Baylee let some of his own anger sound in his voice. "What exactly would you call it?"
Jaeleen's mouth made an O of surprise. "You think I followed you here!"
"I've been here for hours," Baylee retorted, "and you've only just arrived. What would you think?"
The crashing through the forest neared, sounding remarkably like hounds taking to the brush. The bellowed commands became clearer, and this time Baylee was able to recognize the language being used.
An ore raiding party, Xuxa said. They must have cut your trail, or the woman's.
"How dare you think I would follow you! I swear by the fair hair of Tymora, my chosen goddess, that I had no idea you were here until I saw you on that hillside!" Jaeleen looked indignant.
Her words rang true, but Baylee knew the woman had the gift of making any implausibility sound like the truth. He'd had experience. "Then what are you doing here?" he demanded.
She hesitated. "Traveling."
Baylee snorted his disbelief, an obscene sound that Xuxa instantly rebuked him for through their silent communication. "Ranger's Way is six miles to the east. You're out in the rough."
"I was hoping to shave a few days off my journey to Plunge-pool."
"What business have you in Plungepool?"
"I went to see the falls, if it's any business of yours," Jaeleen snapped. "Which, of course, it isn't. I've heard a lot about the area."
"You've never been there?"
"No."
Baylee struggled to believe that. Still, most of the times he'd occasioned to meet Jaeleen had been along the Sword Coast. Though there had been that time in Mulhorand when he and Golsway had recovered the Orb of Aurus, which had contained a codex that had given scholars clues into one of the dead languages contained in that country.
It had been the third meeting with Jaeleen, and the first time they'd been intimate with each other, giving in to the impulses both had. However, Jaeleen had taken advantage of that tryst to steal the Orb of Aurus. Golsway had been incensed, and it had taken them six days to track her down and steal it back only moments after she'd sold it to a rival collector. She got to keep her money, and Baylee and Golsway had barely escaped with their lives. The Orb was now part of a collection in Candlekeep where scholars still worked on divining the languages detailed in its codex.
"Why are you on your way now?" the ranger asked.
"I was responding to an invitation."
"From whom?"
"Tarig Phylsnan."
"Who is that?"
"I don't owe you any explanations," Jaeleen retorted angrily.
"You're here," Baylee replied, "and you've brought a war party of ores down on us."
"Me?"
"You!" The ranger was surprised at the feelings of jealousy that assailed him. After all, Jaeleen was most likely the last person he'd ever want to trust again. Memory of the wine of her lips and the smoothness of her skin haunted him at times, up in the stillness of the mountains or the deep of the forest. Golsway had always assured him that those feelings would someday be followed by the kiss of edged steel. Baylee didn't doubt his old mentor's words, but the temptation blew fire through his veins at times.
"I didn't bring any ores with me."
Baylee!
The ranger turned in response to the telepathic warning screamed into his mind. His gaze swept the tree line to the south as the first of the ores burst into view.
The creature screamed at once when it realized it had been seen, an ululating wail of presumed triumph. The ore wore a mustard yellow tunic that showed days of accumulated wear, and months of hard usage. Tears revealed the rusty chain mail beneath. An open-faced iron helm covered its head, baring the brutish snout and close-set eyes. The mottled gray-green skin showed lighter against the onset of night.
Baylee turned instinctively to protect Jaeleen. He flipped his hand, dropping the length of sling and seating the round stone. He whipped it around his head and took a step forward. He released the stone before the ore had covered another three paces.
Moonlight glinted off the upraised axe in the ore's hand. Then it disappeared as the stone struck home, shattering the creature's low forehead between its eyes. The ore dropped to a suddenly silent heap on the forest floor.
Baylee seated another stone as two more ores crashed through the wilderness and came at him. He glanced over his shoulder to check on Jaeleen, finding her in full flight a half-dozen paces away.
And you risk your life for someone such as that, Xuxa rebuked.
It wasn't like I thought about it, Baylee responded, falling into cover beside the oak tree. It was a reflex.
Faugh! You humans would do better off going into season once a year and having done with it. At least there would be an end to such foolishness and it would not insist on being a constant part of your everyday life.
Baylee snapped another stone toward the approaching enemy. The stone bounced from one of the ores' chests with a metallic thud.
The ore stumbled and almost fell. Hoarse gasps exploded into the clearing as it fought to recapture its breath. The creature's companion ducked into cover, drawing back the string of its bow. At least eight others moved through the forest around Baylee.
The ranger turned and ran after Jaeleen. His longer legs gave him the edge over the ores for the moment As he ran, his mind raced, laying out the terrain for the coming battle. Giving up the dig before he'd fathomed the truth of it was not an option. His muscles responded somewhat sluggishly, his body already taxed by the days of traveling through the brush and the day spent working his way deep into the earth.
Leathery wings beat the air above him.
Xuxa, he called.
I am here, Baylee.
Stay with the girl. Protect her if she needs it. Baylee saw her again, still fleeing through the forest, instinctively reading the terrain herself and making for a defensible position. Her rapid departure from the area bothered him somewhat Together, they could have made a stronger stance against the ores. And Jaeleen had weapons.
We owe her nothing.
No, but I mean to see her protected. Still in full flight, Baylee sprang for a thick limb overhead. Skillfully, he transferred his forward momentum into climbing as he scampered up the tree as easily as most men might scale a ladder. The leather work gloves protected his hands from the rough bark. He carried the sling in his mouth as he took care not to disturb the branches with his climb.
My place is with you.
Xuxa, please don't argue now.
The azmyth bat made a sound of displeasure.
Glancing upward through the tree, the sky limned by the quarter moon and looking a dark sapphire color now that the sun had dropped below the rim, Baylee saw the angular bat's body suddenly flip in mid-flap and alter course. Thank you.
Be safe, Baylee. Until we are together again. The bat streaked after the woman.
Baylee felt Xuxa's presence fade from his mind as the limits of the bat's telepathic abilities were exceeded. Being separated from Xuxa seemed unnatural after all these years. Even when he dropped off to sleep, Xuxa's mind-voice was generally the last thing he heard of an evening.
Jaeleen reached the high ground near the dig site, choosing an area that was ringed by high rock and dense brush. Her chances of holding the position looked good. But the probability remained that the ores would choose to starve her out.
Baylee didn't intend for that to happen. He smiled grimly as he scouted the terrain and spotted the advancing line of ores. Apparently none of them saw him take to the trees. They concentrated their efforts on closing on Jaeleen, calling to each other in their rough tongue. Baylee could only make out snatches of conversation. Even his prodigious knowledge of languages, both spoken and written, was taxed to figure out the orcish communications. Despite having common roots, few of the ores held a common tongue.