Chapter Five
In the morning, Eva supervised Mrs. Watson while she cooked breakfast for the caravaners. Buddy did chores and served the food with an occasional helping hand from Tarc or Daussie. Daum worked hard to complete the final packing of their wagon with Tarc and Daussie pitching in. Mr. Norton and a couple of the other experienced caravaners came by and offered pointers for avoiding breakage, packing items that would be needed frequently so that they would be accessible and getting more stuff packed into a smaller space.
Nonetheless, they had a moderate amount of gear that they wound up tying to the top of the chicken coop. Eva had had the idea to buy a chicken coop to ride on top of the low flat trailer that was to be pulled along behind their main wagon. That way, even if the caravan stopped somewhere that they couldn’t buy food, they would at least have eggs and, if necessary, some chicken to cook for the meals they planned to sell to the caravaners themselves.
As time passed, Tarc worried more and more about whether Mrs. Blacksmith would live up to her promise to deliver their throwing knives that morning. He supposed that they could always get their throwing knives in another town along the way, but he had really hoped that they would have matched sets so that their throws would be consistent.
Tarc was hitching the horses when he heard her voice behind him. “I guess you’ll really be going then, eh?”
He whirled, excited that she had come, though not wanting to appear too excited for fear that she would jack up the price. “Yes, I was wondering whether you would actually be able to deliver.”
She nodded, “It was difficult, but John put in long hours getting them done for you. He wanted them to match nicely especially in their throwing weight and balance.”
“Oh, thank you. I’ve been worried that they wouldn’t be the same. Let me get my dad; I don’t have any money with me right now.”
As he turned away, she said, “I’d suggest I meet you inside. You probably don’t want the people out here seeing you loading up with hidden throwing knives.”
When Daum and Tarc went back into the tavern, they went upstairs to Tarc’s old room with Mrs. Blacksmith.
To their confounded astonishment, she laid out six more knives to match the smaller size that Daum carried, as well as six to match the two Tarc had been using. In size shape, weight and balance they seemed identical, though Tarc thought perhaps the new ones might be made of a better quality steel.
Daum’s eyes widened as he stared at them. “Tarc! I was thinking one or possibly two more knives!”
Feeling terribly embarrassed, Tarc said, “Uh, that’s what I was thinking too.” Thinking back to his conversation the previous day, he suddenly realized that he didn’t remember specifying how many knives. “Uh, but I might not have made that very clear…”
Daum turned to Sally, “We really can’t afford six!” He paused for a moment, Tarc thought because he was considering how much the first four knives had cost. “We feel terrible, of course, but, could we maybe… just buy three of each?”
Sally raised her eyes to his, saying nothing for a moment which raised Tarc’s apprehension all the higher. Then she said, “You and your son saved this gods be damned town. John and I feel that giving you these knives is the least we owe. You should be treated as heroes—not driven out of town by a bunch of mean-spirited, small-minded gossipers who did nothing to save themselves. Gossipers who have now accused the very people who saved them of being collaborators!”
Daum stared at Sally for a moment, after which his eyes flicked to Tarc. He turned back to Sally, “Uh, how…”
She smiled, “Your son there,” she flicked a finger at Tarc, “failed to clean out the blood that had seeped into the crevice between the tang and the guard of his knife. I was chastising him for not cleaning his knife better to prevent rust, when I suddenly put together a knife bloodied to its hilt, with the rumors that a bunch of Krait’s men mysteriously died with knife wounds in their eye sockets. Then I remembered Tarc’s first throw at that post out in our yard. It didn’t take much more thought to realize that the people who discounted the claims that you’d shot Krait from Tornesson’s window were wrong.”
Daum said, “Of course, we thank you from the bottoms of our hearts. But, we can’t accept…”
Sally firmly interrupted, “You can, and you will.” Her voice caught, “John and I are only sorry we can’t do more.” She paused, “Well, actually we do have a little more.” She reached in her bag and pulled out a bundle of leather. “You need something to carry those knives in.”
