“To the ford,” he answered. “But hopefully we will get there sooner than the Deutzani killer.”
“And then?”
“I will leave you there with a group of soldiers. Afton Sath has them watching the ford for any large troop movements. Sath’s building up an army of his own, but it will take time, and patience to collect and train them all.”
“An army?” Samantha said, very surprised. She’d assumed the Deutzani had tight control over all of Massi.
Tomm shrugged. “I wouldn’t call it that just yet, but we are working hard to get a network across the land so we can recruit and send anyone able out west. The Toranado have begun to supply us weapons…small quantities so far. They fear the Deutzani. They are moving most through the Scar Mountain passes.”
“The Toranado?”
“Yes and there are other rumors still…coming from the Islands, rumors that Prince Gwaynn still lives. If they are true it will make Master Sath’s job of pulling the people of Massi back together much easier.”
“You think it is true?” She asked as they rode briskly on. “Could Prince Gwaynn still be alive?”
Tomm shrugged. “Don’t rightly know, but it could be the reason the Toranado are so eager to help us. Without an heir, they would view our lands as forfeit,” he explained with a great show of suspense, “But it would seem they do not.”
They rode in silence for nearly a mile before Samantha glanced over at her new companion. “Are you apart of all this…with Uncle Sath?” She asked then felt foolish for asking so obvious a question.
Tomm puffed up and nodded, then reached behind him and into his saddlebag. He pulled out an apple, and tossed it carefully to Sam, who was gratified that she snatched it out of the air quite nicely. He pulled out another and took a bite. “I’m the contact for Dunn and the surrounding area. I’m too old to be a soldier, but Lonney may go off and join in the next year or so.”
They ate their apples in relative silence, and just rode at a steady pace, which allowed them to cover a good distance. For the first time since the death of her family, Samantha began to feel a little hope and a growing confidence that she might escape with her life. Although her new found confidence would have melted away if she knew how quickly the man following her was gaining.
?
Navarra reached the Fultan’s estate just before Samantha reached the falls. He paused at the house only for a short time to collect his axe. He moved the block into the barn for it would slow him down and in any case the Fultan girl would not get such a ritualized execution. The dogs sniffed about the bodies of the Fultan family as he worked, but he called them away as he finished, then he moved down the lane, following the girl’s tracks as he went. He was thankful that it had not rained very hard last night or tracking her would be much harder. Once he was off the lane and onto the field he dismounted and showed the tracks to the dogs, and they took up the business of tracking. They followed her easily, and he was shocked when about an hour later he came across her first campsite, less than six miles away. He shook his head, smiling at the girl’s recklessness. If he’d known she was so close and moving at such a slow pace he would have returned immediately from Millvale and started out on his own. Even with that damned sway back, he would have caught up with her by now.
About an hour before sundown, the dogs, which normally ranged far ahead of him, trotted back and began to move alongside. Navarra smiled. It was their signal that something or someone was up ahead. They were well trained to wait for his command before initiating any contact, but when he gave that command they were relentless. He pulled Chaos into a walk, moving as quietly as possible, and it wasn’t long before he heard voices up ahead. They were close, maybe a few hundred paces ahead. He dismounted and tied Chaos to a tree near the river then crept forward slowly and almost immediately realized that all the voices he heard were male. It was unlikely that the Fultan girl was present, but perhaps those up ahead would know of her passing. He moved carefully off the path and into the nearby woods. Vesania and Furia slunk low at his side, their breathing coming easily despite they’re growing excitement. It took nearly five minutes of silent maneuvering before he could actually see that it was a group of five men sitting around a small fire a few paces off the path. There was no sentry and they were all talking animatedly. Navarra watched them for several moments and was about to step out, when one of them said “Afton Sath.”
He quickly crouched back down and reassessed the men before him. One was wearing a short sword about his waist, but most of the others just carried knives. Although the local Massi were still allowed to carry knives and bows, swords and kali, weapons specifically designed to kill other men, were forbidden. It was a law the Deutzani strictly enforced, though it would take many years before most of the weapons were rounded up. Navarra spotted a bow leaning against an oak not far from the man sitting to the right of the fire. With only a look to Furia, he sent the dog off to the right, with the complete confidence that he would attack the man with the bow before any of the others. Navarra gave the dog nearly a minute to move into position, then suddenly stood up and walked into the clearing. Vesania went with him. He was able to move about five feet out of his hiding place before one of the men spotted him. They stood as one.
“Good evening,” Navarra said softly, barely loud enough to be heard. The men said nothing and just looked back and forth between him and the dog at his side.
“You were saying something about Afton Sath, I believe,” Navarra continued, still moving forward. Instantly the short sword was out, along with three knives. The man by the bow lunged for it, but before he even got close Furia bolted from the bushes and leaped for his throat. The man instantly went down, his screams mingling with the growls and snapping of the attacking dog. For a split second, the attention of the men facing Navarra was drawn to the commotion in their rear, and neither the Executioner, nor Vesania missed their opportunity. The dog attacked the man nearest her, while Navarra drew his kali and went after the one with the sword. The man was better than expected and blocked his first attack, but as Navarra glided by he lashed out at a man wielding a knife. The man went down with a slit, like a new smile, in his neck. Vesania furiously attacked one of the other knife wielding men, dragging him down by one bloody arm. The last man backed away a few paces before moving forward in an attempt to help his screaming friend. This left the man with the sword facing the Executioner alone.
A moment later the man had lost his sword and most of his right arm. He screamed and went to the ground allowing Navarra to move off to the other men engaged with the dogs. Soon, with very little effort the two occupied with Vesania were also dead, while Furia was trying her best to rip the throat from the man who had made for the bow. The man was using all his strength to hold off the snarling dog, his hands and arms bloody from numerous scratches and bites.
Navarra whistled and immediately Furia pulled back, leaving the man groaning and bleeding into the leaves on the ground.
Navarra knelt down next to the owner of the sword. His right inner forearm sported a large gash from elbow to wrist and was bleeding freely. The man was cradling it next to his body. He looked into Navarra’s face hoping to find compassion, but seeing none.
“Your name?” Navarra asked quietly. He was a young man, barely able to grow a beard, but his shoulders were broad and strong.
“P…Pater,” the man stammered.
“Pater,” Navarra said sweet and smooth. “I need to know where Afton Sath is.”
The man hesitated, looking from Navarra, then to the fierce looking dogs at his side.
“Pater,” Navarra repeated and when he still did not say anything, the Executioner gave the slightest nod of his head and at once both dogs leaped, not at Pater, but at the man still down and groaning by the bow. Navarra allowed Pater to turn just a bit and watch as the dogs tore into his friend. Vesania caught his arm and the man screamed loudly, before Furia managed to get to his throat. She tore into him, and with a wet ripping sound, pulled most of the skin and veins loose. The screaming stopped abruptly, but the man still kicked spasmodically while the dogs began to feed.
