"I believe that sometimes Gallican girls take jobs as couriers," he said.
Horace frowned slightly. "Couriers?"
"Couriers. They carry messages from one person to another. Or from one business to another, in the towns and cities." Halt checked to see if Horace seemed to be believing him so far. There seemed no reason to think otherwise, so he added: "Urgent messages."
"Urgent messages," Horace repeated, still not seeing the connection. But he seemed inclined to believe what Halt was saying, so the older man continued.
"And I suppose for a really urgent message, one would have to run."
Now he saw a glimmer of understanding in the boy's eyes. Horace nodded several times as he made the connection.
"So, the short skirts:they'd be to help them run more easily?" he suggested. Halt nodded in his turn.
"It would certainly be a more sensible form of dress than long skirts, if you wanted to do a lot of running." He shot a quick look at Horace to see if his gentle teasing was not being turned back on himself-to see if, in fact, the boy realized Halt was talking nonsense and was simply leading him on. Horace's face, however, was open and believing.
"I suppose so," Horace replied finally, then added, in a softer voice, "They certainly look a lot better that way too."
Again, Halt shot him a look. But Horace seemed to be content with the answer. For a moment, Halt regretted his deception, feeling a slight pang of guilt. Horace was, after all, totally trusting and it was so easy to tease him like this. Then the Ranger looked at those clear blue eyes and the contented, honest face of the warrior apprentice and any sense of regret was stifled. Horace had plenty of time to learn about the seamier side of life, he thought. He could retain his innocence for a little while longer.
They left La Rivage by its northern gate and headed into the farm country surrounding it. Horace's curiosity remained as strong as ever, and he peered from side to side as the road took them past fields and crops and farmhouses. The countryside was different from Araluen.
There were more varieties of trees and, as a result, there were more shades of green. Some of the crops were unfamiliar too: large, broad leaves on stalks that stood as high as a man's head were left to dry and seemingly to wither on the stalk before they were gathered. In several places, Horace saw those same leaves hanging in large, open-ended sheds, drying out even more. He wondered what sort of crop it might be. But, as before, he decided to ration his questions.
There was another difference, more subtle. For some time, Horace wasn't even aware that it was there at all. Then he realized what it was. There was a general air of unkemptness about the fields and the crops. They were tended, obviously, and some of the fields were plowed. But they seemed to lack the loving, fastidious care that one saw in fields and crops at home. One could sense a lack of attention from the farmers, and in some crops weeds were clearly visible.
Halt sighed. "It's the land that suffers when men fight," he said softly. Horace glanced at him. It was unusual for the grizzled Ranger to break the silence himself.
"Who's fighting?" he asked, his interest piqued.
Halt scratched at his beard. "The Gallicans. There's no strong central law here. There are dozens of minor nobles and barons-warlords if you like. They're constantly raiding each other and fighting among themselves. That's why the fields are so sloppily tended. Half the farmers have been conscripted to one army or another."
Horace looked around the fields that bounded the road on either side. There was no sign of battle here. Only neglect. A thought struck him.
"Is that why people seemed a little:nervous of us?" he asked, and Halt nodded approvingly at him.
"You picked up on that, did you? Good boy. There may be hope for you yet. Yes," he continued, answering Horace's question, "armed and mounted men in this country are seen as a potential threat-not as peacekeepers."
In Araluen, the farmworkers looked to the soldiers to protect them and their fields from the threat of potential invaders. Here, Horace realized, the soldiers themselves were the threat.
"The country is in absolute turmoil," Halt continued. "King Henri is weak and has no real power. So the barons fight and squabble and kill each other. Mind you, that's no great loss. But it gets damned unfair when they kill the poor innocent farm folk as well-simply because they get in the way. It could be something of a problem for us, but we'll just have to:oh, damn."
The last two words were said quietly, but were no less heart-felt for that fact. Horace, following Halt's gaze, looked ahead along the road.
They were coming down a small hill, with the road bounded on either side by close-growing trees. At the foot of the hill, a small stream ran through the fields and between the trees, crossed by a stone bridge. It was a peaceful scene, normal enough, and quite pretty in its own way.
But it wasn't the trees, or the bridge, or the stream that had drawn the quiet expletive from Halt's lips. It was the armored, mounted warrior who sat his horse in the middle of the road, barring their way.
13
E VANLYN FELT W ILL'S LIGHT TOUCH ON HER SHOULDER. S HE gave a small start of surprise. Even though she had been lying awake, she hadn't heard him approaching.
"It's all right," she said quietly. "I'm awake."
"The moon's down," Will replied, equally softly. "It's time to go."
She tossed back the blankets and sat up. She was fully dressed, apart from her boots. She reached for them and began to pull them on.
Will handed her a bundle of rags he had cut from his blanket.
"Tie these around your feet," he told her. "They'll muffle the sound on the shingle." She saw that he had swathed his own feet in large bundles of cloth and she hurried to do the same.
Through the thin wall between the lean-to and the dormitory, they could hear the sound of men snoring and muttering in their sleep. One of the Skandians broke out in a fit of coughing and Will and Evanlyn froze, waiting to see if he had woken anyone. After a few minutes, the dormitory settled down again. Evanlyn finished tying the cloth bundles around her feet and stood, following Will to the door.
