Tissaia loosed arrow after arrow, each one finding a mark but not ones crucial enough to take down her targets, and she couldn't bring herself to shoot their horses just yet. The warriors had already locked blades with Talarion and Kaius.

    Vael had leaped off his horse when they first spotted the newcomers. He was in his bear form now, lashing out at the warriors with his terrible claws. Kahari remained close to his side, her staff radiating light as she thrust waves of magic into their opponents.

    Tissaia let another arrow fly and one of the males let out a hoarse shout as it pierced his flesh, but he snapped off the arrow shaft and didn't break his attack on Talarion. Her brother seized his momentary advantage however, and plunged his dagger clean through the male's throat. The warrior gave a gurgling cry and slumped out of his saddle.

    Another male gave a shrill whistle and the other remaining warriors circled back to him. "There doesn't need to be any more killing," the male called to them. "Just come with us peacefully and no harm will come to you."

    Talarion bared his teeth in a snarl and Tissaia couldn't suppress a faint shudder. He promised them no harm, when that was all they had ever experienced from their father. She drew shallow breaths, attempting to focus on the warm weight of Azael's arm locked around her. He would not allow them to take her, and neither would she. She had an arrow prepped and aimed at the male the next instant.

    "You make promises beyond your power to keep," Tissaia spat. "If you had any idea what our father is really like, you would let us go and forget you had ever seen us."

    "Lord Roshan knows you seek the gods' artifact, and he knows you have some sort of guide." From the corner of her eye, she saw Talarion inch his mount closer to Kaius, planting himself between the Lochren warriors and the Phoenix. "He only wants information."

    "If he only wanted information, why couldn't we tell you what you wish to know and have you pass it on to him?" Kahari countered, a biting edge to her voice. "Why does he require them in person?"

    The male's gaze shifted to her and his mouth curled into a cruel sneer. "I wouldn't expect you to understand family loyalty, Lethfae," he spat the word. Kahari bristled at the insult to her mixed blood.

    "Ignore him, Leaf," Vael growled, having shifted into himself and coming to stand next to her mount.

    "Oh, is the halfbreed yours?" The male continued to taunt. "It would be too much to expect a Forest Dweller to honor his heritage and not sully his bloodline. You are known for taking in stray Humans, after all." Vael's brown eyes grew almost black with rage. The warrior's mouth opened once more, but Azael cut him off.

    "Speak one more word and she puts an arrow through your throat," Azael snarled, his palm clenching into a fist though it remained against Tissaia's stomach. "You have two options and I suggest you consider them wisely. Let us pass unhindered, or choose your own death. I'm sure you saw what happened to the last warriors who crossed us."

    "They'll report us to Father if we let them go," Talarion hissed.

    "We won't let them leave with their tongues intact."

    "A truly generous offer, your Highness. You should know that your friend in the Cahirim along with several dozen warriors have been dispatched to track the lot of you down, and we act with the King's full authority as well as Lord Roshan's. Not that it means much. He's gone even more mad since you left." Azael tensed against her back.

    "Mad King Mavron. First broken by the death of a wife he never even loved, then by the disappearance of the son he despised yet relied on. Who could he turn to but our Lord? The rest of his counselors think he's a lunatic. I wonder if it runs in the family." The male burst out laughing, and a bowstring twanged.

    His laughter was interrupted by a harsh choke and the male convulsed, his eyes bulging at the arrow protruding from his mouth and the back of his neck. Tissaia glowered at him through narrowed eyes as his four companions broke into a chorus of outrage. They didn't give them a chance to retaliate.

    Kaius had drawn his own bow and took down another warrior before the first had even fallen from his saddle. Talarion brandished two of his hidden knives and threw them with expert precision at another target.

    One caught the male in the eye and the other pierced the unprotected thin sliver of fabric between his chestplate and pauldron. The male was still shrieking when Talarion and his mount charged at him. Her brother ripped his blade from the male's face, bringing his eye with it, before he slit his throat.

    Vael had shifted amidst the confusion and his bear's jaws were clamped around the leg of the third warrior. He dragged the Fae down from his horse and snapped his spine with a single well-placed blow. His gory maw closed around the male's throat and his neck crunched too.

    The fourth male was already making a run for it, but Azael spurred their mount after him. Tissaia fitted another arrow against her bowstring, counting her breaths as she measured the shot, but the horse's bobbing head impeded her view. "I need a clean angle at his neck." She already had an idea about how to gain it, but it would require some assistance on Azael's part.

