Clanless Read online

  “This way, my dove.” The shelf narrowed as it wrapped around a corner then opened up wide enough to accommodate Boar’s band of Clanless. Cook fires smoldered as clusters of haggard men looked up at Zo. Most of the men were large, carrying the round faces and dark eyes of the Kodiak clan. They wore their long, coarse hair in a mass of disheveled braids down the center of their backs.

  Most barely spared a glance for Zo.

  Boar led her to a small tent in the far corner of the shelf, and with a flourish, opened the flap for her to enter. “A place to rest while we prepare to leave.”

  Zo eyed the dark little space and hugged her arms to her chest. “I’m not going in there.”

  Boar’s smile slipped in slow motion. The skin around his neck reddened and a few of the men in the camp climbed to their feet.

  A thousand chills ran the length of Zo’s spine as Boar began to shake.

  “Please go, miss,” a quiet voice called from somewhere in the camp.

  Boar’s head snapped around. “Who said that?” Spittle flew from his mouth.

  No one spoke. A few men backed away.

  Boar leapt to the Clanless man closest to him and threw his knee into the man’s stomach even though the man hadn’t done a thing to deserve it. As the victim groaned and sunk to his knees, Boar said, “No one talks to her. Am I understood? No one!”

  The men in his camp nodded and muttered, “Yes, sir,” then went back to their business, doing their best to pretend Zo wasn’t there.

  “Kindly get in the tent, Healer.”

  Zo dropped to her knees and crawled into the dark space that reeked of man-sweat and fire. The shelter was only large enough for one. Facing the flap opening, she scooted backward, not daring to take her eyes off the door of the tent until her back met cold mountain rock.

  This would be a horrible place to die.

  Chapter 21

  “What do you mean, she’s not here?” Gryphon crowded Stone, getting right in his face. He knew the Nameless revolutionary was a volatile man, but Gryphon welcomed the challenge as adrenaline coursed throughout his body. She was supposed to be here. He’d staked all of his hopes on it.

  Stone crossed his arms. “Back up, Ram, and I’ll tell you.”

  “I’ll kill you, Stone.” An open threat that didn’t make any sense, but Gryphon was past logical reasoning. He took a step back and pulled the dagger from his belt the Raven had gifted him. “Talk.”

  Suddenly a knife pricked the skin of his back shoulder. “Relax, Gryph. And put your blade away. We are all on the same side now.” Eva walked around Gryphon to stand next to Stone. She spun the knife around her fingers like she used to do during training sessions when they were little. Ever the showoff.

  Gryphon sighed and sheathed his knife, embarrassed by his volatile temper. “I’m sorry.”

  Eva nodded and sheathed her own blade. She held out her hand to Stone and the large Nameless set a folded piece of paper in it. Eva handed the paper over to Gryphon.

  “What is this?” Gryphon asked.

  “A letter written by Zo for Commander Laden. It explains everything.” Eva gestured to the paper. “Open it. Read it.”

  Gryphon handed the letter back to Eva and frowned. “I don’t know how to read.” Reading was taught in the home, but Gryphon’s mother hadn’t bothered teaching him the skill. She’d always said a man was judged more by his physical ability than his intellect. Looking back, Gryphon wondered if it had been just another way to punish him for looking too much like his father or if it was simply blatant neglect. He couldn’t decide which answer hurt more.

  Eva plucked the letter from his hands and opened it. Gryphon craned over her shoulder just to see Zo’s script.

  When Eva read, “I have been ransomed to the Clanless leader, Boar, in exchange for the lives of many Nameless. I chose to do this against Stone’s will,” Gryphon grabbed the letter from her and squinted at the words as if he could somehow make them say something different.

  His nostrils flared as he fought to maintain control. “How long ago?”

  Stone said, “A day. My scout says they headed north.”

  Back toward Ram’s Gate.

  “The Nameless were being taken every night. Many people were burned in a fire attack. Boar threatened to hunt us all down, picking us off little by little until we delivered Zo,” said Stone. “I refused him, but after nearly ten men were taken, Zo couldn’t stand it any longer.”

