“Would you like some dried beef and cheese, miss?” Lud asked her.
Elspeth’s eyes blinked open. She looked up and down at the scrawny old Salrian. He had matted hair plastered to his forehead and his face was pale and pitted. Even his teeth looked sweaty. Why is he talking to me? “No, I wouldn’t. I have my own food.” She raised her chin and then continued gazing out of the entrance.
“As you say, miss; begging your pardon,” the little man said. “Only… uh… its good beef, miss. I have plenty.”
Elspeth looked over her shoulder at him. The little man’s hand stretched out towards her, holding slices of beef wrapped in crisp berry paper. Her anger rose. What was this fool doing? Trying to be friendly after what he had suggested doing to her! He must be mad. She did not reply.
“I’ll have some if you can spare it,” Gialyn said to Lud.
Elspeth couldn’t believe her ears. He actually asked the wretch for food! Has he gone insane? “Why are you…? Did you not hear what he said about me? Who he thought I was?”
Gialyn moved closer and whispered, “I can see what he is, Elspeth, but right now, they are helping. Dragons on one side, armies on the other – we need help, just for the next day or so. We’ll leave them behind as soon as we are safe.”
So that’s what he’s up to. It made sense, which was annoying. Gialyn Re’adh, conniving and scheming, playing games and lulling them along. How many more surprises does he have up his sleeve?
“All right,” Elspeth said to Lud, “I’ll have some of your beef… thank you.” She said the last with her teeth clenched. Let the fool think I have forgiven him. Another day and we’ll be leaving these three behind.
Lud smiled excitedly as he portioned out a wrap of beef and cheese. He even used a clean knife. With a nod, he handed over her food.
“You’ll like that, miss; best Karan beef, it is.”
Elspeth just nodded. Game or not, she couldn’t bring herself to thank the man a second time.
“Well, there’s one good thing come of all this,” Olg said, as Elspeth took a bite of beef – it was good. “With this storm, they’ll be no more of the general’s men crossing the river; not for a few days, at least. Of course, that means we can’t go back, either. We will have to stay with you until we reach the valley – there’s a bridge there.”
Elspeth groaned. “And how far is the valley?”
“Two days – three, if the weather doesn’t break,” Bre’ach told her. “We should get back on the trail as soon as the rain eases off a bit. With the river flooded, those soldiers have no choice but to head east, too. We need to stay ahead of them, even if it means getting wet.”
“Can’t we wait here for them to pass us by?” Gialyn asked Bre’ach.
Bre’ach gave Gialyn a wry grin. “If they realise we are behind, they will set an ambush. I thought you would have learned that by now.”
“That isn’t very funny, Bre’ach,” Elspeth said. “We had no idea your friends would be waiting for us in the Am’bieth.”
“No, it isn’t funny,” Bre’ach said. “But it’s true, nonetheless. If we can’t outfight them, we will have to outthink them. Let’s not forget, they are just soldiers. They’re not going to get themselves soaked chasing shadows. And thanks to the storm, there are no tracks for them to follow, at least not until we start moving again. They have no reason to suspect that we’re even here. We will make it safely to the valley; I’m sure of that.”
Elspeth smiled, then turned her head away and cringed. That was the third time since yesterday that Bre’ach had made her feel better. She was almost ashamed. Maybe Gialyn was right – about him, at least; she would not suffer Lud a moment longer than necessary, no matter what anybody said. Two or three days! She sighed at the thought of it.
Three hours passed, and the rain had calmed a little. The small cave was getting crowded. Olg and the others had spread themselves out. Fran was sleeping. Gialyn was talking to Olg about why hunting boar was illegal in this part of An’aird Barath. Bre’ach, for all his talk of moving on, looked to be setting up camp. Elspeth was surprised when, despite the rain, he suggested they set off again.
“It’s not heavy,” Bre’ach said in a positive tone, “and it’s clearing up to the west. It will have stopped by the time we are packed.”
“And if it’s not?” Elspeth asked him.
