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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Khol
It didn’t take me long to find Thanu with a handful from my horde. They had set up camp in a hut near the edge of the colony. I had a hunch they were in this spot. Thanu had visited the daughter of an old seer frequently after we took Dretis. I figured he’d be with her during this stressful time.
When I arrived on foot, my men looked happy to see me. They came marching up the trail when they recognized me.
“My King.” “Khol.” They greeted me.
“We thought you’d never wake up,” Remut said.
“Or ran off with your human to get away from all of this,” Canon said, chuckled.
“You could use a meal or five. You’ve lost weight, yes?” Thanu commented.
“You’ve all been worried about me, I see. As I have been worried about you…” I replied. “Where is my horde?” I didn’t expect to see them all here. They were free warriors. Free to do as they pleased even though they were pledged to fight at my command. I was worried about all of them.
When a look of dread crossed Thanu’s face, I knew something terrible must have happened.
No one said a thing.
I crossed my arms over my chest. “They’ve returned. Visla has told me and others have confirmed it. Are they laying low?” After learning how Sanjit betrayed me, my men were smart enough not to be fooled again by the wench. I was sure of it. But… “What’s going on?”
Thanu took my forearm and pulled me toward a hut. “Let’s get you something to eat and some more salve on your wound. We’ll talk over food, yes? We’re all hungry.”
Thanu’s woman, Elsayid, brought us a meal and we ate until every bowl was empty.
Once the table was cleared and my patience still great, Thanu pulled his chair closer to me.
“I’m glad you didn’t go into the city, into Dretis,” he said.
“I would have. I gathered my axe realizing that a fight is what Sanjit desires, but something deep in my gut stopped me from acting on my initial emotions,” I said.
“Then you are still the most tactical, astute man that I know. It is why I follow you and it is why I’ll always follow you. Your hordesmen feel the same…”
“But they are not here, with you, a commander that everyone trusts,” I said.
“They are with you, trust me on that,” he said, and then lowered his voice. “When I returned from retrieving them, I knew they’d all need medical attention. More than half of them had critical injuries just like your own—”
“What happened?” I bit out through clenched teeth.
“Space pirates, my King. The Norjal raiders. Their ship was intercepted, and the Norjal, along with their alijke canadensi, attacked.
Alijke canadensi. Raiding dogs. The Norjal pirates of the open space were known to have chained wild beasts and tamed them, keeping them to raid many villages so they can come in later to collect the treasure after everyone was dead.
“The Norjal? How did they come to be on this side of the planet?”
“That’s the thing, Khol. It was as if the Norjal knew when and exactly where to attack. They were drawn here by something.”
My mind instantly went to the conniving Sanjit. “She was planning this.”
“Yes. And that’s not all. While we were gathering up medics to heal the injured hordesmen, she caught word of it. She had gathered up a small force of men from her own Isle and captured many of your men. When they did not kneel before her and pledge their loyalty, she threw them into cells below the city. She threatens to have them burned alive below grounds if we retaliate. The men that did escape are safe, for now. They are well concealed throughout the colonies. I told them to wait for your command.” Thanu got up and grabbed my battle horn and placed it on the table before me. “They’ll come to your aid if and when you call.”
So, Sanjit had taken Dretis, for now. And she planned to wear my crown. This bitch was relentless.
“And my brother…? What of Ghid?”
“No one has seen or heard from Ghid since Sanjit declared herself interim Queen. Either his hands are tied or he has met the same fate as your hordesmen,” Thanu replied.
