Memory Hunted (10 page)

Mark nodded.

"Split them among the soldiers. They deserve it," Balwar
said.

Mark grinned and saluted. The men nearby also smiled
and moved off.

Balwar joined Dalton. "What does it say?"

"For not being much of a leader, you know how to be good
to the boys." Dalton glanced at Balwar. "Careful. They might forget you are an Inquisitor."

"What does it say?"

"We have a snake in the grass." He handed Balwar the
strip of hide.

Balwar blinked.
Odd saying.
He took the hide and
read the ink scrawled across it. The note outlined where the patrols were being
sent with single words
attack
or
avoid
scrawled beside the locations.
A small map pointed out patrol routes.

"Who knows the patrol routes?" Balwar asked.

Dalton shrugged. "The captain and the patrols. He doesn’t
seem to tell anyone until they are sent out."

Balwar frowned. "We need to see if these patrols were
attacked and who survived."

"I will look into it." Dalton waved a hand in the air.
"After this, our heretics will be out for revenge. I have an idea that could let
us all go home sooner rather than later, if you are interested."

"Tell me while we march. I want a detachment to stay
here in case someone returns. We need to get back to camp before our…snake slips
away."

Kit leaned against an oak. She was careful to avoid that
sumac plant growing up the other side. Timothy rested his head on her lap, his legs
and wrists bound. Kit’s feet were free, but her hands were tied in front of her.
She ran her hand through his hair. She could feel a knot rising on his skull. She
hoped he would wake soon. She worried those hazel eyes would not open. Daeric had
hit him hard. At least the bleeding had stopped. Numbness crept up her aching legs.
Timothy would have bruises after being dragged along the ground.

Daeric knew too well that she would not leave her shepherd.
The memory of Daeric standing over Timothy with the point of his spear held just
above Timothy’s throat stoked her rage. She embraced it, warming herself with it.

I will kill that man.

Daeric sat by the fire, his spear in easy reach. "I hadn’t
wanted to come to this. I did give you time. But you are more precious than you
know."

"When you sleep, you will die."

Daeric laughed. "Jan was right. I am a fool to try to
get you to fall for me."

"You are a fool." Jan emerged from the darkness. Behind
him a pipe ember illuminated Gert’s face.

Daeric opened his mouth, but Jan cut him off. "Somehow
the soldiers found us while you were mucking about here. Gert and me barely got
out. Krill didn’t. You’ve played too many games. We need to focus on our revenge.
Not this." Jan jabbed his spear at Kit. "Krill is dead. There are few of us left.
Father will not be happy when he hears of this. "

Daeric stood. His face remained calm. He ignored the
spear and approached Kit. She snarled at him.
If he touches Timothy…
she thought.
He grabbed her ear and tugged. Pain made her eyes water. "I haven’t been mucking
about or playing games. I found our Eve, Jan. Eve."

Eve?

Jan’s eyes widened, and Gert whistled.

Kit gritted her teeth and forced herself not to hit the
man. Not yet. Daeric’s mask of civility had disappeared.
He would only take it
out on Timothy.

"I had hoped to have her willingly join us. To become
our wife and mother." Daeric’s fingers tightened on her ears. "But in that I was
a fool."

It is always the same. I am not a breeding
cow.

Jan stared. The tip of his spear dipped. "She has one
doesn’t she? A tail. Koto was…"

Daeric bent and grabbed Timothy’s coat. Kit snatched
Daeric’s wrist with her bound hands. "Wait! If you want to see my tail, I will show
you."

Daeric released Timothy and straightened. Kit eased Timothy
to the ground. He groaned.
She patted him and stood. She lifted her hands.
"It would be easier if my hands were free."

"There are three of us and one of her," Jan said. "She’s
just a woman, even if she is a fox."

Kit held her hands up. Daeric yanked his knife and cut
the ropes. He stepped back and sheathed the knife, but he looked wary.
You’d
better be,
Kit thought as she worked at her skirt’s latches. She tugged the
fabric off and spread it over Timothy. Her leggings offered little warmth against
the cold air, but Timothy needed the warmth more. She lifted her cloak and stretched
her tail.

