Chapter 10

Two Devils too Soon

Four Days Latter

Christana looked up to the sound of a horn and her heart skipped a beat. That could only mean one thing. Watharen and Leven had returned.

She exchanged anxious glances with Redmond before she set aside the quarter staff she had been shaving and hurrying to where the men were gathering at the trail. She wove her way to the front, fighting to at least keep the dread off her face.

As she watched for the first sign of the two riders she cursed to herself. She wasn't ready. There hadn't been time to make the necessary preparations.

She tried to calm her racing nerves by rationalizing what parts of the plan were already set. Most of her possessions were safety stowed in a canvas sack at the bottom of her chest, covered by a extra blanket. Redmond's weapons were all hidden in her tent, close to the entrance. The path they would take was mapped out, her alternate path included.

It was mostly ready, she assured herself. But the main part, the piece that would determine the failure or the success of it was not.

Ready or not, she thought to herself. It's time.

The thought sent her heart racing and she once again had to calm herself. Only have it skip a beat and lurch into a sprint when two figure rode around the bend. In front was the familiar, broad shouldered figure of Watharen, riding his storm gray battle-horse. Behind him rode Leven on his chalk white mare.

She had to admit they both cut impressive figures. Watharen's white shirt was stark against the dark green and brown hues of the forest around him. His cloak billowed behind him, and his huge sword gleamed in it's sheath on the horses side. His son looked regal in armor fit for a knight. She had the uncomfortable feeling that it was from a knight. A knight that had the misfortune of meeting them on their journey.

As the men parted to let them through, she bowed with everyone else, but not before she saw Leven's piercing gaze sweep over the Raven's and land on her, a wicked gleam in his eyes. Suppressing a shoulder she didn't look up until four gray legs stopped in front of her.

Slowly she looked up. "Welcome back my lord. I hope the journey went well for you."

He gazed down, his dark eyes seeming to try and dig into her soul. "Indeed. How faired you?."

"There was a little problem," she admitted, refusing to be cowed when his eye flashed dangerously. "But I took care of it."

He surveyed her for a few more moments before nodding. "Come to my tent later this evening. We will discuss this little problem you speak of."

She bowed again. "As you wish."

He kicked his horse with his spurs to urge him on toward the tents. She gazed after him for a moment, taking note that the saddle bags were bulging. Only reluctantly did she turn to meet the cold gaze she could feel on her. Leven's black eyes were as unnerving and snakelike as usual.

She dipped her head in a cool half bow. "Leven, glad to see you have returned safely," she said coldly, in tone that clearly implied to opposite.

His mouth twisted into a cruel smile. "I am sure," he said sarcastically. "Glad to see that you have managed things so well in our absence."

He leaned down closer to her. "I half expected you to run."

She scowled at him. "I am not as frightened of you as you seem to think."

"No? Well then you won't mind coming by my tent later tonight."

Her heart thudded painfully in her chest, but she kept her expression set.

"I am sorry but your father has already told my to report to him this evening."

He made a face of mock disappointment. "Pity."

He straitened and followed after his father. She glared at his back before turning and going back to her tent.

"So, the two devils are back?"

She glared at him. "Don't say that so loud. Your going to get me in trouble."

"Your going to be in trouble anyway when they find out what Brent did while they were gone."

She scowled but then sighed as she settled down next to her tent again, picking up the staff she had left. As she had decided before, there was no point getting angry with him when he spoke the truth.

After carefully looking around she leaned over her work.

"We need to do it tomorrow night," she whispered when he had turned away.

He didn't turn back around, instead he pretended to adjust a flap on his small shelter, his chains clanking.

"Your not ready yet. What you have been trying to do in the past four days Ranger's take four years to master completely."

"Yes, but not all Rangers start with some skill already in place. Also, if everything goes to plan, no one will be looking for me until it's to late."

He didn't answer.

"We can wait a couple more days," he said softly.

"No, we can't," she said with such firmness in her tone that he gave her a sidelong look. She wasn't sure what her expression was like, steady at best, pale at worst. Either or, it was enough to convince him that she meant it.

"Chris, there has to be another way."

"If you have a plan that we can easily execute in twenty four hours, I would love to here it," she said, voice sharper than she had meant to.

He said nothing.

"Why do you want to change it now?" she asked. "You did not oppose it four nights ago."

"Four nights ago I thought our plan would be far enough along that you could do it with relative amount of ease."

She couldn't help snorting. "Easy? You are joking right? There is no part of this that is easy."

He frowned.

"Wrong word. I thought it would be relatively safe for you."

She was so surprised that her knife slipped and she pricked her thumb.

"What?"

