Chosen (The Warrior Chronicles #1)(74)

Shanti nodded and shrugged at the same time. Battles always brought surprises, but she didn’t want to rile him up further.

Cayan, Sterling, and a circling of other experienced men dismounted from their horses and gathered in a circle, dissecting the maps and making final arrangements. Each lieutenant had a group of men under his guidance, which then sectioned out again to a staff sergeant. They listened and nodded, the lower tiered men leaving much of the arrangements to the officers.

When they had finished, the circle broke up and they stowed their maps, walking determinedly back to their mounts with hard faces. As Shanti turned toward her spot in the middle of the line, Cayan said, “Shanti, I want you up front. I am led to believe you are a good shot with the bow. I also know you can use my power to search out the enemy from a great distance. Both are useful.”

“If the horses spook, I’ll be trampled.”

“You’ll be riding behind me.”

She was in the process of saying, “No,” when hard blue eyes rooted her to the spot. Her tongue got thick and melded to the roof of her mouth. She wanted to shrivel away, to look anywhere but at those eyes. But she’d be blasted if this man would intimidate her, so she held that stare, trying to ignore the shivers running up her back and weakening her legs.

“It was not a question,” he said, his eyes and bearing reinforcing his words.

She nodded indifferently, telling herself it was because she said she would follow his command for now, rather than admitting to being scared shitless to refuse. She waited for him to climb on and allowed herself to be hoisted up after him.

It appeared she had her answer for how he inspired fear…

“It won’t be easy to shoot from behind your big body.” Her voice had only a hint of pout.

“Sterling will hit anything to the right. You to the left. I will hit anything in front. What we miss those behind us will hit.” After a pause he finished with: “I want you to connect with me. Use my power to reach.”

“Together our power is unpredictable.”

“I need you 100% for when we go in the hold. Use me. It wasn’t a request.”

And the hits just kept on coming.

The progression continued with everyone on point. Shanti put her hand up the bottom of Cayan’s shirt onto his smooth, muscled back. She tagged along as he opened his mind and spread it out, letting him use the brunt of power required, even though it was only a trickle. Being linked mentally, she couldn’t help but feel his apprehension for the coming battle. He was worried of his decision, he was scared Sanders was dead, and the incredible burden of his position weighed on his mind.

“You made the right choice,” she murmured for his ears alone. “Your people will make it through this. If you didn’t act, they would’ve come for you in numbers, and you would’ve still had to fight.”

“I know that. I just hate sentencing my people to death.”

For a brief moment she leaned against him, supporting. She knew what he was going through from experience. Some decisions weren’t easy, but they still needed to be made. Death was inevitable and so was this battle. It might as well happen now as later. It might as well happen far from home, rather than where innocents might get killed.

It was another hour before Shanti and Cayan felt the mind ahead and slightly to the right. They were traveling over hard dirt, making a large dust cloud that billowed out and above the trees. Only someone asleep wouldn’t see them from a great distance. Then, when they got closer, the tromp of hooves and murmur of voices would surely wake the dead.

“We should send someone ahead,” Cayan mumbled to himself. He had realized their predicament.

“Let me go,” she responded quietly. “It will be an easy thing.”

Fear of a different sort swirled through his thoughts. For her. For her safety. He thought of her as one of his, now. She had become his responsibility and he didn’t want to see her hurt any more than Sterling or Lucius. Those fears were tempered with hard logic. He knew it was the best course of action, quick and efficient.

She had no idea why he hated that fact.

“Sterling,” Cayan said in his commanding voice, “take Shanti, Lucius, and Tobias. Cut them down.”

Lucius kicked his horse forward until he was even with Cayan.

“Lucius, I can’t get down when you’re—“ Shanti’s words were cut off by Lucius dragging her over to his saddle. “What am I, a sack of cabbage?”

“You are much louder than a sack of cabbage,” Cayan drawled as Lucius kicked his horse into a trot.

Their small party rode ahead. Tobias, knowing nothing about Shanti, couldn’t contain his displeasure at a woman tagging along. He kept his distaste to huffs, however, being a well versed fighter—he knew better than to piss off the Captain. Shanti, knowing better than to waste time, didn’t punch him in the throat. All in all, they got along.

“Sterling, what is your range?” Shanti asked as they ate away the hard packed earth, closing the distance to the first sentry. It was a well-traversed road though not badly eaten away, indicating there was more foot traffic than heavy animals or carts.

“Dead on for three-hundred spans,” Sterling answered in a flat tone, eyes scouting the foliage and road ahead.

“Tobias?”

“Two-hundred at most, but that is while steady.”