Conar gave it a cursory glance as he pushed his horse past.
"The men need rest, Conar. I’m sure the wagons stopped long before now," Legion told him in a quiet
voice. They had long since outdistanced the rumbling, creaking war caravan. Only the cook wagon had
stayed with them, since it was pulled by six fleet stallions.
Conar nodded, his mind far beyond the immediate needs of those around him. He drew on ’Yearner’s
reins. "We’ll rest," he said, swinging one long leg over his stallion’s head and sliding to the ground. He
handed the reins to Thom and walked a little way from his men, his head down, his shoulders sagging.
Thom would have followed, but Legion held him back. "Let him be alone, Thommy. Just keep a watch."
Legion caught the fierce, protective scowl on the big man’s wide face, the look of annoyance in the
beady black eyes. "Stupid request, eh?" Legion laughed.
Thom Loure raised his chin and pierced A’Lex with a stony reprimand. "Exceedingly."
"How’s he holding up?" Teal asked as he made his way around Legion’s big bay. He had ridden with his
Master-at-Arms from Downsgate.
"Well enough, I suppose. Quiet. If he doesn’t get some rest soon, he’s gonna drop in his tracks." Legion
hunkered down on the cooling sand and took a long drag from his water bag. "But just try telling him that.
I don’t think he would have stopped if I hadn’t reminded him, and those damned viper hits have got to be
hurting him."
"What happens if we get to Norus and Galen has already fled with her?"
"Then we ride for Diabolusia, my friend."
"Invade the country?" Teal wasn’t happy.
"Do you think he would hesitate, du Mer?" Legion snapped.
Teal ran a hand through his hair. There was no need to answer.
"Thom?" Conar called as he stared into the blackness of the night.
Loure was at his side in a second."Aye, Your Grace!"
Conar smiled at the man’s breathless anticipation and shook his head in exasperation. "Calm down," he
gently reprimanded, "I only wanted you to find a man somewhere in this throng. His name is Sentian Heil.
He’s the one who brought word of Liza to me." He didn’t look at his Elite captain, but could feel the
man’s hesitation. "It’s all right, Thommy. I’ll be fine."
Thom shifted from one foot to another. He didn’t like leaving the prince unprotected. He saw his young
Overlord turn, one golden brow cocked with expectation.
"Go, Thom," Conar ordered sternly.
Thom spun on his heels, his black eyes going immediately to Marsh Edan who had come up to Legion
for orders. Thom jerked his chin over his shoulder and saw Marsh nod in understanding. The Elite third in
command moved away from Legion, leaving the man speaking, and placed himself where his bow could
protect the Prince.
"It’s a good thing your life isn’t in danger," Teal said, then chuckled as Legion growled in irritation.
Conar sat on a rock and clasped his hands, letting them fall between his spread knees. He dropped his
chin to his chest. His head throbbed with the heat, the smell of sweaty horses and wet leather, unwashed
and perspiring men, and the dust that seemed to clog his nostrils and throat. His rump ached from the
long ride and he felt chafed along his underarms and the crease of his thighs from the chain mail.
He stared at the sand. He was so very tired, but he would not, dared not, let anyone know it. He had
not slept for more than a few hours in a week’s time, and his head, pounding unmercifully, reminded him
that he hadn’t eaten all that much, either.
The viper wounds plagued him, stung, and, he thought, still oozed a bit. He tried to ignore the aches and
pains in his body, believing the ache in his heart of more consequence than any bodily discomfort. He let
out a deep sigh and his head sagged lower.
Flinching only a little, he felt hands on his tense shoulders, massaging, easing the aching hardness. "Thank
you, Sentian," he said quietly, instinct telling him the man’s
"The men need rest, Conar. I’m sure the wagons stopped long before now," Legion told him in a quiet
voice. They had long since outdistanced the rumbling, creaking war caravan. Only the cook wagon had
stayed with them, since it was pulled by six fleet stallions.
Conar nodded, his mind far beyond the immediate needs of those around him. He drew on ’Yearner’s
reins. "We’ll rest," he said, swinging one long leg over his stallion’s head and sliding to the ground. He
handed the reins to Thom and walked a little way from his men, his head down, his shoulders sagging.
Thom would have followed, but Legion held him back. "Let him be alone, Thommy. Just keep a watch."
Legion caught the fierce, protective scowl on the big man’s wide face, the look of annoyance in the
beady black eyes. "Stupid request, eh?" Legion laughed.
Thom Loure raised his chin and pierced A’Lex with a stony reprimand. "Exceedingly."
"How’s he holding up?" Teal asked as he made his way around Legion’s big bay. He had ridden with his
Master-at-Arms from Downsgate.
"Well enough, I suppose. Quiet. If he doesn’t get some rest soon, he’s gonna drop in his tracks." Legion
hunkered down on the cooling sand and took a long drag from his water bag. "But just try telling him that.
I don’t think he would have stopped if I hadn’t reminded him, and those damned viper hits have got to be
hurting him."
"What happens if we get to Norus and Galen has already fled with her?"
"Then we ride for Diabolusia, my friend."
"Invade the country?" Teal wasn’t happy.
"Do you think he would hesitate, du Mer?" Legion snapped.
Teal ran a hand through his hair. There was no need to answer.
"Thom?" Conar called as he stared into the blackness of the night.
Loure was at his side in a second."Aye, Your Grace!"
Conar smiled at the man’s breathless anticipation and shook his head in exasperation. "Calm down," he
gently reprimanded, "I only wanted you to find a man somewhere in this throng. His name is Sentian Heil.
He’s the one who brought word of Liza to me." He didn’t look at his Elite captain, but could feel the
man’s hesitation. "It’s all right, Thommy. I’ll be fine."
Thom shifted from one foot to another. He didn’t like leaving the prince unprotected. He saw his young
Overlord turn, one golden brow cocked with expectation.
"Go, Thom," Conar ordered sternly.
Thom spun on his heels, his black eyes going immediately to Marsh Edan who had come up to Legion
for orders. Thom jerked his chin over his shoulder and saw Marsh nod in understanding. The Elite third in
command moved away from Legion, leaving the man speaking, and placed himself where his bow could
protect the Prince.
"It’s a good thing your life isn’t in danger," Teal said, then chuckled as Legion growled in irritation.
Conar sat on a rock and clasped his hands, letting them fall between his spread knees. He dropped his
chin to his chest. His head throbbed with the heat, the smell of sweaty horses and wet leather, unwashed
and perspiring men, and the dust that seemed to clog his nostrils and throat. His rump ached from the
long ride and he felt chafed along his underarms and the crease of his thighs from the chain mail.
He stared at the sand. He was so very tired, but he would not, dared not, let anyone know it. He had
not slept for more than a few hours in a week’s time, and his head, pounding unmercifully, reminded him
that he hadn’t eaten all that much, either.
The viper wounds plagued him, stung, and, he thought, still oozed a bit. He tried to ignore the aches and
pains in his body, believing the ache in his heart of more consequence than any bodily discomfort. He let
out a deep sigh and his head sagged lower.
Flinching only a little, he felt hands on his tense shoulders, massaging, easing the aching hardness. "Thank
you, Sentian," he said quietly, instinct telling him the man’s
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