Chap. 377 The Equine Bounty Hunter

Chap. 377 The Equine Bounty Hunter

“What in the world is going on?” K’ndar sputtered,”is today Thief’s Day? Because this is the third occurrence of theft I’ve been witness to today. What am I, a thief magnet?”

“What? What do you mean?” Raylan said, having just arrived.

“Never mind, let’s find out what’s going on,” he said, his team chief joining him.

A horse whinnied, sounding bereft.

They could hear Francie speaking. No, it was more like shouting.

“Who brought my horse back in the barn? He’s supposed to stay outside all day!”

A teen emerged from the stable office.

“I did, ma’am.” She shrunk into her muck books, afraid and ashamed.

Francie wrestled with her anger. This girl should have known better. It wouldn’t help to scream at her despite her every fiber wanting to.

“WHY did you bring Donal in? Some stranger walks in the barn and just rides off on him?” she fumed.

The girl’s mouth opened but nothing came out. She’s going to eat me, she thought.

Lorenzo realized he was the one Francie should be yelling at, but he was livid at a brazen thief who had walked into his barns without so much as a may I, and stolen one of his charges in broad daylight. Am I going to have to post guards?

He faced Francie. “Francie. I told her to bring Donal in, along with Sky. She was just obeying orders.”

Francie snapped, “Why? And make it quick, soon as my fire lizards locate that thief, I’m going to chase her down and flame her, no, maybe not, if she’s on Donal. But if she’s hurt him, all bets are off.”

Raylan put his arm around Francie. He could feel her shaking with adrenaline. Later she would be astounded at her action, but at the moment, she was so irritated she pushed his arm away without thinking.

Lorenzo took her arm, gently, and turned her to face the grey.

“Francie, please. Look at Sky. You know how hard it is to catch Sky. Once he’s in pasture he won’t let anyone near him. His owner has essentially abandoned him. She’s not paid for his upkeep in three months, now that’s coming out of MY pay. I keep him as it’s not right to just dump a horse. That and he’s such a good babysitter, such a good teacher for kids. He’s trained tots as young as two to ride.”

Francie bridled. Lorenzo plowed on.

“I used to have to keep him haltered and dragging a rope to give me even half a chance of catching him, and it’s dangerous to leave a halter on a horse, even inside a pen. Even worse, if you just let Sky stay outside night and day, which I tried once, he’ll scream and holler about being alone in the dark. He worked himself into a colic that time, and I don’t dare do it again.

He can be an exasperating pain in the arse, he’s a knothead. He’ll always be herdbound, he went absolutely crazy when the pony we had for him died. But since Donal has been his pasture buddy, he’s easy to catch. Sky will come in any time I want, now, as long as Donal goes first.”

“But, why today? Horses need to be outside as much as possible.”

“Francie, please. They’re put out after morning feed, every day, you KNOW that. But surely you can see how Sky’s eye is getting worse. His glaucoma, it’s so bad now, can’t you see it?

The grey’s swollen and white fogged eye was obvious. It hurts just looking at it, K’ndar thought.

“His eye.” She was ashamed to admit that she’d not noticed it get so bad.

“Yes, if you’ve not noticed? His glaucoma is off the charts bad. The healer is due in less than an hour, he’s either going to remove the eye, or see if there’s someway of lessening the pressure in it. He’s already blind in it. He’s off his feed, he’s not touched his hay this morning because of it. I couldn’t turn Donal out without him, he’d be like he is right now, beside himself with anxiety, calling, working himself into a lather. If I’d turned him out without Donal, I’d waste all the healer’s time chasing Sky. And I sure as sunrise didn’t want him trying to jump out, you can see him measuring the height of the pen! So I had my girl here turn them both out for a while, then she brought Donal in and Sky followed like a lamb.”

Francie paused. Sky rushed from one side of the large pen to the other, crying, calling, sweat staining his white neck with lather. No, the healer won’t be able to sedate him like this, she thought.

“And let’s consider my point. This is my barn, one of ‘my’ horses has been stolen and the repercussions are expanding like ripples in a pond. I want Donal returned just as badly as you do. As it is, the healer isn’t going to be able to do a thing with Sky in this state. He doesn’t have a datalink anymore so I can’t call him and cancel. I’m as worried and sick about someone stealing Donal as you are. Shards, I’d feel the same even it had been Sky they stole.

Let’s never mind that it’s my whole reputation as a barnlord that’s been destroyed. If I’m fired, I’m not sure where I’ll go. My family is here, my kids are in school here. I’ve been here since Aivas, I apprenticed here at ten years old, believe it or not. This is my home.”

He looked as if he was about to vomit.

