Exiles

  A couple of minutes later, he looked over to where Saul had moved, and the man signaled him. With another steadying breath, he crept out of the pines and toward the tent. If he stayed low, the shrubs and low pine boughs kept him hidden from anyone near the perimeter. Now he only needed not to alert the guard at the front of the tent. More sweat rolled down his face and neck.

  He crossed the ten yards to the tent without a sound and paused. Thankfully, the tent had a back flap, and he wouldn’t have to try to cut through the canvas. With a quick glance around to be sure no one was nearby, he went to work on the flap’s ties. Knowing Kyrin was just inside urged him to move faster, but he loosened the ties slowly. Any abandoning of caution could be disastrous. At least the ryriks at the fire, with all their rowdy talk and raucous laughter, would cover any slight sounds.

  At last, the final tie came loose. Holding his breath, Jace pushed aside the flap and looked inside. Kyrin sat against the support pole facing the front flap, her arms tied behind her. She sat still, her head hanging. His heart thumped his ribcage. Was she all right? Was she hurt? Was she even conscious? But then her head lifted, and she tugged against her restraints. He barely held back a sigh.

  Now what? He needed to let her know he was there, but he dared not utter a word with the guard right outside, barely ten feet away. However, if he startled her, any noise she made might alert him. Praying this was the best course of action, he slipped inside the tent without a sound. In a swift but silent move, he put his hand over her mouth and his arm around her to keep her from struggling. She went rigid in his grip, and it hurt him to scare her like this, considering what she had been through. Leaning close to her ear, he barely breathed, “It’s me.”

  Almost at once, she went limp in his arms, and he took his hand away from her mouth. Her breaths trembled in and out as if she were about to cry. She looked over her shoulder, meeting his gaze. Tears built in her eyes, though she did not try to speak. Jace wanted nothing more than to hold her and make sure she was all right, but he went carefully to work on freeing her. He pulled out Saul’s knife and cut through her bindings, glancing to the front of the tent to make sure the guard hadn’t moved. Judging by his silhouette, he still faced the fire, intent on the conversation.

  Once Kyrin was free, Jace took her arm to guide her toward the back of the tent. However, she grasped his shirtsleeve and drew him closer to whisper in his ear.

  “I hurt my ankle.”

  Heat burst through his chest to discover she was hurt, but he forced it aside for now. He slipped one arm around her shoulders and the other under her knees to lift her up. She wrapped her arms securely around his neck, and he stepped cautiously to the back of the tent and through the flap. It was more difficult to stay low with her in his arms, but he took it one careful step at a time.

  When they reached the grouping of pines, he looked at Saul, who motioned in the direction of the river. Jace moved deeper into the woods, giving the camp a wide berth. He didn’t relax until a mile later. Finally, he breathed out a long breath and increased his pace. He wanted to ask Kyrin if she was all right, but it still felt dangerous to utter a word out loud.

  Just before reaching the river, Saul and the others caught up. Holding Kyrin tightly, Jace crossed over the log first. When they reached the other side where Ross and the horses waited, he set her down gently, keeping his hands on her arms to support her until he was sure she could stand on her own.

  “Are you all right?”

  She nodded, but her cheeks were wet with tears.

  The heat ignited in Jace’s chest again, quickly overtaking his entire body. However, a chill chased after it as he cupped his hands around her face and searched her watery eyes. He struggled to form the words. “Did they hurt you?”

  “No.”

  Jace stared deep into her eyes, not sure he should fully believe it, and she said, “They didn’t hurt me.”

  “Your ankle?”

  “I stepped in a hole and twisted it. I’ll be all right.”

  The chill lifted, allowing Jace to breathe a little easier and thank Elôm. Gently, he wiped the tears from her face.

  She sniffed. “What about you? Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine.”

  Fresh tears welled in her eyes. “I was so afraid for you.”

  Jace couldn’t help the breathless laugh that escaped. She’d been afraid for him? He’d nearly gone out of his mind with worry for her. He leaned closer and spoke quietly. “We’re both all right.”

