[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
. If the BlackShields should somehow know about this road they could havesurprised us, if not for you.On the other hand, if they don t, it can bean escape route.In ideal circumstances we should post men at bothends, but I can t spare them.I ll give you one man.Can he keep an eyeon the road without being seen from the other end? Yes.Another thing.A few yards further down the path is an openspace.We could keep a few horses there in case we have to retreatunexpectedly.At least a few men could make their escape and warnher majesty.482 Andrew Ashling Very good, Eymar. Grunwell smiled,  I like your way of thinking.See to it.I ll send Brunnac over with three of the horses to hide here.Then try to keep an eye on the road from the other end.Eymar nodded, still ignoring the boy.Jerruth and Grunwell went back up the main hill. Your highness, by the least sign of something happening thatseems as if we can t manage it, I want you to run down the hill, grab ahorse and escape by the hidden path, Grunwell said, just when theywere passing a patch of trees. Ride in the direction of Garstang.It snot a big town, but I m sure you ll find a good hiding place there.Waitat least several days before you make your next move.I promised thebaroness I would look out for you, and I m sure your mother wouldwant you to be safe as well. Oh, you know, I don t think mother cares that much about whathappens to me, as long as I m not in the way of whatever her plansare, Jerruth replied, thinking Grunwell was talking about his realmother.The muscular Tribesman noticed that he had been misunderstood,but let it pass. You re sure? Damydas asked for the second time. A blond boy,about seventeen? Yes, captain, one of the scouts said. He looked a bit youngerthough. That could very well be because he s Emelasuntha s son, thebaron thought. The Mekthonas seem to have the secret of eternalyouth.Bonds of Fear 483 Repeat what he said. He said,  I don t think mother cares that much about whathappens to me, as long as I m not in the way of whatever her plansare. That were his exact words. That could fit as well.The boy is obviously a realist.He knows hismother is ruthless. It could be him, Damydas said to his sergeant. Maybe, Xirull said, not entirely convinced. We should be very,very careful.It could still be a trap. Yes, that could very well be the case.But so what? As long asour men can keep Emelasuntha at bay, I don t see a problem.There sonly about twenty of them our scouts said, and they re underinexperienced leadership.The little cocksucker has tried to secure amuch too large perimeter.He has spread out his men in little groupsof two and three in all directions.He rubbed his hands and grinned. We ll take them out one by one, he continued. And then, yourhighness, you and I are going to have some fun together. I don t know, Gerrubald.Does this sound as the lord governorwho created an army out of nothing? Xirull sounded worried. It only means he was smart enough to surround himself withgood advisors.He wouldn t be the first talentless royal brat who putsomeone else s feathers in his cap. That s true.Yet. Oh, Xirull, you re such a pessimist.What can happen? At the verymost we will have made a mistake.And again I ask: so what? We rein spitting distance from the province of Amiratha, where I gain myfull authority as autarch.Only a few hours on horseback from the484 Andrew Ashlingmarquessate of Brynmark.We can easily fall back on our old plan. Also true. You see? Damydas laughed. We ve got all the trump cards. Let me see that arm, Emelasuntha said. It s nothing.Just a flesh wound.Seems worse than it is really.They were sitting on the side of the road.The two groups haddisengaged spontaneously.Eyeballing each other they took care oftheir wounded and dead.The Tribe had a slight advantage, havingmanaged to kill, or mortally wound, eleven of the Black Shields.Theythemselves had lost eight men, but a lot of them had minor injuries.Still, the remaining thirty or so Black Shields refused to give quarter.Emelasuntha made a tear in her tunic with her knife and tore offa long strip of cloth from it. Give me that arm, she said. We re getting old, dear.Damydas was not totally wrong. Shepointed at her ax. I could swear that thing has grown heavier. You can still swing it like the best, though, the queen grinned. Ilove it when I see the stupefied look on their faces when they realizethat it was not them, but their horse you were aiming at, you know,just before they go down.The baroness laughed. Or the indignant faces of those strapping men, when they see itwas you, a woman, who gutted them. Not fair , they seem to say.The queen tied the bandage around Sobrathi s arm with a knot [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]