“Did your father send you to interrupt our travels, Sabre?” one of Lord Okami’s men called as they arrived.
“Her father is the local bandit leader,” Tyrus said to Moria.
Sabre bristled. “My father is a nomadic tribal chieftain —”
“— who accepts generous offerings from travelers for safe passage through these treacherous hills.” Tyrus leaned toward Moria. “He’s a bandit. A powerful one, though.”
“I believe I’ve heard the exact same said about your father.”
“Sabre…” a voice called as a rider rode up. “Waylaying my guests on the roadside?”
The newcomer was a young man, perhaps twenty summers of age. Tall and well-formed, with gray eyes and unruly black hair. On his arms, Moria could see the tattoos of the Okami clan: dark wolves with yellow eyes.
“Tyrus.” He slid from his horse and thumped the prince on the back. “It is good to see you safe.” He bowed to Moria. “Dalain Okami, my lady. Son of Lord Okami.”
“Youngest son,” Sabre cut in, with a tone that said that barely qualified him for kinship at all.
He shook his head. “As soon as I heard the sounds of trouble, I knew who it was. Now, off with you, Sabre. You’ve delayed my guests quite enough.”
The young woman’s eyes flashed. “I was not bothering your guests, Dalain. I was helping them.” She turned her attention and her words to Moria. “I spotted your party when you rode through the valley. Then I realized that I wasn’t the only one who had noticed you.”
“Bandits, I presume?” Dalain said.
She gave him a withering look. “Go hunt something, Dalain. The pursuit suits you much better than thinking.”
“Actually, I was hunting something. Or someone. And it’s rather urgent, so if you could be quicker with this story, that would be appreciated.”
She scowled at him, then turned to Moria again. “There were three riders following you. They were dressed as simple travelers, but I could see blades under their cloaks, and while their steeds were not fine, the men rode exceedingly well. I tried to get closer, but when you paused at a stream, they went on ahead. That’s when I noticed that Tyrus was with you, which meant this was no hostage situation. I was getting closer to warn him when you caught me.”
“She caught you?” Dalain said. “Truly?”
“I admitted it, didn’t I? The Keeper of Edgewood is very skilled with her blade and her wildcat, and I am not so arrogant that I can’t admit defeat.”
“I wouldn’t say it’s lack of arrogance so much as vast experience with defeat.”
Dalain was teasing Sabre, but the young woman only seemed to grow more irritated. Moria heard Ashyn’s voice whispering in her ear: Because he’s treating her as a child, and she does not wish him to see her as a child.
Perhaps. It was none of Moria’s concern right now. Her sister’s voice, however, was a concern – a reminder.
“The three riders,” she said. “Were they clearly men? My sister is supposed to come this way. She’ll be accompanied by a young man and a young woman. They may have been following us trying to determine if we were in your men’s custody or not before they approached.”
“It is… possible,” Dalain said.
“He’ll not answer straight,” Sabre said. “So I will. That’s who he was hunting: your sister. She was here, and Dalain frightened her off, and now she’s lost.”
“Lost?” Moria said, her voice sharp with alarm.
Dalain shot a glare at Sabre, then turned to Moria. “I’m sorry, my lady. Some of our locals are more plainspoken – and less considerate – than they ought to be. Yes, I did speak to your sister. While I will not say that I ‘frightened her off,’ she was understandably cautious, given the circumstances, and I may have underestimated the degree of her caution.”
Sabre snorted. “May have? You can pull on pretty manners for the Keeper, Dalain, but I’m not the only local given to plain and ill-considered speeches.”
“Ashyn didn’t trust you so she ran,” Tyrus said. “Which is why I told you not to approach her until I returned.” He held up a hand against Dalain’s protest. “Yes, I know you meant well. But it’s not the Seeker you needed worry about as much as her escort. Ronan would never have let her go with you until I was there to say all was well. What happened then?”
“She ran with the boy and her hound. They disappeared into the woods, and it seemed wise to bring our own hounds to track them.”
“Which would have put them perfectly at ease,” Sabre murmured.
Dalain ignored her. “One of my men spotted her outside the inn last evening. There was a… commotion. I feared she would not fare well in these woods, and I thought I could convince her to come with me. I was mistaken. But I will find her. My men are out there now, with the best hunting hounds in the empire.”
“Then I’ll go with them,” Moria said.
She turned toward her horse. Dalain stepped in her path, but Tyrus cleared his throat and steered Moria aside.
“You’ll not stop me from finding my sister,” she said.
“I wouldn’t dare. But may I suggest we get you to the compound for a change of clothing? We’ll pack food and water and set out for a proper search.”
“While I appreciate the Keeper’s concern,” Dalain began, “I think this is best handled by hounds and men who know the terrain —”