Read Fire Study for Free Online Page A

holding Garnet’s reins.
    To stay behind the null shield, our path through the plateau had to be precise.
    Tauno led us. The soft crunch of the horses’ hooves on hard sand was the only
    sound.
    The moon crawled along the sky. At one point I wanted to yell out and urge Kiki
    into a gallop just to break the tension that pressed around us.
    When the blackness in the sky eased in the east, Tauno stopped and dismounted.
    We ate a quick breakfast and fed the horses. As the day brightened, I saw how well
    Tauno blended in with the plateau. He had camouflaged himself with the plateau’s
    colors of gray and tan.
    “We walk from here,” Tauno said. “We will leave the horses. Take only what you
    need.”
    The clear sky promised a warm day so I removed my cloak and stowed it in my
    backpack. Dry air laced with a fine grit blew, scratching at the back of my throat. I

    decided I needed my switchblade. Strapping the sheath around my right thigh, I
    removed the weapon and triggered the blade. I treated the tip of the blade with some
    Curare. The muscle-paralyzing drug would come in handy if Cahil wouldn’t
    cooperate. After I retracted the blade, I positioned the weapon in its holder through a
    hole in my skirt/pants pocket. I wrapped my long black hair into a bun and used my
    lock picks to keep the hair in place. Finally, I grabbed my bow.
    Dressed for battle, though, didn’t mean I was prepared for battle. I hoped I
    would be able to find Cahil and Ferde and take them without killing anyone. But the
    grim knowledge that I would kill to save myself formed a knot in my throat.
    Tauno scanned our clothes and weapons. Leif’s machete hung from his waist. He
    wore a green tunic and pants. Marrok had strapped his sword onto his belt. The
    dark brown scabbard matched his pants. I realized that we had all dressed in the
    colors of the earth, and, while we didn’t blend in as well as Tauno, we wouldn’t
    stand out either.
    We tied our packs and supplies onto the horses’ saddles, then left the horses to
    graze on what little grass they could find, and walked south. The plateau appeared
    deserted. The need to search the area with magic crept along my skin, and I tried to
    ignore the desire. Connecting with the life around me had become almost instinctive
    and I felt exposed and out of sorts by not knowing what breathed nearby.
    Taking a circuitous path, Tauno eventually stopped. He pointed to a cluster of
    spine trees. “Just beyond that copse is the camp,” he whispered.
    I searched the plateau. Where was the Sandseed army? The earth undulated as if
    the sand had liquefied. The waves on the ground grew. I clamped a hand over my
    mouth to stifle a cry of surprise. Row upon row of Sandseed warriors stood.
    Camouflaged to match the sand, they had been lying on the ground in front of us
    and I hadn’t noticed them.
    Moon Man smiled his amusement at my dismay. “You have been relying on your
    magical senses and have forgotten about your physical senses.”
    Before I could respond, we were joined by four Sandseeds. Though they dressed
    the same as the warriors, these Sandseeds held themselves with authority. They
    issued orders and power radiated from them. Story Weavers.
    A male Story Weaver handed Moon Man a scimitar. His sharp gaze pierced me
    as he studied my features. “This is the Soulfinder?” Doubt laced his words, but he
    spoke softly. “She is not what I expected.”
    “What did you expect?” I asked.
    “A large dark-skinned woman. You look like you could not survive a sandstorm
    let alone find and release a soul.”
    “It’s a good thing you’re not my Story Weaver. You’re easily distracted by the
    pattern of the cloth and can’t see the quality of the threads.”
    “Well done,” Moon Man said to me. “Reed, show us the camp.”
    The Story Weaver led us to the trees. Through the spiky needles on the branches,
    I saw the Daviian camp.
    The air shimmered around the camp as if a bubble of heat had gotten