288. MOVING ON: WIREMU.

Lee was waiting by the gate, and we left Freebourne just before the gates closed for the night. Mayakku had elected to stay, and Astrid stayed with her. After the twelve-month contract, they would head back to the kingdom together. I would miss Mayakku. We used to have long discussions on Spiritual topics. It was one of the things that livened up the boring days of travel.

I was missing Mosey. He might be slow, but he had stamina, and he could carry my weight much easier than the new mount. We had a spare mount with us loaded with packs. Tabitha and Dusk were just loping along beside my poor laboured beast. Lee was riding a mixed breed that looked related to the courier horses. Fast with a reasonable amount of stamina. She had packed light, obviously used to travel. They both made my poor beast look like the poor cousin.

The wagons were about a week ahead of us. The road we were taking came close to the village I grew up in, and they would be passing it about now. It would take us three to four days of hard riding to catch up—maybe more with my poor animal. I did plan to detour and pay my respects at my old village. I know it has been rebuilt, and new people live there, but it is something I need to do.

Tabitha had a still healing scar poking out from the back of her armour. I was dying to ask her about it, but it would have to wait. I am guessing I will need to repair her other armour. I was in my Tama Forrester persona and planned to stay that way till we near the empire borders. Tabitha was already sporting a different look, not too different from her natural look. I saw Lee glancing at her frequently, trying to figure her out. We were riding hard, so conversation was limited.

My poor horse finally needed a break about midnight, and we stopped for a while. I switched to the spare horse, putting the packs on mine. I was harder to carry than the laden packs. Tabitha and I have been together for about 7-8 years now, and we are both loners. She is more social than me, but she enjoys silence as much as Modrica and almost as much as I do. So, while we stopped for an hour or so, we had no need for words. She brushed down Dusk while I removed the packs from the horse and got them ready to load up again.

Lee was taking care of her own horse as sat down to eat from her supply and watched us with a puzzled look. Tabitha tossed me the jacket of her ripped armour, and I examined the cut. I would get the story eventually, but not now. It was going to need a whole new back section, so I sat and started picking apart the stitching to remove it. Tabitha tossed me some jerky which I caught without looking up and started chewing on it. Tabitha then mounted up and rode off into the night.

“Where did she go?” Lee asked.

I looked up. I preferred the silence. “She and Dusk are itching to get some speed. While they are gone, they will check our trail for followers.” We hadn’t been travelling slowly, but Dusk was like Tabitha and wanted to stretch her legs and feel the wind rushing by.

“How do you know that? You guys haven’t spoken a word.”

I could tell from the little things. Tabitha was a complicated creature, but sitting still was not her. She had to be moving and moving fast by preference. I am happy to sit for hours waiting for my prey to take the bait. That would drive Tabitha insane. Her body language told me that she had an unpleasant time recently, which I assume is related to the wound. She and Dusk got pleasure from a long, fast run, so away she went. It would settle her down.

I looked at Lee and shrugged, “We have been together a long time.” I tossed some of the jerky into the shadows past Lee, and Tāoke dropped his camouflage and snapped it up, swallowing it in one go. He then slithered away into the night.

Lee looked back to me after watching Tāoke go and said, “I have good senses, yet I could not sense him or Putia’s disguise Skill. I can barely sense yours when I concentrate.”

“You should start calling her Lyla. That is her new name. It sounds like you need to spend some time improving the sensing skill.” I knew Tabitha had chosen Lyla in memory of the Lionkin we found so messed up, and we had to help put her out of her misery.

“Where was “Lyla” when we were in Freeborne? I barely saw her.”

I bet one of your tasks was to track us all as well. I just shrugged again. I had the back panel separated now and stowed it all away. It was time to saddle up and get back on the road, so that was what I did. Lee took the hint and packed her things together. We were soon back on the road.

A couple of hours later, Tabitha and Dusk flashed past us. There was no sound of hooves or anything else. She was in full Shadows Embrace. I only knew she was coming because of the disturbed air around them. Lee had no warning. This huge black presence was suddenly there and then was gone on ahead before Lee even had time to draw her weapon. Her reflexes were quite good. I am sure Tabitha is just messing with us, which is good. It means she is in a better frame of mind.

“What was that?” Lee asked, alarmed.

“Lyla.” I hadn’t flinched or slowed down. Lee was looking everywhere as if we might be under attack. “It is just her, don’t panic.”

“I have only been with you for less than eight hours, and my nerves are shot. Plus, I feel like I am a fresh-faced recruit rather than a seasoned professional.”

I just shrugged again. “We should all keep striving to learn,” I said diplomatically.

The sun was rising when we caught up to Tabitha. She had a small fire going and had water boiling for a cup of tea. She poked in the ashes, and she had baked some potatoes. She had been here a while.

I unloaded the horses, and we sat down to a hot breakfast.

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“Don’t get comfortable,” I said to Lee. “We will stop tonight for some sleep.”

“We will be moving slower today,” Tabitha said.

“It is for the horse's sake, and so I don’t get too far behind.” Lee looked puzzled—right, a newbie. “It is my turn to relax,” I said. “Lyla relaxes by riding, I relax by hunting, and we are far enough out that there might be something around.” I paused, “Do you have any hobbies that you want to do while we travel?” She looked a bit flustered. “Don’t worry. We will slow right down when we catch up to the wagons.”

