On those grim words, Eamon set his heels intohis mount’s sides and burst into a gallop. The rest of themfollowed quickly. Together, they rode out of camp, the sentriesletting them go without the typical challenge.
As they rode, Shea heard hoof beats off tothe side and looked over to find another group of four poundingthrough the brush, keeping pace with them before peeling off intheir own direction.
Shea set her eyes forward watching thescenery pass as she leaned low over her horse’s neck and felt hairfrom its mane brush her lips as they moved as one through thehills.
She’d have to find a time to bring up herconcerns on the trail.
Though she was disappointed to leave thecomforts of camp so soon after arriving, a part of her thrilled atbeing back in the wilderness, feeling the freedom of the open skiesand the deep serenity the sight of towering mountains and sharplydipping hills provided. For all the danger inherent in this land,it fed a portion of Shea’s soul that always felt slightly emptywhen she was behind high walls of canvas or stone.
Chapter Fifteen
Though night had fallen several hours ago,Shea’s group passed three other scouting parties. From the focus onboth Eamon and Phillip’s faces, Shea figured they wouldn’t bestopping until they found whoever they were looking for.
A whisper of sound, like that of somethingbrushing against rock, reached Shea. Her hand dropped to her hipwhere her short sword was buckled as she scanned her surroundings.It was dark but the moon was out, not quite as full as it had beenwhen they encountered the frostlings, but there was enough light tosee by.
Eamon stepped out of the gloom, raising ahand and nodding at her. She relaxed and murmured a soft ‘hello’ ashe joined her where she perched at the edge of a cliff.
“Anything?” he asked her.
How much did she tell him?
“No.”
“Damn.” He settled into a crouch beside her.“I’m beginning to think they sent us on a wild goose chase.”
Pretty much. The map was wrong, which meantthey were searching in the wrong place. She’d bet her life onit.
The group had found nothing and were nearlythrough the area they’d been given to cover. As no fire lights hadshot into the sky, they assumed no one else had met with successeither.
Should she tell him about what she’doverheard? Would he believe her? As time ticked by, it got harderand harder to tell him. He’d have questions about why she hadn’tsaid something sooner. He’d be right to be suspicious. She shouldhave made him listen back in camp.
Shea went back to staring at the mountainsilhouettes, whose hulking forms blocked the stars and were only afew shades darker than the rest of the night. Little specks offirelight winked in and out in the valley below as men combed theland.
“Maybe not,” Shea said slowly as an ideaoccurred to her. She could point them in the right directionwithout revealing how she knew what she knew. “I need you to lighta torch.”
Used to the way her mind worked, Eamon didn’task questions and busied himself with creating light to see by.Shea pulled out the map and flattened it on the rock between them,taking the torch from him and leaning the light as close as shedared to the parchment.
“Careful, Shane. I’m not sure how happythey’ll be if you set their map on fire.”
She was quiet as she studied the markings.Not all of it was wrong. That would raise too many suspicions fromscouts who’d traveled the area. Just parts of it, and she waspretty sure she knew which parts.
“What’re you two doing?” Buck asked,appearing out of the dark with Phillip close behind him.
“Anything?” Eamon asked hopefully.
They both shook their head in a negative.
Eamon sighed. “Shane thinks he’s ontosomething.”
“Oh?” Buck leapt onto their rock and squattednext to Shea. “What do you have?”
“Something.”
She pulled out her little journal and flippedto several smaller maps at the back. They weren’t as detailed aswhat she held in her hand, but it was enough to give her a generalidea of the land.
“Is that a map?” Buck asked. “You’re notsupposed to be copying the maps, Shane. They could flog you forthat.”
“I didn’t copy troop movements or anythingsensitive, Buck. You know as well as I do half the time the mapsthey give us are crap. I wanted a way to keep track of where we’dbeen so we didn’t have to start from scratch every time we leftcamp.”
