he raised the axe, several more shot out of the undergrowth.

Kaylina cursed and rushed forward. She'd been afraid of that.

Jankarr leaped back, almost evading the viper-like vines, but they were too fast. One caught him by the ankle, yanking him off balance. He kept hold of the axe but landed hard on his back, unable to soften the fall with the vine pulling at him. It drew him across the earth, rucking his clothing, until he was side by side with the Kar'ruk. The horned warrior roared with satisfaction, even though his predicament hadn't improved.

Jankarr sat up, aiming the axe for the vine around his ankle, but two more swept out of the undergrowth, and one slithered across an overhead branch and descended. Toward his neck?

"Look out!" Kaylina stopped a few feet away, afraid to get too close while he swung the axe around.

The blade struck vines, splitting them, but more appeared. One lashed out, smacking him in the eye and stunning him for a second. It was long enough for the vines to plaster him flat to the ground, the same as the Kar'ruk. One pinned his wrist so he couldn't use the axe.

All around them, the foliage buzzed with the magical energy Kaylina had felt earlier. It seemed angry, like a disturbed hornet's nest.

She crept closer and risked resting a hand on Jankarr's shoulder. The vines rippled and undulated without letting him go. They didn't lash out at her, but she didn't know what to do.

"It's not going to eat us, is it?" Jankarr asked plaintively.

"If the plants were carnivorous, they would have eaten the Kar'ruk," Kaylina said.

"Maybe their kind don't taste good. All hate and gristle."

" Kluk ka borgluk, " the Kar'ruk snarled.

"Let go of the axe, and I'll try to cut you free." Kaylina debated if the vines would capture her if she did that. They hadn't attacked Jankarr until he'd damaged them.

"I don't think I can." Jankarr moved his head as much as he could to glance at his wrist. Not only was a vine wrapped around it, pinning his arm to the ground, but one had snaked around the haft of the axe, pinning it .

"I… could go get the others." Maybe. Kaylina didn't have any idea where the rest of the rangers had gone after leaving the valley. Even if she did, enough time had passed that they would be miles away.

Jankarr groaned. "I'd rather die than let them see that I got myself into this predicament."

"If it helps, the Kar'ruk did too."

"It does not help."

Leaves rustled behind Kaylina, and she spun. But it was only Levitke and Jankarr's mount.

"Can you two bite me free?" Jankarr asked the taybarri hopefully.

"Yes." Kaylina nodded, stepping aside for them. Thanks to their fangs and claws, they had weapons the vines couldn't steal from them.

But as soon as the taybarri approached, their maws opening, several new vines slithered into view, rearing up to strike like the cobras she kept comparing them to.

The taybarri hesitated, issuing uncertain whuffs. One snapped toward Levitke like a whip cracking.

" No! " Kaylina snarled, furious that a plant would attack her friendly taybarri mount.

Maybe it wasn't smart, but she lunged forward and grabbed the vine, willing it to leave the animals alone. To leave Jankarr alone too.

The tip flicked in irritation. What was that word she'd blurted before?

" Sywretha!"

The vine went limp. They all went limp, and the hum of power faded.

Though surprised, Jankarr reacted before the Kar'ruk. He sat up, hefting the axe, then lunged to his knee and one foot as he slammed the flat of the blade down on the warrior's head. The Kar'ruk had been entangled longer and half unconscious when they'd found him, so he didn't get his arms up in time to block. Jankarr struck him again and again. It took several mighty blows with the flat of the blade before the warrior slumped back, falling unconscious.

"Wish I had some of that knock-out powder the apothecaries make." Jankarr made sure the Kar'ruk was truly unconscious and not feigning before turning to look at Kaylina. His eyes were round as he asked, "What did you do?"

"Nothing." Realizing she gripped the now-limp vine, Kaylina dropped it.

"That was not nothing."

Kaylina shrugged. "I said that word before in the other ruins, and it helped."

"What does it mean?"

"I have no idea. I'm not even sure where I heard it. Or read it."

Jankarr stared at her for a long silent moment as if she were the strangest thing he'd ever seen. The words of her past lover, Domas, floated to mind again: What is wrong with you? You look so normal.

"Something tells me that if I'd yelled that," Jankarr said, "nothing would have happened."

"Probably not." Kaylina eyed the back of her hand. "You haven't fed honey to any plants lately."

After checking the Kar'ruk one more time, Jankarr said, "Let's tie up our prisoner—with ropes , not vines—and head back. Maybe if Captain Targon gets some answers from questioning this guy, he'll be in a better mood."

"Okay."

"I'll have to report to him that you… can do whatever it is you did."

"I wouldn't mind if he didn't learn about this." Kaylina had saved Jankarr's life, however atypically. Couldn't he keep a secret for her?

Jankarr smiled sadly. "I am, sometimes unfortunately, honor bound to report everything that's a matter of kingdom security or safety for the rangers."

"I don't have anything to do with either of those things."

"We'll see," he said grimly.