Diamond Bonds (4 page)

“Fire,” she grunts as she removes the deep red bandanna covering her head, revealing dark hair that shimmers a hint of blue.  The soldier observes the short market operative disdainfully; her hard leather vest sits over a dark under tunic, and he wonders what weapons she’s hiding under the wrappings at her waist.

She’s lead into an inner room of the stone tower, furnished with small chairs facing the front.  Several others are already present, and not one is seated.  Her sights lock onto one hunter in particular, a stocky man with a dark leather jerkin.  She offers him a coy smile while tying the bandanna back over her hair.  “Hello, Jaras.”

Slamming his clenched fist against the wall, he dramatically points at her and yells, “You have a lot of guts to show your face here, Fire!” Despite the stares from the others, he bellows, “I told you what I’d do to you if you showed up in Nadar again.  Now I’ll have to make good on my promise!”

“Typical Jaras,” one of the other hunters mocks, prompting chuckles from around the room.

“Oh, we’re already at this again?” another chides as she enters.

His anger fueled, he replies, “You can all mark my words.  You wrong me, you pay the price.  And
this
monster,” he stresses, jabbing his finger at Fire, “will be my example.”

“Your effort is hardly needed,” a portly hunter advises.  “Her reputation speaks for itself.”

Fire eyes the man with a smirk.  “You mean like yours does, Shem?”

“And what’s that supposed to mean!?”

“It means that not all of us need fancy toys to get the job done,” another hunter chimes in.

“And most of us can get a job done
alone
,” one adds, looking specifically at Jaras.

“You’re all just jealous of success,” Jaras sneers.  “I’ll grab this bounty however I want.  Just you watch.”

Fire stifles a yawn, whether real or fake is hard to tell.  Jaras clenches his fist in raw hatred of his adversary while trying to ignore the amused snickers of his peers.

Commander Galen abruptly charges into the room and heads straight to the front, then faces them with his arms behind his back.  “We have three fugitives we want brought in.  They’re useless to us dead, so they are wanted
alive
,” he says, stressing the point.  “Two females and a male. Male and Female #1 are in their late teens.  Male is just over six feet tall with loose brown hair, and he is an earth shaper.  Female #1 is average height and has shoulder-length brown hair.  She may be Allerian, and she’s likely an ice elementalist.  Female #2 is in her early teens, has long blond hair, and responds to the name ‘Di’.”

He briefly pauses, annoyed no one bats an eye at the prospect of hunting someone so young.  He continues, “The trio was last seen nineteen hours ago in Haloran Gorge, and though their intentions aren’t known, they are potentially headed west with a destination of Canterin.  As for the bounty,” he pauses for effect, “two million venni. 
Each
.”  Seeing every eye widen in surprise, he adds, “One contingency: no rewards will be distributed until all three are in custody.”  The caveat fails to stir a reaction.  No one was planning to collect less than six million venni.

“That is all the information I have,” he concludes.  “I will again stress they are to be taken
alive
.  If anyone has anything to do with their demise, the two million bounty will be transferred to you, and there will be no quick death for you once arrested.  You’re dismissed.”

As the room clears, Bowen approaches Galen in shock. “That’s a lot of money… at least ten times the highest bounty we’ve offered!”

“It’s the highest we allow,” he agrees.  “Where is the roster?”

Bowen hands it to him and recounts, “Twelve altogether.  At least a couple are wanted for assassinations.”

Galen reads, “Blane, Wolfgar, Fire, and Shem… we attracted some talent.”  He crumples the paper and says, “We should have arrested half of them.  I swear, Bowen, if a mercenary finds my asset, I’m not sure I’ll be able to bring myself to pay.”

“But shouldn’t you have offered more for the girl?  She’s the one we care about.”

“That would be tipping our hand,” he explains.  “If the Allerians
are
involved, there might be information out there about her.  Directing their attention to the girl might give them reason to consider shopping around.”

Bowen crosses his arms in frustration.  “Did you send a message to the general about all this?  We need to know why she’s a VIP, just in case there’s information that will help us track her.”

“I sent a courier to report to the general directly,” Galen answers.  “I have not yet received a response.”

