Bright Fang growled.
“He smells blood,” Aramal said.“Old blood, spilled in a fight.The other scents are here, too, Dust and the two humans.”
“Just two?”Ritathan was still digging.
Halithe took a few more steps forward, careful to avoid touching the golden cord, stay away from the edge of the Wastes, and mind her footing.The dried beans were everywhere.A bundle of cloth caught her eye, and she knelt beside it.It was a strange rag doll, with a dried apple for a head.It had been stuffed with the dried beans, which spilled from what looked like a deliberate slash in the fabric.“Look at this,” she said.
Ritathan pulled a leather-wrapped bundle from the hole he’d uncovered.“This makes no sense,” he murmured as he untied the bindings and opened the bundle to display a key and a ring in the center of the cloth.
“The Ring of Xy,” Ritathan said in a hushed tone.“Last I saw that, it was on Xywellan’s finger.”
Halithe exchanged a glance with Aramal.They both heard the pain in Ritathan’s voice.
“Good people?”Aramal asked carefully.
“Yes,” Ritathan stood, carefully wrapping the items back in the bundle.“I thought to find something more,” He sighed, for the first time appearing ragged and tired.“Something that might tell me if Kara’s babe was born, and if it survived.
“Who would do this, and where are they now?”He stood, looking in the direction of the Wastes.“I can understand leaving the key and the Ring of Xy.The Wastes would dissolve them in a heartbeat.But—” he paused, frowning.
“I truly expected to find Kara’s child with the key.”Ritathan said.He looked up.“I wonder if that is related to the missing Bondmaiden.I wonder if Queen Satia sent her to find the babe and the key.”
“Why else have a doll?”Aramal spoke up.“Could the babe hold your key?”
Ritathan stared off toward the Wastes.“I don’t know.”He looked lost.
“You think they went over the edge?”Halithe asked.
“Maybe,” Ritathan said.“It’s not as if we can go look.”
“I can,” Aramal said.He dropped his pack.“I’ll go.”
Bright Fang whined.
“Well, you can’t,” Aramal said, unbuckling his belt and dropping it onto his pack.“And they’re mages, so they shouldn’t risk it.The Wastes won’t care if I take a look, so long as there is no metal on me.”He started pulling his tunic off, revealing brown and muscled shoulders.
Halithe pinked up a bit, dropping her eyes, but not before she noticed that she wasn’t the only one staring.
Aramal knelt, unlacing his boots.“That should do it,” he stood, running his hand through his hair.“I’ll get as close as I can.”
“Keep the rope around your waist,” Ritathan urged, winding the rope in his hands.
“I will,” Aramal promised.“A quick look, and I will back away.”He started walking, stepping carefully through the rocks and scattered pease.
Halithe, her mage sight still active, held her breath as he passed under the end of the cord.But nothing happened.It was only a few more feet to the edge.
“It looks like a struggle happened here,” Aramal said.“There’s more blood.”He stopped, peering down, then shook his head.“It’s a straight drop, almost worse than the one we climbed.There’s some gorse down there, but I would think a falling body would have crushed it.Beyond is a waste land, stretching out for miles.I don’t see—” he stopped.
“See what?”Ritathan asked.
The sound of wings filled the air, like birds, or bats—
“Muck,” Aramal cursed, and turned, running toward them.“Down, get down!”
Behind him, a dark cloud of winged creatures the size of geese rose in the air, shrieking and swooping to the attack.
Halithe gaped at the sight.Creatures she’d only ever seen depicted on every banner and uniform on King Xyrath’s forces.
Wyverns.
