Free Blinded by the Sun (Erythleh Chronicles Book 4) by Catherine Johnson

opportunity to escape. She was able to discern that they were not to be auctioned in the port. They had another long journey ahead of them. It was her own potential value that compelled Seff to lead his men and their cargo to Vulc; it seemed he thought she'd fetch a better price in the capital. They would not be paraded in the filthy pens down by the waterfront, but Lyssia feared that such an honour did not bode well for any of them.
     
     

Chapter Six
     
    Sensing that there would be much turmoil in the coming moons, Kavrazel had negotiated to neglect his official duties for a handful of nights. He and Girogis had taken themselves to a hunting lodge in the northern forests, with only each other for company and provisioned with the very basic necessities. He wanted to enjoy the fresh, crisp air of the unsullied countryside, to remind himself - in the midst of the daily machinations of court and petitions for assistance - of the essence of his love for his country. Each day they left their horses at the lodge, where both animals would spend the day grazing on the short grass around the wooden structure, and trekked into the forest to hunt.
     
    Both men enjoyed hunting deer. They had no interest in does, they wanted only the challenge of the stags, and they preferred to hunt in the rutting season. It was true that the deer were less cautious, that they were easier targets, but they were also more aggressive. Kavrazel and Girogis hunted with longbows, thus their conduct and aim had to be immaculate. Should one of them create a disturbance, or wound an animal in a way that was not immediately fatal, it was to chance being speared on the massive branches of unwieldy antlers before they could aim and loose another arrow.
     
    This day, they were on the trail of a large buck that they had spied several hours before. They were picking their way between the thick, gnarled trunks, separated by at least twenty strides. The animal had led them a merry chase. They had taken all the usual precautions, and were generally considered competent and even talented hunters, and yet the buck had seemed to detect their presence at every turn. Every time they thought they were within sight, that they might draw a shot, the buck turned and flashed its white tail at them as it kicked up its hooves, sending leaves spiralling into the air.
     
    The sun was drooping in the sky, darkening to shades of scarlet and amber as it sought the horizon. The shadows in the forest were lengthening and thickening, and it looked as though they would pass the day unsuccessfully. They were not without food, they had brought supplies with them, but the taste of disappointment would be sour for both men. Finally, careless with frustration, Kavrazel loosed an arrow at a chance of a target. The buck darted to one side at the last moment. His arrow thunked into the trunk of a tree, quivering with the velocity with which it had struck. If his aim had been true, it would have been a fatal shot.
     
    The buck turned and gave Kavrazel a scornful look, if such a beast could be cognizant of scorn, and then shot off on nimble legs through the trees. Another arrow followed its tail, but it seemed that Girogis' aim was no better. His arrow injured only the thick bark of an ancient beech.
     
    Kavrazel took the lesson for the day. Some battles were not meant to be won, some foes were not meant to be outwitted, but he would never succeed if he was hasty and lost his patience. Girogis soon joined him, stamping through the mulch now that stealth was no longer necessary.
     
    "What kind of shot do you call that?" Girogis asked, barely able to speak for his mocking chuckle.
     
    "I believe you saw as much tail as I," Kavrazel returned, clapping his friend on the shoulder, perhaps with more effort than was strictly required.
     
    Girogis grunted, then chuckled again as they began to make their way back to the lodge, and a stew of vegetables and dried pork. "When was the last time you got