Blood

21. Return to Sender

We made Amira's grandfather get to his feet—he wasn't seriously injured, just a little bloody—and we pulled him back to the cabin and sat him on the steps. I watched over him with a couple of wolves at my side just to make sure he was too afraid to try anything, while Hedges went inside and got a bottle. He wrapped it in some of that newspaper so the old man wouldn't know what it was.

Then I said, "On your feet! We're going for a hike." And, with Hedges carrying the bottle and the shotgun still under his arm, and with all of the wolf pack at our heels, we headed out.

I went first, my fangs out again, eyeing the ground. Their trail was easy to follow. They'd made no effort to be stealthy, they'd just walked straight through the forest, breaking twigs and ferns and leaving footprints everywhere. I guess they assumed we'd be dead soon, and dead people don't follow trails.

"I don't get it," Hedges said. "I thought their tracker followed our trail, but this trail just leads due west. We came from the lake, to the south."

"The tracker must've located our cabin, gone back to get the raiding party, then brought them straight to us," I said. "Smells like rain coming," I added.

"Good," he said.

I knew he'd be worrying about this trail from their Hide to our new cabin, but a good rainstorm would wash it away. We just had to do our business and get back in time for the rain to eliminate all tracks.

"How far is it?" I demanded.

Amira's grandfather frowned. "It's big, and very well fortified," he said. "You can't kill all of them. They'll kill you."

"I don't want to kill them," I snapped. "It just so happens that people keep wanting to kill me."

"You're not planning to attack?" He sounded surprised. "No. I'm bringing you back. How far is it?"

"Oh!" He sounded relieved. "About an hour from here."

"Good. Not too close." Then I turned and asked Hedges, "How're you holding up?"

"I'm good," he said. "Beans and a bunk are all I need." He grinned.

I couldn't believe he actually seemed to be enjoying himself. Maybe there was a more adventurous side to him than either of us knew.

The wolves slowed their pace and the leader growled a warning as we got near.

"Okay, Hedges, you stay here and keep that thing loaded and ready in case I come back with anyone chasing after me." I sent an instruction to the wolves too. I told them to wait with Hedges. Except the lead wolf. I asked him to come with me.

Then I tugged Amira's grandfather by the arm as I headed off toward where I could already smell another Valukar with a gun. They must have guards in the woods around their Hide. Suspicious lot, I thought. But then again, when you send out raiding parties to try to kill your neighbors, being suspicious makes sense.