CHAPTER 29
It was noon of the second day when Sherri was jolted awake by the wagon stopping and one of the chests shifting enough to pin her on her side. The darkness of her prison was broken when one of the chests over top of her was removed.
"She is still alive." Someone commented with a harsh laugh as she blinked owlishly trying to adapt to the sun.
Once again Sherri was trussed up under a tree with her hands behind her and her feet bound before her. She was stiff and cramps in her legs and back made her position agonizing.
Once again her captors made their dinner and ate in silence.
Sherri decided it was time to try pleading. "Please, let me go. I won't tell anyone, I swear." She begged as prettily as possible, she had very little experience with begging.
They ignored her. Sherri wasn't surprised, she wasn't trying to get them to release her, she just wanted to remove any suspicion.
"My cousin is the Queen, we could tell her you rescued me. Please, just let me go."
She finally got a response. One of the men came over and backhanded her across the face.
"Shut up."
Sherri cringed. The brief contact had shown her more than she wanted to see. These men deserved to be ripped limb from limb for what they had done. It took several deep breaths before she felt that she was under control again.
She was surprised that her captors settled down for a nap leaving one on guard after eating. Perhaps they were not moving on today. If so they were probably waiting for someone.
The guard fiddled with a knife as he watched the road and surrounding trees. He was the one who had commented on her looks the night before. Sherri hoped that the threat of contamination would keep him from trying anything.
She tried shifting to ease the discomfort in her back but it only made things worse. It was hard to focus on perfecting her rather vague plan when she was in such pain. Finally she closed her eyes and stepped out of her body. It was odd to sit next to herself, but at least she was free from the pain. She could see the bruise forming on her cheekbone and the rope burns on her wrists. The gown was starting to fall apart and she hated to think about what shape it would be in a few days from now.
Sherri crossed the clearing and started examining the men. She knew that it would be best to end this charade as quickly as possible, but she needed more information.
The barest edge of a letter caught her attention. It was inside the saddlebag on one of the mounts. She would have to use much of her energy to remove the letter. She hesitated but decided against draining herself too much while wandering. She could use her magic with much less power loss when she was in her own body.
She circled the sleeping men once more before sitting next to the guard. She hoped he was sensitive enough to sense her.
"Why are they sleeping while you sit here waiting? The others rarely take their turns at watch. If anyone comes down that road it will be a White Demon, possibly a mage. You are guaranteed to die. Perhaps that is their purpose."
Sherri kept up the paranoid suggestions for over a candlemark. By then the man was ready to attack a shadow, or even one of his own comrades.
Sherri returned to her body with a satisfied expression.
~ * ~
The abandoned wagon and trunks were well hidden but the ruts caused by the wheels were obvious. Favram dismounted and examined the ruts. They were at least ten hours old. A search of the wagon unearthed the trunk with narrow holes in the side. Possibly for air.
"Well, Horse, you better tell your Heralds what we found." Favram commented as he remounted Eagle. The Companion was looking gaunt and haunted, he had never seen a Companion in such condition before. "I hope we find her soon."
Quin dutifully relayed what they found to Haven. He had considered offering to carry the massive man but much of this tracking business was slow. They had to ride back along their paths many times already because they had missed the signs of their leaving the road.
"Someone met them here. Seven horses come from over there, one mounted, six go that way, now mounted, and the other, along with the wagon horses, returned that way. Obviously Sherri didn't go with the mystery rider." Favram mused out loud. "We will continue on this road."
Quin agreed.
~ * ~
Seven days. That was how long they had been riding. For four days she had been cramped in that wagon. Sherri had finally managed to convince them to feed her, which they did so long as she was quiet. After all, she was worthless if she died too soon. They kept the meals small hoping starvation would keep her submissive.
Every time they stopped, she continued her fear campaign, the more nervous they were, the more mistakes they would make. She had them pushing themselves hard to keep from being caught and of the five, three were developing full blown cases of paranoia.
