leave Bodach?”
Sorak smiled. “Finding the Breastplate of Argentum and leaving Bodach alive will prove challenge enough for now,” he said. “There will be time to decide what to do about Valsavis afterward. And now you’d better get some sleep. You’ll need your strength. I will keep watch.”
She glanced at Valsavis again and shook her head. “If he is an agent of the Shadow King, then he sleeps very comfortably in our presence.”
“What would he have to fear?” asked Sorak wryly. “He knows we are preservers and would not kill him while he slept, merely on suspicion.”
Ryana grimaced. “Somehow, I doubt that he would hesitate to do that very thing should our roles have been reversed. Or do you disagree?”
“No,” Sorak said, nodding in agreement, “I do not think he would have any problem with that at all.”
“That knowledge isn’t exactly going to help me sleep any easier,” she said.
“I will keep a wary eye on him,” said Sorak. “And we shall see what he does once we reach Salt View.”
“I would not be disappointed if he chose to remain there, despite the dangers we will face in Bodach,” Ryana said.
“If he is truly an agent of the Shadow King,” said Sorak, “then I would much rather have him with us, where we can watch him, rather than have him on our trail, where we cannot. At least one thing is for certain. If he is in the service of the Shadow King, then he has tracked us all the way from Nibenay, across the Great Ivory Plain. We shall not be able to shake him off our trail.”
“Which means that we may have to kill him,” said Ryana.
Sorak stared at Valsavis for a long moment as he lay stretched out on his bedroll, with his back to them. “I fear that we shall have no choice, in that event,” he said at last. “And from what I’ve seen, that will be no easy task.”
“He would be no match for the Shade,” Ryana said.
“I am not so sure,” said Sorak. “But even if our suspicions prove correct, we cannot kill a man if he has done nothing to warrant it. That would be coldblooded murder.”
Ryana nodded. “Yes, I know. So what are we going to do?”
Sorak shook his head. “I do not know,” he said. “At least, not yet. But I will dwell upon it carefully.”
“You think he knows we suspect him?”
“Perhaps,” said Sorak. “He may, after all, simply be a wandering mercenary in search of adventure, just as he claims. On the other hand, he knows about the Silent One. He told me as much. He is either innocent of any guile, or else he is enjoying playing a game with us, the way a mountain cat toys with its prey before the kill. The question is, how long will he toy with us before he makes his move?”
Ryana stretched out on her bedroll. “An unpleasant question to ponder as I try to sleep,” she said wearily.
“Good night, little sister,” Sorak said. “Sleep well.”
“Good night, my love,” she said softly.
Soon, she was asleep. But Sorak remained awake for a long time, staring at the flames and wondering about their new companion. Eventually, he ducked under and slept while the Watcher came to the fore and looked out through his eyes.
All night long, she sat silently by the fire, alert to everything around her, to the slightest sound and the faintest scent on the night breeze. And not once did her sharp gaze leave Valsavis.
Chapter Four
The village of Salt View lay remote and isolated at the foot of the southern slope of the Mekillot Mountains. Far to the north, across the Great Ivory Plain, the caravan route from the northern territories ended at the city of Nibenay. To the west, across the mountains and the Great Ivory Plain, the caravan route from Altaruk skirted the westernmost boundary of the salt plain and arced to the northeast, where it ended at the city of Gulg. To the east and south, there was nothing but a desolate wasteland stretching out for miles. Farther south, the salt plain gave way to large, inland silt basins that were
Sorak smiled. “Finding the Breastplate of Argentum and leaving Bodach alive will prove challenge enough for now,” he said. “There will be time to decide what to do about Valsavis afterward. And now you’d better get some sleep. You’ll need your strength. I will keep watch.”
She glanced at Valsavis again and shook her head. “If he is an agent of the Shadow King, then he sleeps very comfortably in our presence.”
“What would he have to fear?” asked Sorak wryly. “He knows we are preservers and would not kill him while he slept, merely on suspicion.”
Ryana grimaced. “Somehow, I doubt that he would hesitate to do that very thing should our roles have been reversed. Or do you disagree?”
“No,” Sorak said, nodding in agreement, “I do not think he would have any problem with that at all.”
“That knowledge isn’t exactly going to help me sleep any easier,” she said.
“I will keep a wary eye on him,” said Sorak. “And we shall see what he does once we reach Salt View.”
“I would not be disappointed if he chose to remain there, despite the dangers we will face in Bodach,” Ryana said.
“If he is truly an agent of the Shadow King,” said Sorak, “then I would much rather have him with us, where we can watch him, rather than have him on our trail, where we cannot. At least one thing is for certain. If he is in the service of the Shadow King, then he has tracked us all the way from Nibenay, across the Great Ivory Plain. We shall not be able to shake him off our trail.”
“Which means that we may have to kill him,” said Ryana.
Sorak stared at Valsavis for a long moment as he lay stretched out on his bedroll, with his back to them. “I fear that we shall have no choice, in that event,” he said at last. “And from what I’ve seen, that will be no easy task.”
“He would be no match for the Shade,” Ryana said.
“I am not so sure,” said Sorak. “But even if our suspicions prove correct, we cannot kill a man if he has done nothing to warrant it. That would be coldblooded murder.”
Ryana nodded. “Yes, I know. So what are we going to do?”
Sorak shook his head. “I do not know,” he said. “At least, not yet. But I will dwell upon it carefully.”
“You think he knows we suspect him?”
“Perhaps,” said Sorak. “He may, after all, simply be a wandering mercenary in search of adventure, just as he claims. On the other hand, he knows about the Silent One. He told me as much. He is either innocent of any guile, or else he is enjoying playing a game with us, the way a mountain cat toys with its prey before the kill. The question is, how long will he toy with us before he makes his move?”
Ryana stretched out on her bedroll. “An unpleasant question to ponder as I try to sleep,” she said wearily.
“Good night, little sister,” Sorak said. “Sleep well.”
“Good night, my love,” she said softly.
Soon, she was asleep. But Sorak remained awake for a long time, staring at the flames and wondering about their new companion. Eventually, he ducked under and slept while the Watcher came to the fore and looked out through his eyes.
All night long, she sat silently by the fire, alert to everything around her, to the slightest sound and the faintest scent on the night breeze. And not once did her sharp gaze leave Valsavis.
Chapter Four
The village of Salt View lay remote and isolated at the foot of the southern slope of the Mekillot Mountains. Far to the north, across the Great Ivory Plain, the caravan route from the northern territories ended at the city of Nibenay. To the west, across the mountains and the Great Ivory Plain, the caravan route from Altaruk skirted the westernmost boundary of the salt plain and arced to the northeast, where it ended at the city of Gulg. To the east and south, there was nothing but a desolate wasteland stretching out for miles. Farther south, the salt plain gave way to large, inland silt basins that were
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