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“Hold your formation!” Jonathan roared as a dozen men started forward. King Roald already had the chestnut’s rein in his hand, and his servants were at the fallen man’s side. Jon planted himself solidly in front of Gary, who was going to ride to his father, anyway. “I said, hold formation!”
The big knight glared at his cousin in helpless fury; for a second Alanna was afraid he might hit Jon. The prince ignored the threat, adding softly, “What can you do for him that isn’t already being done? We’re an army, Sir Gareth; let’s try and act like one!”
For a moment the tension between them held. Then Duke Gareth’s son nodded grimly and returned to his place in the ranks of the knights.
Duke Baird, chief of the palace healers, was already beside Gary’s father. Duke Gareth’s face was white, and he was biting his lip in obvious pain. Alanna let her hands tighten on the reins until Moonlight fidgeted nervously. She could see the strange angle of Duke Gareth’s left leg. When she heard shortly afterward that the Duke’s leg was broken in three places and that the king would be appointing a new commander-in-chief, her feeling of doom grew. It was all too neat; so neat that she decided to miss the announcement of the new commander and pay a visit to the stables.
Handing Moonlight an apple, she whistled a brief tune. There was a noise in the hayloft, and her old friend Stefan climbed down the ladder, carrying a blanket.
“Thought ye’d be by,” the hostler grunted. “Ye’ve a real nose fer trouble, ain’t ye?”
Alanna grinned stiffly at George’s man. “What makes you think I didn’t come here to cosset my horse?”
“Then why whistle me up?” the potbellied hostler wanted to know. “Except to chat, which ye do now an’ then. Except now ye’re wonderin’ how Duke Gareth’s beast, what’s gentler even than yer own, happened t’ throw His Grace this mornin’.”
“Well, yes,” Alanna admitted.
Stefan opened the folded blanket. “Mayhap I’m wrong. An’ then again, mayhap this’s why.” He showed her a large prickly bur stuck firmly in the blanket’s weave. Alanna worked it loose with difficulty. “They’s a cruel scratch in th’ poor beast’s back where it was,” Stefan went on. “An’ who cinched His Grace’s saddle so loose? They be so many new folk here for th’ army, I don’t see all as I should.”
“Then none of the regular hostlers saddled Duke Gareth’s horse?”
Stefan shook his head. “’Twas a newcomer. An’ mayhap he was that afraid for his life when Duke Gareth was throwed, an’ mayhap not; He’s gone.”
Alanna mulled this over, handing the blanket back to Stefan. “Thanks for keeping this for me,” she said finally.
The hostler shrugged. “I knew ye’d be askin’,” he said frankly. “Best be careful, though. Us of th’ Rogue knows what happens to them as asks too many questions. By the by—have ye heard who leads in Duke Gareth’s place?”
Alanna shook her head.
“His Grace, th’ Duke of Conté.” Stefan chewed on a straw, his pale blue eyes fixed on Alanna. “Interestin’, havin’ a sorcerer-general, eh?”
“Very,” Alanna said dryly, ignoring the sinking feeling in her stomach. She turned to go.
“Squire Alan,” Stefan added, “ye might be lookin’ in th’ Lesser Library when ye go back. Ye’ve got a visitor.”
Alanna hurried into the palace, the bur pricking her hand. She was surprised to find the Lesser Library occupied by a hooded monk. Getting the news from Stefan, she had expected to find someone very different.
“Excuse me,” she began.
The “monk” drew back his hood and held his fingers to his lips, grinning mischievously. With an exasperated noise, Alanna slammed the door and locked it behind her.
“Are you out of your, mind?” she asked George in a harsh whisper. “Some of my Lord Provost’s men do know what you look like!”
“Upset for my safety?” the thief chuckled. “I’m touched.”
“You’re touched in the head,” Alanna snapped. “Anyway, since you’re here, why are you here?”
“I thought you mightn’t get the chance to come down to the city before you rode out, and I wanted a word with you. But you were wanting to ask me somethin’.”
