“Bless me, that was close,” the man giggled, breathing a waft of heady wine into my face. He grinned lopsidedly as he tapped my arm in thanks. “You came the Calban route, yes?” I nodded distractedly, my eyes returning to the feast as the man took a long drink from the bottle. “I knew it,” he said. He burped loudly and pounded a finger into my chest. “Count yourself lucky. The eastern route was many times worse.”
Sabina began making her way toward the tables and I set off after her as my companion followed, clutching annoyingly at my sleeve.
“Seven Pilgrims lost their lives on the way here,” I grunted over my shoulder, trying to shake off his hand. “That doesn’t seem lucky to me.”
“Bah!” the drunkard snorted, waving the bottle at me dismissively. “That’s nothing.” He took another pull of wine as we reached the first table. “We lost thirty-two.”
I glanced at him in surprise as I grabbed a thick slice of roasted duck sitting on a wooden block. The outer skin of the duck was burnt crispy black, just the way I liked it. I shoved the meat into my mouth, moaning in pleasure at the taste.
The drunkard plucked at my sleeve again. “Did you hear what I said, Pilgrim? Thirty-two!”
“I heard you,” I said as I chewed.
Grease ran down both sides of my mouth as I ate, dripping off my beard. I swallowed the last of the duck, then wiped my beard with the back of my hand. I selected a blood-red slab of veal next as my stomach gurgled greedily. Sabina stood on the other side of the table from me, gnawing heartily on the leg of a hare. She grinned around a mouthful of meat at me and I grinned back. I took the bottle from the drunkard’s unfeeling hand and drained the last of it, then threw it aside as I resumed eating.
“We would have fared much better,” the Pilgrim continued, seeming not to have noticed that I’d taken his wine, “had that bastard outlaw not attacked us.”
I paused with dripping veal halfway to my lips. “Outlaw?”
“Yes,” the drunkard said. “The Outlaw of Corwick. That turd of a cockroach attacked us on the fifth day out. The Lord of Evensmire is taking the Pilgrimage this year, and he brought twenty of his retainers along.” The man attempted a clumsy wink. “Not to mention a sizable donation to Oasis that whoreson of an outlaw must have learned about.”
I frowned in puzzlement. “Did you see him?”
The Pilgrim nodded, staring down at his empty hand in confusion. “I did.” He looked around, blinking stupidly, then signaled a peasant walking by. “More wine!” He turned back to me. “Big and fearsome looking, he was, with a great blond beard hanging down to his waist.” The drunkard shuddered. “They say he’s rolled a fingerbone in that beard of his for every man that he has killed.”
I shook my head, chuckling at the thought as I ate. An imposter using my name and the fear associated with it, I realized. “That would be an awful lot of bones if the rumors are true,” I pointed out. “He would have to have a beard down to his ankles.” The Pilgrim looked at me strangely, clearly wondering if I was teasing him or not. “So, what happened?” I asked as I crammed a wedge of sweet southern pear into my mouth.
“The bastards waited until The Walk had passed, then they attacked the guards and retainers behind us. Everything was confusion and swirling dust, and no one knew what was happening. The Watchers tried to flee when they realized who was attacking, but they had only one way to go, which was our way. We were traveling along a narrow valley at the time and didn’t see the wagons coming until they were on top of us. More than a hundred Pilgrims were injured, with twenty-eight killed.” He glared at me fiercely. “Twenty-eight innocent souls that the Outlaw of Corwick murdered. I know the True King has already put a heavy price on that bastard’s head, but someday, The Father willing, I hope to be there to see him pay for those twenty-eight lives. No man deserves to burn more than he does.”
“Perhaps someday he will,” I said softly.
The drunkard muttered something that I didn’t hear, then he ambled off, leaving me to eat in peace. I turned back to the table, accepting a bowl of steaming lamb stew from a heavy-set Son-In-Waiting. Sabina was engaged in conversation with a woman I didn’t recognize, so I turned away, blowing on the food. I froze as Emand the cordwainer stood before me, regarding me with hard eyes. Gone was the cheerful, pleasant man that I’d walked The Walk with, replaced now by a man filled with anger and suspicion.