‘Oh,” Francie gasped, as if gut punched. I don’t want him to go. He’s a wonderful, reliable and trustworthy barnlord.

Her indignation vanished. She turned to the girl. “I’m..I’m sorry, lass, it’s just, well, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have blamed you.”

The girl snuffled, tears running down her cheeks-from terror, from shame, from resentment. “It’s okay. I wouldn’t never ever go against your orders for Donal. I love him, he’s the sweetest horse in the barn, even more than my own.”

Francie reached out and wiped the tears from her cheek. “I’m sorry.”

The girl hiccuped, then said, “It’s okay. Thank you.”

Raylan relaxed, both astounded and a bit afraid at Francie’s reaction. And yet proud that she had apologized once she’d heard the other side.

“You’re right, Lorenzo. I’m sorry.”

Sky whinnied again, pawing and snorting. The chestnut gelding had recovered enough to begin eating the hay Sky had rejected.

“Okay,” Francie said, “I’m expecting my fire lizards to report any moment. But for now, I’m launching.”

“I sent Siskin out, too, Francie, and I’m harnessed and ready to fly. Let’s go find that horse!” K’ndar said.

She straightened her shoulders and headed for Motanith. K’ndar fell in beside her.

“Honey,” Raylan called out to her retreating back, “I’ve called Security. They’re on their way.”

“Raylan, I have to find him. The longer we talk, the further she gets.”

Lorenzo nodded and turned to the girl. “Go get their horses. We have to saddle them, quick as we can. You know which horses they are?”

“Of course! Red roan gelding, buckskin mare, pasture seven. Catch the gelding first. Yes, sir. I’m on my way!” she shouted. She snatched two halters from a wall and ran out, very glad indeed for the opportunity to show Francie that she wasn’t irresponsible.

Sky stood in the corner closest to the mouth of the cavern, and whinnied, then stood, waiting, hoping, desperate for an answer.

“Francie,” Raylan, feeling utterly helpless, called after his wife, “Don’t kill the thief, okay?”

She turned to look at him, and said, only half in jest. “Why not? But okay. I’ll break her legs, if nothing else.” She hustled to mount her green dragon.

“K’ndar, once we’re mounted, I’ll whistle for him. I hope he’s still within range. Will you help me whistle?”

K’ndar found himself trotting to keep up. “Lizard trains all his horses to respond to the drunk bird. Francie, I’m so sorry, but I can’t whistle to save my life, we’ll have to wait until we see him.”

“I can whistle, K’ndar, although I’m sure he’s too far, now, to hear.” She put her fingers to her lips and let loose an ear piercing ‘quickthreebeers!”, mimicking the call of a native bird that everyone called ‘drunk’.

They were astonished to hear Donal respond with a loud clarion call.

“What the shaff?”

The sound of the hoofbeats of a horse in a flat out gallop was unmistakable.

“My stars, he DID hear me!”

Their fire lizards raced to the spot and began to send images of the horse running back to the stable.

Donal whinnied again, obviously getting closer. Sky yelled in return.

“Impossible! My fire lizards only now see him, running THIS way!”

“Siskin wasn’t searching in the right place,” K’ndar said, and he sent a call to Siskin to return.

The blue appeared, chittering.

They rushed back to the barn just in time to see a solid black horse thundering up the slope. He whinnied again, and K’ndar thrilled at the sight and sound of a fabulous horse in full gallop.

There was a bundle bouncing on his back.

Francie ran to the entrance and spread her arms out. “Whoaaaaaaaa, whoaa,” she called. Donal slowed to a trot, then a walk, breathing hard and nostrils fully distended. He came to her and rubbed his head against her chest,knowing full well he was not supposed to use her as a towel. “Silly horse, I’m not a towel,” Francie said, her voice husky with emotion. I love you, Donal, almost as much as I love Motanith. Or Raylan. Or my fire lizards. Am I wrong to put my husband after Motanith?

Motanith said, I have never seen you so upset. I am here too.

Sky called again, this time sounding relieved.

Francie’s fire lizards showed her images of several men on horseback, far behind Donal, but definitely coming this way.

“Get me off this shaffing beast, you louts,” the bundle said. “He’s beat my head in with those bloody irons.”

All eyes fastened on the bundle. It was a woman, securely tied to the saddle.

Raylan’s mind flashed. He grabbed his datalink and aimed it at the woman.

The girl entered the barn from the paddocks end, a horse on either side of her. She stopped, astounded. “He came back? He came back?”

From the other end, two men from Security came in, “Hello, what’s going on?” the senior one said.

Donal moved til he was opposite his pen, obviously wanting the woman off his back.

