Glass Collection: Storm Glass / Sea Glass / Spy Glass. Maria V. Snyder
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“I’m beginning to wonder if your interest in Mara is just for my mother’s cooking.”
He faked being insulted, then said, “Oh no, I love Mara’s cooking, too.”
I swatted him on the shoulder.
After we settled in our bunks, I listened to the quiet murmur of the others, the popping of the fire and the rustling of horses, straining to hear any sounds out of the ordinary. I touched my sais, checking they were within reach. “Leif?”
“Hmm?”
“Should we take turns keeping watch?”
“No. Rusalka will whinny if someone approaches the shelter.”
“What if you don’t hear it?”
“There’s no sleeping through that racket. And if I don’t come out to see what the matter is, she’ll break the door down trying to come inside.”
“What if the person is disguised by magic?”
“Magic fools the eyes, not the nose. She’ll smell a … wrongness. I’ll smell it, too. It’s hard to explain.” He paused. “Opal, go to sleep. You’re safe here.”
“Thank you for coming with me.”
“Anytime.”
Leif was right about Rusalka. The high-pitched and loud neighing woke everyone in the shelter. Leif bolted from his bunk with his sword in one hand and his machete in the other. I followed, holding my sais.
The outside lanterns cast a weak yellow light. My relief at seeing the cause of the trouble didn’t last long. A pack of wild dogs surrounded the horses. Low growls emanated from bared teeth as they circled Quartz and Rusalka. From time to time, one would brave the horses’ hooves and dash in to bite a leg.
Leif shouted and waved his sword, but there were a dozen black dogs. They were smart enough to stay out of range of his weapons. Too smart, in fact. The dogs widened their circle to include Leif, moving as if one intelligence directed them.
“Open the gate so the horses can get out,” Leif called.
I rushed to comply. When the way was clear, he told the horses to go to the plains where they could outdistance the dogs. A good plan, except Rusalka wasn’t going to leave without Leif.
The other travelers joined me by the fence.
“Rocks,” one man yelled.
We scurried around, finding and throwing rocks at the dogs. My aim was horrible, so I passed my rocks to the man.
Eventually, we drove the dogs off. Two lay dead, kicked and killed by the horses. Leif checked the horses for injuries, while I dragged the dogs’ bodies out of the enclosure. The man helped and the others kept watch, still clutching their rocks.
I knelt beside one dog. Its clean coat was free of fleas. I checked the other. Well fed. These weren’t wild dogs. I reviewed their behavior during the attack. Yelena could communicate with horses. If the pack’s owner was a magician, perhaps he directed the dogs’ actions. He might try again.
Leif joined me. Besides a few cuts, the horses were fine.
“Guess we should have scheduled a watch,” Leif said. “I didn’t think we needed to protect the horses.”
The man who had helped us frowned. “We never had a problem with dogs before,” he said. “I’ll talk to the locals, get a hunt organized or maybe set up a few traps with poisoned bait.”
I kept my suspicions to myself. We thanked the man and his friends. They filed back inside.
“Go back to sleep,” Leif said. “I’ll take the first watch.”
The attack bothered me. “Do you think the dogs were sent as a distraction?”
“It’s possible. I thought I smelled magic. But why didn’t they take advantage of the situation?”
“The horses didn’t panic. Besides Rusalka’s horrible squealing, they were calm. And she woke everyone. Perhaps the magician didn’t want to try anything with six other witnesses around.”
“Good point. We’ll just have to be more vigilant.”
I thought I would never get back to sleep after all the excitement, but I did. Leif woke me two hours before dawn.
“It’s been quiet. But stay close to the horses,” he said.
“What if the dogs come back or …” I couldn’t say Tricky’s name out loud.
“Tell Rusalka to cry, and she’ll wake everyone again.”
“Magical attack?”
“Same thing, but if you can’t talk, the horses are sensitive to magic and she’ll let me know. Sandseed horses are very protective. Keep them between you and an attacker and I’ll be there in no time.” Leif yawned.
I checked the enclosure. The horses leaned together, sleeping. Scanning the road and surroundings, I paced. Jittery anxiety pulsed through my veins. I didn’t like feeling as if danger stalked me. Nothing I could do about it, which added to my conviction of not being in control. My hands twitched for a punty iron with a slug of molten glass on the end—a formidable weapon.
Instead, I pulled my sais. Flicking the blades out and in, I practiced offensive strikes and defensive moves. The activity warmed me and I removed my cloak. Before I knew it, the dark sky paled, announcing dawn’s imminent arrival.
I fed the horses a bucket of grain and checked their water buckets. Satisfied all was well, I slipped through the gate and fumbled with the latch, muttering under my breath over the complex catch.
Without warning, an arm snaked around my neck. “Cry!” I yelled as the arm locked tight, pressing against my windpipe.
17
RUSALKA’S LOUD SQUEAL pierced the air. The pressure on my neck eased a bit. I shifted my hips to the left and rammed my right elbow into the man holding me. Then I stomped on his foot. He yelped and released me. I spun and stopped.
“Ulrick! What are you doing here?”
He rubbed his stomach, glaring. “Changed my mind.” He huffed. “Thought you might—hey!”
The tip of Leif’s sword jabbed Ulrick’s arm. “Step away from her,” he ordered. Although he was shorter than Ulrick by a good foot, Leif’s fierce countenance and powerful build made an impression. Ulrick hurried to comply.
I waved Leif off. “It’s okay. I know him.” Rounding on Ulrick, I demanded, “Why did you attack me?”
“To prove a point.”
I waited.
“You were out here all by yourself. An easy target … or so I thought.” He looked behind me. The others had come outside. Woken by Rusalka’s warning, they clutched stones. “Still, if I had a dagger, I could have stabbed you before you said a word.”
“Do the horses know him?” Leif asked.
Quartz did; Ulrick had been at the stables with me many times. “Yes. Why?”
“He wouldn’t have gotten close to you if he was a stranger. The horses would have warned you.” Leif studied Ulrick. “Didn’t think I could protect Opal?”
“I didn’t know who was with her. I just thought one more person couldn’t hurt and I wanted to help with ordering the kiln.”
I introduced him to Leif.
Ulrick’s surprise turned contemplative. “The Soulfinder’s brother?”
Leif huffed in annoyance. “Yep, that’s me—The Soulfinder’s Brother. Opal forgot to use my new name. I’m sure if he knew I was The Soulfinder’s Brother, he