“But he couldn’t—or wouldn’t—tell me where his horse is.” He snorted. “Or explain why he’s not dressed for riding.” Indeed, the blue and red brocade robe the man wore hung like a dress and was far too stiff to allow him to straddle a horse.
“Ask him,” Jatke interjected, “if he was riding with the wagons and soldiers we saw parked along the road a quarter mile north of here.”
“Wagons?” Alyline exclaimed.
“Soldiers?” Haft yelped.
“What soldiers?” Spinner demanded.
“My apologies, Lord Spinner, Lord Haft.” Jatke bowed. “He was just inside the forest, watching the Jokapcul enter the city, when we found him. But before that we followed a track north from here to where it met another road. Six heavily laden wagons were pulled under the trees and the horses tethered on a picket line. Several tents were set up. A small guard of soldiers, maybe twenty of them, guarded the wagons and people—they weren’t very alert. We followed the road and found him alone at the edge of the trees.”
“What people?” Alyline interrupted. “Tell me about them.”
“I saw about a dozen, mostly women with a few children, but there may have been more in the tents. They wore travel cloaks and could have been any travelers, but flashes of fine garments under the hems of the robes made me think they are the families of wealthy merchants or, more likely, courtiers.”
“How long have they been there?” Spinner asked.
“Not long,” Jatke said. “Probably only a few hours. The ground wasn’t as much disturbed as it would be had they camped there for long.”
Spinner nodded and looked at Plotniko. “Ask him about them.”
Before Plotniko finished his question, bal Stanga raised his hands and face to the sky and wailed. He dropped to his knees and nearly fell when the stiff brocade didn’t fold as quickly as his knees did. He hid his face in his hands and burbled into them. Plotniko squatted, put a comforting hand on his shoulder and spoke in a reassuring tone. After a couple of moments bal Stanga lifted his tear-stained face from his hands and started talking.
Plotniko chuckled when the man finally stopped. “He asked if we were going to kill him. It took a bit to assure him, but then he started telling me about the travelers. He says they’re the earl’s family and a few retainers. The earl sent them out of the city this morning so they would have a chance to escape if the Jokapcul came.”
Haft snorted. “Where did he think they could go to the southwest? The Jokapcul have everything in that direction.”
Plotniko asked, then translated the answer. “They came this way so none of the refugees would think they were fleeing. Some miles to the west, that road intercepts a trade road between upper Zobra and the Low Desert. They are to follow it north. The earl has friends in the Low Desert who he believes will care for them.”
Haft snorted. “Typical aristocrats. Sneak around to save themselves and leave the common folk to be slaughtered.” Nobody replied; most agreed and didn’t think it needed to be said.
Spinner thought for a moment. “I think we need to talk to them,” he said abruptly. “Who is the highest ranking person in that party?”
Plotniko asked bal Stanga, then said, “He is.”
“He’s only a minor functionary, yet he’s higher ranking than anyone in the earl’s family?” Haft said in mock surprise.
The master carpenter gestured at the brocaded robe. “Chamberlain, majordomo. Someone important,” he said dryly.
Spinner looked around. Fletcher stood nearby watching, as did the two groups of soldiers who had gone with them to the east.
“Haft, get the Royal Lancers and Blood Swords. We’ll take them along with the Bloody Axes and Prince’s Swords to visit these Dartmutters. I’m sure their wagons have things we can use. Fletcher, stay here and see to the defense.”
“Turning bandit, are we?” Alyline asked acidly.
Spinner looked at her levelly.
“Ask him,” Jatke interjected, “if he was riding with the wagons and soldiers we saw parked along the road a quarter mile north of here.”
“Wagons?” Alyline exclaimed.
“Soldiers?” Haft yelped.
“What soldiers?” Spinner demanded.
“My apologies, Lord Spinner, Lord Haft.” Jatke bowed. “He was just inside the forest, watching the Jokapcul enter the city, when we found him. But before that we followed a track north from here to where it met another road. Six heavily laden wagons were pulled under the trees and the horses tethered on a picket line. Several tents were set up. A small guard of soldiers, maybe twenty of them, guarded the wagons and people—they weren’t very alert. We followed the road and found him alone at the edge of the trees.”
“What people?” Alyline interrupted. “Tell me about them.”
“I saw about a dozen, mostly women with a few children, but there may have been more in the tents. They wore travel cloaks and could have been any travelers, but flashes of fine garments under the hems of the robes made me think they are the families of wealthy merchants or, more likely, courtiers.”
“How long have they been there?” Spinner asked.
“Not long,” Jatke said. “Probably only a few hours. The ground wasn’t as much disturbed as it would be had they camped there for long.”
Spinner nodded and looked at Plotniko. “Ask him about them.”
Before Plotniko finished his question, bal Stanga raised his hands and face to the sky and wailed. He dropped to his knees and nearly fell when the stiff brocade didn’t fold as quickly as his knees did. He hid his face in his hands and burbled into them. Plotniko squatted, put a comforting hand on his shoulder and spoke in a reassuring tone. After a couple of moments bal Stanga lifted his tear-stained face from his hands and started talking.
Plotniko chuckled when the man finally stopped. “He asked if we were going to kill him. It took a bit to assure him, but then he started telling me about the travelers. He says they’re the earl’s family and a few retainers. The earl sent them out of the city this morning so they would have a chance to escape if the Jokapcul came.”
Haft snorted. “Where did he think they could go to the southwest? The Jokapcul have everything in that direction.”
Plotniko asked, then translated the answer. “They came this way so none of the refugees would think they were fleeing. Some miles to the west, that road intercepts a trade road between upper Zobra and the Low Desert. They are to follow it north. The earl has friends in the Low Desert who he believes will care for them.”
Haft snorted. “Typical aristocrats. Sneak around to save themselves and leave the common folk to be slaughtered.” Nobody replied; most agreed and didn’t think it needed to be said.
Spinner thought for a moment. “I think we need to talk to them,” he said abruptly. “Who is the highest ranking person in that party?”
Plotniko asked bal Stanga, then said, “He is.”
“He’s only a minor functionary, yet he’s higher ranking than anyone in the earl’s family?” Haft said in mock surprise.
The master carpenter gestured at the brocaded robe. “Chamberlain, majordomo. Someone important,” he said dryly.
Spinner looked around. Fletcher stood nearby watching, as did the two groups of soldiers who had gone with them to the east.
“Haft, get the Royal Lancers and Blood Swords. We’ll take them along with the Bloody Axes and Prince’s Swords to visit these Dartmutters. I’m sure their wagons have things we can use. Fletcher, stay here and see to the defense.”
“Turning bandit, are we?” Alyline asked acidly.
Spinner looked at her levelly.
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