All For One [Nuworld 3] (25 page)

explanation this time on what it was she ate. Roth attacked his food with a vigorous

appetite and didn’t offer any conversation for several minutes.

After half her plate was empty, she took a long drink of a tangy beverage in a tall,

very thin green glass, then looked up at Roth.

No Gothman, or Runner, would have turned down a chance to have sex with her,

just so they could eat. Her heart swelled. Roth truly was like no other man.

“Why did you tell your servants that I was your new bride?”

Roth looked up at her with a guilty smile but his expression turned serious after

searching her eyes. “A lady of your breeding doesn’t run across Nuworld unattended to

meet a man unless their intentions are serious.”

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“Of my breeding? My mama is a Runner. Runner women don’t need an escort to

explore other nations. I’m an excellent warrior, Roth.”

He reached over the table and took her small hand in his large one. “I’ll be sure to

not pick fights with you then,” he said, smiling.

“I’m serious, Roth. You’ve got me done up like some delicate flower. Don’t get me

wrong, these clothes are wonderful but this is pretending. This isn’t who I really am. I’ll

change my hair color but I won’t turn my back on who I am.”

“Ana, I’d never expect that of you.” He sounded shocked. “But you aren’t in your

culture right now. Tree People wouldn’t understand my traveling with a woman unless

you were announced as my bride.” He smiled mischievously. “They would think you

were a…” he searched for the right word.

“Whore?” she offered.

“Exactly. Trust me, you wouldn’t get the same respect that you’re getting now.”

“Geli sure seemed determined that I not lift a finger.” Ana shook her head and

smiled slightly. “I tried to take my off my jacket and she about had a fit.”

“Masters and Mistresses don’t do for themselves.” Roth grinned at her. “It’s not

that we can’t dress or bathe or prepare meals for ourselves. It’s just ‘why do it if you

don’t have to’ type of thinking. The Barringswood tribe has lived like this for many

lives before mine.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her palm. “But not to

worry, Geli won’t be coming back.”

“Why not?” Ana had hoped to spend time talking to the girl and learning more

about these people from her.

“Her only job was to complete your transition. And look at you. The only problem

is your eyes aren’t green. But I guess it will explain why I found you down here. I’ll

have to tell some story, you know.”

“Your people will pull my thoughts and know the truth.” Ana wondered how they

would work around that dilemma. But Roth put her at ease with a pat on her hand.

“I won’t allow it. In public you will avert your gaze. No one will question my

explanation of you.”

“What will you say?” Ana started imagining different stories he might use.

“I’ll say I found you teaching the children in one of the tribes down here. I’ll say the

tribe treated you with much respect because you obviously have Barringswood blood in

you, but your eyes weren’t green so you worked among the tribe’s people. That should

work. It’ll bring some scandal to the homeland when we return but we’re due for a little

scandal.”

“So you’re making me a scandalous woman, are you?” Ana asked.

“I could say you’re half Runner and half Gothman and the daughter of Lord Darius

and Lady Tara. Would that be scandalous enough for you?”

Ana laughed. “I think that would do it.” She grew sober then and met Roth’s eyes.

She knew he’d see her fears and concerns but she would voice them anyway. “Roth, my

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parents must suspect I’ve come here by now. I just can’t imagine them not hounding

Andru for information the second they confirmed I was missing. My papa might—”

She broke off and he reached for her other hand and gripped both of them tightly.

“Do you want to go home?” His face looked stricken. He’d pulled her worst fears.

“You know the thought’s entered my mind—that it would be better to face the

wrath of my parents than have blood spilled on my account.” She smiled at Roth then

sighed. “But no, I don’t want to go home.” Then she whispered, “I want to be with

you.”

He stood up and pulled her to her feet, wrapping his arms tightly around her

narrow waist. “Good. I want you to be with me, too. But I agree. I don’t want my

people’s blood spilled over us either. That’s why we’ve got to make sure no one finds

out who you are. My brother doesn’t know I went into Gothman while he was there. I’ll

tell him I waited for him in the mountains for a day then came here and met you and

that’s why I came back here—to get you.”

She was still in his arms and she turned to look at her surroundings. “And where is

here? Where am I from in our adventure?”

