A halt was called by a shallow, gurgling stream and everyone dismounted, some gingerly. None more so than the man, who hissed and rubbed his legs, walking out stiffness. Baltha's colleagues nodded knowingly. In fact, though, only embarrassment kept Maia from hobbling about just like him. Instead, she stretched surreptitiously, behind her horse. Nearby, the leaders gathered round a lantern.
"This must be the place," Kiel said, jabbing a map sketched onto lambskin, so much tougher than paper. Baltha shook her head. "Another stream, a klick or so on. I'll tell ya when."
"You're sure? We wouldn't want to miss—"
"Won't," the tall blonde said, curtly. "Now let's mount. Wastin' time."
Maia saw Thalia and Kiel look at each other dubiously after Baltha left. "Comes off knowin' the place like her own back-hand." Thalia muttered. "Now how would that be? Only Perkinites grow up 'round here."
Kiel made a cautioning sign to her friend. "One thing for sure. That's no damn Perkinite."
Thalia shrugged as Kiel rolled up the map. "There's worse," she said under her breath. When the two of them walked past Maia, Thalia gave her a tousle on the top of her head. The gesture would have seemed patronizing if there hadn't been something like genuine affection in it.
With the elation of escape starting to fade into physical fatigue, Maia realized, There's more going on here than I thought. I'd better start paying closer attention.
Half an hour later, they reached another stream under looming canyon walls. This time, Baltha signaled for everyone to guide their mounts into the shallow watercourse before she spoke.
"We split up here. Riss, Herri, Blene, an' Kau will go on toward Demeterville, making tracks and confusing the trail. Maia, you'll go too. The rest'll wade upstream about two klicks before heading west, then south. We'll meet sou'west of Clay Town on the seventh, if Lysos guides us."
Maia stared at the strangers she had been told to accompany, and felt a frisson course her spine. "No," she said emphatically. "I want to go with Kiel and Thalia."
Baltha glowered. "You'll go where you're told."
Panic welled and Maia's chest was tight. It felt like a repetition of her separation from Leie, when they parted in Lanargh for the last time, on separate ships. A certainty overwhelmed her that once out of sight, she would never see her friends again.
"I won't! Not after all that!" She jerked one hand in the direction of the prison tower that so recently held her in its grip. Maia turned to her friends for support, but they wouldn't meet her eyes. "The upstream party ought to be small as possible . . ." Kiel tried to explain. But Maia learned more from the woman's uneasy demeanor. This was arranged in advance, she realized. They don't want me along while they escape with their precious alien! A heavy resignation swarmed into Maia's heart, overwhelming even her burning resentment.
"Maia comes with us."
It was Renna. Maneuvering his horse next to hers, he went on. "Your plan counts on our pursuers following an easy trail to the larger party, while we others make our getaway. That's fine for me. Thanks. But not so good for Maia when they catch up."
"The girl's just a larva," Baltha retorted. "They don't care about her. Probably aren't even looking for her."
Renna shook his head. "You want to risk her freedom on a bet like that? Forget it. I won't let her be taken back to that place."
Through surging emotion, Maia saw a silent interplay among the women. They had thought of Renna as a commodity, but now he was asserting himself. Men might rank low on the Stratos social ladder, nevertheless they stood higher than most vars. Moreover, most of these vars must have served on ships, at one time or another. It surely influenced matters that Renna had a well-cultivated "captain's voice."
Kiel shrugged. Thalia turned and grinned at Maia. "Okay by me. Glad to have you with us, virgie."
Baltha cursed lowly, accepting the swing of consensus, but not gracefully. The rangy blonde brought her mount over near her friends, who were taking the other route, and leaned over to clasp forearms with them. In a similar manner, Thalia and Kiel embraced Kau. The parties separated then, Baltha carefully swiveling her mount down the center of the current. Taking the rear, Maia and Renna called farewell to their benefactors, who had already begun climbing a thin trail up the next canyon wall. One of them — Maia couldn't make out who — lifted a hand to wave back, then the four women disappeared around a bend.
"Thank you," Maia said to Renna softly, as their mounts sloshed slowly along. Her voice still felt thick from that moment of surprise and upset.
"Hey," the man said with a smile. "We castaways have to hang together, right? Anyway, you seem like a tough pal to have along, if trouble's ahead."
Of course he was jesting with her. But only partly, she realized with some surprise. He really did seem glad, even relieved, that she was coming with him.
