The Chase

Chapter 151

The Malthus Desert wasn’t a forgiving place even for creatures bred to live there. For furred Lepusan it was grueling simply to be there. Despite that, a group of them ran across the coral pink sand, footsore and exhausted with a group of riders in hot pursuit.

“Ban, they aren’t slowing,” Ewen said in a heaving whisper. Ban could only nod. They’d been on the move since dawn and pushing their pace as much as they dared. Despite a lead, the distance between them and their pursuers was closing rather than growing.

“You won’t believe me if I tell you what I found. Go and see it for yourself, then you’ll know,” Hetcha’s words rang in Ban’s ears. She was Lepusan, one of his people, but a stranger bearing an unlikely story. One of sanctuary in the Lorel mountains.

Ban had believed Hetcha, if only in that she herself believed what she was saying. If the valley would welcome so many of them and if it was truly defensible was another matter. Still, he’d asked for volunteers and they’d set out to see for themselves.

Despite a hard journey, there was nothing about the choice Ban regretted. That they’d had to draw off Seekers from Stromholt to protect the rest of the band was just bad luck. Something they’d have had to do no matter where they’d chosen to go to ground.

It was enough to know they’d been drawn off from everyone's families. The only thing Ban considered a bit bitter was they likely wouldn’t live to see the valley. Living rootlessly as they had for years on end had taken a toll, he’d truly wanted to find a safe place for them all.

“I think that's it ahead!” Hari called. She was the sharpest-eyed of the group, but Ban could make out a kind of smudge in the distance against the wall of stone ahead of them. The entrance to a natural labyrinth if the astoundingly detailed map they’d been provided was correct and they were on course.

With their goal in sight, Ban wanted to look back, take stock of where their pursuers were, but forced himself not to. They’d all been running hard and while Lepusan were better built to endure long journeys, their stamina wasn’t infinite. They couldn’t afford to go faster and looking back would likely only break his heart that much sooner.

Back turned to the Seekers, none of the group knew the Seekers had let loose a small volley of arrows. They’d been at it all morning, too far to land a shot, but wanting to drive the Lepusan harder. To break them all the sooner.

Luck, skill, and a narrower gap conspired against them. Most of the arrows only landed near, harmlessly digging into the sand. Only one carried on a little further and buried itself in flesh. Calen screamed and fell.

“Joss-” Ban had stopped. Calen was his cousin and Joss was his best friend but none of them was a healer and they had no time.

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“S’alright… I’ll-” Calen was on his knees, blood rimming his mouth. The wound wasn’t immediately fatal but the arrow had punched through the thin leather coat he wore and was protruding from his chest. It would kill him eventually even if they’d had a healer on hand and all the time in the world. It was a wound beyond the skill of any healer he knew.

Ban felt his heart harden. Joss wasn’t even fourteen yet and his group of scouts had started at twenty and was down to twelve. They were doomed, but ahead was a rock formation that promised a bit of shade if nothing else, and hopefully a bit of favorable terrain.

“Ban, don’t,” Calen said. Ban had knelt down and was pulling Joss onto his back. Despite his early attempt at bravery, the boy clung on as he whimpered in pain.

“We’ll draw them into the rocks and bleed them,” Ban said flatly. He was beyond tired and Joss wasn’t light, but he got moving all the same. Hope was lost, but in its absence, rage would do. The boy wouldn’t be dying alone.

Ban carrying Joss was the last one to reach the blessed shade of the labyrinth’s entrance. He’d only traveled a few yards and rounded a bend in the trail when he collided with someone. Hari, who was standing frozen in surprise.

Hari, along with the others, were all staring in surprise at a human woman with a horse-drawn cart. She in turn was regarding the group with unnerving calm, given by how many she was outnumbered. Ban figured her for a mercenary going by her armor. It was a stylish coat of leather and plates with decorative tooling. Given her colorful coily hair, likely a foreign one.

“Let us pass, we're being pursued,” Ban said simply. She was human, but he had no cause to do her harm. The seekers would question her, but not hurt her.

“I’m aware, as is my mistress. The hermit of Lorel sent me,” the woman replied. She tilted her head to look them over and the light caught her eyes, glittering golden for a moment. Ban’s group looked at each other, shock multiplying. Those weren’t human eyes.

“Put the child in the cart and I’ll treat him,” she added. Ban nodded, knowing he wouldn’t be able to carry Joss much further regardless. Calen came forward to help him set the boy down easy. Joss looked scared but didn’t protest, breaths coming wetly.

“He’s shot through,” Ban said softly.

“I’d noticed,” she said flatly, producing something red from a hip pouch. It looked like a heart at first glance, the glittering of glass taking a moment to register. Ban wanted to protest giving Joss wine or something more, but didn’t bother. It wasn’t the worst way to die, lying comfortably.

That she didn’t just leave it at that was almost as shocking as the way she casually broke off the back end of the arrow before pulling it cleanly through from the front. It happened too quickly for anyone to protest let alone stop her. She followed it up by placing a hand on Joss’s chest over the wound and reciting something in an unfamiliar language.

Ban would have stopped her then were it not for how her hand and eyes began to glow with power. When she removed her hand Joss’s chest was free of the blood and the wound, if there was one, no longer bled.

“I’m Dawn, cleric and high priestess of Laminal. You two, ride in the cart, he’ll live but needs tending,” Dawn said after a moment. As if a flat introduction after such a miraculous feat was perfectly normal.

“Right but-” Ban looked behind him. They were being pursued and had been standing in awe for far too long. The Seekers honestly should have been on them already, going by how far behind they’d been.

What greeted Ban when he looked wasn’t an open corridor, but rather a solid stone wall. As if the path had simply decided to close behind them. At a complete loss, he looked back to Dawn and found the woman grinning.