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Minni knew he was
right. Honest Wendal; he never bothered with sweet lies. A lifetime
digesting bitter truth had diminished his humour. He was a good
friend, a true friend. It was wicked of her to toy with him. Minni
thought of hollering something nice, but it would only embarrass
him.
    She rode
ahead, following the old trail to where it rejoined the main road
between Rum Hill and Calimska. North Eye stood alone atop a small
hill cleared of trees. Warm light flickered through arrow loops and
high windows. A timber stockade encircled the tower with torches
lit around the perimeter.
    They would
have to hurry past the Jandan outpost to avoid detection. A bright
flickering light caught her eye, pulsing out a complex series of
flashes from somewhere up in the mountains. Had the Jandans spotted
the ambush through the canopy of the forest?
    The beacon on
the North Eye pulsed a quick response then four pigeons were
released. They circled around the tower several times before
heading east. Two horsemen galloped out of the stockade and down
the hill, heading right for her at the junction. They had been
discovered. The Jandans knew. There must be a traitor in Wendal’s
crew.
    If anyone had
witnessed the ambush and given word, they would have to scrap the
entire mission. Without cover from the Jandan caravan and its
cargo, they would draw unwanted attention in Rum Hill.
    The stowaway.
Minni had forgotten all about him.
    Wendal was
right. Kobb double-crossed them. Mongrel! The Council would have
sent a redeemer if they knew. At best the stowaway was just an
agent, hitching a ride home. The Jandan guard sergeant must have
known about the stowaway all along. She was a fool. She thought to
protect him, even feed the little bastard. Perhaps he had escaped
after the attack; made a break for North Eye to warn them?
    No, Wendal
placed lookouts all through the forest, so he would never have made
it to the keep. Then again, if he was a redeemer, he might have
magicked a message and remained concealed. Ash it all. Wendal’s
entire crew would be dead before she rode back to warn them.
    Even if she
dared ride back and check the caravan, the outriders from the
Jandan tower would spot her fleeing and become suspicious. If the
stowaway was a redeemer, there was little she could do; the dog
would have stripped their souls and gnawed their bones; he would be
too powerful to overcome.
    There was no
time to dwell on the worst. Minni calmed her breathing and
refocussed. She dismounted, inspecting the foreleg of her horse.
With a tap of her mare’s caramel shoulder, the horse held its hoof
off the ground as though it were injured.
    “ That’s my girl,” Minni gave her mare a lump of sugar. “Hold
steady.”
    The two
outriders hurtled down the path, hooves beating the ground and
throwing up sod. One of the riders thundered past, following the
road to Rum Hill without slowing. The other eased up and stopped
without moving for his blade.
    Thank the
Welcome Stranger. Luck was with her still.
    “ Swap horses?” Minni flashed a tight smile up at the rider.
Moonlight glossed across his chainmail, but was swallowed by the
black star embroidered on his blue surcoat.
    The soldier
grinned and slapped his thigh. “I’ve just seen a bounty that would
buy you a paddock full.” His breath reeked.
    “ Why? Someone find a king to kill?” Minni laughed off her
nerves with the rum filled Jandan.
    “ Who cares what he did. The bounty’s more than any rebel head
will fetch. Lord’s truth, it’s more than what’s on Scrambletoe.
Someone’s gone and pissed off Calimska’s high and mighty
Guildmaster. Ha! The famous Golden Shield, imagine that. All that
unholy sorcery and he can’t even catch a street rat.”
    “ What’s this rat look like?”
    “ Young fella. Dark hair, brown eyes and tall.”
    “ So, like every other Calimskan.” Minni shook her head. Some
dead letter this will be.
    “ That’s it though, isn’t it? How many stray Calimskan’s you
see