  He would have kissed her right there if Saul hadn’t spoken.

  “We shouldn’t linger here. They could discover her missing any time.”

  Jace agreed and took Kyrin’s hand securely in his. Whatever it came down to, he would not let her fall into the ryriks’ hands again.

  Saul turned to instruct his men, “A couple of us should stay behind. I want to find out what they’re up to here.”

  Two of the men volunteered.

  “They have a crete traitor from Arvael with them,” Kyrin said. “He must have a dragon nearby. I also heard them mention something about ‘Daican’s force’ showing up.”

  “See if they say anything more about that,” Saul told the men. He then focused on Jace. “If you’d like, we can take you to our village where you can rest and recover. It’s closer than Jorvik’s farm, and your captors won’t expect you to head that way. Even if they follow, we have enough fighting men to protect you.”

  Jace considered it a moment. Right now, his number one priority was to get Kyrin to a safe place. Then they could decide what to do next. He agreed, but said, “Our friends will be looking for us. If they were able to pick up our trail, it could lead them straight into the ryriks.”

  Saul gestured to Ross. “Backtrack and see if you can find them. If you do, lead them to the village.”

  “They’ll be suspicious,” Jace warned. “Tell them Jace Ilvaran sent you.” Not many besides their closest friends knew his family name.

  He returned Ross’s sword to him, and the man rode off in the direction they’d come. Everyone else, save the two men remaining behind, mounted up. Jace swung up onto the mare and then reached down for Kyrin.

  Saul stepped forward and said, “Let me help you.”

  Kyrin glanced at him, uncertainty crossing her expression. Could she tell in the dark that they were ryriks? Yet, she nodded, and Saul gave her a careful boost up onto the horse. She settled in behind Jace and wrapped her arms around him. Taking the reins in one hand, he laid his arm across hers. He needed to hold onto her, just to assure himself that she was truly safe and right there with him.

  Saul took the lead and they rode away from the river, angling more to the north than their previous path. After a few minutes of silence, Kyrin spoke softly near Jace’s ear.

  “Are they ryriks?”

  He squeezed her arm reassuringly. “Yes, but they’re friends. They saved my life.”

  The sun rose, filling the forest with light and waking the birds. It transported Jace’s thoughts back to the days he and Kyrin had gone out hunting every morning just after they first met. A smile grew on his lips at the warm feel of Kyrin’s head against his back, her arms draped loosely around his waist. He wasn’t sure if she had fully slept during the ride, but she did doze, and he was glad she was able to rest. One of her hands rested in his, and he rubbed his thumb gently over her soft skin, thanking Elôm for the millionth time for keeping her safe. Though he wouldn’t let his guard down until they were safely within Saul’s village, after the quiet night of travel, he didn’t expect to see their ryrik captors again.

  The horror of what they’d been through still hung in his mind, and he clutched Kyrin’s hand a little more tightly. In response, her own grip tightened. Twice, he’d almost lost her to ryriks. If only he could take her somewhere far away from the struggle that surrounded them and live the quiet sort of life he’d known on the farm. He sighed lightly. Of course, he’d need to marry her first.

  Just ahe
ad, Saul turned in his saddle. “The village is only another mile from here.”

  Kyrin straightened, lifting her head from his back. He felt her draw a deep breath and reclaim one of her hands.

  He looked over his shoulder to find her rubbing her eyes. “How do you feel?”

  “All right.”

  “Does your ankle still hurt?”

  “Just a little.”

  That was one of the first things Jace would make sure was properly tended once they stopped. Surely, she would have told him if she thought it was broken, but he wanted to make sure.

  Very soon, the trees ahead of them thinned out, and a tall wooden palisade came into view. As they neared, Saul dropped back to ride beside them.

  “You’ll probably draw a lot of interest. You’re the first non-ryrik visitors we’ve had in years besides Jorvik and his brothers. But we have good people in our village, and they will welcome you.”

