(eng) Pam Brondos - Fourline 01 by Gateway to Fourline

Author:Gateway to Fourline [Fourline, Gateway to]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

A few hours after they left the stables, Nat was certain either she or Benedict would end up with a twisted ankle from trying to maneuver in the darkness. Even with gradually sloping hills and few rocks or other obstructions, the going was slow and uneasy. Benedict’s strides were short, but he made fair progress until they reached the slag.

“Orb,” he whispered.

They’d said fewer than five words to each other since their departure, so his sudden command startled Nat. She felt in her pocket and brought the glassy ball to her lips.

“Small light,” she whispered. The orb began to glow, dimly casting light on the thin slabs of rock surrounding them. The light was hardly enough to see by, so she whispered, “Grow.” The orb grew brighter, revealing a massive hill covered in slippery gray rock.

“Turn that down!” Benedict hissed.

“Softer.” The light dimmed.

“Do you want the whole world to know we’re here?” He began progressing up the hill by taking an angled path up the slag heap and using two walking sticks for balance. “What I wouldn’t give for a Sister trained in a proper House instead of a fringer.” You and me both, Nat thought. Benedict slipped on a pile of slag and righted himself. “Sending the light up here would be helpful, Sister,” he said, his tone low but nasty. She paused. In fifteen seconds, she could be past him. She figured a minute, maybe two, and she would be completely out of sight. Then what? She was stuck with him until they found this Gennes person. But when they did, she was going to do exactly what Annin had suggested.

Nat made a show of slowly tightening the smelly burlap cloak so it wouldn’t snag on the rocks. He watched her impatiently until she finally ordered the orb in front. The two made slow progress up the massive hill. Nat pulled up the collar of her tunic. Little puffs appeared in front of her face as she breathed. Benedict grumbled and swore as he moved forward. She had little sympathy for the man after what she’d seen him do to Neas, but she knew his legs couldn’t take much more of this. About three-quarters of the way up the hill, Benedict collapsed and slid down several feet of loose slag. A small avalanche of rock followed Nat as she clambered toward him. The orb hovered above Benedict. A bloody gash appeared below his knee.

“Help me.” He clutched her forearm and she pulled him up. He took two wobbly steps, then fell back onto the rocks. “Here I am, prime Nala bait with a Sister from the Warrior House to protect me,” he scoffed. “I should be fine, right? Oh, I forgot, you like the Nala. Why don’t you start yelling to let the malicious vermin know I’m here, ripe for the picking?”

Nat bit her lip. She pulled a bandage from the cloth case Ethet had given her and wrapped the gash. But Benedict wasn’t done. “Maybe we

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