better," I say. "The situation is not ideal, but the most important thing is that you must reach the Citadel. Once that goal is achieved, you will have no further problems with your back."
"You reckon?"
"I am quite certain."
She smiles. "I hope you're right, but I'm not counting on it." Shifting her weight, she lets out a gasp of pain. "Fuck!" she exclaims. "Sorry, but it's getting pretty bad. I'm worried the screws could get loose."
"You're no use to us if you can't walk," I tell her, trying to hide my annoyance. Even for a human, she is conspicuously frail; I have no idea how such a weak species could have survived so long, but at this rate I'll be surprised if Claire is able to reach the Citadel. Given that we appear to have already attracted some attention during our journey, it's clear that eventually we'll be confronted by a more formidable foe.
"How long are we going to wait?" Sharpe asks, sidling up to me. I can tell from the look in his eyes that he's becoming increasingly concerned.
"One hour," I reply, turning and walk back the way we came.
"Where are you going?" he calls after me.
"To check on something," I reply, walking to the most recent junction. I can find no trace of whoever, or whatever, has been tracking us; nevertheless, there was undoubtedly something. Frankly, I was comfortable with being followed, so long as I was aware of the approximate location of our pursuer; now that I can no longer detect him, I am starting to worry.
"Do we have a problem?" asks Sharpe, who has followed me.
"What are you doing here?" I reply, turning to him. I look back over at Claire, and see that she's still resting on the shelf. She looks so weak and pathetic right now, it's hard to think that she could walk another step. "One of us must stay with her at all times. We cannot leave her alone, not even for a moment."
"We're being followed, aren't we?" he continues.
"You could tell?"
"Sure," he says, "but only from the look on your face. I can read you like a book, Vanguard, and I know when you're distracted. What do you think it is?"
"I wouldn't like to say," I tell him, "but whatever it is, I'm quite certain it has been attracted by the human. There would be little benefit in tracking you or I, whereas a human is another matter entirely. Her scent must have traveled miles by now. It's no wonder she is starting to attract interest."
"So we fight our way to the Citadel?"
"Every step?" I sigh, realizing that this journey is going to be far more difficult than I had anticipated. There will be no end of creatures that wish to gain possession of the human carcass; dead or alive, she will be like a magnet for trouble. As a mighty Lord of the House of Lacanth, I can of course take on and defeat any foe that should try to attack us, but the burden will be great and I am minded to seek some way of hiding her. "We need a shawl," I say eventually, "and a large quantity of herbs and spices."
"You plan to baste her already?" Sharpe asks.
"I plan to disguise her scent," I reply. "It is the only way to ensure that our journey does not degenerate into a series of skirmishes. With her scent hidden, we can at least move freely without the risk of being pursued."
"And where will you obtain these herbs and spices?"
"There must be a market nearby." I take one more look along the aisle, but there is no sign of our pursuer. Most likely, he has gone to inform someone else of our presence, which means we might be in imminent danger. Turning and hurrying back over to the human, I find that she is beginning to fall asleep. For a moment, I am overcome by a desire to let her sleep; within seconds, however, I realize that I am being lulled into a state of weakness. "Wake up!" I say, pushing her shoulder. "We have no time to lose!"
"You said an hour!" she replies, seeming a little groggy.
"We do not have an hour," I tell her. "We are being followed, and soon we shall be attacked. If you value your life, you will accept the need to keep
"You reckon?"
"I am quite certain."
She smiles. "I hope you're right, but I'm not counting on it." Shifting her weight, she lets out a gasp of pain. "Fuck!" she exclaims. "Sorry, but it's getting pretty bad. I'm worried the screws could get loose."
"You're no use to us if you can't walk," I tell her, trying to hide my annoyance. Even for a human, she is conspicuously frail; I have no idea how such a weak species could have survived so long, but at this rate I'll be surprised if Claire is able to reach the Citadel. Given that we appear to have already attracted some attention during our journey, it's clear that eventually we'll be confronted by a more formidable foe.
"How long are we going to wait?" Sharpe asks, sidling up to me. I can tell from the look in his eyes that he's becoming increasingly concerned.
"One hour," I reply, turning and walk back the way we came.
"Where are you going?" he calls after me.
"To check on something," I reply, walking to the most recent junction. I can find no trace of whoever, or whatever, has been tracking us; nevertheless, there was undoubtedly something. Frankly, I was comfortable with being followed, so long as I was aware of the approximate location of our pursuer; now that I can no longer detect him, I am starting to worry.
"Do we have a problem?" asks Sharpe, who has followed me.
"What are you doing here?" I reply, turning to him. I look back over at Claire, and see that she's still resting on the shelf. She looks so weak and pathetic right now, it's hard to think that she could walk another step. "One of us must stay with her at all times. We cannot leave her alone, not even for a moment."
"We're being followed, aren't we?" he continues.
"You could tell?"
"Sure," he says, "but only from the look on your face. I can read you like a book, Vanguard, and I know when you're distracted. What do you think it is?"
"I wouldn't like to say," I tell him, "but whatever it is, I'm quite certain it has been attracted by the human. There would be little benefit in tracking you or I, whereas a human is another matter entirely. Her scent must have traveled miles by now. It's no wonder she is starting to attract interest."
"So we fight our way to the Citadel?"
"Every step?" I sigh, realizing that this journey is going to be far more difficult than I had anticipated. There will be no end of creatures that wish to gain possession of the human carcass; dead or alive, she will be like a magnet for trouble. As a mighty Lord of the House of Lacanth, I can of course take on and defeat any foe that should try to attack us, but the burden will be great and I am minded to seek some way of hiding her. "We need a shawl," I say eventually, "and a large quantity of herbs and spices."
"You plan to baste her already?" Sharpe asks.
"I plan to disguise her scent," I reply. "It is the only way to ensure that our journey does not degenerate into a series of skirmishes. With her scent hidden, we can at least move freely without the risk of being pursued."
"And where will you obtain these herbs and spices?"
"There must be a market nearby." I take one more look along the aisle, but there is no sign of our pursuer. Most likely, he has gone to inform someone else of our presence, which means we might be in imminent danger. Turning and hurrying back over to the human, I find that she is beginning to fall asleep. For a moment, I am overcome by a desire to let her sleep; within seconds, however, I realize that I am being lulled into a state of weakness. "Wake up!" I say, pushing her shoulder. "We have no time to lose!"
"You said an hour!" she replies, seeming a little groggy.
"We do not have an hour," I tell her. "We are being followed, and soon we shall be attacked. If you value your life, you will accept the need to keep
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