“Not even by beacon tower?  That’s a mild reaction considering the mission rank.”

“Yes, it is,” Galen says.  “Until we receive new directives, I want you to organize the propagation of information to the major towns between here and the Lidoran Sea.  I’ll check in with Commander Talkem by beacon to see how his efforts at Canterin are coming.  We
will
find her, Bowen.  It’s just a matter of time.”

Chapter 3

The midmorning sunlight breaks through the treetops, stirring Era from his deep slumber.  Groaning as he sits, he wonders how much sleep he had after Jem pushed them so far into the night in an attempt to make it to Hougur.  He glances over to the small girl curled up nearby, still fast asleep.  She had been almost as adamant as Jem in making it to an inn, but exhaustion eventually overcame them all and forced them to retire in the wild once again.  He’s impressed with the endurance Di has thus far displayed, but he knows the worst of the hill country lies before them.

With a shiver, he grabs the last of the firewood and places it on the smoldering embers from last night.  Igniting the firewood is a simple task with the help of the fire rune, and the flame quickly comes to a roar.  He stretches and yawns, breathing in the crisp morning air.

Humming a tune to herself, Jem emerges from the woods, her hand gripping a line full of fish slung over her shoulder.  “Whoa, you’re up on your own!?” she exclaims as she trots over to the camp.  “Good timing with the fire.  I brought breakfast!”  She holds the fish out for Era to see, waiting for his admiration.

Her partner enthusiastically approves.  “You found a stream!  How’d you catch so much?”

Jem frowns and sits on the log next to him.  “Honestly, Era, you need to learn how to live off the land if your goal is to be a so-called
master thief
.”  She uses her dagger to start scraping scales and says, “It’s important to disappear after a high-profile job, so being able to procure food in the wild is a must!”

Era prepares two fish and places them in the fire.  “Sorry
master
, I guess I’m still learning.”

Jem yawns as she cooks her meal.  “I was actually excited by the prospect of sleeping in a bed last night.  Sometimes this life isn’t so glamorous, huh?”

“No, but it has its perks, right?  I mean, moving about as you please, and a gourmet breakfast every morning!”

She laughs.  “I’m surprised you haven’t gotten scared off by this way of living.  How long has it been now, anyway?”

“Almost a year and a half, if I remember right,” Era recalls.

“You two have been together that long, and you haven’t fallen in love or anything?” Di calls out.  Startled, Era and Jem spin around to find the groggy girl up on her elbows.

The partners sit in awkward silence, their faces turning a slight shade of red.  Di stands and brushes off before joining them on the log.  She slides herself between the two, forcing Jem to scoot to the side.  The girl’s hair is disheveled, and her yellow eyes are dazed as she gazes into the fire.

Era hands her one of the fish he’s been cooking. “Careful now.  It’s done, but it might be hot.  And mind the bones.”

Di is unsettled by the gross-looking thing staring at her with wide eyes.  “Ummm… I’m not supposed to eat this, am I?”

Jem smacks her lips loudly. “What, the Canterin princess doesn’t eat meat?” she chides with a full mouth.

“Stop calling me a princess, already,” Di insists while wrinkling her nose and staring at her breakfast.

“And to think that all you did yesterday was complain about stale bread,” Jem continues.  “I’ll have you know I got up over an hour ago to catch those, so you’d better not be a snob.”

“I eat fish, just not half-cooked fish-on-a-stick, thanks,” she says with disdain.

Era bites into his food, amused by the conversation.  “Well, better get used to it.  Canterin’s, what, two weeks away?  Unless you want to eat like you did yesterday all the way there, you should learn to enjoy a bit of variety.”

Di looks suspiciously at Era and Jem, who seem to have already forgotten about her as they tear into their meals.  Sighing, she plugs her nose and takes a bite out of the middle of her fish.  She chews it for a second before spitting it out in disgust.

“I guess she really is a princess,” Jem says as she reaches for seconds.

Not giving up, Di takes another bite, but she doesn’t last any longer before spitting it back out.  With a determined look in her eye, she takes a third bite and immediately swallows it.

“Whoa!” Era says with no small surprise.  “That’s some willpower, there!”