Jan whistled a lewd tone. His gaze ran the length of
her, from white tuft to ears. Kit let her cloak fall and crossed her arms. "Satisfied?"

"Koto." Wonder filled the Jan’s voice.

"That is all well and good," Gert tapped his pipe and
sat next to the fire, "but what are we going to do about the lodge? We circled
back, and they left too many men for us to force our way back in. I’d like my books
back."

Timothy muttered something. Kit glared at Daeric before
returning to Timothy. She sat and resettled Timothy on her thighs. Jan continued
to stare at her, and Daeric joined Gert at the fire. He cut a chunk from the rabbit
Daeric was roasting. Kit’s stomach growled.

"Eve is only part of our mission, remember?" Daeric gestured
with the meat.

"Your mission," Jan said. "Father didn’t want us to
waste any more time on it, but seeing her makes me change my mind."

"Sit down, Jan," Daeric said.  "We still need to make
sure the Church never comes here again."

Jan tore his gaze away and joined the men.
He will
be first,
Kit thought.
Daeric will be last.

"Sorry. S-sorry, Kit," Timothy muttered. Kit stroked
his hair.
He bounces from being a puppy when I want a wolf and a wolf when I
want a puppy. Each time he ends up hurt.
She needed to straighten that out of
him. She wrapped her exposed tail around him. Daeric and Jan watched the movement
from where they sat. Their eyes made her feel naked. She was tired of men always
after her. She was tired of being captured. How many times had it been?
Ridiculous
is a good number.

Daeric chewed. "Once we kill the Inquisitor—"

"They will send more," Gert said.

Daeric frowned.

"It’s time I said it." Gert gestured with his pipe. "They
won’t stop coming, no matter how many we kill."

"It doesn’t matter." Daeric sliced off another chunk.
"We can’t let them have their way."

"Why didn’t I see it before? Her hair is the same color,"
Jan muttered.

"They have already." Gert used a thumb to stuff his pipe.
"There are only three of us left. What happened to Tell?"

"Even you, Gert? I thought you understood what we were
trying to do."

Timothy’s eyelids fluttered. Kit stroked his forehead.

Gert relit his pipe with a stick from the fire. "Revenge
can fill a man."

"But we found her! After we make the Church fear—"

"I’ve got some age on both of you. So does the first
commander, but he won’t listen to me anymore. I remember. The Church won’t stop
until those like us are no longer threats." Gert puffed his pipe. "Better we stop
being threats."

Jan narrowed his eyes. "After they burned Koto? Never."

Gert shrugged.

"We have something to fight for now," Daeric said.

"Kit?" Timothy’s eyes fluttered open. Kit felt relief
when his gaze found her. She had heard head wounds could make people different.
Those eyes were her Timothy—a little glazed, but aware. Kit saw her reflection in
their hazel depths.  She laid a finger across her lips and hugged him with her tail.
His eyes tightened with worry. He always worried too much about her. He needed to
worry more about himself.
He lands into trouble more than anyone else I know!

"Shhh. I’m here." Kit teased Timothy’s hair between her
fingers. She met Jan’s gaze. The man hadn’t stopped ogling her since Daeric had
forced her to reveal her tail.

"What happened?" Timothy touched his face and groaned.

"You decided to be a hero again."

"Remind me to stop doing that."

Jan fingered the hilt of his knife. "We just need the
fox, right?"

Daeric glared at the man. "Sunflower will do whatever
we say as long as we don’t hurt her husband. Isn’t that right?"

Kit unclenched her fist before Timothy gained a bald
spot. Timothy’s bound hands brushed against her tail, making her shiver.
Not
now.

His eyes widened. "Your tail!" He shot out of her lap.
"Ugh." He held his forehead.

Daeric pulled at the shredded carcass over the fire.
"Don’t get any more heroic ideas. We only need you to keep Sunflower behaving. That
doesn’t mean you have to be whole."

Timothy turned slowly and handed Kit her skirts. "Put
these back on."

Kit laid a hand on his shoulder in warning.
I need
you to be a puppy right now.
She fumbled with the heavy fabric.
I am not
following your orders. I am just tired of being cold.

