She glanced around, the fire casting a glow around their small camp, and she relaxed enough to settle back into her cloak.
Avoiding any towns or villages, they had been traveling west through Ermanel for a fortnight, mostly sticking to the wooded areas.
“They’ll have expected us to head for Helster Lake, so they’ll have the port towns between Thalos and Vesala watched. Although, who knows what’s happening in Ovenno these days. Or the empire, for that matter.” Rydon said when he caught Terena watching him. He was sitting in the same spot as when she’d fallen asleep, so she doubted he’d gotten any rest.
Terena stared at the fire, thinking. “We keep heading west, then.”
“Aye,” he said, and poked at the fire with a stick. It crackled and sparked and they both gazed at it for a few seconds.
Terena propped herself on her arm.
“To Tursk,” they said at the same time.
Terena narrowed her eyes.
“And then north to cross the lake at Bossena?” he asked. His smile deepened.
“Is this your plan or mine?” she grumbled. She moved to sit up straighter, taking care not to reawaken any of her aches. Galloping across the countryside had not helped.
Rydon chuckled and looked over at her. “Your brother told us of your emergency escape plan should anything… untoward… happen.”
Terena stared at him mulishly, but did not respond.
“Don’t blame the lad,” he said with a shrug, then gazed back at the fire. “He had no choice, obviously. And you’ll agree this was an emergency.”
“How do you happen to be in my brother’s company?”
Rydon sighed. “He sought us out in Laurica. At your direction, as I understand it. Needed help with the rescue and all. Promised us a fortune.” He shrugged. “You know, the usual.”
Terena snorted. “Of course. And the fortune is why you agreed, is it?”
“Why else?”
“Indeed,” she said.
They were silent for a while. Terena lowered herself back onto her pallet with a sigh.
“We cannot take the Greek roads.”
“Hmm,” Rydon said in assent.
The fire crackled and Terena listened to its music for several minutes. “You were never heading north,” she said at last.
Rydon made another sound. “Yes, and no. We’re heading that way. Eventually. Not before we had you.”
Terena stiffened. “Had me?”
Rydon shrugged, still gazing into the fire. “That’s no longer necessary, is it?”
“That’s a matter of perspective, I suppose,” she said. “Who are you?”
Rydon stared at her. “I was sent to find you,” he said at last.
“That is no answer.”
“I’m a mercenary. As is Gabriol. That is the truth.”
“And who sent you?”
