“She tried to kill me,” Alianor says.
“She was protecting Dain.”
Alianor throws up her hands. “From what? Me? I was only telling him not to interfere…”
She stops and turns. We all do, looking around to realize the boy is gone.
Alianor waves at Malric. “You just let him leave?”
Malric sniffs and sits on his haunches.
“He wasn’t a threat,” I say. “He’s unarmed and doesn’t fight very well.”
“He was a hostage,” Alianor says. “We could have exchanged him for my sister.”
“Well, Malric didn’t know that.” I lay my hand on the warg’s shoulder. It isn’t quite a pat—he’s not the petting sort—but he grunts, as if appreciating my defense.
I look around. “The boy’s gone, and you’re here, which is the important part. Let me get the others, and we’ll retreat to talk. I don’t think the boy will raise the alarm, but I also don’t think, judging by what he said, that we want to be found out here.”
Alianor does not want to retreat to talk. She wants to take action. I don’t blame her—I’d do the same if it were Rhydd in that village—but we need to know more before we act.
Once we’re all gathered another hundred feet from town, Alianor tells her story. There isn’t much to say, except that she knows where her sister is, beyond any doubt.
“In that village. Being held captive.”
“Are you sure she’s a prisoner?” Wilmot asks. “Did this boy confirm it?”
“He didn’t deny it,” she says. “But yes, I know she isn’t there of her own free will. I saw her being led out of a building. Then she was taken back to the house where they’re keeping her. It’s one of the homes with boarded-up windows, and her hands were tied behind her back, so if you’re going to tell me she’s their honored guest…?” She glowers at Wilmot.
Wilmot’s expression stays neutral. “All right. She isn’t there voluntarily. Do you know why she’d be captured?”
“For the same reason that boy told Rowan to stay away. She’s valuable. Either for ransom or as a political prisoner. People usually know better than to try kidnapping one of my father’s children, but these villagers either don’t realize who they have, or they don’t know what happened to the last people who kidnapped a Clan Bellamy warlord’s daughter.”
There’s satisfaction and pride in her voice at the last part, but I can’t suppress a shiver. I’ve heard the stories. At one time, the children—especially the daughters—of Clan Bellamy warlords were the most valuable targets in Tamarel. Take one of them, and you could negotiate with the warlord for safe passage. Alianor’s grandfather got tired of this, set one of his daughters out as a trap, killed the entire crew who took the bait, and then refused that clan access to the woods for a decade.
I could point out that the boy never said why I should stay out of the village, but presumably Alianor is correct. I’m a target, and he was concerned about me being caught with my companion monsters for fear they’d be killed. I always worry about that myself, especially with Malric.
I shiver again at that thought. The others continue talking as they decide what to do about Alianor’s sister. She has to be rescued, of course, but how—
Malric leaps in front of me so fast I yelp. The dropbear in Dain’s arms hisses, and Jacko scrambles onto my feet, brandishing his antlers.
From inside the forest, a voice chuckles. Then, as we all go for our weapons, eight armed men step from the trees and surround us.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The moment the men step out, Kaylein moves in front of me and Malric moves behind me, both so fast that it’s like doors slamming on either side. Jacko chitters and brandishes his antlers, and the men point and laugh. It isn’t a mocking point-and-laugh, though. It’s weirdly casual, as if they’re fellow travelers, amused by my fierce jackalope companion.
“Stop right there,” Kaylein barks when the oldest man—gray-haired but able-bodied—steps forward. “Move any closer, and you’d best be prepared for a fight.”
The man inclines his head. “We have no wish of that, Princess Rowan.” His gaze goes to me. “I do address you correctly, do I not?”
When I hesitate, he says, “Trysten told me who you are, though I’d have guessed from your entourage and your monster companions.”
The boy—Trysten—warned them about us? After he’d told us to leave? A trick, then. Warn us off so we’d go, and then he could return to the village and tell everyone. I curse myself for not seeing the ruse.
“Prince Trysten, you mean?” Alianor says sharply.
The man shrugs. “The boy has an active imagination. He tells us that we have the sister of a girl in your party.” His gaze crosses the group and rests on Alianor. “I presume he meant you?”
She straightens. “Alianor of Clan Bellamy. Daughter of Warlord Everard.”
“That’s what the young woman’s companions claimed,” he says, his voice mild. “I wasn’t certain whether to believe them.”
“You should. I presume you know what happens to those who interfere with my father’s children.”
He frowns. “No, I fear I do not, my lady. We aren’t from your country.”
“If you’re in our forest, you ought to know,” she says. “Otherwise, you might make the very serious mistake of kidnapping one of us.”
“Kidnapping?” His brows rise.
“Are you going to pretend she’s your guest?”
The man eases back, still unperturbed. “No, I would have called her a hostage.”
Alianor snorts. “Same thing.”
“Is it? I would have thought, being the bandit lord’s daughter, you would understand the difference.” Before she can answer, he turns to me. “May I address you directly, your highness? Or would you prefer I speak through your guardians?”
“Address me,” I say. “And explain this situation.”
“The problem is harpies. They nested near our village this spring, and it has caused no end of trouble for us.”
“I don’t see what harpies—” Alianor begins, but I shoot her a look, asking for silence.
“Sarika’s group camped a few miles from here, and