  Jace anxiously looked forward to seeing the village. After all, they were just as much his people as humans were, and his ryrik side always seemed dominant. He couldn’t have imagined feeling this way a few days ago before meeting Saul. However, now that he’d learned ryriks weren’t all brutal monsters, curiosity to discover more about this side of his heritage had taken over.

  “Most of us live within the palisade,” Saul explained, “though we have pastureland outside for some of our animals. As you can imagine, we don’t have many newcomers out here, but the wall keeps out the wolves and bears as well as any ryriks who don’t agree with our way of life.”

  “How long has the village been here?” Jace asked.

  “Over a hundred years. I came here as a boy with my family from farther south when our area was too overrun by hostile ryriks.”

  “It seems like a peaceful way to live.” Tucked away in the forest with little intrusion from the outside world was just the life Jace had always wanted.

  “It is, and we strive to keep it that way.”

  A few moments later, they arrived at an open gate, where a tall ryrik man appeared. His gaze, bright with intensity, landed immediately on Jace and Kyrin before shifting to Saul.

  “What’s this? I thought you were hunting wolves.”

  “That’s what we set out to do, but Elôm had other plans. I’ll tell you about it after I get these two home to Jayna and looked after.”

  The guard nodded and stepped aside to let them pass. On the way through, Saul paused to say, “Just don’t let any strange ryriks inside. We may have a few following us. However, if a group of humans shows up, send word to me. They’re likely friends.”

  “I’ll keep a lookout,” the guard responded.

  They rode into the village, and Jace took in the sight of simple yet sturdy log homes. Many had their own small barn and fenced in areas holding chickens, milk cows, and goats. From deeper in the village came the sound of a hammer against metal. Men and women milled about or worked near their homes, while children played and dashed around in groups—all of them with piercing blue eyes and black hair. Jace had never seen so many ryriks at once, and he would never have expected it to be such an incredible experience.

  What struck him next was the number of animals other than livestock. Nearly every house had at least one wolf lounging or sniffing around outside—normal wolves the size of Tyra, not the giant wolves that had nearly killed him yesterday. Most were gray, but a few had either black or white fur. There were a couple of red foxes as well, and Jace noticed children with a variety of birds perched on their shoulders. He’d always suspected his bond with animals came from his ryrik blood, and this confirmed it.

  As Saul had said, their presence did cause a bit of a stir as many of the villagers they passed turned to stare at them curiously. Until yesterday, Jace could never have imagined ryriks looking at anyone in a non-hostile way.

  Halfway through the village, they parted from the other ryriks in their group, and Saul led them down a pathway to one of the village farms. Chickens strutted around in front of the cabin, and a couple of goats and cows stood in the corral. Two impressive-looking gray wolves jumped up from where they lay on the porch of the cabin and trotted over to them as they halted at the barn. Saul dismounted and gave each of the creatures a pat on the back. They sniffed at Jace and Kyrin but were very calm.

  “Don’t mind them,” Saul said.

  Jace slid off the mare first and turned to Kyrin. Taking her by the waist, he lifted her off the horse and set her down gently. A moment later, a female voice called from near the cabin.

  “Saul?”

  They all turned as a tall ryrik woman approached them. Her long hair rested in a thick, black braid over her shoulder, and her well-rounded belly filled out the front of her linen dress. She was a lovely woman who reminded Jace of his mother, Rachel, though her clearly ryrik features set her apart. It occurred to him that, before today, he’d never seen a ryrik woman. Though very feminine, she seemed strong and certainly not delicate.

  With a warm smile, Saul reached for her hand and drew her closer to meet Jace and Kyrin. He introduced her as his wife, Jayna, and briefly explained how he’d met them.

  “Oh my,” Jayna murmured with true concern. “Do please come in. You must be exhausted.” She motioned them toward the cabin.

  Jace looked at Kyrin, nodding to her ankle.

  “I think I can make it, if I’m careful,” she said.

