Thornhold - Elaine Cunningham [160]
“You have to ask?” She jingled the full coin purse at her belt. “Thank you for this, and for everything else. I will repay you for all when I return with Cara.”
He hesitated. Though it was clear that he wished to do so, he did not try to dissuade her from riding north. “My family has mercenaries. I could send men with you.”
She shook her head. “I will not be alone.”
Danilo considered this, and smiled faintly. “It is fitting,” he said simply. “Tymora smile upon you.”
She rode swiftly northward throughout the day, avoiding the High Road and taking a network of smaller paths that Ebenezer had shown her on the first part of their journey together. Surely her friend would return to his clanhold the same way he left. She only hoped she would be able to catch them before nightfall.
Twilight came, and still no sign of the dwarves. Bronwyn would have missed them had not Ebenezer’s gruff voice called out to her. She pulled up her horse and stared intently into the rocky terrain. A curly, auburn head popped up from behind a rock, and then other shapes-many of which Bronwyn had taken to be boulders-stirred into life.
Bronwyn shook her head in astonishment. She had heard that dwarves, though not innately magical, had an uncanny ability to blend in with the stone. She would not have believed the truth of it had she not witnessed it.
The Stoneshaft clan materialized from the rugged landscape and gathered around her horse. “We ain’t going back,” Tarlamera informed her in a tone that suggested this was not the first time the argument had been aired.
Bronwyn noted that the dwarves looked much better than they had just a tenday past. They had eaten well, and the grime of battle and sea voyage was a memory. They were all neatly clad in new garments the color of earth and stone, and shod with stout boots. Weapons hung at their belts, and their beards had been neatly braided-a style many dwarves adopted before battle.
Tarlamera took note of the careful scrutiny. “I’m-a telling you what I told that smith lad Brian. The clan is good for every coin he advanced us. So don’t be looking at us like you’re trying to figure out who got took.”
“Probably he figures it was. worth every coin and more, just to be rid of you,” Ebenezer said in disgust. He looked up at Bronwyn. “They’re determined to fight. Can’t talk sense into them no how.”
“I think they should fight,” Bronwyn said firmly. “How else are they going to get the clanhold back?”
Tarlamera hooted with delight and cuffed her brother. “I think I’m starting to like this human of yours!”
* * * * *
The battle planning with the dwarves had gone about as Bronwyn had expected it to go. The dwarves mulled it over late into the night, argued over every detail of the plans, and settled a couple of decisions through the application of force-though Ebenezer, with a show of impressive diplomacy, persuaded the combatants to decide the matter through arm wrestling.
But settled it was, and when morning came, Bronwyn rode swiftly northward to do her part. For the first time in days-for the first time, truly, in her entire life.-she felt as if her destiny was entirely hers to command. What lay ahead would not be easy, but it was worth doing. She felt, if not quite confident, at least buoyantly hopeful.
The terrain became increasingly rocky as she went north into the foothills surrounding Thornhold. She urged her fine, borrowed steed-a glossy bay mare with a long, tireless stride-to the top of the hill and pulled up to allow the horse a brief rest, and herself opportunity to survey the path ahead for dangers.
Her gaze swept over the desolate area. There was nothing to see beyond the rolling foothills, scrubby pines, and jagged piles of rock. The sun was warm, and several hawks wheeled and soared on the spring breeze. One of them dropped to the ground, claws outstretched. Bronwyn heard the small, sharp squeak of its prey and instinctively looked away.
Her gaze skimmed over a small, white form on the path behind her, then jolted back. It was a horse,