He didn't answer, still careful to look away so any observer wouldn't think they were talking. But she couldn't help staring at him. Relizing what she was doing she looked down at her wound, pressing on it to staunch the bleeding.

"Since when had my safety been a factor in any plan?" she said.

Still he didn't answer.

For a moment she stopped to think about what he said, and what he was trying to tell her. It clinked guickly, but not easily.

"Yenata" she swore, once again in her native tongue. She leaped to her feet and stormed up to him. Grabbing his shirt front she yanked him around with such force it nearly made him loose his balance.

"Don't you dare," she snarled into his face, quietly but no less powerfully than if she had shouted at him. "Don't you dare start caring about what happens to me."

He looked at her in stunned surprise. "Chris, of course I ca–"

She shook him to stop the words.

"No. You shouldn't. You can't!"

"Why not," he said in utter bewilderment.

She gritted her teeth in frustration.

"I'm not going to spell it out for you. But you keep something in mind: your life come first, alright? I do not need you trying to protect me. I do not want you to try and protect me."

She shoved him so hard that he reeled backwards, landing hard on his rump. She whirled and ran into her tent.

She knew she overreacted, but she had be unable to help herself. The last thing she needed was Redmond to get protective. It brought about a entire list of problems that she really could not deal with. It would only make things harder if things went wrong. It would make her second plan that much harder to carry out. It would only cause trouble.

Besides, the last one who had tried to protect her ended up dead.

She shuddered, blinking hard when she felt the sting of tears.

Still she couldn't help feeling a small piece of warmth from bubbling in her chest. As much as she resented and worried about it, she couldn't help feeling a little heartened that he cared. The warmth quickly died though

He doesn't even know who you are, Princess Cristiana, she said sternly to herself. You don't deserve his friendship anymore than Leven deserves yours.

She walked steadily toward Watharen's tent, her usual escort of Renagade following a few steps behind. They fell away as she neared her destination but she could still feel their gaze on her back.

Taking a deep breath she entered the tent. Watharen was standing at his table. At the moment it had was filled with food, but one document was spread beside his plate. Leven was sitting next to him, leaning over to converse with him in hushed tones.

"You wanted to see me, my lord?"

Watharen looked up, folding up the parchment. Handing it to Leven he beckoned her over. As she stepped forward Leven depostied the scroll into a dresser before shutting it firmly.

Watharen's eyes were cold as he gazed at her.

"Seems you failed in you mandate while we were away."

She looked at him squarely. "I do not see how."

His gaze darkened, she could see his temper rising.

"I ordered you not to let them on any raids. And yet Brent has informed me that you let twenty of my men raid a seventeen wagon caravan."

She raised an eyebrow. "Did you younger son also tell you that he led this raid."

He paused. "No he did not."

"He did. Admitting to the captain of the caravan that he was the leader of the Raven's."

"Brent is an idiot, but he knows better than to disobey father," Leven said.

"It is because he is an idiot that he thought he could get away with it," she interjected. "But, if you do not beilieve me there is little I can do about it."

Watharen studied her for a moment. "Whether he led the raid or not it was still your respoisbilty to stop them before they carried it out. Why did you not stop them?"

"I did not learn about it until they had left. They had left while I was out checking the far eastern look out posts."

"You must have heard something," Watharen said.

"No. I did not. If them men were going on a raid I am the last person they would tell. I am not exactly popular among the other men, my lord."

Watharen acknowledged the point with a nod. She knew that he was aware of the seperation between herself and the Ravens. In fact she was sure he encouraged it. She would not be able to rally the men to her even if she wanted to and she could count on no allies. When it was just her alone, she wasn't much of a threat.

"Do you think the raid was carried out successfully?"

"Yes. I caught up with them half way through and clean everything up."

"I assume then, that the members of the caravan are safe," he commented.

She didn't answer. He knew he was right anyway.

"You disappoint me, Chris. I thought I could rely on you."

"No, I don't think you did," she murmured.

He laughed, a deep, dark, humorless laugh. "Indeed. You are not altogether tactful or trustworthy. But you are insightful at least."

She stood for a while.

"Is that all my lord?"

Watharen threw a glance at Leven who nodded.

"I do belive so. You will think of a punishment for you. In the meantime you are confined to the camp."

She bowed.

"Yes, my lord."

"You may go."

She turned to leave, but stopped when his voice called out to her again.

"It seems you are also having trouble with our prisoner."

It took her a moment to realize that he was refering to the little scene she had had with Redmond a few hours before. One of the Renegades must have seen and reported it.

"Nothing I cannot handle."

"I am sure," he said dryly. "Now off with you."

She hurried out.