Read The Crystals of Tlalli: Awakened Affinities Page 40

little box thing he used to suppress the trees he said. Maybe we could use it so the trees wont get us. When you drag the bodies I mean.” Rica flushed.

  Nab bent over the body of the Magi and retrieved several things from him, the tree suppressor box, a packet of money, and a sealed container.

  “Got it.” Nab said straightening up.

  “Here, I found your staff in the woods where they took you.” Nab handed Rica her staff and turned to fiddle with the box. Then Moyo and he started dragging the bodies toward the trees. Zafira helped Rica into their treb and put a blanket around her. She leaned in and whispered in Rica’s ear so no one else would here.

  “Sorry I said those things I did back there the other day. I am hurt by what Zos did I - I’m not mad at you.” Zafira tucked the blanket more firmly around Rica. Rica hugged Zafira then curled up on the seat.

  Rica soon fell asleep across the back seat. The trip down the mountain had been long. Rica had slept the whole way. They parked and made camp in a grove of trees off the flow. When Rica woke up sometime in the night she found Moyo on guard duty. She fell back asleep to wake at dawn when the treb had started to move again. Moyo was curled up in the back. He didn’t look comfortable but was passed out pretty good. When Zafira noticed Rica was awake she checked her wounds again and applied more green magic treatment to her wrists and cheek. They ate a cold breakfast of stale bread and hard-boiled eggs.

  Sometime in the after noon they had had to stop and get off the flow way. A convoy of five Onur troop carriers and two smaller vehicles had driven down the flow. Nab and Moyo both were nervous about the implications. Were the Onur looking for them too? Or was this just more troops the Onur were supplying to Nab’s mothers forces? Nab didn’t want to take the chance. Moyo got the maps out and they studied them for almost an hour before they decided the best way to go was to start out across country and leave the treb where it was. They covered it with brush and took what they could carry in the backpacks they had. Rica was shaking with cold and exhaustion when they stopped for the night. Nab told them they could not have a fire so they slept huddled together. Nab and Moyo took turns at watch.

  26 – The Forests of the Onur

  Every muscle hurt and Rica didn’t want to think about what her face looked like, probably a mass of bruises. She was determined that she would not complain. Moyo had been hurt in her rescue and hadn’t said anything though Rica could see it hurt him to spread his wings. Rica had learned a little of the healing affinity from Zafira and would help if she could. It didn’t always respond when she had tried it on herself.

  The mountains had turned into hills and forested plains. Moyo was up ahead of them scouting. It was harder to know what was up ahead now since Moyo was favoring his left wing from the fight. He had taken a deep cut at the shoulder. Zafira had stopped the bleeding but the wound was still raw. Rica hadn’t been able to heal him either, though she had tried. When she tried to heal it had made her dizzy. Moyo held up his hand and made a fist, the signal to stop. Nab came up to Moyo silently. They crouched and whispered back and forth. Nab stretched his neck and strained to see over the brush around them. He crouched back down and said something else to Moyo then headed back to Rica and Zafira.

  “You two stay here. We are going to go up ahead to check something out.” Nab whispered. Then he walked back to Moyo. They went out in opposite directions going silently. Moyo had his bow out and strung. They both disappeared from sight shortly after parting ways. Rica was tense; she kept looking over her shoulder like someone was watching her. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. After a few minutes Nab returned. He looked around and frowned.

  “Moyo hasn’t come back yet? I’m heading that way to see if I can find him. You two stay here.”

  “We are going with you. I can’t stand this waiting around and we could help if you got into trouble.” Rica whispered in what she hoped was a no nonsense tone.

  “Something may have happened to him. Since we can’t be sure what the delay is it would be better if you stayed here. I will go find him.”

  “No! We are coming with you.” Rica said determinedly.

  Nab just looked at her then nodded his head. “Right. Move as quietly as possible and stay slightly back from me.” Then he started out in the direction Moyo had taken. They reached the slight hill and Nab crouched even lower to the ground, silently moving over the land as though it was smooth floor instead of rough country. Rica was constantly amazed at his ability.

