Siege (The Warrior Chronicles, #5) - K.F. Breene Page 0,20

then her tracks just vanish.”

“Do you think maybe she made it this far and an animal killed her?” Gracas said with wide eyes.

“There’d be blood, you moron.” Leilius peered through the bushes in front of him.

“Oh yeah.”

“She has to have gone somewhere.” Leilius sounded completely put out.

“What’s the point of finding her, anyway? This isn’t a training exercise. She’ll probably kick us in the head if we disturb her. Remember that time we caught her peeing in the Shadow Lands?”

“She didn’t care that we found her that time. She cared that you pointed at her and stared.”

“Well? How was I supposed to know women squat to pee?”

“You sound like you’re twelve. They don’t have dicks. What did you think they did? Dribble down their legs?”

“She still had her pants on, you idiot.” Gracas punched Leilius. “How the hell was she not peeing all over her clothes?”

“They learn how to do it out of necessity. And they’re smarter than you. It’s a wonder you don’t pee all over your pants even with a dick!”

They were yelling, and if they had been in enemy land, they’d be dead. It was funny, though. And a great distraction. Instead of letting them move on, as they were about to do, she used a soft, raspy voice and said, “Oooooh!”

Gracas jumped so high he was airborne. Leilius dove into the bushes.

Both boys froze for a moment. Not even their eyes moved.

A second later Gracas charged into the bushes directly under Shanti’s location. He stomped the ground like a madman, tearing at foliage and roots and weeds, looking behind and under everything he saw. He never thought to look up.

Leilius, on the other hand, did. His gaze went skyward, looking through the leafy trees. He wasn’t looking high enough, though. She could never jump down on them from her height, so he didn’t think of anything above the lower branches as a threat. He’d forgotten about the use of bows. She’d have to rectify that.

Sweaty, with leaves and branches sticking out of his shirt and the waistband of his trousers, Gracas marched back toward Leilius. Hands on hips, chest heaving, he said, “What the fuck, right? I mean…” He looked around as if his horse had gone missing. “You heard that, right?”

“I’m in a bush, aren’t I?”

“She would’ve pounced on us by now. Shit.” Gracas’ eyes widened. “What if it’s one of those cats? Or one of the beasts?” He froze, his body rigid, staring out to his left, listening. One quiet beat, two…

He jumped at some phantom sound, and then surged right, without any destination in mind. He just sprinted away from whatever imaginary thing he thought he had heard.

Leilius poked his head through the top of the bush like a mole, first looking where Gracas went, then turning just his head, swiveling on his neck, looking back in terror in the direction Gracas had been looking when he startled. He was frozen for a second, listening.

A rodent scurried away into the undergrowth.

“Shit!” Leilius started thrashing, trying to escape the bush, squealing like he was being eaten alive.

Finally escaping, he ran after Gracas, wild and panicked. Shanti just barely heard, “I think I pissed myself…”

Shanti almost fell out of the tree, she laughed so hard. After climbing down, Rohnan drifted out of the brush, having been completely missed by the boys. A moment later, the dying sun caught a flare of bright orange hair as Sonson strode into their vicinity. “Found you.”

“By cheating,” she said, heading back to camp. “Why is everyone looking, that’s the question.”

“Dinner is being set out. The Captain insists that the women get their plates first. I’m hungry. Chop, chop.”

“Mela loves how the women are favored in this land,” Rohnan said softly.

“Whatever keeps them from bitching.” Sonson flashed Shanti a grin.

Shanti rubbed her eyes as she entered the camp. Steam rose from pots set over the fires as stew bubbled. A dozen or so Westwood women awkwardly held spoons as men scooped up their dinner and slopped it onto their bowl. Other men waited for their turn to crowd in and get some grub.

Shanti met Mela at the end of the line. “Where are the other Shadow and Shumas women?”

Mela pointed off to the right. Another campfire was surrounded by women who were happily talking and eating. “The Westwood women made a fuss that the men wanted them to go first. If it hadn’t been for that handsome Captain, the Shadow and Shumas men would’ve agreed with the Westwood women,” she