Di stares at her fish for a few moments in silence, and her face starts to lose its color.  She gets up and, with as brave a look as she can muster, walks quickly back into the woods.  Jem and Era do their best to stifle their laughing at the sound of her heaving.

“This is going to be the worst two weeks of her life,” Jem says gleefully.

“I guess she should stick with bread,” Era says as he snatches another fish.  “Oh well.  More for us!”

*              *              *

With their belongings packed, the travelers resume their hike, and they soon find themselves alone on a thickly wooded trail.  Di’s queasy stomach growls, and her legs ache even as she begins the day.  She’s envious of her guardians’ energy despite a solid day of hiking yesterday, with no end to it in sight.

Era eventually drops back to check on their lagging companion.  “Sorry we haven’t taken many breaks, but now Jem wants to make it past Brentan and out to Werran if we can.  We need to move without unnecessary stops.”  Di’s heart races in Era’s presence, and she marches briskly to keep up with him.

Jem abruptly stops and throws a curled fist into the air.  Era plants his hand on Di’s shoulder, and the girl waits in confusion as Jem and Era focus their senses.  Finally, Jem signals to her right, and she leaps into the designated bush.  Era grabs the oblivious Di and dashes into the foliage to join Jem.  He dumps the girl to the ground and starts whispering with his partner.

Di is about to raise an objection, but Era meets her eyes with a stern gaze, his finger planted firmly against his lips.  She eventually hears the trotting of a distant horse, and she’s amazed Jem had picked up on such a faint sound.

Though they’re well-hidden, the brush is too thick to see the road.  Dissatisfied with her viewpoint, Jem breaks the silence by pushing into the bush as far as she can.  It feels like an eternity to the inexperienced Di as they wait for the carriage to pass.  When Jem sticks her hand out of the bush to give the all-clear, Di gasps for air.

Era looks at her in confusion.  “Were you holding your breath?  You didn’t need to do that.”

“Not on purpose!” she retorts.  “How do you two do that?  I felt like I was going to die trying to be still and quiet for so long.”

Jem emerges fully from the brush, plucking twigs and leaves from her hair and clothes.  “Hey, keep it down.  No reason to risk anything.”  She gives Era an eager grin. “It looks good!  Packing some luggage, too.”

Di is once again left on her own to figure out what they’re discussing as Era’s excitement builds.  “It’s been a while since we’ve taken a carriage.  How many?”

Jem holds up three fingers.  “Driver’s an old man armed with a sword, but he didn’t look fit for a fight.  At least two are inside.”

“Whoa, whoa!” Di cries with her hands outward.  “You want to
raid
them?  I thought you were thieves, not bandits!”

Jem shoots her a dirty look.  “I told you I’m not a thief, Di!”

“And besides, the difference between thieves and bandits isn’t exactly clear-cut,” Era adds.

“Either way, they likely have food and water, which could save us from entering a town during the day,” Jem explains.  “We need to remain inconspicuous while we travel.”

“All the more reason
not
to raid a carriage!” Di objects.

Era plants his hand on the girl’s head.  “Sorry, but this is what we do!  We’ll just take what we need.  It’s not like we’re going to hurt them.”  When she continues to pout, he suggests to Jem, “Maybe Di should stay here.  We’ll come back for her once we’ve made our raid.”

“No, I’m coming too,” she insists.

Jem grimaces in annoyance.  “Look, do whatever you want, but stay back so you don’t get involved.”  Di takes a deep breath and nods, nervous about the undertaking despite her insistence to be included.

The two thieves hurry to catch up to the carriage, and Di trails, doing her best to keep up.  As they approach their target, Jem puts a hand out to signal Era to stop.

The two communicate back and forth with hand signals while Di catches up, out of breath.  However, before they can leap onto the path for a rear flank, shouts break out from up ahead.  A strong gust of wind blows through the area, and the horse lets loose a whinny as the carriage tips over, crashing to its side.

The thieves stick their heads into the path, and Jem smacks her forehead in disbelief.  Three bandits are swarming the tipped carriage, and, as predicted, the driver is doing a poor job fending them off.  A lady from inside the tipped carriage shrieks when one of the bandits squeezes inside.  They overwhelm the driver and start celebrating their victory with cheers.

