Alrud nodded his understanding and lifted a hand to wave as Robin and Ulli left the village.
“Visit Tenio before we return home?” Ulli asked from behind her, using as few words as possible.
Robin nodded, leading them down the forest path to a small farm on the far outskirts of the village.
At the farm, a young woman leaned over a garden bed in front of a small cottage. She stood when she saw the two strangers approach.
“Amalia,” the woman called, her voice tense and her eyes glued on Robin. “Take your little brother inside.”
A small girl bounced out from a row of vegetables, tugging an even smaller boy behind her. “Yes, Mama.”
Robin lifted a friendly hand in greeting as they got closer. “Lind!” she called.
The farm woman raised her hand to block the setting sun from her eyes. “Oh, Robin! Is that you?”
Robin looked down at her less than savory attire. “I am sorry, I did not mean to scare you. It is just Ulli and I.”
Lind stepped forward to greet them. “I see you have been afflicted with a case of the pox?” She smiled at her own jest. “Nele came by this morning to warn us.”
“It worked. The soldiers believed us and traveled around Berwell. You have not seen them here, have you?” Robin asked, looking around the small farmstead.
“No,” Lind confirmed. “Not a sight.” She sounded relieved, but Robin could see the tense outline of her too-thin shoulders beneath her worn dress. “I do not have the coin yet, Robin,” Lind said, her words coming out in a rush as her shoulders rose higher and drew in toward her neck. “I know it is already late, but the last group of soldiers that came through took the chickens, and the children need all the vegetables we can spare so there have not been enough to sell at the market and—”
“No. No, no!” Robin repeated the word louder and louder until the other woman stopped talking. “I am not here to collect for the loan. We just wanted to know that you are well and the soldiers did not try to spread out amongst the farmers. You can take as long as you need.”
Ulli stood at her side, towering over them with his arms crossed.
While she was speaking, Robin reached out and poked him sharply in the side. He was not helping her to make her point.
He uncrossed his arms, rubbing at the spot where she had poked him.
“We have already talked about this,” Robin said, never breaking her flow of words. “Everyone is struggling right now. Take care of yourself and the children. We will help you rebuildthe chicken flock for next greenreign, and you will have eggs to sell again.”
It took the entirety of Robin’s reassuring speech for Lind to drop her tense shoulders back to a relaxed position.
“Thank you, Robin,” she whispered.
“I know you will repay me when you can.” Robin looked around the garden. “How did the vegetables survive the extended frosts?” she asked, changing the subject. “And how is Tenio’s health?”
“The fever returns after rain,” Lind said. “Fortunately it is no pox, but he cannot seem to cough the sickness from his lungs. The tonic you brought last time did help.”
“I will try to get some more,” Robin said. “But it is a long walk back to Lockwood, so I will leave you now. Tell everyone you see to spread the story of the pox. And if any soldiers do show up, just have Tenio come out coughing.”
Lind smiled at that. “Thank you, Robin.”
Bidding the woman goodbye, Robin let Ulli lead their tired feet on the path toward home.
“A successful day,” Robin said, leaning into the feeling of pride. This had been one of her more brilliant ideas, and she was pleased that the Chendas soldiers had fallen for it so well. Gareth himself was a formidable enemy, but he invested no time, education, or training in his foot soldiers. For that, Robin was thankful.
Ulli, ahead of her, merely grunted.
“We should send word to as many villages along their route as possible,” Robin said, thinking through her next plans out loud. “The more real this appears, the better it will work.”
Ulli continued on in silence.
“Nele should have returned from the capital today?” Robin asked. “She and Lane can ride west tomorrow, unless she learned anything of note.”
Nele was her cypher, a small, unassuming woman only a few seasons younger than Robin. A few years prior, she had almost succeeded in an attempt to pickpocket Ulli. Instead of turning her in, Ulli had seen her potential and recruited her to River’s Talon. She had the uncanny ability to move through a space without being perceived, and she had quickly become a key source of intelligence for Robin—as well as a close friend.
