Retrieve Page 8

  He eyed her for a moment, before shaking his head. Maybe she could be useful? She was lighter and smaller than the rest of the newbies. If needed they could share a horse, and she could fit into places no one else could. They may just figure this out after all.

  He finished the apple and affected a smirk as he aimed for Hadley’s shoulder. “Hey newbie. Wake up.”

  She started awake as the core hit her and was on her feet in seconds, a wild look on her filthy face. “What? I’m awake.”

  He held in the laugh at the dazed look she was giving him. “Sure you are.”

  She stretched and winced slightly as she reached for the closest apple in the overhanging branches.

  “How strong a swimmer are you?”

  “Swimmer?”

  Kade near growled at her, if possible, his irritation increasing. “Swim. You know, like a fish does, in water?”

  She swallowed thickly, her fingertips white as she squeezed the apple and drew it away from her mouth. “You want me to swim?”

  Her mouth parted, lips pursed as she stared at him, fear evident in the rigid set to her shoulders.

  His voice was too controlled as he spoke. “You can’t swim can you?”

  The slightest shake of her head enough to make his temper erupt once more. “How did you think we were going to get across the sodding river?”

  Her jaw clenched. “I told you I couldn’t swim back at camp. I thought we’d take a boat across.”

  His laugh was forced as he glared at her. “You’re going to get us both killed, you know that?”

  She said nothing, just stared back at him, her eyes locked on his so fiercely he had to admire the bolshiness. “There must be another way across?”

  His lip curled, frustration rising in his middle. “There doesn’t need to be another way. If you were a boy and not some prissy girl from the lower district, we’d be in the water. You’re dead weight, and now I have to make yet another concession for you, just so I can do my bloody job!”

  Her chin quivered slightly before she turned on her heel and stalked away from him.

  Kade roared in exasperation. They didn’t have time for drama, or for hysterics and now he had to find a way they could cross. He stomped after her, ready to tell her it was over, that she wasn’t fit to accompany him when a flash of movement made his hairs stand on end.

  He shoved Hadley a moment before an arrowhead embedded in the dirt beside them. Reminding him of why the village nearby was so aptly named.

  His heart thudding, heat flooding through his veins, Kade lifted his head enough to see what he’d suspected. Along the opposite riverbank Numachi warriors were lining up, arrows at the ready as they aimed at him. His tan leather an obvious target.

  He spat out a curse. What were they doing here? Watching?

  Once again, the Numachi had wrecked his plans. Just as well you weren’t in the water when they arrived eh?

  He frowned at the unwelcome thought, his cheek pressed into the dirt as he counted them. When he got to a dozen, he gave up and flipped on his back, angling his head at Hadley. “Crawl away, keep as low as possible, and don’t stop until you get to the trees.”

  Hadley’s face was pale under the dirt, but she nodded and began the painstaking crawl to the crop of trees on the other side of the path. With the slight incline of the riverbank and the distance, they had a chance to get to cover.

  His heart pounding against his ribs, he belly-crawled in the dirt, daggers pressing into him painfully as he followed Hadley’s drag marks. His face nearly at her boots, he risked a look back.

  He frowned heavily at the warriors, standing shoulder to shoulder, bows at ease as they watched on, too far for him to make out their expressions. Why aren’t they shooting?

  He shook his head before pulling himself the final few metres to where Hadley waited, huffing as she pulled herself to sitting under the shade of a thick-trunked walnut tree. “What do we do now?”

  He pulled himself alongside her, taking a moment to catch his breath. “I don’t know. We can’t move until they leave. But I can’t keep sight of them from here.”

  He peered upwards into the branches and assessed the height and angle before Hadley’s hand was on his arm. “I’ll take a look.”

  Before he could stop her, she scrambled up the tree and was soon lost in the dense leaves. He tapped his foot impatiently as he stared upwards. “See any movement?”

  The branches rustled before she answered him. “They’re still there, watching, there’s twenty at least.”

