Page 54 of Lake of Sorrow
“And assuming you can break him free of the vines. It’s not easy.”
“How did Vlerion escape?”
Kaylina hesitated. How indeed. “I feebly whacked at the vines with his sword.” True. “But the taybarri were the ones with the strength to break them.” Possibly true, even if they hadn’t been around to do it.
“Ours can help then. Or maybe this would do the job.” Only a thin tendril wrapped around the axe haft, so Jankarr was able to cut it free. Despite a coating of dirt and pieces of cut vegetation, the sharp head glowed a soft blue. “Beautiful craftsmanship, and it tingles in my hand.”
The Kar’ruk snarled, fingers twitching toward Jankarr. No doubt the warrior wanted to throttle him for presuming to touch the weapon.
“Sorry, my enemy.” Jankarr shifted the axe to aim at one of the thick vines binding the Kar’ruk’s torso. “I’d feel dishonorable for using your weapon and taking advantage of your predicament, but you are trespassing on kingdom land and doing who knows what out here. No.” Jankarr’s jaw clenched. “I know exactly what you’ve done.”
He had to be thinking of the injured woman and dead men.
“Do you want me to help?” Kaylina asked when the tip of the thick vine twitched. “So far, the plants in here haven’t bothered me. I assume because I’m not a ranger.”
She glanced at the brand on the back of her hand and almost added, Possibly for other reasons, but worried she’d already shared too much with Jankarr. He was rubbing his mental sticks together to make fire too quickly for the safety of Vlerion’s secret.
“Nope.” Jankarr hefted the axe overhead but paused to wink back at her. “I’ll take a massage afterward, though, if you’re inclined.”
“I don’t think you want to get naked out here.” Kaylina watched the twitchy vine, worried the Kar’ruk wasn’t the only one who would end up entrapped.
“Vlerion seemed to think it was the thing to do.”
“He’s a unique soul.”
“I’ve noticed that.” Jankarr chopped the axe into the vine. It cut halfway through on the first blow. “Given how much prettier than him I am, you’d think the ladies we ride past would proposition me, but they’re oddly drawn to him.” After he cleaved the vine in half, he gave her another look, one more curious and puzzled than his wink.
“Scars intrigue girls. And I’m sure you do fine too.”
“When I’m not beside him, yes. Do you think I should let myself get hit in the face more often? You know, for scars?”
“You could go to one of the playhouses and have a makeup artist paint one on. It would be less painful.”
“I suppose that’s true.” Jankarr shifted to target another vine, but, as he raised the axe, several more shot out of the undergrowth.
Kaylina cursed and rushed forward. She’d been afraid of that.
Jankarr leaped back, almost evading the viper-like vines, but they were too fast. One caught him by the ankle, yanking him off balance. He kept hold of the axe but landed hard on his back, unable to soften the fall with the vine pulling at him. It drew him across the earth, rucking his clothing, until he was side by side with the Kar’ruk. The horned warrior roared with satisfaction, even though his predicament hadn’t improved.
Jankarr sat up, aiming the axe for the vine around his ankle, but two more swept out of the undergrowth, and one slithered across an overhead branch and descended. Toward his neck?
“Look out!” Kaylina stopped a few feet away, afraid to get too close while he swung the axe around.
The blade struck vines, splitting them, but more appeared. One lashed out, smacking him in the eye and stunning him for a second. It was long enough for the vines to plaster him flat to the ground, the same as the Kar’ruk. One pinned his wrist so he couldn’t use the axe.
All around them, the foliage buzzed with the magical energy Kaylina had felt earlier. It seemed angry, like a disturbed hornet’s nest.
She crept closer and risked resting a hand on Jankarr’s shoulder. The vines rippled and undulated without letting him go. They didn’t lash out at her, but she didn’t know what to do.
“It’s not going to eat us, is it?” Jankarr asked plaintively.
“If the plants were carnivorous, they would have eaten the Kar’ruk,” Kaylina said.
“Maybe their kind don’t taste good. All hate and gristle.”
“Kluk ka borgluk,” the Kar’ruk snarled.
“Let go of the axe, and I’ll try to cut you free.” Kaylina debated if the vines would capture her if she did that. They hadn’t attacked Jankarr until he’d damaged them.