K’ndar looked at the woman’s face. Something went ping! in his memory. “I’ve never seen her before,” he said, to no one in particular, “not really, but she looks so familiar.”

“You, with the wherry ears, untie me,” the woman snapped at him.

K’ndar heard the pejorative. In an earlier me, he thought, I’d have my feelings hurt. But now I take her attack as a compliment. He put his fingers behind his ears, pushed them forward, then stuck his tongue out.

“How is it that my horse-the one you stole, mind you, how is it he managed to tie you up? He has no thumbs,” Francie said, allowing her anger to rekindle. This time the target was the right one.

“Shut up. Untie me. Now.”

“I don’t know, ma’am,” Lorenzo said, “He’s a pretty smart horse.”

“How dare you question me? Stop dawdling, you lout, and untie me.”

It was obvious she’d been in some sort of physical confrontation before being securely tied to a saddle. Those are horseman’s knots, K’ndar saw, and tying her so securely to a saddle that she hadn’t fallen off demonstrated an expert at packing.

“Dare US? I mean, us dare?” Francie said, “You call US louts?”

The woman turned her head to glare at Francie.

“I have no idea how you got this way, but being tied up like a butchered hog is the least of your problems, now. You’re a horse thief, you sow, you shaffing piece of shite! Steal my horse, will you? I’ll take you off my horse, no doubt, but in such tiny pieces they’ll need a tweezers to get you off the floor,” Francie snarled.

The woman was silent. Francie could see her gathering saliva. “If you spit at me, trust me, you won’t do it twice,” she hissed. She pulled her dagger and wagged it in front of the woman’s nose. “How will you look without a nose? Push me and you’ll find out.”

Raylan’s datalink said facial scan complete and human identified.

Yes, he thought, as he saw the computer’s results. No, Francie, don’t cut her. I know who she is. Merrick was right when he said she’d be hunting him. Donal has caught a very big fish.

The woman gulped, but her eyes blazed.

“You don’t dare cut me, except loose. Now.”

“I dunno,” K’ndar jibed, “your appearance would be GREATLY improved without a nose.”

Francie’s fire lizards appeared, and immediately, catching her fury, went for the woman’s face.

“Call ’em off! They’ll go for my eyes!” she shrieked, struggling to free her arms, but they were securely tied to her sides.

Francie made a single tweaking noise, and her fire lizards backed off, finding perches in the ledges of the cavern overhead. Her greens muttered imprecations. Siskin joined them.

“Get me off this horse. Now, or I’ll make you wish you were dead.”

Everyone laughed. “That, I’d like to see. Let’s see you untie yourself,” Francie said, backing off.

The woman struggled, but was as securely tied as a reefed sail in a hurricane.

“Hello the barn, hello? May we enter?” a male voice said.

There were three of them, all mounted on sturdy horses.

Lorenzo waved them in. I have no idea who you are, but I bet my lunch you were the one who trussed this thief up. “Beautiful packing job, mates,” he said.

The men smiled. One of the men rode forward until he was parallel to Donal, his boot a hand’s length from the woman’s face. I would so love to kick in your teeth, he thought, the memory of his daughter’s shrieking in fear and loss stoking the flames of revenge. He looked down at her, and she knew what he wanted to do.

“Hello, sirs,” K’ndar was the first to say, “I’m betting you caught this woman?

“Well, dragonrider, it was a team effort. The horse caught her. All we did was tie her up and load her on his back. But I will say we’ve been following her for a while, now,” the leader said.

“Um, are we needed here?” Security asked. The girl holding their horses was spellbound. Donal’s back! How did they do that? Did these strangers bring him here? What’s that woman doing on his back? Maybe they don’t need to ride out, now? but I don’t want to miss a thing.

Even the horses were fascinated.

Raylan said, “Yes, I think so, sirs. Please don’t leave, I would like you to check this woman for weapons, then shackle her, hands and feet, please and put her in the cells. I believe they’re functioning now?”

“Yes, sir, Chief Raylan, but what will we hold her on? Will you be charging her with a crime? Because the Charter says there has to be a reason.”

“HORSE THEFT!” Francie shouted, then backed off. “I’m sorry, I’didn’t mean to shout. This person stole my horse.”

“Not just horse theft,” Raylan said, turning his data link to show the bailiffs.

“Ahhhhhhhh”, the senior said. The wanted poster worked!

“Was it just horse theft?” he asked the leader of the trio.

“Not just. Some. She was skulking around our caravans a few days ago. I’ll give her this much, she can slither in and out of camp like a tunnel snake. We didn’t see her, the dog did, but “somehow” she was poisoned. Poor thing, she suffered for hours until we finally had to put her down.”

