It happened within seconds. A twig snapped. Then a body partially emerged from the grass, leaning toward Laina, and Sora saw the glint of a knife. She didn't hesitate. Leaping out of her bedroll, she swung her staff in an upward arc and smashed it squarely into the stranger's face, or where she assumed his face was, hidden by shrubbery. He fell back with a muffled cry.
Someone else leapt out of the grass—two someones—but Sora was prepared. Whirling her staff, she turned and rammed it into a shadowy ribcage, sending her attacker staggering back into the bushes. There was a yelp—a woman's voice.
The second man swung at her with a knife, but she leapt back a short distance, dodging the blow. She brought her staff down over his head, putting her full force behind it. Crack! She dropped him into the ashes of the fire. He let out a mumbled groan, then lay still. She was sure the coals were still burning, but the man made no move to stand up, or even to roll to one side. She frowned. I must be stronger than I think.
Twirling her weapon with ease, she turned full circle, her eyes scanning the grass. There was a thrashing sound and the scrabble of feet. She saw the dim shape of a woman running off into the fields, awkwardly bent because of her damaged ribs. She considered giving chase, but hesitated, her eyes returning to Laina. She didn't want to leave the girl alone. Is it just me, or were they targeting her?
It seemed that way, thinking back on it. The attackers had circled around her side of the camp, going straight for the sleeping girl.
When she looked back up, the shadowy woman was gone. Sora wondered who she was. Hopefully just a thief looking for easy coin. She waited for a long moment, staff in hand, prepared for another attack. A hushed wind blew across the fields, ruffling the tall, dry husks. Nothing.
She finally went to check the bodies. The first man was sprawled backwards in the bushes. She gasped softly when she saw his face. The staff had connected perfectly with his nose, leaving a bloody, pulpy mess behind. She gagged. He certainly wouldn't be getting up again. She could tell that he wasn't breathing.
Then she turned back to the body in the fire. His clothes were beginning to catch flame, and she quickly rolled him over, patting the embers on his shirt. The last thing they needed was a bushfire.
Her eyes widened when she finally got a look at his face. Instant recognition. Dear Goddess, he looks like a skeleton! It was the buzzard man from the jail cells, the one she had left behind. He must have gotten hold of that key, she thought, quickly searching the body for weapons. She found two knives, a compass and a water flask. Beyond that, there was nothing, no food and no money. Her eyes fell to the brand on his wrist, and she was struck by another idea. The Ravens. Had they followed all the way from town? How desperate were they for a bit of coin?
Her eyes returned to Laina. The girl was still asleep. She was like a corpse, dead to the world. Sora smirked. A herd of horses could have stampeded past and she wouldn't have stirred.
She set down her staff and grabbed hold of the bandit's body, dragging it around the fire into the grass. It was hard work. The man was skinny, no doubt about that, but he was well over a foot taller than she and probably close to 180 pounds. Sora, who barely capped five feet, couldn't believe her own strength. She thought of the long hours of practice she had put in over the past twelve months, the poles her mother had made her jump, the rope climbing and the bucket lifting. Apparently all that training paid off.
When the camp was clear of bodies, she moved next to Laina and reached down to touch the girl's shoulder.
Laina shot bolt upright, twisting wildly, her scrawny fist swinging through the air. Sora caught her wrist with ease and tried not to laugh. “It's just me!” she said, grinning in irony. She slept through that whole fight, but lay one finger on her....
Laina stared at her, blinking owlishly, her mouth slightly open. She didn't bother apologizing. “Oh. I was having the strangest dream....”
“Right, and I just hid two bodies in the grass. We need to move camp.”
“Huh?” Laina grunted.
Sora pulled the girl to her feet and led her to the unconscious—or perhaps, dead—bandits. Laina paled visibly at the sight of the crushed face, then turning her eyes to the other body, grimaced. “Oh, him.”
“I was going to ask you...” Sora started slowly. “Do you know why they followed us? It seems like they've gone out of their way. They were very focused on you.” She thought back to the knife in the grass, the way it had hovered over Laina's sleeping body.
