Chapter 24

24

Enemies may approach openly or with stealth. Trust neither.

~ Ranger Captain Targon

Vlerion pushed back his hood and strode across the park toward the twin columns of Kar'ruk striding up the street.

"Ranger," several people blurted in relief, glancing from him to the Kar'ruk.

"That's Lord Vlerion," a boy of nine or ten blurted. "He's savage. He'll pounce on those horned uglies."

Face grim, Vlerion gripped the hilt of his sword as numerous pairs of yellow Kar'ruk eyes shifted toward him.

Keeping her hood up, Kaylina followed at a distance. She had her sling and would help if Vlerion leaped into a fight, but there were a lot of witnesses here, witnesses who could later tell the kingdom guards that they'd seen her.

But why weren't guards already present and rushing to engage the Kar'ruk? Kaylina couldn't believe the warriors were brazenly striding down a main street in the middle of the day. How had they gotten through the city gate?

As she reached the trees, more of the horned figures came into view.

Several steps behind the two columns, four muscular warriors carried a litter on their shoulders, with two female Kar'ruk sitting on pale blue stools atop it. They wore fur-trimmed cloaks open to reveal pale hide dresses embellished with emerald and turquoise beads. Numerous fingerbone and fang necklaces and bracelets added further ornamentation but did nothing to soften their faces. They were as hard as those of the male warriors as they gazed coolly and haughtily at Vlerion and the staring onlookers.

This had to be a diplomatic mission, but, with all those armed fighters, it could easily turn into a war party if they were provoked. Maybe even if they weren't provoked. The appearance of this party at the same time as the Kar'ruk had infiltrated the preserve and catacombs couldn't be a coincidence.

As the procession drew even with Vlerion, who'd stopped on the sidewalk, Kaylina rounded an aspen and spotted a few kingdom guards in gray-and-black uniforms trailing the litter. They carried crossbows and wore swords but weren't pointing their weapons at the visitors. Had the Kar'ruk been invited?

Kaylina halted and stepped back into the shadow of the tree. For her, the guards were as much of a danger as the Kar'ruk.

Vlerion must have been thinking something similar, because he looked at her, a finger twitching, warning her to stay back.

"Oh, I am," she muttered, though he was too far away to hear.

His gaze shifted past her shoulder, and he nodded once. She turned to look for the recipient of the gesture.

Jankarr was riding toward her on his taybarri with Levitke ambling at its side. When he caught her gaze, Jankarr crooked a finger and pointed toward Levitke's back.

Kaylina hesitated. Leaving would be a good idea, but she hated the thought of leaving Vlerion in danger. Especially since he, after his silent exchange with Jankarr, strode out into the street to stop the procession.

What if the Kar'ruk knew he'd killed one of their kind in the catacombs earlier? And others in the preserve?

Kaylina loaded a round into her sling.

"You're to stay out of it," Jankarr said softly, riding into the shadow of the aspen with her.

Levitke bounced around him to stand in front of Kaylina, almost blocking her view of the procession. The Kar'ruk had halted, many of them raising their weapons and glaring at Vlerion.

"Step aside, human," one of the lead Kar'ruk rasped in a deep voice, speaking heavily accented Zaldorian. He was the first Kar'ruk that Kaylina had heard use their language. "Our chieftains come to see your king, not his minions."

"You were not invited," Vlerion said with certainty.

Could he know for sure?

"We are a diplomatic party on a diplomatic mission, and we will see him. The treaty of Ansiark Mountain states this is permissible. Leaders from both peoples may enter the enemy's territory without opposition if it is for diplomatic purposes."

"The guards might notice you," Jankarr added to Kaylina.

"I know, but Vlerion?—"

"Doesn't need your help. The guards are there, and more rangers are on the way and in nearby streets. Our scouts spotted these guys coming from miles away. Besides, Targon wants you out of the city, finding that press."

" That's the priority, right now?" Kaylina waved toward the street. There was no way that was a legitimate diplomatic party.

No doubt thinking the same, Vlerion asked, "Is your diplomatic party aware that your kind have been preying on humans of late? Here, in our kingdom?"

"Our kind enjoy preying on humans whenever we can, but we know nothing of this happening in your kingdom. We are here in peace to negotiate with your king for access to our sacred catacombs. We have not strayed from your roads and have long been aware of your rangers observing us. Step aside, human." The Kar'ruk leaned closer to Vlerion, and his nostrils twitched. "Or are you fully human? You have a unique scent."

Kaylina stared. Could the Kar'ruk smell that Vlerion could become a beast?

A few warriors in the column murmured to themselves in their own tongue.

