Clanless Page 12

  Stone crouched in front of Boar and jabbed his knife into a patch of grass at the bound man’s feet. “Let’s make this happen. How do we arrange a trade?”

  Chapter 13

  Gryphon, Sani, and the rest of the Raven warriors slid down from their hiding place in the trees to cross the Ram’s barbaric bridge. They kept to the shadows, their fluid movements swallowed up by the echo of crashing waves below and the destruction of Raven homes behind them.

  It wouldn’t be long before Barnabas’s men discovered the island empty and the grain stores wasted.

  At the head of each felled tree bridge stood a Ram sentry, left to ensure no one escaped—a tactical mistake on Barnabas’ part. One mess unit should have been left behind, not single men spread apart without the protection of a phalanx. It wasn’t like Barnabas to be so careless guarding his rear.

  The Raven at Gryphon’s side stretched their bows and each took aim at a different sentry. Gryphon searched wildly through the thick foliage for any sign of danger. “Something’s not right,” he whispered to Sani.

  On some unspoken cue the arrows flew, hitting their marks with deadly precision. Before the sentries’ bodies hit the ground, the Raven, with Gryphon and Sani, flew toward the tree bridges at a dead sprint. Sani wasn’t as fast as the other men, and Gryphon matched his pace to ensure the boy made it to the trees.

  From behind them, a spear flew, striking the Raven in front of Gryphon. He reached for his shield to protect him and Sani from the next attack, but of course it wasn’t there.

  Gryphon swore. The first Raven men reached the tree, gaining added cover from the branches. If they could just make it that far, they’d have a chance.

  “We beat your healer whore before she died!” a familiar voice shouted behind Gryphon.

  His legs stopped working and, trembling with rage, he turned to face Zander.

  “She begged us to stop, begged for mercy. But we bruised her, cut her, bled her, until her face looked like ravaged meat. She wasn’t pretty in death,” Zander’s voice trembled with hate. He stood—chest heaving—flanked by a handful of his mess brothers, including Ajax, whose face was a blank slate.

  Sani tugged on the back of Gryphon’s shirt, trying to pull him away from Zander, but Gryphon ignored him. The frame of Gryphon’s vision turned red. His fingers ached to grasp his spear. He needed to make Zander hurt the way he did. He couldn’t imagine a greater pain than the one Zander’s words inflicted. He reached for his dagger—the only weapon in his possession—and flung it at Zander’s head.

  The knife sunk into the wood of Zander’s shield. The lazy smile on the mess leader’s face brought Gryphon back to the reality of the situation. He looked down at Sani, still tugging at the back of his shirt, and gaped at the magnitude of his mistake. The rest of the Raven were in the tree, crossing to the mainland.

  “Kill the boy and bind Gryphon,” said Zander.

  Every instinct in his body screamed to charge Zander and break his neck. But Gryphon pulled Sani behind his back and together they inched toward the fallen tree. He would avenge Zo’s murderer, but not at the risk of Sani’s life.

  Gryphon’s mess brothers formed a half circle around him, preparing to tackle him as a group. Sani muttered a chant in the Raven’s strange language, his head buried into Gryphon’s back. Gryphon met eyes with Ajax, and his old friend frowned in misery. Ajax had a family. He followed Zander’s orders for the sake of his wife and child. Even when those orders included killing innocents—killing friends—Sara and the baby came first.

  Arrows flew over Gryphon and Sani’s heads. Zander called for his men to link, but two of Gryphon’s mess brothers went down before the wall of shields could save them.

  Gryphon practically threw Sani onto the fallen tree bridge and barreled after him with the frustrated shouts of Zander nipping at their heels. When they reached the halfway point on the tree-bridge, a Ram horn sounded.

  “Move!” Gryphon hissed. “Quickly.” The other Raven warriors positioned on branches of the tree stowed their bows and ran.

  Sani jumped up and grabbed hold of a tree branch, his lithe form swinging through the air only to grab another. The other Raven traveled in similar fashion, quickly outpacing Gryphon, as if the laws of gravity had no hold on them. Behind him, the thunk of spears connected with wood. When his feet finally hit solid ground, Sani and the rest of the Raven were at least fifty paces ahead of him.

