Part 11 (1/2)
”What have the trackers found?” he asked.
William replied, ”Game signs to the northeast, Your Grace. Elk and deer, and a sow bear with a cub.”
The duke finished chewing on a quarter hen, and tossed the bones aside. William was thankful the man had no hounds with him. The habit of feeding dogs at the table had been one his mother had never allowed, and as a result William had also grown up with an aversion to having dogs under the table. The servants would remove the bones before the duke retired. ”Won't take a sow bear until the cub is weaned. Depletes the game population if yoirdon't let the little ones get out on their own. What else?”
”Maybe a big cat,” answered William.
At that the duke seemed pleased. ”Can your trackers tell what kind?”
William said, ”Not sure, m'lord. Usually we have cougars. They're bold and think nothing of coming into villages at night to make free with sheep or chickens.”
”I know the cat,” interrupted the duke. ”Wily, but other than that, not much of a challenge once you have them treed. What else?”
”Some true lions occasionally wander up from the southeast, though we almost always get word long before we see them. Young males without a pride, usually.”
”Good trophy animal.”
”And once in a great while we get leopards.”
”Now there's worthy game,” said the duke. ”If one's in a tree above you, that's where he wants to be.”
”Perhaps by morning I'll have new intelligence.”
The balance of the meal went by slowly, as the duke and his son spoke of past hunts, reliving each triumph. Paulina spent her time staring absently into the distance or attempting to flirt with William, who responded politely to her banter. Prince Vladic seemed content to stay silently lost in his own thoughts.
When the dishes had been removed by the servants, William excused himself from the duke's presence, citing his need to oversee the disposition of the camp. The duke nodded and waved him away.
William found Sergeant Matthews and asked, ”How stand things?”
”Quiet, sir,” answered the sergeant.
”I'm turning in. Wake me for the last watch.”
”You're taking a watch, sir?” asked Matthews in a neutral voice.
William knew that many officers left the management of the watches to their sergeants. ”I prefer my sergeants get a halfway decent night's sleep on the march,” he answered, as if this wasn't his first command. ”Turn in after the second watch and have the senior guardsman wake me.”
”Sir,” said Matthews as William moved toward the spot set aside for his groundcloth and covers. He knew the sergeant was just as likely to ignore the command and continue to ensure each watch-change went without a hitch. Still, as with sending out fruit and ale for the trail-weary soldiers, the gesture would be appreciated.
William turned in, and for once was glad for his training under McWirth, for he had slept enough upon the ground atop a thin quilted mat, with a heavy woolen blanket over him, that once he lay down he was quickly asleep.
William's eyes opened and he was awake without hesitation and halfway standing before he realized what had wakened him. It was no sound, no alarm nor shout, but rather a feeling. Then he knew what it was. The horses were disturbed to the point at which his mind was hearing them as if they were shouting. In another moment they would be whinnying. He hurried to where the horses where staked out. They were all standing quietly, heads erect, ears twitching, nostrils flared as they tested the air.
William never liked talking with horses. Their minds were odd, divided.
What is it? William said with his mind to the nearest horse.
Hunter! came the answer, with an image of something moving silently through the forest nearby. came the answer, with an image of something moving silently through the forest nearby. Smell hunter! Smell hunter!
William glanced upwind in the direction from which a scent would come. Man? Man? he asked. he asked.
The response was confusing. Some of the horses seemed to agree while others sent impressions of a cat-like creature.
”Something wrong, sir?” asked Matthews at William's shoulder.
”I don't know,” he answered quietly. ”Something's got the horses spooked.”
”Maybe a wolfpack hunting?”
Rather than share his unusual ability with the sergeant, William just nodded. ”Maybe, but there's something close enough that the horses are-”
Before he could finish the thought, the horses started whinnying and trying to pull up the stakes.
Matthews cried out, ”Alarm! Ware the camp!”
William had his sword out as something big and dark seemed to fly by, close to the ground, but it was past him before he realized it was not a bird of any sort, but a swift four-legged creature. It bounded into darkness next to trees on the edge of the camp, then appeared again in silhouette against the campfire for a brief instant, before vanis.h.i.+ng into the night.
”d.a.m.n me!” said Matthews. ”It's a black leopard!”
Men were scrambling for weapons and the Duke of Olasko and his son came from their tents, weapons at the ready. By the time William reached them, word of the big cat had already reached the duke.
'That's a bold kitty, what?” said the duke with a grin. ”Nice of him to let us know he's in the woods.” He glanced around and asked, ”What of the clock?”
William glanced at the sergeant, who answered, ”Three hours to sunrise, Your Grace.”
”Good,” said the duke. ”Let's eat and then at dawn let's track that big b.a.s.t.a.r.d.”
William said, ”Yes, Your Grace.”
The duke returned to his tent and William instructed the sergeant to order the morning meal prepared early. He had no doubt that by the time the sun crested the eastern peaks they would be at least an hour along the trail of that cat.
As the camp turned to the day's preparation, William watched the edge of the woods, trying to peer into the gloom. As the bustle in the camp grew in volume, he couldn't help the feeling that, somewhere nearby, that leopard watched.
The duke returned a few minutes later, rubbing his hands in antic.i.p.ation. ”Let's eat, to strengthen us for the day to come, lieutenant.”
”Yes, Your Grace,” said William, tearing his eyes away from the murky woods.
As they walked toward the duke's tent, he said, ”d.a.m.ned accommodating of that beast to let us know he's nearby, what? You'd soon as think he was daring us to come after him.”
William said nothing, but his thoughts matched the duke's, and he was nowhere near as enthralled by the notion.
Mist rolled through the trees as the duke, his nephew, son and daughter moved silently through the woods. They were followed at a discreet distance by William and his squad of six soldiers. Bringing up the rear were bearers and servants. William was impressed by the Olaskan n.o.bility, their hunting skills were very evident. They moved with such stealth that in comparison the experienced soldiers sounded noisy and untrained to William's ear.
A tracker from the garrison of Pathfinders at Krondor led the way, indicating leopard signs. William used his mental gifts to search out any hint of the cat's whereabouts, but he kept coming up blank. He sensed the small animals nearby, the red squirrels and chipmunks hiding out of sight, even caught an impression or two of the curious rodents' thoughts. Big hunters! Big hunters! they seemed to say. they seemed to say. Danger! Danger!