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  She would leave tonight as soon as it was possible. Risking the life of her child by taking chances waiting for a rescue that might take ronas went against every instinct within her. In order to survive, she would need all of the energy that she could get for her journey.

  Mandi’s prediction was true. Her next-father did check the leather ties at Caidi’s wrists before he pushed the young woman out of the room and into a dimly lit hallway. Caidi worried about leaving the woman here, but she knew that Mandi wouldn’t go with her even if Caidi were to assure her that her sister would be freed and kept safe.

  Caidi rested while she waited for the people in the house to settle and fall into a deep sleep. She then threw off the blankets, stood and began walking silently around the room to get the blood flowing in her legs. She would try to contact Raven before she began her escape. Her chalon was undoubtedly worried.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Raven, my chalon, can you hear me? Caidi, still very new to communicating over great distances, found it very hard to find him, especially when she was the one making the contact. I need to talk…

  You have taken years off of my life, woman. I have been calling to you for days. Where are you? Raven’s thoughts came very quickly, full of concern and a hot anger which was directed toward those responsible for taking her.

  The Bavaok are the people who have taken me. I don’t know where I am. They drugged me before I even woke after they hit me in the head, Caidi rushed to inform him. She expected to be interrupted.

  I knew that the Bavaok had you. That wasn’t hard to figure out even before their demand came. The surge of relief just from the ethereal contact rushed back to her along with a host of other feelings—desperation, determination and raw anger.

  I am pretty sure that I’m not on Acama, the world where they have their village, and I’m probably not on Esden. I’m going to escape tonight, but I will have to find a village or something before I leave the planet even if I do find the travel gate close to here. Caidi felt reassured somehow just from being able to talk with him. Suddenly, she was sure that she would succeed, that she would find a way to get back to him.

  You be careful when you escape. I will take care of our enemies and then I will come for you. Some of my men are out there trying to find you. Watch for them. Raven wanted to hold her and the fact that he didn’t know even where she was angered him. She also felt his guilt and knew that he blamed himself for her disappearance.

  I don’t have any clothing, Caidi informed him with a sigh and a mental shrug. To try to lighten the mood, she sent him a picture of herself clutching a blanket. I will find out where I am as soon as I have some clothing. When I know, I’ll contact you.

  Raven chuckled. Wicked woman, there are also a few of my allies searching the gate paths, asking questions, trying to trace you. Don’t be surprised if you come across a group of shifters in your travels.

  Oh, good, then I might have help. Caidi felt enormously pleased. She hadn’t been looking forward to trying to do this on her own. I have a debt to repay.

  Help? Debt? Suspicion and masculine disapproval rang in the mental tone of those questions. Raven knew Caidi and the woman lived with trouble. Any time she actually tried to do something, it usually went wrong. What are you talking about?

  There is a woman here, Raven. She was kind to me, warned me about her next-father, and told me some things that she didn’t have to. She kept me safe from his hatred with those warnings. Caidi smiled and hugged her secret close. She wanted to tell him when they were together. Also, the man tended to be obsessive and overprotective.

  Caidi, no risks. A rumbling growl accompanied the order. This wasn’t something he would negotiate.

  Damn, the man could project powerfully. That growl seemed to bounce off her skull, ricocheting through her brain. Her name is Mandi and she is nothing like her next-father. Her mother married him late in Mandi’s childhood, I think. Her life is hell, Raven. The only reason that she doesn’t run, leave on her own is because she has a younger sister that she must protect.

  Leave it to warriors, Caidi. Raven could feel her determination and was just as determined that she wouldn’t risk her life.

  Before you go getting all offended, protective male, she is Indiri and in as much danger as we are if he ever discovers her secret. I am going to rescue her. I want you to save her sister, Caidi informed him flatly, daring him to deny her.

  Caidi… Raven’s growl carried over onto the psychic plane in full force.

  We can talk about it later, Raven. I need to get myself safe first. I have to find clothing and a weapon and that could take some time. I have to concentrate on escaping right now. Later, I will think about everything that I need to have to rescue her. Caidi deliberately interrupted him before he could begin a very long lecture that she had already heard.

  We will talk later until you see sense, Raven warned. Protective instincts roared through him. She would listen. You aren’t going to do this.

  Caidi walked over to the wall and looked up at the small window. She would have no trouble getting up to the small window or fitting through it. Even a normal woman could do it, although most would at least pause before dropping to the ground from the second floor and running into the night without clothing or a firm direction to civilization. Even if she wasn’t a shifter, she would have done this. There was too much to lose if she stayed. She looked around the room. Although she was certain that she could escape, she wanted to at least make it look as if she was nothing more than a motivated woman.

  Caidi grabbed the blanket the man had left, went back to the window and jumped. She grabbed the sill with her bound hands, but the grip was too awkward to pull herself completely up and out of the window. Sighing, she dropped lightly to her feet. She tugged at the leather ties, wincing as they dug into her wrists. Determined, she kept pulling until they broke, but she left the loops dangling from her wrists. She would remove them later, once she was away from this place.

