Page 126 of Tears of the Wolf
Selene rolled her head in Brynn’s direction. She would be able to feel Brynn drawing in massive amounts of magic. Maybe shewas worried. Maybe she knew the limits of the collar and would take steps to keep it from breaking.
Regardless, Brynn had no way of stopping Selene from sensing her power, so she kept drawing.
Cenric
“You stay with me, young wolf,” Olfirth grunted.
Cenric bristled under that. He was in Olfirth’s lands, surrounded by his thanes, but he bristled. “You think I’m leading you into a trap?”
“I think I’m riding straight toward something with only your oath that it’s not a trap.”
Cenric bridled at the implied insult. “I honor my oaths.”
Olfirth laughed at that, as if something about that was truly funny. “We’ll see.”
It had been much easier to be civil to Olfirth when they had been speaking at Cenric’s table. Cenric was starting to realize Olfirth had been on his best behavior then. He had fewer reasons to behave now.
Olfirth had all the power and Brynn wasn’t here. There was nothing stopping Olfirth and his men from turning on Cenric and Edric and leaving their bodies for the carrion birds.Distantly, Cenric wondered which of these men was Rowan’s suitor or if that man was here at all.
“Lord.” One of Olfirth’s thanes rounded the bend, having ridden ahead to scout. He was a slim fellow with a dappled grey stallion. “Horses ahead with a wagon. About a mile.”
Cenric’s heart sped up. He caught himself standing in his stirrups on impulse, trying to see.
Bada sensed his movement and stomped, tail wringing. The stallion was still fresh and could feel his rider’s unease. The animal knew a fight was coming and was tired of waiting for it.
“Anyone we know?” Olfirth grunted.
“Can’t tell,” the thane answered. “Too far away. There’s a pair of white mules at the back, though.”
Olfirth rubbed his jaw, frowning.
That pair of white mules ridden by the twin sorceresses might be impressive, but they were also recognizable. It was likely the sorceresses hadn’t expected pursuit.
Brynn?Cenric looked down to Snapper.
Horses.Snapper answered.Hunt?
Maybe,Cenric sent back. If Brynn was in a wagon, it would be hard for Snapper to find her scent trail, but there might still be something the dog could do.
“Well.” Olfirth inhaled, hands crossed over the front of his saddle pommel. “There are a few inlets in this area.”
“The nearest one is to the west,” the thane answered.
Olfirth seemed to think. “We can cut around to the beach and sweep down it.”
“They’ll see us coming,” Cenric pointed out.
“If they’re sorceresses, they don’t need to see us.” Olfirth drew himself up. “But if we can spot their ship, we might be able to head them off.” He jerked his head toward the trees. “Evred, lead the way.”
A thane on a chestnut swerved off from the main group at a trot, heading into the trees. This part of the forest was sparse enough for horses to pass through, but the men still had to duck under branches.
Cenric wanted to move faster, wanted to spur Bada into a gallop to reach the shore. But even if the way ahead hadn’t been thick with fallen logs and unseen flaws in the earth, there was safety in numbers. Even if these men may or may not be friends.
As they rode, he wondered if Olfirth might be in league with Selene. Even if he wasn’t, the old man might just want Cenric and Edric far away in the wilderness before turning on them. This whole thing was a risk, but Cenric couldn’t see how to avoid it.
The forest thinned and Cenric caught the sound of the waves before the sea came into view. The horses skittered out onto the pebbled beach, the wind whipping up off the water. Bada raised his head, nostrils flaring at the sudden gust. The stallion chomped at his bit, mirroring Cenric’s frustration.
The beach ran north and south in either direction as far as the eye could see, disappearing around a bend of trees. Aging driftwood littered the pebbles and dark stone marked where the ocean had receded.
