“Where will we meet with your pounce?” Nuliyaa asked Chesfi as they trundled along toward the Nengmekian capital.
She was looking forward to the end of this particular journey, though now that she was no longer tired and worried, she would never admit that to Cheeyt. Soon Chesfi would be returned to her people, and they could find a normal job like carrying some crates for a merchant.
“The pounces keep a meeting house in the trading district,” Chesfi answered as she trotted along the wagon. At the beginning, she’d been trying so hard to come across as stronger than she was that they’d had to fight to keep her in the wagon. Now that she was mostly recovered, they had to fight to get her out of the wagon. Nuliyaa had gotten her out this time by suggesting it would be good for Tseetsaa to stretch by walking, which would give the others who had been injured a chance to rest. Except Kachaark, who always refused to get into the wagon and insisted walking helped him heal better than sitting still would. Nuliyaa had her doubts about that, but Sinchach hadn’t said anything about his wounds not healing well.
“That will be safe for you?” Nuliyaa asked, the question as much for Singmij as for Chesfi. Even considering what she had been through, Chesfi didn’t seem to have the best awareness of danger to herself.
Chesfi made that almost-hacking sound that seemed to be her laugh. “The pounce would never allow you to travel into the heart of our lands.”
“We do not need to travel into the heart. The edge of them would be fine.”
“The meeting house is just as fine and we are expected there. I have already sent word to my mother.”
If Chesfi was so convinced the world was hers, what would dealing with a leader of the Malks be like? Hopefully it wouldn’t be Chesfi’s mother who would be meeting them at the meeting house. Maybe she would send some minions instead. As long as they had the money Chesfi had promised.
They had turned onto the road to the capital the day before, finally returning to the highway they had abandoned to cross the dragon territory. Away from the waterway, Nengmek seemed to be a series of rolling grasslands across the foothills of the mountain range in the distance, spotted by patches of forest. They’d entered one such forest the evening before, with Chesfi informing them this particular forest didn’t fall under the claim of any of the Malks or Pucas. She and Singmij seemed relaxed, which led to everyone letting go of some of the wariness that they all been carrying since leaving Riverport.
The trees opened up slightly just ahead, a wide depression just off the road showing where a tree must have fallen years ago. “This is a good place to stop for the evening,” Cheeyt declared.
They moved off the road as Nuliyaa considered her older sister. Cheeyt had been quiet since they had stayed at Singmij’s family’s home. Sometimes she had seen her sister watching Singmij almost longingly, but as far as she could tell, they hadn’t talked since the fight in the dragon territory.
After so much time on the road, setting up camp had fallen into a routine and by the time Miyt had their food prepared, they were settled for the night. And once the food was eaten, everyone made their way to their respective sleeping spots, except Nuttulch and Kachaark, who had first watch.
Nuliyaa woke when someone roughly rolled her over and started wrapping her wrists together. “What—?” She demanded, but they were already shoving cloth into her mouth to keep her quiet. Then she was dragged to a sitting position as someone threw fuel onto their fire and the flames licked up, revealing faces and armor of ten people she’d never seen before and her trussed-up company.
She sucked in a breath, then nearly choked on her own saliva. The poachers had found them! How were they going to do with everyone tied up? She panicked, pulling on the twine around her wrists and almost rolling herself into the fire before someone not-gently shoved her away from the flames.
Their group’s fighters were all struggling, throwing shoulders, knees, and heads against the attackers. Kachaark’s horns had been covered by something that made them nothing more than a large blob over his head, which was lolling as though he’d been dosed with some kind of sleeping spell. Chesfi was nowhere to be seen. Had they grabbed her first? Had she escaped?
“Wait! Wait!” Sinchach was saying to one. Nuliyaa squinted. Why wasn’t he and Tajak captured as well? Tajak was standing between the armored people and Tseetsaa, a hand on his sword as though he couldn’t decide if he needed to draw it or not. “These are my employers!”
Why was he trying to bargain with the poachers? Perhaps they had recognized him! Were Sinchach’s parents important enough for them to ransom him or something?
Then one of the armored people slapped a sigil against Nuliyaa’s chest. The last thing she saw before her eyes closed against her will was one of the attackers stepping away from Miyt and her mother falling still and limp.
***
How long did Cheeyt say they had to travel after they left Singmij’s family’s home?
Nuliyaa was confused. Hadn’t they already left that house? She felt like they had been on the road for days after that stop.