"What will you offer in trade for access to the catacombs?" Vlerion probably sought to divert the speaker's curiosity about him.

"We will speak only with the king, not a minion, but know that your time fornicating and crafting your odious hovels on our holy land is coming to an end. We have brought proof that these valleys and fertile shoreline belong to our people."

"Is that so," Vlerion said in a flat tone.

A few rangers in black leather armor stepped out of side streets to observe, some on foot and others mounted on taybarri.

"It is so, as you will soon see. If you do not accept our proof and leave this land, your kind will be destroyed. We now have the means to eradicate you." The Kar'ruk smiled, revealing a mouthful of fangs. "Step aside, human, or join the escort taking us to your king's domicile. If you do not, we will walk through you. Your scent, and what it may indicate, does not concern our strong warriors." Nostrils twitching, the Kar'ruk tested the air again. First, he sniffed toward Vlerion, but he must have caught another scent on the breeze because his head turned.

His yellow eyes locked onto Kaylina.

She froze. Between her hood and cloak, and a taybarri half-blocking the view, the Kar'ruk couldn't have seen much about her—nothing that should have caught his eye—but his nose was what had guided him to look in her direction. No, straight at her.

"I will escort you, and if you show any sign of hostility, my rangers and I will put an end to your party." Vlerion followed the Kar'ruk's gaze toward Kaylina and frowned. He flicked his fingers at Jankarr, a why-haven't-you-guided-her-out-of-here-yet gesture.

Jankarr spread his arms, then bent down to grab Kaylina under the armpits.

Startled, she barely kept from squawking when he hefted her onto Levitke's back.

"Time for you to go," Jankarr whispered. "For more reasons than Targon's orders."

Though she worried about Vlerion, Kaylina didn't resist when Jankarr guided his taybarri into the park, making clucking noises to Levitke, convincing her to carry Kaylina away. Vlerion had other rangers nearby to help if trouble broke out. Besides, whatever those Kar'ruk were up to, she had a feeling they wouldn't brawl in the street. If they were trying to enact a plot to take back their land, they wouldn't risk themselves over something insignificant.

"Why does Targon care about the press now?" Kaylina asked when the taybarri veered out of the park toward another street. He wasn't heading back to the castle, where she'd left Frayvar. "I need to check on my brother."

"Your brother went to visit a poison maker with Doc Penderbrock, who apparently knows the man. As for the rest, Targon wants you out of the city so you won't be a distraction for Vlerion."

Kaylina frowned at him, but she struggled to argue with that. It may not have been her intent, but hadn't she almost distracted Vlerion to the point of turning into the beast scant minutes earlier? What if the Kar'ruk hadn't shown up? What would have happened?

Jankarr lifted an apologetic hand. "I know. I thought it was a questionable order, or at least a questionable concern, myself. Vlerion has never been distracted by a woman, not in the years I've been in the rangers. And with all this Kar'ruk trouble rearing up, I don't know why Targon is worried in the least that it might be a possibility."

Kaylina did, but she didn't say anything about the beast since Jankarr wasn't one of the rangers who knew Vlerion's secret.

"I admit I'm disgruntled to have to leave the city at a time like this too." Jankarr glanced back, though they'd ridden down another street and could no longer see the Kar'ruk or Vlerion. He did spot a pair of guards conferring on a corner. "Make sure your hood is hiding your face," he murmured.

"I am."

Kaylina adjusted it in case it had fallen back. Her elbow brushed the gauntlet hanging from her belt, and she remembered her hope of talking the Virt press operator into printing a retraction. Maybe this wasn't the worst idea. She could help in another way while Vlerion and the rangers kept an eye on the Kar'ruk. With luck, Frayvar would also make progress on their personal problem. Her personal problem. She hoped the doctor would keep an eye on him in case any guards spotted him and had the idea of questioning him to learn her whereabouts.

"Excellent," Jankarr said after Kaylina tugged the hood lower over her eyes. "You're a most amenable companion. I don't know why Targon calls you irreverent."

"Because he's an ass."

"Is he? As a ranger, I'm not allowed to say or think such things."

"If I have to be a ranger, I plan to say and think them frequently."

"You might find yourself engaged in a lot of extra onerous duties, such as peeling potatoes in the depths of the night."

"Oh, good. I've been sleeping way too much lately."

Jankarr's blond eyebrows arched. "I may possibly be observing some of your fabled irreverence now."

"I've heard rangers have keen eyes."

"A truth, for certain."

Levitke whuffed and swished her tail. Maybe taybarri approved of irreverent riders who spoke their minds.

As Jankarr led the way toward a city gate, Kaylina patted a furry shoulder and thought of the plant's first vision. It occurred to her that the taybarri youngers might know where the elders lived.

