Clanless (Nameless #2)(39)
“Finally,” said one of the men between breaths.
Gryphon turned to Sani, brows raised in question.
“Raven are a bit competitive when it comes to running. All refuse to be the first to call halt. It marks the weakest among the group.” The boy did his best to hide his own labored breathing.
“You are a worthy runner, Ram,” a Raven said. Others nodded agreement.
“But you believe I’m the weakest of our small company?” asked Gryphon.
Sani nodded, serious as ever. “Without question.”
A few of the Raven chuckled as they each choose a tree and began climbing.
“Where are you going?” Gryphon asked Sani. The boy took hold of a low branch and hoisted himself up.
Sani paused and turned his head as though he didn’t quite understand the question. “We’re settling in to rest, before our next run. There is still an hour or two until first light. We’ll resume our journey when the sun rises.”
“Why climb when you will rest better on the ground?” asked Gryphon.
Sani reached for the next highest branch and pulled himself up. “Because only fools sleep on the ground in this part of the region.”
Gryphon watched Sani and the others climb, each settling into a forked branch of his own tree. He considered Sani’s warning, but the idea of climbing and sleeping on a branch held little appeal. He pulled out a woolen blanket from his pack and bundled it into a ball to act as a pillow. The moment his head touched the fabric of his people, Gryphon’s eyelids drooped and sleep overtook him.
Rain fell on the metal roof of the weapons shed. When the door opened, Gryphon expected to see the Gate Master or another trainer come to deliver his yearly beating, but instead, Zo walked in, bringing with her mist that smelled of tree sap from the outside rain.
“You shouldn’t be here.” Gryphon looked beyond her to the door. He wanted to throw the lock but that was against the rules. Ram always obeyed the rules.
Zo stood wearing a simple tunic over leather pants. A woven belt accentuated her thin waist. She rubbed warmth into her arms as she walked among the shelves of the weapons shed. Her blue eyes struck him as they always had. Her dark hair fell in a perfect wave around her shoulders. She bit her bottom lip, wrinkling her forehead as if something were troubling her.
Gryphon stepped over his woolen blanket and approached her with open arms. He couldn’t bear to see her concern even though he didn’t understand its cause. But Zo just kept walking around the room, ignoring his offer to hold her. To love her.
The door creaked open and Zo scurried to the far corner of the shed. Gryphon planted himself in front of her as Zander walked in.
“It is that time of year, healer. Time to receive your gift.”
No.
Gryphon charged Zander. He tried to grab him, to hurt him, but his hands—his whole body—couldn’t connect with him. It was as if Gryphon were nothing more than a useless, powerless vapor.
Zander stood patiently by the door. “There is no way out, healer. Come to me and it will be easier for you.”
Zo’s perfect lips pulled back into a snarl. She snatched a short sword from a shelf and crouched low, refusing to leave her corner.
Zander sighed. “I suppose it will be more fun for us both this way.”
“NO!” Gryphon yelled, but no sound came from his lips. He fought the space between him and Zander with wasted effort.
Zander ran at her and with one powerful swipe of his arm Zo’s weapon clattered to the floor. She screamed and cried out in agony. Gryphon sank to the ground and covered his ears but her screams penetrated his very soul.
Panting, Gryphon startled awake. The sun hadn’t fully risen. Sani peered down from his lofty perch but the others still slept. Gryphon rolled onto his side and refused to close his eyes, never wanting to see the inside of the weapons shed again.
Gryphon and the Raven ran most of the next day. By nightfall, Gryphon was again the one to beg the others to stop. Surrounded by the giant pines that dotted the region, Gryphon and the rest of the Raven leaned against trees as they ate a meal of dried meat and hard biscuits in silence. Gryphon greedily guzzled his water then choked, forgetting he needed air even more than hydration.
They’d managed to cover nearly four days of travel in two, bringing them dangerously close to the massive wall of Ram’s Gate. Gryphon chewed on his humble meal and looked out at the dim forest surrounding him. These were his woods. He knew exactly where they were.
Chief Barnabas constantly had them scanning this forest for game and other clans. So many memories. Successes and failures. Moments of victory and loss. Zo, Tess, and Joshua had rested under the boughs of a giant fir only a few hundred yards from where he sat.
A part of him wanted to go to the tree and see it empty with his own eyes. Just seeing their tracks would bring some measure of comfort.
Gryphon, stiff with sore muscles, pushed himself off the ground and gained his feet. “I’ll be right back.”
Two of the Raven, including Sani, climbed to their feet as well. “Where are you going?” asked Sani.
“There’s something I need to see,” he said.
Sani exchanged silent looks with his fellow clansmen. Gryphon still found it strange that the small band of warriors looked to an adolescent boy as a leader. He was so young, but being the chief’s son, his opinions weighed more than most. “I’ll go with you,” said Sani.