Yedan narrowed his gaze, and then shot the other woman a second look.
This one straightened from etching the road. She lifted her arms as if to display herself-the tears and holes in her shirt revealing smooth flesh, the round fullness of her breasts. ‘Hungry, Witchslayer?’ She ran a hand through her auburn hair and then smiled invitingly.
‘See what her blood done t’us?’ the first one exclaimed. ‘Ya didn’t nearby kill us. Leff the two a us, an that made us rich wi’ ’er power, and see what it done?’
Yedan Derryg slowly scowled. ‘Pully. Skwish.’
Both women pranced the opening steps to the Shake Maiden Dance.
Growling under his breath, he walked between them, taking care not to scrape the patterns cut into the packed earth of the road.
The one he took to be Pully hurried up to his side. ‘Careful, ya fat walrus, these are highest-’
‘Wards. Yes. You’ve surrounded my sister with them. Why?’
‘She’s sleepin-don’t asturb ’er.’
‘I am the Watch. We need to speak.’
‘Sleeps!’
He halted, stared at the witch. ‘Do you know where we are?’
‘Do you?’
Yedan stared at her. Saw the tremor behind her eyes. ‘If not,’ he said, ‘the hold of the Liosan, then a neighbouring realm within their demesne.’
Pully flinched. ‘The Watch sees and is not blind,’ she whispered.
As he moved to continue to the tent the witch snapped out a hand to stay him. ‘Lissen. Not sleep. Nearby a coma-she didn’t know to slow ’er own blood, just let it pour out-nearby killt ’er.’
He ground his teeth, chewed silently for a moment, and then asked, ‘You bound her wounds?’
‘We did,’ answered Skwish behind them. ‘But mebbe we was too late-’
‘Too busy dancing.’
Neither woman replied.
‘I will look upon my sister.’
‘An then stay close,’ said Pully, ‘an bring up your soljers.’
Yedan pointed to one of the Shake guards. ‘Send that one back to Captains Pithy and Brevity. They are to take command of the rearguard with their company. Then have your lad lead my troop back here.’
Skwish turned away to comply with his commands.
They were flush, yes, these two witches. And frightened. Two forces he could use to ensure their cooperation. That and the guilt they must now be feeling, having drunk deep when-if not for Yedan’s slaying of the others-they would have but managed a sip with the rest shared out among scores of parched rivals. He would keep them down from now on, he vowed. Serving the Royal Family. ‘Pully,’ he now said. ‘If I discover you ever again withholding information from me-or my sister-I will see you burned alive. Am I understood?’
She paled and almost stepped back.
He stepped closer, permitting her no retreat. ‘I am the Watch.’
‘Aye. You are the Watch.’
‘And until the Queen recovers, I command this column-including you and Skwish.’
She nodded.
‘Make certain your sister witch understands.’
‘I will.’
He turned and made his way to the tent. Crouched at the entrance. He hesitated, thinking, and then reached out to tug aside the hide flap-enough to give him a view inside. Hot, pungent air gusted out. She was lying like a corpse, arms at her sides, palms up. He could just make out the black-gut stitchwork seaming the knife cuts. Reaching in, he took one of her bare feet in his hand. Cold, but he could detect the faintest of pulses. He set the foot down, closed the flap, and straightened.
‘Pully.’
She was standing where he’d left her. ‘Yes.’
‘She might not recover left just as she is.’
‘Na, she might not.’
‘She needs sustenance. Wine, meat. Can you force that into her without choking her?’
Pully nodded. ‘Need us a snake tube.’
‘Find one.’
‘Skwish!’
‘I heard.’
Yedan made his way back through the wards. Four horses were tethered to his sister’s supply wagon. He selected the biggest one, a black gelding with a white blaze on its forehead. The beast was unsaddled but bridled. He drew it out from the others and then vaulted on to its back.
Pully was watching him. ‘Can’t ride through the wards!’
‘I don’t mean to,’ he replied, gathering the reins.
The witch stared, baffled. ‘Then where?’
Yedan chewed for a time, and then brought his horse round to face the nearest hills.