Part 18 (2/2)
”Wouldn't it serve better to have the Knight-Marshal draw up the proble, captain We have a parade and farewell to tide to return hoht?”
Arutha looked at his squire ”Yes, but you won't be attending”
Jaar said, ”I will have the problehness”
Arutha said, ”No, you will have it back here before sundown tonight An hour after sundown, you five-” he indicated the captain, two soldiers, Willia to Kesh At the cut-off near Shandon Bay you will turn west and find this old caravan route” He pointed to a faint trailhalf a day behind the Pathfinders, and you'll be er struck the map ”You should reach this point three days after the Pathfinders That should give them time to locate our prey”
”And you'll be half a day behind us when they do,” said James
”Yes,” said Arutha He looked around the rooo as fast as you can to where the Pathfinders indicate the Nighthawks' nest is located Leave dear signs along the way You and the Pathfinders are to eliminate any sentries and open any barriers, because this time I intend to ride in with my best soldiers and crush these murderous ver He knew that at thatof his Princess, in his ar day with an assassin's bolt in her back, hovering near death while Arutha was helpless to do anything
Jahness”
He led the others out of the room, and the captain said, ”Squire, why ned this sort of duty to ed ”You were sent to find us, so you three already know that Willia you with us keeps those who know about our real purpose to aup unexpectedly in unlikely places, so keeping the number of people who know of thisflickered in the captain's expression, and Jahness certainly wouldn't have picked you if he didn't think you up to the task” Glancing around he said, ”We'll have time on the trail to fill you in, captain But for now, you need to create a convincing battle probleeements?” asked Williah for us to sneak up on a band of assassins, lieutenant Doubly so if we ride up in full arlanced out theand said, ”It's almost noon now If we're to leave at sundown, I have scant tiar nodded ”Squire” To James he said, ”Lieutenant, you come with me”
William said, ”Sir,” and fell in behind the captain as he led the two soldiers away
James headed off in a different direction, back toward his favorite exit, the servants' gate, where he could slip out of the palace with the least amount of notice There were three people he needed to see before he left: the sheriffs son, and three thugs hiding in the sewer; then he had to buy quite a bit in a short time
Sand and dust blew across the plateau, as a small band of travelers, two donkeys, a caoats huddled around an overburdened cart Nomads, perhaps, to the casual eye, or a fa tolls and border guards on the patrolled highways
William hunkered down in his desert-style robes, the hood pulled forward to keep the stinging sand out of his eyes, ears, nose and mouth as much as possible Over the noise of the wind he shouted, ”Captain, are we being watched?”
Captain Treggar shouted back, ”If they're out there, we're being watched!”
Three days earlier they had left a camp near the southern end of Shandon Bay Prince Arutha followed behind by two days, leading two hundredsands of the plateau country was a handful of Pathfinders, seeking the ruins of the ancient Keshi+an fortress
James said to William, ”You look lovely, dear”
”What?”
James raised his voice over the wind ”I said, ”You look lovely, dear'”
Being the shortest man in the company, William was dressed in the robe of a Beni-Shazda wohed at William's checked irritation at Ja at Willia lieutenant had been handed women's robes on the first day of the journey Willia his complaint, while the more experienced soldiers had simply put on the robes without comment, and James had shown him no mercy since
William had now come to realize the futility of complaint, and shook his head as he sat back on his haunches ”Just a few days ago I was strolling through the old in ht future ahead of me And now I haveyou scruffy bastards Of course, I also have all this lovely scenery” He waved his hand around hi to hit you Fall down and crahen I do”
Suddenly his hand lashed out, glancing offWilliaar rose up over hiar ”Just the sound of my voice, but not the words”
James ree to the west, squire Slightly to the north of the trail I caught a gliain”
James said, ”Everyone, you know your parts”
The other two soldiers hurried around, as if ensuring everything in the caar yelled, ”Craay, board oats!” Williaar walked over to the cart, one arainst the wind He reached the cart and took dohat from a distance would appear to be a full wineskin andfrom it He then sat with his back to one of the wheels, in the wagon's lee
”Now coiveness, and while you're doing that, look up on that ridge and see if you can catch a gli his hands in a gesture of conciliation ”I don't see anything, captain”
”Bow again!”
Williae of the wagon, and while he appeared to be getting soe After a moment he saw it, a faint move,” said Ja, lieutenant”
Williaet soive it to me and the squire first, then the other 'wives'”
The soldiers didn't laugh as they scanned the ridges to the hile they went through the ht one of the Pathfinders should find us, and if we're lucky, we'll find out exactly where those bastards are hiding out”
Throughout the rest of the evening they played the part of a small family of travelers The wind died out an hour after sundown, and they built a fire and cooked a modest ht the next , the Pathfinder still hadn't coar stood up and shook the dust off of his robe
The eastern sky had lightened and the daas fast approaching As the others stirred, the captain gestured toward the rising sun He then turned north and ?” Ja for our friends,” the captain answered as he turned to the west ”I hope this looks like soesture to the south, and said, ”Go get the 'woned a kick at Willia They'll expect us to be on the move by the time the sun's cleared the horizon”
Willialy, then hurried to obey He fed dried dung into the flah to cook over