The afternoon dragged slowly on. Either the land was as empty as it appeared, or perhaps the company presented too large a threat for anything to challenge them, but they heard and saw nothing.
An hour before sunset—as best Eddis could tell by the deeper blue of the sky—they halted in a large clearing on the east flank of the road. There had been plenty of travelers here, over time, though the two blackened rings of stone looked long disused. The tattered end of a rope that might have once been a horse picket remained.
Men moved out to find wood, with guards to watch over them, while others went for water, taking the horses with them. By full dark, there were two fires and food, and Jerdren had posted guards all around.
Eddis felt edgy, and Jerdren looked it. He spent most of the dinner hour discussing plans that had already been set back in the Keep, mostly the disposition of the horse guards. Blorys finally murmured something against his ear, and the older man sighed and set his bowl aside.
“All right, we’ll stick with things as we planned ’em. You men ride back tomorrow, and three days past that, come back with spare horses and the provisions. Someone’ll be here to meet you, but if not, you stay the night and go back at first light. Come back three days later.”
The guard knew all this by heart; Eddis could see it in his face. He merely nodded, and Jerdren turned to the next matter—choosing watches for the night.
After that, the men fell silent. With luck, Eddis thought, they’d find the caves somewhere nearby. With better luck, they’d win through, though at the moment, she didn’t feel as confident as she had the night before. Finally, she settled down close to M’Baddah and Flerys, snugged the blanket under her chin, and turned her face from the fire. She was asleep in moments.
12
It was much colder and very quiet when she was wakened for her share of the watch around middle night. No wind, no insects or frogs down by the water. That means you’ll hear anything coming after the camp, she told herself. Of course, it might mean they were near enough the caves that the creatures there had killed off even the smallest game. Not a good thought, here and now. Jerdren’s right, she thought. Why should you care if something eats your carcass, once you’re dead? A short while later, she went to waken Blorys and sought her blankets once more.
By daybreak, the Keep men and horses were gone, and most of the party was ready to move out, waiting only for Willow and M’Baddah, who had gone across the road to check the lay of the land and see if they could locate landmarks on what Jerdren called the “madman’s map.” As Eddis checked the last of her arrows and strung her bow, elf and outlander came back, and she could tell by M’Baddah’s normally impassive face that they had found something. A faint smile curved his lips, and his eyes were alight.
She was nervy, all at once. Ready to start moving, to do something. Jerdren caught her eye, and she went to join him and the two scouts.
“We’re somewhere close,” her co-captain said cheerfully. “Just as I said last night.”
She shrugged. “We knew that much. Everything I read mentioned that ravine.”
“Sure, but that madman—”
“Zebos,” Willow corrected him quietly. “Zebos told us his company did not like the look of the road ahead, where it plunged into a ravine. The big deserted camp they had just passed seemed too open. So they set up for the night in the trees just past the camp. M’Baddah and I found traces of such a camp, just down the road. Across the road, we could just see pale stone, rising above the trees. It is… not a good place, I think. Mead will be able to tell more, when we go.”
“I felt nothing,” M’Baddah said, “but it will be hard work, making our way through those woods. There are no paths visible from where we were, and the undergrowth is thick.”
Jerdren grinned. “I’d say luck’s with us, so far.”
“So far,” Eddis replied dryly. She went back over to finish stowing her gear. Flerys sat nearby, listening to M’Whan, one hand clutching her small bow. She looked interested in their surroundings, and if she was afraid, it didn’t show. The swordswoman got to her feet as Mead restored his precious book to its bag and stood. The priest finished his prayers, tugged at his armor, and came over to the firepit. Moments later, the company started across the road and began working their way up a steep bank and into the woods.
It had been gloomy coming up the ravine and shadowy where they’d camped. On this side of the road, it was worse. Half-dead trees clung to each other and thorny vines twisted across the ground, clawing at her boots. Behind her, someone stumbled and nearly fell. Even where the trees were thin and wide-spaced, they managed to keep overhead light from penetrating. It might have been an hour after sunset, for all she could see. The ground was hard, but the air smelled damp and moldy.
She became increasingly aware of the furtive little noises around and above them. There was nothing to see, no hint of a breeze. They could be anything, she told herself. But nothing as big as an orc. Something I could step on, more likely.
The thought was reassuring, though she was grateful when the ground began sloping up and the worst of the brush was behind them. It was very quiet, all at once, and the moldy odor had faded and changed to the least hint of long-dead things.
Finally, she could see far enough to either side to make out pale, rough stone rearing high above them. From the looks of things, they were heading into a broad-mouthed ravine.
Don’t think mouth, she ordered herself. Ominous as the place looked, her heart rose. This bore a strong resemblance to everything she read in the castellan’s scrolls, and it was laid out just like Zebos’ map.
She glanced back as they slowed, so Jerdren could choose a direction. Flerys was right behind her, staying close to her and M’Baddah as the girl had promised. Her dark hair was covered by a leather cap, and like M’Baddah, she carried her bow strung, an arrow fitted to the string.
Jerdren called a brief halt and sent Mead and M’Baddah a short ways ahead. The two were back almost at once.
“We chose right,” the mage said quietly, as the others gathered close. “There are caves on both sides of this foul glade, and evil creatures are there as well, but none are nearby.”
“Good,” Jerdren murmured. “Remember what the madman told you, Mead. The nastiest things were living farther from the road, and higher up. We’ll start low and near.”
The mage nodded.
Jerdren shifted his grip on his sword and led the way once again.
It was mid-morning when they halted again. Rock walls climbed steeply north and south, and a high crag straight ahead. Shadow lay thick everywhere, though Eddis caught occasional glimpses of sunlight on the highest spires of stone. Caves—perhaps some of the darker blots along nearest ledge were caves—but the thin, light-starved trees all around made it difficult to see very far.
Jerdren beckoned everyone close. “All ready?” he asked quietly. “Our cave is just over there. See it? Dark opening, right at ground level. You three, get those oil lamps lit and shuttered. Luck, people.” He turned away to check his weapons one last time.
Eddis gave Flerys what she hoped was a confident smile, sheathed her sword, and knelt to rest her feet a moment and set an arrow to her string.
The ground was littered with small stones, bits of bark, and other hard things. She brushed them aside, froze briefly as something small and white rolled away. Finger bones, she thought. She pushed them under a drift of leaves and got back to her feet. They moved on a moment later. Jerdren was back in the lead with M’Baddah and three of the Keep men. Eddis dropped back behind Flerys, and Blorys gave her a faint smile as he moved up next to her.
Sudden movement ahead and up caught her eye.
“Something there!” she whispered.