Soon she had laid out holsters that would hold a brace of four knives back between their shoulder blades. For both Tarc and Daum, there was a pair of sheaths that would hold a knife hidden inside a sleeve and a final pair of ankle sheaths to go inside their boots.
Tarc counted and realized that with four sheaths behind his back and one on each extremity, he would have places for all eight of the knives he would now own. He looked at his father, wondering whether Daum would accept such an astonishing gift. Daum looked thunderstruck as he stared at the largess Sally had laid out before them. After a moment Daum turned back to Sally and gave her a slight bow. In a voice gone hoarse, he said, “My father taught me not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Thank you sincerely for this wonderful gift.”
Sally blinked suddenly shiny eyes, then stepped forward to give each of them a hug. “We… thank you for our freedom.” She gave them a wry look, “And for the freedom of the ungrateful wretches in this town.” She turned abruptly and bustled out of the room, down the stairs and out onto the street, as if she somehow feared any further emotional entanglement.
***
An hour later, the caravan was slowly rolling out of town. At Arco’s suggestion, the Hyllises rode inside the canopy of their wagon while he led their team of mules. Arco didn’t want the townsfolk harassing the family as they left. Keeping them hidden seemed to be a good way to minimize any conflict. As the wagon bumped and jolted roughly over the rough streets, Daussie began to understand why people rarely, if ever, rode inside the wagons. Sure, it spared the team of animals pulling the wagon to have the people walk alongside. However the biggest reason was that the wagons didn’t have springs and the rock-strewn roads in the countryside would be even bumpier than the merely rutted streets of the town.
Evidently she wasn’t the only one feeling that way as Daum said, “Oof! I know they said it was rough riding in the wagon, but damn, I didn’t think it was going to be this bad here in town!”
Eva grinned at him and said, “Yeah, I didn’t think I’d be looking forward to getting out and walking quite this much!”
Tarc said, “I thought we were going to be riding our horses?”
Daum laughed at him and said, “We will, but until you get used to it, you’re going to be thinking that riding a horse can be pretty painful in its own right.”
Daussie peered out the back canopy of the wagon. She turned to her parents, “We’re outside the gates. Can we get out now?”
Daum looked out. The wagons were maintaining moderate spacing to avoid the dust of the one in front of them, so he stepped out of the back of the wagon and onto the little trailer behind it. Once he’d hopped off of the trailer itself, he walked just behind it to help the rest of his family jump down without injuring themselves. Daussie saw Tarc roll his eyes and avoid Daum’s helping hand when he jumped out himself.
All four of them went up to learn from Arco how to lead their team of mules so that each of them could take turns. The entire time, Daussie saw Tarc fidgeting as he waited for his chance to start riding a horse. At one point in the relatively short lesson, the girl guard rode up on her horse, then slowed her horse to a walk beside them. The girl listened as Arco talked to the Hyllises. Daussie thought she Tarc looked embarrassed to be instructed in such a basic tasks in front of the girl.
Eventually, Arco appeared to believe that they had all been adequately instructed in leading a mule team. Before he left, Daum said, “Tha
nk you Arco, that was most helpful. I hope you don’t mind, but Tarc here is desperate to learn to ride a horse. Although I’ve ridden a little I’m by no means an expert. Would you mind taking a few minutes to get him off on the right foot?”
Arco agreed to do so, though Daussie thought that Tarc looked embarrassed to be instructed in this as well. The guard wagon was right in front of the Hyllises’, so Arco trotted quickly up to it and gathered his horse which was tethered to the back of it. When he got back to the Hyllises’ wagon Daum and Tarc had untethered the two horses that came with the wagon. The three of them went off into an open area on the side of the road. They fell behind, but Daussie could see Arco teaching both of them how to get on and guide their horses.
