Shara sat beside Robert on the hard wooden seat of the wagon. A pair of large bay draft horses pulled the wagon along a rough dirt road. Two bandits rode in the bed along with a mishmash of junk Robert thought looked valuable enough to let them pass for merchants.
The rest of the crew rode stolen horses from the farm. They traveled in a defensive formation around the wagon with two in front, two in back and the rest divided between each flank.
They’d torched the farmhouse three days ago. No evidence, Shale had said. Somehow he’d survived his discussion with Blade, a pity that. He’d made no more moves toward her, but every time he looked her way it sent a shiver down her spine.
“What’s on your mind, kid?” Robert asked.
“Nothing, Uncle,” Shara said.
Robert had decided that she should pose as his niece and now insisted that she address him as uncle so she wouldn’t mess up if it was ever important. The wagon hit a bump, jostling her around. Riding on the wooden seat was almost as uncomfortable as walking.
She grimaced and adjusted her position. As if one section of hard wood was better than another. “I’ll be picking splinters out of my rear end for the rest of my life.”
Robert laughed. “You think this is rough? One time I rode out a typhoon in a sloop about twice the length of this wagon. I’ve never been so scared or sick in my life, before or since.”
He seemed about to say more when Blade rode up beside the wagon. “Company, Bobby.”
On the alert now Robert said, “Where?”
Blade pointed up the road. “Looks like a standard patrol, seven men and an officer.”
He nodded. “I should be able to talk us through this. Stay alert just in case, and keep that lunatic under control.”
He didn’t need to say any more. Blade knew which lunatic he meant.
“If it’s going bad, I’ll give you the signal to attack.”
“Scratching your throat?” Blade asked.
Robert nodded.
“We’ll be ready.” Blade returned to her place beside the wagon.
They continued on at a slow walk toward the patrol. The soldiers wore bright metal shirts and dome-shaped hats. Shara had never seen anyone wearing metal before. The bandits all made do with leather and the warriors from home would have died from the heat in such clothes.
For a moment Shara thought they might just pass by but the lead rider held up his hand signaling them to stop. He wore a white tabard over his metal shirt and seemed to be in charge.
Robert eased back on the reins, bringing their group to a halt. “May I be of some assistance, Lieutenant?”
The soldier’s eyes narrowed. “How did you know my rank?”
Robert smiled easily. “The bronze crest on your helmet—a captain would wear silver.”
“Very observant,” the lieutenant said, still looking suspicious. “You have a rather large entourage for just one wagon.”
Robert continued as though unaware of the soldier’s suspicion. “Yes, a bit of blind luck on my part. These fine soldiers were in a hurry to get to Port Saint Thomas but two of their horses came up lame. I happened to overhear their conversation at the inn where we were staying and since I was headed to the same city, I offered to let two of them ride in my wagon in exchange for protection. Since they had a ship to catch, they agreed.”
“A good deal for you,” the lieutenant said.
Robert grinned. “Certainly cheaper than hiring them.”
Shara could see the soldiers starting to relax. Robert had that effect. She thought he could talk a charging bull into turning aside.
“Mind if I take a look at your merchandise?”
“Help yourself,” Robert said. “If you see anything you like, I have a special soldier’s discount.”
While the officer poked through the junk in the wagon one of the other soldiers gave a closer look at the horses pulling the wagon. Robert didn’t seem to notice so Shara elbowed him in the side. When he looked at her she nodded toward the soldier by the horses.
Robert smiled and said, “Fine animals, aren’t they? The best deal I got on this trip. Traded a farmer up the road my old horses and two casks of honey for them.”
The soldier nodded. “I thought I recognized the brand, the Grover Farm, right?”
Robert squinched up his forehead in thought. “You know, I can’t remember the fellow’s name. Hell of a nice guy though.”
The soldier smiled. “Sounds like Eli.”
“Everything looks fine,” the officer said. “Sorry to bother you, sir.”
“Not at all, Lieutenant, it’s always a pleasure to see my tax money at work. Good day.”