  Gryphon put his head down and sprinted as fast as he could into the forest away from the cliff. Ram shouts behind him pushed him faster. He caught up to Sani and took hold of his arm, pulling him along.

  Eventually their pace ebbed, but death was too close to their heels to stop running. The Raven took turns casting hate-filled glances at Gryphon. He’d almost gotten their chief’s son killed. They were right to be angry with him. But Gryphon couldn’t be moved to care about anything beyond his hatred toward Zander.

  “She wasn’t pretty in death.”

  Gryphon had been so careful not to allow himself to wallow in the possible details of Zo’s death. But hearing Zander taunt him with her pain had been too much. Gryphon sprinted away from Zander to save his life, but it felt as though he moved in the wrong direction. For the hundredth time, he vowed to kill Zander.

  “You will stay back with the rest of the women,” Stone said to Eva.

  “But Zo’s going with you!” she protested.

  “Boar trusts her and insisted she be there when the trade is made.”

  Morning brought with it the chaos of people working together to pack up camp. Fire pits smoked, finally resting from a long vigil to protect the people as they slept.

  “Zo has some experience with these savages. She must go. You,” he cupped Eva’s cheeks and kissed her forehead, “will stay with the rest of the camp, under the protection of armed men.”

  Eva produced two daggers in the time it took Zo to blink. One pressed into her lover’s side. “If anything, I will be protecting them.” She smiled and pressed her full lips to Stone’s neck then sauntered away, leaving Stone to gape after her.

  “I love that woman.” A grin as broad as a Ram’s shoulders stretched across his face. He shook his head, as if to clear his mind, and turned back to the small band of men who’d volunteered to meet with the Clanless.

  “Everyone ready?” he asked.

  They had released Boar early that morning after he promised to deliver Stone’s message that the “Freemen” would make a trade in exchange for the people stolen by the Clanless. Boar seemed convinced that his leader would agree to meet them if Stone came prepared to give his band something of equal value.

  While the Nameless couldn’t offer them food, they did have an impressive collection of weapons stolen from the Ram. Short swords, bows, spears, and even a few of the coveted round shields. Any group of people trying to survive this uncivilized region would be desperate for such an offering.

  Zo scanned their surroundings as they marched out of camp and into the forest. Light filtered through the trees, casting life in either brilliant sunshine or harsh shadow. She tightened her grip on a knife she carried—one of Eva’s—and tried to relax.

  Cannibals. They were on their way to meet cannibals. She’d let Tess administer to a man who chose to eat other people instead of starve. She shook her head, still overwhelmed with disgust as they approached a massive boulder that served as their meeting place.

  Stone had told Boar to have his leader and the Nameless prisoners meet an hour past sunrise, but no one waited for them as they approached the boulder.

  “They could just be late,” offered Zo. “He might not have found them in time to meet.” They had only released Boar a few hours ago. His people could be anywhere.

  “I’ll kill him,” Stone growled. He turned a full, impatient circle. “We shouldn’t have placed our trust in a—”

  “Clanless?” Boar and a ragged group of men emerged from clever hiding places around the boulde
r, effectively surrounding Stone, Zo, and the rest of their little company. They, like Boar, wore rags for clothing and had twigs and leaves sticking out from all angles to help them blend into their surroundings. “You are late, Nameless. We have been here for some time.”

  The fact that Boar called Stone a Nameless wasn’t lost on anyone. Clearly, Zo hadn’t been the only one questioning captives last night.

  “You failed to mention that you escaped Ram’s Gate,” said Boar. The men of his company crowded behind him, marking Boar as their leader.

  “And you failed to mention that you were the leader of your Clanless band,” said Stone.

  Boar’s men dragged three Nameless to his side. They each had their hands bound, but otherwise appeared unharmed. “You said last night you wanted to make a trade, healer.” Boar sought her out amid the crowd of Nameless. “What can you offer me?” His eyes brightened, his brows jumped up and down as he scanned her body.

