Page 95 of Lake of Sorrow

Another scream came from the far side of the park.

“I need to check on that.” Vlerion stepped farther away from her.

Kaylina nodded, relieved by the distance now. All along, she should have kept it.

“Kar’ruk!” someone cried.

Alarmed, Kaylina spun toward the call. Trees lining the street on the far side of the park partially blocked the view, and it took her a moment to spot the Kar’ruk. Not one or two but twenty of them strode along the cobblestones parallel to the park.

They walked side-by-side in two columns and wore decorative hide tabards instead of the chainmail armor she’d seen on those in the preserve, but deadly axes rode on their shoulders, leaving no doubt that they were warriors. Warriors who didn’t like humans. They gazed fiercely at the people in the park. One hefted his axe and pointed it at a man pointing at him, as if declaring he would spring and kill the gawking person.

24

Enemies may approach openly or with stealth. Trust neither.

~ Ranger Captain Targon

Vlerion pushed back his hood and strode across the park toward the twin columns of Kar’ruk striding up the street.

“Ranger,” several people blurted in relief, glancing from him to the Kar’ruk.

“That’s Lord Vlerion,” a boy of nine or ten blurted. “He’s savage. He’ll pounce on those horned uglies.”

Face grim, Vlerion gripped the hilt of his sword as numerous pairs of yellow Kar’ruk eyes shifted toward him.

Keeping her hood up, Kaylina followed at a distance. She had her sling and would help if Vlerion leaped into a fight, but there were a lot of witnesses here, witnesses who could later tell the kingdom guards that they’d seen her.

But why weren’t guards already present and rushing to engage the Kar’ruk? Kaylina couldn’t believe the warriors were brazenly striding down a main street in the middle of the day. How had they gotten through the city gate?

As she reached the trees, more of the horned figures came into view.

Several steps behind the two columns, four muscular warriors carried a litter on their shoulders, with two female Kar’ruk sitting on pale blue stools atop it. They wore fur-trimmed cloaks open to reveal pale hide dresses embellished with emerald and turquoise beads. Numerous fingerbone and fang necklaces and bracelets added further ornamentation but did nothing to soften their faces. They were as hard as those of the male warriors as they gazed coolly and haughtily at Vlerion and the staring onlookers.

This had to be a diplomatic mission, but, with all those armed fighters, it could easily turn into a war party if they were provoked. Maybe even if they weren’t provoked. The appearance of this party at the same time as the Kar’ruk had infiltrated the preserve and catacombs couldn’t be a coincidence.

As the procession drew even with Vlerion, who’d stopped on the sidewalk, Kaylina rounded an aspen and spotted a few kingdom guards in gray-and-black uniforms trailing the litter. They carried crossbows and wore swords but weren’t pointing their weapons at the visitors. Had the Kar’ruk been invited?

Kaylina halted and stepped back into the shadow of the tree. For her, the guards were as much of a danger as the Kar’ruk.

Vlerion must have been thinking something similar, because he looked at her, a finger twitching, warning her to stay back.

“Oh, I am,” she muttered, though he was too far away to hear.

His gaze shifted past her shoulder, and he nodded once. She turned to look for the recipient of the gesture.

Jankarr was riding toward her on his taybarri with Levitke ambling at its side. When he caught her gaze, Jankarr crooked a finger and pointed toward Levitke’s back.

Kaylina hesitated. Leaving would be a good idea, but she hated the thought of leaving Vlerion in danger. Especially since he, after his silent exchange with Jankarr, strode out into the street to stop the procession.

What if the Kar’ruk knew he’d killed one of their kind in the catacombs earlier? And others in the preserve?

Kaylina loaded a round into her sling.

“You’re to stay out of it,” Jankarr said softly, riding into the shadow of the aspen with her.

Levitke bounced around him to stand in front of Kaylina, almost blocking her view of the procession. The Kar’ruk had halted, many of them raising their weapons and glaring at Vlerion.

“Step aside, human,” one of the lead Kar’ruk rasped in a deep voice, speaking heavily accented Zaldorian. He was the first Kar’ruk that Kaylina had heard use their language. “Our chieftains come to see your king, not his minions.”