“Too bad.” There was no way Sábria could allow any Blade to get away with giving her a partial answer. She’d found she needed specificity when dealing with problems of this magnitude, and since Maida was talking, she pushed her to give all she knew.

  Maida had been around her Arch Priestess long enough to know she couldn’t get away with partial answers. Bowing to the inevitable, Maida gave her more. “Most of the time, for me, anyway, I only caught glimpses of their trews because they always threw a hood over my head. What I did see, though, weren’t Blade uniforms. The trews were brown, like Temple civilians wear.”

  “Then how did you know what Blades to talk to when you had your so-called conversations? I assume your talk included a physical altercation?”

  She should have known Sábria wouldn’t be distracted from what she really wanted to know. She lifted a shoulder, “Maybe. And I knew because one time when Harda was inside Frayham, she managed to whistle because she knew I was waiting outside. It was at night, and her attackers saw me when I climbed over the wall. They ran, and a Blade ran beneath a torch, and I recognized her hair.”

  “Her hair?”

  “Bright red and curly, worn in two tails reaching to her waist. She doesn’t have them anymore, though.” Maida decided not to mention they were hanging from the boughs of one of her favorite trees.

  Sábria ground out the word. “Yndel.”

  If the identity of the Blade surprised her, Maida couldn’t tell. But then again, as Arch Priestess, Sábria received reports about problem Blades from all across the Empire. Maida reasoned it wasn’t a stretch that she’d heard about one of the biggest bullies in Frayham, so she neither confirmed nor denied that Yndel had been one of the ones who’d beaten Harda.

  Sábria stopped and pressed her for more names. “Anyone else?”

  “One young but really strong civilian. I’ve seen her in the vineyards practicing with a sword. Her skill level surprised me because field workers don’t generally have the time or access to the weapons masters they’d need to learn sword fighting.”

  “Do you know her name?”

  “No.” The questioning triggered memories of her beatings, and anger twisted her face into a tight mask. The storm cloud of emotions held at bay by their earlier conversation returned with a vengeance. “I never stay around long enough to chat. In fact,” Maida pulled a small pouch from beneath her tunic. It hung around her neck on a leather thong threaded through an attached leather loop. She tugged on the opening to loosen the drawstring, and when it wouldn’t come loose, she growled and jerked on it several times before Sábria took it from her and worked at loosening the leather string holding it closed.

  Sábria moved slowly, recognizing the resurgence of the Hunter’s anger. She calmly loosened the crimp at the pouch’s top but stopped short of completely opening it. Any little control she could give back would help in the long run.

  With a glare, Maida snatched it back and opened it all the way. She poked around inside with her finger, finally extracting what looked to Sábria like a chipped piece of quartz. “This was all I took away from our last meeting.”

  Sábria held out her hand, and Maida dropped the object onto her outstretched palm. “Is this…?”

  Nodding, Maida carefully retrieved the tooth and replaced it in the pouch. “Uh-huh. I actually did a good deed to get it. She was choking on it, and I pounded her back hard enough to dislodge it.” She mimicked a whacking motion with the palm of her hand. “Right between the shoulder blades, just like the healers taught us. The damn thing went flying across the street. I had to search a while before I finally found it. She was gone by then.” Maida tried for jovial but ended up sounding, maybe not, malevolent, but definitely surly and vindictive instead.

  As they walked, Sábria considered the speed at which a generally genial mood had soured. That was something that never would have happened before. Yes, Maida had always worn her emotions on her sleeve and could jump from one mood to another in the blink of an eye, but they rarely descended into the blackness she’d seen several times since they’d reconnected. Her fond memories of a brash, young, impertinent shiv with bright brown eyes laughing at something she knew she shouldn’t have said or done would have brought a smile to her face under different circumstances.

  Chancing a glance at those same eyes, Sábria was disconcerted to see vitriol in their muddy depths. Gone was the playful glint that had so often sparkled with a lively, cheerful intelligence. Now, a smoldering darkness filled them with so much more than simple anger, and Sábria understood what Xyda had meant when she said Maida wasn’t quite a loose cannon but close to it. “You were beaten four times. Have there been others who’ve been attacked more than that?”

