He pulled back on the reins, preparing to go. "Marcus, take her to the rear. Get her into somearmor quickly, then come when I send for her," he glared at me. "And only when I send forher."
I opened my mouth, but he cut me off with a gesture. "And find Gils and get her what shethinks she needs. I will call for you when I am ready. Understood?"
My guards nodded, but it wasn't enough for me. "Keir, what are you going to do?"
"As I'd planned before. We will move into position, and send a messenger to the walls."
"Rafe. He needs to take precautions, I will—"
Keir didn't take his eyes off me. "Rafe, go with the Warprize. Epor…"
Epor moved his horse up slightly. "Aye, Warlord?"
Keir's gaze never wavered. "Keep her back, Epor. Within sight of the walls, but at a distance.
And I order you to wrestle her to the ground and tie her to a tree if necessary."
I flushed up at Keir's words, biting my lip.
"Aye to that, Warlord." Epor responded, a bit too enthusiastically.
"No word for plague?" I asked.
I turned my head to look at Marcus, and my new helmet fell forward over my eyes, hitting mynose.
"It's too big." Gils said, a knowing tone in his voice. "Shall I get another one?"
Marcus moved forward, as I lifted the rim off my eyes, and I flinched as he drew closer. Hestopped, and looked at me, then took a step back.
Isdra grunted as she worked to stuff me in a heavy leather jerkin, one that had been made for awarrior larger than I. "Take it off, and twist up your hair, Lara. We'll use the braid to helpcushion it."
Gils took the helmet from me. "Perhaps some of the clean bandages would help."
"What is 'plague'?" Rafe asked. He was mounted, as were Epor and Prest, surrounding us andkeeping watch. Epor had taken Keir at his word, and we'd moved to the rear to find the supplyhorses and Gils. While warriors were milling about us, we were far enough from the action tosatisfy my guards. I was standing in the grass as they tried to fit me with various pieces ofarmor.
Once Keir had reclaimed me as Warprize, messengers had been sent to Simus and Othur atWater's Fall. They had in turn sent a messenger with letters of relief and joy and pack horsesfull of my healing supplies and equipment, all carefully packed for the journey.
Keir and Sal explained that with an army of this size, the best way to insure that I always hadsupplies at hand was to split everything equally between four pack horses and spread them out.
No matter where I was, one of the horses would be close by.
"Plague is a kind of illness that kills, and kills many people very quickly. It spreads…" Myvoice trailed off as I looked up into Rafe's puzzled face.
"So, like winter sickness that spreads in the lodges. A misery, nothing more." Marcus said ashe rummaged in a saddle bag, pulling out some long leather bracers.
"What is winter sickness?" I asked, running my fingers back through my hair to start thebraid. The long sleeves of the jerkin were stiff and uncomfortable.
"A misery to be endured, for a time."
Gils cleared his throat, trying to interrupt. At my nod, he spoke. "It affects the body, Warprize,with coughing, and sweating and feeling bad."
I blinked in the sunlight as the mounted force seemed to swirl around us. The worst thesepeople suffered was head colds? I looked back at Marcus. "No, plague is an illness that killsyoung and old, healthy and sick. It spreads quickly, and is very dangerous."
He gave me a doubtful look. "There are stories…" His frown deepened. "For us, injury kills.
Accidents kill. Being cursed, or afflicted, those can kill. But the one afflicted takes themselvesoff, to live or die as the elements decree. But illness? Illness is uncomfortable, but not a matterof death." He let out an exasperated snort.
Prest looked over at him. "Tell her the rest."