Laina nodded, obviously shaken. “Let's get out of here,” she said.
“Right, but...”
“I told you back in the jail cell!” Laina exclaimed, her eyes bright in the darkness. “They're going to come after me now. Once a Raven, always a Raven. If you abandon them, they kill you. It's just how it works.” She turned away fiercely, her movements short and tense.
“But... but you escaped from jail. You're starting a new life, remember? And you're so young!”
“Age doesn't mean anything!” Laina exclaimed. She was already heading toward her horse, taking clumsy strides through the grass. “When you become a Raven, you enter their family. It's a gang, get it? And if you leave, they kill you. It's part of the deal. You're either all in or all out.”
Sora nodded slowly at this. She understood what Laina was saying... it just seemed so barbaric. But not as barbaric as the Catlins, she thought. And truthfully, not as barbaric as the guards back in the jail cell, who would gladly execute a young girl. She sighed to herself. Barely a year away from her manor, and she was still being surprised by people. Would it ever end? She thought of Crash, of the way he had first treated her, like a spoiled, naïve little girl. Perhaps it was still true. Maybe she just hadn't suffered enough to understand how the world worked. Well, that is rapidly changing, she thought with a grimace.
Laina was gathering her belongings, packing her saddlebags and readying her horse. Her haste was disturbing. Sora realized they must be in a worse situation than she had originally thought. You're either all in or all out. The Ravens had followed them far into the fields—a lot farther than the soldiers had. I shouldn't have let that last bandit escape, she thought, her gut sinking. Now they would return in force.
What have I gotten myself into? Sora started to roll up her own sleeping blankets, biting her lip in worry. How long until the Ravens found them again?
She and Laina mounted their horses a few minutes later. Laina looked at her, silently asking for a direction. Sora touched the necklace under her shirt. She couldn't allow herself to be distracted. Crash and Burn. She had to remember that she was on a mission.
It took a long moment for the Cat's Eye to stir, then tendrils of consciousness looped through her, expanding slowly from the base of her skull, like smoke. She felt a twitch in her hand, a silent compulsion. With a slight nod, she turned her horse.
They continued southwest, toward a wide river and lonely stretch of trees.
* * *
Days passed. The grasslands were beginning to change. There were patches of trees now and a few ranches spread out. Every now and then, they saw campfires at night, or heard the distant sound of horses; Sora always had the sense that they were being tracked.
It was evening when they saw the riders. They were unmistakable against the sunset. In a place as barren as the fields, Sora didn't need to look twice. These weren't just innocent farmhands coming home, tired from a long day's work. The horses traveled on a strict course—directly toward them.
She turned to Laina. The girl had already seen the silhouettes on the horizon and was staring with wide eyes.
“They've seen us,” Sora said.
Laina nodded. “It's them,” she replied. “I know it is, look how fast they're riding. We need to get out of here!” The panic was obvious in her voice.
Sora nodded in silent agreement. The riders were close enough to have hailed them if they were friendly. She didn't like their silent approach, the way they shot forward, as though bent on runn
ing them down.
“Follow me!” Sora said, though she had no idea where she was going. There were at least four riders on their trail, probably more, too many for her to handle on her own. She turned her steed toward the west, where they had been following the border of a forest. It was a tall, open wilderness, mostly pine and oak trees, but they still had a chance of finding cover. They could evade their hunters, especially with night so close at hand.
She kicked her horse; the brown steed leapt beneath her, sensing her urgency. It took off through the grass, easily jumping over rocks and stones. Laina's horse wasn't quite so agile, and Laina herself not such a skilled rider. The gangly gray steed had longer legs, but still managed to slow them down, stumbling over hidden rocks and holes. Sora looked over at her smaller companion several times, expecting the girl to fall from the saddle. Laina bounced and jiggled on top of the giant horse like a doll strapped to a buggy.
They reached the trees after only a few minutes, but a deep ditch separated the fields from the woodland. Sora navigated her steed down carefully, pushing her way through spindly bushes and clumps of vines. Laina pulled up short. Her horse pawed the earth, snorting, reluctant to proceed.
