"They will do what must needs be done." Keir's look was chilling.
I dropped my eyes and tugged at the horse's reins. "We need to go. We are losing the light."
We rode in silence to the point where we could see the village gates clearly. There was nochange, no sign that our presence had been noted or ignored.
We all dismounted, except for Keir. Isdra took the reins of the pack horse we'd loaded withsupplies. I turned to my apprentice and smiled at him. "Gils—"
Gils launched himself at me, and squeezed me tight. I heard a faint whisper in my ear. "I'smake you proud, Lara. I's swear it." He stepped back and gave me a smile, red hair gleamingin the sun. "Skies watch over you, Warprize."
Marcus stood there, looking unhappy and worried. "And now is when you stuff the cloths upyour nose, yes?"
I nodded, too choked up to speak, and hugged him. "Take care of Keir."
"Always. But who will care for you?" He asked gruffly as I stepped back.
Keir was on his horse, as cold and remote as the mountains that surrounded us. He didn't lookat me as he spoke. "Skies be with you."
I took a deep breath, and waited. Keir didn't look down.
Resigned, I turned away. I accepted the bowl that Gils held out, and Isdra and Epor and Istuffed the cloths in our nose and mouths. "Hope they leave this part out of the song." Eporgrumbled as we moved off. I was thankful for the sharp ginger in my mouth, coming up throughmy nose as I breathed. It explained the tears in my eyes.
There was a noise behind us. I turned, only to see Gils take a few steps to catch my horse, whohad started to fol-low us down the road. The horse protested a bit, but settled under Gils'shand. Keir didn't move at all, and I turned back toward the village. Isdra and Epor were rightbehind.
We were almost to the gates when I couldn't take it anymore.
I stopped and looked back.
Isdra and Epor gave me a knowing look, but kept walking.
Keir was off his horse, and Marcus was next to him, his hand on Keir's shoulder. Gils wasleading my horse back to the other horses. As I watched, Keir raised his hand.
I smiled, and raised my hand as well. Then I raised the other, and slowly brought them close tointertwine my fingers to form a fist. I hoped Keir remembered when he had done that in thecommand tent, when he announced his intent to weave our people together. I hoped heunderstood.
He seemed to, since he raised his hand a bit higher in acknowledgment. At this distance it washard to tell, but he looked stricken to me somehow. As if I'd taken all his hopes with me.
Which I had.
Tears in my eyes, I lowered my hands and turned away to follow the others. I didn't look backthis time. I didn't trust myself not to run back and throw myself in his arms.
And I didn't trust him not to tie me to a tree.
Chapter 5
Long before my time, King Xy had insisted that a main road be built from Water's Fall throughthe length of the entire kingdom to the border with the Plains. One of his great grandsons,either Xytell, or maybe Xykreth, had built watch forts along the road once the Firelanders hadstarted raiding up into the valley.
Each watch fort had been heavily fortified, with stone walls and high battlements, modeled onthe walls of Water's Fall. Each with a deep well and storage warehouses for food. They'd beendesigned to allow a contingent of warriors to be self-sufficient in times of battle. But they hadall fallen victim to the one enemy they could not hold against: Time. Walls collapsed, and thelocals carried off the stone to build huts and low walls to keep in their sheep and pigs. Only avery few remained intact, and most of them were closer to the border than to Water's Fall.
While I'd read of them, I'd never seen one, since I'd never ventured more than a few hoursfrom the city.
As we approached, I could see that this was one of the last remaining forts. Strong stone wallsrose around the village proper, and the gates were logs, bound in metal. I could see the plaguesign on the wood. The blood was dried. Epor watched our backs as Isdra stepped forward andpounded on the gates.
There was no response. We stood for a moment, hearing only the faint sounds of the armybehind us, and the wind in the trees. I resisted the urge to look back again, to see if Keir wasstill watching.
Isdra pounded again. She stood with her hands on her hips, her head cocked, listening intently.
"Nothing. I'm going in."
Epor grunted, and stepped forward to boost Isdra up and over the gate. Her boots scrabbledagainst the wood as she pulled herself over. Epor gestured me back, getting his weapon readyand facing the door. But there was only the sound of bars being pulled back, and then the oneside swinging open slowly. We slipped through, and took stock of the situation.
