Clanless (23 page)

Zo knelt in front of her sister and commanded control of her emotion. “I’m sorry, bug. There’s something I need to tell you.”

As Zo explained, Tess’s whole body seemed to sag with the weight of Zo’s lie. Images of Tess as an adolescent, as a young woman, and a grown woman flitted across her mind. She’d be so beautiful, far more lovely and warm than Zo could ever be. Zo could only imagine the lives she might save and the love she might offer those around her. No doubt she’d marry and have children one day. Maybe a little girl whom she could teach the healing art—just like their mother had taught Zo.

“I don’t want you to leave me,” Tess whimpered.

Zo’s control broke and a tear streaked down her chin. “I know, bug. Leaving is always hard. But Joshua will stay with you. You’re now officially the healer of the camp.”

Tess smiled sheepishly and hugged Zo. “I’ll miss you,” she said.

Zo kissed them both, forcing herself not to think that this would likely be the last time she’d ever see them again. “Look out for one another.”

Following Stone to the edge of camp, she remembered something important. She sprinted back to Joshua and said, “Whatever you do, don’t let Tess follow me. She has a habit of doing that.”

Gryphon, Talon, and Raca slowed as they reached a clearing that bore all the signs of the Nameless camp. It was the second abandoned Nameless campsite they’d seen that day.

Gryphon collapsed next to a trickling stream, not bothering to take his pack from off his shoulders, too tired to even roll over and stick his face in the water to drink.

Talon and Raca didn’t fare any better. “I can’t keep this pace much longer,” said Raca. “I just want to clean the layer of dirt from my skin and sink into my bed.” She flinched, probably thinking of how she might never go back to her home, her bed, again.

“Father will secure you a very fine bed once he reaches the Allies,” said Talon, reading his sister’s mind.

“Yes, and he will offer it to Sani, because he is his favorite.” Raca smiled as she pulled off her boots to let her small feet soak in the stream. “Ah, that’s better.”

Gryphon might have joined her if he had the energy to pull off his boots.

“If you stop fighting his wishes and marry, father would make sure you had a hundred fine beds,” said Talon. He was back to chewing on his dried meat rations. “Then perhaps we could both stop these tiresome travels.”

“I thought you were ambassadors,” said Gryphon, only just realizing how strange it was for the son and daughter of a chief to be wandering around the region on their own. Chief Naat had hundreds of men at his disposal to act as emissaries. Why risk his children with such a dangerous task?

“We
are
ambassadors, but my father sends me out with Talon, partly because I’m his best archer and my brother needs looking after, but mostly because he hopes I’ll find a worthy husband and Talon is the only chaperone he trusts.”

Gryphon’s confusion must have shown clearly on his face, because Talon jumped in to add, “Father has two heirs in me and Sani. He hopes his daughter will marry the chief of another clan to bring stability to the region and further his influence.”

Raca rolled her eyes. “That’s one of the reasons we went to the Allies. Father wanted me to attach myself to Commander Laden since he’s become the most powerful man in the region, apart from Barnabas.

Gryphon pushed up into a seated position and dropped his water skin into the stream. “How did you do?”

Raca laughed. Not an unpleasant sound. “Commander Laden is old enough to be my father. Besides, I didn’t get the impression that he was looking for a wife.”

Gryphon had a difficult time believing Laden wouldn’t notice Raca. She was young and very pretty. She didn’t seem like the type that would lead men to disinterest.

Raca said, “His mind is only for his cause. He’s obsessed with overthrowing Barnabas. He eats, drinks, and sleeps it. I admire his drive, but I want a husband closer to my own age.”

She held Gryphon’s gaze and then quickly looked away. “They say that Murtog’s wife was killed in the last Ram raid.”

“The Kodiak Chief would squish you!” said Talon.

Raca grabbed a handful of mud and flung it in her brother’s face. “Eww.”

Talon laughed, unrepentant, and scraped mud off his cheek. “The Kodiak are too wild. Besides, I’ve heard that a good portion of them left the caves. The clan is scattered. Some men, when their families were murdered or taken as slaves, joined the Clanless. Others traveled to the Allies. But Murtog refuses to leave his caves.”

“Just like your father refused to leave the Nest,” said Gryphon.

Raca shrugged. “People cling to tradition and fear change. That’s what makes your flight from the Ram so remarkable, Gryphon.” She tugged on her boots and climbed to her feet. “You didn’t have to leave, but you loved Zo enough to change the world for her.”

Gryphon’s cheeks reddened. “I haven’t changed the world.”

Raca frowned. “Right now we are tracking people who are free because of you. You did that for Zo, am I right? You left your home, your people, your family … all for her.”

“Enough.” Gryphon didn’t want to be reminded about what he left behind. His pride. His family home and friends. His own mother. They would all hate him now.

“You changed the world for her.” She nodded, satisfied that her point was made.

Gryphon cleared his throat. “These tracks are only about a day old. We should intercept them tomorrow.” He wandered around the woods picking up dead branches and snapping them over his knee to break them down for firewood.

