Carrion’s hand placed on his mouth woke Tanner. Lying perfectly still, he heard the nearby footsteps. One set. They passed ten or twenty paces away, making the sort of crashing and snapping of twigs that only a city dweller makes when in the forest.
The pink of predawn provided enough light to catch a glimpse of a heavy-set man following the tracks left by the other clan members. Carrion mouthed, “Wait here.”
Tanner nodded, but as he watched Carrion slip out from under the branches of the cedar, he found himself becoming angry and resentful. If the family council placed him in charge, why was Carrion giving him orders?
He calmed. The fact was that it had been Carrion, who had slept so lightly that he woke to hear the footsteps. I would have slept through it, and been fortunate if the man hadn’t heard his snores. Carrion was far more experienced. He had lived in the forests for months on end. And of course, if he needed help there was a red dragon at his beck and call.
Tanner sat with his back to the trunk and waited. It took far longer than expected and he was dozing when Carrion slipped back under the branches and held his finger to his lips for silence. Later, they heard voices approach and then retreat as the pair walked in the direction of the road.
After they had been gone for a short while, Carrion said, “Those two won’t need much protection from us. You should have seen that little girl. The constable slipped into their camp and took their knives off their hips. But when she awoke, her hand went to a dagger strapped to her ankle. That constable never even knew he was in danger.”
“That makes me feel better. I was beginning to wonder what sort of incompetent fools another family sent.”
“After seeing them in action, they’re inexperienced, but both are top-notch. The man, she called him Gray, braced the constable who was probably twice his size. He even suggested that the little girl, who is older than she acts, take a few steps back and nock an arrow.”
“What did the constable want with them?”
“Like we figured. They didn’t arrive in town as expected, so he went looking for them.”
“So the people in town are wary and watchful,” Tanner said.
“Both indicating they have some reason for their actions and something to be vigilant about. We’ll have to be careful.”
Tanner said, “We need a plan in case we get found or questioned. Why are we sneaking around, and why are we here?”
Carrion shrugged, “A sneak thief stole a necklace that belonged to my mother in the middle of the night a few nights ago. We followed him on the road to Fleming, and he went in this direction at the fork. We lost the trail so we came here to find him. A short fellow, scar over his lip.”
“You really are a good liar.”
“I’ve had a bit of experience in telling tales to cover for my actions through the years. Give a story that wakes them up and they’ll believe it unless you go too far. Skimp on the details and they catch you every time.”
Tanner said, “Now what?”
“They went into town. I think we should too, but we’ll stay in the forest and watch from there instead of strolling down the main street and attracting attention.”
“Are we ever going to get any food? I’m starving.”
Carrion tossed both hands into the air. “You’re the fool they put in charge of this mission. I should be asking you, when do we eat.”
“Maybe we can find some in town,” Tanner said, unable to hide his smile.
CHAPTER THREE
They spent the day peering at the town from the edge of the forest, noting there were no children, dogs, cats, or other animals. All the adults moved at half-speed, as if partially asleep. The usual noise and bustle of activity of a small port town were absent. The only people who acted at average speed were those few in charge of others, and the pair of Dragon Clan when they caught one of the several glimpses of them.
“The residents are drugged,” Carrion said. “Something put in the water would be my guess.”
“It might be the food.”
“It’s the water,” he said decisively.
Tanner couldn’t help himself. “It could be something in the air.”
Carrion flashed him the same look parents give their children when they say something stupid, then said, “The constables and head guards breathe the same air. It’s the water.”
“After dark, I’m going to sneak up to that house near the end of the street,” Tanner said. “That chicken coop will have eggs, and they won’t miss one hen.”
“Good idea. Go around the back of the coop and dig a small hole under the fence so it looks like a fox or weasel was there in case the hen’s missed. Then slip inside the coop and grab your chicken. We need to back off far enough where we can keep an eye on things, but not be caught.”
“The headland? Keep an eye on the ships departing and arriving from there?”
“I like that,” Carrion said. “Out beyond the breakwater they’re building will get us out of sight and let us watch for ships. Probably nothing is going to happen until a ship gets here.”
“We can’t get on the first ship because of those clan members. The next one will do.”
Carrion said, “Food is going to become a problem. I’m wondering if we should break into that store in a few days and load up on warm blankets and food.”
“That would work—unless we’re captured and then punished as thieves instead of curious visitors.”
“Then we don’t get captured. Besides, from what I see, the punishment might be about the same for either of those things. The only problem with it is that they’ll know someone else is here and begin searching for us.”
As usual, Carrion had managed to put it all into perspective. A few eggs and a hen would feed them for a day, or maybe two. The slow advance of the mission dictated that they might have to leave, locate a source of food, and return. The problem was that they would not know what happened during their absence, and they couldn’t support the other clan members if they got into trouble.
During the day, they had watched as the clan members had gone from one store to another, and finally to a second story room. At any time, at least, one man, and often two watched them. One was the same constable who had taken their knives and identified himself as a constable, but anyone could use the title. They didn’t move with the slow mannerisms of the local residents and appeared to be working in conjunction.
Shortly after dark Tanner dug his little hole under the fence with a stick and then entered the door in the dark, cooing softly to calm the flurry of protest. The chickens settled down, and he quickly gathered six eggs and a hen. A twist of the neck and he was outside. Carrion watched for trouble from the edge of the trees.
They moved carefully, going deeper into the forest, and higher up on the slope of the mountain. An animal trail crossed their path, and it took them in the right direction. When they caught sight of the breakwater again, they were well passed it. Traveling further carried them to a point of land where a fire couldn’t be seen from town.
Still, they were cautious. Shrewsbury seemed paranoid, if slow. They hadn’t eaten since the evening before, and the chicken was roasting over a small fire. None of it was left when they finally went to sleep.
When he woke, Tanner glanced at Carrion and leaped to his feet. The man appeared to have died in his sleep. Then his chest moved. He lay on his back, eyes closed, his breath coming slowly and evenly. Bonded with his dragon.
Tanner watched. He’d only seen this a few times, and it still fascinated him, as it did all Dragon Clan. Since it was daylight, Carrion was probably peering through the eyes of the red, seeing what it did and directing it to fly where he wanted. Breaking the connection by talking or touching Carrion would cause instant rebuke.