Chap. 315 The Break Up

Chap. 315 The Break Up

He’s twice my age, K’ndar thought, as he pushed his way through undergrowth, and he’s outrunning me.

His breath was ragged as he followed Rand. The forester was slithering through tangling vines and whipping limbs as sinuously as a snake. K’ndar was catching every one.

The path they were on wasn’t a trail. It was a series of bare spots in the soil, with the tunnel of vegetation no more than shoulder width apart-and a head shorter than K’ndar’s.

“Headache,” Rand called, ducking under a low growing tree limb. K’ndar hit it with the top of his head. He half slid down a narrow gully. I thought this was supposed to be winter? When will the vines die?

A cane slapped him across the forehead, narrowly missing his eyes.

Rand suddenly stopped. K’ndar half fell, trying to keep from running into him.

“Wait,” Rand said. K’ndar happily obliged, trying to catch his breath. He drew in great lungfuls of air, almost sobbing. He was running with sweat, his backpack seeming to have gained a hundred kilograms.

They stood at the edge of a small, fast flowing creek.

K’ndar bent over, his hands on his knees, sucking in air.

“I’d be glad to. Do we need to be going so fast?”

Rand turned with a wicked grin. “Having trouble keeping up?”

For a moment, K’ndar hated the man. “Yes,” he panted. He felt something wet running down his cheek. He wiped it away. It was blood.

“I’m bleeding!”

“I know. It’s this damned razor vine. Sorry. It’s just a scratch. Yes, we do have to go fast. I only stopped to check my bearings.”

“You don’t KNOW? I thought you said this was a shortcut?”

“I didn’t say that. It is. And I do know. But there’s two ways we can go from here.”

“Which way doesn’t involve my being beaten to death by these sharding vines?”

Their two fire lizards hovered overhead.

“Neither. But if we’re to beat them to my stump, we’ve got to hustle.”

“You have a plan?”

“No. I thought you did.”

“Damn it, Rand, I’ve got dragons coming, Raventh is vectoring them in, and Jansen is working on Scar’s datalink. What have you got?”

“Okay, okay. You’ll see. We’re not far now, we’ve done the hardest part. It’ll level out now. I’m just showing my arse, K’ndar, that wasn’t fair. Sorry. The rocks in the stream are slippery, you’re better off jumping across.”

The man turned and leaped across. K’ndar jumped, slipped and fell into the creek up to his knees.

Rand turned, without a word and helped him out.

My boots are full of water, he thought, I’ll have blisters in no time, he thought, grinding his teeth in rage.

Rand moved ahead, at a slightly slower speed.

Within a few minutes, he pushed through the particularly thick shrubbery. K’ndar followed to find himself back on the original trail.

“We’re ahead of them, now. My stump is just downhill. Let’s send our lizards back to the raiders.”

“Why?”

Rand grinned. “So you can see what happens when I whistle.”

K’ndar of Landing. K’ndar of Landing

Leaning against Rand’s stump, K’ndar answered his datalink.

“K’ndar here, who calls?” he gasped.

“D’mitran here, K’ndar! I’m at the new cothold. You’re sure it’s Scar and Vika? Where are they?”

“I am. They’re on the path behind me, now. I don’t know how far, maybe a few kilometers. Are you bringing Lord Dorn?”

“No. He’s still at Singing Waters. But I’ve got someone better, I’m bringing Random.”

“Random?”

“The man who Karloch, I mean Shawn, had beaten and in chains? With two green fire lizards? He’s the cotholder here, now, and let me tell you, he’s champing at the bit to get even with Scar. Are they armed?”

“Aye. Crossbows. And they have a datalink. Jansen’s working on it now. Do you need my coordinates?”

“No. I can see on my datalink where you are. Raventh’s told Careth where we can land, he’s going to vector us in.”

“Just you and Random?”