The man glared at the woman on the horse. “Things went missing, a pair of woman’s pants on a clothes line, a fresh baked loaf of bread, for instance. We don’t mind giving someone food if they’re starving and they ask, but not if they steal it. Yesterday, she ambushed my daughter who was watering her horse, that chestnut in the pen. She grabbed my daughter by the hair, held a dagger to her throat and said, “If anyone asks you what you did with this horse, you gave it to me. If you say anything else but that, I’ll come back in the middle of the night and kill your whole family and cut you neck to navel.” Then she pushed my girl into the river, got on her horse and fled. We’ve been following her since.”

“You lie, you piece of shite!” the woman snapped, daring the boot. He looked at her and shook his head in warning.

“Not an hour ago? No, no more than half an hour ago, we caught up with her, riding that black horse. Or trying to. She was flogging him with a switch and he was going round in circles. Just as we came up to him, he stopped. He knew we were there to help him. Then he gave two or three tremendous bucks, she came off and now, here we are. We caught her red handed, tied her up while she was still on the ground. My brother there, he’s a dab hand at packing.”

“My compliments, sir.” Lorenzo said, “It’s a rare talent that can tie a human well enough that it stays aboard a galloping horse.”

“I should have just let her slip under his hooves at full gallop. But that seldom kills someone, just breaks ’em into pieces, and I sure as sunrise don’t want a horse to break its leg trampling a thief.”

Donal? Bucking? Never, Francie thought. But then she saw the welts on his neck and atop his HEAD? I don’t blame you a bit, Donal, she thought, her hand resting on the wet neck. “You KNEW she’s a bad one, didn’t you,” she murmured. My, she looks familiar, I don’t know why.

The Landings cheered-well, except for the horse thief. “Good lad, Donal!” K’ndar shouted.

“Those brigands tied me up. GET ME OFF,” the woman shouted.

The three horsemen smirked.

“Herdmaster,” said the leader, having judged who was what, “That chestnut in with the grey? He’s my daughter’s horse, and she’s crying for him, she’s lost without him. I promised her I’d get him back, and if you don’t mind, we’ll take him home. The saddle and bridle that’s on the black, that’s hers, too. By the way, the grey? He’s got a bad eye, that needs to come out. It’s too far gone to save and he’s saying it hurts.”

Lorenzo’s jaw dropped, then he recovered. These were true horsemen, to diagnose the grey so precisely. “You’re right. A healer’s coming to take it out.”

“He’ll be okay if that happens. He might even stop being herdbound. Being blind in one eye, that can shake a horse’s courage.”

By the egg, are these men human? Lorenzo thought.

One of the strangers indicated the woman with a point of his chin. “This thief rode a horse to death, before she stole my girl’s. Poor thing. Anyone treat an animal of any sort like that doesn’t deserve kindness or fair treatment,” said one of his men.

“Aye,” said K’ndar, Francie, Lorenzo and the girl, all in one breath.

The chestnut, recognizing his friends, gave a tired whicker.

“He’s worn out, sirs, he’s tired as can be.”

“Aye, we can see that. She rode him hard and put him away wet.”

“Is anyone listening? I’m hurt, get me off this beast. Now.” the woman whined.

Everyone acted as if they’d not heard a thing.

“Um, if you like, I can put you and your men and horses up, the chestnut could use a good night’s rest and a belly full of hay,” Lorenzo said.

The three conferred, then the leader said, “Normally I’d say no, thank you very much, we’ll take our horse and head home. But the horse is dead tired. And those ropes holding the sow, those are ours, too. If you would keep the chestnut overnight, let him get a good bran mash in him, and a good sleep, one of us will come by tomorrow to retrieve him and the tack.”

“I’m serious, sirs, I have plenty of room for all of you,” Lorenzo said, “as well as for your horses.”

“Thank you, sir, but we’ll just turn for camp once we see this horse thief in chains. We have all the time in the world, now, to retrieve the chestnut and return home.”

“You louts are the thieves, release me!”

“You said she stole your daughter’s horse?”

“Aye, and belongings, too. She’s been raiding her way from wherever. The black ended the chase, but the moment she stole our horse, we started after her. A thief she is, but she doesn’t understand tracking, she didn’t pay attention once she was out of sight. Or sound, we can track one of our horses just by the sound of his feet.”

“At night,” another said.

“In the rain,” added the third.

They all laughed.

They’re not boasting, K’ndar thought, watching them. You sit your horses as if you’re part of their spine, and I’ve been riding all my life.

“You’re all lying,” the woman snarled, “I am innocent…”

“Shut up,” said the leader. He moved his boot just a bit closer to her face.

