“Oh, you need help with your pack.” She smiles as if in apology. “Allow me to take Lavante to the stables and bring you your things.”
Though she tries to get to the pub’s exit first, I’m the one that opens it for her—and we both stop as we see the black carriage that has driven up to the porch. With a matched pair of gray horses, and footmen in the back, it’s like a royal visitor has pulled up—except for the lack of a coat of arms.
Its passenger entry is opened by one of the uniforms, the red velvet interior like a hearth. But Thale is the one who gets the working women settled, helping them inside with a chivalrous hand.
“May she ride with you, too?” I ask.
He pivots back around, and raises an eyebrow. “Yes, she may.” He gets in and extends his hand to the barmaid. “Come now, Lalah.”
She glances up at the driver, who’s stationed on top. It’s Emma, her twin, who motions for her to get in—yet still, she remains frozen.
Aware that there’s now a crowd around us, I clear my throat. “Would you prefer to ride with me—”
I barely get the offer out before Lalah scurries over to Lavante. There’s a chuckle as Thale shuts himself and his women in together, and then a pounding on the carriage roof. With a snap of the reins and a smile to both of us, Emma sets them off.
Putting my foot in the stirrup, I saddle up, and then Lalah does the same, pushing a toehold in where my slipper was and hopping high. There is more than enough room for the both of us in the cradle—a good thing, because with my supplies and clothes secured where I once sat, there’d be no way to accommodate anyone behind me.
Merc waits until I give Lavante the go-ahead before spurring his own steed on, and we must canter off to catch up to the stagecoach. It turns out that his horse is better as a follower than a leader and now regularly keeps up, whereas when Merc was on his own, he had to constantly urge the gelding forth. Still, I feel the need to check on them—
There’s a parade in our wake.
As we head out of the Outpost, all kinds of townsfolk gather their horses and their carts and fall in with the procession. How they have scrambled so fast is a surprise—then again, given where they live, they’re no doubt prepared for all sorts of eventualities.
Seeing them snake along the road makes me anxious.
What started as a possible solution has turned into a spectacle, and everything’s resting on my silly idea.
“Are you okay back there?” I ask Lalah.
“Oh, yes. My sister and I used to do this bareback.”
The trip through the meadow is a blur, and as the rushing of the floodwaters grows louder, and we approach the branch in the travel road, I find myself terrified that the grasses and trees will bow to me again.
Fortunately, nothing unusual occurs. And I can explain that no more readily than I can explain what happened before.
When we close in on the cliffs, and then are closed in by the cliffs, our speed slows and the cacophony of so many people and horses and carriages in the narrow passages creates a din. After what seems like no time at all, we cram into what previously seemed to be a sizable clearing, with people wedging themselves tight for a view of the Crystal Gate.
“You dismount first,” I say to Lalah.
But she’s already slipping off and taking the reins to hold Lavante.
Merc is also already boots-on-the-ground, and when Lalah offers him her hand, he gives his horse over to her as well.
I shake my head. “No, Lalah, we need you, too—”
“So!” Thale’s voice ushers in a silence so quick, so complete, it’s as if no one was talking at all. “It’s time to see what you want to do with these beautiful women.”
The smile he gives me is indulgent. The look he gives Merc is self-satisfied, as if needling the other man’s obvious hatred of him is such a bonus to the adventure.
“And if you are wrong,” Thale continues, “no matter. I have enjoyed my time with… dear friends.”
The black-haired woman dabs at the corners of her mouth with her fingertips, then licks her lips as if she’s tasted something she enjoyed. Next to her, Bethle laughs in a throaty fashion and leans into Thale, draping her arm on his shoulder.
“What would you like us to do,” she asks me with a bold smile.
I clear my throat. “I would like you to sing.”
As the women frown, Thale cracks a laugh. “Though I have many abilities—”The ladies offer an affirmative chuckle at that. “—I’m afraid carrying a tune is not among them.”
