Chapter 29

29

Throwing a rock in the river of time may alter the downstream flow but never the upstream.

~ Abayar, Founder Sandsteader Press

The Kar'ruk weren't as intimidated by the arrival of the beast as the Virts sneaking into the royal castle had been. They asked questions, perhaps wondering what manner of creature this was, and stepped away from the fire to grab their axes. When they faced him, it was without fear.

Kaylina swallowed, afraid they and their magical blades would be a match for him. Between the party who'd captured her and those who'd been camped here when they arrived, there were twenty Kar'ruk. Twenty that she'd seen . What if more lurked, camouflaged from view?

When the warriors spread out to give themselves room to fight, they had the mien of beings who'd practiced often together. Experts in battle. And the beast… His blue eyes were wild, full of unthinking savagery, and Kaylina worried his animal instincts wouldn't be enough to make him victorious.

The beast loped into the valley on his powerful legs, but he stopped before charging into the waiting Kar'ruk. His nostrils twitched as his head lifted into the air.

The Kar'ruk murmured to each other, crouching and waving their weapons, one calling a challenge. Despite their confidence, they didn't rush to greet the beast, instead waiting for the battle to come to them.

Kaylina twisted her wrists, wishing she could free herself. If she ran off, maybe the beast wouldn't feel the need to fight all of them. And, if he won, he wouldn't be able to turn on her.

He charged, and she winced at the bold approach, at all the warriors ready for him. But instead of rushing them, he veered toward the pool.

Kaylina watched in confusion—as did the Kar'ruk. Did he intend to jump into the water to cool off before the fight? Had he overexerted himself in his hurry to get here?

No, the beast sprang for the container of silver powder. His sharp claws tore the lid off.

The female Kar'ruk shouted and pointed. Numerous warriors ran to save their precious magical powder.

Somehow, the beast knew what it was and how to use it. Either Vlerion had encountered it before or he'd seen her message in the logbook, and, as separate as his animalistic side was, it could draw upon his memories.

The beast covered himself and faded from view. And none too soon. Roaring and cursing, the axe-wielders reached the pool.

One must have glimpsed the beast because he chopped his blade down, as if swinging at a foe. It struck the flat rock, shearing it in two. The action upended the container, and the female shouted at him as she pointed in the direction the beast had last been seen.

Get him!

Kaylina didn't have to know the language to understand her words.

But the beast struck before the Kar'ruk could find him. He'd altered his path and circled to the back side of the warriors, leaping onto the shoulders of one. Kaylina couldn't see him but could tell from the way his horned foe reacted.

Even as the Kar'ruk threw his arms back, trying to knock him free, the beast bit down into his skull. The warrior went rigid and screamed in pain. Claws raked into his throat, silencing him.

It all happened quickly, but the nearby Kar'ruk also reacted quickly. They rushed toward their ally as he fell and swung their blades toward the beast.

Most missed as he leaped away, but one must have clipped him. The beast grunted in pain, and Kaylina winced with sympathy. He'd taken one enemy down, but he had so many more…

The Kar'ruk charged at the beast. He ran away, understanding that with distance they would lose sight of him again. And they did. Kaylina could tell because their blades slowed, and they shifted to stand back to back, peering around the valley.

"You're smarter in that form than I would have guessed, Vlerion," she whispered.

The tipped cylinder lifted into the air, and the female shouted again, pointing at it. The beast hurled it into the pool.

The Kar'ruk rushed toward him, but he was faster than the big warriors and managed to get behind them again. This time, they were ready. They spun, fanned out, and swung for him, leaving blue streaks in the air as their magical axes whizzed through it.

Kaylina sucked in a breath, not sure she wished she could see the beast or was glad she couldn't. At least two of the axes met nothing but air. A third seemed to hit something. Him.

Not a fatal blow, she hoped.

Even as the Kar'ruk shouted, one went down, dropping his axe and grabbing for his legs. He spun, half tumbling into the pool, as great gashes appeared. His allies whirled toward him with raised blades, but they couldn't attack or they might hit their wounded ally. The beast eviscerated the Kar'ruk, leaving him in the shallows of the pond, before springing away.