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t say something, Rorian, or whatever your name is,” Emand said crossly. “I’m giving you the courtesy to explain yourself now only because of the bond we developed during The Walk.”
I paused for a moment, rolling lie after lie over in my head, then I set the bowl down. The lies wouldn’t work, I knew, so all that was left to me was to tell him the truth.
“Because if you tell anyone what you know, then the one chance that I have to stop the war will be gone.”
Emand blinked in surprise, looking uncertain. Then his face hardened again. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Tell me.”
I put my arm around the plump man’s shoulders and drew him away from the table. “I’m sorry I had to lie to you about our names, Emand,” I said. “I don’t know who to trust here.”
“Your name isn’t really Rorian?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“It’s Parm, then?”
“Not that either,” I said. “My name is Alwin. Alwin of Witbridge. Sabina and I—”
“Sabina?”
“The girl you know as Thera,” I said. “Rorian and his wife were supposed to join The Walk, but we replaced them.”
“But why did they call you Parm, then?” Emand asked, looking confused.
“Because someone was supposed to meet Rorian to give him passes into First Gate, but that man never made it. We had to use other passes at the last moment. That’s why different names were called.”
“Is that why you called me Juliax earlier?” Emand asked. “Was that the man you were supposed to get the passes from?”
“Yes. I thought you might have been Juliax because of your wife.”
“My wife?”
“The passes for Rorian and Thera were obtained by Cardians. Since you said your wife came from there, it seemed possible to me that you might be Juliax.”
“Well, I’m obviously not,” Emand said with a snort. “I’m just a simple cordwainer, just like I told you.”
I nodded absently. “I know that now. I apologize.”
Emand and I paused near one of the bonfires, just out of earshot of an old peasant turning a wild boar on a spit. A second peasant dipped a tin mug tied to a stick into a barrel of water, then poured the contents onto the meat as the boar skin sizzled and steamed.
“You said that if I told what I know about you, then you wouldn’t be able to stop the war,” Emand said. “What did you mean by that?”
I glanced away. Sabina was making her way toward us, a look of concern on her face. I turned back to Emand and told him about the second codex and why Sabina and I were here. The cordwainer listened attentively, the anger and suspicion leaving his eyes as I talked. Sabina joined us halfway through my explanation, and between us, we finished the story.
“A second codex,” Emand breathed in wonder. “I can’t believe it.”
“Believe it,” I said firmly. “Emand, you can’t tell anyone about this. Not even your wife.”
“But, I’ve never kept anything from her,” Emand said, looking crestfallen. He glanced at Sabina. “You understand, don’t you?”
Sabina put her hand on the little cordwainer’s arm. “I do, I truly do.” She indicated me. “But Had—”
“Alwin,” I cut in sharply.
Sabina swallowed, reddening as she glanced at me apologetically. “Alwin is right. We are taking a huge risk by telling you.”
“It’s not as though you had a choice,” Emand pointed out.
“I could have lied to you,” I replied. “I didn’t do that because both Sabina and I trust you.” I p
ut my hand on the cordwainer’s shoulder. “You are a good man, Emand of Hillsfort, and that’s why I felt you should know the truth.”
“But what if Laurea asks me why people are calling you by different names?”
I shrugged. “Just tell her there was a mistake when the names were called out. We were so tired that we just went along with it to get inside.”
Emand frowned and rubbed his chin. “I don’t know, Alwin. That seems a little weak.”
“It would be better if you go back to calling me Rorian.”
The cordwainer sighed in resignation. “Very well, Rorian, but you don’t know my wife. Laurea has a way of getting the truth out of me.”
“Not this time,” I said, letting Emand see a glint of warning in my eyes. “Give me your word that you won’t tell her.” I stepped forward until I was towering over the little shoemaker. “I consider you a friend, Emand, but what I told you was said in confidence. If you tell anyone, including your wife, I will consider it a betrayal of our friendship.” I stepped even closer. “I do not react well to betrayal.”
