The Sword Maiden

Going After Derrek

Finally Daxton started talking in less cryptic phrases.  

"I mean 'e's not a real gang boy.  'E's onna the sheriff in Terreth's rats.  E's gonna try to rat 'em out, ya see?"  

He looked a little imploringly at me, as if asking me to understand.  It was the first sliver of... care I'd seen from him, about what others thought of his words.  

I did understand.  One side of me fairly collapsed in relief that Derrek wasn't a real gang boy, the other side shot heavenwards with anxiety.

"Do you think they suspected him?"  Asked Valeria, her face tight.  She'd obviously come to the same conclusion I had.

Daxton shrugged.  "I don't know.  I did 'cause his manner was too polite and I'd never seen 'im around before.  Megidil - that's the leader of the gang- is purty sharp.  If'n yer brother fooled 'im, 'e probably stands a good chance."

He hesitated, then went on.  "I ain't gonna lie.  If they think 'e's a mole..."  He drew a finger across his throat.  

My breath hitched.  No.  Not now, I couldn't let that happen.  I was so close to him.  

I was also angry, but not at Daxton this time.  I was mad my brother thought he was invincible as to run off and volunteer to spy on bandit gangs.  What was he trying to do, get himself killed?  

Clenching and unclenching, my fingers were twitching on Bound.  "You said you could lead us to him, Daxton."  My voice was so calm I hardly recognized it.  

He crossed his arms.  "I can.  I was a gang boy fer Megidil a way's back.  I know all the hideouts and where 'e'll head next.  But I'mma not gonna lead you to 'im just like that, not till ya promise me something." 

I raised an eyebrow.  "We're going to start that again?  You already know I won't give you my father's dagger."  

"This's somethin' else.  If I lead ya to their hideout, there's a fair chance they'll know it was me."  He squinted at all of us.  "I want ya to promise me yer protection until we're far from 'ere."  

That was more fair to me, unlike his previous request.  

Redwar nodded.  "You have our word.  We will provide you protection until we're a safe distance away from here."  

Valeria and I nodded our assent.  

"Kay then."  He pointed up the road.  "We'll need to follow this road a piece.  I'll tell ya where to leave it."  

Once again I was the first one of all of us mounted.  And once again, I had to force myself to relax my muscles so that Axe would not worry.  But it was a little easier this time.  Now I felt we were doing something.  

Instead of walking Redwar had us push the horses into a ground covering trot.  I was used to it and sat deeply to Axe's swaying back.  I glanced over at Daxton, expecting to see him struggling, but he was sitting it perfectly.  

I narrowed my eyes slightly as I glanced back to the road.  I was more than a little curious about Daxton's back story.  He obviously knew how to handle a horse bareback, which was not something most people knew how to do.  He showed a tough exterior, but I sensed something more was beneath it. 

But I pushed it to the back of my mind, knowing that I couldn't think of it now.  

Alternating between trot and walk, we made it to a branch in the road.  I pulled Axe up and turned to Daxton.  "Which way?"  

He shook his head.  "Neither.  He pointed down the right side of the road, where a small shallow creek was bubbling.  This is where we leave the road."  

I let Axe have his head as we left the road, the descent was a little steep.  I grabbed mane and leaned back to help balance him.  

From behind us, Daxton called out.  "Git in the creek and follow it to yer right aways."  

My brow furrowed.  It looked like we were going back the way we came, only throw a creek instead of a road.  But I didn't say anything and clucked to Axe to encourage him into the swirling water.  

Behind me Redwar did the same, with Valeria bringing up the rear.  The horses were thirsty, so we let them drink.  But as soon as Axe started pawing I pulled his head and kicked his sides firmly.  My horse was not about to lay down and roll in the middle of a stream.  

He tossed his head but obeyed me and we continued down the creek.  

It was very long before the creek turned to the left and stopped running parallel to the road.  We seemed to be following the creek, so I couldn't understand why we weren't walking on the ground alongside the creek.  Fortunately the water was warm this time of year, although the winter months were coming and that was soon to change.  

"Ya can trot if ya want."  

I looked back over my shoulder at Daxton with shock.  "What?  No, the horses will slip on the rocks."  

Daxton shook his head.  "No they won't.  Look 'n the creek.  There's a trail.  The bandits don't want their horses to go lame when they're fleeing a posse, see?  They gallop on down this all the time."  

I glanced down into the clear waters of the creek.  Sure enough, I could faintly make out a trail of some sort, fairly clear of rocks, that Axe seemed to be instinctively following.  

I wasted no time in urging Axe to trot and soon we were sloshing down the stream.  Fortunately we were going along with the current, so it was easier for the horses, but we still had to take frequent breaks, as trotting through water was harder for them than solid ground.  

As we kept going, the land began to change.  It went from forested land, to where the only trees were those along the river bank.  And the ground was no longer regular dirt but was covered in rocks, and sometimes there were big boulders.  I knew we were right along the edge of Thathia's Valcon Heights mountain range.  

It was when the land began to slope farther downwards and turn again, more towards the forested lands I was used to, that Daxton spoke up.  "See that big rock right next ta the creek?"  

I nodded.  It was hard not to miss the huge boulder.  

"That's where ya will leave the creek, on the side the boulder is." 

Finally we would be getting out of this water.  The bottoms of my boots were damp from it being splashed up while Axe was trotting.  

The ground on which Axe stepped after leaving the creek was hard and rocky, but somehow flat, the rocks seemed to be pushed down into the soil.  I reined Axe around to face Daxton as Redwar came up from the creek.  

"Which way now?"

He pointed up along the flat rocky land that gradually began to rise.  "Up, to that scraggly pine tree.  Ya better let me and Redwar lead."  

I furrowed my brow, being put behind someone was irritating to me, but he was probably right.  He knew the way, I didn't.

AN:  Thanks for reading :)  Things are starting to heat up even more now.  

By the way, I'm releasing Horsemen Trials today, so if you want to check that out it's on my profile.  See you next Sunday!