“Aye. I’m sorry. Careth is a big dragon but he can’t carry more than two. Random swore there wasn’t a man or woman at the cothold that didn’t want to come help. Did you call the weyr?”

“I did, but, oh, wait, there’s a message waiting for me. Once I cut our link, I’ll answer.”

“I already know, K’ndar. I called B’rant. He’s out on the far side of Singing Waters with the weyrlings AND the Fire Lizard corps, they’re not going to be able to help.”

“Shards,” K’ndar said, “Even with you and Random, I don’t know if we can tackle these two. They’re dangerous.”

“Aye. But fear not, K’ndar, F’mart’s on his way with three dragons, he’s carrying Lief, Lord Dorn’s Master at Arms, and three dragons carrying his men. Lief? He’s licking his chops, just hot to catch them.”

K’ndar remembered Lief and his dedicated band of men. And F’mart, the Weyrleader!

He laughed despite still being out of breath. “If I know F’mart, he’s coming just to fight.”

D’mitran laughed. “It will be fun to watch, what? See you in a few, K’ndar.”

Within seconds, his datalink called again. He opened the channel.

“K’ndar, Jansen here. I’ve got your signal. There’s an unregistered datalink coming your way. I bet my boots it’s one of the ones Shawn stole.”

“I don’t doubt it. The last I knew, Scar was carrying it, but that might change.”

“I’m tracking them now, but only by the starship. I’ve tried pinging them using Scar’s name, but it won’t respond.”

“No matter, they probably wouldn’t answer anyway. They’re traveling fast and secretly. As long as you have them, track them. This forest, and the jungle below is thick, you can vanish in it in a minute. They’re on a path with two horses right now. One’s carrying a pack Scar described as “worth a nobleman’s ransom.”

“Hmm. The only thing I can think that valuable is either artifacts, or more likely, electronics. We never did get the haul of electronics when Shawn’s illegal cothold was discovered.”

“They mentioned T’ovar,” he said, straightening up. Rand came out of the stump and listened intently.

“T’ovar. T’ovar. Oh, yes, the rogue dragonrider. Did they say why?”

“It sounded as if they were planning on meeting him to sell the pack to him.”

“They must not know he’s been arrested.”

“Maybe not.”

“Are you going to be alright? Just you and, um, Rand is his name?”

“Yes. Rand’s been doing most of the cataloging today, he’s going to need a datalink if he’s to continue doing so. He knows the trees better than anyone. But don’t worry about us. D’mitran is coming with Lord Dorn’s cotholder, and four of my weyrmates are coming with Lord Dorn’s men at arms. So we’ve got plenty of help. Look, Jansen, I have to sign off. We’re about to get busy here.”

“Good luck, K’ndar. Be careful. Don’t get shot.”

He laughed. “I’ll try not to.”

Careth just arrived. Kenth is on his way with three other dragons Raventh said.

Thank you

Are you going to stay up there at the stump? Do you need me to come and get you?

Um, I don’t know. I think you’re safer there. I’m sure they’ll be firing crossbows when they see they’re trapped. If I need help, come up, and get behind them and herd the horses downhill

“Our lizards are in position. Mushroom’s already sending,” Rand said.

He touched Siskin, who chipped in his mind and then began to send images.

Scar was leading the packhorse, Vika, riding his horse, behind them. She carried the datalink. She had no idea how to use it, but she could see the satellite image on their progress.

“You’re sure T’ovar is going to meet us?” she asked.

Scar stopped and turned to face her. “No, I don’t! I’ve not talked to him in a month. But that’s how he operates. He flies in on his dragon and only does business face to face. Stop worrying. He wants this pack, Vika,and he’s good for the money. He’ll show up.”

“Maybe call him on this datalink?”

Scar shook his head in anger. “Vika. LISTEN to me. T’ovar doesn’t use a datalink, although I think he carries one. He doesn’t trust them. I don’t, either, but it’s the best way of finding our way through this bloody forest. We’ll hide out in the caves until he shows up. It might be tomorrow, it might be two months from now.”

