Free A Brother's Price by 111325346436434

one.’’ She touched the ground and lifted her fingers up to show that they were now tinged red.
    ‘‘This is the killing ground.’’
    Odelia could have been the plus one. Ren controlled a shiver.
    ‘‘The killing started here at the fire.’’ Eldest wiped clean her fingers. ‘‘The worst of the blood has been scraped up, probably buried with the victim. There were guns fired.’’ She tapped a scar of white on a river stone that served as a fireside seat. She pointed out fresh gouges in trees at chest height. ‘‘The dead were dragged up there to be buried. Things were cleaned up. That was yesterday, or the night before that. The survivors loaded a riverboat this morning around dawn.’’ Eldest held her hand out over the white ash in the white pit. ‘‘The coals are still warm.’’
    Ren swore softly. ‘‘They had wagons. I can’t imagine them loading them—too noticeable. Can we track those?’’
    Eldest shook her head, and waved toward the shimmer of water through the trees. ‘‘Pushed them in the river and let the current take them.’’
    ‘‘All dead ends.’’ Ren stalked about the clearing, cursing. They had missed the thieves by a few hours. It was, perhaps, just as well. With her guard and the seven Whistlers they numbered only twenty-one. True, they outnumbered the surviving thieves, but the campsite had 54
    Wen Spencer
    hidden defenses. A jumble of boulders, a fallen tree, and another set of rocks came together to form a disguised wall to shield defenders. Three approaches were uphill with the river at the attackers’ backs. Ren skirted the disguised wall to consider the only downhill attack. A blur of motion was her only warning—Eldest Whistler came over the low wall in a flying tackle. Eldest slammed into Ren’s waist, and they tumbled onto the ground, Ren on the bottom, a shoulder smashing into her gut.
    Shit ! Ren rolled free, reaching for her pistol, thinking, Stupid! Stupid! Ruin their brother and then let them take you out in the middle of nowhere and separate you from your guard! Her pistol had been knocked free during the tumble, lost in the dead leaves. She jerked free her knife, and scrambled into a fighting crouch in the dead leaves.
    Eldest crouched a dozen feet from her, unarmed. Eldest made a stiff motion with her hand, palm downward.
    ‘‘Stay still.’’ She flashed another hand signal, a quick stiff chop that flicked off to the right. ‘‘Traps.’’
    Ren froze in place. Traps? She was an idiot! Outside the camp and beyond the defense wall, of course there were traps! She glanced back at where she had been walking. A pole tipped with a dozen sharpened stakes pinned her hat to a tree. Eldest hadn’t attacked her—
    she had saved Ren’s life.
    Putting fingers to her mouth, Eldest gave two shrill whistles. ‘‘’Ware! Traps!’’ Hearing her warning echoed through the encampment, Eldest turned back to Ren.
    ‘‘Are you all right, Your Highness?’’
    Ren nodded, sheathing her knife, feeling stupid. ‘‘You startled me.’’
    Eldest grinned. ‘‘Did I, now?’’
    ‘‘Yes, but thank you.’’
    ‘‘Another one there, and behind you.’’ Eldest pointed out a trip wire to either side of her. ‘‘Best just hop the wall.’’
    A BROTHER’S PRICE
    55
    Raven was coming down from the graves as they slid over the wall. ‘‘You might want to see this,’’ she said, but her face belied her words. Whatever they found was horrible to see.
    ‘‘What is it?’’ Ren did not want to go unprepared to the grave site.
    ‘‘They’ve killed a man.’’
    It was not enough warning. Ren gagged at what they showed her. Arms tied behind his back, his trousers down around his ankles to expose scrawny hairy legs, paunchy stomach—no dignity afforded him in death. Blood spotted his privates; his rapists had either been virgins or on their menses. Blood had clotted on his face and nose, had pooled in his eyes, and his ears. Drug vials littered the grave