Kiranrao tapped his nose, smiling smugly.
Paedrin gritted his teeth, admiring the man’s keen senses but also hating him at the same time. When the final two had passed, the three rose from their hiding place and continued westward, toward Silvandom.
Kiranrao vanished into a shadowy mist, leaving the two of them alone again. For all they knew, he could have been walking right next to them. He had some sort of magic imbued in his sword that gave him the abilities beyond ordinary men.
“Explain to me again why he is with us,” Paedrin said in a low voice. “I know you said it before, but every time he opens his mouth, I seem to forget it.”
“He wants the blade, Paedrin. He will barter with my uncle for it. The stones for the blade.”
“But you found the stones. He would not have been able to get them on his own, by what you told me. It was as if the tree gave them to you.”
“There is a Romani saying, Paedrin. Let your bargain suit your purpose.”
He sighed. “And that means?”
“When he found me at the temple, I was going to lose the stones anyway. A man like him can just take what he wants. So I made a bargain with him to free you, in exchange for the stones, knowing that he would try and bargain with Tyrus for the blade. Of the two, I think Tyrus is far more clever.”
“How did you know he would accept your bargain?”
She gave him a wrinkled-brow look that reminded him of a disdainful cat. “You can be such a fool, Paedrin.”
“Yes, I know. But humor me anyway.”
“He relishes a challenge. He is the only man known to have stolen from the Arch-Rike’s palace and lived to boast of the deed. Stealing a prisoner from the dungeon is just the sort of thing that appeals to him. Romani love a challenge. They thrive on risk.”
“It probably didn’t hurt that he knows how much I loathe him. That made the risk all the sweeter.”
Hettie nodded. “He is always trying to gain leverage over someone. A way to turn them to his will. Once he could see that I cared…” She clamped her mouth shut, frowning fiercely at the word that had slipped from her mouth.
Paedrin’s heart shuddered at the slip. He wasn’t sure how to take it, and the silence became awkward and fraught with energy. Well, it should not surprise him that she cared. He had saved her life, after all. Their long talks had been something he had enjoyed much himself. He cared for her, with no doubt. Probably much more than she did him, but he would never have admitted it openly like that.
“Well, I am grateful that you did rescue me,” he said, coughing into his fist. He showed her the Kishion ring. “I hope your uncle can find a way to remove this. I would not want to use goose grease on it every day. But better than the alternative of having no control over myself.”
She said nothing, and an icy silence fell between them.
The wind was mild that night. They walked firmly, keeping a strong pace to pass the time. To the south, light glimmered on a hill, many leagues away.
“Is that a town?” Paedrin wondered.
“Minon,” Hettie replied. “It is a border village between Kenatos and Wayland. A walled place where shipments are protected. We are approaching the road.”
“Have you ever been…?”
The sound of baying hounds trumpeted in the distance behind them.
Hettie frowned. “They found our trail too quickly. I hid our tracks very well. The only thing that would have made it better was to kill a skunk to completely mask our scent.”
The sound of horns filled the air next.
“Persistent,” Paedrin said.
“They are calling to Minon to box us in. We should probably run. If we can clear the other side of the road, it will get easier. How did they find us so quickly?”
Paedrin frowned and started to jog. “Maybe they can track my ring?”
Hettie shook her head. “If that were so, they would not have missed us at the hill.”
“Their Finder must be better than you thought.”
Hettie was quiet a moment. “But how can they track us? Is someone following us? Can you see?”
Paedrin looked back the way they came and could not see anyone in the distance. Not even the lantern was visible yet. A shape flittered past his vision up above, startling him. Looking up, he realized the sky was circling with birds.
“What sort of bird flies at night?” he asked aloud. “I thought only bats did.”
Hettie looked up and let out a sharp breath. “Owls! Of course, I should have thought of that. They can track us better at night than during the day. Owls have great vision in the dark. We are being followed from above.”