  “So you let her go,” said Gryphon.

  “Zo is the reason we are all free.” Stone got in Gryphon’s face this time. “I would never trade a human being like livestock. I’ve lived that life, Ram. You, who have kept slaves, have no place to judge me.”

  “Stop.” Eva wormed her way in between Stone and Gryphon. “Arguing will not bring her back.”

  She was right and Gryphon didn’t want to waste another moment in this camp. “What can you tell me about Boar? How many does he command? What are his possible weaknesses? Strengths?”

  Gryphon listened to Stone’s retelling of his encounters with Boar. How he didn’t hesitate to kill the Nameless woman when Stone wouldn’t trade Zo for Ram weapons. His cunning lies. How they were desperate enough in their hunger to eat other people to survive starvation. His strange fascination with Zo.

  Gryphon pinched the bridge of his nose, forcing away his fears. What horrors was she facing by the hands of this wild man? “You mentioned Ram weapons. Do you still have some?” asked Gryphon.

  Stone nodded and led him to a small cart of tools and weapons that they’d managed to bring from the Gate. Gryphon lifted the familiar weight of a Ram shield and a small surge of hope filled him. He strapped a short sword to his hip and, with reverence, picked up a metal-tipped spear with his throwing hand. Looking down the shaft, he found the oiled wood straight. An accurate tool. Gryphon itched to launch it, to feel the familiar flip of his wrist as he released the perfectly balanced weapon.

  “I can spare to send a few men with you,” said Stone.

  Gryphon shook his head, still studying the length of the spear. “I only need one.” Then to Eva he said, “Where is Joshua?”

  At Gryphon’s request, Talon and Raca agreed to help escort the Nameless refugees to the Allied Camp. But as they prepared to leave, Raca returned without her older brother. “Need any help?” she asked.

  “Only a promise that you’ll look after Tess until we return,” Gryphon said as he and Joshua filled their packs with some of Stone’s limited supplies.

  “We’re only a day and a half’s journey from the Allies. She’ll be fine. I can’t say the same for you and the boy.”

  Joshua didn’t raise his head from his task but scowled just the same. He didn’t like being referred to as a boy, even though he was one.

  “You should take me with you.” Raca reached out and touched Gryphon’s sleeve, the gentle contact that, for some reason, made him freeze. He looked up from his pack and met her dark eyes. Eyes very different from Zo’s, but beautiful all the same.

  “My bow could save your life.” She swallowed and dropped her gaze.

  Gryphon felt Joshua studying them and stepped away from Raca’s touch. “Thank you, but Joshua and I can handle ourselves. We’ll get Zo back.”

  Raca nodded. “Be careful.” She walked away without a second glance.

  Stone did his best to direct them to the meeting place where he last saw Zo before Boar led her away. It wasn’t hard to find, and once they did, the jumble of tracks made it difficult to distinguish Zo’s footprints from the rest.

  Gryphon walked around the perimeter of the tracks, not wanting to disturb any evidence that might help them get Zo back. A smaller set of footprints stood in the midst of what he guessed to be ten men.

  Ten men. Zo without protection. They didn’t have much time. But she was alive a day ago, and if what Talon and Raca said about Boar was true, he would keep her alive, so long as he managed his men.

&n
bsp; “We have our tracks, Joshua,” said Gryphon.

  Joshua nodded. “I’m right behind you.”

  They ran until the sun was high above their heads. “Zo always does this!” said Joshua. “She puts herself in danger to protect me.” He mumbled something about her not thinking him capable.

  “You’re not much better,” said Gryphon. “At least she didn’t stab herself in the stomach.” Gryphon cringed as the image of Joshua and Zo in the prizefighting ring flooded his memories. The Ram punished Gryphon for his crimes against the clan by putting the two people he cared for most in the ring. Only one was allowed to leave alive.

  “That was different!”