Emand swallowed. “I understand, Rorian. I won’t say anything. You have my word.”
We were scheduled to set off up the mountain early the next morning, but even so, the festivities went on well into the night. A tent had been provided for every Pilgrim pair, and once we’d eaten our fill, Sabina and I slipped away to find ours. Malo and my men were waiting outside the tent when we located it, having been banned from joining in on the feast. None of the other retainers or soldiers had been allowed to eat, either, which seemed fitting to me, considering how well they had all eaten these last few days compared to us Pilgrims.
Our tent turned out to be quite spacious, with luxurious furs lining the floor from one end to the other. Subdued flames fluttered from within a squat iron brazier that sat in the middle of the tent, lighting the interior. I could see clean clothing for both Sabina and me stacked neatly in piles in one corner, with two pairs of supple leather boots sitting next to them. Fresh fruit in brightly colored clay bowls and three bottles of wine sat on a small table near the clothes. Niko headed directly for the wine, a grin of happiness crossing his features.
“Not yet,” I said gruffly, snapping my fingers and pointing to the furs. “Sit.” I grabbed an apple from one of the bowls and tossed it to him. “This will have to do for now.”
Niko dropped to the floor as he stared at the apple in his hand with distaste. The rest of my men sat as well.
“I understand you had a problem with that cordwainer,” Malo said from where he stood by the entrance. “Is everything all right?”
“I hope so,” I replied. “I had to tell him about the codex.”
“What!?” Malo exploded. “Why would you do that?”
“Because he heard us referred to by the wrong names, Malo,” I said in exasperation. “Just like I warned you might happen. I had to tell him the truth. Nothing else would have convinced him to stay quiet.”
“What about his wife?” Sabina asked, chewing on her lower lip. “He still might tell her, despite what he promised.”
“He might,” I agreed with a sigh. “If he does, then it’s a good bet we will all be dead before morning.”
Silence filled the tent at that unwelcome thought, until finally, Malo sighed in resignation. “Very well. There’s no point in worrying about events we have no control over. Hadrack, I suggest you and Sabina try to get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day for you both.” He turned. “Tyris, Putt, I want you two to stand watch outside the tent. If you see any soldiers coming this way, get everybody out of here as fast as you can.”
Both Tyris and Putt looked to me for confirmation and I nodded my agreement.
“And supposing these soldiers do come,” Putt said. “Where do we run? The gates are sealed.”
“We will worry about that when and if the time comes,” Malo grunted. “Jebido and Niko can relieve you in four hours.”
“Where are you going?” I asked Malo as he headed back outside.
“To see if I can fix this little problem with your names before it gets any worse,” the House Agent responded over his shoulder.
Sabina picked up a brown cotton dress from the stack of clothing on the floor and held it up to herself. It seemed a little small to my eye, but the garment was sturdy-looking, at least. It would be a vast improvement over the dirty, baggy tunic she currently wore. Sabina glanced at me with a question in her eyes.
“On your feet,” I said gruffly to my men, understanding what she wanted.
I led everyone outside to give Sabina some privacy while she dressed. The music was playing just as gayly as before, with drunken Pilgrims staggering here and there amongst the tents. I signaled for Putt to take up a position in front of the entrance to our tent. Tyris would guard the back.
“I have a bad feeling about all this, Hadrack,” Jebido muttered as we waited outside.
A Pilgrim tent similar to ours stood twenty feet away from us. I could hear musical feminine laughter coming from inside, followed by a man groaning loudly. Firelight from the brazier reflected two distinct shadows entwined on the floor, leaving little doubt about what they were doing in there.
“When is the last time you had a good feeling?” I asked Jebido with a smile on my lips. “You are the most pessimistic man that I know.”