  Kade flinched and pulled a face. Twenty was more than usual. Maybe he’d finally hacked off the wrong warrior? He kept his eyes upwards, looking for Hadley as he tried to think his way out of a position that was spiralling from bad to worse.

  There was no way he could take on twenty warriors. Even if he eluded them, he now had the newbie to consider. Perfect. He peered up the tree to find her grubby face looking back down at him. “Do we need to cross here?”

  He huffed out a breath. “It’s the quickest way. Come down before you hurt yourself.”

  He grimaced at how easily the words had slipped out. He’d never have cautioned the others. If she noticed the mistake, Hadley didn’t react to it, just climbed back down with ease, landing sure-footed on the ground.

  At least she can climb. “I need to think. We may as well eat and wait them out.”

  She nodded, her lip catching her teeth in a decidedly un-boyish way. Something in his mid-section twisted, and his voice came out too harsh. “Don’t do that, it’s girly. Meg does that when she’s scared.”

  Hadley’s lip popped from her teeth, her cheeks blazing from under the filth. “I am scared. I’ve never been shot at before.”

  He snorted, ignoring her very open distress and looked around at what food might be nearby. The village was useless, the shop only carried items that no one else wanted to buy. It had been a fluke to find what he needed. There were no handy taverns or produce shops left open in the village.

  He scanned the area, and noted with hope, prints in the muddied grass that were likely waterfowl. “Stay here.”

  Hadley didn’t reply despite the wide-eyed glances she was sending in the direction of the river, and he vaguely wondered if she was taking his direction to agree to everything he said literally. He smothered a chuckle at the compliance. It would be a miracle if it lasted long.

  Kade followed the tracks, and sure enough, halfway down a slight incline, he found a pair of plump ducks nestled on the ground. Keeping as quiet as possible, he crept behind them, before leaping and grasping the startled bird by its neck.

  The duck was hanging limp in his hands when he found Hadley again. She’d at least had the presence of mind to collect enough sticks and a few dry branches to build a fire.

  She peered across towards the river. “I wasn’t sure if you wanted a fire?

  “They already know we’re here.”

  From her position beside the small fire, Hadley idly began placing sticks together, her eyes flicking back and forth to the riverbank. “And they won’t cross the river?”

  He plonked down on his backside and began the arduous task of plucking the feathers. “They stopped crossing a couple decades ago. I’ve heard they think the Azetary is filled with the spirits of wandering warriors who never passed to the underworld.”

  Hadley cocked her head and squinted at him. “Do they all believe that?”

  Kade pulled the first feather and kept his eyes away from her. “I don’t really care. As long as it keeps them on their side.”

  Hadley was silent for a moment as she concentrated on finding a spark before she answered. “That doesn’t make sense if they used to cross until a few decades ago?”

  He frowned at her, the duck laying across his lap, a feather tickled his nose as it escaped the pile. Kade stared at her for a moment, before shrugging. “Nothing about them makes sense to me. Maybe it’s all bollocks? Maybe they just made some sort of agreement with the king not to
cross? How should I know? I’m just a grunt.”

  Hadley’s mouth turned downwards in disdain reminding him again of Meg. “Now what?”

  She pressed her lips together and gave a slight toss of her head. “Never mind.”

  He frowned and took his frustration out on the bird, ripping the feathers away with no finesse whatsoever. Meg would scold him if she were here. Martha would despair, but he continued, losing himself in the process as he tried to gather his thoughts.

  He carried on working, shoulders and fingers growing weary, barely noticing the light was beginning to fade. He’d half thought of another idea when Hadley’s voice startled him into looking up. His neck was tight as he asked her to repeat herself.

  She looked anxious as she spoke again. “What if they built a bridge?”

  Kade screwed up his face at her single-mindedness. “You’re still thinking about them coming to get us?”

  She huffed out a sigh. “Of course I am.”

  He readied another retort, but instead, a flash of an idea presented itself. “A bridge,” he muttered.

