Siege (The Warrior Chronicles, #5) - K.F. Breene Page 0,49
we stop?” Cayan asked.
“Yes. He’s tough, but he’s not cunning. I’m sure he’ll let more slip when his brain becomes foggy with fatigue.”
Shanti’s Gift rolled over a female far out to the left. A moment later she felt a few more people of both sexes idle. She glanced up at the sun, high at its zenith. “What should we expect from this land? It’s farther south than I have been.”
Cayan half shrugged, unconcerned. He glanced around him. “Not much. Smaller traders and travelers use this route. The weak get picked on and stolen from, sometimes worse. The strong are left alone. We won’t encounter any problems.”
“Do you know this from experience, or is that what Sanders told you?”
Cayan gave her a confused look. “What’s the difference?”
Shanti snorted. “Sanders is in a league of his own. Crazy. No one is messing with him. The people out there might very well attack someone like Leilius or Marc.”
“Let’s hope they attack Maggie. She’ll get to spread her wings.”
“We are going to have to stop eventually. If the”—she didn’t want to call him an Inkna—“stranger is awake, it means we’ll be blind. Any outliers could get attacked.”
Cayan chuckled, his big shoulders shaking. She had no idea why. “Even our weaker warriors would stick a knife in an attacker’s rib if surprised by a bandit. They might be shocked if they did so, but they’ll be fine. Marc can sense danger—he’s done it in the dark twice now—and he is the weakest fighter we have, if you don’t count some of the women. And I don’t, because they will be looked after.”
“You’ll look after the women but not poor Marc?”
“Marc is part of the Honor Guard and under your command. It is you that will not look after poor Marc.”
“Ah.” Shanti couldn’t help a smile. “As Rachie would say, you got me there.”
“That was a hint, you know. We need our doctor.”
“Don’t tell me how to do my job.” Shanti looked away to hide a smile from him.
“Later I’ll tell you some other things I’d like to have done. To me.”
“Sanders would make a comment about married people in the army.” Lucius’ voice drifted up. “He would wonder what this world had come to. I might think the same.”
“We aren’t married and Sanders needs to butt out,” Shanti said.
“Not technically married, you mean.” Cayan’s voice was light, but she could feel his gravity. He was trying to stay light during the peaceful times. They were few and far between.
15
“Hold up.” Sanders held his fist in the air so those out of earshot knew to stop. The Captain and Shanti sat rigid, one looking out to the right, one staring straight ahead. They were using their mental power.
He glanced behind him and saw the line three horses wide extend back and around the bend. Lucius was with the prisoner near the back of the line.
“What’s here?” Sanders asked Daniels.
Daniels glanced down at his empty lap where the map usually was. He put his hand on top of his saddlebag before scrunching up his brow in thought. “Small town up ahead, I believe. It’s the only town between here and our destination. Apart from that, there are smaller camps and trading outposts, like we’ve seen already. None of those will bother with a force as large as ours.”
Sanders glanced behind him again. He remembered when he’d been taken by the Graygual and Inkna. The Graygual weren’t an honorable sort, but they protected the things they valued, and only an idiot wouldn’t value someone that blocked out mental power. They needed more people around that prisoner if the Graygual were going to make a play to recover him.
“Sanders.”
Sanders’ head snapped around at the implied order from the Captain. He directed his horse around the others and walked until he was next to the Captain’s large stallion. “Yes, sir.”
The Captain’s eyes were unfocused. “There is a host of watchful minds up ahead. We think they’re guarding the town. Within those there is one that bespeaks Graygual officer.”
“How high a rank, sir?” Sanders asked.
“He’s high,” Shanti said. “Intelligent and cunning. Not as high as the Hunter, but he’ll have skill and speed. He’ll have a few good officers under him, and he’ll be a good leader. This may be speculation, but…the Graygual aren’t known for their creativity in training.”
Sanders remembered what the Captain and Shanti had said about the inner-circle warrior. They weren’t original, but they didn’t need to be. They were excellent.