“Then we get wet. We have three hours of daylight, that’s another five miles between us and the soldiers, maybe six. It’s worth getting a bit damp.”
Elspeth remembered the last time she had gotten… damp in the Am’bieth Marsh. She didn’t think any of her current travel partners would be as gracious as Arfael had been – Arfael; I wonder how they are getting along with the dragons? – No, the thought of stripping off to dry her clothes in front of this lot was not appealing; thank the gods her spare clothes were clean.
“All right, Bre’ach. But we make a proper camp. I’m not freezing all night in wet clothes.”
Bre’ach nodded, then muttered something inaudible.
“What now?” Elspeth asked him.
“Nothing, Elspeth; nothing at all.”
Elspeth was sure there was something but chose to leave it. She was getting tired of forever asking questions. Asking, but not getting an answer. It might be better just to trust Bre’ach and be done with it; at least until they were back in Aleras’moya.
* * *
It didn’t take long for them to pack up their things, and they were soon off again. Elspeth waited for Olg and the others to pass before following – she wasn’t going to let them walk behind her. Lud bowed three times as he walked by. She could barely tolerate his “Thank you, miss. Excuse me, miss.” Every word was like a screech in her ear. Why couldn’t he just leave her be?
Olg was another matter; he treated her with respect. She could tolerate Olg being close to her. And as for Fran… she had no idea. The strange little man may as well have not been there.
It was still raining, but light – more of a shower. The slippery ground, however, was another matter. The black rocks of the Karan Lowlands were smooth at the best of times. Now, they felt as if covered with moss. Three times, Elspeth had to rely of Gialyn to keep her upright. She had to return the favour twice. Bre’ach wasn’t doing much better – although he wouldn’t let anyone help him.
“How long will it take if one of us breaks a leg?” she growled at Bre’ach, who was a good twenty paces ahead.
All four Salrians turned and hushed her down with fingers to lips.
Elspeth raised her hands in the air. “They are four miles away; they’re not going to hear me.”
When she caught up, Bre’ach whispered, “They might not hear, but who said they are the only soldiers on this side of the river?”
Suddenly a little scared, Elspeth searched around the lifeless, rock-strewn landscape. She couldn’t see anybody, just wet boulders and a dim, miserable sky. “There’s nobody here,” she whispered. “Who would come here if they didn’t have to?”
“Maybe so,” Bre’ach said, his voice now calm. “Nevertheless, we must be careful.”
He touched her on the arm and smiled.
A full hand shorter than her – and the enemy, at that – and she was beginning to depend on him. What happened to her confidence? Did she leave it in that cellar in Be’olyn? No, she was not going to depend on Bre’ach, of all people.
“Come on,” she said. “We are wasting daylight.”
Purposefully, she put one foot in front on the other, determined to make a show of her independence, and immediately slipped onto her backside. She sat there a moment, dazed. It had hurt; she had landed on the bone. Suppressing a wince, she found she couldn’t just stand up and carry on as if nothing had happened. Fighting the tears, she looked down at her hand. A cut glowed red across her palm; not deep, but seeing it immediately brought a sharp pain. She raised her hand to show Gialyn, and straight away began blubbering. Swallowing, she tried to stop, but that only made things worse
; she began convulsing like a child, her breath catching at every sob. “I want to go home!” she cried.
Gialyn dropped his pack and hugged her tight. As much as she didn’t want to, she held onto him as though the ground had broken beneath her.
“We’ll both go home soon, Elspeth. I promise,” Gialyn said.
The comfort of the embrace was blissful – for a second or two. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Olg and the other Salrians looking sympathetically in her direction.
She gathered herself. “I’m just tired, Gialyn.” She cleared her throat. “I’ll be all right once we have had a proper rest.” She looked into Gialyn’s eyes and saw that he understood. She couldn’t help but smile. She was beginning to depend on everyone, it seemed.
She did, however, accept his help to get back on her feet. And with that done, she resolved to stay quiet for the rest of the day.