  Maida shook her head, and an amused glint came into her eyes. Amused, yet not amused—a strange combination that spoke of her feeling of not being quite right. “You always said my mouth would get me in trouble one day. You were more right than you knew, weren’t you?” Her mouth twisted into a thin, bitter line as she glanced sideways at Sábria.

  Sábria stopped and cupped her hand behind Maida’s neck. “Maida, this isn’t the woman I knew.”

  The Hunter batted her hand away, stepped back, and shouted. “I know! Don’t you think I know that?” Her eyes blazed, and she hit the side of her head with her fist. “I told you. I’m not right up here. Were you even listening?”

  Behind Maida, Geller stepped into the open, and Sábria ordered her to return to the tree with a barely perceptible tilt of her head. Trying for unconcerned, Sábria raised her brows and said to Maida, “I see that.” She stepped close and once more placed her palm behind Maida’s neck. This time, instead of speaking, she gently tugged her forward and repeated her earlier action of pulling the young woman’s head against her shoulder. She spoke softly into Maida’s ear. “But I have to see the problem before I can fix it. Thank you for allowing me to see a little bit of what’s going on inside of you.”

  She waited a beat. “I’m not afraid of you, you know. I told you before, I love you and we’re going to work through all those dark emotions roiling inside of your head. Do you trust me?”

  Maida nodded into her shoulder, pulled in a chest-expanding breath, and let it out in one long sigh. “You should be.”

  “Should be what?”

  “Afraid of me.”

  “Why?”

  Maida’s prolonged silence spoke volumes. Eventually, she whispered, “Because I am.”

  Wanting the Hunter to look her in the eyes, Sábria pushed her to arm’s length but kept her hands locked onto her shoulders. When those haunted eyes met hers, Sábria shook her head. “I know you, Child. No matter how you think you’ve changed, you’re still the Maida who cared enough to save five skellis from a slaver’s wagon single-handedly. Four of them are still alive, by the way, and three have left the Codpiece and taken up positions inside the Merchant’s Quarter. Kolly even works as a scullery maid for Lady Farryn.”

  Maida crossed her arms in more of a self-conscious gesture than an angry one.

  “You’re still my shiv who took a knife in her arm to save her handler during a brawl.” Sábria made sure her amusement shone in her eyes at her next words. “You’re still the Blade who danced naked on the tables in front of the Broken Tooth because you lost a bet.”

  Amusement wavered in those weary eyes just before Maida looked down at her feet.

  As she’d done so many times before, Sábria deliberately softened her gaze before gently placing her fingers beneath Maida’s chin and raising it. She waited a beat, knowing Maida would eventually look her in the eyes. When she finally did, Sábria softly smiled. “Don’t you ever forget, Maida. You’re that Blade. I love you and we’re in this together, yes?”

  Just like that, the black mood lifted, and Maida shyly nodded. “Are you still the Arch Priestess who whipped the skin off that bare butt when the Prime dragged me back to the Temple?”

  “What do you think?”

  Maida looked deep into Sábria’s eyes and nodded. “I think you are and…I think,” the muscles in her jaw jumped once before she continued, “I think I need your help.”

  “We need each other’s help, Maida. It’s not a one-way thing. I need your help to heal the Hunters as much as you need me to help you to heal. Can we work together to make right what’s gone so terribly wrong?”

  “Aye, My Lady. I’ll try.” Wanting to move on, Maida pointed toward the campfires. “One more try to get to those poxy noblemen?”

  With a grin, Sábria put her arm around Maida’s neck and they walked the rest of the way to the noblemen’s encampment.

  CHAPTER 16

  Colorful tents in what Sábria recognized as the maroon, blue, and gold of Lord Ashden’s colors had been set up in concentric circles radiating out from one super-sized, ornate tent large enough to hold ten comfortably housed men.

  If the colors hadn’t been enough of a clue, a flag bearing the oversized figure of a powerful griffin, with the golden body of a lion topped with the maroon and blue head and wings of a majestic eagle, told everyone that the Earl himself was present.

