Strange Attractors Read Online Free

grateful in any obvious way. A tall gelding, the colour of golden poppies, he stood with his eyes rolled back, whites showing, ears pinned and hind legs flying whenever they approached. Jarrod knew they didn’t have time to make friends slowly so he called the horse’s bluff, walking straight up to his shoulder and placing one hand firmly on his withers while the other reached for the reins.
    ‘Whoa, son. I’m going to get you out of here.’
    The horse swung around to bite. Jarrod offered him the flat of his hand, ignoring the aggression. The golden head jerked back; his ears were still pinned, but he didn’t strike again. Jarrod clucked, urging him to take a step forward, acting as if they were old friendsout for a Sunday hunt. Jarrod’s manner anticipated full cooperation, and the horse seemed so surprised that he gave it. The gelding stepped closer to the brambles. The reins slackened but even with the extra give, Jarrod found them hopelessly caught. Before the horse lost his patience, he pulled out his knife and cut the leather, keeping a firm hand on the short lengths.
    ‘I can salvage the rest,’ Kali said, untangling the long ends of the reins. She was going to secure them to the bridle but handed them to Jarrod when the horse bared his teeth. ‘Cranky bastard, isn’t he?’ she said.
    Jarrod stroked his cresting neck and picked long thorns from his mane, ignoring the near hind hoof that flashed out at the mare as she was led past. ‘It’s no wonder. He’s a pin cushion. Look at this.’ Blood dripped down the horse’s flank, turning his golden legs and white socks a dirty brown. Both animals had suffered similar wounds; their eyes were sunken, coats spiked with dried sweat, and their gait stilted.
    ‘They need water,’ Kreshkali said.
    ‘We’ll be good as long as they’re sound, and it looks like they are.’ Jarrod watched the horses walk. ‘But you’re right. We need to find water before we go anywhere. I wonder how long they were left like this?’ He continued to stroke the gelding’s neck, talking to him quietly.
    ‘All day, at least.’ Kali scanned the sky. Drinking water for the beasts, lovelies? Can you see any?
    Her familiars came winging back, circling for some time before shooting off south. Follow. Not far!
    ‘It looks like there’s a water hole over that ridge, on the other side of the portal.’
    ‘It’s the wrong direction, Kali. The tracks all lead the other way—like you said, towards the Prietas.’
    ‘True, but the Three Sisters say it’s closest. We haveto risk it. These horses can’t carry us when they’re so dehydrated.’
    ‘It may be contaminated. Or guarded.’
    ‘Let me check.’ Warriors, my lovelies? Do you see any?
    None that live.
    Clean water too?
    Very clean.
    ‘Apparently it’s not guarded,’ she said aloud. ‘And fit to drink.’
    ‘I hope you’re right.’ Jarrod led the golden horse, still watching for any signs of lameness in either animal. ‘We best pull their saddles and give them a quick rubdown. No telling where those thorns got to.’
    They groomed the horses as best they could with wool swatches cut from a fallen warrior’s cloak. By the time they mounted up, the gelding’s temper had improved somewhat and both animals seemed eager to be away. As the sun dropped towards the horizon they headed out across the field, picking their way around the bodies, following the ravens’ line of flight to the water hole.
    Shaea watched the witch and her companion ride away. They were travelling south across the battlefield, searching for fresh water, no doubt. The way they were going, they would find it. The wide rock spring wasn’t far off. They would also find a hundred Corsanon warriors if they didn’t hurry along. Smart as the witch seemed, there was one thing she couldn’t possibly know. Among the dead littering this battlefield, there were no scouts. They’d got away, some to follow the sword-witch on his huge warhorse, and some to