Days of Blood and Fire - Katharine Kerr [34]
“So, silver dagger,” one of them said to Rhodry. “You had a good hunt, I see.”
“Well, we’ve netted what Jill wanted, sure enough. Tell me somewhat. Are there a lot of people out and about in the streets today?”
“More than a few, it being so warm and all. Why?”
“I don’t want the prisoners stoned and injured.”
Jahdo felt briefly sick.
“True enough,” the guard said. “You’d best dismount, I’d say, and put them in the middle of you.” He jerked a thumb at Meer. “The rumors have spread about that fellow you killed, and his kind’s not exactly well loved round here.”
Meer grunted, just once, but it was close to a sob.
“Don’t worry, good bard,” Rhodry said. “We’ll get you through in one piece. Yraen, we’ll wait here. You go fetch Otho the dwarf. I’ll wager he and his kin have ways through this city that are out of the common sight.”
Although he grumbled, Yraen dismounted and puffed off uphill to follow orders. A few at a time the entire squad dismounted as well, leading their horses through the gates. Opposite the huge winch was a small wooden guardhouse, and everyone drifted over in front of it to stand round gossiping with the guards about things that had happened during their absence. Meer stood stiff and straight, his hands clasped tight round his staff, his lips trembling. When Jahdo laid a hand on his arm to comfort him, Meer shook it off. Rhodry noticed the gesture.
“I won’t let anything happen to the pair of you,” Rhodry said. “That’s why we’re waiting here.”
“It’s not that what does ache his heart. The Gel da’Thae you did kill was his brother.”
The moment he spoke Jahdo rued it. Even though he was visibly trying to choke back the noise, Meer keened, just briefly before he forced silence. Rhodry winced and swore.
“Well, my apologies.” And oddly enough, he sounded perfectly sincere. “But, Meer, your brother was doing his cursed best to kill me.”
“No doubt.” Meer let out his breath in a long sigh. “You are a warrior as he was a warrior. Your kind lives and dies by a different code than we ordinary men.”
Jahdo noticed the squad looking at Meer with a trace of new respect. Rhodry seemed to be trying to find something further to say, but Yraen came bustling back with three men in tow, two of them armed and mailed, the third elderly with a long white beard, but all of them the shortest, stockiest people that Jahdo had ever seen. The shortest of all, though obviously a grown man, was just his height, though twice his breadth. Jahdo frankly stared until one of the axmen glanced his way with a scowl, frightening him into looking elsewhere.
“My thanks for coming,” Rhodry said. “What do you think, Otho? Gan we pass by one of your roads?”
“Up to Jorn, here.” Otho waved in the direction of the taller axman. “By the by, silver dagger, young Yraen had the cursed gall to remind me about that little matter of the coin. I’m waiting for somewhat to sell at a good price, and then I’ll bring it to you, so stop your badgering.” He turned, looking Meer up and down. “Ah, he’s blind! I couldn’t imagine what you were thinking of, asking us to take a spy up this way, but if he can’t see, then the secret’s safe enough.”
Meer bared his fangs but said nothing.
“Can’t bring the horses through.” Jorn stepped forward. “What about having Yraen and the squad take ‘em up to the dun?” His voice turned contemptuous. “You don’t need twelve men to guard a blind man and a boy.”
“Ah, but they’re wily, wily.” Rhodry was grinning. “Yraen, the rest of you—I’ll see you back in the great hall.”
Collecting the horses, including Baki and Gidro, the squad moved off, leading the stock up the steep hill. As he watched, Jahdo realized that he was sorry to see them go. Even though he hated each one for helping capture him, they were at least familiar, men he’d grown used to in the horror of the past few days.
“Come round here.” Otho