2 - The Ruby Knight Page 5

  know that I'd let Bevier in on this. The Cyrinic Knights

  are a pious lot - just like all Arcians - and they disapprove

  of these little irregularities very strongly. Bevier's a good

  man in a fight, 'but he's a little narrow-minded. If he gets

  offended, it might cause problems later on.'

  "you're probably right,' Sparhawk agreed. 'I'll talk

  with Talen and ask him to keep his relationship with

  Kurik to himself.'

  'Do you think he'll listen?' the broad-faced Deiran

  asked sceptically.

  "it's worth a try.'

  They occasionally passed a farmhouse standing beside

  the foggy road with hazy golden lamplight streaming

  from its windows, a sure sign that even though the sky

  had not yet started to lighten, day had already begun for

  the country folk.

  'How long are we going to stay with this column?'

  Tynian asked. 'Going to Lake Randera by way of Demos

  is a very long way around.'

  'We can probably slip away later this morning,'

  Sparhawk replied, ' - once we're sure that nobody's

  following us. That's what Vanion suggested.'

  'Have you got somebody watching to the rear?'

  Sparhawk nodded. 'Berit's riding about a half-mile

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  back."

  'Do you think any of the Primate's spies saw us leave

  your chapterhouse?'

  'They didn't really have very much time for it,'

  Sparhawk said. 'We'd already gone past them before

  they came out of their tents.'

  Tynian grunted. 'Which road do you plan to take when

  we leave this one?'

  "I think we'll go across country. Roads tend to be

  watched. I'm sure that Annias has guessed that we're up

  to something by now.'

  They rode on through the tag end of a foggy night.

  Sparhawk was pensive. He privately admitted to himself

  that their hastily conceived plan had little chance of

  success. Even if Tynian could raise the ghosts of the

  Thalesian dead, there was no guaranttee that any of the

  spirits would know the location of King Sarak's final resting

  place. This entire journey could well be futile and serve

  only to use up what time Ellana had left. Then a thought

  came to him. He rode on forward to speak with Sephrenia.

  "Something just occurred to me,' he said to her.

  'Oh?'

  'How well known is the spell you used to encase

  Ehlana?'

  "It's almost never practised because it's so very

  dangerous,' she replied. 'A few Styrics might know of it,

  but I doubt that any would dare to perform it. Why do

  you ask?'

  "I think I'm right on the edge of an idea. If no one but

  you is really willing to use the spell, then it's rather

  unlikely that anybody else would know about the time

  limitation. '

  'That's true. They wouldn't.'

  'Then nobody could tell Annias about it.

  'Obviously. '

  'So Annias doesn't know that we only have a certain

  amount of time left. For all he knows, the crystal could

  keep Ehlana alive indefinitely.'

  "I'm not certain that gives us any particular advantage,

  Sparhawk.'

  "I'm not either, but it's something to keep in mind. We

  might be able to use it someday.'

  The eastern sky was growing gradually lighter as they

  rode, and the fog was swirling and thinning. It was about

  a half-hour before sunrise when Berit came galloping up

  from the rear. He was wearing his mail-shirt and plain

  blue cloak, and his war-axe was in a sling at the side of his

  saddle. The young novice, Sparhawk decided almost

  idly, was going to need some instruction in swordsmanship

  soon, before he grew too attached to that axe.

  "Sir Sparhawk,' he said, reining in, 'there's a column of

  church soldiers coming up behind us.' His hard-run

  horse was steaming in the chil fog.

  'How many?' Sparhawk asked him.

  "fifty or so, and they're galloping hard. There was a

  break in the fog, and I saw them coming.'

  'How far back?'

  'A mile or so. They're in that valley we just came

  through.'

  Sparhawk considered it. "I think a little change of plans

  might be in order,' he said. He looked around and saw a

  dark blur back in the swirling fog off to the left. 'Tynian,'

  he said, "I think that's a grove of trees over there. Why

  don't you take the others and ride across this field and get

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  into the grove before the soldiers catch up? I'll be right

  along.' He shook Faran's reins. "I want to talk with Sir

  Olven,' he told the big roan.

  Faran flicked his ears irritably, then moved alongside

  the column at a gallop.

  'We'll be leaving you here, Olven,' Sparhawk told the

  scarfaced knight. There's a half-hundred church soldiers

  coming up from the rear. I want to be out of sight before

  they come by.'

  'Good idea,' Olven approved. Olven was not one to

  waste words.

  'Why don't you give them a bit of a run?' Sparhawk

  suggested. They won't be able to tell that we're not still

  in the column until they catch up with you.'

  Olven grinned crookedly. 'Even so far as Demos?' he

  asked.

  'That would be helpful. Cut across country before you

  reach Lenda and pick up the road again south of town

  I'm sure Annias has spies in Lenda too.'

  'Good luck, Sparhawk,' Olven said.