Sora reached the bottom of the ditch and clomped through a thin stream of water, then started up the other side. “Come on!” she yelled, turning to look over her shoulder. “Just push your way through!”
“I'll fall off!” Laina exclaimed.
“Then fall!” Sora yelled back.
She paused, watching as Laina danced nervously at the top of the slope, then finally her horse started forward. Sora's eyes scanned the top of the ditch. The riders had been no more than a mile or two behind them; she expected them to reappear at any second. Their time was limited. Why couldn't the girl hurry up?
Finally, Laina made it to the bottom of the ditch, her clothes covered in leaves and thistles. Impatient, Sora reached over and grabbed her horse by the reins, then dragged it forward, pushing them both up the opposite hill. She directed her own horse with her legs and used her upper body to steer Laina's. It seemed to take an eternity before they entered the fringe of trees.
When she looked back, the horizon was a deep red. The sunset cast brilliant flames across the sky, and the riders were practically on their heels, close enough to be clearly visible. There were six of them, and she could have almost made out their faces, if not for their hoods and cloaks. They reminded her of Crash on the night he had kidnapped her—lethal. Definitely Ravens.
“Follow me, and don't slow down!” Sora hissed, and she turned her little mare into the trees. There was no easy way to pass through, so she made her own trail, diving into the brush. As far as she could tell, Laina followed. They rode somewhere between a trot and a canter, taking the route of least resistance, the shadows deepening on every side. She hoped that the coming night would dissuade the riders—that the bandits would give up and wait until morning. But they were so close now, she doubted they would stop.
"This was a bad idea; they'll catch us for sure!” Laina gasped from somewhere behind her. “I can't even see where we're going!”
Sora ignored the girl's complaints, an irritated frown crossing her face. If it wasn't for me, you'd be dead already.
“You know, I don’t think we should have left the fields," Laina called. “The horses could hurt themselves in the woods, and we don't stand a chance on foot! Are you listening, Sora? More Ravens could be hiding out here waiting for us! This might all be part of their plan!” Her voice cut off. Sora couldn’t help but sigh in relief. She glanced back to see that Laina had ridden smack into a low- hanging tree branch and was rubbing her forehead.
“Keep quiet,” Sora said, “or they'll hear you for sure!” She actually didn't know if this was true, but at least it would shut the girl up until she could think of a better plan.
They moved deeper into the woods, Laina now silent and sulky behind her. Every now and then, the girl would grunt or mutter, complaining about her horse and the thick bushes, but Sora ignored her. She was too busy looking forward, trying to listen for any trace of pursuit. Maybe rushing into a dark forest was a bit hasty, she thought, catching a spiderweb in the face. She brushed it off, trying not to scream, running her hand desperately through her hair. But where else can we go? She didn't hear anything behind them, but then again, the forest was alive with sound: nighttime bird calls, crickets, squirrels in the trees, deer in the brush. The two horses made a lot of noise, too. How was she supposed to tell if they were being followed?
Half an hour passed and Sora began to relax. Surely the bandits would have caught up with them by now... maybe they had given up. The brush was nigh impassible, after all. We'll just have to keep moving. She blinked, already feeling weariness settle on her shoulders. Darkness had fallen, and, besides the occasional glimpse of the moon, everything was black.
They passed a rather thick clump of poplar trees, and Sora's horse suddenly tossed its head, raising its nose to sniff the air. It continued to turn its head, looking around the trees. An uneasy feeling entered Sora's stomach, and tiny hairs stood up on the back of her neck. She could feel her steed growing tense beneath her, the muscles bunching in its shoulders and haunches. Not good signs. She thought of Laina's words, that perhaps more Ravens had circled around them and were already waiting in the forest. She had the sudden, terrible sensation of being watched, though she couldn't tell if it was just anxiety. They could be surrounded right now; she had no way of knowing.
