thought, these woods
are dense. Fire’s invisible on all side but from up the trail. Whichever of us
is on guard could probably hear any pursuit before they could see the glow.”
Devli mouthed the word “Guard?” and Elva scowled again.
Zathdar hitched the rapier over his shoulder on a baldric,
checked the other blade, then chose a grassy spot from which he could see the
trail and us. While the siblings exchanged low-voiced talk about bedrolls,
feedbags and stored food, I took out my splendid embroidered blanket to spread
on the soft green grass.
In the sudden silence, foliage rustling in the summer breeze
and the snap of the low fire were distinct. The ruddy glow revealed three faces
staring at the glinting firebirds embroidered in gold thread on the scarlet
background, surrounded by silver-edged white blossoms.
“If anyone wants proof of who you are,” Zathdar commented,
“that banner is it.”
“Right now,” I said, fighting a yawn, “it’s a bedroll. In
the morning it goes back into my bag. And no, I won’t ditch it. My father gave
it to me.”
Devlaen stared at me, Elva stared at the firebird blanket,
and Zathdar glanced in the direction of my bag, then away into the darkness.
Nobody spoke.
I fell asleep so fast I don’t even remember stretching out.
Crackling twigs woke me, and the smell of fresh tea. The sky
through the trees was low and gray, the air cool and misty. I sat up,
shivering, and accepted gladly a somewhat-battered travel cup from Devli, whose
face looked as grimy as mine felt.
The tea tasted like a fine Gyokoro green tea at home,
refreshing and above all, warm. I’d forgotten that summers on this world were
usually cooler than Earth’s. Khanerenth lay at the eastern end of the enormous
continent that stretched a good way around the southern hemisphere. Most people
lived on this continent, I’d learned, in part because there was more sun, but
in part because some of the northern lands were weird and wild, not conducive
to humans building cities.
Elva snapped the fire out, and picked up the Fire Stick to
stow away in her pack.
“Where is Zathdar?” I asked.
“He was gone before we woke.” Elva grinned. “Hope that means
he’s gone for good.”
“No.” Devli cocked his head.
We all heard the thud and crunch of horse hooves on the
trail.
Elva flushed, though we could all see that he was as yet too
far away to have heard.
Zathdar appeared, leading his horse by the reins. “Time to
move briskly. The king investigated the tower himself last night. And he knows
you are here.” A glance my way.
Elva put her hands on her hips. “You found this out how?”
“I dispatched watchers before I met up with you. I also set
up a possible rendezvous, which I kept while you were all asleep.”
“Watchers.” Devli said only the one word, but the look he
gave his sister made it clear that once again they’d forgotten an important
detail in their own plans.
Elva scowled as we mounted up. The horses, refreshed after a
night of rest, trotted with head-rocking enthusiasm down the narrow trail.
We were low enough now to see the broad stream that all the
mountain trickles were feeding into. The constant rush of white water
paralleled us as the trail twisted between steep slopes, green with tough
grass, gnarly pine and moss-covered rocks. The mist increased to drifting
streamers of fog; the forest canopy was so thick we heard the constant splat,
splat, splat of water on leaves.
I stayed out of their sporadic talk, which was mostly about
the trail and where the searchers might be.
I was awake and alert enough to consider my options. The day
before all I could do was follow along and try to keep my eyes open. Now,
though I was hungry, thirsty, and still tired, at least I could think.
So . . . what should I do? No use in going
back to the castle. Even if I knew any World Gate transfer magic, which I
didn’t, if the king’s men were there, I’d walk straight into their
are dense. Fire’s invisible on all side but from up the trail. Whichever of us
is on guard could probably hear any pursuit before they could see the glow.”
Devli mouthed the word “Guard?” and Elva scowled again.
Zathdar hitched the rapier over his shoulder on a baldric,
checked the other blade, then chose a grassy spot from which he could see the
trail and us. While the siblings exchanged low-voiced talk about bedrolls,
feedbags and stored food, I took out my splendid embroidered blanket to spread
on the soft green grass.
In the sudden silence, foliage rustling in the summer breeze
and the snap of the low fire were distinct. The ruddy glow revealed three faces
staring at the glinting firebirds embroidered in gold thread on the scarlet
background, surrounded by silver-edged white blossoms.
“If anyone wants proof of who you are,” Zathdar commented,
“that banner is it.”
“Right now,” I said, fighting a yawn, “it’s a bedroll. In
the morning it goes back into my bag. And no, I won’t ditch it. My father gave
it to me.”
Devlaen stared at me, Elva stared at the firebird blanket,
and Zathdar glanced in the direction of my bag, then away into the darkness.
Nobody spoke.
I fell asleep so fast I don’t even remember stretching out.
Crackling twigs woke me, and the smell of fresh tea. The sky
through the trees was low and gray, the air cool and misty. I sat up,
shivering, and accepted gladly a somewhat-battered travel cup from Devli, whose
face looked as grimy as mine felt.
The tea tasted like a fine Gyokoro green tea at home,
refreshing and above all, warm. I’d forgotten that summers on this world were
usually cooler than Earth’s. Khanerenth lay at the eastern end of the enormous
continent that stretched a good way around the southern hemisphere. Most people
lived on this continent, I’d learned, in part because there was more sun, but
in part because some of the northern lands were weird and wild, not conducive
to humans building cities.
Elva snapped the fire out, and picked up the Fire Stick to
stow away in her pack.
“Where is Zathdar?” I asked.
“He was gone before we woke.” Elva grinned. “Hope that means
he’s gone for good.”
“No.” Devli cocked his head.
We all heard the thud and crunch of horse hooves on the
trail.
Elva flushed, though we could all see that he was as yet too
far away to have heard.
Zathdar appeared, leading his horse by the reins. “Time to
move briskly. The king investigated the tower himself last night. And he knows
you are here.” A glance my way.
Elva put her hands on her hips. “You found this out how?”
“I dispatched watchers before I met up with you. I also set
up a possible rendezvous, which I kept while you were all asleep.”
“Watchers.” Devli said only the one word, but the look he
gave his sister made it clear that once again they’d forgotten an important
detail in their own plans.
Elva scowled as we mounted up. The horses, refreshed after a
night of rest, trotted with head-rocking enthusiasm down the narrow trail.
We were low enough now to see the broad stream that all the
mountain trickles were feeding into. The constant rush of white water
paralleled us as the trail twisted between steep slopes, green with tough
grass, gnarly pine and moss-covered rocks. The mist increased to drifting
streamers of fog; the forest canopy was so thick we heard the constant splat,
splat, splat of water on leaves.
I stayed out of their sporadic talk, which was mostly about
the trail and where the searchers might be.
I was awake and alert enough to consider my options. The day
before all I could do was follow along and try to keep my eyes open. Now,
though I was hungry, thirsty, and still tired, at least I could think.
So . . . what should I do? No use in going
back to the castle. Even if I knew any World Gate transfer magic, which I
didn’t, if the king’s men were there, I’d walk straight into their
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