One warrior swung his axe downward like a logger, but it missed the beast, lodging in muddy ground instead. Before he could pull it free, claws sank into his hamstring below his chainmail tunic. Another Kar'ruk rushed to help him, but, after gouging muscle from his foe, the beast shoved the wounded warrior into the paths of the others, delaying them while he sprinted out of their view.

A part of Kaylina was glad the Kar'ruk were suffering by having their own tactics used against them. A part of her worried that, with this advantage, the beast would be victorious, as he had been in the plant's vision. Then he would turn on her.

She twisted her wrists, desperate now to loosen the bonds, and looked around for anything that might help. If only the Kar'ruk hadn't moved her away from the altered plants. Now and then, one of the warriors stomped through the undergrowth as they rushed about, battling the beast, but she couldn't touch any of the foliage.

Did she need to? Kaylina glanced toward her brand, wishing she knew what she'd done when she'd communicated with the pine tree and the plants. As far as she could recall, she'd only willed her thoughts at them.

Can you help me escape? Kaylina asked silently, focusing on the plants she'd knelt on before. Not with a vision. Maybe with a knife. She snorted at herself. As if the undergrowth had a knife. Maybe some of your berries could be smooshed against my ropes to loosen them, she suggested instead.

A Kar'ruk went flying, landing among the plants. The leaves rippled, as if displeased, but they didn't respond to Kaylina in any way she could understand.

Only when she looked up did she realize that the Kar'ruk had been the last warrior standing. Using their invisibility powder against them, the beast had been victorious. The bodies of the dead littered the valley, their tents smashed, their magical powder destroyed.

Heavy breathing came from the air near the undergrowth. Heavy breathing and soft snarls that chilled Kaylina.

The beast stepped past the downed Kar'ruk, drawing close enough for her to see. He was staring straight at her with no recognition in his eyes. Blood dripped from numerous axe wounds, but his muscles rippled under his short fur, and he emanated power.

Kaylina tensed. The vision had proven true. He would kill her now.

An uncertain roar came from the forest at the entrance of the valley. Was that a taybarri? Crenoch?

Of course, Vlerion would have been mounted on his taybarri until he turned. But Crenoch might be too afraid to charge in as long as his rider was in this form.

With his blue eyes devoid of humanity, the beast stalked toward Kaylina.

Terrified and trapped against the stump, she couldn't do anything but meet that animalistic gaze. Mouth dry, she hummed the song he'd shared with her, trying to remember some of the lyrics, those detailing the sorrow of the lake as humanity, with its common enemy defeated, turned on each other.

Eyes slitted, the beast looked her up and down. He stopped close enough to touch her, close enough to kill her.

A clawed hand— paw —reached toward her. Kaylina winced, turning her face away, but made herself sing the snatches of lyrics she remembered. If only she had more of a talent for music. Maybe it would have worked.

A single cold claw traced her cheek to her jaw. It didn't draw blood. It didn't even hurt.

"My… female," the beast rasped.

"Yes," she croaked. Might the plant have been wrong? Maybe Vlerion wouldn't kill her. Maybe he would?—

The claw trailed down the side of her neck, to her breast, and she shivered, realizing he might not tear her to pieces, but he could kill her all the same. The scars on his mother's neck came to mind, evidence of the beast's touch, left when Vlerion's father had claimed her. And Isla had said that some women chosen by the various beasts of the Havartaft line hadn't survived.

"My mate ." The beast snarled, gripped her shoulder, and looked back at the dead Kar'ruk. His lips rippled in defiance, showing fangs instead of blunt human teeth.

"Yes," Kaylina said again. Remembering the spymaster's question, asking if she could, with her anrokk power, control the beast somehow, she whispered. "Will you free me?"

He leaned closer, inhaled her scent, and licked her throat. With his trousers in shreds, she could see that he was aroused, that he wanted her.

"Vlerion," she whispered, trembling. Afraid. "I command you to free me."

He snarled, the grip on her shoulder tightening, and his gaze jerked to her face. Irritated. Defiant. And possessive.

No, ordering him around wasn't a good idea.

"Please," she tried in a far more conciliatory tone. "I won't go anywhere if you free me. I'm your female, okay? Your mate ." She preferred that term, one that didn't imply that he owned her.

"My mate," he rasped in that inhuman voice.

