Warmth and gratitude welled up in Thimeon. He didn’t know what to say. Thimeon thanked the merchant once more and wiped a tear from his eye. When he had regained his composure, he told the others what he had learned during the day and of his chance meeting at the Dagger’s Water. He went on to explain that Siyen and Lyn had one of the king’s guards as a cohort. “He has access to the castle and may be the missing piece you couldn’t find today. We’ll see. I have a plan. Siyen and Lyn went to find him and explain it.”
“Tell us your ideas,” Lluanthro said. “I don’t have any.”
Thimeon explained his scheme for getting into the treasure chamber. “That should get us at least the books I hoped for,” he said in conclusion. “And if Dhan is in the same dungeon, we might also be able to find him and rescue him. If he’s being held somewhere else, then I don’t know what to do.”
“I’m not sure I like it,” Augs said right away.
“It is dangerous,” Thimeon said. “I ask nobody to go with me.”
“Any plan will be dangerous,” Augs went on. “That’s not what bothers me. I just don’t like the fact that we have to work with thieves. That’s what those other three are, isn’t it?”
“They are,” Thimeon said. “And they have a lot to gain from their thievery, which is part of why I trust them not to betray the plan. I also don’t have any other plan.”
“I share my brother’s concern,” Lluanthro said. “Although the treasure in that chamber rightly belongs to the people of Gondisle and not to a corrupt king, I don’t think stealing it is the best way to get it back. If those three get hold of it, they won’t return it. I’ll follow the plan because I trust you and because I don’t see any other way, but I wish I didn’t have to work with thieves.”
“Give them a chance,” Thimeon said. “I don’t know Lyn at all, nor do I know that soldier. But unless the gold-greed has completely gotten her, I believe Siyen will start to think differently. She was with the company for a long time and shared many hardships with us. Some love or concern must be in her to have kept her with us for so many weeks.”
“Don’t count on it,” Augs said. “But as you said, the treasure is likely enough motivation for you to get the help you need.”
Thimeon wished his new friends a good night and retired to his bed. Somewhere, far to the northwest, his former companions were making their way across the Plains. As he lay on his bed, he couldn’t help thinking about them. Were they still safe? Did they miss him?
He reached absently for the brooch at his throat and felt again the small pendant Tienna had given him at their parting. Its pale blue-green gem reminded him of eyes that had sparkled in the late morning sunlight of the Plains when—without a word—she had unclasped it from her neck and placed it around his. The gift of that jewel had surprised him almost as much as the kiss she had placed on his lips. Unfortunately there had been no chance to find out what either the gift or the kiss meant. An expression of love from the beautiful young Plains huntress? Or just a blessing for good fortune? Confused by the unexpected touch of her lips, he had watched, mute, as she turned and disappeared into the grasses.
Thimeon sighed at the memory. That was two and a half days ago. He was two hundred miles away from her by now. His knowledge of the Plains was limited, but he guessed the company had already crossed the great lake and now made its way north, hunting the Daegmon even while Golach and his war band from Citadel pursued them. What would happen if they succeeded in catching their quarry? Or if Golach caught them? Not for the last time he wondered if he had done the right thing. A pang of guilt crossed his conscience as he thought of the hardships they were undergoing while he lay safe in a comfortable bed with his stomach full from a good meal. And also a pang of regret at the loss of the talisman that had, for a short time, given him the power to be of real aid to his land. By sheer force of his hunter’s discipline Thimeon put his hand back to his side, sealed off his thoughts, and fell asleep.
12
PURSUIT AND FLIGHT
The company traveled through the day, stopping to rest only at lunchtime. The late-autumn air was cool but not frigid like the premature winter they had encountered in the eastern mountains. The day was comfortable for hiking. Their pace, though steady, was not strenuous. By midafternoon they had come within sight of the river. From there they continued their northward course, running parallel to the water about a half mile away. That night they camped in the open. Convinced they had put a considerable distance—including a large lake—between themselves and their pursuers, they risked an open fire.
The next morning, Elynna awoke as the first hint of light crept into the eastern sky. Though her legs were stiff from the long hike of the previous day, the deep soil and thick grasses of the Plains made for a soft bed, and her back and neck felt better than many previous mornings on the rocky ground of the highlands. Or on the stone floor of the dungeons of Citadel. She sat up and looked about. Four silhouettes stood against the southern sky, all with their back to her. She recognized the taller ones: Cane and Cathros. She rose, pulled her boots onto her feet, donned her cloak, and walked over to join them. Drawing closer, she recognized the other two figures. Nahoon stood a few paces to the left, his gaze turned more to the east. The shorter figure was Anchara, who stood close to Cane on his right side. Her unbound hair blew in the light breeze. Her left hand brushed against Cane’s.
Elynna stepped forward onto Cane’s left, as close as she dared. Close enough to imagine his shoulder against her. Then she followed the gazes of the others. She saw nothing in the dim twilight save the wide flat expanses of the Plains and perhaps a glimmer under the starlight of what might be the distant waters of the great lake Umgog.
Or was there something else out there? Again the fear of the pursuing armies rose. Did Cathros, with his sharp eyes, see something she did not.