He had greased the hinges on the lean-to door with fat from the cooking pot. Holding his breath, he eased the door open, letting go a sigh of relief when it swung silently. With no moon, the beach was a dark expanse and the water a black sheet, dimly reflecting the starlight. The weather had been moderating over the past few days. The night was clear and the wind had dropped considerably. But they could still hear the dull thunder of waves crashing against the outer face of the island.
Evanlyn could just make out the dark bulk of the two wolfships drawn up on the beach. To one side was a smaller shape: the skiff, left there by Svengal after his latest fishing trip. That was where they were heading.
Patiently, Will pointed out the route he had selected. They had gone over it all earlier in the night, but he wanted to make sure she remembered. Unseen movement was almost second nature to him, but he knew that Evanlyn would be nervous once she was in the open. She would want to reach the ships quickly.
And speed meant noise and a greater chance of being heard or seen.
He put his mouth very close to her ear and spoke in the lightest of whispers.
"Take it easy. The benches first. Then the rocks. Then the ships.
Wait for me there."
She nodded. He could see her swallowing nervously and he sensed that her breathing was speeding up. He squeezed her shoulder gently.
"Calm down. And remember, if anyone does come out, freeze.
Wherever you are."
That was the key to it all in uncertain light like this. A watcher might miss seeing a person standing perfectly still. But the slightest movement would draw the eye instantly.
Again, she nodded. He patted her shoulder gently.
"Off you go," he said. She took another deep breath, then stepped out into the open. She felt horribly exposed as she moved toward the shelter of the benches and the table, ten meters away from the huts.
The cloth padding on her feet did a good job muffling the sound of her footsteps. But even so, the crunching of the shingle seemed deafening to her. Four more paces:three:two:one.
Heart pounding, pulse racing, she sank gratefully into the shadow of the rough table and benches. There was a small cluster of rocks halfway down the beach. That was her next goal. She hesitated, wanting to stay in the comforting shadow provided by the table. But she knew if she didn't go soon, she might never have the courage to move. She stepped out resolutely, one foot after the other, wincing at the muted scrunching of the stones underfoot. This part of the journey took her directly in front of the door to the dormitory. If any of the Skandians came out, she must be seen.
She reached the shelter of the rocks and felt the welcome protection of the shadows wrap around her once again. The hardest part of the trip was over now. She took a few seconds to let her pulse settle, then moved off toward the ships. Now that she was nearly there, she wanted desperately to run. But she fought the temptation and moved slowly and smoothly into the darkness beside Wolf Fang.
Utterly exhausted, she sank to the damp stones, leaning against the ship's planking. Now she watched as Will followed in her footsteps.
There were scattered clouds scudding across the sky, sending a series of darker shadows rippling over the beach. Will matched his movement to the rhythm of the wind and clouds and moved, surefooted, along the track Evanlyn had just followed. She caught her breath in surprise as he seemed to disappear after the first few meters, melding into the pattern of moving light and shade and becoming part of the overall picture. She saw him again, briefly, at the benches and then at the rocks. Then he seemed to rise out of the ground a few meters from her. She shook her head in amazement. No wonder people thought Rangers were magicians, she reflected. Unaware of her reaction, Will grinned quickly at her and moved close so they could talk.
"All right?" he asked in a lowered tone, and when she nodded, "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"
This time, there was no hesitation. "I'm sure," she said firmly.
He gripped her shoulder again in a gesture of encouragement.
"Good for you." Will glanced around. They were far enough from the huts now that there was little chance of their voices being overheard and the wind, although not as boisterous as it had been, provided plenty of cover as well.
He felt Evanlyn could use some encouragement, so he pointed to the skiff.
"Remember, this thing is small. It's not like the wolfships. It'll ride over the big waves, not crash through them. So we're safe as houses."
He wasn't sure about the last two statements, but they seemed logical to him. He'd watched the gulls and penguins around the island riding the massive waves and it seemed that the smaller you were, the safer you were.
He was carrying a large wineskin, stolen from the provisions cabinet. He'd emptied the wine out and refilled the skin with water.
It didn't taste too good, but it would keep them alive. Besides, he thought philosophically, the worse it tasted, the longer it would last them. He placed it carefully in the bottom of the skiff and took a few minutes to check that oars, rudder and the small mast and sail were all safely stowed. The incoming tide was lapping about a third of the way up the skiff now and he knew that was as high as it was going to come. In a few minutes, it would start to go out. And he and Evanlyn would go with it. Vaguely, he knew that the coast of Teutlandt was somewhere to the south of them. Or perhaps they might sight a ship now that the Summer Gales seemed to be moderating. He didn't dwell on the future too much. He simply knew that he could not remain a prisoner.
If it came to it, he would rather die trying to be free.
"Can't sit here all night," he said. "Take the other side and let's get this boat in the water. Lift first, then push."