  She again jumped and grabbed the windowsill. This time, she pulled herself up and hooked her leg through it, straddling the opening. She hooked the blanket onto one of the metal hooks attached to the wall. They were used to fasten the shutters in wind, but the shutters weren’t even there. Caidi pulled on the blanket, ripping it slightly. She hung the blanket out of the window, pushed it out of her way and hung down the wall. With a quick glance down, she let go.

  Caidi dropped to the ground and looked up at the window with a smile. She was certain that the man would feel more than a little doubt when he began his hunt, but when he couldn’t find her, that doubt would disappear. Knowing she had to move, she turned and ran away from the house, at first without a firm direction in mind. Once she was away from the house, well out of sight, she stopped and scented the wind.

  Her keen Zarain senses picked up the smell and the sound of water. There was a river nearby, to the east. She began to head toward that. She kept moving in spite of the way her body ached.

  The air was frigid and every instinct within her told her that she must shift before she became too cold. With control gained from years of experience and the knowledge that she must do everything she could to protect herself and her babe, she fought and denied those instincts. She wanted to get to the river before she took her second form. Then there wouldn’t even be the possibility of her enemies discovering her tracks changing from human prints to the tracks of a beast.

  As she neared the river, stubby bushes and spindly trees dotted the grassland. As sparse as they were, she was relieved to have even the miniscule cover. Caidi finally came to the edge of the river. She had known that it was fast-flowing. A rush of relief flowed through her when she saw that it was wide and deep and that, on the opposite side, the trees eventually turned into a full forest.

  Shivering, Caidi waded into the river and swam downstream until she found a nice, rocky bend in the river that would conceal her tracks. She swam to the forest side and waded out until the water reached only mid-c
alf. Taking a deep breath, she allowed the change to roll through her.

  Muscles and bones rippled beneath her skin. Golden-streaked brown fur grew on her body, covering it, even as her form grew larger. As her form reshaped, Caidi dropped to her large front paws. The fur-covered feet held sharp claws concealed by shaggy, slightly coarse hair.

  Sharp, prominent canines peeked from her long muzzle. Her face was round and wide with almond-shaped, silver eyes providing her with a wide field of vision. Pointed ears topped her head. They could swivel and pinpoint a sound’s location with accuracy. Her body was large and built for endurance and power rather than speed, but even at a walk she was faster than a human.

  She began walking away from the river, to the east, away from the house where she had been held. Although she knew that she might find a village near it, maybe even a travel gate, she couldn’t take the risk that Bavaok man or any of his minions would find her. Doing the unexpected, something that might not be considered the smart thing to do, would ensure she stayed alive. She would have to travel away from this main river and use her senses to help her to find a settlement.

  Are you out yet? Raven’s voice rumbled into her mind, simmering with impatience.

  Yes, I am out of the house and away from the Bavaok. Caidi sent him a mental frown, exasperated at both his impatient tone and his insistence on resuming this argument.

  Good. Satisfaction rang through the single word. His voice when he next spoke was filled with an authoritative command that set her teeth on edge. You are not going to rescue this woman. You won’t even go with those who do rescue her. We will find a way to free her. You won’t risk yourself.

  As I am here on my own, I will have to use my own judgment about the situation. I’m not leaving this planet without that woman. Caidi regally ignored what she knew was practically an order.

  Gods, woman, do you want to drive me insane? The fact that you are out of my protection maddens me. Raven issued an annoyed growl at her stubborn insistence on doing things without assistance and in her own way with a total disregard of his experience. Who is the Achan of this pack?

  That would be you, but I am the Acine and I don’t have to follow your every little dictate when I’m not with you. My experience entitles me to some leeway in those little rules that you made me promise to obey. When I promised, I didn’t even know what I was promising you. Caidi felt her anger rise at the thought of that promise and those rules.

  You do have to obey my every little dictate and there is no leeway in those rules. You will abide by them. Each word came to her in a hard, uncompromising tone. You will obey them especially when it comes to matters of your safety. Rule number two is very clear about you not endangering your life in any way and don’t forget rule number one, obey the Achan’s commands. You will find a village, find some clothing and find out where you are. That is all that you will do. Do you understand me?

  You never told me what the penalties of breaking those rules would be, Caidi hedged, wondering just how bad the punishment would be.

  For you, the penalty would be never leaving the Taivain without a sizable escort of warriors surrounding you. His anger rose as she gave thought to his threat, weighing the issue.

  Only Raven could convey such arrogance, such confidence at the same time that he showed such irritation with her over the mental pathway. I understand your order. We will talk more, later, Caidi conceded, not completely accepting defeat about rescuing Mandi. Have you already defeated the Bavaok?

  No, I haven’t gotten to Acama yet, but we did receive a second ransom demand. They want the cloth that they usually got from you or they say that they will kill you. You will obey me in this, Caidi. Raven’s tone gave clear warning that he wasn’t teasing and that she pushed him at her own peril. Caidi didn’t know if she was quite that brave.