Which, as it happened, wasn’t very long. With the cloudy skies, they only managed two hours before it became too dangerous to carry on. Bre’ach – or maybe Olg; she wasn’t paying attention – found them a good campsite where they could have a small fire. They settled, facing north, in the centre of a tall, circular outcrop. After her emotional outburst, Elspeth felt a surprising relief; she even allowed Lud to help her with her bedroll. They sat around the fire and spoke for a while, mostly about their plans for the next day’s march. Though she did discover the Salrians real names; Olg, was short for Olg’mae, an old Salrian name that meant farmer; Lud, was Lud’ith, the “ith” was a common addition for Salrians who were from the west of An’aird Barath, a region called Maeddith. Fran was just… Fran unsurprisingly. The poor man was just plain, through and through.
They split the watch up into four shifts, insisting, much to Elspeth’s chagrin, that she rest through the night. Lud took the first watch. Elspeth remained awake for another hour, mulling over the afternoon’s events, fretful of the days to come. For a wonder, it was quite chilly. She wrapped herself up tight in her blanket. The soft bedroll was not of much use against the hard ground, but she found herself a comfortable nook. Lud appeared to take his guard duty seriously; in the hour she remained awake, she never once saw him takes his eyes off the western horizon. Pulling the blanket up around her chin, she began to sense the comfort of feeling safe, even if it was just for the night. Sleep took her soon after.
* * *
Morning came. The sky was clear. There was no sign of the clouds that had dominated the horizon the night before. There was plenty of evidence of the rains, though. There were puddles everywhere; filling the gaps between rocks and boulders, along the trail. Anywhere that a pit in the ground could hold water. Thankfully, the rocks themselves had dried out. At least there was something dry to hold onto.
Elspeth looked east. She thought she could see an area of flat ground. “Are we nearly out of it… uh… the Lowlands?”
“Yes,” Lud said, with a smile. “We’re nearly at the Flatlands: no grass, but it’s much easier for walking. By tonight, you’ll see the entrance to the Karan Valley, if nothing else slows us.”
Elspeth nodded. After last night, she thought she could at least tolerate the man. “Good! And then it’s through the valley and into the Tunnels?”
“The Tunnels?”
The three Salrians stopped and gawped at her, then turned their staring gaze on Bre’ach. “You never said anything about the Tunnels,” Olg said. “Why, by the gods, would you go in there?”
Bre’ach pulled up short and turned to Olg. “Why would that concern you? Our business is our own.”
“Madness! Do you know what lives in those tunnels? What could possibly be worth risking that?”
“We’re not risking anything. I have seen a map; the far western tunnel is clear all the way through to the central plains. It won’t be the one she… It will be empty. Dark, yes, but empty. A half a day and we’ll be out the other side, ten days west of Bailryn.”
“You can carry on east, go through the forest and come out thirty miles north,” Lud insisted. “There’s no need to take the tunnels.
“Barais’coi is three weeks through the mountain trails, then another week to Bailryn. And never mind that the trail is all but vertical, this side of the mountain,” Bre’ach said. “Besides, I have a feeling the way will be blocked.”
“Blocked? Blocked by what?”
“Never mind that. I just know. It doesn’t concern you. Anyway, you’ll be heading north, across the river, come nightfall.”
Olg nearly tripped. “I’m not saying I care one way or the other, but now I know you, I’d rather not see you dead. Isn’t it better taking another ten days and come out safe the other side?”
“Like I said, the way will be blocked.”
“But—”
“But nothing. We have no choice; time is not on our side.”
The poacher’s face wrinkled; even Fran looked fit to shout. Both he and Olg kicked at stones for a further ten minutes. Then…
“…well, I’ll be going with you, then,” Olg said.
Elspeth choked on the strip of beef she was chewing, and Bre’ach nearly fell on his backside. Gialyn smiled. All three looked at Olg. Even Lud stared.
“Why would you do that?” Gialyn asked Olg.