“What is it?” she asked fearfully.
“Nothing but the beauty of this place,” Cathros replied.
Elynna released a sigh of relief. The relief did not last long, however, for Cathros went on. “And of the evil that will fall upon it when the soldiers of Citadel come here. And, if the truth be told, I was thinking about Thimeon. Wondering if we did the right thing. If we should have let him go alone.”
An image arose in her mind of Thimeon standing alone before the mighty gates of Citadel. “I have thought of him myself,” she admitted. “And wondered the same thing.”
“And I was thinking of my beloved,” Nahoon added. “She is out there, somewhere, waiting for me. I hope I am with her soon.”
“The sooner we start moving, the sooner you will be back with your beloved,” Cane said, with a gentleness not often evident in his voice. “And when we depart, your people will be much safer.”
Without further word, he turned back toward the sleeping forms of his companions and with the help of his brother roused them. Elynna waited a short time and then joined them. The company broke their night’s fast together, speaking in quiet tones about the coming day and the dangers both behind and before them. Then they packed their gear and started the day’s march.
Before long the going became more difficult. The land was still predominantly open, covered by tall grasses and wild grains with a few scattered groves of trees, but they had come into low hills that rose and fell like great swells on the sea. At the bottoms of several slopes they found soft, wet ground and a heavier grass growing thick and tangled. But as far as Elynna could see, there was no way around. The ridgelines ran east and west, and so their few attempts at staying on high ground led to long detours. When they stopped for a meal at midday, all of them had legs caked in mud nearly to their knees.
“There has to be a better way than this,” Aram grumbled.
“Do you want to find it?” Nahoon shot back. “Because I’d be happy to let you take over.”
“I’m just saying I haven’t seen this much mud in my
life. Give me the Anghare Desert over this anytime.”
Nahoon didn’t answer. He grabbed his portion of the flat bread and stomped up the slope to the north. Elynna thought about following him. She could send him home, back to his beloved. What was her name? Aelia? Surely Marti or one of the other Plainsfolk could guide them to the pass. But with Tienna still not back, she didn’t feel quite as certain. The quest was too important. She couldn’t risk turning away anybody who might help. What would Thimeon do now, she wondered. She realized again how much she had leaned on him.
The company fell silent after that. Only when Cane announced that it was time to move did they rise to their feet. Nahoon came back down the slope and joined them. “I have been studying the landscape ahead,” he said. “I think I see a better way.”
At these words, Elynna’s heart lifted. A short time later they were marching again. Nahoon had them veer slightly back to the west, a little farther from the river, following a less direct route but one along higher ground. The going did get easier, and they made good progress through the afternoon. By late afternoon the mountains loomed tall and near. Large game, including deer, elk, gazelle, and a few wild horses, had become plentiful. However, their supply of food still held out, so they didn’t take time to hunt. They also caught sight of several predators. A pack of ten or twelve wolves appeared silhouetted on a hill across the river. Elynna thought she caught sight of an enormous bear lurking in the shadows near a stand of trees.
“Not sure I’d want to travel alone in this land,” Marti mentioned to Nahoon after they saw the wolves. But the animals were the least of Elynna’s concerns.
Late on the second day out of Arnog they ran into a sharp bend where the river veered back to the west and cut off their direct route. They were in a small grove of young trees, looking down a gentle slope at a river, which Elynna could see at once was too swift and deep to ford. In any case, she knew they were supposed to stay on the west bank. Tired and discouraged, she slumped to the ground. She had not sensed the Daegmon all day. That was good. And at this point, the others no longer even looked to her for leadership. That was also good.
“What do we do?” Cane asked. Elynna looked up at him, trying to think of what to answer. But she didn’t really have an answer. To her relief, he wasn’t looking at her. He was speaking to Nahoon.
“We will have to turn back to the west. I fear I brought us too far to the east below that last ridge. I lost sight of the river and did not read the landscape as well as I should have. I wish Tienna were here.”
“Can you guess how far we have come?”
“We did well this afternoon,” Nahoon said. “Much better than I thought we would, despite our slow morning. We covered over half the remaining distance today. We should make it to the pass by midafternoon tomorrow. I think we could safely rest here for the night and get an early start in the morning.”
“And yet there is light enough to travel more,” Cane replied.
At Cane’s words, Elynna’s spirits slumped. Her head sagged and her shoulders fell. But she knew he was right. As tired as most of them were, their task could not have been more urgent.
She rose to her feet, readying to march onward as long as they needed. Cane’s next words surprised her. “This is a good place to bivouac, here by the river—if we really have covered the amount of ground you say. I have learned to judge distances across the flat sands of Anghatte where others say the land is deceptive. But here the mountains seem to keep growing and yet never get any closer.”
“They are closer,” Nahoon replied.
“Then let us set up camp now and eat well tonight. Tomorrow we will start earlier and go where mounted soldiers will be hard-pressed to follow.”
