Chapter 17

The shore was rough; as rugged and desolate as almost every other stretch of the Fedricksland coast.

"I told you we should have taken a ship out of Ovrgruden," Kei moaned.

"You told?" Labo moaned back. "Who was it who was worried about getting seasick? Who was it who kept saying they had a bad feeling about the ship?"

The boys had been arguing like this since we left Kaya Tumic. My decision to take the route following the shore of the Eastern Sea had not sat well with them. They had the typical Vulkai dislike for the sea, and an inexplicable dislike for Fedriksland, despite never having been there in their brief lives.

I'd given up on trying to get them to stop, but in this case, they were being too loud when they needed to be quiet.

"Quiet!" I hissed. They shut up, even managing to look embarrassed.

We were being followed, I was sure of it, but despite my conviction, couldn't quite seem to find who or what followed us. We were more than a week out of Ovrgruden, and I doubted anyone had trailed us this far from there. We'd passed through a small coastal town yesterday though — Hakenicht; as seedy and grim a town as I'd ever seen, not that I had a lot to compare it to.

We might have passed Hakenicht by, if it hadn't meant stepping into the Bitter Peat. We'd done that a few times and found it unpleasant and a debilitating experience. We were going to have to cross a stretch of it soon, in order to get to the Tatterik, but we didn't want to spend any more time in the bog than we had to.

<I think we're being followed, > I sent in the Vulkai way.

"Kei, scout ahead a little, will you?" I asked out loud. Kei took off, leaving Labo frowning beside me.

<You're the one with the sensitive nose, Vulkai, > I teased Labo's thoughts. <What is it telling you?>

I watched my companion's nostrils flare while at the same time his eyes narrowed in anger. The anger bled out of them slowly as he became caught up in listening to his Vulkai senses.

<Found her, > came Kei's thoughts some time later.

<Her?> I sent in surprise.

<Her.> he confirmed. <She's good too. She's almost spotted me a couple of times.>

<Where is she?> I asked.

<About a half mile behind you and to the west, just below that small rise we passed a half an hour ago.>

<Weapons?> I asked.

<Bow, judging by the quiver on her back. Dagger too, but no sword that I can see... > after a long pause Kei hesitantly added. <No smell of magic about her either.>

The boys had some ability to sense magic on people, though it was rough, and not all that reliable. It was a Vulkai trait that would improve with age. I couldn't depend on it when it was critical yet, but I wasn't sure this qualified. We were probably being shadowed by someone out of Hakenicht. Perhaps they were just curious, or more likely looking for a chance to ambush us if we set camp close enough. The seedy little coastal burg didn't strike me as likely to have a wizard working with them, and certainly not one working for them. Someone with a little innate skill or a trace of the craft perhaps. More likely someone just light on their feet and well skilled in woodcraft.

<Labo, without looking at it, tell me you know what direction that hill lays in.>

<I do, > he replied.

<When I give the signal, turn sharply and begin running for that hill.> I sent. <Kei, as soon as Labo's charge allows you, knock her down and sit on her.>

<Sit on her?> he chuckled.

<Get her off her feet and keep her from running away. While you're at it, try and keep her from poking holes in your scruffy hide.>

Both of my companions gave a silent nod, and a moment later, I sent a silent <GO!>. Labo spun around, somewhat more dramatically than called for, I thought, glared at the hill to the west for a brief moment, and then launched himself towards it at full speed. A moment later I heard a muffled scream, followed by Kei's booming howl of triumph.

With the immediate threat apparently removed, I let my magic flare, slipping into full wizard's sight looking for signs of magic. The area around us was as normal as any. Still, I muttered a couple quick spells and had sword and dagger to hand as I charged back along the trail towards our hopefully captive shadow.

Kei was sitting facing toward me when I came upon him. Labo was sitting quite a bit to the side. Kei had taken my instructions very literally and was sitting on top of the woman. Laying prone and face down in the dirt, she was struggling to reach her dagger, which was laying just beyond arms reach on the side away from Labo. She obviously was unaware of the second Vulkai's presence.

"you might want to stop that," I said from my vantage point. She struggled to raise her head high enough to see me.

"Who are you?" she asked. What are you going to do to me."

She managed to sound defiant and terrified at the same time. She also managed to sound much younger than I'd been assuming — more girl than woman.

"You're the one spying on us," I answered, bending over to pick up her dagger. It was old and worn, but the blade was nicely kept. "By rights I could kill you and none could fault me for it."

"Are you going to make me lay here in the dirt while I wait for your decision?"

"Fair enough, I suppose." I answered. "But don't get too excited when Kei climbs off of you." I nodded to Kei and he stepped off to his left and back, moving away from both Labo and I. She stood very slowly, looking around and seeing Kei first and then Labo. After staring at them for a long moment, and they were imposing, she turned to regard me, her face screwed up in a curious fashion, as if I was somehow unexpected. "Now, why are you spying on us?"

"I wasn't spying on you," she humphed. "I was only tracking you to see where you went."