The Maelstrom's Heart by Adam K. Watts

Author:Adam K. Watts [Watts, Adam K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Next Chapter

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

ANCAERA

I could hear pursuit behind us, but they were on horses and could not match the speed of Nazani. Riding headlong into the darkness was anything but safe, but we had little choice. We still had days of travel to go, and we couldn’t give them any chance to catch up with us. By the time the sun had risen, we were far from our pursuers, and far from where Farukan had given himself for our freedom. For our lives.

Nazani and I didn’t speak for the entire day, but we consoled each other through our bond. Words simply weren’t needed at this level; they weren’t enough.

Being from another estate, Nazani had not known Farukan long. In the short time she had known him, she had come to respect him greatly for both his wisdom and his leadership. His absence would be a loss to the herd, and it would be keenly felt by all who knew him. It would be on us to become worthy of his sacrifice.

When the sun had set at the end of the day, I fell into an exhausted sleep without bothering to eat. I knew Nazani must be even more tired than I, and I had barely the energy to remove her saddle for the night; eating had been beyond me.

I would have skipped breakfast in the morning if Nazani had allowed it.

“Ancaera, you must eat,” her soft voice filled my mind. “You cannot pass another day without food.”

“There’s no time,” I told her. “They will be after us.”

“We can evade them easier if we are fed and rested,” she said. “Take a moment to eat and then we will go. We are far enough ahead for that.”

She was right of course. It would do us no good to push on if we weren’t actually in shape to travel. Nazani also needed to eat, and I took my time with my own meal to give her the time she needed. However, my meal consisted of only a few things I had in my saddlebags. Most of our supplies had been with Farukan.

The mad rush of the day before had brought us a great distance and we could afford to travel at normal speeds. Even normal speeds for a Rorujhen were many times faster than that of a horse. Unless they had some means of communicating with those ahead of us, it would not be known that we had gotten through the line.

“Nazani, I am concerned that there might be other watchpoints along the way.”

“I was thinking the same,” she said. “Shianri was under watch before. They wouldn’t ignore it now.”

“True. We cannot risk trying for Shianri,” I told her. “Our mission is too important. We must make our way directly to Shifara.”

“I can take us a roundabout route. We can cut west through the hills and circle back to Shifara from the other side. It is a longer way, but safer.”

“The most important thing at this point is actually getting through,” I said. “Let’s take your longer way.

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