Word spread quickly, and the company had soon dropped their packs claiming patches of ground on which to unroll their bedrolls. Elynna walked to the edge of the slope overlooking the river and leaned back against her pack. The rugged landscape here with the looming mountains was as different as she could imagine from the wide flat marshes, coastal lowlands, and meandering rivers of the Westwash. Mountains there were never more than a distant blur against the eastern horizon. And yet something about sitting by a river brought her thoughts back to Lienford and the Lienwash River that flowed past what had once been her home. For a time, some of the anxious tension that had been with her all day dissipated. She pushed down thoughts of Tienna and Thimeon, and even of Golach and the Daegmon, and let the constancy and continual movement of the river hold her.
Minutes drifted past like leaves in the current below. Her fellow Westwashers Falien and Pietr walked past her, talking loudly and in obvious good spirits. Hearing their lighthearted conversation lifted Elynna’s mood. She turned to watch them. They both carried makeshift poles, maybe half as long as they were tall, that looked to have been cut from one of the young saplings in the grove behind her. “Where are you going?” she called out.
Falien turned and held up in his left hand a long piece of fine line. “Ayjen gave this to us while you slept in the boat. Told us how to catch fish by attaching a pointed hook at the end. Our food supplies will not last forever, and who knows when we’ll be near a river again. We thought we’d try it. It’s what the fishermen in Arnog were using in the river yesterday morning.”
“If it works,” Pietr added, “we can try it in the Westwash.”
The two started off down the bank toward the river again before Elynna could reply. Her gaze followed their path to the water. The river, she knew, flowed fresh from the mountains. It would be icy cold but running lower than in the spring or earlier summer when the snow melted. Elynna looked behind her. Marti and Nahoon already had a small fire going. The three Ceadani—Noaem, Noab, and Anchara—sat by the fire. Noab looked pale. Elynna had forgotten about his injury.
She was about to walk over to the fire, when the whole contingent of Anghare came her way: Aram and Kayle, Hruach and Hrevia, Cane and Cathros. They had come to watch the efforts of Pietr and Falien. They stopped at the top of the slope beside Elynna and remained standing there. Elynna rose and stood beside them. Her thoughts meandered from the scene below them, to the thoughts of where their pursuit would take them in the days ahead, to the thought of Cane, whose devotion she still longed for.
Cane, however, seemed oblivious to Elynna’s presence. He was talking to his brother in a quiet voice, but the other Northlanders were listening. “No sign of pursuing soldiers all day.”
“That is good,” Cathros said. “If the Plainsfolk are right, our journey across the lake will have gained us at least a two-day lead on Golach before he reaches the southern end of the lake, finds us gone, and is able to travel all the way around.”
“Then we can focus on the real enemy,” Cane said.
Cathros’s voice grew quieter. “What will you do when this is all over? Go home.”
The question took Elynna by surprise.
“There is no home left,” Cane replied. “Everything we had is gone.” His voice seemed flat. Or was it something else Elynna heard. A grief like her own. A grief so great it had to stay buried.
“Then where will you go?” Cathros said to his brother. But he could have been asking Elynna. And she did not know the answer.
“The king is in league with the Daegmon who destroyed our homes. If we can destroy the Daegmons, then I will exact vengeance next on Citadel.”
“And what then? After that?”
Cane sighed. “I cannot see that far. Perhaps I will join our cousins in the family mines and find one great jewel such as our father always dreamed of. The jewel he said that lay at the heart of every mountain. And you?”
“I never thought I would leave Anghatte,” Cathros replied. “But one thing this journey has taught me is that there is great beauty in Gondisle, even as there is great evil and suffering. If we live through this and see our enemies defeated, I want to travel and see more of the realm. I
want to sail down the coast to the southeast of Anghatte, where the Ana mountains almost touch the sea—”
“Where the family of Jeska lives,” Cane said with a sly smile.
For the first time in Elynna’s memory, Cathros actually flushed with embarrassment and stammered. Cane laughed. But before the conversation could continue, a commotion below distracted their attention. The rod in Falien’s hand was bent over, and he was yelling excitedly. A moment later he flipped up a fish onto the shore. From the top of the slope, Elynna could not see the fish clearly, but it was the length of Falien’s arm. At once Hruach and Hrevia started down the slope to investigate. Aram and Kayle looked at each other, shrugged, and followed.
Cane and Cathros stayed atop the hill watching a moment longer, then turned and went back to the fire. Elynna, though she would have liked to have seen the fish and how Falien caught it, instead followed Cane.
Before the sky grew completely dark, the group returned from the river and joined the others by the fire for an evening meal. Falien and Pietr had succeeded in catching four brightly colored fish in the swift clear water. They prepared the fish and cooked them on hot rocks by the fire. The sky was clear again, and the temperature dropped further. By morning Elynna was cold despite the heavy fur on top of her. She rose early, rolled and packed her bedding, and donned her boots as the first gray of dawn brightened to fiery red in the east. The brief respite and the few hours of peace of the previous evening were gone. All her fears of what lay ahead and behind them were back gnawing at her.
The company ate a morning meal together around a small fire started in the embers of the previous night’s blaze. Soon after, they were ready to go. They would follow the river’s bend westward and eventually back to the north.
The Betrayed Page 12