    "Then find it," the Prince grunted.

    "Don't let go of me."

    She didn't give him a chance to question the command, and let herself tip over the side of the horse. Azael's arm tightened around her and he leaned forward in an effort to keep hold of her, though his attention remained firmly fixed on the path ahead.

    Tissaia ignored the way her stomach dipped at the sight of the horse's hooves thundering mere inches from her face. Should she fall and be trampled... But Azael's grip was strong and sturdy. He wouldn't let her fall, and she had precious little time to waste on fear.

    Tissaia steeled her nerves and aimed again. She didn't second guess herself. Didn't grant a moment's hesitation. She let the arrow fly and their horse started with a shriek as the fletching grazed the tip of its muzzle. It jolted backwards and reared up.

    Tissaia gasped, but before she could scream, Azael had dragged her upright and back into the saddle. The horse came down once more, eyes rolling and nostrils flared, but Tissaia's attention had gone back to her target. She hadn't missed her shot. The horse was still galloping away, its rider slumped in the saddle with his torso hanging limp over the creature's shoulder.

    "We should find a safe place to stop so Tissaia, Kahari, and Talarion can heal everyone," Vael suggested.

    "That horse will go back to wherever it originally came from," Talarion protested. "When other warriors see that male's body and figure out where he had been patrolling, there'll be more coming after us."

    Azael nudged Tissaia's back and she caught Talarion's eye. He tilted his head, gesturing for her to speak. Their companions listened quietly as she explained the idea she had given Azael earlier.

    "I don't like it," her brother said when she was finished. "It will tell Father exactly where we are. At least right now they're still guessing based on their scouts' positions."

    "But Tissaia is right about all of you needing to rest," Kahari countered. "Besides, Kaius and I haven't seen any sign of Drenusha out here, so maybe we're no longer on the right path."

    "There is a village a few hours from here with a small inn," Vael added. "It's a Human population, so most of the Fae in these areas keep their distance. I don't believe the Humans would draw unwanted attention to themselves by turning you in, so long as you treat them decently and make it worth their while."

    "Trackers will be able to tell which way we were headed," Talarion pointed out.

    No one replied for several long moments. Then, Kahari brightened. "What if we split up? Vael and I are in better shape than the rest of you. We can lay a false trail and keep an eye out for any more warriors."

    "Even if they do pick up your tracks, we can make it look like the four of you went one way, and Vael and I another. If Talarion and Kaius ride double and we bring the third horse with us, any warriors who follow will be more interested in following the trail with more riders."

    Talarion's frown lingered, but he turned to Kaius. "What do you think?" The Phoenix gave no sign of having heard him. Kaius's gaze reached beyond the trees and foothills towards the mountains.

    Talarion cleared his throat. "Kai?" Kaius's breath hitched and Tissaia cast an uneasy glance back at Azael. "M'cor anam." Kaius blinked, the name snapping him out of whatever stupor he had sunken into. "What is it?"

    "Do you see Drenusha?" Kahari asked hopefully, scanning the area Kaius had been observing.

    "No," Kaius whispered. "It's the Little Gods."
   
    Tissaia perked up and followed his gaze, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. "I don't see them."

    "You won't unless they want you to," Kaius answered. "But there's two of them, sitting on those tree branches right there." He pointed to a pair of trees, but still, Tissaia saw nothing. From the skeptical looks on everyone else's faces, they couldn't see the Wisps either. "They're pointing directly northeast."

    "That's the direction of the village," Vael noted.

    Kaius faced Talarion. "Then that's where we should go."

    Her brother's voice dipped low. "Are you sure?"

    Kaius nodded. "We've seen and heard nothing from Drenusha, and I trust the Little Gods more than her at this point. They've never guided me wrong before."

    "All right," Talarion sighed.

    He scooted forward in his saddle and Kaius dismounted, collecting his few belongings and his rolled up cloak. He fitted that beneath a few straps on the saddle, securing it to the horse's side, then swung up behind Talarion and clasped the male around his waist. Vael had claimed his former mount simultaneously and was tying its reins to his own saddle.

    "We'll stay at the inn tonight only," her brother announced, and no one argued. "At dawn, we move on."

    "We'll meet you by then," Vael promised. "Let's go." Kahari nodded, and with a parting smile to Tissaia, she followed after him and the riderless horse. Azael guided their own mount over to Kaius and Talarion's and they set off at a hard pace towards the village.