Rogue Legacy, Jeffrey L. Kohanek [best pdf reader for ebooks .txt] 📗

If traveling across the flat plains was slow, the slog up the incline to the upper plateau was torturous. Due to the weight of the wagons and the steepness of the incline, the Tantarri had to unload supplies and carry them up by hand, while the oxen pulled the unladen wagons uphill in fits and grunts. Although the total incline was merely a mile in length, the process consumed an entire afternoon. By the time the wagons were on level ground, settled into a circle, and the goods had been carried into camp, the sun was edging below the tall snow-capped spires to the west.

The area in the center of the wagons had been cleared of grass, leaving only sporadic shoots showing among the dark dirt. At the core of the clearing was a fire pit, encircled by rocks the size of a man’s head. While some members of the clan prepared the wagons for their stay, others prepared dinner for the evening. Before they could be assigned a task, Lyra took Tiri by the elbow and snuck out of camp.

“What are you doing?” Tiri asked.

“While I appreciate the Tantarri for taking us in, the clan does this every year without our help.” Lyra glanced back at the camp, finding only the wagon tops and people’s heads visible above the wavering grass. “It seems a good opportunity for a bit of privacy and a chance to explore a bit.”

Tiri shrugged. “I guess.”

Lyra looked around as she walked, gazing at their new surroundings. Similar to the plains below, they stood among an immense field of grass, the tips of which stood just below Lyra’s line of vision. To the north, a line of foothills arose, growing taller as her gaze shifted west. There, she found a wall of incredibly tall peaks, capped by white. She turned southward and gazed at the distant line of foothills that lay beyond a closer series of ridges, the nearest of which presented a cliffside that towered above them a mile to the southeast.

Away from the others, Lyra finally approached a subject that she had, until now, avoided.

“How do you feel about Gar?”

“What? Gar?” Tiri’s eyes flicked down, and then back toward Lyra. “I guess he’s thoughtful…and quite charming.”

“And handsome,” Lyra added.

“Yes, that too.”

Lyra stopped walking and faced Tiri. “Come on, Tiri. Admit that you like him.”

“Of course I like him.”

Lyra sighed. “You know what I mean. You have feelings for him, and you know it. Whenever I turn around, you are with him or staring at him, or both.”

Tiri’s gaze shifted toward her feet. “Yes, he makes me feel…special. And his eyes, I could look into those eyes all day.”

“Tiri, I love you, but you don’t have any experience in this area. While I lived at the castle, I never saw you with a boy…because there were no boys around. You’ve never even been friends with a boy before, have you?” Lyra did not want to mention Donte.

“No.” Tiri shook her head. “I do like him, but I don’t know what to do.”

Lyra took Tiri’s hand. “You need to be more confident. You’re beautiful and smart…and don’t worry about him not feeling the same way toward you. I’m surprised he hasn’t thrown himself at you yet. He has little attention for me or anyone else when you’re around. Trust me; he is falling for you in a big way.”

“Really? Are you sure?”

“Yes. Now, don’t doubt yourself. Remember that you were a princess, so be sure he treats you like one. You can’t let him have all of the power.”

“If you say so.”

“As long as you have that straight, I suggest that you kiss him. That will set things into motion. Trust me on that one, too.”

Tiri smiled, her cheeks growing red. “Kissing him would be nice.”

“Just go on and do…”

The ground shook, and Lyra looked down at it in confusion. A rumble arose above the swishing of the grass, growing louder. She turned toward the noise as a white horse crested a rise to the north. Moving faster than Lyra had thought possible, the stallion sped toward her, trailed by dozens of horses varying in color and pattern.

“Run!” She grabbed Tiri’s arm and ran toward camp, trying not to fall as she stumbled through the tall grass.

As the rumble increased in intensity, Lyra felt it thumping in her chest, matching the beat of her racing heart. The lead stallion blasted past them, passing through the spot where they had been standing a moment earlier. Not stopping, the two girls continued running, narrowly avoiding the stampeding horses as they trampled a broad swath through the long grass.

When the intense noise began to fade, indicating that the herd had passed them, Lyra slowed to a stop, breathing heavily as Tiri settled beside her. Her gaze followed the herd as it continued south, growing ever more distant until the rumble faded to the swishing of grass, swaying to the rhythm of the cool mountain breeze.

“You two were lucky. Surely, the horse gods must favor you to spare you like that,” Gar said.

Lyra snorted. “I don’t know about any horse gods, but we were lucky alright. It was a close thing, nearly being trampled by that herd.”

She took another bite of the jackaroo leg, gnawing on the chewy meat until it was ground enough to swallow.

“They were beautiful, Gar. When you first described them, I didn’t understand what you meant.” Tiri stared into the fire. “The only horses I had seen were the big ones that used to pull my father’s carriage. These, however…these were lithe, majestic creatures, swift and stunning.”

“We want to help you, Gar,” Lyra said.

“Help me?”

“Not you. The Tantarri.” Lyra glanced at Tiri, who nodded. “We want to help you track them…earn their trust…ride them.”

His eyes narrowed as he stared at Lyra, his expression visibly softening when they shifted to Tiri. “Maybe you’re right. We’ve tried everything we can think of, but you two did not grow up as one of us. Perhaps you can offer a new approach.”

Lyra smiled, mirroring Tiri. “Good. Can we start in the morning?”

Gar stared at Lyra for a moment before nodding. “Yes. I have a few things to do at daybreak, but we can leave shortly after that.”

Lyra’s grin widened. She had gotten him to commit. Now, she needed to figure out a plan.

34

Lyra looked to her left, finding six Tantarri warriors walking through the tall grass. A glance to the right revealed Tiri, Gar, and four more warriors. The group had been walking south for more than an hour, with everyone scanning the horizon in hope of locating the infamous herd of wild horses.

A distant rumble caused Lyra to glance toward the sky, dark with rolling clouds, as she tried to determine if the sound was from a stampede or the storm on the horizon.

“It looks like rain is coming,” she said, loud enough for Gar to hear. “Maybe we should turn back?”

The sky to the west roared with thunder and a flash of lightning arced to the ground, a bright streak against the dark background behind it. The rumble echoed throughout the plain. Oddly, the rumble grew louder until the horses suddenly emerged from a low area to the southwest.

“Here they come,” Gar shouted. “They’re heading toward a canyon again.”

The Tantarri broke into a sprint, racing toward a canyon mouth to the east, matching the angle of the herd but at a far slower pace. Startled, Lyra and Tiri ran after them, trailing the group. A glance to the south showed the horses passing the Tantarri with ease. In moments, the white stallion raced into a narrow canyon. Seconds after the last horse vanished from sight, the lead Tantarri warriors reached the gap.

Lyra passed Tiri and two of the slower Tantarri, trying to keep up with Gar and the others at the fore. Loose sand and rock covered the canyon floor, forcing her to watch her footing as she weaved through the scattered scrub that dotted the ground. She glanced up at tall canyon walls that drew closer and closer together as she ran further into the canyon.

The men in front of Lyra faded from view as they rounded bends in the ravine, only to reappear at the next straightaway. She felt wet drops hit her arm, her head, her shoulder. Suddenly, the sky opened up and it began to pour. The rain fell so heavily that Lyra’s vision