His paw lowered from her shoulder to cup her breast through her shirt. Another tremble went through her, though she wasn't positive that desire didn't mingle with the fear, raising the question of what it would be like… if she survived.

But she shook her head. With the memory of the plant's vision filling her mind, she doubted she would survive the beast's ministrations. The great power in that body could be unleashed by lust as much as rage.

She didn't try to pull away, but she tried again to get through to him. She had to.

"I know you're in there, Vlerion. I need you to change back. The kingdom needs you too. And your fellow rangers need you. We have to come up with a plan. Do you understand?"

His eyes changed ever so slightly. They became less animal, less savage.

"Once the kingdom is safe, I'll find a way to lift your curse," she promised, vowing that it wouldn't be a lie. "Then we can be together."

Still cupping her, he stroked her, his claw cutting the fabric of her shirt as a hint of defiance entered his eyes again. He wanted to be together now .

Though he'd been biting his enemies as much as cutting them with his claws, she made herself lean forward to kiss him, willing whatever power she could command to enter him, to soothe him. To at least make him amenable to her suggestions.

At first, he kissed her back, savage with need. But the brand on her hand tingled, and she imagined magical energy flowing up her arm, through her, and into him.

The beast growled. Or was that a groan? A groan of acceptance?

His lips softened against hers, and he lowered his paw. Some of the tension eased out of his taut muscles, the dangerous edge bleeding away.

Kaylina believed he was on the verge of collapsing and turning back into a man when a blur of blue streaked in from the side.

Captured by her kiss and her power, the beast didn't notice until the last moment. He spun to face the threat, but the taybarri—it was Crenoch—flattened him.

A second taybarri charged in right behind him. Levitke. Together, they pinned the beast's arms and legs to the ground, and Crenoch sat on his chest.

Even their combined power might not have normally been enough to keep him down, but the fight had seeped out of the beast. Trapped under them, he morphed back into a man, his sword and boots lost, his clothes in tatters. In the process, he lost consciousness.

Crenoch and Levitke looked at each other, their floppy ears quirking. Maybe they hadn't expected that to be so easy.

Kaylina almost pointed out that the beast had already been on the verge of collapsing but decided against it. In the future, she might need their help with him again. It would be better if the taybarri weren't as terrified of him.

"Thank you, you two. I don't suppose one of you would free me? My shoulders are terribly sore, and there's… a lot to do."

Kaylina hoped Vlerion woke soon, because she wanted to know what was going on in the capital. Had that diplomatic party already enacted some scheme? Were invisible Kar'ruk racing through the city streets with axes and torches, destroying everything and everyone they encountered?

The plant's vision hadn't been entirely accurate about the beast-Kar'ruk confrontation—at least how things ended with her—so she wouldn't assume the new vision would play out exactly as shown. Even so, she had little doubt the Kar'ruk had come to enact a scheme and did want to burn down the city.

"No way are we going to let that happen," she vowed softly. "I have a meadery to open."

After exchanging grave looks that may have hinted of trouble that had already started back in Port Jirador, Levitke and Crenoch moved off Vlerion. Levitke rounded the stump and, using a sharp fang, cut the rope tying Kaylina to it.

A surge of relief came as blood flowed into her arms again. She shook them out, then bent to untie her ankles.

Crenoch whuffed toward Levitke. He remained with Vlerion but must have realized the threat had passed, because he lay on his belly beside him now, only his broad head on Vlerion's chest. It looked more like he was using him for a pillow than trying to keep him in place.

"Long night for you guys too, huh?" Once Kaylina had the rope untied, she kicked it away with passion.

Crenoch whuffed again, then rolled onto his back, jaw opening, and tongue lolling out.

"Yeah, I'd like a nap too, but…" Kaylina picked a path between the dead Kar'ruk, wanting to find her sling, knife, and pick up her maimed pack. Maybe she could locate bandages for Vlerion's wounds too. "A lot more Kar'ruk are coming," she added to the taybarri. "And they can turn invisible. Well, they paint themselves with powder from an altered plant, and that makes them hard to see. Did you tell him, Levitke?"

She whuffed an affirmative, then walked toward one of the tents, glancing at the cauldron of Kaylina's blood and who knew what else. She used her tail to knock it over, dousing the fire in the process. Blue-black smoke wafted up.