The patrol rode away and Robert started the wagon going. When the soldiers had gone well out of sight he sighed in relief. “That was too close. If I hadn’t explained that brand things could have gotten ugly. Good eye, kid.”
Shara smiled at the praise, surprised at how good it made her feel.
“So why didn’t you try and get away?” Robert asked.
“What?” The question caught her off guard.
“Why didn’t you try and get away? You could have told those soldiers that we kidnapped you. We’re kind of a disreputable-looking crew. They probably would have believed you.”
“That occurred to me,” she said. In fact, she realized now that she said it that she’d thought about it and rejected the idea without even being aware of it. “If I’d said something there would have been a fight.”
“Without a doubt,” Robert agreed.
“I guess I didn’t want anyone else to get hurt on my account.” She looked up at him. “Especially not you. You’re the first friend I’ve had outside the palace. I couldn’t stand it if something happened to you.”
“Thanks, kid, that’s sweet.”
Blade rode over next to them. “Good work, Bobby. We’d best pick up the pace. When they find that burned-out farm, we’ll want as much distance between us and them as possible.”
Robert nodded in agreement and urged the horses into a trot. Shara gritted her teeth. The faster the horses went the worse the bumps felt. She groaned as they went through a particularly deep hole.
It was going to be a long ride home.
The bandits made camp that night in a clearing just off the road that seemed put there for just such a purpose. After dinner, Shara watched Robert and Blade go off by themselves. They talked long into the night, well after everyone else had gone to sleep.
Shara was given the privilege of sleeping in the wagon bed. They didn’t even bother with a guard anymore, so confident they seemed in Scratch’s magic.
She’d almost fallen asleep when something jumped up into the wagon with her. She flinched, at first thinking it was some sort of wild animal. A moment later she realized it was just Scratch’s cat. It rubbed against her leg, demanding attention. Clearly she wouldn’t get any sleep until she’d obliged. As soon as she started rubbing behind its ears, the cat started purring.
After a few minutes of attention the cat curled up in a ball and went to sleep. Shara looked at it as she tried to figure out why the animal had come to see her. She’d never seen it more than a few feet away from the wizard before.
Soon she decided she didn’t care why it was there and went to sleep.
When Robert shook her awake the sun was up and her furry companion long gone.
“Good morning.” Robert handed her a slice of bread with honey on it. “We have to get moving. Climb up front and you can eat on the road.”
Shara glanced around and saw that everyone was packed and mounted except for the two that rode in the wagon. They got in as soon as she climbed up front.
“Why didn’t you wake me earlier?” she asked around a mouthful of bread.
“No need to. Besides, you looked all in last night.”
“I was tired,” she said. “The meeting with the soldiers really jangled my nerves.”
“Mine too,” Robert said. “With any luck we can avoid any more meetings.”
Angels willing. “I almost forgot to tell you, that wizard’s cat paid me a visit last night.”
Robert smiled and laughed softly.
“What’s the joke?”
Robert shook his head. “I suppose it’s time I let you in on Scratch’s secret.”
“Secret?”
“Yeah, see the cat is Scratch.”
“You lost me,” Shara said.
“The story goes that before he joined up with Blade, Scratch messed up a shape-shift spell and trapped himself in the form of a cat. Now he’s stuck until he can get some expensive magic things, I haven’t the slightest idea what.”
“What about the guy, the one pretending to be the wizard?”
Robert scratched his head. “I don’t know. They came as a package deal. I guess since he can’t talk in his cat form, Scratch uses the guy as his voice and as a protector.”
“Well that at least explains his nickname.”
Robert laughed. “I suppose so. By the way, when you said your father would pay a big reward for your return, were you serious?”
“Yes, why?”
“Just curious, sometimes a prisoner will say anything to try and get free.”
“Oh. So how long until we reach the Kanid Forest?”
“About a week.” Robert smiled nervously. “I assure you I’m in no rush.”
“Why?” she asked. “I thought we had to pass through the forest to reach the Sea of Torments.”
“Yeah, well, a lion tamer has to stick his head in the lion’s mouth at the end of the show, but he doesn’t have to be happy about it.”