Chapter 14

“You know, I’m sure we’d both be more comfortable if I got back into the wagon.”

Tavik chuckled. “I thought you wanted to learn how to ride.”

“I’m not learning anything.”

His hand rubbed her thigh. “You’re learning. You’re becoming more comfortable. It’s a start.”

Naomi frowned down at her thigh. No, she was learning how to ignore his hand.

“Milord, I need to speak to you.”

Naomi turned to the man that had approached. He’d come from the front of the caravan. He brought his horse alongside theirs.

“What is it?” he said.

The man’s eyes darted to Naomi.

“Speak.”

“Umbrek tracks.” That didn’t mean anything to her. She turned between the two men for an explanation, but Tavik’s attention was focused on his man.

“How old?”

“A few days, sir. They may have left the area, but I can’t be sure.”

He nodded. “Alert the others. Tighten the line. Have swords ready. I’ll go to the front once Lady Alyssa is safely in a wagon.”

The man saluted and rode ahead.

“Umbreks?” Naomi finally asked.

“You don’t know of them?”

“No, but I take it they’re bad news.”

Tavik’s hand tightened on her thigh. “The worst news. Listen to Yula and stay in the wagon. Do you understand?”

Naomi nodded. He slowed the charger and flagged the wagon. She slipped off the horse and climbed back in.

“Have you heard?” Naomi asked.

Yula drew her shawl tighter around her shoulders. “They suspect Umbreks hunt the area.”

“What are Umbreks?”

“Foul demons."

Naomi did not like the sound of that. “What do they look like?”

“They stand like men on two legs, but they are legs bent in the reverse. Their arms are short with nasty razor claws. Their mouths are crowded with fangs. They rip men apart and eat them. Woe to the lonely traveler who finds himself in their woods.”

“But we’ll be all right. We have all these soldiers and horses. These Umbreks wouldn’t attack us.”

She hugged her shawl closer. “I have seen large, robust villages decimated by them. Bits of small children littered the ground. The grass grew red.”

Naomi’s heart pounded with the description. She found herself hugging her arms to herself too. “They can be killed, though, right?”

“Yes, but they do not die easily.”

She peered out the back of the wagon, and the world looked a lot darker and colder. She suddenly wished she was up in Tavik’s lap again. His charger was fast, and he had a large sword. She would have gladly let him rub her thigh. She did not consider herself weak and cowardly for the wish, just extremely practical, and hiding behind large men with weapons in the face of danger was extremely practical. Okay, maybe she was a scaredy cat. Usually, the most frightened people were the smartest. Bravery and stupidity gladly went hand-in-hand into battle while scared and intelligent ran the other way.

“Do not worry yourself too much, milady. Lord Tavik will not let those devils get us. He is brave and strong.”

Naomi’s mouth twisted into a sardonic smile, and one of her little unhinged giggles escaped. Brave. Oh God, if you are able to hear me, save me from brave men, she prayed.

All chatter had ceased throughout the caravan. All eyes darted into the woods as ears strained for indications of Umbreks. They were going at a faster trot. The road was not really built for it. Naomi bounced in her seat. Everyone’s tension had gripped her too. She didn’t know what she was afraid of, but she knew it had to be bad if these people were worried.

A strange whooping sound drifted to them from the woods. The caravan let out a collective gasp in response. Naomi didn’t need to ask. She was sure that meant Umbreks. The wagon drivers whipped their horses to go faster. The whooping was getting closer very quickly. Umbreks must be fast.

She peeked out of the front of the wagon. The driver Dennis was lashing the horses with a snarl on his lips. Out of the forest a shape leaped out. She watched it soar through the air over the road. Yula had not said the fiends could fly.

“Miss, get back inside,” begged the driver as he snapped the reins. The horses did not need much incentive. They were hauling the wagon as fast as they could. They were as frightened as the humans of Umbreks.

She couldn't duck back in because she was getting her first good look at an Umbrek. It was everything Yula had said, but the old woman had left out one thing--Umbreks were evil kangaroos. Naomi’s jaw worked back and forth as she took in the lunacy and the horror. She was not sure whether to fall over laughing or fall down screaming. She fell down either way with a sharp tug from Yula.

“Do you want to be torn apart and stuffed into their pouches?” Yula demanded.

Naomi’s jaw continued to work as she tried to piece together a response. Yula pulled back her hand and slapped her across the face.

“Evil kangaroos.”

“What?” Yula asked.

“Your world has evil kangaroos. This place is so horrible that your kangaroos are even scary. What else is out there? Brain-eating Koala bears? Eviscerating deer? Poison spitting bunny rabbits?”

“Do I need to slap you again?”

“No,” Naomi answered.

“Then shut up.”

Continue to Chapter 15