Shadow of the Horsemen (Kalie's Journey) Read Online Free
Author: Sandra Saidak
Tags: Historical fiction
place to hide.
Then she saw Varena running straight into the path of a charging horse, and her own safety didn’t matter. She wasn’t aware of moving; wasn’t aware of anything until the moment she landed on the hard earth with Varena under her and a horse leaping over her back.
“Are you all right?” she shouted over the noise, while the girl screamed hysterically. Varena seemed unharmed, but before Kalie could even begin to examine her, something tightened around her neck, stopping her breath.
She landed on the back of a horse, just as she realized it was her own felt robe that was strangling her. The pressure eased as her captor released her, the better to heave a spear with the hand he had used to snatch up Kalie, blocking an attack with his other.
“Not again!” Kalie moaned while the battle raged around them. She was aware that the stench emanating from this new beastman’s body was different from Maalke and the others, whom she had apparently gotten used to. She tried to sit up and figure out how she was going to get off this horse, but her captor only laughed and struck her hard enough to keep her slumped over the horse’s withers.
Kalie watched as the ground moved beneath her, back and forth for a while, and murky with smoke, then more quickly as the beastman urged his horse away from the ruined camp. This new group apparently had what they came for and now were leaving—taking Kalie and who knew how many others with them.
The smoke was gone, allowing Kalie to take a gulp of clean air. She had just decided to attempt a rolling leap from the horse, when the clatter of another horse chasing, then gaining on hers reached her ears. The horse beneath her slowed, turned, then reared up with an angry squeal. Kalie hung on, trying to choose the best moment to leap free, while the sounds of weapons clashing and men shouting filled the air around her.
Then there was the meaty thud of a spear striking flesh, and Kalie’s captor fell to the ground. The horse slowed to a stop, and Kalie slid indecorously down the other side of it—only to catch her foot in the stirrup, and find herself hanging upside down, her head just inches from the earth.
“Let me help you the rest of the way off,” said a man’s voice, rich with laughter. “You’re safe now. He won’t be bothering you anymore.”
Back on her feet, Kalie looked down at the dead man. He was smaller and darker than the men of Aahk—and dirtier, if that were possible. He wore a combination of badly made felt and uncured animal skins.
She turned to the other man, and found herself staring into Riyik’s laughing gray eyes. He stood beside his horse looking proud and smug; he seemed to be waiting for something. For the woman he rescued to fall at his feet in gratitude, perhaps? Kalie felt a bubble of laughter at that. Then she realized how far they were from the camp.
“If you’re going to rape me, just get it over with!” she snapped hoarsely.
Riyik’s expression changed abruptly, and Kalie could have sworn he actually got smaller.
“I thought I just rescued you from that fate,” he said quietly.
“Yes, and from what I’ve seen of you beastmen,” she spat the word, “that makes me your prize.”
“You belong to Maalke. He may choose to reward me for saving you—although why he would want to is beyond me at the moment. But I don’t assume any liberties beforehand.”
“Well, aren’t you just the noblest beastman!” Somewhere inside, Kalie knew she had lost her last connection to sanity—but she couldn’t have stopped herself if the Goddess Herself commanded it.
Riyik seemed more puzzled than angry. “Actually, I think I am. Most women would show some gratitude after such a rescue—and few men would have this much patience for your reaction.”
“Gratitude!” Kalie was more than spitting—she was nearly foaming at the mouth. Maybe she could pass off her behavior as rabies. “You think being beaten, raped and enslaved by
Then she saw Varena running straight into the path of a charging horse, and her own safety didn’t matter. She wasn’t aware of moving; wasn’t aware of anything until the moment she landed on the hard earth with Varena under her and a horse leaping over her back.
“Are you all right?” she shouted over the noise, while the girl screamed hysterically. Varena seemed unharmed, but before Kalie could even begin to examine her, something tightened around her neck, stopping her breath.
She landed on the back of a horse, just as she realized it was her own felt robe that was strangling her. The pressure eased as her captor released her, the better to heave a spear with the hand he had used to snatch up Kalie, blocking an attack with his other.
“Not again!” Kalie moaned while the battle raged around them. She was aware that the stench emanating from this new beastman’s body was different from Maalke and the others, whom she had apparently gotten used to. She tried to sit up and figure out how she was going to get off this horse, but her captor only laughed and struck her hard enough to keep her slumped over the horse’s withers.
Kalie watched as the ground moved beneath her, back and forth for a while, and murky with smoke, then more quickly as the beastman urged his horse away from the ruined camp. This new group apparently had what they came for and now were leaving—taking Kalie and who knew how many others with them.
The smoke was gone, allowing Kalie to take a gulp of clean air. She had just decided to attempt a rolling leap from the horse, when the clatter of another horse chasing, then gaining on hers reached her ears. The horse beneath her slowed, turned, then reared up with an angry squeal. Kalie hung on, trying to choose the best moment to leap free, while the sounds of weapons clashing and men shouting filled the air around her.
Then there was the meaty thud of a spear striking flesh, and Kalie’s captor fell to the ground. The horse slowed to a stop, and Kalie slid indecorously down the other side of it—only to catch her foot in the stirrup, and find herself hanging upside down, her head just inches from the earth.
“Let me help you the rest of the way off,” said a man’s voice, rich with laughter. “You’re safe now. He won’t be bothering you anymore.”
Back on her feet, Kalie looked down at the dead man. He was smaller and darker than the men of Aahk—and dirtier, if that were possible. He wore a combination of badly made felt and uncured animal skins.
She turned to the other man, and found herself staring into Riyik’s laughing gray eyes. He stood beside his horse looking proud and smug; he seemed to be waiting for something. For the woman he rescued to fall at his feet in gratitude, perhaps? Kalie felt a bubble of laughter at that. Then she realized how far they were from the camp.
“If you’re going to rape me, just get it over with!” she snapped hoarsely.
Riyik’s expression changed abruptly, and Kalie could have sworn he actually got smaller.
“I thought I just rescued you from that fate,” he said quietly.
“Yes, and from what I’ve seen of you beastmen,” she spat the word, “that makes me your prize.”
“You belong to Maalke. He may choose to reward me for saving you—although why he would want to is beyond me at the moment. But I don’t assume any liberties beforehand.”
“Well, aren’t you just the noblest beastman!” Somewhere inside, Kalie knew she had lost her last connection to sanity—but she couldn’t have stopped herself if the Goddess Herself commanded it.
Riyik seemed more puzzled than angry. “Actually, I think I am. Most women would show some gratitude after such a rescue—and few men would have this much patience for your reaction.”
“Gratitude!” Kalie was more than spitting—she was nearly foaming at the mouth. Maybe she could pass off her behavior as rabies. “You think being beaten, raped and enslaved by