Part 37 (1/2)
Chapter 16
A pallid dawn found Conan and his companions a fair march on their way hohness,” Conan said ”Your father makes shi+ft with a tent in the wilderness I fear it is a poor ho we offer you”
”Captain, anyone would think that you had spent as much tioi, she smiled more readily That sh cheekbones and straight nose
”I kno to tell the truth to princes,” Conan said ”Or at least the kind of princes who care to hear it Some don't, and those I don't speak to at all if I can avoid it”
”Our house has always kept an ear open for the truth,” Chienna said
”And we have always called the whole Border Kingdom home We will not be homeless until we set foot in another realm, and both my father and I will die before we do that”
It see to say about the royal fa
But the quicker the princess and her son returned to Eloikas, the quicker the king would rally such allies as hewhatever to say about anything, including his own life or death
Conan earnestly hoped so Falling to Syza to death by vipers, or even being gnawed to bloody shreds by rats
'Twas no death for a warrior, no death for anyone-man, woman, or child-who could feel shame
Conan's band o days on its homeward journey when they saw the traces of a fair-sized co the footprints ”Warriors in some nu the away to the west
”Trying to put a good distance between the toward the royal camp, unless they should stumble on it by accident”
”If they do, we can leave theer are they to us?”
”If they've woht unless we force theht us than eance can ive ood sense”
Wylla was so stunned at an apology fro an enemy to her tribe that she could only stand slack-jawed Marr put an arm around her and bowed to the princess as thanks for both of theic that they do not come near us,” the piper said ”But the Star Brothers may yet live, some of them, and march with their tribesmen”
”Would not their power have died with their beast?” Aybas asked From his voice, it was clear that he most earnestly hoped so He could not have hoped so more earnestly than Conan, but hope sharpened no swords
”What could live Star Brothers do without their beast?” Conan asked
”At the very least, sense that ic was at work,” Marr replied ”If they know that, they oi scouts search for us with clear eyes and ears”
”Then let us trust to woodcraft and swift ,” the princess said decisively ”I have no oi, if they find none with me”
In that, she spoke for all of theh that an unseen listener heard He heard clearly, but they did not hear his bare feet on the forest floor as he returned swiftly to his comrades
They met the listener and half a score of his co dipped in the last of their goat's ht theoi!”
Conan was the first to join Raihna at her sentry post She was already behind a well-placed tree, bow ready, and the Cimmerian found another such from which to watch the warriors approach