"How far?" Tyrus asked, straining to see against the bright midday sun.
"Perhaps a thousand paces. And riding fast."
Tyrus cursed. "And the rest of the troop?"
"Still distant enough that I cannot see them."
"Which means they cannot see us if we raise extra dust. All right then. Stay back here. Alvar is about to lose his scouts."
Ashyn would play no role in planning the attack, nor in executing it. Her sole task was to survive it. And, preferably, not to be taken hostage.
Tyrus had found her a place to hide with Tova. Which made her feel completely and utterly useless, and only strengthened her resolve to improve her battle skills. From her spot, she watched as the others found places of their own to hide, one of the warriors taking the horses and riding off to the other side of a distant outcropping of rock.
Then they waited. The scouts were riding hard, presuming that on the open ground they'd see trouble. There were four of them. An easy battle. Still, Ashyn gripped her dagger. She would not blindly run in at any provocation, but if there was a situation where she could safely help, she would not stay hidden behind a rock.
The riders closed in. From her place, she could see Tyrus and Ronan together. There was a rock in front of them, but not large enough to do more than throw them into shade and shadow, and they had hunkered down in the long steppe grass. Dalain and Sabre each had half of the Okami men hiding in other patches of grass. They were all far less hidden than Ashyn, and as soon as the riders drew near enough, they'd need to leap up and charge before they were--
A shadow passed overhead. Ashyn craned her neck and at first saw nothing but the brilliant blue midday sky. Then the sky itself seemed to ripple, and she smiled and whispered, "Zuri." On the ground, the dragon whelp's camouflage was imperfect. If the light hit her at the proper angle, she'd blend with her surroundings. Otherwise, well, an iridescent white dragon was rather easy to spot. In the sky, though, with the sun blazing, she was all but invisible, and Ashyn watched in wonder as the dragon soared and swooped, visible only by that telltale ripple.
Zuri let out a cry, not so much a roar as a yowl.
The riders looked up, and Ashyn's heart stopped as she frantically searched them for signs of bows and quivers. There were none, and as the warriors continued peering into the sky, she looked toward Tyrus, hoping he could take advantage of their distraction. Then Zuri let out another of those yowls, and Ashyn realized what she was doing: searching for Tyrus.
"No!" Ashyn whispered, and she motioned for Tyrus and Ronan to hide themselves better. They weren't looking her way, though, and a moment later, Zuri spotted her quarry. She let out a victory cry and swooped down to perch on the rock partially hiding Tyrus. She squawked and danced in place, wings fluttering, head bobbing, clearly very pleased and relieved to have found her master and eager for him to recognize her triumphant return.
The scouts, not surprisingly, stopped in their tracks to stare, unable to believe what they were seeing. The shock wouldn't last long, though, before they realized the young dragon was very intent on something in the long grass.
Tyrus whipped a chunk of meat. Zuri let out a joyful squawk and dove after it. She caught it in midair and gulped it down, and before she could zip back for more, Tyrus threw another piece that landed in the grass, meaning she had to hunt for it. This would have been an excellent idea, except apparently the dragon whelp had eaten quite enough and wasn't interested in food that required work. She gave a cursory look and then flapped her wings, taking to the air and heading back for Tyrus.
Ashyn saw the prince flatten himself face-first on the ground, doing his best to hide, but the dragon spotted him with a chirp, dove, and grabbed his ponytail. She didn't get far with it, yet it was enough for the scouts to spot him. They lifted their heels to spur their horses . . . and twin shouts rang out from either side, as Dalain, Sabre, and their men burst from the long grass, having crept up behind the scouts while the dragon provided a distraction. Ashyn breathed a sigh of relief as they charged.
Three scouts wheeled their horses to face their attackers. The fourth, though, spurred his forward, blade out, battle cry on his lips as he ran straight at Tyrus. The prince leaped up, as did Ronan. Zuri heard the scout's cry, turned in midair, and saw him charging Tyrus. She let out a shriek--pure rage--and shot down at him, jaws opening. One day, if the legends were true, her breath would freeze a man in his tracks, but while Ashyn saw the whelp's throat expand and contract, all that came out was a puff of white air, and the scout was running at her, his sword out, pulling it back, the dragon low enough for him to strike.
Ashyn tore from her hiding place, dagger raised, but Tova was already leaping past her. He launched himself at the horse, his fangs sinking into its rump. The horse screamed and reared and the scout flew off its back, Tyrus on him the moment he hit the ground.
The fight was quickly won. Then it was Ashyn's turn to do her bit, tending to the dead and the wounded. Fortunately, their side had incurred only minor injuries. Tyrus came over while she was checking on the lead scout, ensuring he was dead. From the extent of his injuries, it seemed certain, but she still checked. As Tyrus saw those injuries, he stopped short and turned away. When he turned back, he seemed himself, but she'd not missed the look in his eyes.
"Chewing ginger or mint leaves will settle your stomach," she murmured as she rose.
"Moria told you then."
"Moria told me nothing. She would not, if it was said in confidence, though back on the road from Fairview, she did ask what settles stomachs. Having seen your expression, I now know why. Your secret is as safe with me as it was with her."
"Thank you. I came to say that the rest of Alvar's men will head this way once they realize their scouts are missing. By then, I plan to be long gone. We'll split up, making us more difficult to track. Ronan? I'd like you to go meet up with Gavril and Moria. If they're safe at the farmhouse, keep them there and I'll join up after nightfall. Take one of the horses. Ashyn? Would you like to ride with Ronan?"
She hesitated. "I ought to tend more to--"
"My apologies," Tyrus said with a smile. "I forgot I'm not speaking to Moria. Ashyn, I insist you go with Ronan. You and Tova can watch his back, and your sister may need your healing skills more than Dalain's men do."
"Yes, your highness." A quick kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, Tyrus."
FORTY-THREE
"I did not leave you." Those were Ronan's first words when they were away from the others.
"What?"
"I mean that I did not leave you by choice." He glanced at her. "And I can see that comes as a shock. I had hoped . . ." He looked forward, tugging the reins to turn the horse a little to the north. "I had hoped you would know better. But given how many times I have left or said I wanted to leave or that I should leave . . . I do not blame you for not believing me when I said I'd never leave you, Ashyn. You considered my history, and you decided I'd changed my mind."