Lineage (Book 3 of the Torrent Skies Saga)

Chapter Thirteen: Reunion

The narrow forest path caused Katerin and Fykes to ride single file, as the trees closed in on them. Crisp sunlight filtered through the branches, and the birds sang. Katerin kicked her horse up to a trot, and bounced down the trail with her eyes peeled for any sign of life. Saresbrook was close, she knew.

Today her shoulders felt rather light, and she hoped that Kindra had stayed in the village. Not only would it do her good to see her old friend, but she would enjoy having Kindra's thoughts on the trouble in Hearth-Home, and Mordai. Kindra had always possessed a sense for the reasons Mordai did things, and had spent much of her time with Katerin discussing them.

Saresbrook was a small place that Katerin had only visited twice before. A tight community of hunters and leather workers, who used the proximity of the forest as a good in between for trading their wares to Hearth-Home. Often, mercenaries would check in on the place for work. Either to help the small village or hear gossip from Hearth-Home without having to travel to it.

The road was rutted and bumpy, so she slowed her pace back to a walk, and pointed ahead. Above them and in the distance through the trees, Katerin could just make out faint lines of white smoke rising.

"At least we know someones home," Fykes said as he rode behind her and patted the mane of his midnight stallion.

Katerin grinned and tsked to her horse to move forward. She kept her mounts pace at a walk, so as not to startle anyone in the town. Another half an hour passed before the narrow pathway widened, and they could see compact houses surrounding a dirt square with a well at its center. The roofs were primarily thatched, and their chimneys emitted soft pillars of smoke. At first glance the village was peaceful, but the closer Katerin got, a stench overtook her.

There were three men visible in the square, and as Katerin approached, they hefted a grotesque, gray skinned body, and began dragging it away. Katerin could see more of the forms in various places throughout the small village, and one of such creatures was leaned against one house, its arm still gripping the thatching. The ogres had been dead for some time, and Katerin had to resist the urge to cover her mouth with her sleeve, as she rode towards the main square.

There, sitting on the steps to the hall, or town center, stood a woman with long blonde hair, She wore the pieces to a plate mail suit, the greaves and pauldrons and vambraces, that were adorned with sharpened spikes, though she was devoid of the rest of the set.

Kindra turned and glared toward the sound of Katerin's approaching horse. She squinted, and her face screwed up. "Katerin?"

Katerin was dismounting her mare before it had fully stopped, and she met the sizeable woman by the steps, with a careful hug. "Gods, I was worried you wouldn't be here." She was thankful Kindra had foregone her breastplate, because the hug would be very painful, if she had the intimidating thing on.

Kindra gripped her shoulder, and Katerin winced.

"The hell are you doing here?" Kindra asked.

"Long story," Katerin said, as Fykes rode up, glancing around the village with a concerned expression.

"You brought Fykes! I thought she'd have to fight to bring you over to this side of the world," Kindra grinned, and grasped Fykes' arm as he dismounted, nearly unbalancing him.

"All she had to do was ask," he said.

"You gave up too easy," Kindra laughed. "But, seriously. Why the hells are you two out here?"

"Have you heard anything from Hearth-Home?"

"I heard the armies marched, but they didn't march this way, so." Kindra shrugged, causing the plates of her armor to grind against one another.