The Ivory Road: A Walk in the Sand by Siobhan Muir Read Free Book Online

shadow of a great spire of rock.
    “Whoa. What’s that?”
    “That’s where we’re going.” Aristotle spoke up just ahead of Brandon.
    “They call that the Sand Lion’s Fang.” Brandon shaded his gaze as he looked west. “I didn’t know we were so close. I’ve heard it marks the compass point straight to Sandur. I’ve never seen it, though.”
    “It’s a helluva spire, that’s for sure.” Iliana rubbed her nose and whispered, “How far do you think we are from it, Aristotle?”
    “No more than an hour away. It should be safe to rest for a couple hours there before moving on.” The horse sounded as tired as she felt.
    “We’ll rest there for a bit before we head on the Sandur.” She stretched carefully to keep from pulling on her arm. “God knows we could all use a little time out of the saddle.”
    “How far is Sandur from the Fang?” Brandon rolled his head on his shoulders to loosen his joints.
    “Only half a day’s ride west of it.” Aristotle answered without her prompting.
    “Half day’s ride. We should get there around dawn even if we sleep for a bit at the Fang.”
    Brandon nodded. “Good.”
    “How long would be wise to stay in Sandur knowing the army’s after you?”
    “Not more than a day or so. Sandur is still in Knalish lands, but the border between Knalland and Torhaine is only about a day’s ride outside of the city, I think.” Brandon shrugged at her look of surprise. “I’ve come to Sandur from the other side. Torhaine is far friendlier.”
    She huffed a laugh. “That’s encouraging. I like friendlier.” She stretched her back. “And a few days out of the saddle. My kingdom for a bath and a bed.”
    Brandon shot her a surprised look. “Have you a kingdom, Iliana?”
    “Not yet, but give me time, and I’ll come up with something.”
    He chuckled as she drank from one her water bags. It sagged damn near empty, but she hoped to find more water when they closed in on the Sand Lion’s Fang. They followed the shadow, grateful for the respite from the heat of the sun, and soon shuffled nearly to the base of the spire. A few palms grew around the monolith and water stains marked the lower reaches of the rock like tears. Iliana nearly cheered, but she held her peace as they rode to the western side where a waterfall fed a shallow pool.
    Iliana slowly swung her leg over Aristotle’s back and dropped to the ground with her hand on her saddle. Her legs didn’t quite fold up under her, but she thanked her lucky stars she had a good grip. The fresh scents of water and vegetation hit her nose as she looked around. She listened hard, but only the wind through the fronds hit her ears.
    “I think we’re alone. Fill your water bags and get some sleep. We’re only staying here a couple of hours before pushing on to Sandur.” Damn, I really sound like I know what I’m doing.
    Brandon dismounted with a groan and trudged to the pool with his water bags. Ahmad did the same as she loosened Aristotle’s girth and shot looks back east. The fang stood in her line of sight, but she hoped she’d glimpse evidence of the army if it still pursued them.
    “Think we’re far enough ahead, Aristotle?”
    “We have enough of a lead to rest a while.”
    “How are you sure?”
    “Call it a hunch.” The horse gave a great sigh as he shuffled to the pool and drank. Iliana unhooked her water bags and filled them beside him.
    When finished, they settled in the sand beneath the trees beside the others. The men had already sacked out and their snores made an interesting counterpoint to the wind soughing through the fronds. She snorted and shook her head. Sexy.
    Aristotle settled into the sand with a grunt, his legs folded up under him. His eyes drifted closed and she didn’t blame him. Her own body complained of the constant motion, but he’d done most of the work. She remained on her feet and looked west into the dusk. The stars sparkled in the indigo sky and she let the quiet of the desert