physikers and herbalists before he went. I can make you the same list."
"Do so," Nate growled. The tavern keeper backed off far enough to doubtlessly think he was out of range, then glared at Nate and marched away to get writing utensils. Nate turned to Eddie, his anger leashed. "Go to the stables. Find out what he took and what he left. I'll meet you there."
She nodded, dragging herself off the stool she'd occupied and heading out the door. Exhaustion pulled at her, even the adrenaline that had kept her going all night not doing much anymore.
The ride to the mercenaries had been long and brutal. Dark had fallen before she'd gotten back. She'd napped while Nate put together a raiding party, though it'd given her only twenty minutes of sleep. Eddie and Nate were part of a group of ten that rode ahead of the others, leaving the rest to pack up camp and follow as soon as they could. Their group had spent the night in the saddle, moving as quickly as possible to beat the dawn.
They hadn't beaten the dawn, though they'd made better time than Eddie would have guessed. Not that it did them much good; the caravan had left hours ago, and now Katsu was missing, too.
At the stable Eddie found the packhorse and Ashe's belongings, but no sign of Katsu's mount. The stable master, a heavyset woman with strong hands, put up a fuss when Eddie went to take what was theirs.
"I bought that animal from that strange little man," she snapped, blocking the way. "Its tack, too, and the bag of belongings. Try and leave here with it and I'll call the guard."
Eddie glanced up, gaze landing on Nate as he walked into the barn and down the row of stalls. Her eyebrows rose in silent question: had he heard enough?
Apparently, he had. "That animal belongs to one of ours, as do those clothes. Was it a black-haired man who sold them to you?"
The woman whipped around and, Eddie had to give her credit, didn't flinch at Nate standing behind her. "It was. I saw him come in yesterday, so you can't tell me they weren't his."
"So wherever Katsu went, he didn't think he'd need an extra horse," Eddie muttered. She was rapidly revising her opinion. If Katsu did care for Ashe, surely he wouldn't have left. And if he hadn't left, if he'd done something stupid , surely he'd think Ashe would need his things after being rescued.
Instead, Katsu was gone, Ashe's things were here, and all she could think about was that no one really knew anything regarding the medic at all.
"Then it's all yours. We apologize for the inconvenience," Nate grumbled, and gestured to Eddie.
"But, Nate," she began, startled. "Ashe might want his stuff."
"I think he'd rather have his life. Let's go." This time, the order was perfectly clear.
After a moment's hesitation, Eddie handed the reins of Ashe's horse to the stable master and walked out. "Where now?"
Nate glanced down at a paper in his hand. Eddie looked over his forearm, leaning close to see. On the paper was a list of six shops: physikers and herbalists. "Now we go after the caravan," he said at last.
"What about Katsu?"
"Either he struck off on his own, in which case he won't need our help, or he's going after Ashe, in which case we'll catch up."
It made sense. Nate and Eddie shouldered their way toward the city gates, where the other eight mercenaries waited with their horses. It didn't take long to mount up and get directions; the city guards said a caravan had left through the east gate, headed toward the Diwegol border and, eventually, the coast.
Faster to go around the city than through it, with all the foot traffic they'd encounter. Nate led them away, urging his horse up into a ground-eating canter. The others followed suit.
***
It was the cessation of movement that woke him. Ashe's face hurt where the gag rubbed his cheeks. His wrists throbbed. Slowly, he opened his eyes.
The scene had changed. Still inside, but no longer lying on a metal slab, surrounded by metal bars. Now he lay on the floor of a rough wagon,
"Do so," Nate growled. The tavern keeper backed off far enough to doubtlessly think he was out of range, then glared at Nate and marched away to get writing utensils. Nate turned to Eddie, his anger leashed. "Go to the stables. Find out what he took and what he left. I'll meet you there."
She nodded, dragging herself off the stool she'd occupied and heading out the door. Exhaustion pulled at her, even the adrenaline that had kept her going all night not doing much anymore.
The ride to the mercenaries had been long and brutal. Dark had fallen before she'd gotten back. She'd napped while Nate put together a raiding party, though it'd given her only twenty minutes of sleep. Eddie and Nate were part of a group of ten that rode ahead of the others, leaving the rest to pack up camp and follow as soon as they could. Their group had spent the night in the saddle, moving as quickly as possible to beat the dawn.
They hadn't beaten the dawn, though they'd made better time than Eddie would have guessed. Not that it did them much good; the caravan had left hours ago, and now Katsu was missing, too.
At the stable Eddie found the packhorse and Ashe's belongings, but no sign of Katsu's mount. The stable master, a heavyset woman with strong hands, put up a fuss when Eddie went to take what was theirs.
"I bought that animal from that strange little man," she snapped, blocking the way. "Its tack, too, and the bag of belongings. Try and leave here with it and I'll call the guard."
Eddie glanced up, gaze landing on Nate as he walked into the barn and down the row of stalls. Her eyebrows rose in silent question: had he heard enough?
Apparently, he had. "That animal belongs to one of ours, as do those clothes. Was it a black-haired man who sold them to you?"
The woman whipped around and, Eddie had to give her credit, didn't flinch at Nate standing behind her. "It was. I saw him come in yesterday, so you can't tell me they weren't his."
"So wherever Katsu went, he didn't think he'd need an extra horse," Eddie muttered. She was rapidly revising her opinion. If Katsu did care for Ashe, surely he wouldn't have left. And if he hadn't left, if he'd done something stupid , surely he'd think Ashe would need his things after being rescued.
Instead, Katsu was gone, Ashe's things were here, and all she could think about was that no one really knew anything regarding the medic at all.
"Then it's all yours. We apologize for the inconvenience," Nate grumbled, and gestured to Eddie.
"But, Nate," she began, startled. "Ashe might want his stuff."
"I think he'd rather have his life. Let's go." This time, the order was perfectly clear.
After a moment's hesitation, Eddie handed the reins of Ashe's horse to the stable master and walked out. "Where now?"
Nate glanced down at a paper in his hand. Eddie looked over his forearm, leaning close to see. On the paper was a list of six shops: physikers and herbalists. "Now we go after the caravan," he said at last.
"What about Katsu?"
"Either he struck off on his own, in which case he won't need our help, or he's going after Ashe, in which case we'll catch up."
It made sense. Nate and Eddie shouldered their way toward the city gates, where the other eight mercenaries waited with their horses. It didn't take long to mount up and get directions; the city guards said a caravan had left through the east gate, headed toward the Diwegol border and, eventually, the coast.
Faster to go around the city than through it, with all the foot traffic they'd encounter. Nate led them away, urging his horse up into a ground-eating canter. The others followed suit.
***
It was the cessation of movement that woke him. Ashe's face hurt where the gag rubbed his cheeks. His wrists throbbed. Slowly, he opened his eyes.
The scene had changed. Still inside, but no longer lying on a metal slab, surrounded by metal bars. Now he lay on the floor of a rough wagon,
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