Page 107 of Lake of Sorrow

But Kaylina had inadvertently set up the possibility of Vlerion finding her and the plant’s vision turning into reality. Because she’d wanted to save Levitke, she’d told the taybarri to locate him, to bring him to help her.

“Fool,” she whispered softly.

When full daylight arrived, the Kar’ruk stopped in a valley with goats browsing clumps of tiny flowering plants high on the rocky sides. Dome-shaped tents made from animal skins clustered by a stream-fed pond.

Kar’ruk came outside to greet those returning, several pointing curiously at Kaylina. One grunted and drew a finger across his throat. To suggest human prisoners were all supposed to be killed?

Several of her kidnappers spoke in their tongue while gesturing at Kaylina and also at a few pine trees dotting the slopes. Could they have somehow learned about the Kar’ruk she’d distracted and that Levitke had killed? They couldn’t know she’d called to the tree for help, could they?

Her captor lowered her to ground covered with grass and a low creeping plant with small glossy leaves. Red berries grew in clumps among them. It was early in the season for fruit, especially up in the frosty mountains, and Kaylina wondered if it was an altered plant. This encampment was far from the preserve, but the Daygarii had left evidence of their magical touch all over the world.

The discussion about her grew heated, with two more Kar’ruk making throat-cutting gestures. The door flap of a tent pushed open, and a female with a sewn-hide kit strode out. She waved for the males to stop arguing and walked toward Kaylina, opening the kit as she came.

Hopefully not to grab a knife for the suggested throat-slitting.

Kaylina’s captor had taken not only the ranger’s sword from her but her sling and knife as well. With her ankles and wrists bound, all she could do was watch from her knees as the female approached.

Her eyes were gold instead of yellow, and braided black hair wrapped around her horns before falling behind her head. A magnifying glass and a number of less-familiar tools hung on a leather thong around her neck.

“Hi,” Kaylina said. “I don’t suppose you or any of your large brethren speak my language and can tell me what you want? I’m a very accommodating soul. I’m trying to open a meadery in town. Do your people like alcoholic beverages? I’ll share some with you if you let me return to make another batch.”

The female poked in her kit, not indicating if she understood or cared.

One of the Kar’ruk tossed something to the ground a few yards away. Kaylina’s pack. He used a knife to slash the cord that held the flap shut.

She scowled. “Yeah, just cut things. That’s much more civilized than tying and untying knots.”

The male looked over at her, waved his knife, and showed her his teeth. Far sharper than a human’s, they were suitably intimidating. He dumped the pack upside-down.

At first, she worried about the journal and Vlerion’s secret—however bastardized the Virt version of it was—but she doubted that many Kar’ruk would be able to read the pages. The warrior only sniffed the spine of the book before tossing it aside. He fished out dried fruit and jerky and gave them to his comrades.

Kaylina realized he might also find the powder she’d saved and wished she’d thought to tie her pack to Levitke. If Kaylina managed to reunite with the rangers, would they believe her story of invisible Kar’ruk without any evidence?

The female pulled out a small knife. Or was that a scalpel? She held it up triumphantly.

“Uhm.” Kaylina might have said more but the pack invader was unwrapping the remains of the honeycomb she’d taken from the druid valley. “That’s reserved for a special plant. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t take it.”

The Kar’ruk not only sniffed it but licked it. Then groaned, his eyes rolling back in his head with unmistakable pleasure.

Kaylina sighed. If she hadn’t observed the taybarri sweet tooth in action, she wouldn’t have thought beings with so many fangs would be that into honey.

Several other Kar’ruk surrounded the warrior and attempted to snatch some of the treat for themselves. He growled at them and clutched it to his chest.

Maybe they would get in a huge fight involving the entire camp, and Kaylina could escape. If only she could free her wrists and ankles. She eyed the female’s scalpel.

“Any chance you want to use that to release me? Since you’re a girl, and I’m a girl, we could be secret allies. Sisters from different species. You can’t truly enjoy all these brutish?—”

The female grabbed her wrist with callused fingers, turning it toward the sky. The scalpel dove for Kaylina’s flesh with startling speed.

Kaylina cried out at the sharp pain and jerked back, afraid the horrible female had slit her vein. Blood welled from her skin.

Fury overrode her pain, and she curled her fingers into fists, longing to lash out. The female leaned close to look at the blood.

Kaylina tried to punch her. With her wrists bound, it wasn’t effective, and the Kar’ruk didn’t bother dodging. She didn’t even seem to notice a fist striking her shoulder. She only tightened her grip on Kaylina’s wrist and delved into her kit again. This time, she withdrew a vial and took a sample of the blood dribbling from the wound. Not a vein, Kaylina didn’t think, but that didn’t make the experience much more palatable.

Once the female had a sample, she rose, and stepped back. She lifted the vial overhead and yelled at it. Or… was that singing? Maybe chanting. Kaylina caught rhyming sounds in the language.

A few other voices joined in as the female tapped the tools dangling from her neck and took her kit—and Kaylina’s blood—into her tent.

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