Then her memories crashed back in and her eyes flew open. They’d been attacked!
She was lying on her back on rough bedding on a hard surface. She blinked at the roof overhead. The smells and exposed rafters told her they were in a cart-house, but this one was much finer than the rented space they’d had in Nuwachtewmuch. She saw no holes and the roof was higher over her head. Though it was hard to judge that from flat on her back.
She tried to roll to a sitting position, but she was still tied. And another tie attached her to the wall. She blinked at it before sitting up as much as she could and looking about the space.
That was when she realized Sinchach was arguing with two older people. They had to be his parents. The man had his shape and the woman had his face.
“I wanted to come home!” Sinchach snapped. “You had no right to keep me in Wumaltsmaas when I was a graduated mage. I found a job just like you were pestering me to do!”
“It was temporary,” the man said as the woman said, “Of course we wanted you home, Sinchach, but the border is dangerous right now.”
It would have been nice if someone had told Sinchach that before they had started this journey. Then they would have known to take another route.
“Your apartment was paid for and you had time for your research,” the man continued. “Why would you need to leave? You should have simply waited for us like we told you to!”
From the way Sinchach pressed his lips together, Nuliyaa guessed the communication had come in the form of an order and that was Sinchach had sought his own route home.
“Now that you know we didn’t steal your son,” Cheeyt said, her sudden voice making Nuliyaa jump, “could you let us go?”
The man turned an expression very similar to the one Sinchach wore toward her sister. “We will as soon as we have confirmation from your Guild that you are indeed registered with them.”
Nuliyaa and Cheeyt gave matching sighs. How long would that be? As they had said, the border was dangerous. Guild messengers would have to travel around Bakfath. Magical means of communication were considered too unreliable for that kind of message.
“I do understand your fear and frustration in this situation,” Miyt said calmly. Nuliyaa whipped around to look her mother over. That memory of her mother falling over back at their camp was imprinted on her mind and she needed to see her well.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Miyt had shifted herself so she reclined against the wall, her hands laid against her shoulder. Her littiichangs hung awkwardly off one shoulder instead of wrapped around and Nuliyaa itched to push the cloth back into place so Miyt would be warm.
Not that the building they were in was particularly cold or drafty. She could make out embossed panels along the wall that had to be heating sigils.
Sinchach’s parents eyed her as she continued, “I would be as worried if my daughters had disappeared without notice.”
Why did Nuliyaa feel that she had missed part of the conversation? “Without notice?” She repeated. Cheeyt gave her an irritated expression and Miyt looked relived to see her awake.
“Yes,” Miyt said. “It seems Sinchach did not inform the academy or his parents of his intention to take the job with you.”
Nuliyaa’s eyes popped wide as she turned to stare at Sinchach, who was flushing and looking down at his feet. “Why did you do that? I remember telling you to send the message!”
“They would have stopped me from going with you,” he muttered.
“So instead he decided to ruin our reputation with the Guild,” Cheeyt said.
Oh. Nuliyaa closed her eyes and rested her head against the wall. The Guild could easily view this as their fault. Their company would be ruined. What client would want to take on a company that they saw as having failed something as simple as communication? The Guild may even expel them!
And—Nuliyaa realized as she looked around their group—Chesfi was not among them. If they had not been captured by the poachers, then where was she? Had she escaped or was she being held elsewhere?
“Chesfi?” Nuliyaa asked.
Cheeyt shook her head. Hopefully that meant she didn’t know, either, and not that something had happened to their client. On Cheeyt’s other side, Singmij didn’t seem to know any more than Cheeyt. From the glazed look to her eyes, she must not have shaken off the effects of the sigil yet.
Someone stopped just outside of the door into the building. Sinchach’s mother glanced at them. At her acknowledgement, the person hurried inside. Nuliyaa assumed this person was a servant after noting the uniform similar to the one Tajak had been wearing, minus the armor and weapons.
As the servant started speaking, Sinchach’s mother raised her eyebrows. “I’ll see them immediately, of course.” She glanced at her husband, who nodded, then at her son, who was still staring at his feet.
With a motion to the servant, the two of them walked out of the building.
“What did you do to our Minotaur?” Cheeyt demanded.
Nuliyaa realized that while everyone else was looking around with eyes either as bleary as she felt or watching the conversation, Kachaark was still crumpled against the wall.
“He will remain asleep until we have confirmation,” the man said. “Minotaurs can be rather destructive.”
“Father!” Sinchach snapped.
