Shade’s jowl twitched with an indignant growl at that unneeded reminder.
Osha didn’t look happy at any of these arrangements, but he didn’t argue, either.
Wynn ignored all of them; the only thing that mattered was the orb. “And don’t kill the duke unless you have to,” she added. “Take him alive.”
With his hand on the man’s chest, Sau’ilahk held Guardsman Comeau pinned against a tree. Comeau’s flesh aged and his hair turned ashen as his life drained away. Sau’ilahk stepped back, fully sated, and Comeau’s withered form crumpled in the night forest.
Sau’ilahk ignored Hazh’thüm and the other two Suman guards watching fearfully out among the trees. He tilted his head and listened for the keep guards somewhere off in the forest on the road’s south side.
Would mere keep guards, likely no more than country peasants with a little training, be able to catch an assassin who seemingly moved on the wind? Should he attempt to create a servitor to search as well? What specific but simple instructions could he give such an elemental construct to find what the guards might not?
Nothing he pondered justified wasting his bolstered energies, and only mundane solutions remained. Of the wagon’s two horses, one was now dead, and the other was tangled and hobbled beyond use. But the mounts of the keep’s guards were still sound.
“Hazh’thüm,” he called, walking off toward the orb’s trunk. “Gather the saddled horses and bring them here.”
He did not even have to look, for he heard his servant guards rushing through the trees behind him. Perhaps they wondered whether killing him was even possible now. They knew only what he had once been ... an untouchable being of death who commanded them.
A simple but effective plan was the only recourse. He would tie the orb’s trunk and the treasury chest to one horse and then take another mount for himself. That left only two mounts, and obviously one was for Hazh’thüm. The fourth he would leave behind as a tease for the other two Sumans to use together, if they survived in covering his escape.
A noble of Witeny appearing before others of his rank but without adequate guards would only add credence to a tale of insurrection.
Wynn crept behind Shade through the south-side trees, as the dog had much better vision at night. Shade understood the plan as well as anyone and always remained just within sight of the road.
“This is about the orb,” Wynn whispered, “not me. You remember that.”
Shade didn’t answer.
Gripping the staff was difficult for Wynn while still holding on to Jausiff’s device. But she wasn’t about to lose contact with it, for fear it might go dormant. If something went wrong, she might still need the device to track the orb.
Shade suddenly stalled, and Wynn bumped into the dog’s haunches and stumbled. Hesitant to speak, she reached down and touched Shade’s back.
—Men ... walking ... in the trees—
From what little Wynn could see, she and Shade were only halfway to a position directly across from the wagon. It was vital that they get into position in time to blind the guards for the orb’s retrieval. She hoped Chane and Osha were already set.
Wynn closed her fingers in Shade’s fur to push the dog onward.
The snap of a branch carried through the trees.
She quickly dropped low, and her eyes followed as Shade’s head swung. The dog backed up into her.
—Ahead ... to ... right—
Wynn peeked over Shade but saw nothing in the dark forest. Then she heard twigs and leaves crackling damply underfoot. Between the low branches of one tree and the thickly barked trunk of another, she spotted a lighter shape moving.
A keep guard in a gray tabard came forward in halting steps as he looked about. A moment later another appeared farther off to the left and halfway to the road.
Wynn wondered what they were doing out here. Had she given herself away somehow?
“Distract them,” Wynn whispered. “Draw them away from me.”
—No— ... —Not ... leave you—
Wynn yanked on Shade’s tail. All Shade did was swing her head around, bare her teeth, and refuse to move.
“All right!” Wynn whispered. “Get us around them ... without being seen!”
And if that failed, well, she would have to use the staff sooner than planned.
With a huff of agreement, Shade veered away from the road and deeper into the forest.
Chane made good time, and Osha had no trouble keeping up. It did not take long before they spotted the overturned wagon by a fire burning near it. As they crept closer, Chane heard a horse whinny. He ducked low behind some brush among the trees when he spotted the tall Suman with the close beard leading four saddled horses between the wagon’s near side and the tree line.
Two other Sumans and Duke Beáumie stood waiting.
“Down at ... feet,” Osha whispered behind him.
Chane rose a little and saw a small trunk and an even smaller chest at the duke’s feet.
As the Sumans struggled to get the horses close, Chane looked about for any keep guards. He saw none, and this bothered him, for there should have been five. Where were they? Moments passed as the Sumans stood talking lowly among themselves, and one produced a rope.
Chane gripped the dark glasses dangling against his chest. Wynn should be in position by now, but nothing happened. He remained waiting, and the only sound that took him by surprise was when Osha pulled an arrow and fitted it to his bow.
Talk among the Suman guards ended abruptly. Two of them lifted the trunk and managed to settle it atop a horse’s saddle. The third began uncoiling a rope and preparing to tie the trunk down.
Chane grew instantly edgy. Between the trunk’s size and that of the smaller chest, only the former was big enough to hold an orb, and it was heavy enough, judging by the way it was handled. One of the Suman guards let go of his end and turned, though he cowered strangely before the duke as he retrieved the smaller chest.
There was no time left for Wynn’s plan.
Chane glanced over his shoulder at Osha. “We cannot wait. We must—”
Osha rose suddenly. Drawing his bowstring, he fired.
Wynn had gained only a short distance deeper into the forest when Shade halted and backed into her knees. The wind rustled too many branches, and it was two breaths before she heard what had stalled Shade. With booted steps ahead, another keep guard came into sight between the trees to the south.
Wynn ducked back behind the low branches of a fir tree as Shade retreated to join her. How many guards were out here—and why?
“Anything?” the man called softly, and his voice sounded familiar.
“No, sir,” another answered, even closer off to Wynn’s left.
There were at least three of them now, and they were spread out. With no way to tell whether more were out here, Wynn realized that sneaking past this many wasn’t going to work.
—Chane ... waiting—
Wynn almost uttered a frustrated retort. Yes, Chane had to be in place by now and was likely wondering when she would act. She had to do something—something desperate—and she crouched to whisper in Shade’s ear.
“When I say, charge the closer guard to the left. You’re dark enough that he may not see you at first. Snarl and growl all you want but do not howl. The first guard’s shouts should draw the other two. Once they come running, I’ll be right behind and flash the crystal once. That should blind them for an instant, and hopefully Chane and Osha will act while we run for the wagon.”
Shade growled low, but not a word popped into Wynn’s head. Wynn hoped a short flash wouldn’t panic Chane into thinking she was under attack. If she and Shade could hold these guards here for a moment, it might be enough for Chane and Osha to do as she expected.