She smiled again, a little knowingly he thought, then grew more serious. "You always look so troubled."
"Do I?"
"What is it that ails you?"
"It"s . . . hard to explain."
"Try."
"My land is tormented. Greatly so."
"Then leave it. Come here."
"There is too much of importance to hold me in my own place. And how I get here is something over which I seem to have no say."
"That"s hard to understand. You visit with such facility. Can you explain ?"
"No. I"m puzzled too, and I have no explanation."
"Perhaps in time you will. No matter. What can be done to ease your burden?"
"I"m on what could be called a mission which might do that."
"There is hope then?"
"Might,Isay."
"All that should concern you is doing that which is right and just. Do you think you are?"
He answered without hesitation. "Yes."
"And you believe you are being true to yourself in undertaking this mission?"
"I do."
"Then you have made yourself a promise, and since when did orcs go back on their word?"
"Too often, where I come from."
She was shocked by that. "Why?"
"We are forced to."
"That is sad, and all the more reason not to bend this time."
"I can"t afford to. The lives of comrades are at stake.""You"ll stand by them. It"s the orc way."
"You make it all seem so simple. But events are not always easy tomaster."
"It takes courage, I know, but 1 can tell that"s not something you lack. Whatever this task you have set yourself, you must undertake it to the best of your ability. Else why are we alive?"
It was his turn to smile. "There is wisdom in your words. I"ll reflecton them."
They felt no discomfort in letting a moment pa.s.s in silence. At length he said, "What is this place?" He indicated the ruins.
"n.o.body knows, except it"s very old and orcs lay no claim to it."
"How can that be? You"ve already told me that this country of yours is home to no other race but ours."
"And you"ve told me that your land is shared with many races. 1 find that at least as great a mystery."
"Nothing I see around me accords with my experience," he con-fessed.
"I thought I hadn"t seen you waiting here before. Is this the firsttime you"ve come to greet them?"
"Waiting? And who am I supposed to greet?"
She laughed. It was good-natured. "You really don"t know?"
"I"ve no idea what you"re talking about," he told her.
Turning, she scanned the ocean. Then she pointed. "Them."
He looked and saw the billowing white sails of several ships on thehorizon.
"You"re so strange," she added kindly. "You never cease to makeme wonder, Stryke."
Of course, she knew his name. But he still didn"t know hers.
He was about to ask when a black maw opened and swallowed him.
He woke up haunted by her face, and sweating despite the cold.
After the brightness he had experienced, it took a few seconds for him to adjust to the watery daylight that was becoming the norm in this world. He checked himself. What was he doing thinking in terms of "this world"? What other world was there, apart from the one he"d erected for himself in his dreams? If dreams they were. Whatever he called them, they were becoming more vivid. They made him doubt his sanity. And at a time like this the last thing he needed was his mind playing tricks on him.
Nevertheless, though he didn"t understand the dream, it had some-how stiffened his resolve. He felt absurdly optimistic about the decision he"d made, never mind the many fresh obstacles it threw in their path.
His reverie was broken by a shadow falling across him. It was Jup"s.
"Chief, you don"t look too good. You all right?"
Stryke gathered his wits. "I"m fine, Sergeant." He got up. "Is every-thing ready?"
"More or less."
Alfray had mustered his half of the band and was supervising the loading of their horses. Stryke and Jup went towards him.
As they walked, Stryke asked, "Did anybody use crystal last night?"
"Not that I know of. And n.o.body would without permission. Why?"
"Oh ... no reason."
Jup gave him an odd look, but before he could say anything they were with Alfray.
He was tightening his horse"s saddle straps. Giving the leather stay a final jerk, he said, "Well, that"s it. We"re all set."
"Remember what I said," Stryke reminded him. "Don"t make contact with the centaurs unless you"re sure there"s no danger."
"I"ll remember."
"Got everything you need?"
"I reckon so. We"ll be looking out for you at Calyparr."
"Six days at most."
Stryke stretched his arm and they shook warrior fashion, clasping each other"s wrist. "Fare well, Alfray."
