Shan Lin bowed his head.
“Put it behind you and allow us to complete our mission. All will right itself when we return to our heart.”
Shan Lin nodded not bothering to turn around. Vincent accepted the quick agreement and left his brother to gather himself a moment. He needed a minute of his own. The memories of the fight were too fresh. The fact was Shan Lin
had
nearly taken Vincent’s life. It had to be buried deeply so his brother never found the memory nor the feelings.
Vincent cursed the
Try Nas Ayn
and went to find the brothers’ animals.
* * * * *
Shan Lin watched Vincent as they rode toward the small town of Hurok, population twenty-five thousand. Their intelligence had told them of a coming attack from the Horrd border thirty-five miles away. Being this close to enemy lines it would have behooved Shan Lin to pay closer attention to the surrounding area than to his brother.
Snap to soldier!
Shan Lin ordered himself as thoughts of the fight on the ship began to make their way back into his thoughts.
Just get on with it. You’ve got a wife to escort out of the Realm since the Queen ran roughshod over you and Vincent. Oh. And have you forgot the little thing called
Try Nas Ayn
you’ve both got to get through? Concentrate on what’s most important.
Doing his best to bury the memories, especially the exact moment he had nearly ended Vincent’s life, Shan Lin drew on all the training he and Vincent had gone through to become Warriors and pushed them aside.
Do you see it?
Vincent’s voice brought Shan Lin to attention and the fight was immediately shoved out of his mind.
To the left. Recognize those two?
Shan Lin looked around him casually as if to take in the lay of the land nearly missing the two figures camouflaged into the terrain.
I see them. What are they doing here? I thought they were hot on the trail of Capt. Lawsai?
Vincent shrugged mentally before bringing his horse to a halt speaking in a casual voice out loud.
“I don’t know Shan Lin. It might be an ambush. Do you think we should be frightened?”
Shan Lin struggled to make his voice nonchalant as his heart began to pound in anticipation of a fight not with his brother.
“You would think we should be, Vincent. After all, these same Warriors once thought to get the drop on us. They probably would have if we hadn’t spotted them first as we’ve no doubt done once again.”
Vincent chuckled, adrenaline snaking up his spine giving him nearly the same pleasure he got when thinking of Shari.
Don’t go there, brother mine. Keep your mind on the situation.
Vincent’s smile was closer to an
averon
barring its fangs than something meant to be reassuring, but Shan Lin knew it was the best he would get.
“Why don’t we just go over and see if those two are in the mood to dance with us. It’s got to be more pleasant for them than the mess of kicking their scrawny asses would be.”
This time, the smile lighting Vincent’s face was more in tune with laughter.
“I think you’re right, brother mine. After all, aren’t we The Death Bringer and The Queen’s Most Vicious Warrior?”
The bragging note in Vincent’s voice did it. From behind Vincent, Shan Lin watched as shapes rose swiftly out of the terrain and quickly became forms of men.
“Hardie,
freching
, har.” The one on the left spoke sarcastically.
Shan Lin nodded a greeting as Vincent turned in pretend surprise.
“Why Shan Lin! Look who it is?” The feigned pleasure in Vincent’s tone had Shan Lin laughing. “It’s Aranak’s dirt surveyors all decked out in their finery. I tell you, brother mine, I never thought I would see the day I could proudly say I watched as they wallowed in shit. I must admit they are braver than we. Look at how serious they take their jobs. It’s not every man or woman who would allow themselves to be covered in
averon
dung as they crawled through the fields.”
Shan Lin laughed harder as his brother bent down and asked the two men in all seriousness if they had to taste samples of the excrement to determine which
averon
hailed from where.
He knew Vincent was pushing his luck with the two men but couldn’t help himself. The tension he was feeling from the earlier fight he had with Vincent was slowly draining out of him as Vincent waited for the two men to answer.
“Really, Warrior,” the second man drawled as he threw off the ground covering and dusted himself off. “As if you have room to talk after the last place we found you.”
The first man to speak nudged the second as they began to snicker.
“Or was it perhaps, you were enjoying yourself in middle of the
freching krikers
and were just patiently waiting for your turn with one of them?”
Shan Lin watched Vincent scowl at the memory. His brother had been sent on reconnaissance to intercept a Horrd missive intended for a highly placed military commander when a family had waylaid Vincent in need of his assistance. The stranded family had been transporting grown
krikers
during mating season and Vincent had made the mistake of getting between a male and his male mate. Something any child knew, just as the child knew
kriker
male organs could become inverted to allow another male
kriker
to impregnate a similar male. The gestation process could, and often did, kill the impregnated males, which was why
krikers
were born in masses.
The
kriker
in discussion had not taken kindly to the interruption of its needs and had sought to take Vincent instead.
“Oh, sure Vincent. You resisted their affections at first,” the man went on taunting Shan Lin’s brother, “but I had to wonder as I came on the scene if I should just allow you to be taken. You had a look in your eye saying you might just have enjoyed it.”
The second man was now howling in laughter, and Vincent looked as if he was ready to get off Talana and teach the man a lesson. It was definitely time for Shan Lin to intervene.
“Okay Kyden. As much as I enjoy seeing Vincent brought down to size every now and then, I think it’s time you told us what two Horrdian Warriors are doing on this side of the border.”
Even as Shan Lin spoke, he heard Vincent mumble.
“I could have taken them both. Those damned
krikers
would have been good eating if they hadn’t already sprouted wings.”
Kyden laughed.
“I know Rayan. I thought I was helping another Horrdian Warrior. If I had known it was you, I would have just let you take your chances.”
