The Last Narkoy: Gathow: Book 2 by Elizabeth Price (good e books to read .txt) 📗

Rosanheer shuttered. “I'll take your word for that,” he said, crowding behind Sedom as they walked.

She pushed him away. “I don’t mean that close.”

“Coward,” Zion snipped under his breath towards Rosanheer. “They’re bred not to attack Narkoy blood,” Zion mentioned. “I’ve seen them before when we were searching for you,” he added.

“Really?” Sedom questioned, concerned that the animals had ventured from the tunnels and out into the forest. They were bred to hate the sun and to only stay where there was no light. If they suddenly started venturing into the forest, they might be a problem.

Rosanheer pointed ahead to a cave opening where a glimmering light cascaded outwards from the entrance. Sedom turned to the opening followed by Zion.

“Firelight,” Rosanheer whispered.

“I sense fear. These may be our men,” Zion mentioned low.

Sedom raised her hand to keep the two men from continuing. Both men stopped, noticing shadows moving within the cave. All removed their pistols and took position next to the entrance. Cautiously, Sedom peeked around the corner into the cave as she pressed her body against the walls of the tunnel.

Within the cave were several Crehail men and boys. Many of them sat on rocks, huddled around a meager fire. Four men stood guard at the front of the cave’s entrance into the forest. Many of the men were injured and covered in mud. Bandages were wrapped around three men’s bleeding heads and two wore makeshift slings for their arms. All of the group’s clothing were mangled and in shreds. The group obviously had seen action in the forest.

For a long while, the three waited by the side of the entrance, listening to the group within.

“If we return to the city, they may come back for us.”

“We can’t stay here. Doss and Kerle need medical attention and we’re going to run out of food fast.”

“Danstu, what do you suggest?”

“How far away is the next city?”

“About half a day’s walk, but it won’t do us any good. It was overrun by Marisheio about a month ago. The only city near here without Marisheio is about a week away on foot,” explained one of the men.

Sedom turned to Zion, silently asking what city the man was talking about. Zion replied with a shrug, telling her he didn’t know what they were talking about.

In the far corner of the cave sat a pile of weapons. Five men stood century over the pile of weapons even though none looked like they’d ever shot a weapon before.

Sedom’s eyes scanned over every person in the group, sizing them up. Other than the three who looked badly beaten, none looked remotely like they had any military training. Only one of the men caused her to take notice. He stood near the fire, his hand fingering the snap of the pistol’s holster.

“Looks like…” she swung back around to face her two friends, “about twenty, all male. Many are injured. It’s nothing I can’t handle. I'm going in and introduce myself,” Sedom decided.

Zion held her back by her shoulder. “Are you mad? They're armed,” Zion protested. Sedom returned with a wayward smirk like he was crazy. She just took on a squadron of fully trained Marisheio and won. What could twenty half-dead city men and boys do to her? “Never mind. Have fun. Let us know when you've been shot.”

“Funny, very funny,” she sneered. Without giving her decision another thought, she stepped inside the cave and into plain view of the group.

“Father!” a boy cried out from the weapon’s pile, anxiously pointing to Sedom with concern.

Sedom remained standing in the doorway, unsure what to say at first. She cleared her throat to gain everyone’s attention. “Hello everyone,” she called, thinking of nothing else she could say to announce her presence.

In a split second, six of the men had their weapons drawn and aimed directly at her. She slowly raised her hands, keeping her own pistol in her right hand to prove she wasn’t about to drop it. She looked tensely into the eyes of the man closest to her.

“Forgive the interruption. I was sent by your city leader to search for a man named Danstu. He wouldn’t happen to be among you, would he?” she asked, already knowing he was from the conversation she overheard.

“Danstu?” one of the men questioned. He glanced over his shoulder toward two men sitting by the fire. “You know this girl?”

A man stood from the fire. He never once released his grip from his pistol. At first glance, he wasn’t much to look at. He was Crehail, a purebred by the looks of his narrow set eyes. His nose was small, thin and easily overlooked. His bottom lip protruded slightly over his top, giving him a smug pouting expression. What Sedom found interesting was his clothing. His brown slacks fit him baggy in the hips and his white shirt was obviously a size larger than his frame required. He must have barrowed them, perhaps from his uncle, she thought.

Her eyes turned to his shoes as she listened to the men around her talk. His shoes were crafted from a fine animal’s skin. Even though they had run through the forest to avoid the Marisheio, and hid in a dirty cave overnight, they still held a sparkling shine about the toes. He was more than a simple farmer, more than a shop owner or a city politician. She could tell he was much more than the men he held company with.

“And you are?” he spoke, his voice hiding an accent she didn’t quite recognize. His piercing eyes met her gaze, breaking through her defensive shield, and taunted her mind with questions.

Sedom nodded to the man, understanding immediately he had to be Danstu. “Coppy sent us to find you and your friends. He said a group of you went off on a hunting trip before