Eventually, the three men rode up beside the wagon again on their horses. After Arco left, Tarc talked Daum into riding up to the front of the wagon train, then back down the other side to the tail end. Eventually they came back up the other side of the train and got off the horses. They were tethering the horses to the trailer again when Daussie approached, “Aren’t you going to teach me how to ride a horse?”
Daum and Tarc were both walking a little spraddle legged. Daum sighed and said, “Sure, but I don’t think we should do it right here.”
Daussie looked around, they were following the heavily rutted road through an area of forest. “What’s wrong with here?”
Daum pursed his lips, “Well, several things. First of all, there isn’t much space for you to practice. But most importantly, if we were to be attacked, it would likely be here in the woods. So, while we’re going through the woods we should be keeping an eye out, not trying to learn something new. I’ll try to teach you at the next big meadow.”
“What about Mom?” Daussie said glancing at Eva.
Daum chuckled, “Your mother grew up with horses. You’d probably be better off getting a lesson from her instead of me. Certainly, she doesn’t need any lessons.”
At first, being on the road was exhilarating. A different experience from any that Tarc or Daussie had encountered so far in their life. Then it got boring. Then, their feet started to hurt. Eva did teach Daussie to ride at a big clearing and, at first, Daussie was grateful to be up on the horse as it spared her feet. However, after an hour or two up on the horse, her butt and thighs began to complain.
By late afternoon all the fun had worn off her new skill.
A stir of activity occurred when the girl guard came trotting back to the front of the caravan. The guards took turns riding ahead, usually at about the limits of vision from the guard wagon at the front of the caravan. The two guards that had been riding to the sides of the guard wagon rode ahead to meet with her. There was a brief conversation, then one of the guards rode back while she and the other guard rode ahead again.
Arco got on his horse but paused until the Hyllises’ wagon rolled up beside him. Looking at Daum, he said, “It’s probably nothing, but we’re treating it as if it was serious. Lizeth saw someone up ahead watching the roadway. The guy moved stealthily off into the woods about the time she saw him. We’re going to treat it as if he was scouting for some raiders. I’d like you and your son to mount the shooting platform on the guard wagon.” He turned to Eva, “I’m hoping you’ll guide your mules,” his eyes sought Daussie, “and that you’ll get on your bay horse and ride it up beside me at the guard wagon. That way you can carry messages if needed.”
Daussie felt Arco’s eyes stay on her a few moments longer than they needed to. As opposed to the sick feeling she had had when Krait’s men had stared at her in the past, having Arco look at her sent a shiver down her spine. As she got on the younger bay horse, she wondered about why she seemed to like having Arco look at her, but didn’t like it when other men did.
Thoughts about the strong, good-looking guard lieutenant quickly faded in the face of concern about what was happening up ahead. Daussie knew that being out on the road was considered to be dangerous. However, she had not expected to be threatened on their first day out of Walterston. Most of the day, they had been passing farms, and farmers wouldn’t be farming where it was dangerous, would they?
Daussie rode up to the guard wagon. Tarc and Daum were climbing up on top, Daum carrying his personal bow. Daussie glanced back and saw Eva leading the mules. She felt reassured by Eva’s calm demeanor.
Daussie wondered where she should position herself. Arco had ridden back along the wagon train. Another of the guards led the mules of the guard wagon. She could still see the guard who’d ridden out with Lizeth, but he was out at the bend in the road which was as far as they could see. Lizeth had apparently ridden even further, as she was no longer visible.
A tight feeling in her stomach, Daussie rode beside the guard wagon wondering how serious this was and whether she was positioned correctly. She glanced up at Daum and Tarc. They were looking out over the fields to either side, and at the little area of woods up ahead. Daussie considered asking Daum what she should be doing, but feared that Tarc would tease her about it later. A man trotted up from behind, passing Daussie and approaching the guard who was leading the mules. The man took over leading the mules from the guard who walked briskly back, undid his horse from its tether to the wagon, and mounted up. The guard rode back up to take a position a little way ahead.
