(eng) Michael R. Hicks - In Her Name 08 by Forged in Flame

Author:Forged in Flame [Flame, Forged in]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Betrayal

“How…how can this be true?” Ba’dur-Khan looked ill as Han-Ukha’i tended Lihan-Hagir’s wound. “And why? What could compel her to betray us?”

“We may never know,” Keel-Tath said, trying to come to grips with her own disbelief. She had not known Ri’al-Char’rah well, of course, but nothing the young warrior had ever done or said, nothing in the song of her blood, had given the slightest indication that she was anything more or less than what she appeared to be. She turned to Dara-Kol. “What is important is what we do now.”

“I say we turn northwest,” Drakh-Nur suggested. “She will know that we are heading this direction, and will so say to Shil-Wular. Going northwest will throw them off our trail and put the most distance between us.”

“Why not simply go west, directly toward the sea?” Ba’dur-Khan countered. “We are wasting too much time with this diversion. If the queen sends enough warriors into the wastelands, she will eventually find us. Our only hope is to simply outdistance them and reach the coast as quickly as we can.”

“Both of those paths have merit,” Dara-Kol told them. “One thing is for certain: we dare not stay on our present course.” She turned to Keel-Tath. “Which path would you choose, mistress?”

Keel-Tath swallowed, not expecting to be faced with this particular decision. So far on this trek, they had placed their lives entirely in Dara-Kol’s hands. “I think…” She frowned, considering. “I believe we should head west. If the land were not so harsh, I would be more inclined to follow Drakh-Nur’s counsel. But every day we spend here is an agony for us all, with death close at hand even when trying to obtain water. Let us push hard to the west and leave the queen’s warriors behind us, hopefully heading southwest, in the wrong direction.”

“So shall it be done.” With one last look behind them, Dara-Kol turned to the west and resumed the cautious march through the dark wastelands.

With heavy hearts, the others followed behind her.

***

Other than short breaks to eat and take a drink of their precious water, Dara-Kol did not let them rest for another two full days. Han-Ukha’i passed out several times, and Drakh-Nur carried her.

At last, they reached an especially high ridge near dusk. Dara-Kol left them there while she scouted ahead. Keel-Tath, who was so exhausted she could barely stand, marveled at how Dara-Kol was still able to function. Nothing seemed to slow her down. The others were in somewhat better shape than Keel-Tath, but she could tell that even Drakh-Nur was nearing the end of his endurance.

After nearly an hour, judging from the positions of the stars, and just when Keel-Tath was getting worried, Dara-Kol returned.

“Come,” she said, beckoning them to follow. She led them down into an arroyo, then up the other side toward the telltale bulges of a large churr-kamekh hive. This one, however, had been ripped open. “It is empty. Sometimes a genoth, when desperate, will attack a hive for water and to eat the churr-kamekh larvae and the queen.

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