15
The next morning, Yarim and Calrain set out for the pass, along with nearly the entire regiment. The two of them had been given cavalry horses, and Calrain seemed proud to be at the front, leading the group of nearly three hundred men next to MajorGallington.
Yarim did not entirely share Calrain’s enthusiasm—he was too worried about Tariel. The distance between them had made it more difficult for him to sense her emotions, but he had felt fear and anger from her last night. He had also felt joy, which made him think she must have found Riann, but he had no way of knowing if they made it outsafely.
You’ll find out soon enough,he thought. With any luck, Tariel and Riann would be waiting for them outside thepass.
“There,” Calrain said, pointing. “It’s just beyond this ridgehere.”
They climbed the hill that led straight to the base of the mountains, where the endless wall stood. The tracker in their party quickly found the trail Yarim and Calrain had left and led them straight to their campsite outside the valleyentrance.
“They’re not here,” Calrain said, frowning. “I had thought they would be by now. It’s definitely been longer than twelvehours.”
“They don’t seem far,” Yarim said, testing the bond. “In fact, they might be in thepass.”
No sooner had he spoken the words than a man with chestnut hair and green eyes stepped out of the pass, squinting in the morning light. His face went white at the sight of the waiting soldiers, and his hand went to hissword.
“Take your hand off that weapon and identify yourself!” the major barked. “Who areyou?”
“We are escaped prisoners,” a female voice called, and Yarim sagged in relief at the sound of Tariel’s voice. She stepped out from behind the strange man, Riann behind her. There was a woman on his back, and bringing up the rear, a disheveled man with dirty, tattered clothes that looked to have been quite fine when they werenew.
“Lord Raffis?” the major asked, sounding incredulous. “Is that trulyyou?”
“Major Gallington!” the man cried in relief. He approached as the major dismounted, and the two embraced briefly. “Well met! I assume the king sent you to look forme?”
“He did indeed,” the major said, “but it appears you are in no need of rescuing after all. Who are these people withyou?”
“Fellow prisoners,” Lord Raffis said blithely. “This young woman here”—he gestured for Tariel to come forward—“is a talented mage who came to rescue her friend. Instead, she managed to walk out with all ofus.”
“Most of us,” Riann amended when the woman on his back sniffled. “We ran afoul of a deadly trap on the way out, and Natha’s husband did not makeit.”
“I am sorry for your loss,” the major said gravely. He surveyed the motley crew for a moment. “I imagine you do not want to go back into that pass any more than we do, but we must press on. If these bandits are truly here, it is our duty to root themout.”
“Please do,” Lord Raffis said. “We can wait at camp for you. I assume there is an encampment not far fromhere?”
“Yes.” The major made a gesture with his hand, and two soldiers stepped forward. “These two men will escort you back to camp.” He turned to Calrain and Yarim. “You may return with them, if you wish. You are not soldiers and have no obligation to enter the pass withus.”
Yarim was torn. On the one hand, he wanted to see what lay beyond, but on the other…he looked at Tariel. Her dark skin glowed in the morning sunlight, and even though her cheeks were smudged with dirt and her hair flew every which way, she looked absolutely radiant. He did not want to leaveher.
“We will go with Tariel,” Yarim said. “I am eager to hear about this adventure, and be acquainted with her…friend.”
He looked at the stranger, who stared back at him with eyes like frosted glass. There was a hard look about him, and Yarim’s intuition told him that he was not what he appeared. But Tariel and Riann seemed to trust him, so he said nothing. He would wait until they were alone to question him, and then he would find out what secrets lurked behind that hardfaçade.
