Traitor's Moon

lay still for a moment, gasping and tingling strangely all over.
    Then Seregil was there, cursing fiercely under his breath as he ran his hands over Alec’s face and head. “I didn’t realize—I don’t feel any blood. Where did they hit you?”
    â€œHit me?” Alec struggled up. “No, it was just the Bash’wai. That’s the strongest I’ve ever felt them.”
    Beka loomed over Seregil’s shoulder, drawn sword in hand. “What did they do to you? You just swooned over.”
    â€œMust have been their idea of saying good-bye,” Alec said, grimacing as Seregil helped him to his feet.
    â€œOr a warning,” Beka put in darkly, scanning the darkness around them.
    â€œNo, this was different.” He shivered, recalling the sense of being engulfed.
    â€œYou’re chilled through,” Seregil muttered, pressing a hand to Alec’s cheek.
    â€œI’m fine. Where’s my horse?”
    Beka handed him his reins. “We better go slowly for a few minutes. We don’t need you keeling over at a gallop.”
    Alec glanced back at the city as they set off again, half expecting to see mysterious shapes drifting after him. Sarikali looked deceptively peaceful from here, a dark, jumbled sprawl against the sky touched here and there by the yellow gleam of a watch fire.
    â€œGood-bye,” he whispered.
    The starlight was enough to see by as they crossed the bridge and rode into the shelter of the forest beyond, following the main road.
    As the night wore on Alec reached tentatively out across the talímenios bond, seeking answers to the questions there had been neither the time nor the privacy to ask earlier. Seregil glanced back at him and smiled, but his thoughts were wrapped in silence.
    Tall fir and oak massed darkly on either side of the road, leaning over it in places to form an oppressive tunnel. Bats chirped and swooped around them, chasing huge moths with wings like dusty handprints. An owl flew along beside Alec for a moment, some long-tailed prey dangling from its talons. Other creatures marked their passing with a golden flash of eyes or startled yip.
    They reined in briefly where a stream cut close to the road and watered the horses. Thirsty himself, Alec dismounted and walked a little way upstream to drink. He’d just bent down when a rank odor hit him. The horses smelled it, too, and blew nervously.
    â€œGet back!” Alec hissed to the others, knowing this was no Bash’wai.
    â€œWhat is it?” Beka asked behind him.
    The horses shied again, then fought the reins as an enormous bear burst from the alders and splashed across the stream toward Alec.
    â€œDon’t move,” he warned the others, mind already racing downwell-known paths. It was a sow bear, thin from the winter’s cub bearing. If they’d somehow gotten between her and her young, then he’d reached his journey’s end for certain.
    The bear had stopped a few feet away, swinging her massive head from side to side as she watched him. Seregil and Beka were still mounted, able to break for it. With one eye on the bear, he gauged the distance to the nearest climbable tree.
    Too far.
    The bear let out a loud grunt and lumbered forward to sniff his face. Alec gagged on the hot, fetid breath, then felt himself knocked backwards. Sprawled on his back, he looked up at the bear silhouetted against the sky, its eyes glowing like molten gold.
    â€œYou’d better not linger, little brother,” she told him. “Smiles conceal knives.”
    With a last deep grunt, the sow wheeled around and splashed away upstream. Alec lay where he’d fallen, too stunned to move.
    â€œBy the Flame, I’ve never seen a bear act like that!” Beka exclaimed.
    â€œDid you hear it?” he asked faintly.
    â€œNot until you gave the warning,” she replied. “It came out of nowhere.”
    â€œNo, did you hear what she
said
?” he asked, getting shakily to his feet.
    â€œShe spoke to you?” Seregil asked excitedly. “By the Light, Alec, that was a khtir’bai. What did it say?”
    Alec bent down and placed his hand easily inside one clawed paw print. It had been no apparition. “Same thing the rhui’auros told you,” he replied in wonder. “ ‘Smiles conceal knives.’ ”
    â€œAt least they’re consistent in their obscurity,” grumbled Beka.
    â€œI suspect we’ll find