The second man had gotten himself under control as the men spoke and piped up.
“It’s a damned shame I didn’t have my Vid/Sync cam running though. I think I could have made a lot of creds from the sale of the stills alone.”
Vincent gave a snorting laugh.
“So long as you would have split the proceeds with me, Dylan, I would have given it a go.”
The four men laughed good-naturedly. All too soon they knew they would have to get down to business. It was Kyden who reminded them of it moments later.
“As much as I’d like to reminisce, we have a bigger problem on our hands at the moment.”
Shan Lin and Vincent came to attention.
“What do you mean?” Shan Lin asked.
Kyden looked to Dylan and the second man sighed heavily.
“It’s a pain in
Riad’s
ass I’m going to be, but we’ve got intelligence which says a Horrdian war party is going to strike the town of Hurok today.”
“Yeah. So? It’s why we’re here.” Vincent quickly spoke up.
But Kyden was already shaking his head.
“Well, that’s the problem.”
“What’s the problem?” Shan Lin asked wondering why the two Horrdian brothers would come to warn them.
“Aren’t the two of you supposed to be somewhere on the other side of Aranak? Like somewhere near Camp Grenlak, putting an end to the skirmishes going on there daily?” Vincent narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Or have you already done it?”
Dylan looked up at Vincent with a look of pain in his eyes.
“Those skirmishes were called off over four
enons
ago. We told you your armies have been fighting mercenaries. Horrd superiors deemed it a waste of man power to engage the border due to the heavy casualties we received.”
Shan Lin’s lips flattened in anger. He knew something funny had been going on near the camp for a while. If these two could be trusted, and he had learned the hard way they could, Shan Lin now knew it was true. He just had no way to prove it.
We’ll find proof. We
have to
find proof. It’s the only way we can get evidence to Queen Stephanie.
Shan Lin nodded.
Dylan seemed to take it as a good sign the brothers believed him because he went on.
“We infiltrated Kilian two nights ago,” he began speaking of a larger town nearly sixty miles from where the men now stood talking, “where we overheard a band of mercs making bets on the number of Horrdian’s they could take down without blood shed. Now in itself, the statements were harmless. But as they got drunker, a few of them let slip bits of info for anyone within hearing.”
Kyden picked up the tale here.
“It seems they had been paid by the ‘Queen Whore’ herself to instigate a massacre in the town of Hurok two nights from that time, meaning tonight, and lay the blame on the Horrd. Make it look as if our Warriors snuck in and slaughtered the town while it slept. After all, there was little the town could do as it’s out of the way and is afforded very little protection from the palace of Aranak.”
Shan Lin made a slashing motion with his hand cutting off Kyden’s words.
“Are you telling me Queen Sara, the Queen of Aranak herself, paid these…”
“Yes.” The Horrdian brothers spoke in unison.
“Bullshit!” Vincent shouted from atop his mount causing Talana to step sideways before he could control the animal.
“Hold, Talana.” Vincent spoke harshly at the knowledge the Queen had finally given them something tangible to present the court of Aranak. If what the two brothers said was true.
“No, it’s true all right. Matter of fact, we’ve been waiting here for most of the early hours of morning for you to show. The mercs were bragging the fight was going to give them the chance to take on the Queens’ Warriors. She would be sending in a squad behind her initial Trackers…”
“Trackers?” Shan Lin asked incredulously. “Now, we’re
freching
Trackers? When the hell did we get demoted fourteen ranks to Trackers?”
Vincent grunted.
“Better than promoting us to dead as it appears she wants.”
Shan Lin could only agree.
“Look. As much as it delights me to see the two most bragged about men in Aranak being belittled, there’s still more you need to know.”
Kyden looked between the Warriors to see if he had their attention. If the menacing looks on their faces were any indication, he did. If he had not been sure they would not kill the messenger, Kyden would have been afraid he might have to fight his way out.
“Well then…” Kyden rubbed the back of his neck absently then cursed as he felt the foul clods of shit roll down his back.
Shan Lin laughed easing the tension.
“Thanks, Horrdian cur. I needed that.”
Kyden grimaced.
“Yeah. Glad I could help in your time of need.” Reaching around, Kyden untucked his uniform shirt and released the dirt beginning to grow legs of its own.
“As I was saying, if you two would quit interrupting, Dylan and I managed to convince the mercs it would be in their best interest to take the Queen’s gold and run.”
“And did they?” Vincent asked sweetly just for the pleasure of interrupting the Horrdian and aggravating the man.
“Shut up.” Kyden said equally as syrupy.
“As a matter of fact, no, they protested,” Dylan said.
Shan Lin stared at the brother. “And?”
A smile of unholy glee lit Dylan’s features as he turned to look at his brother who now sported the same evil grin. Turning their smiles on the brothers, they both spoke at once.
“It was the best fight we’ve…”
“…had in a millennium. You should have seen it. Their leader was…”
“…this little thing from the Warrian Pride over near Tecla, on the far side of Moonla Sid. You know the one? With great big…”
“…muscles piled nearly to her forehead and an ass to make a man weep.” A remembered sigh of satisfaction slipped from Kyden’s lips before he continued.
“She was the one we took down first. And make no mistake, it took…”
“…both of us. She was a sweet little thing the last time I was between her cheeks, both sets mind you, but this was business she had shouted as I reminded her of our earlier acquaintance.”
The Horrdian brothers had slipped into the same twin speak of Aranak twins. Shan Lin had learned it was taught to the Warriors of Horrd for infiltration of Aranak.
Dylan smiled reminiscently.