Read Online Gateway to Fourline (The Fourline Trilogy Book 1) by Pam Brondos - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Pam Brondos
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remember where we saw the meeting between Mudug’s emissary and the Nala?”
“It’s a night not to forget, Annin.”
“I fell asleep on the hill above that farmer’s house and woke early. A pack of Nala and Mudug’s men were riding past the farm. I could barely make out the riders, but I sensed at least five Nala. I took off toward the Meldon Plain and stopped after a few miles near the edge of it to keep watch, then I made my way back to the portal by following the last section of the path. That’s when I found Riler and two of Mudug’s men.”
Riler turned his head to the right. Bits of dried leaf still clung to his beard. He took up the story.
“I stayed in the portal for a bit and came out right as the sun was coming up.” Ethet taped a gauze pad over his wound. Riler winced. “I could hear the birds and figured that was as good a sign as any that none of the Nala were around. I never saw any Nala, but I got ambushed about halfway to the Hermit’s house by two of Mudug’s guards.”
“You let two of them take you down?” Oberfisk’s face soured.
“I’m not proud of it, Oberfisk,” Riler replied sharply. “But I did break one guard’s arm and left a nasty gash on the other’s face. I thought at first they meant to do me in right there, but they argued with one another about bringing me back to the capital. They even knew my name. One kept referring to me as ‘the traitor Riler’ while he trussed my arms.”
Ethet gently pushed Riler back down on the cot. “Settle down, Riler, you’ll undo all my work,” she said.
Riler let out a slow breath. “I heard Annin’s birdcall when they were leading me to the edge of the forest. So I pretended to trip, and she fell out of the tree and knocked out one of them. I managed a good kick to the one with a broken arm, and he went down like a sack of bricks. Passed out cold.” Riler smiled.
“We pulled them off the path.” Annin resumed the story. “I dream-spoke the one with a broken arm. He knew each and every one of us. But they knew Riler and I were near the Meldon Plain.”
“How is that possible?” Andris asked. Estos shook his head and let the interruption pass.
“It was the same with Mudug’s other guard. They were receiving messages about our location somehow.” Annin paused for a moment and looked down the tunnel beyond the limestone archway. “They knew a general region to look, but not a specific place. I guess that’s one thing to be thankful for.” She glanced at Riler. He gave her an uncomfortable look. “What?” she asked.
“Nothing.” He turned away. “All right, it’s the eye. Gives me the shivers. Could you cover it up?”
Annin pulled the patch over her disc of an eye. “Don’t worry, Riler, I don’t bite like the Nala.” She smiled.
“Annin, that’s enough,” Ethet scolded her apprentice.
Annin shrugged and continued. “Anyway, I tried to confuse both soldiers so they’d forget what had happened. Riler and I traveled as quickly as we could down the path and waited just long enough to know we weren’t being watched before we came back through.” She sat back on the stool, leaning against the long table behind her.
Other than a slight pulsating hum, the room was quiet. Barba and Estos walked to the entrance of the tunnel and stood next to Andris.
“We have a problem,” Barba said as she stared into the grayness.
“I expected a little less of an understatement coming from a Wisdom Sister.” Andris leaned against the limestone and crossed his arms.
“Don’t be so derisive, Andris.” She pointed a finger at his chest, then turned quickly to Annin. “What about Cairn, do they know him?” she asked.
“They do. They know all of us who have come through or been over,” Annin said without emotion.
Everyone in the room watched Barba pace. Finally Estos spoke up.
“Barba, I know you’re thinking the same thing I am. We tried our theory with Annin, and it didn’t work. We need to see if
“It’s a night not to forget, Annin.”
“I fell asleep on the hill above that farmer’s house and woke early. A pack of Nala and Mudug’s men were riding past the farm. I could barely make out the riders, but I sensed at least five Nala. I took off toward the Meldon Plain and stopped after a few miles near the edge of it to keep watch, then I made my way back to the portal by following the last section of the path. That’s when I found Riler and two of Mudug’s men.”
Riler turned his head to the right. Bits of dried leaf still clung to his beard. He took up the story.
“I stayed in the portal for a bit and came out right as the sun was coming up.” Ethet taped a gauze pad over his wound. Riler winced. “I could hear the birds and figured that was as good a sign as any that none of the Nala were around. I never saw any Nala, but I got ambushed about halfway to the Hermit’s house by two of Mudug’s guards.”
“You let two of them take you down?” Oberfisk’s face soured.
“I’m not proud of it, Oberfisk,” Riler replied sharply. “But I did break one guard’s arm and left a nasty gash on the other’s face. I thought at first they meant to do me in right there, but they argued with one another about bringing me back to the capital. They even knew my name. One kept referring to me as ‘the traitor Riler’ while he trussed my arms.”
Ethet gently pushed Riler back down on the cot. “Settle down, Riler, you’ll undo all my work,” she said.
Riler let out a slow breath. “I heard Annin’s birdcall when they were leading me to the edge of the forest. So I pretended to trip, and she fell out of the tree and knocked out one of them. I managed a good kick to the one with a broken arm, and he went down like a sack of bricks. Passed out cold.” Riler smiled.
“We pulled them off the path.” Annin resumed the story. “I dream-spoke the one with a broken arm. He knew each and every one of us. But they knew Riler and I were near the Meldon Plain.”
“How is that possible?” Andris asked. Estos shook his head and let the interruption pass.
“It was the same with Mudug’s other guard. They were receiving messages about our location somehow.” Annin paused for a moment and looked down the tunnel beyond the limestone archway. “They knew a general region to look, but not a specific place. I guess that’s one thing to be thankful for.” She glanced at Riler. He gave her an uncomfortable look. “What?” she asked.
“Nothing.” He turned away. “All right, it’s the eye. Gives me the shivers. Could you cover it up?”
Annin pulled the patch over her disc of an eye. “Don’t worry, Riler, I don’t bite like the Nala.” She smiled.
“Annin, that’s enough,” Ethet scolded her apprentice.
Annin shrugged and continued. “Anyway, I tried to confuse both soldiers so they’d forget what had happened. Riler and I traveled as quickly as we could down the path and waited just long enough to know we weren’t being watched before we came back through.” She sat back on the stool, leaning against the long table behind her.
Other than a slight pulsating hum, the room was quiet. Barba and Estos walked to the entrance of the tunnel and stood next to Andris.
“We have a problem,” Barba said as she stared into the grayness.
“I expected a little less of an understatement coming from a Wisdom Sister.” Andris leaned against the limestone and crossed his arms.
“Don’t be so derisive, Andris.” She pointed a finger at his chest, then turned quickly to Annin. “What about Cairn, do they know him?” she asked.
“They do. They know all of us who have come through or been over,” Annin said without emotion.
Everyone in the room watched Barba pace. Finally Estos spoke up.
“Barba, I know you’re thinking the same thing I am. We tried our theory with Annin, and it didn’t work. We need to see if
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