The Brightest Shadow, page 5
That didn't mean they wouldn't kill her if they caught her trying to get over the wall, though. When the current guard finally turned back, Tani finally rose from her hiding place. She crept down the other side of the boulders, ducked into the tallest grass available, and stealthily moved toward the wall.
For normal intruders, the high wall surrounding Bundlin was more than enough to keep them out. But Tani had been practicing her master's Soaring Feet and was just confident enough to try the technique outside of training. Just as planned, she reached the base of the wall before the guard turned back. She would have plenty of time to prepare herself while he walked above her, then she would have her chance.
Taking a deep breath, Tani closed her eyes and drew up the sein within her until the smell of mint burned in her nostrils. It would have been better if she could touch or see the sein as her master said she should, but Tani did not yet understand herself that well. But the smell would be enough, if she was very careful. Tani let the sein settle into her legs and feet, feeling the new strength in them and making sure all was balanced.
Because while she had practiced the leaping technique of the Soaring Feet, she wasn't so good at coming down.
The sein in her legs would carry her higher than an untrained human being could jump, but it wasn't built to absorb the impact when she landed. While her body was tougher than average, considering that she would land with as much force as she leapt, that wouldn't be enough. She needed to reach the wall on her first try.
Pushing such thoughts aside, Tani let herself fall into her sein and made the final preparations. Though she had practiced this technique many times before, she didn't know it well enough to use it naturally. That required more preparation, especially when there was no room for error.
Her master said that the smell of mint was arbitrary, just her mind's way of comprehending sein. But it had always been more than that for her. Her mother had mixed mint into some of the earliest meals she remembered. One of the lodge fathers had worn a crown of it in his hair, let her tiny hands play with it. And when she had begun her training, the smell of mint was strongly associated with her master, both her kindness and her cruelty. Tani took all of those memories, gathered them within herself, and thought back to a moment when she lay on her back, staring at the sky...
Purely focused as if in a trance, Tani rose and walked a short distance from the wall. She bent down slowly, touching two fingers of each hand to the earth and letting the memories swell up within her until her entire body was focused on that memory of the clouds overhead. There was no need for calculation now, all she needed to do was follow her natural jumping instinct, to leap like a child toward the endless blue...
Her body uncoiled and suddenly she was in the air, flying toward the top of the wall.
When her trance ended, everything immediately felt unreal, her body propelled with force that wasn't her own. Except that it was her own force, just the sein that naturally flowed within her, that she had cultivated over her years of training. But there was a difference between the arts of running, which flowed through her body, and an unfamiliar technique that could send her soaring into the air like this.
Tani's reflections were interrupted as she smacked into the top of the wall and barely grabbed the edge. She'd misjudged her jump a little, but at least she'd swallowed her grunt of pain. Tani desperately heaved herself up and scrambled over the edge.
On the other side, Tani checked that the guards were nowhere nearby and sank down with her back against the fortifications, hopefully far enough in the shadows to be hidden. That hadn't been so bad. Hitting the wall had hurt, but she'd reached the top at the apex of her jump, so the power that had launched her upward was neutralized.
Though she wanted to stay there for a while, to catch her breath and revel in the fact that she'd used the Soaring Feet even under such stress, there wasn't time. Tani darted to the other side of the wall and peered over. The city seemed normal enough at a glance, and more importantly there were no visible patrols nearby.
Slipping over the edge, Tani let herself hang, then dropped to the nearest roof. It was made of sturdy stone and she made little sound when landing. From there, it was easy enough to move across the rooftops so that no guard who happened to look back toward the city would accidentally see her.
Her plan had been to drop to the streets, but as Tani looked over this part of Bundlin, she changed her mind. This neighborhood was filled with narrow, twisting streets. It would be much too easy to stumble into someone and raise an alarm. Better to stay above and trust the shadows to shield her.
This, she could do. She might not be able to vanish into the shadows like her master could, but Tani was mostly confident in the basics of those lessons. Tani refocused the sein within her, this time tasting it more than smelling. Though her mouth was empty, her spirit tasted the rich, spicy soup of home. To her eyes nothing looked different, but she knew that for others, her body would slip into the shadows a little more than normal.
Preparations complete, Tani set about finally looking at the Deathspawn side of Bundlin.
The buildings were not so different, well-constructed from dark red bricks and many topped with pointed wooden roofs. Though it was growing dark, she still saw people moving through the streets. And the mansthein did seem like people, going about their business at the markets and food stalls that were still open.
That first impression masked a few other facts, though, and Tani remembered many sharp reprimands about seeing what she wanted to see instead of what actually was. She crept to a different vantage point, trying to set aside assumptions about the Deathspawn being a monstrous enemy or the mansthein being a potential ally. Several things quickly became clear.
Most of the mansthein were men. Tani made herself count to be objective and found that only roughly one in five were women. Many of those worked at market stalls or served food, and only a few of those she saw walking did so unaccompanied. Perhaps it was unsafe for women, even mansthein women, to be out at this time, but it led her to wonder.