  Before entering the camp, Sábria signaled to Geller to join them. Her concerns about not being welcome had evaporated the moment Shirin had told her what nobleman was camping nearby. He and his entire family worshipped Elyon, and Lord Ashden, a great bear of a man, was known as one of the most honorable men within the Cibían nobility. Still, she wasn’t a fool, and while she and Maida would be formidable opponents, not utilizing Geller’s tactical expertise would be foolish in the extreme.

  The Prime jogged up, and the three walked out of the forest into the small clearing. The encampment was upstream from where Ailith and Xyda had set up camp. Sábria envied the waterfall cascading down into a deep pool a short distance away.

  Several people, both men and women, played or lounged about in the water. When she noticed a few children among the group, Sábria looked at Maida, who shrugged. “They must have been in the tents when I came by. I didn’t see them and definitely didn’t hear them playing when I passed the camp earlier.”

  Two of the children had the distinctive blond hair typical of Lord Ashden’s offspring. It was a trait that ran true within the Ashden line. Sábria and her companions had come very close to the tents by the time a sentry’s whistle sounded. The warning may have been late, but the response was professional and well-ordered. Within moments, several people, men and women alike, rushed from the tents with their swords out and ready for battle.

  Geller muttered, “About time. If our sentries had taken that long to report an intruder, I’d have something to say about it.”

  They were quickly surrounded by guards who didn’t appear too threatened by the three Blades. Across the meadow, men, women, and children swam to the stream’s edge and climbed onto the shore. Several were naked, but that didn’t stop them from pulling swords from scabbards lying nearby and starting forward.

  A tall, imposing woman swept out from the main tent with her sword at the ready. Her dark blue tunic bore the intricately embroidered pattern of a griffin similar to the one on the banner. Tight sleeves showed off muscular arms and broad shoulders typical of the Ashden line. While she had the aristocratic features of her mother’s side of the family—straight nose, high cheekbones, and rounded chin—she had her father’s strength of body and proud bearing. It seemed as though they hadn’t been expecting company because instead of wearing her wavy blonde hair pulled tight into a bun at the nape of her neck, she wore it flowing down around her face, softening the intense gaze she’d turned on the unexpected visitors.

  The instant she recognized the Blade uniforms, though, her face broke into the wide grin Sábria had always admired from the first time she’d seen it. The lady whistled what must’ve been a stand-down order because suddenly, the guards surrounding them relaxed, and everyone at the stream sheathed their swords, set them on the bank, and resumed their happy chatter as they jumped back into the pool.

  The woman strode over with the natural confidence of a seasoned warrior. “Lady Sábria. Welcome to our encampment.” She looked around, fully expecting to see more blades. “Surely you can’t be here with just the three of you?” She bowed low before striding forward and holding her arms out as though she would pull the Arch Priestess into a bearhug of an embrace.

  Geller and Maida stepped forward to block her way, and, realizing her mistake, the woman pulled up short.

  Sábria pushed past her two defenders and pulled her into a hug anyway. “Lady Ada, it’s so good to see you. I thought you were still down south. Haven’t raiders been attacking your southern border?”

  The Lady Knight stepped back. “It’s good to see you as well, My Lady. And yes, I’ve been patrolling our southern borders, but my father sent my cousin down to relieve me so I could return in time for my younger sister’s Trial of Ascension.”

  “I thought Tinéa must be nearing the end of her time as a squire. Congratulations. How many knights does that make in your immediate family now?”

  “Four, so far, but then the twins are becoming squires at the same time Tinéa earns her knighthood, so all in all, there’ll be six of us unless one of the younger ones decides to try for their shields. You never know.”

  “Your mother and father must be very proud.”

  The smile slipped, and Ada glanced away. “You wouldn’t have heard yet, but my lady mother died four full moons past. She’d heard that some raiders were attacking one of our lower settlements, and she rode out with our soldiers to defend them. The defense was successful, but my mother was scored across her belly, and the wound became septic.”