  He offered her his arm for support and guided her slowly up to the cabin. The inside offered cool relief from the sun, which already shone very warmly. Jace glanced around, finding the cabin serviceable and homey, much like Kalli and Aldor’s cabin had been. It wasn’t nearly the size of the giants’ cabins, but close quarters were much more familiar to him.

  “Please, sit down.” Jayna pulled a chair from the dining table to their right, and Jace helped Kyrin to it. The woman looked at her. “Is it a sprain?”

  Kyrin nodded. “I stepped in a hole.”

  “Let me get you something to soak it in.” Jayna walked around the table and put a kettle over the small fire in the fireplace. Looking over her shoulder, she asked, “Are you hungry? I still have some breakfast leftover.”

  “That would be wonderful,” Kyrin answered.

  While waiting for the water to heat, Jayna served Kyrin, Jace, and Saul each a plate of fried potatoes, ham, and slices of fresh bread. Between bites, they told her everything that had happened with the ryriks. When they finished, her hand rested over her stomach as if protecting the baby she carried. Her eyes shone a brilliant, bright blue.

  “That is terrible. Thank Elôm you were not seriously hurt,” she said, looking specifically at Kyrin. She turned to her husband. “We must find out what’s going on. These attacks can’t be allowed to continue like this.”

  Saul agreed. “Hopefully the others will be able to gather enough information for us to figure out how to put a stop to it.”

  Just then, two children dashed in from outside—a girl about ten and a boy about eight. A chickadee flitted in right after them and landed in the rafters, chattering. The moment they spotted Saul, their faces lit up.

  “Papa!” they cried in unison.

  Saul rose from his seat and lifted them both up in a big hug.

  “Did you get any wolves?” the boy asked.

  “Only a couple, but I did bring back some friends.” Saul turned to the table, setting the two children in front of him. “Jace, Kyrin, this is my daughter, Liese, and my son, Kal.”

  Jace smiled at them, and they shared hellos. They were beautiful children with their striking ryrik features. Kal brushed his slightly long hair out of his eyes and behind his pointed ears as he studied them. Is that what Jace had looked like as a child?

  The little boy focused on Kyrin, tipping his head as he stared at her. “You look different.”

  “That’s because she’s a human,” Saul told his son.

  Kal’s eyes grew huge. “Really? I’ve never seen a human before.”

  Saul chuckled and to
usled his hair. “Yes, and we’ll treat her and Jace very well while they’re our guests, won’t we?”

  The children nodded enthusiastically and scrambled into chairs at the table, their faces curious. They both had questions for Jace and Kyrin, though Jayna kept them from asking everything all at once. Jace smiled at the way Kyrin laughed and answered the sometimes slightly outrageous questions they had about humans. She always was good with children.

  As they were talking, Jayna brought a pan for Kyrin to soak her ankle in. Once it had been soaking for a while, Jayna wrapped it for her. Though still swollen and a bit bruised, at least it was not broken. It would just take a few days to heal. Jayna also cleaned and applied a salve to the cut on Kyrin’s jaw. She then said, “You look like you could use some good rest. If you’d like, I can show you to our room to sleep.”

  Kyrin glanced at Jace and nodded. Her face was heavy with weariness. He couldn’t imagine how the trauma of the last two days had worn on her. It was amazing she had held up so well for this long.

  “I would appreciate that,” Kyrin told Jayna.

  Jace stood and helped her up. Supporting her arm, he guided her along with Jayna to a door off the main living area that led into a bedroom. Though not large, it contained a bed, wardrobe, washstand, and a cradle waiting for use in the corner. Jayna stepped to the wardrobe and pulled out an off-white nightgown and then a dress.

  “You can wear these. There’s water in the pitcher for you to clean up, and I can wash your dress for you.”

  Kyrin offered her a grateful smile. “Thank you.”

  When Jayna left the room, Jace remained at the doorway and looked down at Kyrin, who stared up at him.

  “Do you feel safe here?” He didn’t want to leave her alone if she had any doubts.