"And you, Stryke." He nodded at the dwarf. "Jup."
"Good luck, Alfray."
The band"s standard jutted from the ground next to Alfray"s horse. "I"m used to having this in my charge," he said. "Do you mind, Stryke?"
" "Course not. Take it."
Alfray mounted and pulled free the banner"s spar. He raised it and his troopers took to their horses.
Stryke, Jup and the remaining grunts watched in silence as the small column headed west.
"So where to?" Jup wanted to know.
"We"ll cover the ground eastward of here," Stryke decided. "Get "em mounted."
Jup organised things while Stryke got on to his own horse. He was still disoriented by the lucidity of his dream, and took several deep breaths to centre himself.
He looked to his reduced band and dwelt again on the resolve the dream had given him. Still sure he was taking the right course, he nevertheless couldn"t shake off the feeling that they might never see Alfray and the others again.
Jup brought his horse to Stryke"s side. "All ready."
"Very good, Sergeant. Let"s see what we can do about finding Haskeer and Coilla, shall we?"
They made Coilla walk, tied to the end of a rope attached to the pommel on Aulay"s saddle. Her own mount was led byBlaan. Lekmann rode in front, setting a brisk pace.
She had learned their names by listening to their conversations. Something else she"d come to understand was that none of them had any regard for her wellbeing, beyond an occasional drink of water, grudgingly offered. Even this was only to protect what they saw as an investment they intended realising in Hecklowe.
The trio occasionally exchanged words, sometimes as whispers so she couldn"t hear. They gave her sidelong glances.
Aulay shot her mur-derous looks.
Coilla was fit and used to marching, but the speed they maintained was a punishment. So when they came across a stream and Lekmann, the pock-faced, greasy-haired leader, ordered camp struck, it was all she could do to contain her relief. She slumped to the ground, breath short, limbs aching.
The weaselly Aulay, whose ear she"d taken a chunk out of, secured her horse. What she didn"t see was him giving Lekmann a conspiratorial wink from his one good eye. Then he tied her, in a sitting position, to a tree trunk. That done, the trio settled down.
"How much longer to Hecklowe?" Aulay asked Lekmann.
"Couple of days, I reckon."
"Can"t be too soon for me."
"Yeah, I"m bored, Micah," piped up the big, stupid one called Blaan.
Aulay, fingering his grubbily bandaged ear, pointed a thumb at Coilla. "Maybe we should have some fun with her."
Drawing a knife, he brought it back in a throwing position. "A little target practice would pa.s.s the time." He got a bead on her.
Blaan laughed inanely.
"Leave it be," Lekmann growled.
Aulay ignored him. "Catch this, b.i.t.c.h!" he yelled and threw the knife. Coilla stiffened. The blade buried itself in the earth just beyond her feet.
"Cut it out!"Lekmann bellowed. "We won"t get a good price for damaged goods." He tossed his canteen at Aulay. "Fetch us some water."
Grumbling, Aulay added his own canteen, collected Blaan"s and went to the stream.
Lekmann stretched out, his hat over his eyes. Blaan laid his head on a rolled blanket, facing away from Coilla.
She watched them. Her eyes flicked to the knife, which they seemed to have forgotten. It looked to be just within reach. She carefully eased a foot in its direction.
Aulay returned with the canteens. She froze and lowered her head, pretending slumber.
The one-eyed human stared at her. "Just our luck to be stuck out here with a female and she ain"t human," he complained.
Lekmann sn.i.g.g.e.red. "Surprised you don"t try her anyway. Or are you fussy these days?"
Aulay pulled a disgusted face. "I"d rather do it with a pig."
Coilla opened her eyes. "That makes two of us," she a.s.sured him.
"Well, f.u.c.k you," he retorted.
"I"m not a pig, remember?"
"Valuable or not, I"ve got a mind to come over there and give you a kicking."
"Untie me first and we"ll make a match of it. I"d enjoy doing some damage to whatever you"ve got between those scrawny legs."