Olg’mae scratched his chin and took a deep breath. “I don’t know what you three have got yourselves into,” he said. “Most say I’m good with folk, telling what they’re about and all. Something fierce has you three running scared, and not just that General Alaf’kan, gods curse him. I trust you, though I don’t know why. I’ll see you safely to the Tunnels, at least. Besides, it’s not like we can go back, and the bridge isn’t that far from the valley.”
Fran nodded in agreement. But Lud looked about ready to leave them all there, carry on alone.
“Not far? It’s another day, there and back,” Lud said. “I don’t mind helping,” – he gave Elspeth a sheepish grin – “but we’re already late. And we’ve lost our quarry. We should at least try and catch some rabbits before we go home.” The little old man stared at the other two poachers, both of whom had their arms crossed and were staring back at him. Lud looked from one to the other, then threw his hands up in the air. “All right,” he conceded. “No good me going home on my own. I’ll never hear the last of it.”
Bre’ach was smiling. Elspeth thought he looked… proud? What is he so happy about?
“Well,” Olg said, grinning at Lud “Come on; it’ll be three days if we don’t get a move on.”
Bre’ach laughed as he retook the lead. Gialyn patted Lud on the back – the little old man barely came up to his shoulder. Fran and Olg waited for Elspeth to fall in, and then they, too, joined the line.
* * *
The sun was halfway to the horizon when they came upon the bridge. It was a rickety old thing, out in the middle of nowhere, apparently not used very often…
…so then why were there deep troughs gouged into the ground at both ends? Elspeth pointed them out to Bre’ach.
“I know,” he said. For once, he sounded worried. “I think they’ve beaten us to it.”
Gialyn tugged at Elspeth’s shoulder and tapped Bre’ach’s arm vigorously, then pointed east. A short train of wagons, pulled by… pulled by…? Elspeth didn’t know what was pulling them. The wagons, thin and long, with high canvas sides, rolled purposefully towards the valley. Men who looked like they could be Arfael’s long lost cousins manned the wagons.
Without saying a word, Bre’ach allowed Gialyn to drag him behind a low scarp. The other three Salrians had already crouched down behind the scarp; all had pale faces.
“What, in the name of truth, are those things?” Olg whispered – very quietly, despite the fact that they, whoever they were, were over a mile away.
“I’m guessing they will be the Kel’madden,” Bre’ach said, in quite a matter-of-fact tone.
Lud allowed his head to drop. And Fran began to squirm nervously. Olg remained calm – on the outside, at least. “I thi
nk you need to start at the beginning,” he said.
* * *
Elspeth made a play at fiddling with her bowstring while Gialyn explained the past few weeks to the three Salrian poachers. The more she listened, the more ridiculous it sounded – even to her, and she had been there. Gialyn explained how they came to be travelling to Bailryn – I wonder if I will ever be a palace guard? How they met Bre’ach and his father, the map of the Tunnels of Aldregair, their time with the wolves, their meeting with Kirin’thar and the other Cren. Finally, how they had decided to split up and carry word of the invasion back home. Yes, it seemed ridiculous; what were they doing playing at heroes?
Bre’ach’s shoulders sank, and he made a study of his pack when Gialyn recalled his part in it all. He needed no reminding; Elspeth was sure of that. If only the fool had listened to his father.
“Listen to his father,” she whispered. If I had listened to my father, I wouldn’t be running for my life. “No use thinking about that now.”
Elspeth couldn’t help thinking of home. She would be safe now if only she had not insisted on chasing silly dreams. For all that they had done over the last few weeks, it wasn’t as though staying home – staying safe –would have made much of a difference. Alaf’kan would still have the map; the Kel’madden would be at the border; Arfael would most likely be with the dragons –one way or the other, Kirin’thar would have made sure of that. As for her brother… her brother would not be carrying a thousand-year-old Cren in his head. It was enough to make her scream.
Then again, if she had stayed at home, Daric and Grady would not be on their way to warn the Palace; Arfael might well have gone north instead, missing the Cren entirely. And perhaps having an ancient king living in her brother’s head wasn’t such a bad thing – he certainly seemed more agreeable.
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