Almost everyone was armed. There were weapons enough on the human side of Bundlin, but it struck her as a town of travelers. This side was a military camp, filled with armed soldiers and warriors, emphasized by the fact that the standard Deathspawn armor bared the warriors' muscular chests. She did spot a few thin or scrawny mansthein men, but not many.
Tani sat back, considering. Though this had been interesting, she hadn't learned enough to justify the risks she had taken. There was no terrible secret on this side of Bundlin, but she felt that there must be more. The question was how to uncover it.
Most likely she could keep observing in relative safety. The buildings here were tall and most people rarely looked up, no matter their race. She even had the option of staying through an entire day, though if she stayed that long hunger would become a serious issue and she would make Dhunor worry. Perhaps for now she should try to cover more distance and see if this area was representative.
At that moment, she spotted a Catai walking below.
At first her mind saw the Catai she had seen outside Bundlin, but as she looked again she saw the differences. Both towered over the crowd, so massive that they looked hardly related to the other Deathspawn. Humans might come in many shapes and colors, but she had never seen any who looked like giants. But this Catai had a different shade of blue-green skin, longer stripes on his shoulders, and an axe instead of a maul.
Perhaps he was going somewhere important? The Catai grabbed a skewer of meat from a stall, apparently without paying, and chewed it as he walked. Tani crept along the roof after him, watching his movements carefully. His body might be unusual, but the arrogance with which he moved was familiar...
Her foot dislodged a stray roof tile, sending it clattering below.
Most of the people on the street didn't even notice, but the Catai's response was immediate. Tani wanted to move, her body struggling as if through water, but she could see it all clearly. His eyes shifted to the sound, merely alert. Then he saw the tile and his gaze snapped upward.
Directly at her.
Tani threw herself backward on pure instinct and a moment later roof tiles exploded in every direction. She only realized that the Catai had leapt at her while she fell off the side of the roof. Even as she tumbled backward over the edge, she could see that enormous body looming there, his eyes still tracking her.
The street rushing toward her forced Tani to focus and she managed to land on her feet. Her feet stung, but she wasn't injured. She had no time to think, and her senses were scattered, but she knew that he would be coming after her and so she ran.
An instant later, the Catai landed in the street where she had been, his boots cracking the stones. Tani saw him crouch and stopped looking, instead throwing herself down one of the narrow side streets.
She felt a rush of wind behind her as her pursuer lunged after her. Panicking, Tani managed to scrabble together some sein and sprinted with everything she had, pushing her way through startled crowds and trying to put as much space and as many turns between them as she could.
Though she was terrified, part of her screamed that it wasn't fair. She expected a warrior that big to be stronger than her and she knew he'd be as durable as the other Catai. But it was just unfair that he could be faster than her, too. And his leap hadn't been the Soaring Feet, but it had accomplished the same thing, and what had taken her so much careful preparation he'd done instantly.
"Stop her!" The voice roared out, both in Coran and then in a language that she assumed must be the Deathspawn's own. Tani risked a look and found the Catai already behind her, parting the crowds with his presence and plowing through those who didn't move fast enough.
But his yelling was actually the bigger threat, because all the armed Deathspawn were starting to become prepared for her. Though Tani thought she was faster than them, if she tried to duck through the crowds, they'd catch her. And it would only take a few moments' delay for the Catai to catch up to her.
When she heard a growl behind her, Tani feinted toward an alley on the left, then dove right, over the top of a food stand. She heard the Catai crash into the stone in the direction she had feinted, then another growl as he turned on her and prepared to lunge again.
After sliding through a small alley, Tani found herself on another street. It was mostly empty, which avoided the risk of being caught, but also unfortunately straight. If she tried to outrun him, she knew she'd fail. His steps might seem lumbering, but when he lunged, he moved so much faster than she ever could...
There were tears in her eyes, which weren't worthy of her, but Tani was too tense to care as she desperately sprinted, looking for a good alley. Had she really taken this risk and simply expected not to get caught? Had she thought of all Deathspawn as brutes who wouldn't notice her? But of course they would have their own champions, perhaps even masters as skilled as her own. Her overconfidence would be the end of her.
Tani heard the Catai slam into the street behind her. She closed her eyes and blinked tears away...
And realized that she still had a chance.
"Surrender, human!" The Catai was coming after her at terrifying speed, yet he could still yell. She didn't know if he actually expected her to stop, but she knew that he'd catch up to her soon.
She feinted one direction again, then went the other, directly toward a wall. As expected, the Catai didn't fall for it this time and lunged straight for her real destination.
Except that Tani kicked off the wall, flipping over his head and landing behind him.
As soon as she could make her body respond, Tani sprinted in another direction, but she had time to watch. The Catai slammed directly into the wall where she had been, barely even catching himself. It was too much to hope that the impact would stun him, as his head seemed to do more damage to the wall than the other way around. But he clearly saw her movement and she saw him turn to glare at her.