Daeric shrugged. "Go ahead. We can’t have you getting
sick." He frowned at Jan. "Besides, you need to get your eyes back into your head."

Jan pivoted and opened his mouth.

Gert jerked and darted to his feet. "Your bickering must
have stuffed your ears. Someone—"

Shouts rustled the trees. Tell leapt into the clearing
and tore across it. He disappeared into the trees on the other side. Uniformed soldiers
crashed behind. Jan and Daeric lurched to their feet just as the halberd armed men
closed the distance. Shadows danced wild in the anxious firelight. Grunts, yells,
and men flooded the small area, forcing Daeric, Jan, and Gert to dash into the trees.

Yuzu knelt beside Kit. "We have to go, Sis."

"Timothy’s feet are bound." Kit coiled her tail under
her skirts and raised her hood.

"I don’t have a knife," Yuzu said.

"You and Tell led them here?" Timothy asked. Pain edged
his voice.

I never thought I’d come to know someone
well enough to notice a change in his voice like that,
Kit
thought.

Yuzu nodded. "We found a group of them while we
followed you. I had hoped we could slip away while everyone was distracted, but
it doesn’t look like it now."

"Fan out," a strong voice resonated. "Don’t go running
around like you did. You boys are lucky he didn’t lead you into a true ambush."

More soldiers filled the clearing. A dozen eyes watched
Kit. She held her hands out to her sides. Yuzu held hers above her shoulders, and
Timothy sat frozen. Blades pointed at them from all sides.

"Nice job," Kit said. "We traded three captors for three
dozen."

The half circle parted to allow a familiar graying man
through. "What do we—Timothy! What are you doing out here?"

Timothy looked up and blinked. "Kyle? That is Kyle, or
am I seeing things, Kit?"

Kyle beamed. "Who else would this ugly mug belong to?
Two women now?" He waved at the soldiers. "It’s okay, boys. I know them." The men
raised their blades and stepped back. Kyle knelt beside Timothy. "By the looks of
your face, they didn’t care much for the arrangement. Just what are you doing
out here?" He cut the ropes binding Timothy’s wrists and ankles.

"Being kidnapped and dragged through the forest,"
Timothy said.

Kit felt her shoulders loosen. Yuzu studied Kyle. "It’s
okay," Kit told Yuzu. "Kyle is a friend. What are you doing out here, Master Kyle?"

A Jesuit walked up. "Lieutenant Dalton, who—you were
the ones with the lamb."

Kit recognized the Jesuit. It was the same man who
arrested Tahd.
Who else is going to show up?

Timothy rubbed his wrists. "It’s a long story, Kyle.
I thought I wouldn’t see you again."

"I’ve known this one for a long time, Balwar. This is
Timothy, his wife, and…."

"Yuzu, Kit’s sister."

Kyle squinted. "Black hair. Red hair. Brown eyes. Green
eyes. Yep, blood sisters all right."

Yuzu glared.

"Adopted sister, Master Kyle. We were traveling when
those men kidnapped us." Kit adjusted her hood.
That Jesuit may have let us go
before, but we don’t have Cat with us this time.

"What do you know about those men?" Balwar asked.

Kyle helped Timothy to his feet and offered a hand to
Kit. Kit smoothed her skirts and checked the latch.
I can’t have my tail flashing
anyone. As long as Kyle doesn’t let what he knows slip.

"Their leader goes by the name Daeric Rhine. The others
are called Jan and Gert," Kit said.

"And what about the man we followed?"

Kit glanced at Yuzu. The girl wrung her hands.
She
is taken with Tell.
Kit shrugged. "Only those three caused problems for us.
I don’t know if they had anyone else with them or not."

Balwar looked at Kyle. Kyle nodded and clapped Timothy
on the back. "You never were a fighter. Well, you don’t have to worry now. They
don’t look it, but these boys are a good lot. Better than Fairhaven’s militia."
He winked and jerked a thumb at the Jesuit. "He’s an Inquisitor, but not a bad one.
He even has a lady—"