  'Thanks,' Sparhawk said, shaking the scarfaced

  knight's hand, 'we might need it.' He backed Faran off

  the road, and the column thundered past him at a gallop.

  'Let's see how fast you can get to that grove of trees

  over there,' Sparhawk said to his bad-tempered mount.

  Faran snorted derisively, then leapt forward at a dead

  run.

  Kalten waited at the edge of the trees, his grey cloak

  blending into the shadows and fog. 'The others are back

  in the woods a ways,' he reported. 'Why's Olven

  galloping like that?'

  "I asked him to," Sparhawk replied, swinging down

  from his saddle. 'The soldiers won't know that we've left

  the column if Olven stays a mile or two ahead of them.'

  'You're smarter than you look, Sparhawk,' Kalten

  said, also dismounting. "I'll get the horses back out of

  sight. The steam coming off them might be visible.' He

  squinted at Faran. 'Tell this ugly brute of yours not to bite

  me.'

  'You heard him, Faran,' Sparhawk told his war-horse.

  Faran laid his ears back.

  As Kalten led their horses back among the trees,

  Sparhawk sank down onto his stomach behind a low

  bush. The grove of trees lay no more than fifty Yards from

  the road, and as the fog began to dissipate with the onset

  of morning, he could clearly see that the whole stretch of

  road they had just left was empty. Then a single redtunicked

  soldier galloped along, coming from the south.

  The man
rode stiffly, and his face seemed strangely

  wooden.

  'A scout?' Kalten whispered, crawling up beside

  Sparhawk. '

  'More than likely,' Sparhawk whispered back.

  why are we whispering?' Kalten asked. 'He can't hear

  us over the noise of his horse's hooves.'

  'You started it.'

  'Force of habit, I guess. I always whisper when I'm

  skulking.'

  The scout reined in his mount at the top of the hill, then

  wheeled and rode back along the road at a dead run. His

  face was still blank.

  'He's going to wear out that horse if he keeps doing

  that,' Kalten said.

  "it's his horse.'

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  That's true, and he's the one who gets to walk when

  the horse plays out on him.'

  "walking is good for church soldiers. It teaches them

  humility.'

  About five minutes later, the church soldiers galloped

  by, their red tunics dark in the dawn light. Accompanying

  the leader of the column was a tall, emaciated figure

  in a black robe and hood. It may have been a trick of the

  misty morning light, but a faint greenish glow seemed to

  emanate from under the hood, and the figure's back

  appeared to be grossly deformed.

  'They're definitely trying to keep an eye on that

  column,' Kalten said.

  'I hope they enjoy Demos,' Sparhawk replied. 'Olven's

  going to stay ahead of them every step of the way. I need

  to talk with Sephrenia. Let's go back to the others. We'll

  sit tight for an hour or so, until we're sure the soldiers are

  out of the area, and then move on.'

  'Good idea. I'm about ready for some breakfast

  anyway.'

  They led their horses back through the damp woods to

  a small basin surrounding a trickling spring that emerged

  from a fern-covered bank.

  'Did they go by?' Tyrian asked.

  'At a gallop,' Kalten grinned, 'and they didn't look

  around very much. Does anybody have anything to eat?

  I'm starving.'

  "I've got a slab of cold bacon,' Kurik offered.

  'Cold?'

  'Fire makes smoke, Kalten. Do you really want these

  woods full of soldiers?'

  Kalten sighed.

  Sparhawk looked at Sephrenia. 'There's somebody or

  something - riding with those soldiers,' he said. "It

  gave me a very uneasy feeling, and I think it was the

  same thing I caught a glimpse of last night.'

  'Can you describe it?'

  "It's quite tall and very very thin. Its back seems to be

  deformed, and it's wearing a black hooded robe, so I

  couldn't see any details.' He frowned. 'Those church

  soldiers in the column seemed as if they were half-asleep

  They usually pay closer attention to what they're doing. '

  'This thing you saw,' she said seriously. 'Was there

  anything else unusual about it?'

  "I can't say for sure, but it seemed to have a sort of

  greenish light coming from its face. I noticed the same

  thing last night.'

  Her face grew bleak. "I think we'd better leave

  immediately, Sparhawk.'

  The soldiers don't know we're here,' he objected.

  They will before long. You've just described a Seeker.

  In Zemoch they're used to hunt down runaway slaves.

  The lump on its back is caused by its wings.'

  'Wings?' Kalten said sceptically. 'Sephrenia, no animal

  has wings - except maybe a bat.'

  'This isn't an animal, Kalten,' she replied. "It more

  closely resembles an insect - although neither term is

  very exact when you're talking about the creatures Azash

  summons.'

  "I hardly think we need to worry about a bug,' he said.

  'We do with this particular creature. It has very little in

  the way of a brain, but that doesn't matter because the

  spirit of Azash infuses it and provides its thoughts for it.

