The White Road - Lynn Flewelling [148]
"Even if it means he becomes no better than a necromancer?"
"He's lying to confuse you!" Ilar told him angrily. "Remember your honor, Captain. And the khirnari said to bring Seregil, as well. He's one of the chief thieves. The others can be killed."
Just then they heard a low whistle from behind the house.
Micum went to the window and looked out between the shutters. "Well I'll be damned," he whispered. "Rieser's back, and he's brought horses!"
"Captain, please grant me a few moments with my companions. They may take a bit of--convincing," Seregil said.
"Take all the time you like," Urien replied.
Seregil closed the shutters and went with the others to the back window. Outside two men lay on the ground, dead or senseless, and Rieser stood over them with four saddled horses and the bag of books slung from one of the pommels.
One by one they climbed out and took a horse, then began leading them away in the direction of the cove. They hadn't gotten more than a hundred feet, however, when someone shouted, "There they go! They're escaping!"
Seregil gave Micum a quick leg up onto his horse, then leapt into the saddle on his own and followed the others as they galloped for the cove, their starlight shadows coursing like pursuing dra'gorgos beneath them.
They had a head start and the element of surprise, but Urien and his remaining men were hard on their heels.
Rounding the headland for the second time that day, Seregil let out a victory cry at the sight of the ocean lapping at the high tide line and the Green Lady riding at anchor. Longboats were skimming in across the glassy surface of the cove, lanterns casting long spears of light toward the beach.
"Keep going!" Micum yelled as his horse lunged into the water.
Alec was close behind. "Look out! Archers!" he cried as he slid off his horse into the water, still clutching the pommel.
Seregil, for once in his life, was too slow. Something seared across his back like a hot whip, and then something heavy struck him in the side, knocking him off his horse into the water. His ankle caught in the stirrup and suddenly he was being dragged as the horse churned on, an arrow grinding between his ribs and water going up his nose. He wondered vaguely if he'd bleed to death or drown first. And oddest of all, someone was screaming something about him. It was hard to tell if it was a man or a woman, with his head bobbing in and out of the water, but they sounded hysterical.
Then a hand was gripping his arm so hard it hurt and another was pulling his caught foot free of the stirrup.
"Hold on," Alec said against his ear. "The boats are coming. They're almost here."
Seregil coughed up salt water and gagged out, "Rieser--" He had the books.
"Micum went back for him."
Back?
Arrows were still coming down in the water around them, but now others were whizzing back the other way from the boats.
Then rough hands and strong arms were hoisting them both up into a boat, and the arrow was catching on everything until a ham-fisted sailor snapped it off and Seregil allowed himself to scream just that once.
The voice calling his name was still carrying across the water. "Seregil! Seregil, don't leave me here! Please! Come back. Take me with you! You know what they'll do to me!"
Propped up against Alec's chest, Seregil saw Ilar pacing back and forth at the water's edge, wringing his hands and wailing. And that was the last thing Seregil remembered before he fainted.
CHAPTER 31
The Green Lady
"THINGS went wrong, did they?" Rhal asked as Seregil and Rieser were lifted aboard the Lady.
"We ran into a bit of trouble," Alec told him, following close behind. "I hope your healer is a good one."
"He is." Turning to the crewmen gawking at them, he snapped, "Get these men below and find Konthus! Nettles, Skywake. Prepare to hoist anchor."
Rieser and Seregil were put to bed in their respective cabins as the ship got under way. Seregil was conscious now, but was having trouble breathing.
"Prop him on his good side," Micum advised.
Alec positioned