Quivern�s green eyes rested on the glowing symbol. She could feel the question burning in them and for the millionth time wished she had been born unremarkable.
�If not the arrow, then what do you hear?� He fallowed her and was surprisingly quiet as the three of them stalked their way through the underbrush on the right side of the AlmBerry Highway. It led, in a winding way, one strait to the center of the First Kingdom, to the capitol were the King�s great castle lay. There was no mistaking where and to whom the wretched hunters were taking the coldlings.
The bounty hunter�s had split into two parties, unfortunately, for protection as well. The main party was on the highway now, mounted and weighed down by the three magical beings. But the larger party, four to be exact was in the wood watching their friend�s backs.
�It�s all very confusing and complicated Quivren. I don�t think you would even care to know.� Or if I even care to tell you. She thought.
�Tell me.� He demanded, quite serious.
Silu paused, but kept her senses alert. �I can hear their black hearts savoring the idea of splitting our skulls. I can hear the quickening of their pulses and the rush of blood as they draw their bowstrings. Its all part of my gift as a sister in the Tan U Tae.�
Quivern�s breath came up short when the expression of realization narrowed his handsome face. She could make out every detail of him in the darkness. The narrow, long nose, his full bottom lip and oddly thin upper lip were contoured into a condescending frown. His hair was longer then hers, sandy blond. The dew of the early hours had settled in it and it no longer stuck out every which way like it had before but clung to his forehead and cheeks. Bushy, thick eyebrows crowned those bright green eyes that glittered, even now, in the black of night. �You can hear their evil? Read the darkness in their hearts?� She could tell by the fear in his voice that he was toying with the idea that she was evil herself.
There was no way she could dissuaded him of those thoughts right then. It hurt her to think, though, that he would logically consider her to be that sort of person.
�What now then?� He looked anxious, like he was ready to flee. Hopefully not from her.
Slowly, conscious of her the elation that accompanied the action, she gripped the leather pommel of the gold-steel sword. �I�d hoped it wouldn�t come to this.� Liar. �But I�m done playing this game. The sisters in the Tan U Tae are bolder then this.� That�s it keep telling yourself you�re worthy of their reputation Silu.
�You�re going to kill them.�
Darien hadn�t spoken since they left the castle. Silu nodded and they shared a knowing look.
�What?! No!� Quivern cut in. �Absolutely not. Those men are respected men from the���The Fifth Kingdom.� Silu finished. �It doesn�t take much but a thirst for blood to be respected there. These men are evil. I can taste it in the air around them. They practically have a cloud of black energy around them.� Silu eyed the men carefully reconfirming her suspicions.
�You would know, though wouldn�t you Shyra. Kill them. Yes, I�m sure you know just when to kill.� He seethed with vehemence. �Whenever your patience runs too short.� His teeth were clenched and for a moment Silu was taken back by his sudden show of hatred. Then anger took her.
Her sword slid out of its scabbard, sparks flying in reaction to her temper. The night seemed to condense around her, winding itself into a tight knot that she was preparing to direct in her assault. �What kind of Duke are you?�
�I�m no Duke, madam.� He hissed unafraid of her sudden display of temper.
By now the sword was glowing with anger and excitement. Firing her blood, feeding her lust for action. She reigned in the furious force of it and focused her energies on her will, her heart�s desire. �And you never will be��
She stood suddenly.
Every eye in the wood was locked on her dark form, jutting proudly from the brush. The aura of darkness fizzled around her, crackling with power. She saw the fear in Darien and Quivern�s gazes. Part of her gloried in it, wishing she could nurture that fear.
�No, you�ll be no Duke Quivern MacKain. Not until you learn that there is a time for mercy and a time for justice.� She stared into the dense, deep green eyes, knowing they were mirroring her own passions, he own pains. She hated herself for purposefully hurting his pride, he had so much pride. �Any leader would gladly kill for his people. I�m prepared to be the instrument of justice to preserve the safety of your people.�
Quivern fought the quivering in his lip as she stared down at him, all glory and heart. How could he have even considered that she was evil? The pure�life� in her every move called for his action. But kill? He did not feel any love for these creatures that he would feel the want to take life to preserve them. But what was it she had said about his people?
He was just about to jump up to stop her when she leapt out into the road, an outrageous battle cry on her lips. She dove for the rear horsemen first. Quivern cringed in anticipation. She blow he knew she was planning to land wouldn�t do much but frighten the horses into a run.
She rolled, shifted her weight, and before the horsemen could do more then turn to look her golden sword flashed through the right, hind leg of the horse, severing the limb a foot about the hoof. The animal screamed and the other two horsemen, including the caped leader lost control of their beasts.
The falling bodies tangled, blood mixed with dirt.
Silu jumped over the struggling, fallen opponents and used her sword to skewer the next. He had drawn his sword and had is flailing over his head when she met him. His fear had dulled his reaction time. Quivern frowned. They didn�t have a chance in hell of surviving.
The sword hand fell with some force when Silu retrieved her blade. It slip quickly from his gut but not quick enough to allow her to dodge the inadvertent attack. He wassure she wouldn�t come out of the encounter without injury. Fifth Kingdom soldiers carried heavy, long swords. It took an exceptionally strong man just to carry one.