The Jewel of Turmish - Mel Odom [29]
Haarn turned from the bear and walked to the wagon. The released slaves backed away from him fearfully, but a few of them muttered that he was probably coming to claim his choice of whatever gold and silver the slavers might have left behind. Instead, Haarn only recovered the few items of his that were personal belongings. He rigged his weapons once more about him without a word and set off into the forest.
"What are you doing?" Druz asked.
"Leaving," the druid replied.
"You can't-we can't just leave these people here like this." "I don't owe them anything." "You freed them."
"I came after the slavers," the druid said, "not to free those people. They're responsible for themselves. If they're meant to live, they'll find a way."
He stepped into the brush without hesitation or a backward look. Caught off-guard, Druz quickly went to reclaim her own kit from one of the men, who had taken it from the wagon.
"That's mine," she said.
"I found it," the man said, clutching the leather kit to him.
Druz showed the man the sword in her fist. "I'm not leaving here without that kit," she stated in a calm voice.
Even though she'd felt sorry for them a moment before, she also knew she'd take what was rightfully hers. She'd been in cities before that had been attacked by invading forces. Even after the invaders were routed, looting had gone on in the shops and homes that had been damaged. The citizens had taken whatever was left by the invading forces.
"Let her have the bag, Larz," a thin woman with a bruised face said.
"I found it," the man said.
"It's probably hers."
"Maybe she's lying."
Angry and frustrated, Druz stripped the bag from the man's hands. She'd liked the man better when she'd believed he was a victim. Stepping back from him, she tucked the kit under her arm and opened it. She took a few small packages from the kit and handed them to the woman.
"Food," Druz said. "It's not much, but maybe it will help see you back to your homes."
"The slavers burned our homes," the woman said. "They burned us out when they took us."
"I'm sorry," Druz said.
"What we've got here," the woman said, "is all we have."
"At least you're still alive and free," Druz said.
"Free to starve to death in this forest or to fall to one of the vicious beasts that live here," a man muttered. "If we don't catch our death in this rain."
"We need someone to guide us out of here," the woman told Druz. "We have small children with us. Maybe we can't pay you for your services now, but there will come a time when we can."
"No," Druz said softly, forcing herself to be hard. "I'm sorry. I can't." She glanced at the forest in the direction Haarn and the large bear had gone. There was nothing to mark their passage. "I've got to go."
"If you leave us here, we may die," the woman said.
Druz sheathed her sword. "Maybe you won't," she replied. "Head east. Alaghфn lies in that direction. Perhaps youll encounter a merchant caravan. Stay together and you should be all right."
The ex-slaves' faces showed the doubts they had.
Haunted by feelings of guilt but knowing she'd already undertaken an allegiance, Druz jogged in the direction Haarn had taken, hoping the druid had not gotten too far ahead of her and wasn't going to try to leave her behind. She didn't allow herself to look back at them because she didn't think she'd be strong enough to keep going.
She knew it wasn't strength that had allowed the druid to leave the slaves. The man simply didn't care for any of the people they'd freed. The realization chilled Druz as much as the rain that soaked her clothing because, for a time, she'd tied her future to the druid's.
CHAPTER SIX
T)u're sure this is the place?"
Eyes burning from only occasional restless sleep over the last three days, Cerril glanced up at Two-Fingers's hoarse, whispered question.