won’t allow you to risk your life.”
Lori gazed at him for a long time. Then,
finally, she nodded.
“But we can’t leave the Dracians behind,”
Sora said softly. She looked at Caprion. “There’s a chance they’re
still alive?”
Caprion looked uncomfortable. “I honestly
don’t know if they’re still alive, and I’m not immune to the
plague. I took a risk returning to the ship. I feel fine, but
perhaps the sickness is slower to work on me. I could be
infected.”
“He’s not,” Ferran interjected. “I would see
it with my Cat’s Eye. But he brings up a good point. Perhaps he
should stay behind.”
A brief silence fell as the five companions
regarded each other.
At that moment, the skiff from the Dawn
Seeker arrived. Silas stood at the bow and jumped ashore before
his crewman could secure the boat. “Well?” he barked. “Where are my
missing men?”
Sora felt the situation coming to a head.
She could see the temper flare on Silas’ face and went to meet the
advancing Dracian. “They were infected by the plague,” she
started.
“I had to leave them behind,” Caprion
interjected.
Silas hesitated mid-step. He didn’t seem
sure where to unleash his fury—upon Caprion, Sora, or the whole
lot. He looked like he wanted to strike someone in the jaw.
Then he pointed at Ferran. “Go get them,” he
growled.
Ferran raised an eyebrow. “Your men are
probably dead,” he said. “The risk involved—”
“You have a Cat’s Eye, don’t you?” Silas
snapped. “You can take the risk. I don’t abandon my crew. Fix this,
or find your own way to the City of Crowns.”
The treasure hunter chewed his reed
stubbornly and said nothing.
Lori finally indicated the woman on the
ground. “She needs my care,” she said. “And she might have
information about what happened in the village. Permission to bring
her on board, captain?”
Silas studied the prone figure. “Does she
have the plague?” he asked.
“Cured it,” Ferran grunted.
Silas beckoned impatiently. “Then bring her
aboard. The rest of you,” he scowled, “find my men and bring them
back. You have until nightfall. You hear me, Ferran? No wandering
about! If you don’t return by tonight, consider yourselves
stranded.” Then he whirled back to his boat and flounced away.
“A fat lot of help he is,” Sora
muttered.
“Hypocrite,” Ferran agreed.
Crash looked skyward, and Sora followed his
gaze. It was close to noon. The sun set early this time of year and
they only had a few hours at best. “How soon can we get to this
village?” he asked no one in particular.
Caprion answered, “It’s about two miles
away. I can’t transport all of you. I’ll have to make several
trips.”
“I think we should make our way on foot,”
Ferran said.
Sora gave him a questioning look. “Is it
truly necessary to walk? It would be much faster to fly….”
“Better to search the forest,” he explained.
“See what we can find on the ground.”
Crash nodded agreement. “Caprion can fly
above us, since he’s susceptible to the plague.” The assassin
stared at the Harpy as though intentionally pointing out his
weakness.
Caprion looked uncomfortable. Sora didn’t
think he was used to being at a disadvantage.
Then Ferran chimed in. “I have to agree with
the assassin,” he said. “I’m curious to see what we might uncover
in the woods. The state of the forest could tell us a lot more
about the plague than an abandoned village. And let’s not forget
the stench.” He wrinkled his nose to emphasize his words.
Caprion shrugged. “As you wish,” he said
shortly.
It seemed they had reached an agreement.
Ferran helped Lori carry the sick woman to Silas’ skiff. She looked
reluctant to go, and cast Sora a concerned look, mouthing the words “Be careful.” Sora felt a sudden stab of uncertainty as she
watched her mother walk away. Lori was just as much a warrior as
the rest of them. She obviously wanted to join the hunt, but
Lori gazed at him for a long time. Then,
finally, she nodded.
“But we can’t leave the Dracians behind,”
Sora said softly. She looked at Caprion. “There’s a chance they’re
still alive?”
Caprion looked uncomfortable. “I honestly
don’t know if they’re still alive, and I’m not immune to the
plague. I took a risk returning to the ship. I feel fine, but
perhaps the sickness is slower to work on me. I could be
infected.”
“He’s not,” Ferran interjected. “I would see
it with my Cat’s Eye. But he brings up a good point. Perhaps he
should stay behind.”
A brief silence fell as the five companions
regarded each other.
At that moment, the skiff from the Dawn
Seeker arrived. Silas stood at the bow and jumped ashore before
his crewman could secure the boat. “Well?” he barked. “Where are my
missing men?”
Sora felt the situation coming to a head.
She could see the temper flare on Silas’ face and went to meet the
advancing Dracian. “They were infected by the plague,” she
started.
“I had to leave them behind,” Caprion
interjected.
Silas hesitated mid-step. He didn’t seem
sure where to unleash his fury—upon Caprion, Sora, or the whole
lot. He looked like he wanted to strike someone in the jaw.
Then he pointed at Ferran. “Go get them,” he
growled.
Ferran raised an eyebrow. “Your men are
probably dead,” he said. “The risk involved—”
“You have a Cat’s Eye, don’t you?” Silas
snapped. “You can take the risk. I don’t abandon my crew. Fix this,
or find your own way to the City of Crowns.”
The treasure hunter chewed his reed
stubbornly and said nothing.
Lori finally indicated the woman on the
ground. “She needs my care,” she said. “And she might have
information about what happened in the village. Permission to bring
her on board, captain?”
Silas studied the prone figure. “Does she
have the plague?” he asked.
“Cured it,” Ferran grunted.
Silas beckoned impatiently. “Then bring her
aboard. The rest of you,” he scowled, “find my men and bring them
back. You have until nightfall. You hear me, Ferran? No wandering
about! If you don’t return by tonight, consider yourselves
stranded.” Then he whirled back to his boat and flounced away.
“A fat lot of help he is,” Sora
muttered.
“Hypocrite,” Ferran agreed.
Crash looked skyward, and Sora followed his
gaze. It was close to noon. The sun set early this time of year and
they only had a few hours at best. “How soon can we get to this
village?” he asked no one in particular.
Caprion answered, “It’s about two miles
away. I can’t transport all of you. I’ll have to make several
trips.”
“I think we should make our way on foot,”
Ferran said.
Sora gave him a questioning look. “Is it
truly necessary to walk? It would be much faster to fly….”
“Better to search the forest,” he explained.
“See what we can find on the ground.”
Crash nodded agreement. “Caprion can fly
above us, since he’s susceptible to the plague.” The assassin
stared at the Harpy as though intentionally pointing out his
weakness.
Caprion looked uncomfortable. Sora didn’t
think he was used to being at a disadvantage.
Then Ferran chimed in. “I have to agree with
the assassin,” he said. “I’m curious to see what we might uncover
in the woods. The state of the forest could tell us a lot more
about the plague than an abandoned village. And let’s not forget
the stench.” He wrinkled his nose to emphasize his words.
Caprion shrugged. “As you wish,” he said
shortly.
It seemed they had reached an agreement.
Ferran helped Lori carry the sick woman to Silas’ skiff. She looked
reluctant to go, and cast Sora a concerned look, mouthing the words “Be careful.” Sora felt a sudden stab of uncertainty as she
watched her mother walk away. Lori was just as much a warrior as
the rest of them. She obviously wanted to join the hunt, but
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