Taking hold of the gunwales on either side, they heaved and strained together. At first, it stuck fast in the shingle. But once they lifted and broke the hold, it began to slide more easily. Then it was afloat, and the two of them clambered aboard. Will gave one last shove with his foot and the skiff drifted out from the beach. Will felt a moment of triumph, then he realized he didn't have time to congratulate himself. Evanlyn, white-faced and tense, was clinging to the gunwales on either side of her as the boat rocked in the small waves.
"So far so good," she said. But her voice betrayed the nervousness she was feeling.
Clumsily, he settled the oars in the oarlocks. He'd watched Svengal do it a dozen times. But now he found that watching and doing were two different matters, and for the first time, he had a twinge of doubt. Maybe he'd taken on more than he could handle. He tried a clumsy stroke with the oars, stabbing at the water and heaving. He missed on the left-hand side, crabbing the boat around and nearly falling onto the floorboards.
"Slowly," Evanlyn advised him, and he tried again, with greater care. This time, he felt a welcome surge of movement through the boat.
He recalled that he'd seen Svengal twisting the oars at the end of each stroke to prevent the blades grabbing in the water. When he did the same, the action was easier. With more confidence, he took a few more strokes and the boat moved more smoothly. The tide was taking effect now, and when Evanlyn looked back at the beach, she felt a lurch of fear to see how far they had come. Will noticed her reaction.
"It'll move faster as we get out into the middle," he told her, between strokes. "We're just on the edge of the tide run."
"Will!" she cried out in an alarmed voice. "There's water in the boat!"
The wrappings around her feet had prevented her feeling the water so far. But now it had soaked through, and when she looked down, she could see water surging back and forth over the floorboards.
"It's just spray," he said carelessly. "We'll bale her out once we're clear of the harbor."
"It's not spray!" she replied, her voice cracking. "The boat is leaking! Look!"
He looked down and his heart leaped into his mouth. She was right.
There were several centimeters of water above the floorboards of the skiff, and the level seemed to be rising.
"Oh my God!" he said. "Start baling, quickly!"
There was a small bucket in the stern and she seized it and began frantically scooping water over the side. But the level was slowly gaining on her and Will could feel the boat responding more sluggishly as more and more water rushed in.
"Go back! Go back!" Evanlyn yelled at him. All thought of secrecy was abandoned now.
Will nodded, too busy to talk, and heaved desperately on one oar, swinging the boat around to head for the beach. Now he had to fight against the tide run and panic made him clumsy. He missed a stroke and overbalanced again, nearly losing an oar over the side. His mouth was dry with fear as he grabbed at the oar, catching it at the last minute.
Evanlyn, scooping frantically at the water in the boat, realized that she was spilling as much water back in as she was throwing overboard. She fought down the sick feeling of panic and forced herself to bale more calmly. That was better, she thought. But the water was still gaining on her.
Luckily, Will had the good sense to move the boat sideways, back to the edge of the tide run, where the outflow was not as fierce. Free of the grip of the main current, the boat began to make better headway. But it was still settling deeper into the water, and the deeper it settled, the faster the inflow of water became. And the more difficult the boat became to row.
"Keep rowing! Row like hell!" Evanlyn encouraged him. He grunted, heaving desperately on the oars, dragging the sluggish boat slowly back to shore. They nearly made it. They were three meters from the beach when the little boat finally went under. The sea poured over the gunwales and it sank beneath them. As they floundered in the waist-deep water, staggering with exhaustion, Will realized that, free of their weight, the skiff was floati
ng again, just below the surface.
He took hold and guided it back into the shallows, Evanlyn following him.
"Trying to kill yourselves?" said a grim voice. They looked up to see Erak standing by the water's edge. Several of his crew stood behind him, broad grins on their faces.
"Jarl Erak-" Will began, then stopped. There was nothing to say.
Erak was turning a small object over in his hands. He tossed it to Will.
"Maybe you forgot this?" he said, his voice ominous. Will studied the object. It was a small cylinder of wood, perhaps six centimeters long and two across. He stared at it, uncomprehending.
"It's what we simple sailors call a bung," Erak explained sarcastically. "It stops water from coming into the boat. Usually it's a good idea to make sure it's in place."
Will's shoulders slumped. He was soaked, exhausted and shaking from the gut-gripping fear of the past ten minutes. Most of all, he felt a massive sense of despondency at their failure. A cork! Their plan was in ruins because of a damned cork! Then a massive hand grabbed the front of his shirt and he was hauled off his feet, his face centimeters from Erak's angry features.
"Don't ever take me for a fool, boy!" the Skandian snarled at him.
"You try anything like this again and I'll flog the skin off you!" He turned to include Evanlyn in the threat.
"Both of you!"
He waited until he was sure his warning had hit home, then hurled Will away from him.
The apprentice Ranger sprawled on the hard stones of the beach, utterly defeated.
"Now get back to the hut!" Erak told them.
14
"W OULDN'T YOU KNOW IT?" H ALT SAID SOFTLY, IN A DISGUSTED tone.
Ahead of them, a humpbacked stone bridge reared over a small stream.
Sitting his horse between the two travelers and the bridge was a knight in full armor.
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