  A septic wound was bad enough, but a septic belly wound was an excruciating way to die. Sábria took hold of Ada’s upper arm and squeezed. “I’m so sorry, Ada. And your father?” She knew he had to be around somewhere since the ancestral flag was flying above the main tent.

  Ada’s smile was never absent for long, and those beautiful white teeth made an appearance again. “That’s part of the reason we’re out here. Father declared Mother wouldn’t want us to grieve forever, and he said this was a time of celebration and renewal.” She looked over her shoulder at the swimmers playing in the water. “Didn’t you see that great hairy bear climbing out of the stream? Surely you couldn’t have missed that.”

  Sábria laughed. “To be honest, when I saw them climbing out without any clothes, I decided to look away.”

  Ada laughed again and shook her head. “Probably a good idea, but the men and many of the women mostly keep their undratrews on. But where are my manners? Please come inside. We’re hardly rough camping here. I have tea, and believe it or not, there’s a nice bottle of Tafonti from your vineyards in Frayham.” With a wave, she indicated Sábria should precede her.

  Geller and Maida fell in behind.

  All the guards who’d surrounded them bowed low as they passed, most doffing their caps to give an extra portion of respect to their Priestess. Maida moved closer to Sábria and asked, “My Lady, I know this is a strange request, but if you don’t mind, it’s been several days since I bathed.”

  Sábria was pleased that Maida had remembered her assignment. She turned and spoke over her shoulder, “Go ahead. Enjoy yourself. I’m safe enough.”

  Geller glanced at Maida but said nothing. It was unusual enough for a guard to beg off her duties so she could bathe that Geller knew Sábria must have given her an assignment before their arrival. She would have spoken up if this had been a hostile camp, but she not only knew Lady Ada, she’d also spent time drinking with many of the guards in the encampment whenever they visited Sarlogne. They were all good people and while she’d remain alert and ready for anything, she wasn’t overly concerned for Sábria’s safety.

  As they approached the tent, a young girl of about nine wearing the maroon tunic of a page in service to one of the Ashden Knights stepped out. She had the Ashden blonde hair and when she saw Ada, she broke into a smile that bore an uncanny resemblance to the Lady Knight’s. The girl froze when she saw who was coming to the tent. Her smile slowly faded while her jaw dropped open in speechless shock. With her green eyes going round as saucers, it looked like she’d forgotten to breathe.

  The three women halted as well, and Sábria stepped forward and smiled down at the awe-struck child. “Well, hello. I can definitely see the family resemblance, but I didn’t realize Lord Ashden had a daughter as young as you.”

  When the girl remained silent, Ada barked a rebuke. “Robi, where are your manners?”

  The reprimand jerked the girl out of her shocked stupor, and she pulled herself to attention. Usually, a member of the nobility, no matter the age, would bow low or curtsey before the Arch Priestess. Robi surprised them all by pounding a fist on her chest in the way a Blade would salute her superior.

  Ada sighed. “Robi, you’re a page, not a shiv.”

  Robi’s eyes narrowed. “The only reason I’m training as a page and then as a squire is so I can be a shiv when I turn fifteen. You know that, and I’ve told Uncle that, too.” She looked at Sábria. “I’m going to be one of your Blades, My Lady. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to be. I want to serve Elyon, and I want to protect the women of the kingdom.”

  Ada grinned affectionately and put her arm across the girl’s shoulders. “Lady Sábria, this is my niece Rabi. Rabi, this is Lady Sábria, Arch Priestess of the Daughters of Elyon.”

  Robi nodded. “I know. She’s going to be my Arch Priestess. You watch.” Her brows pulled down as she paused in serious thought. “Well, you already are my Arch Priestess, but I guess I should say I’m going to be one of your Blades.”

  Ada indicated Geller with the lift of her hand. “And this is Prime Geller.”

  Robi straightened again and brought her fist to her chest. “It’s an honor to meet you, Prime Geller. I’ve heard a lot about you. I practice all the time with my sword and knives. I’m not that good with bow and arrow, but I’m going to be. Well, I’m not good at any of them yet, but I will be.”