Page 106 of Lake of Sorrow

Once more, she swung the sword, trying to find an angle that would cut into her captor. Another Kar’ruk stepped forward and caught her wrist, wrenching the blade free.

Kaylina screamed, hoping vainly that potential allies would hear the noise. But she doubted anyone else was within earshot, not in the mountains in the middle of the night.

One of the warriors strode into the tower and thumped up the stairs. She groaned. He would put out the signal fire before it grew large enough to be seen across the miles.

A Kar’ruk with an axe strode up to Kaylina’s captor, pointed at her, and shook his blade. That gave her a more immediate problem to worry about. They’d killed everyone else. Surely, they would kill her too.

Levitke roared as she bit and slashed at her feline adversaries. One cougar sprang toward her head, claws extended.

The taybarri flashed to avoid the blow, reappearing on the other side of the highway. She took several running steps, trying to reach Kaylina, but the great cats were too fast. They streaked across the highway to block her again, their long sharp claws slashing for vital targets.

“Save yourself,” Kaylina called to her, tears filling her eyes. She didn’t want the taybarri to die trying to help her, not when there was no hope.

A defiant roar came in response as Levitke stood her ground.

“Okay, then get Vlerion and Crenoch, and come back to help me,” Kaylina called.

Levitke couldn’t make it to the city, find them, and return in time to save Kaylina’s life. She knew that. But she didn’t want them both to die. All she hoped was that the more reasonable plea would prompt Levitke to run instead of dying alongside her.

Levitke didn’t roar defiantly this time, but she also didn’t turn to run. Instead, she swept her tail at a cougar angling for her back side. The fast animal almost dodged, but the tail clipped it, and it tumbled away. It soon found its feet, however, while another lunged for Levitke’s flank. She spun and met the attack with snapping jaws, but there were too many enemies even for her.

“Get help!” Kaylina tried again.

The brand on her hand warmed, reminding her that the plant might be lending her some vague power. She attempted to will her energy into the command, the same as she’d done with the pine tree. She envisioned Vlerion, Targon, Jankarr, and other rangers riding to rescue her. But first, Levitke had to tell them about the trouble. Only then would they know to come help.

If she managed to convey any of that with her mind, Kaylina didn’t know, but Levitke flashed again. This time, she appeared farther down the highway and sprinted away from the battle. She glanced back once, meeting Kaylina’s eyes, and then she ran full-out away from the tower.

Three of the crag cougars were down, two eviscerated, but four remained on their feet. Without hesitation, they took off after the taybarri.

Kaylina hoped that between Levitke’s powerful legs and flash magic, she could evade them. Even if the rangers wouldn’t make it here in time to help, the taybarri could at least warn those in Port Jirador about the threat. As if the city didn’t have enough threats to deal with from within.

With that upsetting thought in mind, Kaylina turned her head to look at the Kar’ruk party. They were all staring at her, including the axe-wielder, but he hadn’t come any closer with his blade. His eyes were closed to slits.

Thoughtful slits?

He regarded her, the direction Levitke had fled, and her again. Kaylina wasn’t familiar enough with their people to guess thoughts from their broad gray faces, but the Kar’ruk’s narrowed eyes reminded her of the expression Targon got when he was calculating how best to use her for his plans. One of the warriors stepped forward and pointed at her hand. At the star-shaped leaf brand.

They couldn’t guess how she’d come by it or what it meant, could they? She didn’t even know what all it meant. She only had inklings.

Another Kar’ruk grunted, said a few words, then pointed at Kaylina and deeper into the mountains. Others stepped forward to bind her ankles, her wrists, and stuff a gag in her mouth.

She tried to find it encouraging that they would keep her alive, at least for a while. Maybe there was a chance for Vlerion and the rangers to save her. But, as the Kar’ruk carried her away, Kaylina glimpsed the dark windows of the tower and lost hope.

The signal fire was out, Levitke might fall to the fearsome predators chasing her, and whatever these Kar’ruk wanted her for, it couldn’t be anything good.

28

Imprisoned our bodies may be but never our minds.

~ Writings of the Divine Servants

After a time, the Kar’ruk warriors left the highway to trek up an animal trail deeper into the mountains. In the dark and slung over her captor’s back, Kaylina struggled to tell which direction they were going. To attack another watchtower? Back to their homeland with her? She had no idea.

Only when dawn lightened the cloudy gray sky did she start to recognize streams, clearings, and rocky cliffs as familiar. Since she’d never been in these mountains, she realized right away why they were familiar, and greater and greater dread crept into her.

This was the second vision the plant had given her, the one in which Vlerion changed into the beast, charged into the Kar’ruk gathering, and killed them all, then finished by killing her.

Her gut churned, bile rising into her throat. She didn’t want to die. She’d barely found her freedom from her family and begun working on her dream. Further, she didn’t want Vlerion to be responsible for her death. When he realized what he—the beast—had done, he might go mad or commit suicide. At the least, he would never forgive himself.

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