Page 69 of Honour Bound
‘Lady Luck, Bob.’
‘You’re a freaking idiot,’ he muttered.
I grinned, shifting Kirsty’s weight to make her easier to carry. ‘I know.’
Chapter Fifteen
There was more method to my madness than Bob realised. I’d planned all along to avoid the trail left by the others; I was just doing it earlier than expected. I never trusted solely to luck ? I wasn’t that stupid ? but Bob didn’t need to know that. It would be fun to see his expression when he realised my shortcut was working.
I’d noticed that Kirsty doubled back before she threw herself at me. She’d already been to at least one other clue before apparently deciding she couldn’t win so she might as well go after me instead. I fumbled as I walked, eventually finding the folded paper in her coat pocket. I scanned it carefully: it was the third clue. I wriggled in delight before adjusting my direction. Despite Kirsty’s weight, her attack was proving to be a boon. Now I knew exactly where to go.
With the time I’d lost from being dropped in the wrong place, as well as my slower pace now I was carrying Kirsty, this new route was exactly what I needed. I could avoid what looked like a giant loop designed to irritate the competitors. Nipping through the woods would take me to the end point faster than wending my way through all the marked clues and, because of the tree cover, the drone couldn’t follow me.
I picked my way through the trees, moving north-east to where the end point should be. From time to time, Kirsty stirred, mumbled something under her breath and then collapsed again. If I needed proof that my inadvertent theft of Sidhe Gifts could cause problems, this was it – although I was pretty excited at the thought of trying out Truth Seeking on Aifric. It could get me the answers to all my questions – and then some.
Despite the cold air, sweat was pooling uncomfortably between the tight fabric of my bra and my breasts, but even with this mild discomfort and my worry about Kirsty the challenge so far wasn’t unpleasant. Occasionally there was a chirp from a passing bird or a scuttle from something in the undergrowth. The thick pine trees gave off a heady scent unlike the sharp freshness that I was used to at higher altitudes with mountain rescue. As someone who’d spent most of her life among urban dwellers, I was rapidly beginning to appreciate more rural surroundings. That didn’t mean that I wouldn’t enjoy sitting in a pub with a hot toddy and a roaring fire though. A skilled masseuse would be equally welcome because my back was aching from lugging around Kirsty. Unfortunately I doubted I’d find one around here.
I’d been on the move for a good two hours when I spotted the first tracks. My heart leapt in my chest because they weren’t from any Sidhe competitors. These tracks were far too small – and whatever had made them was three-legged.
I propped Kirsty against a nearby tree and checked her over. There was a faint bloom to her cheeks but she’d not yet come around; I really hoped I’d not done her any permanent damage. Reassured that she wasn’t in any immediate danger, I went back to the tracks and knelt down to examine them.
They were definitely the same as the ones I’d seen up on the mountain when I was with the rescue team but I wasn’t any closer to working out what had made them. Some kind of winter creature? If I knew, I might have been able to work out whether they led deeper into the forest or would take me back out.
I hissed to Bob. ‘Hey! Take a look at this.’ There was a faint snore, obviously faked. ‘Bob, stop being annoying. I need your help.’
He snorted. ‘Well, blow me down with a peacock feather,’ he muttered. ‘You walk off into the creepy woods and then you need my help.Bigsurprise.’ His head popped out from under my scarf. ‘What is it?’
‘What made these tracks?’
He looked down. ‘How the hell should I know? Probably some kind of bird.’
‘Bob,’ I sighed. ‘How many birds do you know with three legs?’ There wasn’t any answer. ‘Bob?’
‘What? I’m waiting for the punchline.’
‘That’s not a joke, it’s a real question. You’re a magnificent being who knows everything, right?’
‘I never said I kneweverything. I just know most things, that’s all.’
I reminded myself that patience was a virtue. ‘So do you know what made those tracks?’
‘Nope.’
I considered them for a moment. ‘Wait here,’ I said decisively. ‘Keep an eye on Kirsty.’
‘What? Where are you going?’
‘I’m going to follow the tracks.’
‘Uh Integrity! You can’t do that!’
‘Bob, sweetie, I can do whatever I want to. Besides, I won’t be long.’ I pinched him between my thumb and forefinger and dropped him on Kirsty’s head. She didn’t even twitch. Then, enjoying the freedom to run, I took off.
I followed the tracks for five minutes, curiosity fighting against the desire to keep going in the challenge. I didn’t want to expend too much energy on this but maybe the tracks would lead somewhere helpful.
Whatever had made the trail was on its own; there were no other tracks to indicate a family of three-legged creatures. In the end I gave up and went back. My three-legged friend wasn’t going to show itself and I couldn’t count on it to lead me anywhere useful. I probably only had an hour or two left of daylight and I couldn’t afford to waste it on foolish errands, tempting as they were.
When I reached Bob and Kirsty again, he was poking her cheek with a stick and she was swatting at him with her hand as if he were a fly. She hadn’t opened her eyes yet but she was definitely coming around.
