Read The Twilight Herald: Book Two Of The Twilight Reign for Free Online Page A

do for Wisten Fedei, Morghien had agreed to Isak’s suggestion that he accompany them to Tirah instead. He wasn’t a natural horseman, and his discomfort added to his misery as the hours crawled past.
    Isak had worried that the forest was too quiet, but early in the afternoon, when the forest thinned to the familiar sight of groves and thickets encircled by pastureland that characterised much of Farlan territory, the Land remained deserted. Where they would expect sheep and cattle to be grazing, thus far they hadn’t seen even a rabbit, and the air was empty of birdsong. Isak had spent enough time alone in the wilds to know what a quiet day sounded like; this was the silence that followed a hunting predator.
    ‘We crossed the Longbow River two hours ago now,’ he said, breaking the silence. ‘We should have seen someone by now.’ Like his soldiers, Isak was riding in full armour, his helm upturned in his lap. Jeil and Borl, the rangers, were scouting ahead with Mihn; Isak didn’t believe anyone could catch all three of them unawares, but still he felt better when his hand was resting on the hilt of his sword. There was something nagging at the back of his mind. He looked around again; there were few enough hiding places nearby -and yet he couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.
    ‘Do you think we’re walking into a trap?’ Tila asked from behind him. Isak turned in his saddle and gave what he hoped was an encouraging smile. It didn’t seem to have the desired effect; Tila twitched her nose at him and looked away.
    ‘I hope not,’ he said. ‘I just keep getting the feeling someone’s spying on us.’ A tremor ran down his spine like a ghostly finger and he flinched, unable to stop himself from checking around again. ‘Ignore me, Tila. I’m just being foolish. I’d trust our scouts over anyone else.’
    ‘Some things they can’t see,’ Morghien said in a distant voice. He closed his eyes for the moment, an inquisitive look on his face. ‘Is it magic you feel?’
    ‘I—’ Isak stopped. His inexperience counted against him once more. ‘I don’t really know enough about it to be sure.’
    ‘Isak,’ Carel said, an intent look on his face, ‘what do your instincts say? No, don’t think about it -don’t try magic or anything you’re not so familiar with. I know you, and I trust your instincts; tell me right now: do you think we’re being watched? ’
    Isak nodded. ‘I think we are.’
    ‘Right.’ Carel raised a hand to signal the halt. ‘Helms on, lances out. Spare mounts behind us; Tila, Mistress Daran, stay in the middle, and Morghien, stay with them, no matter what happens. The bastards must have a mage scrying for us, which means we are going to be hit, and when that happens I want you getting the women away. You’re not a knight, trained in battle, so you’re the one we can spare in a straight fight.’ He stopped for a moment, suddenly remembering protocol, and looked at Isak, gesturing at his helm. ‘My Lord?’
    The white-eye smiled as he remembered a saying he’d heard once: Tradition rules the Farlan, the lord just tells everyone what to do . He pulled the blue hood from his belt and slipped it over his head, then raised the distorting mirror helm over his head. Even on a nondescript day like this the light reflected strangely off it. Isak was glad his enemies were the ones who had to look at that soulless face. ‘Gentlemen, your helms.’
    Isak’s party was already diminished, with eight dead and three seriously wounded who had remained in Narkang, so the absence of the scouts was pronounced. Mihn in particular had become a comforting presence, always in Isak’s shadow; in his absence Isak felt unaccountably vulnerable.
    Looking around, his eyes came to rest on Carel, organising the spare horses into a train they could abandon if necessary. The old soldier wouldn’t thank him for pointing it out, but it was high time he retired. Isak thought he looked too small for