“TWO MONTHS? I’m to stay in those bloody caves for two months waiting on this T’ovar?”

“That’s how he works. It’s not like the cargo is going to go bad. He’s got the money, we’ve got the pack. He’s holding all aces. All we need to do is be patient. He knows me, okay? He’ll show up, I promise.”

“I don’t trust your promises. I think we should use this thing to at least find out where he is. It can do that, right?” she said, waving the datalink.

“Have you ever met him?”

“You know that. No.”

“Would you talk to someone you never met, without seeing his face? Especially when you’re already on every Holder and Weyr’s wanted list?”

“Um, but he knows you, right?”

“Vika. When you call on that thing, the starship hears it. It pinpoints where you are. Landing and everyone else will know who and where we are, to include the Weyrs, and then they’ll send dragons out to catch us. How do you think Karloch and the cothold was located? Huh? Karloch used it once too often and that’s how we got found out. We’ve been on the run since then. Understand? Don’t go changing things now. Once we get the money from T’ovar, we will disappear again. Got it?”

“I won’t be going with you after I get my money,” she snarled.

“Works for me. I never liked you anyway. You’re too vicious. Besides, you need a bath. Badly.”

You sodding bastard, she thought, but she shut up.

He jerked on the lead rope to start the pack mare moving.

Rand looked up at K’ndar and grinned.

“Ah, those fire lizards. Handy little beasts, what?” Rand said.

“Told you so,” K’ndar said, smugly.

“Your dragons are in position?”

He touched Raventh.

Yes

“Ready when you are,” K’ndar said.

Rand stepped out to a clear spot near his stump. Taking a deep breath, he put two fingers to his mouth and whistled.

The mare stopped.

“Did you hear that?” Vika said.

“Hear what?” Scar said, puzzled.

The mare lunged backwards, tearing the lead rope out of Scar’s hand. Leaping forward, she knocked him off his feet and bolted down the trail.

Scar shrieked. “Whoa!! Whoa!” Jumping to his feet, he ran to Vika’s horse.

“Get off! Get off!”

“What! She took off!!”

“GET OFF!” Scar yelled. He grabbed her boot and yanked, pulling her off the horse. She tumbled to the ground.

“What the shaff! You bastard!”

“I’ve got to catch that horse!”

“I can do it!”

The horse, panicking, skittered sideways, almost stepping on Vika. She got to her feet.

“Whoa, you bloody beast, stand!” Scar shouted, yanking the reins.

The horse stopped, its eye rolling in fright. He scrambled into the saddle. Vika grabbed the saddle and tried to climb up.

Scar knocked her hand away. The horse moved away from her.

“Scar! Let me up! You have to let me up!”

“You’ll slow me down. You can walk.”

He reined the horse back onto the trail and kicked. The horse moved sideways, tossing its head. He jerked the reins and the horse subsided.

“SCAR! Don’t you dare leave me here!”

“You’ve got the datalink, follow it. If you hurry, you can make it down in time for the handoff. If not, tough luck, bitch. If you make it to the caves, I might just remember the half and half deal.”

“You bastard!”

Scar laughed and kicked the horse. But the horse, tired beyond tired, merely stepped out into a walk.

“Go! Go, you stupid beast!” he shouted. He kicked harder. The horse broke into a slow trot.

“Scar, you better stop!”

He laughed, without turning his head. He waved an upraised middle finger at her.

Vika steadied herself. Tearing the crossbow off her back, she loaded it with a smooth move borne of long practice.

Her bolt hit Scar square in the back.

Scar shouted and fell forward. The horse stopped. Scar slumped and slowly fell off the horse.

Vika approached the fallen Scar. He was laying on his side.

She kicked him onto his back as far as the deeply sunk bolt would allow.

Groaning, he looked at her with dying eyes.

“Sucks to be you, Scar,” she said.

She plunged her dagger into his chest.