Read Online The Whitefire Crossing by Courtney Schafer - Free Book Online
Authors: Courtney Schafer
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back under the tarp. “Hey. Storm’s over.”
Kiran raised his head, and I sucked in my breath, shocked. His face was bloodless, with shadows dark as coal dust under his eyes. His pupils were dilated so wide his eyes looked black in the low light, and his teeth were clenched so hard his jaw muscles stood out in ridges.
“Damn, kid, are you all right?” I reached for him. He jerked and scrambled backward as if I’d threatened to stab him.
“Don’t touch me!” For the first time, he really sounded like a highsider, his voice full of arrogant command. But the impression was marred by the way the whites of his eyes showed, which made him look more like a trapped animal. I spread both my hands, palms out.
“Okay, okay, just calm—”
He jumped up and raced outside before I could finish. A pair of drovers crossed his path, and Kiran jinked sideways so hard he bounced off a wagon and tumbled head over heels. One drover called something to him, but Kiran only scrambled to his feet and took off again. He dodged between the wagons and disappeared down the slope toward the catsclaw thickets. The drovers stared after him with their mouths hanging open.
Well, shit. So much for staying unnoticed. What in the name of Khalmet was wrong with him? I sprang to my feet, then hesitated. If I went running straight after him, there’d only be more talk. No, I should delay a little, then ease over to the catsclaw and try and find him before it got dark, if he hadn’t already come to his senses and returned to the convoy. At least he couldn’t get truly lost in this kind of terrain—there was no place to go. But if he tripped over a catsclaw root in a blind panic and bashed his fool head in, I could kiss my promised payment goodbye.
I headed for the wagon. Cara and Jerik were already at work, unlacing knots and checking supplies. Cara cocked an eyebrow at me. “The kid’s faster than he looks. Needs to learn some manners, though.”
“City boy.” I tried to sound disgusted instead of stunned and pissed off. “The storm scared the shit out of him. Literally.”
Cara snorted. “Some apprentice you’ve got there. Sure you didn’t bring him along just for some fun in bed?” I made a face and reached for a knot, but she stopped me. “Forget helping with the wagon. I want you to scout before the light fails. If rockfall hit the trail ahead, I’d rather Meldon knew it tonight, instead of waiting ’til a morning scout.”
I swallowed a protest. I knew why Cara wanted me to go. Of the three of us, I was by far the fastest climber, especially on an untested route. To have a sightline all the way up the canyon, I’d need to climb a spire on one of the knife-edged rock ribs extending down from the heights. But gods all damn it, from the height of the ridge, even if I hurried I’d barely make it back to the convoy before nightfall. So much for my plans to track down Kiran. I cursed silently as I pictured myself fighting through catsclaw in the dark. He’d better have calmed down and come back by the time I finished.
“You worried about the kid? Don’t be. Jerik and I will keep an eye out for him.” Cara’s blue eyes held a little too much curiosity for my liking.
“I promised his family I’d keep him safe, is all,” I muttered, grabbing the supply crate that contained the pitons. Ordinarily I’d downclimb rather than set an anchor and rappel from the ridge—there’s no challenge in rappelling—but a rappel would get me back to the convoy that much faster.
Jerik barked out a laugh from the opposite end of the wagon. “Safe? As an outrider?” His voice was low and gravelly, probably from disuse. Prying conversation out of him was like chipping holds in granite.
“Not every apprentice decides to stick with the trade,” I said. Which was true enough; some would-be outriders changed their minds quick after their first close call in the mountains. A perfect excuse for my sudden lack of an apprentice, once we
Kiran raised his head, and I sucked in my breath, shocked. His face was bloodless, with shadows dark as coal dust under his eyes. His pupils were dilated so wide his eyes looked black in the low light, and his teeth were clenched so hard his jaw muscles stood out in ridges.
“Damn, kid, are you all right?” I reached for him. He jerked and scrambled backward as if I’d threatened to stab him.
“Don’t touch me!” For the first time, he really sounded like a highsider, his voice full of arrogant command. But the impression was marred by the way the whites of his eyes showed, which made him look more like a trapped animal. I spread both my hands, palms out.
“Okay, okay, just calm—”
He jumped up and raced outside before I could finish. A pair of drovers crossed his path, and Kiran jinked sideways so hard he bounced off a wagon and tumbled head over heels. One drover called something to him, but Kiran only scrambled to his feet and took off again. He dodged between the wagons and disappeared down the slope toward the catsclaw thickets. The drovers stared after him with their mouths hanging open.
Well, shit. So much for staying unnoticed. What in the name of Khalmet was wrong with him? I sprang to my feet, then hesitated. If I went running straight after him, there’d only be more talk. No, I should delay a little, then ease over to the catsclaw and try and find him before it got dark, if he hadn’t already come to his senses and returned to the convoy. At least he couldn’t get truly lost in this kind of terrain—there was no place to go. But if he tripped over a catsclaw root in a blind panic and bashed his fool head in, I could kiss my promised payment goodbye.
I headed for the wagon. Cara and Jerik were already at work, unlacing knots and checking supplies. Cara cocked an eyebrow at me. “The kid’s faster than he looks. Needs to learn some manners, though.”
“City boy.” I tried to sound disgusted instead of stunned and pissed off. “The storm scared the shit out of him. Literally.”
Cara snorted. “Some apprentice you’ve got there. Sure you didn’t bring him along just for some fun in bed?” I made a face and reached for a knot, but she stopped me. “Forget helping with the wagon. I want you to scout before the light fails. If rockfall hit the trail ahead, I’d rather Meldon knew it tonight, instead of waiting ’til a morning scout.”
I swallowed a protest. I knew why Cara wanted me to go. Of the three of us, I was by far the fastest climber, especially on an untested route. To have a sightline all the way up the canyon, I’d need to climb a spire on one of the knife-edged rock ribs extending down from the heights. But gods all damn it, from the height of the ridge, even if I hurried I’d barely make it back to the convoy before nightfall. So much for my plans to track down Kiran. I cursed silently as I pictured myself fighting through catsclaw in the dark. He’d better have calmed down and come back by the time I finished.
“You worried about the kid? Don’t be. Jerik and I will keep an eye out for him.” Cara’s blue eyes held a little too much curiosity for my liking.
“I promised his family I’d keep him safe, is all,” I muttered, grabbing the supply crate that contained the pitons. Ordinarily I’d downclimb rather than set an anchor and rappel from the ridge—there’s no challenge in rappelling—but a rappel would get me back to the convoy that much faster.
Jerik barked out a laugh from the opposite end of the wagon. “Safe? As an outrider?” His voice was low and gravelly, probably from disuse. Prying conversation out of him was like chipping holds in granite.
“Not every apprentice decides to stick with the trade,” I said. Which was true enough; some would-be outriders changed their minds quick after their first close call in the mountains. A perfect excuse for my sudden lack of an apprentice, once we
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