orcs, nomads and the risen dead, many of whom I’ll warrant were once his neighbours or his vassals.”
“Why? Why would anyone do that ? Why betray your own people? Why side with the enemy?”
Kaylan shrugged, “greed or fear, often both. They are the g reat motivators of human kind. Trust me. I’m a thief. I know. But while I have been a thief as long as I recall, I have never been a collaborator.” He spat on the ground for emphasis.
“She’s coming back.” Hepdida rose to her feet as Niarmit began striding back towards the camp.
Kaylan, standing quickly next to her, muttered, “say nothing to your cousin of the boy of the black eagle. He was the cause of much pain to her, to her and to me.”
As Niarmit drew nea r, the thief bowed low. “Your Majesty.” His courtesy prompted Hepdida into an inelegant curtsy which brought the priestess up in nonplussed shock.
“A ragged camp downwind of a zombie horde is no place for such formality you pair of fools.”
“Sorry, Niarmit,” Hepdida apologised.
“Likewise, your M ajesty,” Kaylan replied without rising from his bow.
“Kaylan, I will cuff your ears . My name is Niarmit!”
“Of course your….” The thief stopped himself for a moment, his brow furrowed in perplexity. “er… my lady?” He offered a hopeful compromise.
Niarmit scowled and strode on. Hepdida fell in step beside her while Kaylan followed a full three paces behind. The others were waiting at the rainbow hued campfire. “You have recovered your composure I see,” Quintala observed drily.
“Forgive me,” Niarmit replied. “Our scouts’ report stirred an old memory of a deep ….. a deep ingratitude whose power to wound I had mistakenly thought was now entirely spent.”
“Then it is we who should seek forgiveness.” Tordil gave Thom a nudge with his elbow as he replied, clearly indicating which of the pair of scouts he felt needed to shoulder the greater part of the blame.
“No harm is done, think no more on it the pair of you, please. We must confirm our course of action. We know from Seneschal Quintala that Listcairn has fallen to the enemy and that Prince Rugan is marching to assault it, he may already have done so.”
There was an abrupt laugh from the half-elf cut short at Niarmit’s scowl of rebuke. “My brother is not one to act in haste,” Quintala assured them. “I think we will find Listcairn still unmarked by his engines of war.”
“Even so, Kaylan has told of nomads roaming North of the Hadrans in the southern Marches of Prince Rugan’s province. They are led by the man we knew as the self-styled governor of Undersalve, though Tordil and the scouts of Hershwood assure us his name is Odestus.”
“Another wizard returned untimely from exile beyond the barrier,” Tordil interjected bringing a blush of red to Thom’s cheeks.
“And now,” Niarmit went on. “We have this force marching up the Eastern bank of the Saeth bringing more power than Rugan knows to his opponent. Our priority must be to warn Rugan. If we can get to him quickly enough there may be yet a chance for him to attack these foes separately, striking before they can combine and so destroying them in detail.”
“A sound strategy, your Majesty,” Jolander agreed.
“We would need to strike East and ride up the foothills of the Palacintas, if we are to work our way around them,” Tordil said.
“Indeed, two days hard riding should do it. Let us get some sleep. Tordil, Sergeant set double guards to night. I want no surprises from wondering zombies or their recalcitrant shepherds.”
“I’ll join the first watch,” Quintala offered.
“Me too!” Hepdida volunteered to some amused surprise from the gathering. “ Why not?” she queried their incredulity.
“You are a princess,” Jolander gave an explanation he clearly believed was not just sufficient but complete.
“And Niarmit is the Queen, but you let her stand
“Why? Why would anyone do that ? Why betray your own people? Why side with the enemy?”
Kaylan shrugged, “greed or fear, often both. They are the g reat motivators of human kind. Trust me. I’m a thief. I know. But while I have been a thief as long as I recall, I have never been a collaborator.” He spat on the ground for emphasis.
“She’s coming back.” Hepdida rose to her feet as Niarmit began striding back towards the camp.
Kaylan, standing quickly next to her, muttered, “say nothing to your cousin of the boy of the black eagle. He was the cause of much pain to her, to her and to me.”
As Niarmit drew nea r, the thief bowed low. “Your Majesty.” His courtesy prompted Hepdida into an inelegant curtsy which brought the priestess up in nonplussed shock.
“A ragged camp downwind of a zombie horde is no place for such formality you pair of fools.”
“Sorry, Niarmit,” Hepdida apologised.
“Likewise, your M ajesty,” Kaylan replied without rising from his bow.
“Kaylan, I will cuff your ears . My name is Niarmit!”
“Of course your….” The thief stopped himself for a moment, his brow furrowed in perplexity. “er… my lady?” He offered a hopeful compromise.
Niarmit scowled and strode on. Hepdida fell in step beside her while Kaylan followed a full three paces behind. The others were waiting at the rainbow hued campfire. “You have recovered your composure I see,” Quintala observed drily.
“Forgive me,” Niarmit replied. “Our scouts’ report stirred an old memory of a deep ….. a deep ingratitude whose power to wound I had mistakenly thought was now entirely spent.”
“Then it is we who should seek forgiveness.” Tordil gave Thom a nudge with his elbow as he replied, clearly indicating which of the pair of scouts he felt needed to shoulder the greater part of the blame.
“No harm is done, think no more on it the pair of you, please. We must confirm our course of action. We know from Seneschal Quintala that Listcairn has fallen to the enemy and that Prince Rugan is marching to assault it, he may already have done so.”
There was an abrupt laugh from the half-elf cut short at Niarmit’s scowl of rebuke. “My brother is not one to act in haste,” Quintala assured them. “I think we will find Listcairn still unmarked by his engines of war.”
“Even so, Kaylan has told of nomads roaming North of the Hadrans in the southern Marches of Prince Rugan’s province. They are led by the man we knew as the self-styled governor of Undersalve, though Tordil and the scouts of Hershwood assure us his name is Odestus.”
“Another wizard returned untimely from exile beyond the barrier,” Tordil interjected bringing a blush of red to Thom’s cheeks.
“And now,” Niarmit went on. “We have this force marching up the Eastern bank of the Saeth bringing more power than Rugan knows to his opponent. Our priority must be to warn Rugan. If we can get to him quickly enough there may be yet a chance for him to attack these foes separately, striking before they can combine and so destroying them in detail.”
“A sound strategy, your Majesty,” Jolander agreed.
“We would need to strike East and ride up the foothills of the Palacintas, if we are to work our way around them,” Tordil said.
“Indeed, two days hard riding should do it. Let us get some sleep. Tordil, Sergeant set double guards to night. I want no surprises from wondering zombies or their recalcitrant shepherds.”
“I’ll join the first watch,” Quintala offered.
“Me too!” Hepdida volunteered to some amused surprise from the gathering. “ Why not?” she queried their incredulity.
“You are a princess,” Jolander gave an explanation he clearly believed was not just sufficient but complete.
“And Niarmit is the Queen, but you let her stand
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