Page 28 of The Rising Wave

So she thought of them running through the forest, past Luc, to wait for her on the other side.

She could take them with her to Grimwalt, find a home for them there.

She made the few stitches, a stylized tree, a dog. She used three of the bandages, her hands shaking in her effort to be quick and still have a usable working. Then she slid back into the water, threw the bandages onto the far bank, and then swam back to her hiding place.

The dogs didn't sound as vicious, as loud, this time, and she guessed they still wanted to go east, had been forced to change route.

She heard the sound of them running and panting, and then the call as they found the bandages.

“There he is!”

The voice that called out made her hunch down a little more.

Juni.

How had he spotted Luc?

Unless . . . she had to fight the fear that washed over her.

He had shown himself. To draw them into the forest. Away from her.

She closed her eyes, listening to the dogs as they milled around the bandages.

“What the—?”

The dogs started running, this time without a sound.

She heard them splash through the river, into the forest.

“They've caught his scent, looks like.” The man who spoke sounded pleased.

“So it appears.”

If Juni's voice had sent a shiver through her, the sound of the general himself was enough to make her hold her breath, so she didn't make a single sound.

The only way to win this was not to get caught.

Chapter 8

Luc pressed back against the rough bark and waited, sword raised, for the hounds to find him.

They had stopped barking, but he could hear their panting breath and the sound of their feet running through dried leaves, coming toward him. Then suddenly, they were running past, more like a coordinated pack than the usual haphazard mix of dogs from a hunting kennel.

They were focused and silent, and none of them—not one—so much as looked his way as they loped into the dark green gloom of the forest and disappeared.

“He can't have run so far already.” The man who spoke was close, close enough that Luc shrugged off the dogs' strange behavior, and prepared for combat.

“He must have. Did you see them go? They had the scent.”

“They haven't steered us right yet. Why would they start now?” the soldier muttered under his breath, and walked past Luc, eyes on the ground, looking for tracks.

He must have caught sight of Luc from the corner of his eye because he stumbled to a stop, turned, mouth agape, and then gave a shout.

With a roar, Luc swung at him, cutting him down, then turned, blood arcing from his blade as he brought it round to take on the next one, and then stopped dead.

Staggered back.

He looked down, found the arrow sticking out of his bare chest.

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