  I am very good at getting things without anyone even knowing I was there. I could slip in and be gone with Mandi before that Bavaok even suspected. Caidi raised her eyes to the heavens and tried to tell him about her skills. She didn’t know why the man seemed determined to see her as fragile and vulnerable when he had plenty of evidence to the contrary. I led my pack for years. We eluded other shifters years before we found and avoided your trap.

  You have a responsibility to me and to the pack to keep yourself safe while you are out of my protection. That means that you don’t actively go seeking dangerous situations. Raven knew that he couldn’t give in to her, regardless of her feelings on the matter. As the Acine, you are the heart of the pack. Without you, the pack will die.

  Caidi closed her eyes but she couldn’t shut out his words or how much they touched her. How did he do that? She had been so angry and now she wanted to cry and hug him. I will think about it.

  Caidi could feel Raven’s satisfaction with her answer just as she knew that he could feel how close she was to giving in to his demands. He was a smart, seasoned warrior, he didn’t press her. Surrender was imminent and, in this case, it would be so much better than a defeat. Contact me if anything happens, if you find anything.

  Yes, Achan. Caidi heaved a long, suffering sigh.

  Caidi heard the rich, deep sound of Raven’s laughter even as he cut the connection between them, allowing her to concentrate on her surroundings.

  Caidi talked with Raven many times over the next three days. She spent most of her time reassuring him that she was fine and that she was staying out of trouble. At the same time, she had to assure him that no one was following her and that she would contact him when she did find a village or settlement of some kind. At night, when she was trying to rest, she did wonder exactly what kind of trouble the man expected her to find out here. There was no sign of civilization, she was all alone and she was always traveling.

  Chapter Sixteen

  As she was walking early on the morning of the fourth day of her travels, a strange scent teased Caidi’s nostrils. She stopped dead in her tracks. Shifters. Their scent was unfamiliar. They weren’t Feiral or Zarain. Caidi slowly turned toward the wind, toward the scent. She hadn’t heard of any shifters being mortal enemies with other shifters, but then again… There was only one person to ask.

  Raven! Caidi waited impatiently, tapping her foot, not taking a step closer. The man tells me to contact him and then takes his time answering. She shook her head in irritation.

  You can pick your moments, love, to scream at me like that. I just got into bed. I am very sleepy, but that sent chills down my spine. The battle with the Bavaok was finished not long ago, if you are impatient for a report. Raven sensed her agitation and a little fear. All humor dropped away from him. Fear for his mate rolled through him. Woman, you should have been born with an armed escort. Are you in trouble?

  I have scented some shifters, near where I am, but I don’t know who or what they are. Caidi frowned at his question. She had heard it so much that even the words irritated her. Why did he always think she was in trouble? Do we have any shifter enemies that I don’t know about? I know some groups occasionally fight among themselves, but I haven’t been current about shifter relations in a long time because of our isolation.

  We don’t have any shifter enemies. Most shifters will help another shifter in need, especially a female. Just approach them cautiously, don’t startle them. Relief flowed through Raven. Although he left it unsaid, she knew the reason for that relief. She had found some help, a way to find out where she was.

  Even in Zarain form, Caidi’s eyes rounded at his order. I can’t approach them like this. I still haven’t found any clothing. All they will see is a huge animal. Most do find the Zarain second form frightening, Caidi scoffed. She had personally sent Feiral running when they had encountered her in the forest.

  Trust me. If you don’t appear aggressive, they won’t fear you or try to harm you. Raven chuckled. He had caught the image she had sent to him.

  How am I supposed to communicate with them, to make them understand? I can’t invade their minds and talk as Shadatai do. Even I kn
ow that that is considered rude by most people. Caidi waited for Raven to supply an answer to that one.

  You probably won’t find it as hard as you think, but I trust that you will find a way. Raven could feel the irritation boiling within her. I will be with you to advise you. Don’t appear to sneak up on them. Go slowly, but make sure that even the most unaware know of your approach.

  Caidi took a deep, fortifying breath and moved slowly toward the area of the camp. She still couldn’t see it, but she made no effort to hide her approach. She made as much noise as she could without growling and roaring. Snapping twigs and crunching leaves with every step, she stomped through the forest. A man pacing her flanked her. He seemed to stay out of reach and had dropped slightly behind her. She fought the urge to spin to confront him. Walking slowly, she continued to toward the camp.

  I want you to stop outside of the camp. Don’t enter it. Wait to be invited into the camp. You may or may not be the more powerful shifter, but show them respect, Raven rapped out the instructions. Fear for her safety pounded through him.

  I will follow your orders, Raven. Caidi didn’t argue. He was far more experienced in dealing with other shifters than she was. He also had more experience with matters of life and death and this might very well be one of them.

  Caidi stopped on the edge of the forest and sat back on her haunches. The camp lay in the clearing in front of her, beckoning, but she was prepared to wait as long as it took to get an invitation. This was a large group, a real city of brown tents spread out before her.

  Most of the men who lived in those tents were warriors. She saw enough swords, lances and bows to give evidence to that. Although most of the people here were male shifters, she could smell and sense a few females in the camp. If she ever got invited into the camp, maybe they would loan her some clothing. Hopefully, the females weren’t all petite dolls.