  “Ha!” Gryphon barked as they secured their packs. Joshua slid his weapons in place and tucked his trusted sling into the leather holster Gryphon made for him when he turned eleven. It secured to his thigh with a leather strap so not to get in the way of other weapons. Gryphon knew for a fact that Joshua carried a pocketful of small rocks wherever he went, even though most boys his age preferred a knife. Not only could the boy knock a squirrel from a tree or stun a rabbit before it found its den, he could actually aim to preserve the meat—a difficult feat for such a small, fast target.

  “Being placed in that ring with Zo was a very difficult situation,” said Gryphon, slipping into his mentoring voice. “Did you have any other options beyond killing yourself?” He planted a hand on a partially felled tree trunk and jumped over the log.

  “I wasn’t thinking about that!” said Joshua. “All I could think about was saving Zo. One of us had to die. I didn’t want it to be her.”

  Gryphon nodded, catching the resentment in Joshua’s tone. The boy was growing in his skill, but he still jumped to the defensive whenever Gryphon tried to correct him. “There was nothing you could do? No resources you could have exploited?”

  “Too much was happening. Everyone watched us, cheering and calling for blood. I had no other option.”

  “But looking back, can you find a solution that wasn’t obvious to you before?”

  Joshua groaned. “Why does that matter now? Nothing I think of now will change the past.”

  “But it could prepare you for hard decisions in the future.” Gryphon tapped Joshua’s arm and they slowed to a stop. He tossed Joshua his water skin then leaned against a thick tree trunk with arms folded across his chest. “Think.”

  Gryphon had trained Joshua better than to argue with the exercise. This line of questioning was common practice for the pair.

  “I could have fought her.”

  Gryphon nodded encouragement, knowing the boy took a minute or two to warm up.

  “I could have tried to reason with the guards that threw us into the ring … maybe offer them money … or something else of more value to them than my life.” He started pacing in front of Gryphon, using his hands to help him communicate. “I had information that was valuable. Maybe if I demanded to see the Seer it would have bought us more time.”

  Gryphon nodded. “If you took that gamble and were given the chance to speak to the Seer, what would you have told her?” asked Gryphon.

  “Nothing. I would have kept my secrets. The whole thing would be a ploy to get us out of the ring.”

  “What if I hadn’t come for you in time? What if you were tortured for information?”

  “You would have come. You always find a way.”

  “What if I didn’t?”

  “I could handle a little torture.” Joshua shrugged. “Dying is dying. People do it every day.”

  Gryphon frowned. “What you did for Zo in that prizefight was beyond brave. It was the most selfless thing I can imagine a person doing. But don’t toss around ideas of torture like it wouldn’t affect you. That’s flippant and irresponsible.”

  “Sorry,” said Joshua, though he clearly wasn’t.

  “Let’s try again. What would you do if they tried to torture you for information?”

  “I’D FIGHT THEM, okay? I’d use everything you’ve ever taught me to fight them. I’d find a weakness and exploit it. I’d survive!” he yelled. “Happy?”

  Gryphon lost his battle to suppress a smile. “Good answer.”

  He stowed his water skin and hiked up his pack. “No more throwing yourself into danger. You’ve already proven your courage. Now let’s concentrate on your skill and intellect.” He ruffled Joshua’s red hair and together they ran north.

  During the first hour of sitting in Boar’s dark tent, Zo flinched every time she heard the Clanless leader’s voice. After the second hour, Zo inched to the front of the tent and peeked out of the narrow opening to study the men in the camp. She figured Boar couldn’t be that angry with her as long as she stayed inside.

  Men milled around the camp, some sharpening weapons, others breaking down ragged tents. Very few of the men wore wool or woven material. Instead, their bodies were cover in worn leather and fur. Their skin was the kind of brown that might have washed away with a hot bath or some time out of the sun.

  How would she ever escape so many men?

  Zo didn’t see Boar among the Clanless. The way he talked about her value, Zo didn’t think he’d leave her alone for long. Not a single man so much as looked in her direction, which either proved their dedication to their tasks or their fear of Boar.

  How could men so large, with such an advantage in numbers, fear Boar? It didn’t make any sense, unless they truly believed Boar’s lie that he could buy their membership into the Ram Clan.