A few minutes later, Arco rode back up the column and stopped beside Daussie. She felt his eyes on her and glanced over at him. “Don’t get too worried,” he said. “Anytime anything odd happens, we practice being prepared. It’s better that we make ready ten times a day, than we get caught unrehearsed and unready once.”
Daussie nodded at him, trying to admire his rough handsomeness without being obvious about it. She felt reassured that they apparently weren’t as worried as she had been thinking they were. Nonetheless, they were entering the woods that the girl guard Lizeth had first ridden back from, so Daussie kept her eyes open wide. She glanced from side to side, seeing nothing but trees and wondering whether she would recognize danger before it actually struck.
The shady area between the trees felt dangerous and threatening. Daussie realized that that was probably because any ambushes would be set in the woods rather than on a farm.
After a brief period in the trees, the caravan came out into the sunshine again on the other side. Daussie’s spirits lifted and she glanced over at Arco expecting to see him looking more cheerful as well. Instead, his eyes were narrowed as he focused on the farm off to their right. Daussie looked that way and saw Lizeth trotting back towards the road from the farm.
Since Daussie had thought that Lizeth was far up ahead, Daussie glanced further down the main road. She saw the other guard who’d been sent up ahead. The guard that Daussie thought was connecting them to Lizeth on the far point. He was trotting ahead now, presumably leaving Lizeth on the near point. A moment later Lizeth reached the main road and turned to trot back towards the caravan.
As Lizeth approached, Daussie stole a glance at her brother up on top of the guard wagon. As she had expected, Tarc’s eyes were following the young girl-guard. Daussie considered calling up to Tarc to remind him to keep an eye on the countryside. After all, he was supposed to be a lookout of sorts. Instead she chided herself. She didn’t like it when Tarc teased her, so she shouldn’t tease him either.
Daussie had expected that Arco would ride ahead to meet Lizeth, but he didn’t. Instead, he urged his horse a little further forward so that he was next to the guard leading the mules when Lizeth arrived. Curious, Daussie moved up a little so that she would be in earshot.
When Lizeth arrived, her face was set unhappily. “Someone’s killed the men at that farm. They’ve ransacked any food, taken the animals, and left the bodies lying about.”
Daussie frowned, “They didn’t hurt the women?”
Arco and Lizeth turned to stare at Daussie as if wondering what to say. After a second, Lizeth said, “There was a dead grandmother. If there were any other women there, they’re gone now.”
For a mome
nt longer, Daussie still didn’t get it, then realization dawned. “Oh,” she said, mostly to herself. She felt a twist in her guts.
Lizeth said, “I told Sam to ride ahead and check the next farm. I’ll ride on and take the far point again.”
Arco merely nodded. Lizeth nudged her horse and loped on ahead.
Daussie looked over at Arco. His face pinched, he was surveying the surrounding countryside with narrowed eyes. The expression on his face, far from being reassuring, made Daussie’s stomach ache even more. Realizing that she couldn’t see as well as Tarc or Daum could from their vantage point atop the wagon she glanced back to see whether they looked concerned.
Tarc and Daum looked puzzled rather than concerned. Daussie realized that they probably hadn’t been able to hear Lizeth’s report. She stopped her horse to wait for their wagon to catch up to her. When they did, she tried to pitch her voice just loud enough for them to hear. “Lizeth says that someone killed the people at that farm on the right.”
Daum’s face tightened with worry. Daussie saw that the first thing Tarc did was glance ahead at Lizeth. She found it irritating that Tarc had only known the girl for a few days, but that his first thought was of her rather than his family. “What can you guys see from up there?” Daussie asked, trying to get Tarc back to focus on the big problem. “Anything look… bad to you?”
They both raised their eyes and surveyed the countryside. Daum quietly said to Tarc, “I don’t see very well at long distances. Do you?”
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