Chapter 380 The Road To Sacrifice (2/2)

The conversations were always short, but even so, Arran did not fail to notice that all but a few of the soldiers' leaders spoke with a grination, as if they had already accepted that many of theht Blightspawn?” Arran asked as they left yet another group of Darians behind — farmboys all of them, eapons that only barely deserved the naroups,” Kaleesh explained ”There's a city called Knight's Watch, about a week's travel froroups will join up with others there, so that they can reach Sacrifice safely”

Arran nodded in understanding It roups would join forces — alone, they would stand little chance of survival ”Do you plan for us to take on any new allies?”

”Perhaps,” the captain replied ”Though with us being outsiders, I doubt there will be roup of soldiers behind them, then shook his head ”I wouldn't be too sure of that”

Some of the soldiers they'd met in the previous days had spoken to them with open disdain, and many had cast envious looks at their armor Yet on the whole, most had treated them like equals — allies, even

”I think it's different here,” he continued hesitantly ”With the Blight this close, they don't seeht matter in the east, but here, we have a common enemy”

Kaleesh whistled between his teeth ”It's possible, I suppose,” he said, though his voice carried more than a hint of skepticism

In truth, Arran wasn't fully convinced, either

While the Darians they'd met in the ere certainly friendlier than those in the east, he knew that friendliness and respect were very different things And whether they'd receive the latter remained to be seen

They continued their journey at a slow but steady pace, each step they took bringing thee of the Ies they passed grew sparser, with the few that rely well-defended

This close to the border, there wasn't a settlement to be found that didn't resees had walls that could resist an army — for a time, at least — and the fens they passed seemed every bit as impenetrable as Lady Raina's fortress had been

They were barely two days' travel frohly a mile down the road

”Perhaps we should take the chance to resupply,” Kaleesh said ”With all these soldiers, I expect that prices in Knight's Watch will be nothing short of extortionate”

Arran nodded ”That seehe hadn't encountered in a long tih it only lasted for the briefest of e

”Trouble ahead,” he said in a low voice ”In the village”

Kaleesh gave him a curious look, and for a moment, it looked like the captain was about to ask for estured for the mercenaries to halt

”Sassun,” he said, as the troops came to a stop behind them ”When was the last time you saw a scout patrol?”

The commander considered the question for a few seconds, and as he did, his expression slowly turned ugly ”I haven't seen any today”

The captain slanced at the village in the distance, then gave a s their lands, it would seem we've run into an obstacle”

”What do we do?” Sassun asked, a gris

”I would suggest going around,” Kaleesh said ”But…” His voice trailed off as he fixed his eyes on a distant hill, half a e

Arran followed the captain's gaze, narrowing his eyes as he peered at the hill It took him a moment to spot what the captain had seen, but when he noticed it, a curse escaped his lips

Atop the hill stood several large figures Blightspawn, he knew And although they were too far away for him to see their faces, he had no doubt that the creatures had already spotted theroups, then,” Kaleesh said ”One in the village, and one—”

”Three,” Sassun interrupted ”Look to the left, a the trees”

Arran did as he said, and a moment later, another curse fled his ures were hidden a the tree line