“And I can pick up the latest gossip at the same time as I offer meat and skins,” Aisling added. “Yes. If we sent the carriage back without us, hunted here, then rode direct for Kars early in the morning we’d be there well before the meat went bad. We could keep a couple of guards with us to do the skinning and cleaning and stake out the skins. If we hunt for a couple of days then ride hard for Kars we could easily be back in one day.”
She paused, then spoke thoughtfully. “It would also keep our guards away from the Trevalyn servants. That way they’d not start to wondering or gossiping about us. It would be safer for us all.”
Hadrann hauled out one of the skins he’d taken. He studied it closely, parting the fur and looking at it in various angles. “They’re good furs, and Shastro hates to spend money if he can get something free. He’d love enough of these for a cloak. But I’d better present it. We still don’t want him to pay too much attention to Aisling in case Kirion starts noticing her too.”
“So maybe I should give him the furs,” Keelan said thoughtfully. “Kirion could put that down to my trying to get into the duke’s favor. He already knows all about me. He’ll just sneer about it to Shastro and forget it.”
Aisling nodded. “That makes sense. Rann, if you’ll share out some of the meat, I’ll gift a few of the spare furs.” She stared around the darkening landscape. “The hares are breeding too well anyhow. I’ve seen dangerously many gnawed tree trunks. A good many of the animals will die when the real winter comes. So if we hunt them hard now we’ll only be getting what wouldn’t survive winter anyway. A couple of packhorses would be suitable. If we sent the carriage back slowly with only one pair we could use the other pair for that.”
Once the fire had died to coals they slept peacefully. Hadrann took first watch. The morning was bright and clear, chill but it would warm a little later. Keelan slapped his hands together briskly while preparing breakfast. They ate quickly and were saddled and away soon after. They reached the area of their fight with Kirion’s men by early afternoon, before the sun was too low in the sky. Aisling checked the hollow. Foxes and wolves had found the bodies, which were mostly eaten down now to bones and tattered rags of clothing.
She choked down her feelings as she looked on what was left of the men she’d had a share in slaying. She had a job to do here: anything that would identify the bodies must be gathered and taken away. Apart from that, it would be folly to leave anything of value that could be used. The remains were revolting to her, but it was something that had to be done.
Aisling began, saying nothing as her brother and her friend moved to help her, accepting her right to do at least a portion of the task herself. They moved from body to body, swiftly gathering coins, silver buckles, and anything else that was of value or that might identify the dead. The girl locked herself into the task. It must be done, and she would do her share.
Once they were finished, they moved away from the bodies, and the gleanings were piled into Aisling’s hands. She tucked them all into a saddlebag, pausing to look down thoughtfully at some of the items.
“Rann, some of this we’ll have to hide. We can’t keep it in case anyone finds us with it. Kirion would love to know we’d killed his men and freed a witch. I’ve kept apart the bits that could identify his men. What do we do with them?”
“I’m older than you.” It was Keelan’s voice, and Aisling blinked at him in puzzlement.
“By six years. So?”
“So, I’ve visited Jam before. The old keep owners mined in a couple of places to the west of the keep. They struck water and gave up, but the mine shafts are still there. Jam fenced them off to stop stock falling in, that’s all.”
Aisling’s face lit with understanding. “If we drop these bits and pieces down the shafts they aren’t likely to be found. Which way, Kee?”
“Give them to me, and I’ll do it. You two keep checking, but we did check for anything like that from the others toward the road. I think this precious pair must have been the ones Kirion trusted, as much as he’d ever trust anyone out of his sight.”
He received the small handful of belongings from Aisling and trotted away. Hadrann and Aisling moved off slowly. They found the sites of the fight and again the bodies were no more than scattered bones. Aisling collected coins, buckles, cheap weapons, and one good dagger. She looked over the weapons with Hadrann.
“We can sell everything but that knife. None of the swords or other daggers are more than the basic stuff sold in the market. That dagger has no identifying marks, but if anyone’s seen it before they’d recognize it.”
“I should think they would,” Aisling said dryly. “It has Kirion’s crest on the hilt. He must have given it to the leader as a token, maybe as proof to someone else that the man came from my dear brother. We have to be rid of it, but before we do that I’ll have to check it over. Knowing Kirion there’s a good chance it’s sealed to him in some way. I just wish we’d found the damned thing earlier.”
Hadrann spoke comfortingly. “I doubt he’s even started to wonder about them yet. He wouldn’t expect to take a suitable captive at once, so he’d have given them time. I’ll go up the trail a little way and stand guard. Wind Dancer can go down trail. You get that thing checked and cleared. Then Kee can ride back and dump it. He won’t like having to make the trip again but better safe than ambushed.”
Aisling sat on the chill ground. Her mount cropped grass peacefully nearby as she took the dagger into her hands. She sensed nothing, but then Kirion wasn’t a novice. She probed deeper. Ah! There! She considered the spell, sealed in the owner’s blood, and wrinkled her nose in disgust. Typical of Kirion.
She wove a masking spell in her mind, spoke the words, and allowed the result to settle like a smothering curtain over the knife. That should do it. Kirion would have felt nothing since the spell was still intact, but if he scried for the owner, he’d see nothing. If the weapon was disposed of where it could not be easily retrieved, Kirion should never know what had happened to the owner or the men with him.
She stood looking over the now innocuous weapon. A pity to throw away a good knife, but it was too easily identified. She whistled, a long clear note and soon heard hoofbeats as Hadrann returned. Wind Dancer crawled in and sat purring. She held the dagger down for him to sniff, and his purr was confirmation. The knife was fully cloaked. She laid down the carrysack, Wind Dancer crawled in, and Aisling mounted her horse, settling the carrysack across her shoulders.
They rode slowly up the trail until Keelan joined them with a clatter. He groaned when told the dagger must also be disposed of in the same place but rode off with it. He rejoined them just short of the keep. After that all went as they’d hoped. Jam greeted them with genuine pleasure. The hare carcasses went to the great kitchen and appeared as roast hare, minced and spiced hare, and hare pie over the next few evenings. The guards arrived a few days later, complete with additional members and the carriage.
They reported that the badly injured man was recovering, and the city healer who had attended him had been loud in Aisling’s praise. His kinsmen were gruff but honest in their thanks to the “Lady Murna.” Aisling accepted their gratitude gently. She casually mentioned their hare hunting and also saw to it that they saw the furs and heard of the feasts the keep had enjoyed.
“My cousin and I and our friend are also considering a second such hunt. We would like to do even better this time… if you will assist us by taking the carriage back?”
“Lady, I chose good men. They will take your carriage back safely. My brother and I will remain with you if it be your will. Both of us can skin and clean and stretch furs. They’ll not be spoiled in our hands. And we can take it in turns to stand guard. We owe a debt for our cousin, Lady. It would please us to pay it.”