Lhors nodded, afraid to trust his voice. The mention of his father brought back memories that he could cherish later, but now he needed them for other reasons. His fear was still there, but it had now been joined by something else: rage and a sudden thirst for vengeance.
3
The preparations for departure took even longer than choosingthe company had. Lhors spent much of his daylight hours helping Malowan set up a staging area in the stables. They acquired horses and pack animals, tack, packs, and bags that could be fitted on saddles and racks. He and the paladin went over the food and drink, which then went into bags that would be checked a final time by Pferic, a stolid, middle-aged soldier who would serve them as horseman and cook. Lord Mebree provided a small company to travel with them by horse as far as Flen, where a flatboat was being readied to take them to Istivin.
“It’s our best choice,” Vlandar told the company on thesecond evening when they all gathered. “From Cryllor to Flen is a reasonablyeasy ride, two days without pushing the horses. The river Davish-”
“The river,” Rowan objected, “goes from its joining with theJavan River due west, and the last time I saw it, Vlandar, it was a fast-moving stream.”
“Then you saw it in the spring,” Vlandar replied. “This islate autumn. Not only is the water low and not nearly as swift, but this time of year the wind most often sets from east to west, flowing into the westernmost corner of Sterich where the Crystalmist Mountains and the Jotens meet up. Lord Mebree has ordered a flatboat for us with sails in case there is wind-and thereshould be. The south bank and the lands beyond rapidly move into the Jotens where the Steading is, but most of Sterich is flat and we will be able to see far in three directions most of the time. I need not remind you that there will be bandits, pirates, giants, and all manner of unpleasant folk watching the Davish?”
“Pirates?” Nemis murmured and rose to his feet. “Your pardon,Vlandar, but I fear I must decline this journey. You warned me of giants and other monsters and horrors, but you said nothing about pirates!”
Lhors simply stared at the mage, astonished-as did several ofhis companions. But this seemed to be Nemis’ idea of a joke. Malowan andVlandar broke into laughter, and the mage grinned. “That is well though,Vlandar. Personally, I prefer a boat under my feet to a horse between my knees. But what if there is no wind?”
Vlandar shrugged. “We pole. This time of year, the water willbe shallow and slow. It won’t be so bad.”
That evening was given over to readying for the chance that they might become separated. Bread and other rations were divided up and put in separate small packs that each of them would carry at all times. Individual tins of flint and tinder were also stowed.
The next morning, Lhors went with Vlandar, who had him fitted for thick trousers of brown boiled wool, a soft tunic to match, and a knee-length cloak and hood of waterproofed wool that could also serve as a blanket. The warrior then took him into the armory and acquired a leather harness and case for javelins, then had it cut down so it fit snugly. Seven short throwing javelins, each tipped with sharp steel, went into the case, which could be covered over and tied down so that he wouldn’t lose the weapons if thecase tipped. To Lhors’ surprise, Vlandar also bought him two long-bladeddaggers, a sling, and a bag of hurling stones.
“The blades are for defense and only as a last resort. Thesling is as good at a distance as the javelins-possibly better since they workat greater distance with less effort. Mal is better at the sling than I. I’llget him to show you.”
During those three days, Malowan and Vlandar also found the time to track down people who knew the land near the Steading. They even found one fellow who’d been taken prisoner by one of the hill giants but had managedto escape. None of them had any desire to return no matter how great the reward, but they talked freely and answered questions that Vlandar incorporated into his precious maps. He now had four. The first was a general map of the lands of southern Sterich and the Joten mountains. Another that he’d drawn himself was ofthe Steading and the lands around it for two leagues. A third, even rougher, showed the outside of the fortress-like building-what he’d been able to learn ofentries, guard towers, and the like. The last, mostly blank, was an outline of the outer walls. Vlandar had roughly marked the location of the main entry and the doors leading into the rest of the building. His only source of information had escaped by hiding amid the cloaks and wrappings piled in the entry. With the chaos of so many coming in at once, he’d been temporarily forgotten.
The first meeting of the full group-again, after dark, sinceit gave the members of the company an opportunity to comb the market for things they would need for the journey-was less pleasant than Lhors had expected.Plowys returned, sullenly mouthing threats and trying to pick fights with everyone, including Lhors.
Khlened finally picked him up by the collar and tossed him into the night. Khlened himself was in an obnoxious mood, picking on everything he saw as poorly planned. He seemed both fascinated and repelled by the rangers and raised one objection after another over division of treasure. The rangers exchanged annoyed glances whenever he turned away.
The two rangers also spent some time helping Vlandar and the others in the company work out a rough series of hand-signs.
“Maera and I have our own,” Rowan explained, “but it’scomplex-”
“-and private,” Maera interrupted. She didn’t look at allpleased, and Lhors wondered if they had quarreled about sharing their code.
Rowan glanced at her and moved her index finger and thumb sharply.
Maera nodded and added, “Mostly, it’s complicated-a twinthing.”
“But we think there might be times when it’s dangerous tospeak aloud,” Rowan went on, “and so if we all had a set of signs for suchthings as ‘danger’, ‘monster’… Vlandar, you’re our captain, you’ll knowbest what we need besides what Maera and I have worked out.”
“Well thought,” the warrior admitted. “We’ll have a littlemore time here and some time on the road each night. I’ll think on it.”
The company rode out of the city at daybreak three dayslater. Vlandar took the lead, and the others strung out behind him. Bringing up the rear was a score of Lord Mebree’s best fighters and Pferic, who led two packanimals while his assistant, Zyb, a freckled boy of perhaps fourteen years, led the third.
For the most part, they rode in silence along the east bank of the Javan River, with an occasional word from Vlandar on direction or stops. The rangers had their own mode of silent communication and moved out ahead to scout once they left the farmsteads and pastures behind. Khlened seemed to be hung over or simply sulking about yet another imagined slight. Nemis’ lipsmoved now and again-perhaps going over spells that might prove useful. Agya hadquarreled with the paladin over one of the last pranks she’d pulled in the lowermarkets the night before they left. Though she now and again spoke to Vlandar, she ignored Malowan. Lhors found himself riding most of the day next to the paladin, who pointed out an occasional landmark along the broad, smooth-flowing river that began high in the Barrier Peaks and ended in the Azure Sea.
There wasn’t much to see to the east and north but hills.Although Lhors had never been quite this far north, every tree and bush seemed to speak of home to him. It was all he could do not to turn and head south, but a small, despondent voice in the back of his mind whispered, but you have no home now….
The desire for revenge that had seized him the other night was still there, but it smoldered now, and he let it alone to do so. Better to concentrate on the task at hand.