"Levitke?" she asked softly when they weren't near any guards or pedestrians—and when Jankarr was looking intently toward the gate. "When we get a chance, would you take me to see your family?"

The next whuff had a questioning note to it, and Levitke looked back, one of her floppy ears shifting.

"In the mountains. That's where they live, right? Your elders?"

Depending on how intelligent the young taybarri were, Levitke might be wondering how Kaylina could know anything about her family.

Jankarr's brow furrowed, and he looked over. Maybe he hadn't been as distracted as she'd thought.

"Even if we didn't have another mission, this wouldn't be a good time for a lone woman to venture into the mountains." Jankarr lifted his hand toward the distant peaks. "It's never a good time for a lone woman to venture into the mountains."

"Even with a powerful taybarri mount?"

Without a doubt, Levitke understood that because she lifted her head and her tail, then hopped and surged forward to take the lead from Jankarr's taybarri.

A sturdy male named Zavron, he nipped at her shoulder. It didn't break skin or even ruffle fur, but he'd made his point. With a glare, he increased his pace to take the lead back.

"Even with a taybarri, yes, though they can even the odds against a lot of enemies." Jankarr looked with concern at Kaylina. "Let's focus on locating the press. By the time we complete that duty and return, your brother may have found evidence that will prompt the queen to pull the guards off their hunt for you. The gods know we've got more important things to worry about right now." He glanced back, though the park, Vlerion, and the Kar'ruk had fallen out of view, the intervening buildings hiding even the royal castle on its plateau.

Only the city wall loomed ahead, taller than most of the rooftops. As usual, the gate was open, but two armed graycoats stepped out of a guardhouse and into the street as Jankarr and Kaylina approached on their mounts. In addition to swords belted at their waists, they carried blunderbusses, and they stopped so that they blocked the street. Two more guards stepped out behind them, men with crossbows.

"Let me talk to them," Jankarr murmured, nudging his taybarri to take a greater lead. "Don't say anything."

"Okay." Kaylina rested a hand on Levitke's shoulder, hoping she understood that this wasn't the time to jostle for position with her taybarri herd mate. She resisted the urge to pull her hood lower over her forehead. She'd already done that, and now she had observers.

The cool faces of the guards—and the way they gazed unwaveringly at her approach—made her think they knew who she was. Had some spy glimpsed her and run ahead to alert them?

"Step aside, men," Jankarr said. "We've orders from Captain Targon to ride out."

"You may ride anywhere you wish, Ranger Jankarr," one of the guards said, his voice faintly familiar.

Where had Kaylina heard it before?

"Your companion, however, is not a ranger and is to be detained."

Kaylina rocked back when she recognized the voice. It was the guard who'd pretended not to see that the back of the truck was full of rebel-funded newspapers and had told the ranger nothing important was inside. He had to be a Virt. Did he want to detain Kaylina so the queen's loyal men could drag her to the castle? Or were there Virts around who would take the opportunity to snatch Kaylina?

It didn't matter. She didn't want to be detained by either party. She slid her hand into her pocket, using her cloak to hide the withdrawing of her sling.

"She's training to become a ranger and is on the same mission as I, one assigned by Captain Targon himself. Step aside." Jankarr sat tall and imposing on Zavron's back with his hand on his sword.

Even though the guards had blunderbusses, they shifted uneasily, nervous about attacking him. One switched his aim toward Kaylina.

"No," Jankarr barked, moving to block the man's sights.

Kaylina loaded her sling, a puny weapon against firearms, but she couldn't let Jankarr be hurt because of her.

She glanced left and right, but there were no alleys she could veer into, not by the gate. The area was deliberately open.

"Don't make this difficult, Ranger Jankarr," the speaker said. "Step down or?—"

Zavron surged forward, Jankarr drawing his sword.

Levitke growled and also surged forward but not to fight. The world blurred as she flashed. Between one blink and the next, she went from inside the gate and in front of the men to the highway outside, charging away from the city.

Kaylina glanced back but also flattened herself, afraid the guards would have a clear shot at her. And a blunderbuss did go off, the boom ringing out. But Jankarr had charged into the middle of the guards and knocked the firearm to the side. Its burst of pellets clattered against the stone wall.

He and his taybarri attacked the men to keep them from aiming at Kaylina. Even though he used the hilt of his sword instead of the deadly blade to strike them, Kaylina worried he would get in trouble for opposing the guard, people obeying the queen's orders to arrest her.

"Get the horses," one guard cried. "Go after her!"

"This has not been a good day," Kaylina muttered as Levitke sped away from the city.