The Sworn Knight, Robert Ryan [good beach reads .txt] 📗

move. Almost, Faran thought, heheard her sigh and then she swung around and began walking down the path, herstaff by her side and used now and then as a walking stick.

The others followed. It was a bright day, and warm. SoonFaran felt perspiration bead on his face, but it was certainly easier walkingdown that it had been walking up.

“Do not let your guard down,” Kareste warned them. She didnot look back as she spoke.

Faran knew what she meant. He, and the others, scanned thesky regularly for signs of elù-draks, but there were none. They also kept aneye out on the slopes below, and as far as they could see in the distance overthe battle plains. Nothing stirred. But that was no guarantee.

Kubodin came up behind them on his mule. He was the rearguard, and also the one best positioned to keep a lookout. It was easier to dothis riding than walking down a slope.

The little man whistled softly to himself, and he hummed andeven sang at times. But every time Faran glanced back at him, his eyes weresharp and alert. He would miss nothing that was there to be seen.

Night fell not long after. It was a warm evening, and mothsfilled the air. This was especially the case when they went through some of thesmall valleys where the great pines grew. It was darker here too, and theyslowed as they went, Kareste leading them carefully.

No one said anything, but they all knew if some ambushawaited them it would be sprung in such a place. But just as Kubodin was warybehind them, Kareste almost seemed to scent the air like a wild animal beforeshe proceeded.

It might be, Faran considered, that she used magic to sensewhat was ahead of her. It was a skill he did not have, nor had it beensuggested to him as possible, but he had a feeling that it might be able to bedone and even a few ideas on how to attempt it.

They did not speak as they walked now, for they were in themidst of one such valley. Faran moved as silently as he could, drawing on hishunter’s skills, and Ferla did likewise. She walked ahead of him, her handalways near her sword hilt, and her head turning regularly from side to side.

They had debated before they left where they would go, andwhen they would do it. There were reasons not to travel at night, yet Karestehad argued that the dark would hide them, and if it came to a fight then theyhad all proved themselves. But it would be better to slip away, using whatcover was available. On a mountain, this meant traveling at night.

Faran thought she was right, and her view had prevailed. ButAsana had not been convinced. Even so, he had deferred to her leadership, andin this he had shown his maturity. As great a swordsman as he was, he hadlittle knowledge of their enemies and the types of creatures that might be sentagainst them. Nor did he understand magic and sorcery.

But Kareste did, and for all that she took her time and trodwarily, she also moved with confidence. They were lucky to have her, and if shewas not Aranloth then she was the closest to him they would ever see, and theytrusted her.

The stars shimmered in the dark sky, and the half-moon hungheavy, casting long shadows down the mountain. In one of those hidden valleys,where the great pines grew, they rested during the middle reaches of the night.

The grass was wet with dew, but they sat and ate a lightmeal. When they were done, they talked quietly. All except Kubodin who kept aguard a short distance away so that he could better hear if someone, or something,approached.

“It worries me,” Ferla said quietly, “that we have seen nosign of the elù-draks.”

Kareste glanced skyward at mention of the word, as they alldid.

“I’ve been wondering, too,” the lòhren answered. “It’s amystery, but it can only be to our benefit. I suspect Lindercroft sent themback to serve the king when he was sure we were surrounded and could notescape.”

“But why didn’t he use them against us in the battle?” Asanaasked.

Faran had asked himself the same thing, but he was glad toget Kareste’s confirmation.

“The elù-draks are best suited to causing fear from the sky,and finding quarry for their masters. In battle, they can be terrible, for theyare hard to kill. But they’re not good at fighting as part of a group. They’realmost as likely to turn on their own as on us. Nor do they work well togetherwith their own kind.”

Faran tried to think what he would do now if he were in theking’s position.

“If the elù-draks were sent back to the king before thebattle started, do you think Druilgar even knows that Lindercroft is dead?”

“A good question,” Asana said.

Kareste nodded. “So it is. But we have no way of knowing forsure. I think it likely, though. Perhaps he didn’t discover it straightaway,but we must assume he knows now and is taking steps. The elù-draks werecertainly not Lindercroft’s only way of reporting to the king.”

She did not say magic, but Faran thought that waswhat she meant.

“What steps will he be taking?” Faran asked.

Kareste grinned, but her expression was still grim. Justthen she reminded Faran of Kubodin.

“Find us and kill us,” she said. “But he’ll be all the moreworried now. We’ve eluded his forces again and again, or killed them. And theprophecy will be a weight on his mind. Every day that Ferla lives is a day itwill feel heavier to him.”

They moved off again into the silent night after that. Themoon was lowering, and a bank of clouds rolled in from the east. It grew dark,and there was a sense of brooding in the air.

But they saw nothing out of place, and after the long nightended they reached the bottom of the mountain and walked on the flat plains asthe sun rose and the stars faded away.

It warmed quickly again, and the light felt hot when itshone through gaps in the clouds. Kareste, showing no signs of