Thraun missed the closeness of Erienne, her hair and the feel of her skin. He missed that he couldn't help her any more and that she had no use for him. For any of them. He treasured the touch she had given him, cupping his cheek, her lips just brushing his and then she was gone again as she had been from Denser. He had felt hurt but now he just felt deeply sorry for her because, to him, the torment she was going through was obvious.
Not just that every move she made was jerky and uncertain somehow. And not because she said very little but to make demands to stop, to ride, to eat or drink. But because he had seen into her eyes and not even Denser had seen the raging within. Every cell of her was fighting to restrain the One and it took her almost completely from them.
But he knew that she was better for the fact that she could sense them again. The times she had been close to him, the briefest touch or a lifting of the corner of her mouth told him she was still there with them.
Thraun was the watch now that they had eaten and the fire was doused. It was dark but his lupine eyes could separate the shades and his nose was keen, the strong smell of wood smoke hanging in the air just one of the myriad scents he could discern. The Raven were sleeping and that was compliment enough. He sat with them, right in their midst, silent.
From where would the threat come, he wondered. They had camped as they must, hidden from plain view land- or airborne but there was no geographic feature nearby to guard any point of the compass. So threat could come from anywhere and strike at anyone.
Not Erienne. She would not be killed though she could conceivably be taken. But any member of The Raven was as critical as any other.
The question was, who would they target? If, indeed, any of the Lord of the Mount's assassins were even in the vicinity.
Thraun pushed himself to his feet and padded carefully across the small camp site to where the horses were tethered. He stood with them, watching as they did, the eddies of the night around them. Horses were always nervous with him on first contact. This group had calmed now but they sensed something other than the human in him. It was just something he had to accept.
Like so much that was frustrating. Like his lack of language and die gap between thought and articulation. Like the love that remained for his wolven side but that he denied because he feared the prison of the animal form. So much he didn't fully understand.
He stood with the horses for some time, their warmth and innocence comforting. They demanded so little. But they missed almost nothing of what was around them. There was a moment when all their attention was in the same direction. Thraun moved away from them then, walking smoothly back towards his friends. Denser was stirring but in his anxiety he might have done that at any time. Might have.
Thraun paced evenly and very quietly towards Denser, seeing the mage flap his arms as if pushing away an unseen enemy. Indeed. Thraun saw the shimmer against the heat signature of the dead embers. He walked past Denser's feet, bent down and dropped his hand on the Cloaked figure, catching him a little high but adjusting his grip. Thraun pushed, the assassin becoming visible as he stopped moving, his face driven into the ground, a knee on his back. The shapechanger growled.
'Knife,' he said.
The assassin held out his right arm. The dagger in his right hand was coated. Thraun punched his wrist and the weapon dropped from his grasp.
'You will not move,' said Thraun. He tightened his grip on the assassin's neck, dragging him backwards and up, the other arm wrapping around his front grabbing his groin. 'Raven!' Thraun's voice boomed across the campsite.
Around him, they awoke, rolling and standing, shaking sleep from their minds and dragging swords from scabbards lying on the ground.
'Form up!' shouted The Unknown.
Quickly, the four Raven men ran to positions around the still sleeping but stirring Erienne. Thraun pulled his man inside the ring.
'Where's your friend?' asked Hirad.
The assassin said nothing. Thraun pulled him closer, both hands gripping a little tighter.
'Talk.' Where there was one, there would be another. He would be watching them, probably from close by. 'Talk.'
The assassin let go a small groan of pain. Denser turned at the sound. Thraun saw the disappointment in his face.
'Takyn?' he said. 'You?'
'I am sorry, Denser,' replied the assassin. ‘Iam so ordered.'
'That's just bloody great,' said Denser, he swung back round. 'Now they're sending my friends to kill me.'
'You should have chosen better friends,' said Hirad.
‘Idid.'
'Yes, Denser, you did,' said Takyn.
'Call the other one out,' said The Unknown. 'Either that or have him watch you die.'
'I'll do it,' said Denser. 'Gythen, I know you're there. Come in and join the party. Let's work this out and all walk away with our lives tonight.'
'Don't be naive, Denser,' said a voice from the dark. Thraun struggled to pinpoint his direction. 'How can you possibly let us go? Takyn knows it. I know it.'
'Come out and take us on, then,' said Hirad.
They heard a dry chuckle. 'Getting myself killed on duty has never been in my plans.'
Denser turned to Takyn. 'In a moment, it looks like you'll never be able to father children. Call him out, we won't kill you.' He paused. 'How could you accept this job? Don't our years of training together mean a thing to you?'
'They were a long time ago,' said Takyn between measured, difficult breaths. Thraun did not slacken his grip anywhere. 'You chose your route, I chose mine.'
'But this?'
'I'll admit I never expected to be assigned to The Raven but you have to be prepared. You know how it works. You'd have made a good assassin.'
'I'm so flattered.'
'Denser,' said The Unknown sharply. 'This is not helping our problem. Gythen, this is your chance to walk away with your friend, not alone. Show yourself.'
Hirad spoke to Takyn over his shoulder, loud enough for the other to hear.
'Denser may have trouble killing you but I won't. Anyone who does Dystran's bidding shares the blame for the death of my friend. All your lives are forfeit.'
'Hirad, please.' said Denser.
'I'm just telling it how it is.'
Erienne stirred again and awoke, finding herself in a ring of men, tension in the air. Thraun watched her puzzlement turn to irritation, the light that was in her eyes diminishing quickly.
'Assassins,' he said.
'So kill him and let me rest,' she said, her voice rough and dry. ‘Imust have rest.'
'We're dealing with it, love,' said Denser. 'But there's another one. You could pinpoint him. You know you have the talent.'
She was on her feet now. Thraun could see her expression clearly when she looked at her husband. It held contempt and impatience but she forced those alien thoughts away, leaving Thraun to see the struggle she was enduring and the fear when her face relaxed.
‘Idon't know if I can stop it if I start it,' she said, her voice now small and desperate.
'What are we debating this for?' asked Hirad. 'I'm with Erienne. Denser, light up the site, I'll slit this bastard and we ride out. The coward in the shadows can get us back if he can keep up with a galloping horse. How about it?'
'Ever the diplomat, Hirad,' said Denser.
'We have a Code,' added The Unknown.
Hirad scoffed. 'Assassins have no honour. I will show them none in return.'
He spun round, his movement quick enough to surprise even Thraun and Takyn started violently. The barbarian's sword point prodded Takyn's chest above his heart. 'Any of you think you're quick enough to stop me?'
Erienne's voice in the void was enough. 'If it's any help making up your mind, whoever you are out there, you are moving very slowly to my right. You have just ducked under an overhanging branch. In your next pace, you will pass a small drift of leaves. Denser's FlameOrbs will be ready in moments. You can't get away from the splash zone. Your call.'
Thraun watched Erienne's head fall to her chest and her arms clutch at her ribs as if she was feeling an acute pain. Outside the circle, Gythen blinked into view.