"Now," I said, "let us try to discover where Shizala has been taken."
But the Argzoon could not help beyond telling us that as far as he knew all the Argzoon were fleeing north. It seemed instinctive for them to go north, back to their mountains, in defeat.
"I think he is right," said Darnad. "Our best chance would be to try the north."
"North," I said-"that takes in a lot of territory."
Darnad sighed.
"True-but…" He looked at me directly and there was a misery in his eyes that was only half hidden.
I reached out and grasped his shoulder. "But all we can do is search on," I said. "We will make more prisoners soon and with luck we shall be able to get a better indication of where they have taken Shizala."
Our prisoners were tied securely and one of our number undertook to escort them back to Varnal.
Now we rode across a vast plateau of short, waving crimson fern. It was the Crimson Plain. It was like a great sea of bright blood, stretching in all directions, and I began to feel hopeless of ever finding Shizala.
Night fell and we camped, building no fires for fear of ambush from Argzoon or from the marauding bandits who apparently roamed these plains, nomadic bands made up from the riff-raff of all the nearby nations. The Crimson Plain was a kind of no-man's land hardly touched by law of any sortsave the savage dog-eat-dog, weakest-to-the-wall law of the lawless.
I slept little. I was beginning to feel frustrated, wanting to find more Argzoon to question.
We moved off early, almost before dawn. It was no longer fine and the sky was full of grey clouds, a light drizzle falling.
We saw nothing of bandits or Argzoon until the next afternoon when suddenly in front of us some fifty Blue Giants rose up in our path. They looked ready for a fight-ready for vengeance on us for their defeat!
We scarcely paused as we drew lances and swords and goaded our mounts towards them, yelling as fiercely as they did.
Then we clashed and the fight was on.
I found myself engaged with a blue warrior who wore around his waist a girdle of grisly spoils from the earlier encounter-severed human hands.
I decided to claim some recompense for those hands.
Being mounted, I was more at an advantage than I had been, for the Argzoon were not. Apart from the advance guard I had originally seen, there seemed to be few mounts among them and I concluded that their need for secrecy had made them wary of using too many.
The warrior struck at me left-handed, catching me by surprise. The weapon was a battle-axe, and it took all my skill to block the blow and at the same time avoid the lunge of his sword.
He pressed down on my sword with both weapons and we remained in that position for several moments, testing each other's strength and reflexes. Then he tried to raise the sword to aim a blow at my head, but I whipped my own blade out from under his axe and he was unbalanced for a second. I used that second to pierce him in the throat.
Meanwhile there was general confusion around me. Though it seemed we were beating the Argzoon, we had many casualties. It seemed we had only about half our original strength left.
I saw Darnad having trouble with a couple of blue warriors and rode in to help him.
Together we quickly despatched our opponents.
From the fifty Argzoon we had fought, only two had surrendered.
We used the same technique on them as we had used with the previous prisoners. At last they began to answer our questions surlily.
"Did you see any of your comrades take a Karnala woman with them?"
"Perhaps."
Darnad fingered his knife.
"Yes," said the Argzoon.
"In which direction were they riding?" I said.
"North."
"But where did you think they were going?"
"Maybe towards Narlet."
"Where is that?" I asked Darnad.
"About three days' ride-a brigand town near the borders of the Crimson Plain."
"A brigand town-dangerous for us, eh?"
"It could be," Darnad admitted. "But I doubt it if we don't make trouble. They prefer not to antagonize us if we make it plain we are not seeking any of their number. In fact," Darnad laughed, "I have a friend or two in Narlet. Rogues, but pleasant company if you forget that they are thieves and murderers many times over."
Again we put the prisoners in charge of one man and our somewhat depleted force moved on towards Narlet.
At least we had some definite information and our spirits rose as we rode full speed towards the City of Thieves.
Twice more en route we were forced to stop and engage Argzoon and the prisoners we took confirmed that in all likelihood Shizala had been taken to Narlet.
Less than three days later we saw a range of hills in the far distance, marking the end of the Crimson Plain.
Then we saw a small walled city-its wall seeming to be built of logs covered with dried mud..
The buildings were square and seemed solid enough, but they had little beauty.
We had reached Narlet, City of Thieves.
But would we find Shizala?
Chapter Eight
THE CITY OF THIEVES
IT WOULD not be true to say that we received a joyous welcome in Narlet but, as Darnad had said, they did not immediately set upon us, though they gave us looks of intense suspicion and tended to avoid us as we entered the city's only gate and made our way through the narrow streets.
"We'll get no information from most of them,"
Darnad told me. "But I think I know where I can find someone who will help us-if Old Belet Vor still lives."
"Belet Vor?" I said questioningly.
"One of those friends I mentioned."
Our little party emerged into a market square of some sort and Darnad pointed to a small house sandwiched between two ramshackle buildings.
When I used to patrol these parts he saved my life once. I had the good fortune to return the favorand somehow we struck up a strong friendship. One of those things."
We dismounted outside the house and from it an old man emerged. He was toothless and wrinkled and incredibly ugly, yet there was a jaunty appearance about him which made one forget his unwholesome visage.
"Ah, the Bradhinak Darnad-an honor, an honor." His eyes twinkled, belying his servile words. He spoke ironically. I could see why Darnad had liked him.
"Greetings, you old scoundrel. How many children have you robbed today?"
"Only a dozen or so, Bradhinak. Would this friend of yours like to see my spoils-some of the sweetmeats are only half-eaten. Heh-heh!"
"Spare us the temptation." I smiled as he ushered us into his hovel.
It was surprisingly clean and orderly and we sat on benches while he brought us basu.
Drinking the sweet beverage, Darnad said seriously: "We are in haste, Belet Vor. Have any warriors of the Argzoon been seen in Narlet recently-coming here perhaps a day or so before us?"
The old rogue cocked his head to one side.
"Why, yes-two Argzoon warriors. Looked as if they'd taken a beating and were scampering back to their mountain lairs."
"Just two warriors?"
Belet Vor chuckled. "And two prisoners, by the look of them. I'm thinking they wouldn't have chosen such company of their own free will."
"Two prisoners?"
"Women, both of them. One fair, one dark."
"Shizala and Horguhl!" I cried.
"Are they still here?" Darnad asked urgently.
"I'm not sure. They could have left early this morning, but I think not."
"Where are they staying?"
"Ah-there you have it, if you seek the prisoners.
The Argzoon warriors seem to be of high rank.