Rachel remained unconscious throughout. Jason checked her breathing and pulse during lulls.
After the first two attacks, the night became still. Eventually Nedwin returned, signaling carefully before climbing the easiest side.
“They’ve pulled back,” he announced after reaching the top. “I dispatched two of the three leaders. They were a little tough to find. I finished the man with the arrow in his head and cut down a short, older man. I left the woman alive after she vowed to withdraw with her remaining forces.”
“She could communicate?” Farfalee asked.
“With some exertion, yes. Her mind is far gone. But with her companions disabled and having freshly lost a limb, she made the effort.”
“You believe we can trust her?” Nollin challenged.
“Not much,” Nedwin replied. “But I wanted to prevent us from getting besieged here. I think we can at least trust her sense of self-preservation. More than half of her followers have been rendered inert. She knows I can get to her whenever I choose. I watched her lead the others away before I returned. I demanded that they go north, away from our route, and they complied.”
“You didn’t get infected?” Nollin asked.
“I’m uncompromised,” Nedwin said.
“We should move,” Ferrin urged. “The leader could change her mind. Or she might lose control of her minions. Nedwin is right. We can’t afford to get pinned down.”
“I agree,” Farfalee said. “We’ll have to choose our campsites with greater care. Our scouts should range even farther. Had we stopped for the night atop this rock, we might still have Halco with us.”
“I’ll carry the girl,” Aram muttered, picking up Rachel carefully.
Jason found the climb down the little bluff disconcerting. Fleeing up the craggy slope to escape zombies had seemed simple. But while descending, he found it hard to decide where to place his hands and feet. Forced to gaze down in search of handholds, he became disconcertingly aware of the height and the potential fall. Corinne seemed to climb down without much trouble, which motivated him to endure the descent without complaint.
The rest of the night passed quietly, although Jason kept a hand on his sword. He had slashed his way past two zombies during the hurried escape. It had felt like hacking at bundles of dead sticks—they weren’t overly heavy or solid, and his blade hadn’t cut very deep. He had basically used his sword as a tool to knock them away while he dodged around them.
The group remained in motion until dawn, when Aram shrank and had to lay Rachel down. Nedwin, Kerick, Drake, and Ferrin were off scouting in different directions. Farfalee knelt beside Rachel and wafted a tiny bag of smelling salts beneath her nostrils. Rachel’s eyes opened abruptly, and she sat up with a gasp.
Farfalee placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. “We’re all right,” the seedwoman assured her.
Rachel sagged a bit. “That’s good.” She narrowed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. “Ow!”
“You overextended yourself,” Farfalee said. “I used to see it with wizards of old.”
“I burned a lot of those zombies,” Rachel said with a smile.
“Yes,” Farfalee said. “I was surprised how much power you brought to bear. If you were able to muster much more, you probably would have destroyed yourself along with them. Be grateful you passed out. You must learn to rein in your abilities before they destroy you. It would be shameful to see such promise snuffed out.”
“I’ll try to be careful,” Rachel said, although her expression looked stubborn rather than repentant. “You knew wizards?”
“The eldest of my people remember our father, Eldrin, and the wizards of his time,” she said. “And I am among the eldest. Can you stand?”
“I think so.” With help Rachel arose, her face scrunched up. “My head is pounding. And my joints feel sore.”
“Ideally, I would let you rest,” Farfalee apologized. “Unfortunately, we’re far from the ideal out here.”
“And our biggest asset won’t be back until sundown,” Jason added.
Farfalee nodded. “Without Aram to force a way past our attackers, we might all have perished. Let’s hope we can evade them throughout the day.”
It was afternoon when Drake reported the approaching horsemen.
“Three of them,” he said, still breathing hard after his sprint to rejoin the group. “Heading right for us.”
Farfalee suggested they retreat to the cover of some boulders to help negate any advantage the horses might offer. She got her bow ready. Nedwin and Ferrin returned from scouting before the horsemen came into sight, although Kerick remained abroad.
All three horsemen wore helms and armor. They cantered briskly, eventually bringing their steeds to a halt and saluting from a distance. “Hail, visitors to our land,” called the foremost rider. He waved a white handkerchief. “May we approach and confer under a flag of truce?”
“You may,” Farfalee invited.
The horsemen rode forward at a walk, stopping several paces shy of the cluster of boulders. “Who is your leader?” asked the rider in front, face hidden by a visor.
“I am,” Farfalee answered boldly, striding into view. “Who do you represent?”
“The last remnant of the grand kingdom of Ebera,” he replied, removing his helm. The rider looked to be in his twenties, with thick auburn hair, heavy eyebrows, and shaggy sideburns. He had an unhealthy pallor.
“You’re not infected?” Farfalee asked, astonished.
He gave a somber smile. “None escaped the plague. Some of us have managed to cling to our reason. You are one of the Amar Kabal?”
“Indeed,” Farfalee answered. “Great need has brought us into your realm.”
“No doubt you have your reasons,” he acknowledged. “You come at a timely hour. Our reasoning citizenry has dwindled. Only a few years ago we had five settlements. Now three remain. We must outlast the mindless ones and the hungry ones.”
“We faced many of the walking dead last night,” Farfalee said.
The rider nodded. “Many fell. Others have been left vulnerable. Our leaders are strategizing over how best to exploit the opportunity. Come with us. Let us escort you to safe beds and warm food.”
“Safe beds?” Farfalee questioned. “Shouldn’t we fear contamination?”
“We mean you no harm,” the rider assured her. “We are drawn to your blood, but we have learned to curb our thirst. We keep herds within the city walls and sate our urges with the blood of animals. We could use your help, and you need ours. The mindless ones and hungry ones have united into savage tribes. The largest lies to the south and already has your scent.”