“It’s not pessimism,” Jebido said with a snort. “It’s caution. There is a difference.” He pointed to his silver hair. “I’ve gotten to this age because I’m cautious. It’s something you might consider trying once in a while. You just might live longer if you do.”
“I’ve done all right so far,” I said. “Besides, who wants to get old, anyway?”
“Old like me, you mean?” Jebido asked, his eyes narrowing.
I glanced at my friend and grinned. “Something like that.”
Sabina called us back before Jebido could respond, and I heard both he and Niko whistle loudly as they passed through the entrance ahead of me. I stepped inside and then stopped in surprise. Sabina had cleaned herself somehow and had let her hair down and combed it as well. The dress I thought would be too small for her had a plunging neckline and fit perfectly, accenting her firm breasts and slim build. Sabina leaned forward and whispered something in Jebido’s ear. My friend’s eyes widened as he listened, then he opened his mouth to say something just as Sabina took his hand, staring at him as a silent message passed between them.
Finally, Jebido turned away and grabbed Niko by the arm. “Come, lad, we’ll be sleeping outside tonight,” he said.
“But what about the wine?” Niko demanded in dismay as Jebido herded him through the entrance.
“I’ll find you some damn wine somewhere else. Now get moving.”
“Finally, we’re alone,” Sabina said once they were gone. She had taken off her worn sandals, I noticed, and glided soundlessly over the furs toward me. “I’m tired of fighting this thing between us, Hadrack. We both know where this is going, so let’s just accept it.”
“Sabina,” I said, feeling uncomfortable as she stopped in front of me. “I don’t know what you think is going on between us, but it has to stop.”
“Can you honestly say that you don’t desire me?” Sabina asked coyly. She put her hands on my chest and stared up at me, our faces inches apart. I stood spellbound, unable to tear my eyes away from her. “We have cheated death too many times since we met, Hadrack. Soldiers could come for us tonight and we might never have another chance like this. I don’t want to die without having been with you at least once. That’s all I am asking. Just one night.”
“Sabina,” I managed to say. I stared at a spot over her shoulder. “You know how much I care for you.”
“Yes, I do,” Sabina said. “But I also know you desire me as well, Hadrack of Corwick. Admit it. I can see it every time you look at me.” She glanced down at my tunic in triumph. “And the proof of that desire grows right before my eyes.”
I could feel my face co
loring, angry at my body for the betrayal. I put my hands around Sabina’s wrists and gently pushed her away from me. “This can’t happen, Sabina. I’m committed to Shana.”
“Ha!” Sabina snorted. She glanced down again. “That part of you doesn’t seem to agree.”
“We are to be wed,” I blurted out.
“What?” Sabina snapped, recoiling as though I had slapped her. “What did you just say?”
“Lady Shana and I are to be married,” I said hurriedly. “That’s why I needed to talk to her alone. To ask for her hand in marriage.” Sabina took two steps backward, her face registering her shock. “I’m sorry,” I said gently. “I love Shana. I have from the moment that I met her.”
“Married,” Sabina said in a low tone, more to herself than to me.
“Yes, but you and I will always be friends.”
I took a step forward and Sabina put her hands up to stop me. “Don’t touch me!” She pointed at the exit. “Get out of here, Hadrack! Get out right now!”
I hesitated, trying to think of something to say, even though I knew there could be no words that would help. I took a deep breath, then spun on my heel.
“Well, that didn’t go so well,” Jebido said when I stepped outside.
I closed my eyes and shook my head. “You heard?”
Jebido chuckled. “The wrinkled and deaf old Sons on top of Mount Halas probably heard that commotion.” He sighed. “I can’t say I’m surprised by it, though.”
“What am I going to do?”
Jebido shrugged. “There isn’t much you can do. You have to be true to yourself, Hadrack, or else you wouldn’t be the man that I know you to be.”
“I hurt her, Jebido,” I said bitterly, glancing back at the tent. “You should have seen the look in her eyes.”
The Wolf On The Run (The Wolf of Corwick Castle Book 3) Page 23
