01 Deliverance by J W Elliot

Author:J W Elliot [Elliot, J W]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2017-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

Airic joined their group and they rode with him for a couple of days before they parted. Airic had made a point of speaking directly to Brion.

“I’ll keep my eyes and ears open for them, lad,” Airic had said. “If there’s anything I can do to help them, I’ll do it.”

Brion didn’t know what to say. They hadn’t said anymore about the girls since that first meeting, and he had half-suspected Airic of ulterior motives. But he nodded and mumbled a thanks.

As they rode along in silence, Brion considered what Airic had told them. He and Neahl may have been playing verbal games, but their meaning was clear enough. The Dunkeldi king meant to invade Coll that summer. They were the only people to know, and they were heading north, deeper into Salassani territory. Then, he considered Seamus’s words. Maybe they weren’t the only ones to know. Maybe they had been manipulated into the heathland to add the final spark to ignite the flame. A raid from Coll, no matter what its purpose, could be seen as an act of war. They were being led into a trap. Maybe Seamus was right. Maybe they were meant to die in the heathland after starting a war.

The Aldina peaks loomed out of the far horizon—purple, snow-capped mountains that floated in the distance as the terrain rose and fell. The green, rolling hills dotted with the ruins of hamlets, round towers, and farmhouses gave way to an open and empty landscape where the heather became sparse and was replaced by bushes with long, gray leaves that had a rich aroma Brion had never smelled before. Redmond called it “sage.”

The terrain became more broken and the hills and valleys deeper. The antelope disappeared to be replaced by large deer with wide ears that flicked about. Short junipers with shaggy bark also began to dot the landscape. The valleys were wooded with patches of aspen and birch.

The whole terrain made Brion feel lonely. But it also enchanted him. The smells were different, more pungent, the colors less vibrant, and the wind sharper. At first, the open heathland had left him feeling exposed. Now, he sensed an eerie attraction to it, as if the wild, untamed land knew him and accepted him.

Fresh Salassani trails crisscrossed their path and only constant attention and careful maneuvering allowed them to travel without encountering any more Salassani. Once, they saw a band of riders moving fast to the east. Occasionally, Redmond or Neahl would backtrack on their trail to ensure that they weren’t being followed. Despite all their efforts, as they entered the narrow, steep-sided valley that led to the pass, they discovered a small band of Salassani on their trail.

Redmond came in late from searching the back trail with the news.

“I counted seven. They’re warriors, but I couldn’t tell which tribe.”

Neahl cursed. “Now it’ll be impossible to conceal that we have taken the pass.” He paused. “Well Brion, this is what you’ve trained for. Where would you set the ambush?”

Brion glanced at Redmond, who nodded.

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