  One of the men left his place by a fire, looked over his shoulder, then walked toward Boar’s tent. Some men hissed at him to stop, exchanging worried glances, but no one followed him.

  Zo backed into the tent as the Clanless man drew near. They were cannibals, desperate men who couldn’t be trusted.

  “Please, miss. I won’t hurt you.” He raised his palms to placate her and looked over his shoulder again, checking for Boar. Gray hair blended with the black around his ears, but thick muscles corded his meaty arms. “I am Ikatou. My wife and daughters were taken as slaves in a Ram raid.” He looked over his shoulder again.

  Zo noticed that a few men had wandered to the corner of the shelf, perhaps to act as lookout for their friend.

  “I hear you were a Nameless. You might know my family.” He rattled off a list of names that didn’t mean anything to Zo.

  She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I don’t know them.”

  The large man’s shoulders slumped, as his whole body caved inward with disappointment. “Of course.” He walked back toward the fire, but Zo called after him. “Wait.”

  He whipped around and held a finger to his lips. More men stopped what they were doing to stare at the exchange. “Boar is lying to you,” she said. “I’ve lived inside the Gate and I know Barnabas. He will never respect Kodiak, Raven, or Wolf. He would likely enslave you, or if you show any resistance, kill you before you had a chance to defend yourselves.”

  Men near on the opposite end of the shelf waved Ikatou over. Someone was coming.

  “You’re walking to your deaths,” Zo hissed as Ikatou and the rest of the men went back to their work. A few of the men Boar kept close to him turned the corner, followed by Boar himself. Zo inched to the back of the foul-smelling tent and hugged her knees to her chest.

  Boar barked orders too muffled by the tent for Zo to discern. Then a head popped in front of the tent opening, causing Zo to gasp. A stone jabbed against her spine as she pressed her back more firmly to the mountainside.

  “My scouts have returned. Time to move.” Boar extended his hand to her like he had earlier that day, a sickly smile plastered on his red-blotched face.

  Zo couldn’t bring herself to move toward him. “Back with the Nameless refugees, you said your people ate human flesh to survive. It was a lie to get us to fear you, wasn’t it?” She didn’t know why it mattered at this point—she was too valuable to kill—but she needed to know. She couldn’t imagine a man like Ikatou doing s
uch a thing.

  Boar’s smile widened. “The more the Nameless feared my band, the more likely Stone would make a trade.”

  “Clever,” said Zo. She placed her hand in Boar’s and let him help her from the tent. As always, his hand was cold and moist. Would she be forced to hold it like a small child all the way to Ram’s Gate?

  Out of the corner of her eye, Zo caught Ikatou whispering to a few of the other Clanless. Other Kodiak, if she wasn’t mistaken.

  Boar had fooled the Nameless, but she could be clever too.

  If she could turn enough of them against Boar, she might have a chance of escaping before they reached the Gate. She might even convince the Clanless to join Laden’s cause in the process.

  What would Laden think if she returned with a small contingent of Clanless and a few hundred Nameless? Hopefully it would be enough to appease him when she told him that she didn’t want to fight the Ram anymore.

  If she survived this mess, she would take Tess and Joshua to the Valley of Wolves and do her best to forget any of this ever happened.

  Chapter 22

  When the sky turned a murky gray and the sun dipped below the mountainous horizon, smoke from a fire rose above the trees only a few hundred yards away.

  “Campfire,” said Joshua, pointing at the smoke before Gryphon had the chance to point it out himself.

  “Observant.” Not being aware of his surroundings had always been one of Joshua’s weaknesses. As they traveled toward the fire, Gryphon slowed their pace.

  “What do we know about them?” asked Gryphon.

  “Nothing. We haven’t seen them yet.” Joshua’s voice was too loud.

  Gryphon turned back to him and held a finger to his lips, then whispered, “We know they have a fire.”

  Joshua nodded, picking up the thread Gryphon left for him. “Which means they’re either cooking food or burning for warmth. They don’t need it for light yet.”