From the Ashes (The Elder Blood Chronicles, #3)(139)

“If it’s edible or medicinal we will take it. I’ll send my men to fetch it,” Valor said as he turned and stalked from the store.

“What?” Tipton fairly yelped his eyes locked on Valor’s back as the door slammed shut behind him.

Jala watched the dust falling from the ceiling from the force of the door and glanced back at the merchant. “I don’t want to argue with him. Do you?” she said quietly.

Tipton shook his head slowly, his eyes still on the door then looked down at his list sadly. “Are you sure that you have enough wagons to haul this much?” he asked with a note of hope in his voice.

“If we don’t, I’d find more if I were you,” Jala said quietly, her attention focused once more on the window and the steadily approaching form of her husband. Ash was right. He did look angry, though she couldn’t begin to guess why. By all rights he should be pleased that she had managed to secure supplies. Without her intervention they would have had no choice but to return to Merro.





“The scouts say they aren’t more than two days off,” Badger spoke loudly enough for everyone in their small group to hear the words clearly. Jala glanced over at him and nodded faintly. She wasn’t sure if he had been speaking to her, or Wisp and Sovann who rode just behind them.

“My archers are ready and fully equipped, thanks to Sovann,” Wisp said with a quick look to Jala to ensure she had caught the full meaning of her words.

Jala nodded and bowed her head to Sovann. “Thank you for working as hard as I’m sure you had to,” she said as she straightened in her saddle once more and pulled the end of her reins from Legacy’s grasp. “We don’t eat leather,” she said softly as she leaned forward to kiss her son on the top of his head.

“Mothers are so bossy, eh kiddo,” Badger said with a grin and winked at his grandson.

“You didn’t let me eat leather when I was a child,” Jala pointed out calmly as she folded the reins back once more.

“Actually that’s what you teethed on,” Badger returned.

“What?” Jala demanded her head whipping back around to face him.

Chuckling softly, Badger nodded and pointed right at her. “And that was the exact tone of voice your mother used every time she caught you chewing on it,” he said with a wide grin.

We have issues, Jala. One of our scouts just returned riding like demons were after him, Jail said quietly in her mind. None of her other companions stomach riding in the front ranks for long with Jexon, but Jail had taken to it daily. He kept a very close eye on her husband and was quick to inform her of anything interesting that he heard or saw.

What is it? Jala asked as she slowed her horse allowing the others to ride ahead. After weeks of travel the others had become accustomed to her odd behavior and no longer even bothered to glance her way when she stopped for no apparent reason.

The thundering of hooves from behind her drew her attention and she watched a company of the Arovan knights ride by, led by Valor himself. Apparently they had gotten word about the scout as well.

The Avanti, from the looks of things. Either our earlier scout was very wrong or they’ve used magic to get the jump on us, Jail relayed quickly.

Fight coming? Marrow asked, his yellow eyes still watching the disappearing knights.

“It would seem so,” Jala said as she kicked her horse to catch up with her friends once more. Badger looked over at her as she slowed her horse beside him and raised an eyebrow as she handed him Legacy. “Take him to mother, please,” she said quickly, then turned to Wisp. “I want a squad of your specially equipped archers guarding my family as well as no less than six of the knights. Make sure they are people we can trust, Wisp.”

“Of course, Jala, but I thought they were two days off,” Wisp said a bit of confusion in her voice.

“Apparently not,” Jala said with a shrug as she kicked her horse once more to get a look for herself. The road before her twisted back on itself through a small stand of trees and then opened up onto a vast open field. The front ranks of her army were stopped at the edge of the woods with her husband at the front. All of their gazes were locked on the far side of the field where the rows of the waiting army could just barely be seen. The Avanti lines stretched as far as she could see in both directions, in numbers that she couldn’t even fathom.

“How in the bloody hells did our scouts miss that the first time out?” Noble asked quietly from the back ranks of the Arovan knights.

“We sent the spook scouts out first and had to wait for the real scouts to go out later and actually do their jobs,” Foster suggested with a faint smile.

“Silent in the ranks!” Bridgette barked, her voice wiping the smiles instantly off the men’s faces.

“They used magic to gain their ground,” Valor said softly with a glance back at his men. “They likely waited until our first scouts passed through and then moved giving them several hours before another patrol,” he said before turning his attention back to the army. His gaze paused on Jala as he turned, but he said nothing, not even bothering to nod in her direction.

“They outnumber us five to one,” Jexon announced with a shake of his head. Turning to the officer beside him he nodded back to the army. “Give orders to strike camp here and send an envoy to the Avanti camp. We will see who is in charge over there and determine what to do from there,” he ordered, his gaze falling across her as he turned his horse. She watched his eyes narrow at the sight of her in the front ranks but he kept his silence. He always did until they were alone.