Ignoring it, Levitke stuck her head in the tent and poked around. She withdrew the kit the female had carried.

Remembering the scalpel, Kaylina shuddered.

Levitke dropped the kit, used a claw to open it, then lowered her fangs to pull out squares of soft hide and strips of braided grass.

"Are those Kar'ruk bandages?" Kaylina asked.

Levitke took them to Vlerion's side and dropped them.

"You guys are really smart, aren't you? I don't know who implied you don't gain intelligence until you become elders… Maybe the rangers aren't as observant as they think."

On his back with his blue-furred belly to the sky, Crenoch yawned, hunched his spine, and used a hind paw to scratch his armpit.

"Or maybe you're goofy enough that they underestimate you."

Crenoch lolled his tongue out at her.

"Levitke and I need to find your people in case they can help with the Kar'ruk. The plant told me— Uhm, I have a hunch your elders will be able to assist us." Kaylina doubted the taybarri would judge her for taking advice from a sentient plant, but it sounded silly in her own ears. "Crenoch, can you go back to the city and warn the rangers about all these Kar'ruk in the mountains? It's possible more are on the way. You can take Vlerion with you, and he can do the talking." She hoped he would wake up first so she could explain everything to him.

" Vlerion will go with you," he spoke from the ground, his head turning to find her with his eyes.

"Someone with a human mouth needs to explain everything to Targon and the king and whoever else will listen." As Kaylina knelt to squeeze his shoulder, relieved he was awake, she summarized what she'd seen with the Kar'ruk. She also found the paper with the silver powder on it to show him. "Did you see my note in the tower? About this stuff?"

"Yes. It explains much." After touching her hand gently, Vlerion groaned and extricated himself from under Crenoch's head. Blood dripped from his wounds, but that didn't keep him from pulling her into a hug and resting his face against the top of her head. "I'm relieved you're all right."

"Me too." Her body leaned into him, relishing his embrace, as it always did.

"I left other rangers back at the tower. They also saw your note and understand the threat. They'll defend the city. You said the taybarri elders can help? I will go with you to find them."

"I have no idea how long it will take. The, uhm, plant didn't say." Kaylina briefly explained the vision, surprised he was willing to go with her and didn't insist they both return immediately to Port Jirador.

"Before this, I'd never heard of magical plants giving people visions, but I can sense your power and believe…" Vlerion leaned back to gaze into her eyes. "Based on what's happened so far, I believe that what the plants are sharing with you is worth heeding."

"Maybe not all of it." Kaylina thought of the vision that involved her killing Vlerion, but that had come from the plant in the tower. So far, the vegetation she'd encountered in nature had been more inclined to help her than manipulate her for her own good.

"Whatever they share should not be trusted without question," he said, "but it may be considered."

"That sounds reasonable."

"As I strive to be."

Vlerion leaned his face against her head again and took in a long breath. It was different from the animalistic way the beast had inhaled her scent but did bring that to mind. Vlerion's muscled arms weren't as thick, and definitely weren't furry, but the way he held her conveyed the same interest, a desire to protect her. To claim her.

Maybe she should have objected, but she leaned into him again, wanting his protection. The last couple of days without him had been fraught. How many times had she almost died?

"I'll send a message back with Crenoch. He knows his way home and will find Captain Targon, let him know what we're doing and that we'll return. Once we finish, we'll go back to help the city." His voice grew softer as he added, "I won't be parted from you again."

Kaylina clasped his hand, touched that he cared. "I want you with me too."

"Good."

After Kaylina found her sling and knife, and Vlerion his sword and torn clothing, she used the Kar'ruk bandages to patch him up, at least temporarily. Doctor Penderbrock could do a better job when they returned. Assuming he and the rest of the rangers were still alive by then.

Levitke didn't object when they both climbed on her back. As Crenoch headed back toward the city, she turned to leave the valley and travel deeper and higher into the mountains.

Vlerion rode behind Kaylina with his arms around her. Even as she appreciated it and felt safer traveling with him, she thought of the plant's vision of her and Levitke greeting the taybarri. Vlerion hadn't been in it, and she worried his presence would change their willingness to help. Had he been any other ranger, it probably wouldn't have, but the taybarri could sense the beast within him. That might be a problem.