“She’s lucky to have you,” said Raca.

Boar waited for Stone, Zo, and a small contingent of weary Nameless men a mile outside the charred remains of camp. They guarded eight Nameless who knelt in their midst, their hands bound behind their backs. Most of the Nameless captives’ clothes and all of their shoes were missing, stolen by the desperate Clanless.

Only a Clanless would bother stealing the shoes of a former slave.

At Stone’s command, the handful of men that acted as his guard stopped twenty yards away. Zo stepped up to Stone’s side with her hands clasped in front of her, arms locked straight and knuckles white with fear.

“You came,” said Boar. His gaze rested on Zo, and he showed his yellow teeth in a frightening grin. “I’m glad.” He gestured down to the Nameless at his feet. “I think they’re glad, as well.”

“We will make the trade, Boar, but you stole nine of my men. I only count eight.”

“I didn’t realize Nameless could count,” sneered Boar. Then he shrugged like it didn’t matter. “Our agreement changed when you refused me. I planned to kill one of your men every night you prolonged our arrangement.” He nudged one of the men on the ground with his boot. “Like I said, this lot is glad to see you.”

“You filthy—”

“Take your men and leave the girl, and my band of Clanless will not bother you anymore.” He almost sang his offer. His smile was so wrong that Zo took an involuntary step backward. Was this man psychotic?

Stone’s skin turned a reddish hue. The muscles in his neck and jaw flared like he’d enjoy nothing better than to detach Boar’s head from his neck.

Zo touched Stone’s shoulder, trying to calm him before he tried to kill Boar with his bare hands. “Do this for Eva, Stone. Do it for your men and those suffering in camp.”

Stone nodded and exhaled out his nose, but couldn’t manage to speak, so Zo spoke for him. “We have a deal,” Zo said. “I will go with you, but first you need to let our men go.”

Boar licked his lips. He flicked his wrist at one of his men—the same gesture he gave when he had the Nameless woman’s throat slit.

“Don’t!” cried Zo.

But instead of cutting another throat, Stone’s men cut the ropes binding the Nameless. The men struggled to their bare feet.

“Good,” said Boar. “Now walk to me, my dear.” He rubbed the side of his nose with his thumb and licked his lips again.

Zo took one steadying breath then reached inside her shirt pocket and handed her letter to Stone. “Give this to Commander Laden. It explains everything and will ensure a future for the Nameless, as well as Tess and Joshua.”

Stone’s eyes asked forgiveness as he accepted the missive.

“Walk!” shouted Boar.

Zo flinched under the command but hiked up her pack and stepped away from Stone and his guard. The walk lasted a lifetime. Each step marked a hundred days with those she loved that she might never experience. A memory of time wasted that she’d never get back. She should have told Tess more stories about their parents. Why didn’t she teach her the lullabies their mother used to sing to them when they were small? Tess would never sing them to her children. Those precious memories would die with Zo.

Zo stopped just outside of Boar’s reach. “Now let them go.”

Boar nodded and the Nameless men scrambled away from their wild captors. Zo felt their stares at her back. Their guilt. Their relief.

Boar held out his hand, like he was talking to a young child or perhaps a very close friend. “Come along, Healer. We have ground to cover.”

Zo would rather swallow a knife than take his hand. But there was a wild glint to his eyes. Unsteadiness in his outstretched hand. For some reason, the cruel side of Boar didn’t frighten her as much as the calm and calculated side. She had a distinct impression that the longer she played the docile creature the longer she might live.

And she needed to live to teach Tess those lullabies.

Zo reached out and accepted Boar’s hand.

The next morning Gryphon ran with more energy than he had since leaving the Nest. Today he would see Zo and Joshua and Tess.

My family
.

It was strange how people had the ability to create holes in your life. With them, he knew the emptiness he’d felt for abandoning his clan would be filled. A little voice in the back of his head reminded him that he would still never be welcome with the Allies, but he shoved the thought aside. There was too much to be grateful for today to worry about the trials of tomorrow. With the people he cared for by his side, everything would find its way of working out. It simply would.

Gryphon reached the crest of a hill and, not three hundred yards away, saw the Nameless caravan trekking through the sparse, blackened forest. “Praise heaven.” Finally, he’d see Zo and mark the task of emotionally bringing her back from the dead complete. He took off at a full sprint, leaving Raca and Talon to trail behind.

“Zo! Joshua!” He shouted with all the breath he could spare. “Tess!”

People from the Nameless caravan stopped and turned back. When they saw him closing the distance, some cowered while others ran around in a panic. Gryphon couldn’t blame them. He likely appeared as wild as any Clanless they’d encountered on their journey south. A motley line of men formed a barrier between Gryphon and the rest of the people. They linked rudimentary shields and held Ram spears in their hands. All aimed at his chest.

Gryphon stopped twenty yards away with hands raised to show he held no weapon. He gaped at the men before him—former slaves of his people—poorly mimicking Ram formation. Talon and Raca appeared beside him, breathing hard.