"How did you get lucky enough to feed the prisoners?" Vahanian asked, licking his lips dryly.
The girl smirked. "Well, for one thing, they sent me to see if you really are vayash moru," she replied. "I guess if I live through it, they might try. Or maybe not," she shrugged.
Vahanian sipped greedily at the water. "I don't understand," he said. She pushed a bite of bread between his lips.
"Half the camp is sure you're back from the dead," she explained in a whisper, with a surreptitious glance over her shoulder. "There were bets on that you'd disappear in a puff of smoke come dawn."
Vahanian swallowed, and bit again at the bread. "I've been accused of a lot of things," he said. "But that's a new one."
"Just promise me something," the girl said, leaning forward as if to press another bite into his mouth. "I know who you are. I've heard them talk about your bounty," she said, her green eyes bright. "When you escape, take me with you."
Vahanian opened his eyes a bit wider at that. "I was dead yesterday," he said, sipping the water she held for him. "What makes you think I'm going anywhere?"
"I've heard Tarren talk about you," she said. "You will."
Vahanian glanced at Tris and back at the girl again. "Fair enough. What's your name?" he asked.
"Berry," the girl replied, giving Vahanian the last of his portion. "I've got to go," she said suddenly, glancing over her shoulder. At that, she moved on to Carina, although she said no more as she fed the remaining prisoners.
The slavers remained at the burned-out caravan site for two days. On the morning of the second day, a rider approached, and Tris looked up to see a dark, thin-faced man on horseback ride into camp.
"We've got company," Tris whispered to his companions. Vahanian looked up, then stiffened, his face tight with anger.
"Vakkis," he muttered, making the name a curse.
"You know him?"
Vahanian nodded grimly. "Too well. Bounty hunter. He's the one I warned Linton about, the one I saw in the tavern. Only this time, I'm not top of his list," he said with a measured glance at Tris. "You are."
Tris digested that piece of news wordlessly, watching the stranger approach. Tarren came out to meet Vakkis personally, and while the tall slaver did not completely sacrifice his reserve in his efforts to please the newcomer, it was apparent, even out of earshot, that Vakkis held the upper hand. After a brief conversation, Vakkis and Tarren headed for where the prisoners were tethered, accompanied by two slavers who walked behind them with the horses. The slavers looked askance at Vahanian, clearly fearful of the smuggler, who grinned wickedly, making sure his lips drew back to expose his teeth. The two slavers recoiled, and Vahanian chuckled.
Vakkis stopped in front of Vahanian, who looked up and met the bounty hunter's eyes defiantly. "Well, well," Vakkis gloated. "Look what we've caught. I wasn't trolling for you, Jonmarc, but I won't turn down the bounty."
"Go to the Demon."
In response, Vakkis backhanded Vahanian and Tris could see blood well at the corner of the mercenary's lip. "I may go to the Demon as you say, Jonmarc," the bounty hunter replied, rubbing the back of his hand, "but I assure you, you will go with me."
Vahanian said nothing in response, but a killing chill came to his eyes as Vakkis moved a step to stand before Tris. "Ah, good. You've followed instructions well, Tarren," Vakkis said. "This is exactly the one I was looking for." Vakkis looked him over carefully, and Tris had the uneasy sense of being merchandise, appraised for the sale. "We have a common... friend... who will be very glad to see you again," Vakkis said. "You have much to account for."
"I'd watch my back if I were you," Tris replied evenly, although his heart pounded. He hoped he could replicate Vahanian's defiance. "After all, I've seen your... friend... in action. Don't count on living to spend the money." Tris thought that Vakkis would cuff him, too, for his insolence but the bounty hunter seemed to think better of it and merely folded his arms.
"I'm not concerned," Vakkis brushed off the reply. "But you should be. Better to be the hunter than the prey."
"It's not over yet."
"We shall see," Vakkis replied. The bounty hunter looked over to Tarren. "Guard them well. Double the guard you have posted. Bring them back to Shekerishet, and your company will be rich. Fail, and you will all die."
The threat did not seem to faze Tarren. "Those were our terms," Tarren replied. "They'll get to the palace."
"Good," Vakkis said, looking around the camp for the first time. "Now, come with me. We have much to discuss."
Tris watched the two men walk away, waiting until they were out of sight before he glanced over to Vahanian. "Looks like we know all the right people."
Vahanian managed a crooked grin. "Yeah, imagine that. You can take it as kind of an honor that your brother sent Vakkis after you," the mercenary added. "He's the best in the business. I've ruined his perfect kill record for quite a few years," he said. "Guess everything has to end sometime."
"That's one record I'd like to see stay ruined," Tris replied.
Before long, Berry began her rounds again, bringing bread and water to the prisoners. "You're the ones Tarren's been after, aren't you?"
she asked Vahanian as she fed bread to Tris and held a cup for him to drink from.
"Looks like it," Vahanian replied. "So why are you here?"
Berry shrugged. "Wrong place at the wrong time. Ambushed."
"Have you heard them talk about where we're going next?" Tris asked between bites.
Berry nodded. "Back into Margolan, toward the palace. Tarren had an argument last night with his lieutenant about the road to take. Vakkis wants them to go the straight way, but that runs along the Ruune Videya forest. Tarren doesn't mind, but the men are superstitious," she added, as Tris finished his bread and gratefully accepted another drink. "They don't want to go near the forest."
"So which road are we taking?" Tris asked thoughtfully.
Berry moved on to offer a crust to Vahanian. "The one Vakkis wants. But it doesn't mean the slavers like it."
"That might be just the break we need," Carroway hissed. "You know the stories."
"Anything else?" Tris pressed.
Berry shook her head. "No. I'll keep listening. In the meantime, here's this," she whispered, and just then, appeared to stumble. As she recovered, Tris saw her drop something into Vahanian's bound hand. "It's not much," she said, and Tris caught a glint of metal before Vahanian concealed it in his fist. "But it's sharp."
"Thank you," Vahanian replied. "You're in."
Berry grinned. "Good," the girl replied. "Oops," she said suddenly, "Got to go." And she moved on to Carina with a glance over her shoulder.
The next day, the slavers woke the prisoners at dawn. The camp was alive in the chill morning as the slavers took anything of value in the caravan's belongings and readied themselves for the march. Tris and the other captives were loosed from their stakes, dragged to their feet and bound together with lengths of rope in single file, then herded onto open wagons, where each end of the tether was tied securely to the wagon's supports.
With the gray dawn, a chill had settled around Tris's mood. The vow he had sworn to Kait and to the Lady rang hollow in his memory, and the possibility of fulfilling it seemed as remote as the Border mountains. Perhaps Harrtuck had been right, Tris thought. The road and its hardships had finally begun to make a sheltered prince into a king. Tris lifted his face into the wind and begged the Lady that those lessons would not come too late to save his friends, his kingdom and his sister's soul.