“I am good for now,” Lee said.

After breakfast, I distributed the packs between both horses. I shouldered my bow and a quiver of arrows and took off on foot. This was not going to be a relaxing hunt, as I had to keep moving to keep up. Tabitha had to blow off some steam, I needed some alone time. Tāoke was curled up in my jacket, getting his alone time. Now it is just us, and I can relax.

I kept moving all day, occasionally veering to follow a track. There wasn’t much here. We were still too close to the city. Tāoke and I made it back to where Tabitha had camped in the early evening. There was a fire going on. I added the rabbit to the stew Tabitha had on and scraped and dried the two pelts. There was no sense in hunting the bigger stuff until we were closer to the wagons. I hadn’t seen much anyway.

“So Lee,” I said, “What appearance-changing Skill do you have?” I assumed she had something.

“It is called Mask, which makes changes to my head. Can I ask what you two have?”

“Mine is called Veneer. It makes surface changes but is not limited to the head.” I replied.

Lee looked at Tabitha. She ignored the question. “I am supposed to be here to help,” she said, getting frustrated. She was tired from riding for a day and night without rest, and Tabitha had obviously been giving her the cold shoulder all day. “I can’t help if I don’t have some basic information!”

Tabitha joined in, “I don’t think you are here to help. I think you are here to Spy, Infiltrate, Sabotage and Collaborate with the enemy.”

That was good of her, I had only gotten through her skill to get Ceramics Worker, Earthenware, Porcelain, Spy and Infiltrator. The first three she was letting be known. Lee’s jaw had dropped. I guess Tabitha got them all. She did have all day, but then I had all night. I am going to go with Lee being more weary when Tabitha tried.

“The Defence Force trained me in all those classes and specialisations.”

“Including Collaborator?”

“Yes, including Collaborator! It gives a Sense Loyalty and can help to weed out traitors in underground groups. It is one of the major reasons I was asked to help here.”

“Asked to help? I thought you were on leave to do this.” I said.

“I am on leave. I was asked, but it was my choice, and I wanted to help!”

“You can understand that we are dubious about your loyalty,” Tabitha said.

“A business rival screwed over my parents and tried to get us all enslaved to compensate him. Do you know what happens to someone if they refuse the Slave Class from a Magistrates Order? They get sent to a mine or similar, and it is made permanent instead of time-limited.”

“So people know about these workplaces where people are tortured into slavery, and they just let that happen?” I said in a dangerous voice.

“Those that speak up against it end up as inmates,” Lee said, and Tabitha gave a slight nod.

“So you ran?” I asked.

“Yes, we ran, but only I made it to the Free Republic. My parents made it possible by leading the troopers away and getting caught. I still haven't found them after fifty years. Debt slaves have some protections from the Magistrate. Permanent Slaves do not.”

My Truth Sensing was telling me she was being honest, and I signalled Tabitha that.

“So, what have you been doing in the Empire for the last fifty years?” Tabitha asked.

“Setting up networks to track and help slaves. We have mostly been helping people who want to run from being made a slave. Growing up in the Empire, slavery was normal, and it was one of the incentives to do well and avoid it happening to you. Most slaves are treated well.”

“How many cities does this network cover?” Tabitha asked.

“Now you want all our secrets?” Lee responded. “We don’t trust you either.”

“Your constant use of the plural is not selling it that this is personal. Besides,” Tabitha said, “this is the great Wiremu Hunter, who has spent more on killing Taskmasters than most cities make in a year.”

“Which is suspicious in itself,” Lee responded. “Where did that coin come from, and where do you fit in? What were you doing all that time in Freebourne out of sight? We had reports of gangs fighting in the streets, and here you are wounded.”

“I was doing your job for you,” Tabitha said. Lee just raised one eyebrow. “I told you several times that the Mad Mongrels were working with the Empire spies. The Mad Mongrels are no more.”

“You took out a whole gang?” she said in disbelief.

“It was very unfortunate, but the spies themselves seemed to have got caught up in the violence and were killed,” Tabitha continued.

“One of them was an assassin and backstabbed you, didn’t they?” I asked.

Tabitha nodded, “I twisted out. Hence, the slice instead of the stab, but the blade was poisoned.”

“I did tell you to increase your Poison Resistance,” I said.

Tabitha rolled her eyes, “I told you so? Really? Anyway, it has gone up now.”

“This is crazy,” Lee said. “You say you destroyed a whole street gang and a set of spies. You believe her,” she said, pointing at me. “This is just all crazy.”

Tabitha and I just looked at each other and shrugged.

“This is what we do. You are not here because we need you,” Tabitha said.

Don’t tell her about the coin toss.

“Why am I here then?”

Please, don’t tell her about the coin toss.

“You apparently have some contacts that could make things easier,” Tabitha said. “I hope you weren’t lying.”

Lee shook her head, “I have contacts.”

I nodded.

“Then we are pleased to have you,” Tabitha said.

“Do I get some answers?”

“Only when you need them.”