  Hadley tilted her head slightly. “What?”

  Kade placed the bird to one side, a rush of energy filling him as he got to his feet. “Gut the bird, chuck it on a spit and roast it. I’m going to search the village, see what I can find.”

  He unsheathed one of his six daggers and threw it at Hadley’s feet. “Just in case they show up.”

  Her mouth parted, her face pale even in the poor light. “I was joking. The dagger is for the duck.”

  He ignored her when she started chewing her lip. Instead, he stalked away, a satisfied smile growing on his face as he entered the village again.

  If the Numachi were just firing warning shots and if they cleared off soon, they might just be able to salvage this after all.

  Chapter Six

  Hadley screwed her face up as she plunged the knife along the duck’s belly. Careful not to cut herself, she concentrated on thinking of something other than removing the bird’s innards. Thomas always said I had a weak stomach.

  She glanced in the direction Kade had gone, the village just in sight. Her stomach clenched at the thought of the warriors on the other side.

  She scowled at the bird as she tore it to pieces. Kade was wrong. She knew it. There was something else keeping the Numachi on the other side. There had to be.

  A deep knot forming on her dirty forehead as she thought, she finished gutting the duck, removing a few feathers Kade had missed, she found a sharp stick to pin through the middle.

  It would take a long time to cook, hours, and she’d even missed the opportunity to eat an apple to take the empty ache in her stomach away.

  She leaned back against the tree trunk and watched the night grow darker. Her mind was still on the Numachi when Kade appeared, laden with boards, and rope wound around his shoulder.

  He eyed the duck then dropped everything to the ground. “I’ve left the rest in the village. I couldn’t carry everything.”

  Hadley didn’t bother with a reply. Instead, she turned the duck carefully. Kade pulled the pieces of wood closer to him. “Check to see if they’re still there.”

  Hadley caught herself before the instinct to question caused more silence from him. She looked upwards, with the night fast falling, climbing wasn’t the best idea. But he was right. There was no point building a bridge, or whatever he was thinking if they were still waiting.

  She stepped around the campfire, and flexed her fingers, readying herself to climb. She’d always been a good climber. When the summer rolled around, her parents had always made her climb to the highest fruit trees. As a result, their neighbours in Kingsport offered them a share if she’d pick their upper branches clean too.

  Hadley gripped a branch, testing it briefly before finding her next foothold. The tree was filled with helpful knots, which she utilised easily. Her breath was ragged as she reached a spot high enough to see across the river.

  She squinted, leaves impeding her vision, the fading light making it more difficult to find the warriors.

  “Well?” Kade called.

  Hadley held still for a moment watching the barren land across from them. If the warriors were still there, they were hidden. “I can’t see them anymore,” she called.

  Kade huffed out a breath before the tree shook a little, and she gripped the branch tighter as Kade began to climb. He appeared in her vision, pulled himself up, and looked through the branches to where she pointed.

  He watched for a little while, then shook his head. “They could still be there, we’ll have to go first light.”

  He exhaled and rolled his shoulders before he leaned his head back, balancing on the branch. Looking strangely at home as he stared across at her. Smoke began to drift upwards, and she sniffed before Kade seemed to realise they needed to move.

  She swung down, bracing herself, hurrying before the duck burned completely. As she moved her weight onto a branch, a resounding crack caused her heart to jolt. To avoid falling, Hadley pushed her legs off a branch, grappling to reach another.

  Her fingertips twitching as she hung on, she saw Kade peering down at her as she dangled. His face creased with concern as he reached a hand down to her from his more secure perch. Certain of herself, she shook her head and began to sway, creating as much momentum as possible as she swung her legs out and aimed.

  She grabbed the branch, and jumped quickly to the next, stepping down a few moments before Kade dropped, a stormy look on his face as she hurried to turn the duck.

  She couldn’t hold back the smile at his odd expression. “What?”

