“A large number, though, of course, I am only guessing
based on what I could observe during my approach.”
“We appreciate your help. You might as well take off
now. Our problems aren’t yours.”
“They are now,” the unicorn to!d him. “These are
indifferent murderers, full of false pride. I have embarrassed
their leader in front of his band. Now he must kill me or
lose face and possibly his status as leader.”
Roseroar strode toward the back of the clearing. “Move
in heah, where theah’s some covah.”
The unicorn shook his head, the mane of gold rippling
in the filtered tight. “It will not be good enough, tigress. I
can see that you are powerful as well as well-versed in
war, but there are too many of them, and you will be
fighting in very close quarters. If they come at you from
all directions simultaneously you won’t have a chance.
You require a more defensible position.”
“You know of one?” Jon-Tom asked him.
“It is not far from here. I think if we can get there we
will be able to stand them off.”
“Then let’s get the hell out of here,” he muttered as he
shouldered his pack.
Mudge held back, torn between common sense and the
effort he’d put into their supper. Roseroar saw his hesitation.
“A full belly’s small consolation to someone with his
guts hangin’ out. Ah declah, short-whiskahs, sometimes
ah wondah about yo priorities.”
“Sometimes I wonder meself, lass.” He looked longingly
back at the lost roast as they hurried through the woods,
following the stallion’s lead.
Drom maintained a steady but slow pace to enable his