"Thank you," Evanlyn said simply, and all three of them knew she was talking about more than just the use of the cloak. Will and Horace moved to douse the fire as Gilan took his longbow and moved to a rock outcrop that gave him a good view of the track leading to and from their campsite.
As Will was helping Evanlyn arrange a sleeping spot, he heard Carney's whining voice once more.
"Sir, please, could you loosen these ropes a little for the night? They're awful tight, like."
And he heard Gilan's uncaring "Of course not" as he climbed up onto the rocks to take the first watch.
14
T HE FOLLOWING MORNING, OF COURSE, THEY WERE FACED with the problem of what to do with Bart and Carney. The two bandits had spent a supremely uncomfortable night, tied back to back and so forced to sit upright on the stony ground. Several times during the night, Gilan had loosened their bonds for a few minutes to give their cramped muscles a brief respite. He even eventually relented and allowed them a small amount of the party's food and water. But it was still a very unpleasant experience for them, made even more so because they had no idea what he planned to do with them in the morning.
And, truth be told, neither did Gilan. He had no wish to take them along as prisoners. As it was, they had only four horses, counting the pack horse that had been carrying their camping supplies and would now have to carry Evanlyn as well. He felt that the news of Morgarath's puzzling foray into Celtica should be taken back to King Duncan as soon as possible, and dragging two prisoners along on foot would slow them down immeasurably. In addition, he was already considering the idea that he might push on ahead at top speed, allowing the other three to follow at their own pace. He knew the clumsy pack pony would never keep up with Blaze's mile-eating lope.
So, faced with these two problems, he frowned to himself as he ate breakfast, allowing himself the luxury of a second cup of coffee from their dwindling supply. After all, he thought, if he did go on ahead, it was the last coffee he'd see for some days. After a while he glanced up, caught Will's eye and beckoned him over.
"I'm thinking of pushing on ahead," he said quietly. Instantly he saw the look of alarm in Will's eyes.
"You mean alone?" Will asked, and Gilan nodded.
"This is vital news, Will, and I need to get it to King Duncan as soon as possible. Aside from anything else, it means that there'll be no reinforcements coming from Celtica. He needs to know that."
"But:" Will hesitated. He looked around the little campsite as if searching for some argument against Gilan's idea. The tall Ranger was a comforting presence. Like Halt, he always seemed to know the right thing to do. Now, the thought that he was planning to leave them created a sense of near-panic in Will's mind. Gilan recognized the self-doubt that was racking the boy. He stood and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Let's walk a little," he said, and they began to pace away from the campsite. Blaze and Tug glanced up curiously as they passed, then, realizing they weren't required, went back to cropping the sparse vegetation.
"I know you're worried about what happened with those four Wargals," Gilan said. Will stopped walking and looked up at him.
"Halt told you?" he said. There was a note of doubt in his voice. He wondered what Halt had said about his behavior. Gilan nodded gravely.
"Of course he told me. Will, you have nothing to be ashamed of, believe me."
"But, Gil, I panicked. I forgot all my training and I-"
Gilan held up a hand to stop the torrent of self-recrimination that he sensed was about to pour out.
"Halt says you stood your ground," he said firmly. Will shuffled his feet.
"Welclass="underline" I suppose so. But:"
"You were scared but you didn't run. Will, that's not cowardice. That's courage. That's the highest form of courage. Weren't you scared when you killed the Kalkara?"
"Of course," Will said. "But that was different. It was forty meters away and attacking Sir Rodney."
"Whereas," Gilan finished for him, "the Wargal was ten meters away and coming straight at you. Big difference."
Will wasn't convinced. "It was Tug who saved me," he said. Gilan allowed himself a grin.
"Maybe he thought you were worth saving. He's a smart horse. And while Halt and I aren't nearly as smart as Tug, we think you've got what it takes too."
"Well, I've been beginning to doubt it," Will said. But for the first time in some weeks, he felt his confidence lift a little.
"Then don't!" Gilan said forcefully. "Self-doubt is a disease. And if it gets out of control, it becomes self-fulfilling. You have to learn from what happened with those Wargals. Use the experience to make you stronger."
Will thought about Gilan's words for a few seconds. Then he took a deep breath and squared his shoulders.
"All right," he said. "What do you want me to do?"
Gilan studied him for a moment. There was a newfound determination in the boy's stance.
"I'm going to leave you in command," he said. "There's no point now in continuing with the mission, so follow on behind me to Araluen as quickly as you can."
"To Redmont?" Will asked, and Gilan shook his head.
"By now, the army will be on the move to the Plains of Uthal. That's where I'm heading and that's where Halt will be. We'll go over the map before I leave and plan the best route for you."
"What about the girl?" Will asked. "Should I bring her along or leave her somewhere safe once we're back in Araluen?"
Gilan considered the point for a moment. "Bring her. The King and his advisers may want to question her some more. She'll be in the middle of the Araluen army, so she'll be as safe as anywhere else."
He hesitated, then decided to share his suspicions with Will. "There's something else about her, Will," he began.
"You think her story isn't quite right?" Will interrupted. "She keeps hesitating and stopping, as if she's afraid to tell us something." Another thought struck him and he lowered his voice instinctively, even though the campsite was well out of earshot. "You don't think she's a spy, do you?"
Gilan shook his head. "Nothing so dramatic. But remember when she said she saw us and thought, 'Thank God they're Rangers'? Ordinary people don't think that way about us. Only the nobles are comfortable around Rangers."
Will frowned. "So you think:" He hesitated. He wasn't sure what Gilan thought.
"I think she may be the lady and she's assumed her maid's identity."
"So on the one hand, she sees Rangers and is glad, then she doesn't trust us enough to tell us the truth? It doesn't make sense, Gil!" Will said. Gilan shrugged.
"It may not be that she doesn't trust us. She may have other reasons for not saying who she really is. I don't think it's a problem for you. I just think you should be aware of it."
They turned and began to walk back to the camp.
"I don't like to leave you in the lurch," Gilan said. "But you're not exactly unarmed. You've got your bow and your knives, and of course, there's Horace."
Will glanced across to where the muscular apprentice was sharing a joke with Evanlyn. As she threw back her head and laughed, he felt a small pang of jealousy. Then he realized that he should be glad to have Horace along with him.
"He's not bad with that sword of his, is he?" he said. Gilan shook his head in admiration.
"I'd never tell him, because it doesn't do a swordsman any good to have an inflated opinion of himself, but he's a lot better than not bad." He looked down at Will. "That's not to say you should go looking for trouble. There may still be Wargals between here and the border, so travel by night and hide up in the rocks by day."