Read Winter Queen for Free Online Page B

soft rumble echoing off the mountain slopes. “Do you hear that?”
    They stood in the road and listened.
    Lanna shook her head. “It’s just the river.”
    “No, it’s growing louder. Besides, the river is frozen over.”
    Suddenly, Ilyenna recognized the pounding of hooves. She turned to look down the road just in time to see a rider round the corner at full speed. It was Otrok. He’d gone to act as sentinel again. But where were the other two boys she’d sent with him?
    He waved his hands frantically. “Hide! Quick, hide!”
    Ilyenna sprinted for the trees, the sacks of wool bouncing awkwardly on her back. She whirled at a sharp cry from Lanna. She’d slipped on the ice and fallen, landing on her backside. Brightly colored skeins spilled across the road. Ilyenna ran back to her and began frantically shoving the skeins inside the sack.
    Drawing up his horse, Otrok gaped at Ilyenna. There was dried blood on his face.
    “Mistress? What’re you doing here?” He held out his hand. “Get on!”
    Ilyenna glanced down the road. The echoing distorted the sound, but they couldn’t be far. With two riders, the horse would fall behind and the village would have little or no warning. She met Lanna’s fearful gaze.
    “Go with him.” Lanna said.
    “No! Tell the men to defend the village,” Ilyenna said to Ortok. “And the women to scatter for their summer homes. Now!” She slapped the horse’s rump. Ortok looked back at her as the horse took off at a gallop.
    Frantically, Ilyenna and Lanna shoved skeins into the sacks. The sound behind them grew louder. Any moment, Tyrans would round the bend.
    “Leave it!” Ilyenna said finally, grabbing Lanna’s arm and hauling her to her feet.
    They ran hard for the trees. After floundering through a snow drift, they threw themselves on the other side and lay flat. The pounding hooves grew louder. Ilyenna stared at the bright skeins scattered across the snow.
    “Why didn’t they light a signal fire?” Lanna sounded close to tears.
    There wasn’t time for Ilyenna to answer. Horses careened around the bend, all bearing men with shields and axes. She tried to count, but they came too fast and there were too many. Hundreds.
    Please don’t let them notice the wool, she chanted in her mind. Please, please, please don’t let them notice the wool.
    The group barreled past, their horses tramping the skeins and felt, churning the bright colors with dirt and snow until they lay like broken butterflies. Ilyenna bit her lip. The entire clan had worked so hard on that wool, and the Argons desperately needed it. Now it was ruined.
    Before the whole army could pass by, one man stopped and stared down at the ruined skeins, his horse dancing to follow its companions. Ilyenna gripped her knife hilt. The man pulled his horse around, circling the wool. At the footprints in the snow, he stopped. His eyes followed the tracks to Ilyenna and Lanna’s hiding place. He shouted an order, and another man broke off from the group.
    The first man pointed toward the snow drift, and both riders started forward. Ilyenna inched backward. “Run,” she whispered.
    Lanna gaped at her, her face frozen with terror. Ilyenna grabbed her arm and heaved. The girl stumbled and nearly went down, but Ilyenna held tight and she managed to keep her feet.
    “There!” came the shout from behind them.
    Ducking branches, Ilyenna and Lanna struggled through the deep snow. She heard the heavy sound of horses crashing through the undergrowth and glanced behind. Unable to ride farther in the snow, the men tossed their reins around a tree limb and started after them on foot.
    “Stop,” one of the men shouted. “We won’t hurt you!”
    Lanna slowed, but Ilyenna grabbed her sleeve. “Just like they didn’t hurt the Argons?”
    The young woman fell back in beside her, her face grim.
    Her lungs burning from exertion and cold, Ilyenna looked back. The Tyrans were gaining on them.
    Can’t outrun them. Can’t hide, she