the bare knobs of rock just above. Now they looked down over the eastern flank of the hill and Kroy Woods, which were spread out below.
The crow returned in a hurry with disheartening news. Soon afterward they were able to see black specks appear in the distance, coming down from the knobs of the Big Rack.
"Twenty, thirty or more imps, and the other things, that look like bears but aren't."
"How could such large parties get here without being detected?"
"They must have come by sea," said Lessis. "They landed on the Ersoi shore."
"How could they have known where to set the ambush?"
"They must have been informed soon after the planning of the Imperial Progress was completed."
"Treachery at such a high level? But who… ?" The emperor was plainly disturbed.
"Your Majesty, just as we strive ever to place spies within our enemy's councils, so do they try to do the same to us. Many men and women had some knowledge of the progress. It was inevitable. Questions had to be asked concerning shipping, and to arrange the meetings with local royalty and nobles. Your day-to-day business in Andiquant had to be put off. Special arrangements for swift communications between the Argonath cities and Andiquant had to be made. Enough partial reports, no matter how slight, could allow them to deduce many things."
The emperor nodded. "Yes, of course, I see." He had blinded himself to the risks, determined to make the progress.
"We must go south, then," said Thorn.
"And quickly," said Lessis.
They turned and hurried back down the trail, glad of the cover provided by the dwarf forest.
"What now?" said the emperor as they went. Thorn calculated distance, dropped back to talk to Relkin again.
"What lies off there to the southeast? Past the woods."
"That's Brennans, the biggest town around here. They'll have horses there."
"If we left the trail past the place where we left Blade, can we get down to those woods below?"
"Yes, there is a little trail, very steep in places. Goes down to the Kroy Woods and the Pike Pool. We get past there, and we'll soon be in Lurnow's fields. Brennans is just a mile or two farther than that."
"Good. But we must hurry. Can the dragon keep up?"
Relkin grinned. "Bazil is a legion dragon, I bet he can march just as fast as you can."
Thorn's eyes narrowed momentarily, then his hard face broke into a wintry grin. "Yes, I suppose you're right."
Now they swung down the trail at a smart pace through the taller trees of the saddle, and came on the place where they'd left Blade. He lay as they'd left him, covered in his robe, although there were vultures circling over head by now. Lessis immediately cast a spell and banished all the carrion birds from the area, except for one that was ordered down to report to her on what had been seen in the vicinity lately.
The vultures streamed away to the south, where other corpses had been spotted. One only was left to spiral down to Lessis's arm, where it crouched for a minute or more. Lessis soon reported to Thorn that parties of imp on horseback had been seen on both sides of their position. Strange animals had been seen to the north, coming down the trail toward them. Thorn's face knotted with concern.
"We have to get out of these hills. We'll try for the town of Brennans."
"We could not approach it before."
"Because the riders were all strung across Capbern's Gap. It sounds as if they have moved up to cover the hills."
The emperor was ready to try it, so Lessis agreed. Indeed, what else was there for her to do? They left Blade's resting place and went down the main trail for a quarter mile. Relkin pointed off down to their left where a narrow trail, not much more than a goat track, went down through heather and bare rock to the woods below.
The trail was steep as well as narrow, and there were places that were difficult for a dragon to negotiate, but Bazil had rambled on these rocky hills all his youth, and he knew how to make his way through almost anything.
They
The crow returned in a hurry with disheartening news. Soon afterward they were able to see black specks appear in the distance, coming down from the knobs of the Big Rack.
"Twenty, thirty or more imps, and the other things, that look like bears but aren't."
"How could such large parties get here without being detected?"
"They must have come by sea," said Lessis. "They landed on the Ersoi shore."
"How could they have known where to set the ambush?"
"They must have been informed soon after the planning of the Imperial Progress was completed."
"Treachery at such a high level? But who… ?" The emperor was plainly disturbed.
"Your Majesty, just as we strive ever to place spies within our enemy's councils, so do they try to do the same to us. Many men and women had some knowledge of the progress. It was inevitable. Questions had to be asked concerning shipping, and to arrange the meetings with local royalty and nobles. Your day-to-day business in Andiquant had to be put off. Special arrangements for swift communications between the Argonath cities and Andiquant had to be made. Enough partial reports, no matter how slight, could allow them to deduce many things."
The emperor nodded. "Yes, of course, I see." He had blinded himself to the risks, determined to make the progress.
"We must go south, then," said Thorn.
"And quickly," said Lessis.
They turned and hurried back down the trail, glad of the cover provided by the dwarf forest.
"What now?" said the emperor as they went. Thorn calculated distance, dropped back to talk to Relkin again.
"What lies off there to the southeast? Past the woods."
"That's Brennans, the biggest town around here. They'll have horses there."
"If we left the trail past the place where we left Blade, can we get down to those woods below?"
"Yes, there is a little trail, very steep in places. Goes down to the Kroy Woods and the Pike Pool. We get past there, and we'll soon be in Lurnow's fields. Brennans is just a mile or two farther than that."
"Good. But we must hurry. Can the dragon keep up?"
Relkin grinned. "Bazil is a legion dragon, I bet he can march just as fast as you can."
Thorn's eyes narrowed momentarily, then his hard face broke into a wintry grin. "Yes, I suppose you're right."
Now they swung down the trail at a smart pace through the taller trees of the saddle, and came on the place where they'd left Blade. He lay as they'd left him, covered in his robe, although there were vultures circling over head by now. Lessis immediately cast a spell and banished all the carrion birds from the area, except for one that was ordered down to report to her on what had been seen in the vicinity lately.
The vultures streamed away to the south, where other corpses had been spotted. One only was left to spiral down to Lessis's arm, where it crouched for a minute or more. Lessis soon reported to Thorn that parties of imp on horseback had been seen on both sides of their position. Strange animals had been seen to the north, coming down the trail toward them. Thorn's face knotted with concern.
"We have to get out of these hills. We'll try for the town of Brennans."
"We could not approach it before."
"Because the riders were all strung across Capbern's Gap. It sounds as if they have moved up to cover the hills."
The emperor was ready to try it, so Lessis agreed. Indeed, what else was there for her to do? They left Blade's resting place and went down the main trail for a quarter mile. Relkin pointed off down to their left where a narrow trail, not much more than a goat track, went down through heather and bare rock to the woods below.
The trail was steep as well as narrow, and there were places that were difficult for a dragon to negotiate, but Bazil had rambled on these rocky hills all his youth, and he knew how to make his way through almost anything.
They
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