He gave a roar and charged again, catching up just after she ran into an alley. That gave him a straight shot at her and there were no other options, but she didn't need them. Tani slapped her foot against the ground, stopped her momentum with a skid, then threw herself directly toward the Catai.
She saw his eyes widen, but it was too late. His lunge might be blindingly fast, but he couldn't react in time to catch her as Tani ducked low, sliding across the cobblestones beneath his grasping hand. Abruptly she was past him, back on the empty street and running for her life.
Despite the circumstances, Tani realized that she had a smile on her face. The Catai might be fast, but his speed was not like hers. All the power she could smell from him was used to propel himself in single, explosive bursts. Though his reaction time was fast, it wasn't fast enough to keep up with his own speed. And when it came to agility, she might actually have a slight advantage over him.
That didn't stop him from slamming back out onto the street after her. Tani swallowed her smile. She'd learned something, but did that mean she had any chance of escaping? Under this much stress, she couldn't manage another leap to the wall. Maybe she could break through the bridge, but they would just start hunting for her.
Tani moved before the mint flared in her nostrils, throwing herself into the air and twisting to the side. The Catai sped past her, wind whipping at her clothes. His speed actually worked against him, taking him far past her.
She hit the ground and moved in the opposite direction, but her legs ached. The rush of sein had carried her this far, but she was growing exhausted. And that time, the Catai had reached out, one of those enormous hands nearly grasping her leg. If he did get a grip on her, would that be it? Could he just break her body like a twig?
Another rush, and Tani tried to move, but she didn't have the strength. Suddenly she was tumbling against a wall, bouncing painfully on the ground, barely managing to regain her feet.
At first she thought that she had struck a wall, but she realized that it had been the Catai's body clipping her. Had she managed to partially dodge his blow? Tani pulled herself up against the wall, gasping for breath... and saw that he was facing her with a grin on his face.
No, he was toying with her. That attack could probably have killed her, but he'd chosen merely to strike her. All of her left side was aching and she was sure it would be horribly bruised, but that was assuming she'd live past that night. Exhausted as she was with a wall to her back, she didn't like her chances.
"This was fun." The Catai drew his massive axe from his back and ran a finger along the edge. "Who are you working for? Spying for the little resistance?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Tani only belatedly realized that telling the truth sounded like defiance. Her head ached and she could feel a void within her where she'd overdrawn her sein. There was nothing she could do.
"Not going to talk? I don't really care. Since you gave me a fun chase, I'll make this painless." The axe came up, and Tani wondered what it would feel like. If the Catai struck her at full speed, it might not feel like anything. She'd be dead before she felt the axe.
"Enough of this!" A voice rang from the side, but the Catai was already lunging forward. As fast as he moved, while Tani stared transfixed, she could follow his movements as death came toward her.
Except that a silver blur moved between them. Though incredibly fast, it stopped smoothly in the path of the rushing Catai.
She could tell that it was a man as he stopped, his arms moving in sweeping circles. One slid up, gracefully brushing against the handle of the axe and turning it aside. His other hand swept against the Catai's chest, containing no great power and not resisting the onrushing force...
All at once it was over, all the momentum of the Catai's lunge slamming into the street and shattering the cobblestones around his body. Too late, mint burned in Tani's nostrils. Several heartbeats passed before she remembered to breathe and tried to catch up with what had happened.
Somehow, the man had redirected all of the power behind the charge. The axe lay on one side of the alley while the Catai lay on the other, yet the man hadn't even taken a step backward. At that moment he turned to her, robes swirling, and Tani gasped.
He was mansthein, but not like any she had seen before. What struck her first was his hair, an incredibly pale blond - no, it was true silver, even in the light of the torches. It was trimmed neatly, matching the rest of his appearance. His clothes were a simple robe, but of finer material than she had ever seen, bound by a band of delicately embroidered fabric around his waist.
Many mansthein had rough, misshapen features, but his were regal, with a brow that many Rhen would have envied. His skin was pure gray, without any sign of mottling. Instead of ridges of bone on the side of his head, he had small ears that pointed backward.
Though his eyes watched her with compassion and intelligence, they were very bright red.
At that moment, the Catai leapt to his feet, roaring in anger and perhaps even in pain. He whirled around in rage... and the new arrival reached up to put a hand on his shoulder.
"I told you, that's not how we do things here." He spoke softly, but his words seemed to cut through the Catai's growl. "The penalty for trespassing is not death."
The Catai glared down at the other mansthein, looming over him. But after a long stare, he chuckled and stepped back. "Looks like the rumors are true. You're not just an administrator."
"These are barbarian lands. They require a rough sort of administration."
That got a laugh from the Catai, who moved across the street to retrieve his axe. Tani tensed when he picked it up, though she knew she had nothing left in her to resist. But all he did was bring the weapon to his forehead in a sort of salute. "Looks like you were fast enough, little human. Now you should hope that the commander is more merciful than I would have been."
