Read Online Bunduki (Bunduki Series Book One) by J.T. Edson - Free Book Online Page A

propel its arrow at her as easily as the eagle had winged
across the chasm and be even more deadly if it struck
home.
    For a moment Charole was tempted to
fling herself from the saddle and hide behind her quagga’s body.
She restrained the impulse just in time, being aware of how
Dryaka’s clique and, even more important, her own followers would
react to such a display of cowardice. Flickering a glance at the
High Priest, she found that he was watching her. The mocking sneer
on his face implied that he had noticed her fear and deduced what
she had been contemplating. In which case, there was no easy way in
which she could avoid the danger.
    With the bow in the shooting position
and its arrow almost drawn to the full, reason returned to Dawn.
The two riders were drawing closer and every second’s delay was
decreasing her already slim chances of reaching the woodland.
Turning her head, she discovered that they were less than a quarter
of a mile away.
    Forgetting her intention of taking
revenge on the woman who had been reviling her, the girl swung away
and resumed her flight. Although she allowed the arrow to slide
forward under control, she once again left it in position. She was
accepting the difficulty of running like that against the benefit
of having it ready for immediate use.
    ‘ It is a
pity that your eagle failed to stop her, Charole,’ Dryaka remarked,
in tones of mock commiseration. ‘If you wish, I’ll let you have
your revenge when Tomlu catches her.’
    ‘ That
is kind of you,’ the Protectress answered, with a poison-sweet
politeness. ‘And when Ragbuf brings her to me, I’ll let you have
her—after I’ve finished with her.’
    Neither Charole nor Dryaka would
willingly allow their respective factions to become the weaker, so
each had sent one man to scout for game across the river. Whichever
reached the departing girl first would be able to claim her for his
leader.
    Having heard the brief exchange of
comments, the six riders from the ridge separated into their two
factions.
    They moved into position behind their
leaders and watched the scouts galloping recklessly in pursuit of
the foreign girl.
    Being fully aware of the rivalry
between their leaders; Ragbuf and Tomlu did not need to be told
that the Protectress and the High Priest would each want to take
the girl for his, or her, own use. So the scouts were mutually
determined to be the one who made the capture. Considerably smaller
and lighter than his companion, Ragbuf began to draw ahead.
Snarling a curse, Tomlu tried to force more speed out of his
zebra.
    ‘ What will you do with her,
Charole?’ asked the woman whose footwear followed the style worn by
the Protectress, throwing a triumphant glance at her opposite
number in Dryaka’s faction as Ragbuf gained a full length’s lead on
Tomlu.
    Before any reply could be made,
Ragbuf’s mount dropped its right front hoof into a hole. Screaming
with agony as the leg snapped, it went down and pitched its rider
over its head. Concentrating on the girl, he was unable to save
himself and was catapulted helplessly to the ground. The lance flew
from his hand as he made a belated attempt to break his fall.
Failing to do so, he landed head first. There was a sharp pop as
his neck broke and his body slid onwards for a few feet. Whooping
derisively and not offering to stop to see how badly the other man
was injured, Tomlu galloped by.
    ‘ You don’t seem to have the
Quagga God’s favor today, Charole,’ commented the sultry, beautiful
brunette from her place at the High Priest’s left side.
    ‘ Perhaps you would like to see how far He has withdrawn his
favor, Elidor?’ the Protectress spat back viciously and her right
hand crossed to the hilt of her sword.
    ‘ Tomlu will
soon have her,’ Elidor said, without meeting Charole’s challenging
gaze. Instead, as she was not ready to take up the other’s offer
and yet was equally unwilling to make her refusal obvious, she
pretended to be wholly absorbed