Talla has sewn it back together, but you have to give it time to heal or it may break open and you’ll die.” Jalia looked at him to annoyance. “Unfortunately we have to leave right now.”
“Karn wants us to leave?” Talla asked, puzzled at this unexpected news.
“It doesn’t matter what Karn thinks, does it?” Daniel whispered from the bed. He had discovered talking normally caused him a lot of pain. It turned out whispering was still half as painful, but it would have to do.
Jalia nodded, one of the things she liked most about Daniel was that she never needed to explain the obvious to him. For Talla’s sake, she provided the explanation. “The Association know where we are. They will attack again as soon as they discover this attack failed. Next time they will come in greater numbers and overwhelm us. We have to leave now.”
“We go to Telmar.” Daniel whispered.
“That’s madness,” Talla said in disbelief, “They’ll kill you there for certain.”
“Daniel’s right,” Jalia said in a thoughtful tone, “The Association will have spread the word about us, no doubt offering a big reward for our capture. The only place they will not expect us to go is Telmar.” Jalia looked at Daniel apologetically, “I only wanted to go there to see a goldmine. It looks as though we’ll have to deal with the Association instead.” Daniel blinked his eyes in agreement. They had no other choice. They had to go to war with the Association and trust to their luck.
“You are both completely mad,” Talla exclaimed. “Daniel will be lucky to be hobbling around in the next month and you want to take on a city run by the most evil men in Jalon. Men determined to torture you to find out where you hid their gold before they kill you.”
“You don’t have to come,” Jalia said. She had got over her jealousy of Talla when Daniel sent her out of harm’s way a couple of weeks before. How could she be jealous of a woman that Daniel didn’t want by his side in battle, the whole idea was absurd. Jalia needed Talla to nurse Daniel as she had no skills in that area, but she wouldn’t ask the woman to face danger unwillingly.
“Of course I’m going with you. Someone has to patch you up. Besides which, my husband’s relatives live in Modan, a village ten leagues from Telmar. They’ll give us shelter and hide us from the Association.” Talla’s face fell as she thought of the other news she had to bring them. Jord was dead and telling his mother would be an ordeal.
“I’ve sent word to Karn of your condition and he’s arranging a cart stuffed with the softest down pillows to protect that little scratch on your back from any nasty bumps on the road.” Jalia winked at Daniel and he winked back. Daniel found that even winking sent pulses of excruciating pain rushing down his back, but he tried to smile anyway. Jalia was getting on with the job and that was the main thing. “We leave as soon as the cart arrives. I’ve even packed your things onto those damned donkeys, so don’t fret about them.”
Karn provided a two wheeled cart and a large horse to pull it. Daniel fainted from the pain when Jalia picked him up and carried him to it. Jet and the donkeys formed a train behind the cart, tied in a line. Talla’s job was to drive the cart while Jalia rode alongside to provide their defense.
They were about to start when Daniel croaked from the cart, “Crossbow.” Jalia found the crossbow Daniel had bought in Taybee and armed it, putting a bolt into the slot before handing it to Daniel.
“Don’t shoot yourself in the foot with it,” Jalia cautioned as she remounted Swift and rode him away down the road. Talla snapped the reins of the cart and the horse began to pull the cart down the road.
The journey started uneventfully, they passed through the city gates to applause from the guards and soon the winding road between the hills put Brinan and its comforts out of sight.
Daniel found the journey
“Karn wants us to leave?” Talla asked, puzzled at this unexpected news.
“It doesn’t matter what Karn thinks, does it?” Daniel whispered from the bed. He had discovered talking normally caused him a lot of pain. It turned out whispering was still half as painful, but it would have to do.
Jalia nodded, one of the things she liked most about Daniel was that she never needed to explain the obvious to him. For Talla’s sake, she provided the explanation. “The Association know where we are. They will attack again as soon as they discover this attack failed. Next time they will come in greater numbers and overwhelm us. We have to leave now.”
“We go to Telmar.” Daniel whispered.
“That’s madness,” Talla said in disbelief, “They’ll kill you there for certain.”
“Daniel’s right,” Jalia said in a thoughtful tone, “The Association will have spread the word about us, no doubt offering a big reward for our capture. The only place they will not expect us to go is Telmar.” Jalia looked at Daniel apologetically, “I only wanted to go there to see a goldmine. It looks as though we’ll have to deal with the Association instead.” Daniel blinked his eyes in agreement. They had no other choice. They had to go to war with the Association and trust to their luck.
“You are both completely mad,” Talla exclaimed. “Daniel will be lucky to be hobbling around in the next month and you want to take on a city run by the most evil men in Jalon. Men determined to torture you to find out where you hid their gold before they kill you.”
“You don’t have to come,” Jalia said. She had got over her jealousy of Talla when Daniel sent her out of harm’s way a couple of weeks before. How could she be jealous of a woman that Daniel didn’t want by his side in battle, the whole idea was absurd. Jalia needed Talla to nurse Daniel as she had no skills in that area, but she wouldn’t ask the woman to face danger unwillingly.
“Of course I’m going with you. Someone has to patch you up. Besides which, my husband’s relatives live in Modan, a village ten leagues from Telmar. They’ll give us shelter and hide us from the Association.” Talla’s face fell as she thought of the other news she had to bring them. Jord was dead and telling his mother would be an ordeal.
“I’ve sent word to Karn of your condition and he’s arranging a cart stuffed with the softest down pillows to protect that little scratch on your back from any nasty bumps on the road.” Jalia winked at Daniel and he winked back. Daniel found that even winking sent pulses of excruciating pain rushing down his back, but he tried to smile anyway. Jalia was getting on with the job and that was the main thing. “We leave as soon as the cart arrives. I’ve even packed your things onto those damned donkeys, so don’t fret about them.”
Karn provided a two wheeled cart and a large horse to pull it. Daniel fainted from the pain when Jalia picked him up and carried him to it. Jet and the donkeys formed a train behind the cart, tied in a line. Talla’s job was to drive the cart while Jalia rode alongside to provide their defense.
They were about to start when Daniel croaked from the cart, “Crossbow.” Jalia found the crossbow Daniel had bought in Taybee and armed it, putting a bolt into the slot before handing it to Daniel.
“Don’t shoot yourself in the foot with it,” Jalia cautioned as she remounted Swift and rode him away down the road. Talla snapped the reins of the cart and the horse began to pull the cart down the road.
The journey started uneventfully, they passed through the city gates to applause from the guards and soon the winding road between the hills put Brinan and its comforts out of sight.
Daniel found the journey
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