  Stone stepped in front of Zo, blocking her view of Boar. “We have weapons.” He instructed the five men who carried sacks over their shoulders to open them. Several blades clinked against each other in the process. Two others dropped a pair of Ram shields into the offering pile. Circular shields framed in valuable metal and inlaid with impenetrable snakewood, ensuring a beautiful death to any that went up against it.

  The shields alone made a generous deal for the Clanless.

  Boar picked up a blade and stared down the length of the sword, checking for balance. He tested the weight of it in his hands. “There really is nothing quite like a Ram sword.” His gaze locked on the shields and he seemed to salivate. “I once owned a shield like this.” He reached for the leather straps secured to the back of the shield. “Barnabas took it from me before my banishment.”

  All of these men—these Clanless—once belonged to one of the four clans. Many, judging by their looks, were Kodiak, but there were a few who could have been Raven or even Wolf.

  Stone gestured to the pile. “These blades are yours in exchange for my people. The shields,” he said, “are insurance that your men won’t come near our camp again.”

  Boar smiled and casually tossed the shield down into the pile of weapons. Zo flinched at the sound of metal hitting metal. “No deal.”

  “What?” Stone balked. “I’ve offered you a generous trade. What more can you want?”

  Boar’s wild gazed zeroed in on Zo. “I want her.”

  Chapter 14

  Gryphon traveled at the rear of the flock of Raven with Sani just ahead of him. He couldn’t decide if the Raven warriors ran so fast out of fear of the pursuing Ram, or because they meant to lose Gryphon. Either option seemed equally probable.

  Legs burning, sides aching, lungs screaming, Gryphon wanted nothing more than to stop and give his body time to recover from their nightlong sprint. He and his mess had run many excursions throughout the mountainous region—he certainly wasn’t a stranger to pushing himself beyond physical limits—but these Raven were inhuman. They floated across the ground it seemed, their legs barely having to push against the earth to propel their weight forward. Even Sani seemed to have little trouble keeping pace.

  Gryphon’s sheer mass slowed him. His head pounded with every meaty stomp of his legs. Even if the Ram managed to find their trail in the darkness, there was no chance his people would catch up to these Birds. No wonder they’d managed to hide themselves from the Ram for so many years.

  Humbled and frustrated by his body’s limitations, he used what little breath he could spare to call, “Please … stop.”

  Sani signaled the men ahead of them with a shrill whistle that Gryphon would have mistaken for an actual bird.

  Gryphon’s legs cramped up as he stumble to a stop. He dropped to his hands and knees and sucked as much air into his burning lungs as possible. When he couldn’t catch his breath, his body fell into a fit of coughing and sputtered gasps.

  Gryphon looked up to find Sani’s face blank of expression while the ten Raven warriors stared down on him with amused smiles. Their chests rose and fell with want of air—something that did little to appease Gryphon’s dented pride as he rolled to sit on his backside in the dirt.

  “Finally,” said one of the men between breaths.

  Gryphon turned to Sani, brows raised in question.

  “Raven are a bit competitive when it comes to running. All refuse to be the first to call halt. It marks the weakest among the group.” The boy did his best to hide his own labored breathing.

  “You are a worthy runner, Ram,” a Raven said. Others nodded agreement.

  “But you believe I’m the weakest of our small company?” asked Gryphon.

  Sani nodded, serious as ever. “Without question.”

  A few of the Raven chuckled as they each choose a tree and began climbing.

  “Where are you going?” Gryphon asked Sani. The boy took hold of a low branch and hoisted himself up.

  Sani paused and turned his head as though he didn’t quite understand the question. “We’re settling in to rest, before our next run. There is still an hour or two until first light. We’ll resume our journey when the sun rises.”

  “Why climb when you will rest better on the ground?” asked Gryphon.

  Sani reached for the next highest branch and pulled himself up. “Because only fools sleep on the ground in this part of the region.”

