Horde (Razorland #3)(32)

Colonel Park actually looked shaken by my ferocity. Then, to my surprise, she inclined her head in a terse nod. “That’s fair, especially since my men will laugh their arses off at the idea of joining an army raised by a little girl. So you’re welcome to anyone crazy enough to follow you, so long as you complete the mission first.”

Her mockery burned, but I’d known worse. And maybe, just maybe, I’d surprise her. It wouldn’t be the first time someone had underestimated me.

“Deal,” I said, offering my hand.

We shook, then she tried to execute a restraint maneuver, probably to humble me, but Stalker had drilled me on that move in Salvation. I blocked and twisted her arm, so that she had to drop to her knees, or I would’ve broken it. My gray eyes must’ve looked cold as dirty ice as I stared down at her.

“I made that gesture in good faith. Now swear on something you hold sacred that you’ll keep your word.”

“I promise,” she gasped.

I relented just before I did permanent damage and she sprang to her feet, stumbling backward. There was a new wariness in her gaze; and I saw she’d take me seriously from now on. That might not be a good thing, but it meant I wasn’t a tool to be used anymore, either.

In an easy movement, I slid my blade into its sheath. Fade stood at my shoulder, ready in case she decided to pursue the conflict. Eventually, her shoulders relaxed. She needed us for the mission; therefore, we couldn’t be executed or even punished. Soon enough I’d find out whether her pledge meant anything.

“Show me on the map where we’re going,” I said, smiling. “There are plans to make.”

Misdirection

Fade and I slipped out of town early the next morning. The colonel was running a drill with mandatory attendance for all, creating enough commotion that nobody would notice our absence until it was too late. Fade was worried about letting Edmund down in the shop, and I felt guilty not telling my family about the assignment, but they would only fret longer if they knew, plus I’d have to deal with another emotional good-bye. Sometimes it was more expedient to get on with your work and apologize later.

Not since we first came Topside had Fade and I taken a journey alone. Though I didn’t say so out loud, it was nice having him to myself. There was no one to note how often I admired his sure strides or the strength of his broad shoulders. At once I chastened myself for such thoughts. They had no place outside the safety of town limits; in the wilderness, an instant’s distraction could have disastrous consequences.

“According to the maps, it’s a three-day run,” I said.

“You think we can do it faster?”

“I hope so. If we’re gone for a week, Momma Oaks will have a conniption.” That was a new word, one I loved. When I’d asked what it meant, Edmund described it in such an exaggerated way that I didn’t want to see such a fit for myself, in case he was telling the truth.

“Times like this, I miss my folks most,” Fade said softly.

“Because you want to be in trouble too?”

“No. I wish I had somebody to worry about me.”

“You do,” I told him. “I fret over you all the time. I just don’t say anything because it doesn’t seem like something you’d want to hear from me.”

He flashed me a smile as we put Soldier’s Pond behind us. “Feel free to fuss a little. I wouldn’t mind.”

It occurred to me then that his life had been bereft of small kindnesses, like when he put his head in my lap, and I stroked his hair. For me, it wasn’t such a large matter; I hadn’t even known I was supposed to want such things, until I met Fade. But with his desire to be touched struggling against the weight of bad memories, however, I wasn’t sure he could bear it, and I wouldn’t do anything to hurt or trouble him, even with the best intentions. But maybe this trip could reassure him that he was strong and competent—that the Freaks hadn’t changed anything.

The sun was just creeping above the horizon as I broke into a run. It felt good to be away from the settlement, even if it also carried risk. I was used to that, less prepared for the pain and exhaustion that nursing left behind. Fade jogged alongside me and I remembered our desperate journey to Nassau down below. Topside, the light was better, and the air was clean. I smelled the dying leaves and broken blades of grass beneath my feet, faint musk of animal droppings and the honeyed purr of clover in the air. In a few more months, the snow would come; my family needed to be settled before that time.

Toward the end of that first day, we dodged Freak patrols like it was our reason for living. They were only hours away from Soldier’s Pond, but I guessed the military settlement had given them reason to fear a direct attack. I’d rather fight and clear the area, but I had been instructed to get there undetected, and I had to admit, it would only complicate our mission if we had monsters chasing us. With only two of us on the move, our scent shouldn’t be strong enough to attract a big hunting party. Chills crawled over my body when I caught the rare scent of the Freaks on the wind—not the old, rotten reek, but the new, meaty animal smell. It told me that these creatures had changed for good, and if we couldn’t work out how and why, then we might not survive the coming conflict.

Fear might have paralyzed me if not for Fade. He beckoned with a determined look, then guided me around the danger zone. I kept my footfalls light and soft while we passed through; and in the distance, I heard it—the rustling foliage and cracking branches that said we had company. The Freaks called to one another in a whuffing, growling tongue—what dogs might sound like if they could speak. I could hardly hold the question until we were out of range.