Alanna showed him the bur. “Stefan found this in Duke Gareth’s saddle blanket. He says a new man saddled the Duke’s horse, then vanished.”
“And you suspect foul play,” George prodded.
“Of course I do. But it doesn’t make sense. Why should Tusaine go to the trouble of stopping Duke Gareth leading the army? That won’t keep us from marching the day after tomorrow.”
George shook his head. “You’re thinkin’ like a warrior. Think like a plotter. There might be reasons closer to home as to why Duke Gareth fell from his beast.”
“Closer to home?” Alanna asked.
“Who benefits?” George wanted to know. “And stop thinkin’ of fightin’: start thinkin’ of power. Who gains the most power from His Grace’s ‘accident’?”
Alanna, about to retort that no one gained, remembered the man King Roald had appointed to Duke Gareth’s place. Suddenly she swayed, feeling ill.
“Not a commander you’ll be trustin’ in the field, is he?” the thief asked softly.
Alanna was trembling. “I have to think about this.”
George nodded. “Think on it all you may please,” he said. “And watch where he places Jonathan and those loyal to Jonathan.” He smoothed a hand over her coppery hair. “Would that I didn’t have to stay here and keep my own in line. I mislike sendin’ you there with no one to help, but there’s nothin’ for it. I’d be a dead Rogue if I turned my back on my folk for as long as you’ll be gone. A week or two, maybe. But not a month and more.”
Alanna smiled at him, wishing he could go with her. Things were always clearer when George was around. “I’ll be all right,” she said with false assurance. “Faithful will be with me, and if things get bad I’ll go to Myles. He’s smart enough for three of us.”
George smiled down at her, his hazel eyes still worried. “That he is. ’Twill have to do. Watch for more accidents.”
“I don’t think He wants to hurt me,” Alanna demurred. “Just learn my secret.”
“I believe he wants you out of the way before he goes further with his plans.”
Alanna had to laugh. “What threat could I possibly be to him? No, I’m not as suspicious as you are, George. It must come from your line of work.”
Sensing she wanted to change the subject, George shrugged. “Mayhap when Jon is king I’ll be givin’ up my work.”
Alanna stared at him. “You’re joking, surely.”
The tall thief sank into a chair, watching her intently. “I’m t
hinkin’ of turnin’ respectable and takin’ me a wife.”
Alanna gave an ungentlemanly snort. “I like that!”
He never looked away from her. “Things look different as a man gets older.”
Alanna sat on a table, swinging her feet. “I’m just having trouble seeing you turn decent citizen. Who will you give your collection of ears to? And what trade will you take up? Jewel-selling? Returning what you stole, for a fee, of course?”
“I’m in no hurry. King Roald is a young man still. You see,” he went on, “I’m waitin’ for my chosen bride to grow up. She couldn’t be some citizen’s daughter, could she? She must be a free soul who knows my past, who doesn’t care for what’s proper and what’s not. Someone who wouldn’t scream when she opened my treasure and found the collection you mentioned.”
Alanna wiped sweating palms on her tunic. She had a feeling she knew what he was leading up to, and she wished he would stop. “Good luck, George. I don’t think a woman like that exists.”
George stood. Gripping her shoulders, he pulled her off the table. “I’ve already found her, and you know it well.”
Alanna glared up into his face. “You think highly of yourself!” she snapped. “I’m the daughter of a noble—”
He laughed softly. “Does that truly stand between us, Alanna? If you loved, would you care about birth or wealth?”
“Like must wed like,” Alanna whispered. She wanted to run, hard and fast, and she couldn’t. If he was no sorcerer, what was this spell he was weaving around her?
“There are more important things than birth. What good will a well-born husband be when you take up your shield?”
“No husband at all will do me the most good. I don’t plan to marry, and I certainly don’t plan to fall in love.”
“So you say now. I’m a patient man, lass. If need be, I’ll wait years. And I’ll not speak of this to you again. I only wanted you to know I’m yours to command.” He grinned.
Alanna tried to push away. Her heart was thumping rapidly and she felt giddy. She couldn’t let this go any further. “We can go on being friends like before?”