  Gryphon watched Sani and the others climb, each settling into a forked branch of his own tree. He considered Sani’s warning, but the idea of climbing and sleeping on a branch held little appeal. He pulled out a woolen blanket from his pack and bundled it into a ball to act as a pillow. The moment his head touched the fabric of his people, Gryphon’s eyelids drooped and sleep overtook him.

  Rain fell on the metal roof of the weapons shed. When the door opened, Gryphon expected to see the Gate Master or another trainer come to deliver his yearly beating, but instead, Zo walked in, bringing with her mist that smelled of tree sap from the outside rain.

  “You shouldn’t be here.” Gryphon looked beyond her to the door. He wanted to throw the lock but that was against the rules. Ram always obeyed the rules.

  Zo stood wearing a simple tunic over leather pants. A woven belt accentuated her thin waist. She rubbed warmth into her arms as she walked among the shelves of the weapons shed. Her blue eyes struck him as they always had. Her dark hair fell in a perfect wave around her shoulders. She bit her bottom lip, wrinkling her forehead as if something were troubling her.

  Gryphon stepped over his woolen blanket and approached her with open arms. He couldn’t bear to see her concern even though he didn’t understand its cause. But Zo just kept walking around the room, ignoring his offer to hold her. To love her.

  The door creaked open and Zo scurried to the far corner of the shed. Gryphon planted himself in front of her as Zander walked in.

  “It is that time of year, healer. Time to receive your gift.”

  No.

  Gryphon charged Zander. He tried to grab him, to hurt him, but his hands—his whole body—couldn’t connect with him. It was as if Gryphon were nothing more than a useless, powerless vapor.

  Zander stood patiently by the door. “There is no way out, healer. Come to me and it will be easier for you.”

  Zo’s perfect lips pulled back into a snarl. She snatched a short sword from a shelf and crouched low, refusing to leave her corner.

  Zander sighed. “I suppose it will be more fun for us both this way.”

  “NO!” Gryphon yelled, but no sound came from his lips. He fought the space between him and Zander with wasted effort.

  Zander ran at her and with one powerful swipe of his arm Zo’s weapon clattered to the floor. She screamed and cried out in agony. Gryphon sank to the ground and covered his ears but her screams penetrated his very soul.

  Panting, Gryphon startled awake. The sun hadn’t fully risen. Sani peered down from his lofty perch but the others still slept. Gryphon rolled o
nto his side and refused to close his eyes, never wanting to see the inside of the weapons shed again.

  Gryphon and the Raven ran most of the next day. By nightfall, Gryphon was again the one to beg the others to stop. Surrounded by the giant pines that dotted the region, Gryphon and the rest of the Raven leaned against trees as they ate a meal of dried meat and hard biscuits in silence. Gryphon greedily guzzled his water then choked, forgetting he needed air even more than hydration.

  They’d managed to cover nearly four days of travel in two, bringing them dangerously close to the massive wall of Ram’s Gate. Gryphon chewed on his humble meal and looked out at the dim forest surrounding him. These were his woods. He knew exactly where they were.

  Chief Barnabas constantly had them scanning this forest for game and other clans. So many memories. Successes and failures. Moments of victory and loss. Zo, Tess, and Joshua had rested under the boughs of a giant fir only a few hundred yards from where he sat.

  A part of him wanted to go to the tree and see it empty with his own eyes. Just seeing their tracks would bring some measure of comfort.

  Gryphon, stiff with sore muscles, pushed himself off the ground and gained his feet. “I’ll be right back.”

  Two of the Raven, including Sani, climbed to their feet as well. “Where are you going?” asked Sani.

  “There’s something I need to see,” he said.

  Sani exchanged silent looks with his fellow clansmen. Gryphon still found it strange that the small band of warriors looked to an adolescent boy as a leader. He was so young, but being the chief’s son, his opinions weighed more than most. “I’ll go with you,” said Sani.

  “I’d rather go alone,” said Gryphon, stepping away from the rough circle of men.

  “We are close to the Gate. You shouldn’t travel alone,” said Sani.

  “Listen, boy. You might think I’m weak, but I can handle—”

  “We don’t trust you,” Sani blurted. “You might betray us to your clan.”