Narayan admitted nothing. He handled my probes deftly. There was no doubt he directed the dozen, though several sprang from higher castes.
I kept an eye on him. Time would betray him-if he didn't open up, as he hinted he might.
For the moment he was too useful to press.
I nodded approval. "They almost look like soldiers." We'd have to get them uniform dress.
Narayan nodded. He seemed smug, as though his genius had produced our triumph and sparked a renascent spirit.
"How're the riding lessons coming?" Just making talk. I knew. Abysmally. None of these clowns belonged to a caste that got closer to a horse than to trail along behind cleaning up. But, damn, it would be a sin to waste those mounts.
"Poorly. Though a few men show promise. Not including myself or Ram. We were born to walk."
"Show promise" had become his favorite expression. In reference to everything. As he taught me to use the strangler's kerchief, or rumel, at my insistence, he said I showed promise.
I suspected he was surprised at how easily I picked it up. Its manipulation came as naturally as breathing, as though it was a skill I'd had all along. Maybe it came of centuries of practice at the quick, subtle gestures needed to manipulate sorceries.
"You were saying you were going to move?" Narayan asked. "Mistress." The honorific was becoming an afterthought. Narayan remained Taglian. He was beginning to take me for granted.
"Our foragers are having to range pretty far."
Narayan didn't reply but seemed reluctant to go.
I had a feeling I was being watched. At first I credited it to the crows. They kept me uncomfortable. Now I understood Croaker's reaction better. They didn't behave the way crows ought. I'd mentioned them to Narayan. He'd grinned and called them a good omen.
Meaning they were a bad omen for someone else. ‘ I scanned our surroundings. The crows were there, in their scores, but... "Narayan, collect the dozen best horsemen. I'm taking a patrol out."
"But ... Do you think... ?"
How could I get through? "I'm no garden rose. I'm taking a patrol out."
"As you command, Mistress, so shall it be."
It had better, Narayan. It had better.
Chapter Thirteen
Swan glanced at Blade. The black man's attitude toward Smoke had grown from disdain into contempt. The wizard had no more spine than a worm. He shook like a leaf.
Cordy said, "That's her."
Swan nodded. He grinned but kept his thoughts to himself. "She's putting something together. That gang is more organized than any I've seen down here."
They backed off the knoll from which they'd been watching the camp. Blade said, "We going to drop in?" He had hold of the wizard's sleeve like he expected the runt to run.
"Not yet. I want to circle around, check it out down south. Shouldn't be that far to where they hit the Shadowmasters' men. I want to see the place. If we can find it."
Cordy asked, "Think they know we're here?"
"What?" The idea startled Swan.
"You said they're organized. Nobody ever accused the Lady of not being efficient. She should have pickets out."
Swan thought. No one had entered or left the camp, but Mather had a point. If they wanted to remain unnoticed they'd better move on. "You're right. Let's go. Blade, you were down here before. Know how to cross that creek somewhere that's not too far out of the way?"
Blade nodded. In those desperate days before the Black Company picked up the reins he'd led guerrillas behind the Shadowmasters' main forces.
"Lead on. Smoke, old buddy, I wish I could get a peek inside your head. I never seen anybody so ready to drizzle down his leg."
The wizard said nothing.
Blade found a game ford three miles east of the south road, led the way through woods narrower than Swan expected. When they reached the southern side, Blade said, "Road's two miles that way."
"I figured." The sky was dark with buzzards. "That's where we'll find our dead men."
That was the place.
The air was still. The stench hung like a poisonous miasma. Neither Swan nor Mather had a stomach strong enough to let them take a close look. Blade, though, seemed to have no sense of smell.
He returned. Swan said, "You look green around the gills."
"Not much but bones left. Been a while. Two hundred, three hundred men. Hard to tell now. Animals been at them. One thing. No heads."
"Eh?"
"No heads. Somebody cut them off."
Smoke moaned, then chucked his breakfast. His mount shied.
"No heads?" Swan asked. "I don't get it."
Mather said, "I've got an idea. Come on." He rode south, toward where crows circled, dipped, and squabbled.
They found the heads.
Blade asked, "Want to get a count?" He chuckled.
"No. Let's drop in on our friends."
Smoke made protesting noises.
Cordy asked, "You still hot to trot with your proud beauty?"
Swan couldn't think of a flip answer. "Maybe I'm starting to see Smoke's viewpoint. Don't let me get on her bad side."
Blade said, "Only a mile to their camp straight up the road."
Swan snorted. "We'll go around, thank you."
After they crossed the game ford, Mather suggested, "Suppose we go up the road a ways and come down like we don't know nothing about back there? See what they say if they think we just rode in."
"Stop whining, Smoke," Swan said. "Go with it. You got no choice. You're right, Cordy. It'll give us a clue if she's going to play games."
They rode north till they were behind a rise, turned west to the road, then turned south. They were almost back to the crest when Mather, in the lead, yelled, "Yo! Lookout!"
Chapter Fourteen
We crossed the creek into the wood, walking our mounts behind Sindhu, who had scouted till he knew every leaf and twig of the surrounding terrain. He led us along a meandering game trail which paralleled the creek going westward. I wondered what had become of the game. We hadn't seen anything bigger than a squirrel. A few native deer might have eased the food problem, though neither Gunni nor Shadar touch meat.
It was a long walk. My companions grumbled and bickered.
The watching presence centered on a grove on a knoll whence it would be possible to observe events in our camp. I'd lapsed. I'd been thinking too far ahead. If I'd had the sense of a goose I'd have had a squad posted there. The outlying pickets were too scattered to spot everything moving in the area, even if people weren't sneaking around. Fugitives slipped through all the time. They left their traces.
I had a good idea what I'd find on that knoll. Somebody from up north who'd heard rumors and had gotten worried that I might be trouble. I meant to be a lot, for the Shadowmasters and anybody who got between us.
We crossed the creek a few miles downstream, out of sight of the knoll, moved back to the east, and discovered that there was no way to approach the grove unseen the last third of a mile. I told the men, "All we can do is ride straight at it. Let's do it without getting in a hurry. Maybe they won't run till we're so close they can't get away."
I didn't know if they could control themselves. The excitement had them again. They were pumped up, scared and eager.
"Let's go."
We'd covered half the open ground when the watchers flushed like quail. "Shadar," somebody noted.
Yes. Mounted Shadar, in uniform, cavalry equipped. "Jahamaraj Jah's men!" I snapped.