  It can see a long way in the dark or fog. Its ears are very

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  sharp, and it has a very keen sense of smell. As soon as

  those soldiers come in sight of Olven's column, it's going

  to know that we're not riding with the knights. The

  soldiers will come back at that point.'

  'Are you saying that church soldiers will take orders

  frOm an insect?' Bevier asked incredulously.

  They have no choice. They have no will of their own

  any more. The Seeker controls them utterly.'

  'How long does that last?' he asked her.

  'For as long as they live - which usually isn't very long.

  As soon as it has no further need of them, it consumes

  them. Sparhawk, we're in very great danger. Let's leave

  here at once.'

  'You heard her,' Sparhawk said grimly. 'Let's get out

  of here.' They rode out of the grove of trees at a canter and

  crossed a wide green meadow where brown and white

  spotted cows grazed in knee-deep grass. Sir Ulath pulled

  in beside Sparhawk. "it's really none of my business,' the

  shaggY-browed Genidian Knight said, but you had

  twenty Pandions with you back there. Why didn't you

  just turn around and eliminate those soldiers?"

  fifty dead soldiers scattered along a road would

  attract attention,' Sparhawk explained, 'and new graves

  are almost as obvious.'

  'Makes sense, I suppose,' Ulath grunted. 'Living in an

  over-populated kingdom has its own special problems,

  doesn't it? Up in Thalesia, the Trolls and Ogres usually

  clean up that sort of thing before anybody chances by.'

  Sparhawk shuddered. "do~ they really eat carion?' he

  asked, looking back over his shoulder for any sign of

  pursuit. Trolls and Ogres?

  'Oh, yes - as long as the carion's not

  too ripe. A nice fat church soldier will feed a family of

  Trolls for a week or so. That's one of the reasons there

  aren't very many church soldiers or their graveyards in

  Thalesia. The point, though, is that I don't like leaving

  live enemies behind me. those church soldiers might

  come back to haunt us, and if that thing they've got with

  them is as dangerous as Sephrenia says, we probably

  should have got it out of the way while we had the

  chance.'

  'Maybe you're right,' Sparhawk admitted, 'but it's too

  late now, I'm afraid. Olven's far out of reach. About all

  we can do is make a run for it and hope the soldiers'

  horses tire before ours do. When we get a chance, I

  want to talk with Sephrenia some more about that

  Seeker. I've got a feeling there were some things about it

  she wasn't telling me.'

  They rode hard for the rest of the day and saw no signs

  that the soldiers were anywhere behind them.

  'There's a roadside inn just ahead,' Kalten said as

  evening settled over the rolling countryside. 'Do you

  want to chance it?'

  Sparhawk looked at Sephrenia. 'What do you think?'

  'Only for a few hours,' she said, 'just long enough to

  feed the horses and give them some rest. The Seeker will
/>
  know that we're not with that column by now, and it's

  certain to be following our trail. We have to move on.'

  "We could at least get some supper,' Kalten added,

  'and maybe a couple of hours' sleep. I've been up for a

  long time. Besides, we might be able to pick up some

  information if we ask the right questions.'

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  The inn was run by a thin, good-humoured fellow and

  his plump, jolly wife. It was a comfortable place and

  meticulously clean. The broad fireplace at one end of the

  common-room did not smoke, and there were fresh

  rushes on the floor.

  "we don't see many city folk this far out in the country,'

  the innkeeper noted as he brought a platter of roast beef

  to the table, ' - and very seldom any knights - at least I

  judge from your garb that you're knights. What brings

  you this way, My Lords?'

  'We're on our way to Pelosia,' Kalten lied easily.

  'Church business. We're in a hurry, so we decided to cut

  across country.'

  There's a road that runs on up into Pelosia about three

  leagues to the south,' the innkeeper advised helpfully.

  'Roads wander around a lot,' Kalten said, 'and like I

  told you, we're in a hurry.'

  'Anything interesting happening hereabouts?' Tynian

  asked as if only mildly curious.

  The innkeeper laughed wryly. 'What can possibly

  happen in a place like this? The local farmers spend all

  their time talking about a cow that died six months ago.'

  He drew up a chair and sat down uninvited. He sighed. "I

  used to live in Cimmura when I was younger. Now,

  there's a place where things really happen. I miss all the

  excitement . '

  'What made you decide to move out here?' Kalten

  asked, spearing another slice of beef with his dagger.

  'My father left me this place when he died. Nobody

  wanted to buy it, so I didn't have any choice.' He

  frowned slightly. 'Now that you mention it, though,' he

  said, returning to the previous topic, 'there has been

  something a little unusual happening around here for the

  last few months.'

  'Oh?' Tynian said carefully.

  'We've been seeing bands of roving Styrics. The

  countryside's crawling with them. They don't usually

  move around that much, do they?'

  'Not really,' Sephrenia replied."We're not a nomadic

  people.'

  "I thought you might be Styric, lady - judging from

  your looks and your clothes. We've got a Styric village

  not far from here. They're nice enough people, I suppose,