Solace Curse: Part I

9 - Flight of the Blade

I crouched in the shadow of the rock, the Animaré right beside me. We all took a moment to steel our nerves.

"We shouldn't have much farther to go once we cross this gap," Koren murmured. "The Daelyni road should be close, which is hopefully the end of the Ska'al's free movement. The Corvel soldiers couldn't let them patrol the road alone."

"But if the Ska'al look out anywhere over this plateau, there's no way we can hide."

"Can we wait until dark?"

"Maybe, but I can feel more Ska'al at our backs every minute. Right Andrin?"

The Baldük nodded. His gray face was paler than usual.

I peeked over the ledge across the field. "Guys, do you see that?" A pinprick of light appeared at the far edge, then another.

"It's them." Koren pulled me back down and shoved us all back to the shadow of the rock. It wasn't really a cave, but it hid us well.

I opened my mouth to ask how they were moving, but Koren held up a hand. He pressed one finger to his lips and closed his eyes, Andrin already doing the same.

We waited. Five minutes passed and I tapped Koren's shoulder. He waved me off. Five turned to fifteen. I was just about to ask again when voices came within earshot—for my ears, at least.

"...this Solace, the better. Your prince can receive his reward, and we can go home."

I shot a look at the Animaré. That voice wasn't native to Baldük-kre. Corvel? I mouthed to Andrin. He nodded.

"...may need to travel the roadways to find this common enemy of ours. We are sure Aelridia would kindly welcome our protection of its country," came a slimy reply. The guttural tone was unmistakable—the Ska'al were here too.

"That's in the Commander's hands. Our own Animaré are protection enough for the people."

The crunch of boots on stone. They we were approaching the rim of the plateau, but slightly off from our hiding place.

"Rhas'sagal to Rhas'sagal, an even match makes. We Ska'al will dispose of the Solace threat." This voice was deep, final—a much different Ska'al than the first.

The clink of armor as another Corvel soldier spoke briskly. "We'll believe in the Baldük ability to eliminate the Solace when we see it. For weeks now your prince has torn apart the wilderness, with many good men lost in the process—even a few of you Ska'al too. Seems like this Solace and its Animaré followers are more trouble than your prince first thought."

Weeks? Even Koren looked confused. They couldn't have been tracking us for weeks, we haven't even been in Corvelen that long. Weeks ago Lylisia was... I stopped myself.

"...fruith ghakesh'skar myantick!"

"Insult us all you like, Baldük, but facts are facts. You turn up one lousy Animaré instead of a Solace, you don't get a pat on the back in the Corvel Guard."

The slimy Ska'al broke cut off another string of Baldük insults from his partner. "We might remind you of your troubles before the Ska'al were summoned. Stealing, burning, death. The girl was just the beginning, a first success to precede the larger one."

The girl? My head spun. They found her body? These ruthless warriors, these bloodthirsty monsters parading as men, took her body as... as a trophy?