“He’ll be as polite as the rest of us,” Cheeyt growled.
“Where’s Tajak?” Tseetsaa asked suddenly.
Sinchach’s father stiffened. “Due to his failure to prevent my son from making his rash decisions, he has been released from his employment.”
Sinchach closed his eyes, lips pressed together again. Good. At least he was recognizing these were the consequences of his actions.
They heard voices outside of the cart-house again. Nuliyaa ignored them—she’d been hearing people going about their business since she woke up.
Then seven Malks strode into the cart-house.
It was almost ridiculous. The servants and guards in Sinchach’s family’s uniform who followed the Malks in were looking at the handful of house cat-sized beings as though someone had tossed hot coals among them. Sinchach’s mother walked with the lead Malk.
Chesfi.
The Third Daughter of the Pumuy Pounce sauntered, her tail swinging lazily from side to side. Her silver fur had been brushed to a gleam. Her claws had been painted red. A collar formed out of chain mail and edged with red gems was draped over her chest and shoulders. She came into full view of their group and sat. “The Pumuy Pounce greets the Consort of this house,” the Malk just behind and to Chesfi’s right said. “I speak on behalf of Chesfi, Third Daughter.”
Sinchach’s father blinked at them, but gave an elegant bow. “Welcome, Pumuy Pounce.”
The Malk behind and to the left of Chesfi’s position turned toward Sinchach’s mother with a scroll held delicately in his mouth. The speaker continued, “Pumuy Pounce demands the release of our contracted company and restitution for the interruption of services provided by the contracted company.”
“What services?” Sinchach’s mother asked. She took the offered scroll and read it quickly.
“Guarding and escorting of the Third Daughter,” the speaker answered. She then paused. “The Third Daughter is willing to forgive the restitution if the company is released immediately.”
Sinchach’s mother paled while his father flushed, though Nuliyaa couldn’t tell if he was embarrassed or angry. He looked to his wife, who said, “They have provided a contract between Cheeyt and Nuliyaa Supyuunch and Pumuy Pounce for guarding and escorting services.”
“I see.”
Sinchach’s mother turned a polite smile on the Malks. “Of course we will respect the Pumuy Pounce’s contract.” She nodded to one of the servants, who pulled a paper out of his pocket that had to be counterspell to whatever had been used to lock their bindings.
Sinchach darted over to Kachaark’s side and started muttering. The Minotaur stirred, his head lifting as he squinted at Sinchach. “I’m so sorry,” Nuliyaa heard Sinchach say.
She never thought she would see the day that he apologized for anything.
When her hands were released, Nuliyaa pushed to her feet and then rushed over to join Miyt and Tseetsaa in their hug. Cheeyt hovered over their shoulders, glaring at Sinchach’s parents and servants.
Two of those servants went to throw open the double doors that led to the street outside of Sinchach’s family’s property. Faster than Nuliyaa had anticipated, Kachaark was grabbing the handles of the wagon, the Malks were jumping into the wagon and arranging themselves along the edges as though they were the guards, and their group was filing into the sunshine of a quiet Nengmekian street.
“Thank you,” Nuliyaa said quietly to Chesfi.
Chesfi picked her way over the chaos that was their belongings in the wagon and jumped from the wagon to Nuliyaa’s shoulder, where she rubbed their cheeks together. “So much posturing and foolishness.”
Nuliyaa decided not to comment on the amount of posturing she had seen Chesfi due over their travel together.
Singmij paused to give the cart-house a long look before hurrying to catch up to them. “Did they not recognize you?” Nuliyaa asked.
“No,” she said. “I don’t think they searched us and it isn’t as though I have a public face. I’ve been in Wumaltsmaas for a while now.”
“Will you do anything to them?” Saknuu asked, his voice almost quiet enough to be lost in the street’s activity.
“It isn’t as though they did anything wrong as far as the nation’s laws are concerned.” Singmij nodded to Chesfi. “It is up to Pumuy Pounce to decide if they will sanction the family’s businesses in any way.” She eyed Nuliyaa and Cheeyt. “It is unfortunate that they had already sent a message to your Guild, but I will intervene on your behalf. I am, after all, the one who connected you to Sinchach.”
Cheeyt scowled at her. “Yes, that was you, wasn’t it?”
“Cheeyt,” Miyt admonished before Nuliyaa could.
Chesfi rubbed against Nuliyaa’s cheek one more time before returning to the wagon. “We will talk more at the meeting house,” she decreed.