The Spell of Rosette - Kim Falconer [137]
Rosette tethered the horses in front of some thick brambles, the only greenery still available at the edge of the pine woods. The fish were cooking when she returned, everyone’s face flushed from the fire. She sat amongst them, soaking up the warmth.
‘Delicious,’ Rosette said, taking another bite and wiping her mouth on her sleeve. ‘Smoky, but delicious.’
‘You always liked fish in the wild.’ Jarrod winked at her and smiled.
‘Still do.’ She leaned into him, kissing his cheek through his stubble.
‘Listen, you two,’ An’ Lawrence interrupted. ‘This isn’t a picnic we’re on. When we find a crossing, we’ll be splitting up, and the gods only know whether the Lupins are going to be on our heels, or yours. There won’t be any time to linger. You’ll have to ride hard from dawn until dusk each day, hard enough to cover the distance, but not so hard you cripple the horses. You’ve got to get off this continent, remember? You’re being tracked.’
‘I doubt the Lupins will enjoy crossing that much water,’ Nell said, her eyes sparkling as she spoke.
‘How would you know what the Lupins would do? Dogs can swim,’ An’ Lawrence pointed out.
‘They aren’t dogs.’
‘What about Kreshkali?’ Rosette asked. ‘What do you think she will do next?’
‘There’s no telling,’ Nell said. ‘She…’
Maudi! Riders headed this way, fast!
Rosette held her hand out to silence them all. Where, Drayco?
Downstream.
Jarrod stood, waving them quiet. ‘Someone’s coming.’
‘Get down,’ she whispered. She dropped to a crouch, pulling him down beside her.
An’ Lawrence was on his feet, hand on his sword hilt.
Dray! What do you sense?
Two riders. One is on the Sword Master’s black beast.
Do you recognise them, Dray? Can you tell who they are? She looked across at An’ Lawrence. ‘Who’d be riding Diablai?’ she whispered.
‘Zero or…’ He didn’t finish the sentence. ‘They’d be searching for us.’
It’s Zero, Drayco confirmed. And him…the bard!
‘Who?’ Jarrod asked.
‘Friends,’ Rosette answered. She scrambled up, pulling Jarrod along with her. ‘What do we do?’
Everyone froze.
‘Go!’ Nell whispered, motioning to the horses. ‘Get out of here, now! Find a ford to the north. We don’t want to cross tracks.’
Rosette hesitated, looking from Nell to An’ Lawrence.
‘Now!’ Nell snapped her fingers. ‘Before either of you are seen.’
In seconds Rosette was untying Wren and her mountain horse, tightening their girths and leading them towards the fire. Jarrod met her halfway.
‘Find Maka’ra,’ Nell instructed as she tucked a handful of gold into her daughter’s saddlebag. ‘And keep the horses. You can ferry them across the strait to Rahana Iti. Maka’ra will take you on from there. You can trust him completely.’
‘I know,’ Rosette said.
‘Leave no trace behind.’ She gave Rosette a hug, holding the horse as she mounted.
‘Try to remember some of the things I’ve taught you,’ An’ Lawrence said. He was at her side, taking a twist out of the reins. Looking up at Jarrod, he added, ‘Mind each other.’
Rosette brushed her hand across her eyes and nodded, urging her horse into a trot. Drayco! Come now.
Drayco sidled up to Scylla and gave her a nose-touch before loping off with Rosette and Jarrod.
A minute later and there was no trace of them at all.
Eventually they found a shallow ford. The icy water spread over a wide expanse, barely reaching their horses’ knees. They rode slowly, standing in their stirrups, watching for sharp rocks or sudden holes, but the river floor was all pebble, the fine gravel crunching beneath the horses’ hooves as they plodded through the rushing water. They scrambled up the bank, slippery with recent rain, and moved easily through the valley before heading northwest to find a mountain pass.
Rosette stopped at the top of a particularly steep ravine. Her horse was breathing hard, flanks sucked in behind the ribs.
She gestured to Jarrod, shaking her head. ‘Wren might be able to run on ice water and brambles, but this one can’t.’
‘You’re right. They both need to graze. The foothill valleys could still have some decent pasture,’ he said. He turned to Drayco. Can you