  The forest was abnormally silent. No birds called to one another. No sound of insects. The hair on the back of Rica’s neck stood on end. Something wasn’t right with this picture. The air was still; it was as though they had entered a vacuum. Nab stopped. He motioned for the girls to wait and stay flat. He looked all around. Then crouched lower to the ground edging forward and looking around the big tree in front of him. Rica turned when she thought she heard a twig snap. She looked at where the sound had come from but couldn’t see anything but clashes of color and leafs. She frowned. Her hands were sweaty and she felt that strange feeling of being watched. Nab went down the hill a little farther then motioned for them to come up to him. He had his weapons out. Nab looked all around then listened intently. After a moment he continued on. That’s when all hell broke loose.

  Men popped up from camouflaged hiding places and dropped down from the trees attacking them from all sides. Nab was fighting two big men. His back pressed against a tree trunk. Zafira cried out when a man grabbed her arm and jerked her back then shoved her to the ground. Telling her to stay still or he would take her head off. Zafira twisted over and used her claws on his face. He arched back blood streaming from his cheek. Zafira head butted him and tried to get away but he pinned her to the ground his knife to her throat. Another man grabbed Rica. She twisted away and kicked him in the leg. She was aiming for a spot higher up and in the middle but missed. She felt her foot slip and used the momentum to roll with the movement. Rica pushed her self back up and swung her staff. There was no finesse to the movement but it was effective nonetheless; she swung the staff in a half circle in front of her as hard as she could and cracked her assailant on the head. He didn’t get back up. Rica felt elated that it had worked and stopped to turn back to see where Zafira was when another man grabbed her from the side. Rica used what she had learned in the studio with Zos and dropped limply to the ground the man lost his grip on her. Rica rolled to a standing position and struck out with her staff like she had drilled with Zos, it connected with a satisfying crack. The man rolled away from her next attack and moved in close punching her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Then he grabbed her around the neck from behind putting his knife to her throat. ”Move and you die!” The man said between gritted teeth. Attackers were pouring out of the air it seemed, there were just to many of them.

  “Drop your weapons or the girls die. Do it!” someone yelled.

  Nab looked at Zafira and Rica then stopped fighting dropping his weapons to the ground. Rica could see three men on the ground around him another two farther back and down the hill. He had taken some of them out before they had overwhelmed him.

  Zafira and Rica were pushed over to where Nab was kneeling on the ground. His head was bleeding from a long cut in the scalp. Another group joined the first. They had Moyo with them. His left wing looked broken, the whole left side of his shirt was black with blood. His face was in agony as they pushed him to the ground next to Nab. Nab looked at each of them. When he looked at Rica there was relief in his eyes. Then he looked away. The men around them tied their arms behind their backs and took their weapons away, stacking everything in a pile behind a woman, who seemed to be in command. She was a tall Opia with yellow eyes; she stood looking at Nab as though she was trying to decide the best way to handle him.

  “Search them.” She commanded.

  The men proceeded to search their pockets and bags, dumping everything in a pile and looking through it. Rica tried to cast
a spell but couldn’t focus through her fear to manifest it.

  Nab was calm his voice steady. “I am Prince Nabarun Conkingsly. Let me speak with who is in charge here.” Nab looked at the woman in front of him. Nab’s face looked as though it was set in stone, no emotion, just hard steel. The woman dropped her gaze.

  “Get the Captain.”

  A big man with muscled arms and thick muscled neck walked into the mist of the company of men surrounding them. He moved with authority. This had to be their leader. He looked at Nab closely, and then nodded.

  “Prince Nabarun Conkingsly.” The big man bowed with genuine respect. “It’s lucky we are the ones to find you.” He turned to the guards with him. “Untie them and see to their injury’s. If it pleases your highness I have some matters to discuss with you. Would you do me the honor of joining me in the Command Tent?”

  “Captain, sorry I didn’t catch your name.” One of the guards stepped forward and untied Nab’s hands. Nab reached over and picked up his weapons. The man went on to untie Zafira and Rica. Moyo was badly injured and could barely stay conscious.

  “I am Captain Torik von Goring and the officer in charge of this contingent of the Conkingsly