“Unbelievable…” Jem mutters, relying on the ruckus to hide her voice.  “What are the odds?”

Era shrugs and turns away.  “Well, that’s that I guess.  We were too late.”  Jem nods in disappointment, and the two step away from the road, intending to go around the commotion.

Di peeks at the scene before turning back to the others.  “Hey!” she half-whispers. “We have to help them!”

Jem and Era look at each other and do their best not to laugh.  “We were going to raid them!  And now you want us to help them?” Jem whispers back.  “Let them have their prize, they’ve earned it.”

“Earned it!?” Di yells, far louder than intended.

“Who’s there!?”

Di nearly jumps out of her skin as one of the bandits approaches.  “Hey, it’s a girl!” he yells to his companions, having spotted her blond hair easily through the foliage.  Visibly shaking, Di freezes in place as she watches him come at her.  “You alone, girly?”

Jem and Era spring into action, charging the bandit at full speed in order to frighten him off.  As desired, the brigand dashes back to the carriage, yelling for his allies.  Era cuts over to Di and hoists her over his shoulder in an effort to make an escape.  Jem follows, but a forceful breeze blasts her from behind.  She loses her balance and falls as the bandits close in on her.

“Jem!” Era yells, and he dumps Di in order to race back to his partner.  The girl lets out a yelp as she hits the hard dirt.

“This is just great…” Jem mutters as the three bandits converge on her with swords drawn.  Undeterred, she unsheathes her dagger as Era joins her side.

A gruff man, older than the other two bandits, extends a palm outward.  A blast of wind escapes from his hand, taking Era’s legs right out from under him.

The air maker’s allies charge in.  Jem leaps at one with her dagger, clashing blades and pushing to stay on the offensive.  The other bandit ignores his partner’s situation and raises his sword above Era’s head, trying to finish him while he’s down.  However, the earth shaper digs his hands into the dirt below and pulls out a long blade.  He slashes upward in time to intercept the strike, stunning the bandit who thought Era was unarmed.

Taking advantage, Era sweeps his opponent’s legs out from under him and leaps onto him.  He punches the bandit in the face, but the air maker blasts him away with another strong gust.  Era rolls behind a tree to take cover, and the leader unleashes a strong gale on Era’s hiding place, intending to keep him pinned while his dazed ally slowly fumbles for his sword.

Meanwhile, Jem’s opponent grabs her arm and tries to shake her dagger loose, but the ice elementalist grabs his wrist with her other hand and begins to freeze it.  The sting of frostbite startles the bandit, and he releases her with a yelp.  Taking advantage, she kicks him into a tree and smashes his forehead with the handle of her blade, knocking him out.

“Oh for the love of…” the older bandit cries out in exasperation, still focusing his wind on keeping Era pinned behind the tree.  “Forget him!  Go get the gir-RRRUUAAAHHH!” he screams as the earth beneath him abruptly gives way, and he tumbles into a large pitfall.

The thieves don’t waste any time.  Jem grapples the remaining bandit, and Era helps her shove him into the hole head-first.  Their captives yell and squirm in the compact space.

The partners bump fists as Di runs up and hugs Era tightly.  “I’m sorry!  I’m so, so sorry!”

“Hey, now, it’s okay,” Era says reassuringly as he pats her head.  “See, we don’t lose easily!”  Di holds him tightly with tears in her eyes, and she smiles in relief.

Jem sheathes her dagger, her attitude far less forgiving.  “You’d better not do anything like that again!  How stupid do you have to be to-”

“Give her a break, Jem,” Era calmly says.  “It was a mistake.  She won’t make it again.  Right, Di?”

Relieved at Era’s graciousness, Di nods enthusiastically.  She releases him and looks back at the pit, where the bandits are scrambling around each other below.  “We sure were lucky the ground gave out beneath him.  What are the odds of that happening?”

Era and Jem crack up laughing.  Di just watches them in confusion until Era holds out his open palm.  “Earth shaper, remember?”  He beats his chest and gloats, “I can do more than make dirt swords!”