Part 18 (2/2)
Treggar said, ”I will have the problem here before the parade, Highness.”
Arutha said, ”No, you will have it back here before sundown tonight. An hour after sundown, you five-” he indicated the captain, two soldiers, William and James ”-are leaving with a caravan heading to Kesh. At the cut-off near Shandon Bay you will turn west and find this old caravan route.” He pointed to a faint trail marked on the ancient map. ”You're leaving half a day behind the Pathfinders, and you'll be moving slowly.” Again his finger 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 room. ”If you get word, go 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 vermin.”
James looked at Arutha and said nothing. He knew that at that moment the Prince was thinking of his Princess, in his arms, on their wedding day with an a.s.sa.s.sin's bolt in her back, hovering near death while Arutha was helpless to do anything.
James said, ”We'll make ready, Highness.”
He led the others out of the room, and the captain said, ”Squire, why me? The Prince has never a.s.signed this sort of duty to me before.”
James shrugged. ”You were sent to find us, so you three already know that William and I are needed for something special. Sending you with us keeps those who know about our real purpose to a minimum. Nighthawks have the irritating habit of showing up unexpectedly in unlikely places, so keeping the number of people who know of this mission to a minimum is vital.” Something flickered in the captain's expression, and James added, ”And His Highness 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 problem for the garrison, and I need to make arrangements.”
”Arrangements?” asked William.
James said, ”It will be hard enough for us to sneak up on a band of a.s.sa.s.sins, lieutenant. Doubly so if we ride up in full armor with battle pennons flying. Well need disguises.” He glanced out the window and said, ”It's almost noon now. If we're to leave at sundown, I have scant time.”
Captain Treggar 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 camel, and a tiny herd of goats huddled around an overburdened cart. Nomads, perhaps, to the casual eye, or a family on their way to a distant village, avoiding 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 hundred mounted soldiers. Out there somewhere in the blowing sands of the plateau country was a handful of Pathfinders, seeking the ruins of the ancient Kes.h.i.+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 woman. The other two soldiers, also dressed as women, laughed at William's checked irritation at James's remark. The squire had been joking at William's expense on and off since the young lieutenant had been handed women's robes on the first day of the journey. William had made the mistake of voicing 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 market with the prettiest girl in Krondor on my arm, gold in my purse, and a bright future ahead of me. And now I have . . . you scruffy b.a.s.t.a.r.ds. Of course, I also have all this lovely scenery.” He waved his hand around him at the barren landscape.
Treggar said, ”I'm going to hit you. Fall down and crawl away when I do.”
Suddenly his hand lashed out, glancing offWilliam's shoulder. William fell over as Treggar rose up over him. ”They can't hear us, I think!” shouted Treggar. ”Just the sound of my voice, but not the words.”
James remained seated. ”Where are they?”
”On the second ridge to the west, squire. Slightly to the north of the trail. I caught a glimpse of movement against the wind. Then I caught it again.”
James said, ”Everyone, you know your parts.”
The other two soldiers hurried around, as if ensuring everything in the camp was secured against the wind. Treggar yelled, ”Crawl away, bow toward me on your knees, then get to your feet and see to the goats!” William did as he was instructed. Treggar walked over to the cart, one arm holding a voluminous sleeve as a s.h.i.+eld against the wind. He reached the cart and took down what from a distance would appear to be a full wineskin and made a show of drinking from it. He then sat with his back to one of the wheels, in the wagon's lee.
”Now come over here and look as if you're begging forgiveness, and while you're doing that, look up on that ridge and see if you can catch a glimpse.”
William did so, bowing and lifting his hands in a gesture of conciliation. ”I don't see anything, captain.”
”Bow again!”
William did so, and James sneaked around to a position at the edge of the wagon, and while he appeared to be getting something out of the wagon he studied the ridge. After a moment he saw it, a faint movement that was out of rhythm with the wind. ”They're watching,” said James.
Treggar said, ”You can stop bowing, lieutenant.”
William did so and said, ”I'll get some food and pa.s.s it around.”
”Make sure you give it to me and the squire first, then the other 'wives'.”
The soldiers didn't laugh as they scanned the ridges to the west while they went through the motions of working.
”Tonight one of the Pathfinders should find us, and if we're lucky, we'll find out exactly where those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds 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 meal. Then they turned in and waited.
At first light the next morning, the Pathfinder still hadn't come.
TWELVE - Improvisation
Treggar stood up and shook the dust off of his robe.
The eastern sky had lightened and the dawn was fast approaching. As the others stirred, the captain gestured toward the rising sun. He then turned north and made another gesture.
”What are you doing?” James asked.
”Looking for our friends,” the captain answered as he turned to the west. ”I hope this looks like some sort of morning ritual.” He finished with a gesture to the south, and said, ”Go get the 'women' working.”
James feigned a kick at William and said, ”Stoke the fire and start cooking. They'll expect us to be on the move by the time the sun's cleared the horizon.”
William cowered for a moment, he hoped convincingly, then hurried to obey. He fed dried dung into the flames and soon it was hot enough to cook over.
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