She had been delighted to discover that they were all at least marginally sensitive. They could feel her near them and sense the general gist of her words.
She was starting to jump at shadows and start at sudden noises and she knew she looked like a corpse, a rather bruised corpse at that. It was worth it though. She had discovered many of the traitor's contacts as they road. By touching them, stealing correspondence, and by observing who aided them. What had amazed her was to discover was the same Lord Inture she had uncovered years ago was once part of this ring. He hadn't known who he worked for so she couldn't Read it on the letter.
One of the men pulled his horse up and aimed his arrow into the trees and fired. A storm of birds flew out.
"There's nothing there." The leader, and also the jumpiest, snapped.
Sherri bowed her head to hide a smile. This was actually quite amusing.
Sherri's mount, a half dead nag that would walk over a cliff if led, ignored everything and tried to catch some grass from the shoulder of the road. They had tied her hands to the pommel and her ragged dress hung in tatters on each side of the saddle.
Sherri made certain her hair hid her face as she returned to plotting. She only had to push them a little farther and they would be going after each other's throats. From there she could move on to the other betrayers.
Sherri stiffened.
When had this become more about revenge and less about find the traitors?
She tightened her grip on the saddle. Was it always about revenge?
Gads, what was she doing? She was trying to make these men kill each other. She was planning to do it to others.
She was as bad as every True Seer that came before her.
Sherri suddenly felt weak. She had enough after the second night to track down the rest of the circle, but she had kept making excuses for why she should stay.
Sherri met the gaze of the leader when he glanced back at her. He froze at the cold, dead expression.
~ * ~
Myra opened the door to Kevyn's room and found him slumped in the chair. He had been staying awake until he collapsed ever since Sherri vanished and Myra was as worried about his own sanity as she was about Sherri's.
She pulled a blanket off the bed and draped it over his unconscious form then settled on the couch next to him. He wasn't the only one who had been pushing himself to find Sherri.
She could easily picture the way he looked when he was around Sherri. He smiled and laughed more, during the war he had almost never laughed and always looked haunted. Then Sherri had given him back his soul. That in its self was enough to elevate Sherri to saint in Myra's eyes. It was obvious to even an outsider that Sherri was everything to him now.
A Lifebond.
It made sense, she needed someone who was willing to show her his every thought, he needed someone who could know what he never said, understand the pain he never vocalized.
Myra stretched out on the couch, her feet far from touching the end other arm, and tucked her arm under her head. She would just doze for a minute, then she would get back to the Farseeing room, her home for the past several days.
~ * ~
Quin was starting to wonder if he was the first repudiated Companion. She didn't answer him and he still didn't even feel a glimmer of her presence.
:Any more news?: Quin demanded of Nick.
:No more than fifteen minutes ago.:
:Damn it.:
:I understand.: Nick said simply, neither soothing nor comforting, just understanding. :Any more sign?:
:An arrow in a tree. It is fresh, no more than a day old. They are pushing hard and taking a very circuitous route to Karse.:
:If that is where they are going.:
:It is. Favram is certain it is.:
:At least one of her uncles is good for something.: Nick commented. :Avren is still being a pain.:
:I can understand why he is. He is helpless, the worst feeling in the world.:
"What's that?" Favram dismounted before Eagle even stopped completely. A bit of tattered, midnight blue fabric draped between his fingers like a dead thing. "It's hers."
:What is it?: Nick demanded.
:A scrap of her dress.:
:Take heart, you are on the right trail.:
~ * ~
Myra screamed and bolted upright. Beside her in the chair Kevyn jolted awake and reached for the weapon he wasn't wearing.
"What happened?"
Myra could feel her heart pound. It was rare that her secondary gift, Foresight, actually worked, but when it did it was perfectly clear, and always right. "They are taking her to Karse, I saw where they are. We can reach them in three days. I just hope we aren't too late."