Page 30 of Lake of Sorrow

“Yes.” Vlerion swatted Jankarr’s mount on the rump and waved for them to head to the city.

The taybarri blew hot air at Vlerion and swatted him with his tail before trotting off.

“They’re not quite as domesticated as horses, are they?” Kaylina asked, hoping to stave off a return of Vlerion’s ire.

Levitke waded out of the pond, leaving the dead Kar’ruk floating face up.

“The taybarri? Not in the least.” Vlerion eyed Kaylina, as if he knew exactly what she was doing, but he didn’t comment on it. “It’s only because their elders made an alliance with humans long ago that they permit themselves to be ridden.”

Levitke stopped beside Kaylina and sniffed her pack before gazing at her with imploring eyes.

“Maybe not the only reason.” Kaylina removed the honey jar she’d opened earlier. The taybarri had helped in the battle. They deserved a reward, didn’t they?

Crenoch also came over, tongue lolling out. Vlerion snorted and pulled a first-aid kit out of his pack. While Crenoch was distracted by the honey, he washed the taybarri’s wound and spread some medicinal goo on it, followed by a bandage.

The taybarri licked honey from Kaylina’s fingers while swishing their tails contentedly.

Vlerion walked about, checking tracks. “It looks like there’s a whole war party roaming around in the preserve. The majority went that way.” He pointed toward the east again. “Two went that way.” His finger shifted toward the south. “And three went the way we came, toward the river. It’s hard to tell how many hours ago. They may be the ones who chased you.”

“Which way will we go? If you want Kar’ruk to question, it might be wiser to go after the smallest group.” Safer, she added to herself.

Vlerion gazed with determination in the direction the larger group had gone, and she could tell he wanted to take out the greater threat, to protect the city and make sure whatever plot they were enacting didn’t work. But he also looked at her with consideration.

She felt a twinge of guilt, certain she was ruining his plans. But he didn’t need to head off alone on a suicide mission, damn it. If her being here made him choose the safer course… good.

“Yes. We’ll wait until more rangers arrive to go after the large group.” Vlerion pointed south. “Two will be easier to capture and subdue.”

Easier than a whole pack, maybe, but even one Kar’ruk warrior was a handful. It was a good thing the taybarri were happy to jump into the fray to help.

If Kaylina had to continue her training—the thought of obeying every ranger who had seniority over her made her desire that like a thorn in the foot—she vowed to ask someone to teach her to use deadlier weapons. With the way her life was going, she would need them.

8

That affront we feel for another dwarfs that which we experience on our own behalf.

~ Dionadra, Essays on the Motivations of Men

The taybarri, energized by their honey sampling, had noses as good as Grandpa’s hounds and followed the Kar’ruk trail without trouble while Kaylina and Vlerion rode. The axe wound didn’t slow Crenoch at all, and he issued a defiant whuff when Vlerion asked if Crenoch wanted him to walk.

Kaylina was glad for the taybarri and their keen noses because she rarely saw tracks, even though she did keep her eyes toward the ground and the branches. Surprising for such large beings, the Kar’ruk had moved through the forest without disturbing much.

At a creek crossing, the taybarri whuffed several times and turned their long necks to look back at their riders.

“Do you know what that means?” Kaylina asked.

“They want a moment to drink and rest.” Vlerion slid off Crenoch’s back and checked his bandage. “They’re also pointing out that we left before dawn, and they haven’t had anything to eat for hours, aside from the small bit of honey they licked off your fingers.”

“You got all that from three whuffs?” Trusting his interpretation, Kaylina also slid to the ground.

“I did.”

The taybarri leaped into the creek, tails splashing the water with enthusiasm as they lapped up the cool water. Refreshed, they nipped playfully at each other, and Levitke rolled onto her back in a deeper pool.

“I guess your interpretation is correct,” Kaylina said.

“I’ve had plenty of experience with taybarri.” Vlerion kept an eye on their surroundings as he removed his pack and pulled out some of the protein pellets the rangers fed their mounts.

The musky scent had faded from the air. Kaylina hoped that meant there weren’t any Kar’ruk lurking, waiting to spring a trap.