kender and swore until he was panting like a runner.
*****
Darll and Graym started off again. They grabbed the
crosspiece of the wagon tongue, braced their feet in the dirt,
and pulled. The wagon rolled forward quickly. Graym
dropped the crosspiece.
“That was too easy. Jarek?”
Jarek hopped into the cart and counted loudly. “One,
two, three, four – ”
After a pause, Graym said, “And?”
“That’s all,” Jarek said.
Graym stared, disbelieving, at the distant dust cloud of
the departing kender. “They walked off with a BARREL?”
“Cunning little things,” Fenris said.
“Industrious, too,” Fanris said.
Jarek finished the inventory. Finally he hopped down
and announced, “They got the barrel of Throat’s Ease lager,
our spare clothes – ”
Graym laughed. “Picture one of those little fellows
trying to wear my canvas breeches 1”
“And most of the food.”
Graym fell silent.
“So we make it to Krinneor in one night or go hungry,”
Darll said.
“We can do it,” Graym said confidently. Landmarks
weren’t hard to read, but he had often discussed the road –
wistfully – with merchants buying barrels and casks.
“There’s this hill, and one little town, and a valley, then, and
a downhill run from there to Krinneor.”
“And prison for me. and a forced march to get there,”
Darll said gruffly. “I’d be running away free, and you’d be –
” He looked at Graym sharply. “I’d be gone if it weren’t for
those nasty, little, pointy-eared thieves.”
Graym said gruffly, “You ought not to criticize others,
sir. Not to drag up the past, but you’ve done worse.”
Darll glared at him. “That wasn’t a fair trial. The bailey
wanted blood, and he got it.”
“Of course, he wanted blood. You hurt his dignity. You
had only a sword, and you half-killed ten soldiers armed
with spears, maces, and swords.”
Darll objected. “When I half-kill ten men, I leave only
five left alive. I beat them badly, but that wasn’t the charge
against me, anyway, unless you count resisting arrest.”
“True enough, sir,” Graym said agreeably. “You
scarpered the town treasury and then nicked a hay wagon.”
“Nice way to put it. A real sophisticate, you are.”
“Assault, theft, intoxication, breaking and entering,
reckless endangerment, incitement to stampede, vandalism,
arson.” He paused. “That’s the lot, isn’t it, sir?”
“Still and all,” Darll said stubbornly, “it WAS a first offense.”
“First offense?” Graym gaped. “From you, sir?”
“Well, for this sort of crime.”
Graym shook his head. “You tell your side of it well,
sir, but I have a contract.”
“It’s the money, then.”
“No, sir.” Graym shook his head violently. “I gave a
promise. Even if I persuaded the others to agree to forfeit
the twentypiece we have coming, I’d still be unable –
outstanding warrant and all – to go back to Sarem and return
the ten – ” He felt in his pocket. . . .
He sighed, didn’t bother feeling in his other pockets.
Darll, watching his face, smiled. “Cunning little
things.”
“Thrifty, too,” Graym muttered.
*****
By midday, they had reached the top of the first large
hill – low and rocky, with a fault crack running across it.
Jarek, scouting ahead for the easiest route for the cart on the
broken road, returned, announcing, “People coming.” Fen
said fearfully, “What if they’re robbers?” Fan added, “Or
maybe they’re the bounty hunters.” The Wolf brothers
edged toward the back of the cart. Graym grabbed their
shirts, pulled them back. He then wiped his hands on his
own shirt. “Wait till we’ve seen them, at least.”
He edged to the top of the hill and peered over the top. A
group of humans was walking toward them – townsfolk,
seemingly, coming from the small knot of cottages standing
on the road.
Graym retreated below the crest of the hill, reported
what he’d seen. “We can’t run, and there’s no place to hide.
Best we go forward and be friendly. Folks like that.”
Jarek looked dubious. “They might rob us.”
“Not of much.”
“Or we might rob them. Are they rich?”
“I didn’t grow up with ’em,” Graym retorted. “How
should I know?”
Jarek dug in the dirt with his boot. “Well, if they are,