“Right now we’re among the Rangbak tribe. We’ve arrived at their largest village

and we’ll stay here tonight. Tomorrow, you and I will visit the village and be quite

entertained, I’m sure. I don’t know when they last had a Barringswood through here.

I’m sure we’ll get the treatment of gods.”

He walked over to a side table and lifted a glass container that held something that

looked like wine. There were glasses surrounding the container and he turned over two,

then poured contents of the container into both and brought her one.

“Could we go out for just a little bit tonight? I’ve been cooped up in this trailer for

hours and I need to get out and breathe the fresh air, take a walk, do something.” Ana

glanced at the window that was now black from the darkness outside.

Roth snapped his fingers. “I’ve got a great idea,” he said and pushed a button on a

panel on the counter. Within minutes there was a gentle tapping on the door.

“Enter,” Roth said. A thin, black-haired man stepped into the trailer. “Prepare a

gooney for us. The Mistress would like some fresh air.” When the man hurried back out

the door, Roth turned to her. “You’re going to love this.”

She did, too. A gooney turned out to be a wooden contraption on wooden wheels. It

had no roof, and a door on either side that opened so Roth and Ana could climb into it

and sit on a nicely padded bench. The driver sat in front of them, outside their little

cubicle, and held onto the reins of a large brown animal that seemed strong enough to

pull them easily for quite a few miles. They rode through the dark forest on a well-

beaten road at a fairly good speed. She sat silent for a few minutes enjoying this novelty

when Roth put his arm around her and pulled her to him.

“What do you think?” he whispered, tickling her ear with his breath.

“This is wonderful. Where are we going?”

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“Nowhere.” He shrugged. “We’re just getting some air.”

Ana laughed out loud. “I don’t think I’ve ever gone nowhere just to get some air.”

He laughed too. Then he pulled her closer and kissed her. Roth half laid her down

on the bench before letting her up.

“Although I must admit, I’m not getting much air,” she said and Roth laughed

again.

* * * * *

The next morning, after a field trip into the village of the Rangbak tribe, they

organized their posse and began once again to travel east. This time, Roth and Ana rode

together in his glider. She was able to sit next to him and learn how to use the controls

on the dash and the landlink. Within a couple of hours of flying, she looked ahead and

saw the most amazing thing. The ground far ahead no longer appeared to be green

forest, instead it was blue and went on for miles.

“What is that?” she asked, and pointed.

“That, my dear, is the ocean.” He took a minute to issue landing instructions then

returned his attention to her. “The Seergoon tribe lives here. This is where I think we’ll

say you’re from.”

“Then I suggest that I be given the opportunity to get to know the place,” she said,

excited at the prospect of getting close to that ocean.

The Seergoon tribe had a special hall set aside for visits from the Barringswood

tribe. Apparently, this part of the nation was a favorite spot for many of the tribe

members to come for a retreat. The land was beautiful but Ana couldn’t take her eyes

off the ocean.

The hall turned out to be a gigantic tree house. A beautifully crafted staircase

circled the tree to the first level that had several rooms. She couldn’t believe she was in

a tree house. Of course, she couldn’t let her awe of the place show on her face. There

were many servants moving around them, and she couldn’t let them know she viewed

this as unusual treatment.

Ana followed Roth’s lead and behaved as he did. She was amazed to discover that

she could ask him questions when their eyes were locked and he would give her the

answer, or show her if necessary.

“Master.” A servant entered the room and stepped around the other servants as

they carried in food and opened windows. The servant handed Roth a landlink panel.

“It is your brother, Sorg. He has an urgent communication and requested I find you

immediately.”

Ana watched Roth as he read the message but his face revealed nothing.

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“I’ll handle this.” Roth waved a hand to dismiss the servant. He then gently took

Ana’s hand and guided her to the staircase. When they’d reached the second floor he

walked her through one room and into another and shut the door behind them.

“Ana, my brother has been contacted by Lord Darius. The Gothman and Runners

have requested permission to travel our land to look for their missing daughter.”

“What does Sorg say? Will he let them?” Ana felt knots form in her stomach as

reality crept into her adventure.

“His message says he was prepared to deny them free rein. But then he noticed that

the force field on the mountain, parallel to Bryton, had been tampered with. Since I’m

down here he’s forwarded a picture of you and has asked me to prepare a search for

you down here.” He showed her the screen where a recent reproduction of her was