Peter Brett - The Desert Spear

"Merchants who don't want the bridge guards rooting through their goods sometimes pay raftsmen to take them across the Dividing," Arlen said. "Usually because they're carrying something, or someone, they shouldn't."

"So we can hire one?" Renna asked.

"Could," Arlen said, "but that would mean waiting till dawn and dealing with more rumors. Can't swing my arm in these parts without hitting someone who acts the fool 'cause they think I'm the Deliverer."

"Don't know you like I do," Renna smirked.

"There," Arlen said, pointing to a raft big enough to carry Twilight Dancer comfortably. There was a great groove in the riverbank where it was hauled up and down each day. He handed Renna one of his ancient gold coins. "Go and leave this by the door."

"Why?" Renna asked. "It's new moon. He ent gonna see us take it, and even if he hears, he sure as the sun ent gonna cross his wards to run after us."

"Ent thieves, Ren," Arlen said. "Smuggler or no, someone earns their keep with that raft." Renna nodded and took the coin, leaving it on the hut's doorstep.

Arlen examined the raft. "Not even a ripping water ward!" He spat on the bank.

Renna returned, kicking at one of the stakes. "These ent worth spit, either. Dumb luck much as anything, protectin' these rafts."

Arlen shook his head. "Can't explain it, Ren. Any ten-year-old in the Brook can out-ward most folk in the Free Cities, where they been raised not to trust anyone without a guild license to ward a ripping windowsill."

"Can you ward it now?" Renna asked, nodding at the raft.

Arlen shook his head. "Not so it'll be dry before dawn."

Renna looked out at the wide expanse of water. Even with her warded eyes, she couldn't see the far side. "What happens, we try to cross without wards?"

"There's usually froggies that hide right at the bank," Arlen said. "We kill those first…" He shrugged. "It's a new moon. No light to shine on the raft from above and point us out to the river demons, so odds are we 'll get across the deep water safe. By the time we reach the far bank, the sky will be lighter and most of the froggies will have gone back to the Core."

"Froggies?" Renna asked.

"Bank demons," Arlen said. "Folk call 'em froggies because they look like big fly frogs, 'cept they're big enough to eat you like a fly. They jump up out of the water and catch you with their tongues, swallowing as they drag you in. Put up too much of a fight, and they dive into the river to drown it out of you."

Renna nodded and drew her knife. There were fresh blackstem wards painted on her knuckles. "So what's the best way to kill one?"

"With a spear," Arlen said, taking two and handing her one. "Watch."

He moved slowly toward the water's edge, emitting a shrill whistling noise. For a moment all seemed calm, and then the water by the bank exploded as a giant, wide-mouthed coreling sprang out. It gripped two stubby, webbed feet on the bank and snapped its head, shooting its thick, slimy tongue at him.

But Arlen was ready and stepped easily to the side. The demon croaked and leapt fully onto the bank, covering some ten feet in a single hop. It shot its tongue at him again, but again Arlen sidestepped, this time charging in close before the tongue could retract. With a quick, precise thrust, he put his spear through the folds of tough skin at its chin and up into its brain, twisting sharply. The crackling magic lit the night as he pulled the spear free, and when the demon struck the ground, he stabbed down once more to be certain it was dead.

"Trick is to get 'em up on shore," Arlen said, returning to Renna's side. "Dodge the first tongue, and they hop out of the water to try again. They're good jumpers, but their forelegs ent got the reach of a spear. You can stab from a safe distance."

"Ent much fun in that," Renna said, but she gripped her spear and headed for the water, trying to mimic his whistle.

She expected it to take a few moments to get a response, but almost instantly the water burst and a bank demon was shooting its tongue at her from more than a dozen feet off. She pivoted out of the way, but she wasn't quite fast enough, and the tongue caught her a glancing blow, knocking her down.

Before she could recover, the demon leapt from the water, landing on the bank and trying again. She rolled to the side, but the tongue caught her about the thigh, slowly drawing her in. Renna dropped her spear to claw at the riverbank, but to no avail. The coreling's mouth, wide enough to swallow her whole, was filled with row upon row of short, sharp teeth.

Renna ignored it, turning instead to Arlen, who was already running her way.

"You stay out of this, Arlen Bales!" she growled, stopping him short.

She was almost in range of the bank demon's teeth when she turned back to it. She flicked the sandal off her free foot and kicked it in the jaw with a flash of magic. The demon's tongue slackened slightly, and Renna twisted, cutting right through it with her knife. As the coreling recoiled, she leapt to her feet, stabbing it in the eye. She hopped back to avoid its death thrashes, then moved in quick, putting her knife in its other eye to ensure the kill.

She looked back at Arlen, daring him to criticize. He said nothing, but there was a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth, and his eyes glittered.

There was shouting from the hut, and lamplight flickered in one of its windows, roused by the commotion.

"Time to go," Arlen said. The one was on the move. The coreling prince hissed in frustration, but immediately leapt upon its mimic's back and took to the sky, following his trail.

It had been a risk, letting the human live another cycle, but one the mind demon had deemed acceptable in hope that it might learn how the one had come into powers long since stamped away. The one killed drones nightly, but their number was insignificant, as were the weapons he spread. He was not a unifier, like the dangerous one to the south.

But it was in his power to be. If he but called, human drones would flock to him, and if that happened, they could threaten the hive.

And now he was moving with great decision back toward the human breeding grounds. The coreling prince was certain he would call to the human drones then, and a unification would begin. That could not be tolerated.

The mind demon spent the remainder of the first night tracking the one. Just before dawn it reached the river and hissed when its prey came into sight. Nothing could be done now with the sun about to rise, but it would find them quickly the next night.

The mimic dropped lightly to the riverbank, bending low so the coreling prince could dismount. As they began to dematerialize, the mimic growled softly, sensing its master's anticipation for the kill. Renna and Arlen kept riding when the sun rose, passing a branch in the road with an old signpost a few hours later.

"Ent stopping in the town?" Renna asked.

Arlen looked at her. "You can read?"

"Course not," Renna said. "Don't need to read to know what a sign on the road is for."

"Point," Arlen said, and she could sense him grinning beneath his hood. "Ent got time to waste with other towns right now. I need to get to the Hollow quick."

"Why?" Renna asked.

Arlen looked at her for a long moment, considering. "A friend's got herself into a fix," he said at last, "and I reckon it's more than a little my fault for staying away so long."

Renna felt a cold hand clutch her heart. "What friend? Who is she?"

"Leesha Paper," he said. "Herb Gatherer of Deliverer's Hollow."

Renna swallowed. "Is she pretty?" She cursed herself the moment the words left her lips.

Arlen turned his head back to her with a look that mixed annoyance and amusement. "Why does it still feel like we 're ten summers old?"

Renna smiled. "Because I'm not one of these folk sees you as the Deliverer. They din't see the look on your face after you clicked teeth with Beni in the hayloft."