“You’re Wanderers, aren’t you,” Lorenzo said.

“Aye.”

Everyone was silent for several heartbeats. Everyone knew of the horse nomads, but seldom did they interact with the general population of Pern.

“I can see it, just in how you ride.”

“Thank you. We say we’re foaled, not born.”

The leader nodded, looking intensely satisfied.

“This woman, sir. We-not just me and my brothers here, but we, Wanderers from all of Pern, have been looking for this woman. She is not just a thief, but a murderer as well,” one of his brothers said.

“You lie!”

“We normally have no doings with you Pern folks,” the leader said. “But this woman-she’s got a history, you know? From Northern to Southern, every Wanderer knows her face, you Landers, you put out wanted posters of her. Not only did she steal horses, she abducted and starved a woman almost to death, murdered a good man by slow poison, and tried to blame us. She’s from Northern. She was already in trouble from Lemos Hold, but she really put paid on her head when she threatened Wanderer kids.

She is lucky the black brought her here. There was no holding him back once we had her loaded on his back. He knew what we were doing and why. He’s sharp as a razor, and if you should ever want to sell him, ask us first, please?

That woman, we had her, dead to rights. Only because we knew the horse was stolen did we not, well…much as we wanted to behead her, we wanderers don’t want the reputation of doing that, specially to what you call nobles. So she’s yours, now. But before we go…”

He reached down and grasping the woman’s two plaits, yanked her head up so she had to look into his eyes.

She screeched, but it was with a note of terror.

The man said in a voice so deep it sounded as if emanating from the bowels of the planet.

“Look me in the eye, Yvanna. Yes, we all know who you are. There’s a price on your head, did you know that? But the problem is, two Holders, Lord Toric and Lord Asgoth want it, and you seem to have only one. I can’t just hand you over to these folks here without at least establishing proof we caught you. So,”and he whipped out a dagger and with one smooth move, cut off both plaits, just above the gold rings that tightly bound the upper and lower ends. The woman screeched and let her head drop.

“‘I’ll send these trophies, one to each of the Lord Holders. These plaits will assure both Lords that you are now in Pernese custody.”

She began to swear. “Tsktsktsk, such language!,” he said,”and there’s a young lass hearing you. But then, I wouldn’t want any child to emulate YOU.” He flourished his knife before her eyes. She retracted her head as much as she could. He gently placed the flat of the dagger under her chin and lifted her head. She tried to pull away. “Careful! I am still holding a knife. All I need do is press a knee and my little mare here will shove the dagger in by herself. How fitting, to be stabbed by a horse! Shall you cut your own throat? Look at me. You may want to end it this way, I dare say it’s probably the best end for you, but I’d hate to see this magnificent horse covered in your blood. It’s so messy, aye?”

“You wouldn’t dare,” she sneered, “I’m of noble blood.”

“And I’m a mongrel wanderer, without so much as a mark to my name. Lord Toric has disowned you. Lord Asgoth wants your head. Badly. Maybe he’ll put it on a spike befitting your so called nobility. The scavengers won’t care, either way.”

He slid the dagger gently, just a little bit closer to her throat. He was prepared to pull it back if she should try to impale herself on it. Just close enough, he thought, to make her focus.

“Now shut your mouth and listen, because I will tell you this only once. “

She met his eyes, very aware of the proximity of the knife tip to her throat.

“When you threaten-or hurt a Wanderer child,” he rumbled, “you hurt us all. Should anyone of my family, that of my brothers here, my clan, my tribe, my people, any Wanderer, Northern or Southern, now and in the future, if we ever catch you again, we will make sure you never threaten our children again. We will dismember you, finger by finger, hand by hand, limb by limb, eye by eye. We will leave your ears so that you can hear your self screaming as we ram hot coals down your throat. This is a promise I make for all Wanderers.”

His brothers growled, “Heard and witnessed.”

K’ndar gulped, feeling ice run down his spine.

He re-sheathed the dagger. The three horsemen turned as one to ride away.

“I beg your pardon, sirs, but there’s a reward for her,” Raylan said. “Lord Asgoth has put up a hundred marks for her capture, dead or alive.”

The leader paused, then turned his horse to meet Raylan’s gaze. He motioned at K’ndar.

“Thank you, Pern man, but that’s okay. Let my people at Lemos Hold have that reward, they’ve suffered far more than we have. My reward is seeing her in bondage. I insist you keep her in chains. These gold rings, it’s enough for us. If the Lords don’t behead her, I hope that yon brown dragonrider take her over the ocean and drop her. My apologies to his dragon for having to bear such a load of shit.”

“That,” Security said, “can be arranged.”