Dyna smiled at a child who offered her a wooden charm painted dark red with the carving of a dragon. She handed him a few russets in return. “Well, I like that story,” Dyna said as she tied the charm to her satchel. “I hope she gave him a good death.”
Zev smirked, and Lucenna frowned at him. What? It’s not as if she hasn’t expressed the same sentiment against her enemies.
They bought hot food from a vendor and waited on the side of the road for Klyde. He appeared a few hours later with a frown on his face.
“You waited,” he stated disapprovingly.
“We did.” Dyna stood. “We had an agreement, didn’t we?”
“Aye…” He shook his head. “We were offered a place to stay for the night, but I think it’s best to keep going.”
They agreed. Zev handed him a roll of bread, and they went on their way.
“What was your business in Argyle?” Lucenna asked. “Did they need another dragon slayer?”
Klyde grunted with an amused curve of his mouth. “I have faced many beasts in my lifetime, lass. But I draw the line at enormous beasts with wings who have teeth larger than I.”
“Mercenary business, then?”
“Bounty business. You would be wise to pull up your cloaks, mates. Attracting any attention now would hinder our efforts. Many bounty hunters lurk in these parts, and many more are looking to score easy coin.” Klyde narrowed his eyes on the two impoverished men watching them as they rode past. They all obeyed, and Zev switched to high alertas he now noticed the few who had been keeping track of them. “The King of Argyle knows me well, as I have worked for him in the past. I came to request for his soldiers not to detain us if we are recognized in his territory. He agreed, yet that’s as far as his clemency goes. Others not serving Argyle are free to collect your bounties if they wish.”
Zev growled in annoyance. He had nearly forgotten about their high bounties, thanks to Tarn.
“Meaning we need to reach Dwarf Shoe as soon as possible,” Lucenna said.
The free state was a refuge away from wars and kings.
Klyde nodded for them to follow him off the road into the forest. “It’s well known people flee there for freedom, and they do have an impressive military in place to protect their citizens, but the best hunters are very determined. They enter Dwarf Shoe discreetly, and once they capture their targets, they are taken out of the state to claim the bounty in the next city. So we need to be careful.”
Well, wasn’t that simply grand?
Zev debated if he should shift now, so all his senses were fully heightened to catch any prowlers.
“How far are we from Dwarf Shoe, Lord Norrlen?” Dyna asked.
“Third River marks their border, my lady. I would say about three days away.”
“Third River?”
“It’s the last of the Three Rivers,” Rawn explained. “They are the longest rivers in Urn, and they cross nearly halfway through the country.”
Curiosity lit her eyes, and Zev suspected she was itching to look at Azeran’s map.
Klyde pulled out his map for her instead. “Neat fact,” he pointed at a large lake in the center of Urn. “The Second River appears to end in Naiads Mere, but it continues as several underground waterways that cross beneath the Anduir Mountains and emerge into the valley of Greenwood.”
Rawn frowned. “Who told you that? Not many know about the hidden waterways.”
The mercenary grinned. “A little water nymph told me. When I found myself at the bottom of the lake.”
Lucenna rolled her eyes. “Do we even want to know how that happened?”
“Only if you’re not squeamish.”
Zev slowed down, letting them walk ahead as he adjusted his pack. He kept his eyes on them, pretending he wasn’t aware of the new scents on their trail.
He continued, letting his keen sense of hearing and smell do the work. A branch snapped. It was very faint, but enough. Rawn glanced at him, communicating with only a look. Klyde laughed at something Lucenna said, but his shoulders grew tense, and his hand rested on the knife strapped to his thigh. He looked back at Zev and subtly nodded.
Well, they were in for a night.
