She nodded, and Bree bent low and they hurried to the side of the wagon.
Rose Laffin, the woman from the trader wagon Horland had tried to pass her and Kieri off onto, spotted Bree and Kieri first. She turned and held the bars of the cage.
Bree quickly put her finger to her lips to keep Rose quiet.
She nodded and pulled on the back of her son’s vest. Mayland twisted around and his eyes widened at the sight of Bree. He grinned and squirmed next to his mother, and whispered to Bree, “Sir Horland is in trouble.”
“I know.” She looked down at Kieri. “Can you sneak to the other wagon and see if the key is still on that hook near where the driver sits?”
Kieri nodded and quietly disappeared around the front of the wagon. She slithered up onto the seat of the other wagon and kept prostate as she shimmied along to the other side.
Bree searched the cage and couldn’t see Monty, the woman’s husband, but she did see two more able bodied men and four women about her age. All of them should be able to fight, she thought, but they needed weapons.
She looked back at Garlain and Morla, mouthed the wordweaponsand pointed to the prisoners.
Morla and Garlain exchanged confused looks.
Bree pretended to pull a sword from her belt and slashed the invisible blade around in the air. She glanced at the cage and seeing the young man was watching her, gave the invisible weapon to him. He caught on and taking it, he pulled it through the bars and hid it in his robes, before fisting his hand and sticking up his thumb at Bree.
Morla ran into the ruins and Garlain smiled, admiration filling his eyes, and stuck up his thumb at her as well.
Bree hoped Morla had understood and then hoped, again, that they had enough weapons in the ruins.
Mayland had pushed his way to the cage gate. “Lady,” he said. “Open the door.”
“Shh.” Bree shot him a frown. “Just wait,” she whispered.
She edged to the edge of the wagon and peered at the bandits. Horland was on his knees and the toothless oaf was laughing at him. “Whether it be animal or human, my men will find whatever made that screaming noise. You, the king, and the rest of the knights can all go to hell. We will be gone before any know of our dealings.”
He held the sword aloft and Bree, scared the pig was going to behead Horland, slipped to the back of the wagon. But before she could shout for Drimpal to stop, Garlain swooped into the midst of the bandits, howling abuses, and slashing with his sword.
Bree ducked back behind the cage on the wagon and peered around the corner, stretching her neck as far as it would go. Horland’s face erupted in surprise at the sight of Garlain.
“Get him,” Drimpal shouted, and pressing his sword tip into Horland’s neck, he said, “Don’t move.”
Garlain felled one, then pounced on another. He parriedand sidestepped and ducked, but Bree could tell he was tiring. His rapid breaths rasped, and sweat droplets formed along his hairline, but he forged on, slicing his sword into his enemy’s side.
“Let us out,” Mayland whispered harshly.
“Not yet, I don’t have the key. Princess Morla is getting you weapons, swords I hope.”
He harrumphed and a bandit cried out.
“Now shush.” Bree refocused on Garlain’s fight.
While the bandit Garlain fought didn’t fall, he did back away, giving the rest of the bandits room to attack. Bree noted a red patch flowering open on his white sleeve.
Garlain fought like a lion, but every swipe of his blade brought more sweat out on his now red face. With many opponents he too was soon overcome and on his knees. The bandits surrounded him, pointing their swords at his neck and back.
“Should I take his head, Drimpal?”
“No. He will be our insurance for safe passage,” Drimpal said, and raised his head. “Where’s the ship?”
A bandit emerged from the rosebushes. “It is docking as we speak.”
Bree recognized him as the big red-haired brigand who captured her. That part of her life seemed so long ago now, a dream almost.
Drimpal, keeping the sword hard against Horland’s neck, waved his other arm at the bandits surrounding Garlain. “Take him to the ship and hoist him in the slave keep.”
