A Girl From Nowhere (The Firewall Trilogy #1) - James Maxwell Page 0,2

two rovers. The brothers spread out, bringing their mounts with them. The leader took hold of something near his saddle and pulled.

Taimin heard a whisper, like the hiss of a snake, and the white-haired rover suddenly held a shining sword. Unlike Gareth’s blade of pale basalt wood, this sword was made entirely of metal. It looked sharp and terrifying.

Gareth and Tess continued to increase the distance between themselves and the rovers. “What do you want? We can trade,” Gareth said.

“We have nothing to trade,” the white-haired rover said. His lips thinned. “But we need your food and water.”

The leader’s brother drew a sword of glossy hardwood, similar to Gareth’s. Gareth held his weapon defensively in front of him. Tess drew an arrow to her ear.

The distance between the rovers and Taimin’s parents had shrunk. Taimin was frozen in place, watching his parents’ retreating steps. Gareth stopped directly in front of Taimin.

“My wife is an expert shot,” Gareth said. “Neither of you have bows.” He met the eyes of the tall leader. “You’ll be the first to go.”

Under her breath, Tess whispered, “Taimin, climb down the cliff. Go!”

As soon as she finished speaking, a flash of motion saw an arrow shaft sprout from her cheek and lodge itself in her skull. Taimin screamed. He heard his father roar and a strong hand shoved him.

Taimin broke into a run. He took short, sharp breaths as he raced for the cliff. But he couldn’t stop himself looking over his shoulder. He saw his mother lying completely still on the ground. A third man revealed himself from behind one of the boulder stacks, bow in hand. A second arrow darted through the air, this time aimed at Gareth. The shot went wide.

Gareth clumsily blocked a blow from the younger swordsman, and then gasped as the tall white-haired rover thrust his metal blade. The point entered the center of Gareth’s chest.

“Father!” Taimin cried. He came to a halt and wavered. He had to help his parents.

Gareth turned to face his son. “Go!” he cried. He shuddered as a thrust from the wooden sword pierced his side.

The white-haired rover called out to his companions as Taimin resumed his sprint. “Leave the man breathing. We need to find his homestead. Stop the boy.”

Taimin reached the cliff. Something clattered against the rock at his feet and he saw a wooden arrow with feather fletching. He faced the precipice and blanched while he teetered on the edge of the escarpment, forced to choose between two horrors.

Another arrow shot past his head and he lost his balance. He fell and rolled, legs slipping and scrabbling as they sought purchase on what had become a rockslide. The drop beckoned, a fall of over a thousand feet. Taimin took hold of a big rock with both arms to slow himself, but then it began to move.

The rock tumbled with him as he fell.

Taimin’s breath was knocked out of him as he hit a ledge, feeling the twigs and branches of an old wyvern’s nest arrest his motion.

Then the big rock smashed onto his foot. Half his size, he felt it crush the bones together as his ankle twisted to an impossible angle. The pain sent stars exploding in his vision.

Taimin moaned, too shocked to scream. He couldn’t even think of moving his leg, but when the stars faded he gritted his teeth and looked at the top of the escarpment.

He was only twenty or thirty feet down, but it may as well have been a hundred. He knew his mother was dead; his chest squeezed as he thought of it. His father had been badly hurt; the rovers wanted to question him. Taimin tried desperately to hear what was happening.

He realized there was no sound except for the howl of the wind. The clash of arms was gone. Then he heard a loud voice he recognized as that of the white-haired rover.

“Where is your homestead, settler?”

“Burn you.”

Taimin stared up to the top of the cliff. Tears welled around his eyes.

“Ask him about the city.” It was a different voice.

“We’re looking for the white city. It’s supposed to be full of people, so maybe you’ve met someone who’s been there. Well, settler? Anything you can tell us?”

Then Taimin heard a man shout. “There’s someone else out he—”

The cry broke off.

More shouts came, one after the other. Taimin wished he could see what was happening. He fought the pain as he gripped the boulder with both arms and tried to move it off his