The two travelers entered a small clearing. They came upon it without warning, the brush opening on all sides, revealing a hard stretch of dirt and wet leaves. The half-moon shone down upon them, casting a silver glow, and Sora's horse came to a sudden halt. It put one hoof forward. Paused. Backed up a step. Laina's horse stopped behind them, still obscured by the trees.
Sora's first thought was of Laina's safety. The girl was incapable of fighting and hadn't even attempted to play with the blades she'd been given. Knives were useless if you couldn't use them. She might be annoying, but I don't want her killed, Sora thought, glancing around.
Her sense of alarm was growing. She could tell they were definitely being watched. Abruptly, Sora turned to look back at her traveling companion. "Laina, get off your horse and go hide!”
At that moment, an unseen object whistled past her—thuuunk! A dagger! It landed hilt-deep in the tree next to her head. It would have hit her, but her steed abruptly whinnied, rearing and dancing to one side. That sent Sora tumbling sideways out of the saddle, unprepared for the sudden movement. She landed with a small “oof” of surprise, her staff jammed against her back, one foot caught in a stirrup.
She kicked her foot free just as her horse took off into the trees, whinnying madly, pushing its way through a thin patch of bramble. She leapt to her feet; no time to worry about the beast. Then she dodged to one side, led by pure instinct. Another dagger whistled past her. A dark blur followed the dagger, and Sora brought out her own knives, ready for the next attack.
So there were bandits in the woods. She should have known! No wonder they had given up the chase so easily.
By the strength and speed, she judged her foe to be a man. His knives whistled close to her and she leapt away just in time to save her neck. Then the Cat’s Eye began to jingle, a dull chiming in her ears, and its unnamed presence awoke in her mind. She felt its power melt through her, sinking into the nooks of her shoulders, the joints of her hands. She felt as though her eyes had suddenly opened.
It happened far more naturally than ever before. The Cat's Eye joined with her mind, and everything became clearer: the trees, the ground, the moon above. Her mother told her that each bearer left an imprint on the stone; the knowledge of past warriors lived inside it. With moves she never thought she could have mastered in her short lifetime, she dodged and ducked, easily evading the man's attacks.
Feinting to one side, Sora felt her back touch a tree. Uh-oh, wasn't this my first lesson in fighting? Never get yourself cor
nered! She ducked beneath the next swing and came up on the man's other side, then brought up her daggers. Blocked. The man was a much better fighter than any of the bandits she had faced so far. He was fast, almost too fast, even with the help from her necklace. One thing was for sure: hand-to-hand combat was getting her nowhere.
Sora broke away from her opponent and leapt across the clearing, putting several feet of space between them. Then she faced him, crouching slightly, observing. To her surprise, he followed her lead, breaking off from the fight and standing back to watch her.
Who is he? she wondered, but when she tried to see his face, she found that it was too dark to make out clearly. He wore a hood pulled low over his head, his clothing as black and muddled as the foliage. It doesn't matter, a foe is a foe, she told herself, and concentrated on his wickedly pointed knife.
It was time to act. She sprang forward, dagger outstretched, hoping to catch him off-guard. The man turned just in time to deflect her blow, but she nicked him; she felt her blade snag on his clothing and the slight pull of flesh. Sora couldn't see where she had hit him, but there was blood on her knife.
They were in close combat again. He tried to grab her, his hands going to her wrists. She barely evaded him and landed a kick to his ribs, trying to force him back, but he wouldn't give her any space. It didn't seem to matter where she struck; he had a way of blocking her, of trapping her hands. And then, suddenly, he lashed out—wham!—and struck her squarely in the chest. Sora staggered backwards, winded from the blow, only to smash into the trunk of a tree. He was on her in a second, no space between them, no chance to even breathe. He grabbed her roughly and rammed her back against the tree again, hard, his knife against her throat.
Anger burned inside her; all she could think of was Laina lying helplessly in the woods. The Raven pressed the knife against her throat to kill her, and she brought her knee up hard into the man's unprotected groin. With a grunt, he keeled over, and Sora brought her elbow down on the back of his head.