Preview of The Star of Eldon

“Hurry up! We’ve got to get behind those dunes before the soldiers see us,” she said, dragging the other woman along with her.

Addia stumbled in her wake. “Soldiers? What do they want?”

“I hope nothing,” said Shara, urging Addia into a jog. She glanced over her shoulder. She still couldn’t see the soldiers from where she was. She hoped that meant they wouldn’t be able to see her as well.

They dashed behind the dunes Lawyan had indicated. Shara peered out to where the men were gathered, but she still couldn’t see the soldiers. Her heart was pounding and her mouth felt dry. Gods above, why had they ever decided they wanted to make this miserable journey in the first place?

“What is this¼” came Addia’s voice behind her.

Shara ignored her, her attention fixed on the camp. She could just see the first of the horsemen coming up the beach, riding right through the surf where the sand was packed tight by the water. The soldiers outnumbered her companions two to one and that was only the soldiers she could currently see.

Addia gave a muffled cry, then went silent.

Shara whipped around, staring at the spot her friend had been, but she was gone.

Her hand fell to the hilt of her sword and she took a cautious step forward, staring at the furrow Addia’s boots had made in the sand. They disappeared into the dune somehow. She drew her sword and moved another step closer. She didn’t want to call out to her and alert the soldiers.

A wedge of darkness was just visible where Addia’s boot-prints ended. Shara tightened her grip on the sword and edged closer still. Before she could react, a hand shot out and clamped around her wrist, the fingers tightening. She lashed out with her other fist, but she was tugged off balance and pulled toward the small black gap between the dunes and the river bank.

The pressure on her wrist grew more pronounced, until it was so painful, she was forced to drop the sword. She was dragged, kicking into the gap, and thrown forward into blackness. She opened her mouth to scream, but a hand clamped over her lips, silencing her. She was hauled back against an unyielding body, her arms pinioned to her sides.

A low, accented voice whispered in her ear. “Let’s be cooperative now, Princess, and keep quiet, or we’re liable to wind up dead.”

Shara went still, her heart hammering wildly, her breath coming in terrified gasps. She recognized the voice even though she’d heard it only briefly before. His breath was warm against her cheek, his grip like iron across her mouth and waist. She blinked frantically in the dark, willing her eyes to adjust.

“Now, if I let you go, promise me you’ll be a good girl and not scream,” he whispered.

Shara nodded vigorously.

He hesitated a moment more, then slowly removed his hand from across her waist. When it was gone, Shara grabbed his other arm and shoved it down, spinning out of his hold. She collided with the cliff wall where Addia was huddled and pulled the other woman up beside her. They crouched there in the darkness, trembling.

“Are you all right?” she whispered to Addia.

The other woman nodded.

Shara’s eyes slowly adjusted and she realized a little light was filtering down from a hole in the roof of the odd structure. As she looked around, she saw they were in a boat that had been turned on its side and covered with sand. It gave enough room for two people to make a rudimentary camp. Currently, she and Addia were standing in the remains of a fire pit.

She eased out of the ashes, her gaze shifting to the man directly across from her. He seemed to be regarding them in return, but Shara couldn’t be sure since he had his spectacles in place once more.

She shot a look at the opening. The other, larger man was blocking the hole, Shara’s short sword tucked into his belt. He glanced back at her, but returned to staring outside the structure, his head tilted as if he were listening.

“What is this place?” asked Shara softly.

“Home,” replied Talar and his lips lifted in a slightly off-center smile.

“Why did you grab us?” she demanded, straightening. There was just enough room for her to stand beneath the sloping roof.

“Because you were hanging about our front doorstep.”

The cryptic comment annoyed Shara. “Can I have my sword back?”

The big, blonde man ignored her, his attention focused outside.

 “When this is over,” said Talar. “I wouldn’t want you to get confused about who your friends are.”

“There are soldiers riding down on our camp right now. My brother told us to hide, hoping to avoid trouble, but I want my sword back so I can go to their aid if they need it.”

Talar took a step closer to her. She shrank back, pulling Addia with her; although, there wasn’t much space to go anywhere. He braced a hand on the wall beside Shara and leaned close, dropping his voice.

“Your brother obviously has more sense than you do. The only way you can help them is by staying out of sight.”

“I will fight by their side if it is necessary,” said Shara, glaring at him.

“Shut up!” hissed his companion by the entrance.

Talar glanced at the ground, tilting his head as if he were listening too. Shara fell silent, straining to hear what they obviously did. She could hear a lot of angry talking, some shouting, and her brother Shad’s voice lifted above the others. She swallowed hard and glanced at the man in front of her.

“What are they saying?” she pleaded.

He continued to listen, then he glanced at his companion and said something in a strange language. Shandar responded in kind, then Talar turned toward her. “It’s a contingent of Front Guard.”

“What does that mean?” she prompted.

“Not good. One of your group is attempting to communicate with them.”

“Shad,” said Shara, “my brother Shad.”

He didn’t respond, but continued listening. The moments ticked away like hours. Shara thought she might scream from the tension. There were more angry shouts and Shandar muttered something else. Talar made a non-committal grunt and continued listening.

“What?” whispered Shara.

“They want the horses, mules, and trade goods. Your brother is trying to reason with them and someone else in the group is shouting very loudly.”

Shara exchanged a worried look with Addia. “Fenos,” she said, recognizing the higher tone of his voice when he was angry.

“The fool is liable to get them killed,” muttered Talar.

Shara glanced toward the opening again. “They can’t take our horses. Most of our supplies are stored on the mules.”

“They can take anything they want.”

Shara grabbed his arm, pulling it from the wall. “You’ve got to stop them!”

He drew away from her. “Me? Why me? Those aren’t my horses.”

Shara stared at him, then looked around frantically. She could hear the sounds of the argument escalating. “We’ll be stranded here if you don’t do something. You can’t let them rob us like that. How dare they! We’re Lodenian nobility. They have no jurisdiction over us.”

Talar gave a grim laugh. “They can do anything they damn well please, Princess, and I’m not getting myself killed over a bunch of silly Lodenian princes.”

Shara glared at him, shoving him in the chest. “You coward!” she hissed, then stumbled back, colliding with Addia.

Shandar was suddenly looming before her, his expression murderous. “I told you to shut up!” he growled.