  His lips twitched slightly as if he were suppressing either a scowl or a grin but couldn’t decide. “Don’t take risks like that again.”

  Hadley’s smile slid from her face at his disapproval. Her promise to listen to him foremost in her mind, she returned to cooking the duck, slowly turning it so it didn’t burn.

  He kept his head down, spending the time working on his idea, squinting at the length of rope he’d brought back. He barely acknowledged her as she handed him half the greasy duck speared on his dagger.

  Her stomach growled as she used a twig to eat her own portion, the grease dripping down her chin as she avoided looking at him. With the growing silence, her eyes filled, tiredness, fear and hunger bringing her emotions to the forefront.

  She made sure she’d blinked them away before he could see. Scolding herself for being so pathetic, Hadley’s resolve solidified as he demolished his food without a word of thanks. If he got her to where she needed to go, what difference did it make if he was pleasant?

  She breathed out a sigh, and her breath left a delicate trail in the cooling air. Whatever happened tonight, it was going to be cold, and with a bad-tempered Stormer for company, it was going to be even more frigid.

  Kade rolled onto his aching back and gazed up at the sky. Any stars he needed to navigate, currently hiding behind a thick covering of cloud. Just my luck.

  If the cloud hung around much longer, it was almost certain to rain in the night. He peered across the flames at Hadley as she slept. If it rained, she’d likely lose half of the dirt currently hiding her.

  With the luck they were having, that was probably going to happen. He kicked at the makeshift bridge at his feet, toying idly with the rope he’d used to secure the planks of wood. Most were sound, but he still needed to find a few more pieces.

  Irritation curled around on him. If she’d been a boy, he would have just sent her back into the village, but Arrowford was known for attracting all sorts of dodgy characters, so it wasn’t an option.

  Why was he lumbered with her? Of all the boys he could have been paired with, Cester thought the scruffy girl ideal?

  Kade scoffed at the clouds, maybe his captain wasn’t as on to it as he pretended to be?

  If he’d been paired with the right newbie, they would have just swum and hauled themselves up the bank under the cover of darkness. He’d done it before, and eve
n saddled with a newbie, he should have been able to do it this time around.

  The scowl only grew as Hadley’s light snores filtered across the fire separating them. Cester was responsible for sending her along. He was responsible for not testing to see if Hadley could swim. And I’m the one to pay the price.

  He pulled himself to sitting, groaning as he felt the tension growing in his already fatigued muscles. He hefted the makeshift bridge, carrying it awkwardly, lamenting it would be easier to just wake her.

  His breath misted in the still air as he crept towards the river bank. His muscles tense as he waited for the sounds of tell-tale movement from across the river. When no arrows whizzed towards him, he gingerly set the bridge down and scratched his chin as he thought. Hadley’s question, one he’d never bothered to investigate, nagging at him. Why don’t they still cross?

  He shoved it aside and turned around, heading towards the village for what he hoped was the final time. He cast a glance back at Hadley, deciding it best to leave her to sleep while he found the last few pieces of wood he needed.

  Truth be told, he needed time away from her, time to consider how to work around the problems she presented. In a few more days, I’ll be lumbered with two women to look after and not just one.

  By the time he’d scrounged a heavy piece of timber, his arms were leaden, and he was yawning heavily. He pulled his dragging feet towards the camp, Hadley’s still form illuminated by the fast dwindling fire.

  He shrugged the wood to the ground and began tying the pieces, securing them snugly with the rope. His muscles were trembling with exertion when he was satisfied it would hold their combined weight.

  He stifled another yawn and checked on the opposite side of the river once more before dragging himself back to his spot. He just needed a few hours rest, then they could cross. He drifted into an uneasy sleep to the sound of Hadley’s quiet breathing.

  Hadley woke to Kade peering down at her, his boot toe poking at her ribs. She scowled at him, and pulled herself up, sleep weighing her down as she dragged herself to standing.

  “We need to go. Tie your waterskin to your belt.”