been hiding when she shot the bandits.
It had taken them three hours.
The light of battle was already in Helgaer's eyes.
"The road curves," she said as softly as a falling leaf. "They have … half an hour?"
Camille gave a slight nod, but said nothing.
"Stay here. I will find out how they are marching. If they have scouts, I will improve our odds. If they do not, I will give them something to chase."
Camille rounded on Helgaer, who held up a hand.
"I can hide myself from them. I can find and kill their scouts without being seen. Do you doubt me?"
After a long pause, Camille shook her head, but she did not look any happier.
"Best only one of us hunt them," Helgaer continued. "We will not get in each other's way. You will know if they find me. Be ready."
As she turned to go, Camille seized her arm. "Do not get killed," she growled. "Vengeance will not be found by your corpse."
Helgaer kissed Camille fiercely but said nothing.
She went first to the camp-site.
Nobody had been there save wolves since she had attacked the bandits and Camille had come to her aid.
The bodies had been eaten and dismembered, but the young boy's crossbow was where she expected to find it and so where the bolts.
Helgaer worked her way up the road before settling down to wait. She was too far from the road to see anyone upon it, but easily able to hear even a single traveller.
She did not have long to wait before hearing the disciplined tramp of soldiers' boots. She stayed as still and quiet as a tree, and listened.
She could not tell how many were marching together, but it was not a large group. She listened more carefully.
There. Ahead of the column, in the trees between her and the road. It was the sound of someone trying to move quietly, someone with experience and some little skill.
Helgaer smiled like a wolf and stayed where she was.
She heard another stealthy figure before the column arrived. She heard the column pass, and did not move.
There, again. Another figure. She smiled to herself without moving her lips.
Another figure passed.
Only when Helgaer was absolutely sure the last man had passed, did she move.
The rearmost of the rangers didn't realise he was dead until it was too late for him to do anything about it.
Helgaer lowered him gently to the ground before pulling her dagger out of the underneath of his chin.
The second did not hear the death, but realised something was wrong. He was less surprised when he died, but no louder.
Helgaer faded back between the trees. She waited, but heard nothing.
If she pursued the first rangers, she would end up too far from the cliff. She caught up with the marching column, risking exposure to get a good look at them. Ten men marched behind their leader.
She raised the crossbow, hesitated, then placed it gently on the ground, untied her sling, slipped a good stone from a pouch, then felled the man in the rear.
The stone was still in the air as she was snatching up the crossbow.
It was not a good shot, and he did not die immediately.
She heard him, but was too far away to see anything after the bolt struck.
She was disappointed to not hear panic. She heard immediate, disciplined, warnings and orders.
That made her frown, but she was not going to retreat now for any reason.
She heard the first two rangers running back, no longer trying to hide themselves. That was easy. The second heard the first one die, but Helgaer attacked him too quickly and strongly for him to have any chance.
She let those kills be noisy. She wanted them to hear her now.
Six dead was a start, but only a start.
She let them hear her running towards the bandits' trail. She ran along it, towards the camp, until she was sure they would find it. Then she disappeared into the forest again.
There was one voice shouting in rage, but he was disciplined and he was giving orders. That would be the voice of Captain Ellisar Koda. Helgaer's fists clenched before she forced herself to relax.
They spread out as
It had taken them three hours.
The light of battle was already in Helgaer's eyes.
"The road curves," she said as softly as a falling leaf. "They have … half an hour?"
Camille gave a slight nod, but said nothing.
"Stay here. I will find out how they are marching. If they have scouts, I will improve our odds. If they do not, I will give them something to chase."
Camille rounded on Helgaer, who held up a hand.
"I can hide myself from them. I can find and kill their scouts without being seen. Do you doubt me?"
After a long pause, Camille shook her head, but she did not look any happier.
"Best only one of us hunt them," Helgaer continued. "We will not get in each other's way. You will know if they find me. Be ready."
As she turned to go, Camille seized her arm. "Do not get killed," she growled. "Vengeance will not be found by your corpse."
Helgaer kissed Camille fiercely but said nothing.
She went first to the camp-site.
Nobody had been there save wolves since she had attacked the bandits and Camille had come to her aid.
The bodies had been eaten and dismembered, but the young boy's crossbow was where she expected to find it and so where the bolts.
Helgaer worked her way up the road before settling down to wait. She was too far from the road to see anyone upon it, but easily able to hear even a single traveller.
She did not have long to wait before hearing the disciplined tramp of soldiers' boots. She stayed as still and quiet as a tree, and listened.
She could not tell how many were marching together, but it was not a large group. She listened more carefully.
There. Ahead of the column, in the trees between her and the road. It was the sound of someone trying to move quietly, someone with experience and some little skill.
Helgaer smiled like a wolf and stayed where she was.
She heard another stealthy figure before the column arrived. She heard the column pass, and did not move.
There, again. Another figure. She smiled to herself without moving her lips.
Another figure passed.
Only when Helgaer was absolutely sure the last man had passed, did she move.
The rearmost of the rangers didn't realise he was dead until it was too late for him to do anything about it.
Helgaer lowered him gently to the ground before pulling her dagger out of the underneath of his chin.
The second did not hear the death, but realised something was wrong. He was less surprised when he died, but no louder.
Helgaer faded back between the trees. She waited, but heard nothing.
If she pursued the first rangers, she would end up too far from the cliff. She caught up with the marching column, risking exposure to get a good look at them. Ten men marched behind their leader.
She raised the crossbow, hesitated, then placed it gently on the ground, untied her sling, slipped a good stone from a pouch, then felled the man in the rear.
The stone was still in the air as she was snatching up the crossbow.
It was not a good shot, and he did not die immediately.
She heard him, but was too far away to see anything after the bolt struck.
She was disappointed to not hear panic. She heard immediate, disciplined, warnings and orders.
That made her frown, but she was not going to retreat now for any reason.
She heard the first two rangers running back, no longer trying to hide themselves. That was easy. The second heard the first one die, but Helgaer attacked him too quickly and strongly for him to have any chance.
She let those kills be noisy. She wanted them to hear her now.
Six dead was a start, but only a start.
She let them hear her running towards the bandits' trail. She ran along it, towards the camp, until she was sure they would find it. Then she disappeared into the forest again.
There was one voice shouting in rage, but he was disciplined and he was giving orders. That would be the voice of Captain Ellisar Koda. Helgaer's fists clenched before she forced herself to relax.
They spread out as
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