Page 21 of The Study of Magic
“We would be too visible in full moonlight, but those clouds will help create shadows to hide us in the forest while still allowing enough light to find a safe path.”
“Is this what you do for the Commander? Creep around in the dark?” Her teasing tone mixed with an undercurrent of dismay.
“While creeping in the dark is one of my skills, I also stalk prey, set ambushes, work undercover, climb walls, and am a master of disguise.”
“Good to know.”
Ute led the way through the foothills. Their rendezvous location with Ari and Janco was north of the manor house. In order to stay warm, Valek kept a fast pace. The wind blowing from the west didn’t help.
They encountered a couple of Franis’s patrols and used those deep shadows to avoid detection. The run-ins slowed their progress. By the time they reached the meeting point, there were only a few hours left until dawn. Valek almost staggered in relief when he spotted Ari, Janco, and the four horses waiting in a small clearing.
“What took you so long?” Janco asked. “I’m frozen solid.”
Valek didn’t bother to reply. He pulled his cloak from his pack and wrapped it around his body. In between bouts of shivering, he asked Ari, “Any trouble?”
“The Stable Master wasn’t inclined to help us. But I changed his mind.”
“Oh?”
“The poor guy had an unfortunate encounter with Ari’s fist.” Jancotsked. “What a klutz.”
Valek raised an eyebrow.
“Other than a headache when he wakes up, he’ll be fine,” Ari assured him.
Ah. “Mount up,” Valek ordered and hoped his stiff and frozen legs would cooperate. He managed to sit astride Onyx, but it wasn’t pretty.
“South?” Janco asked as he settled on Lovey.
“No. General Franis is bound to have all those roads blocked. Unfortunately, we’re taking the long way. Northwest toward MD-2 and then south.”
“Won’t that bring us closer to General Tesso’s house?” Ari asked.
“Yes, it will.”
“At least if we’re caught by Tesso, it’ll be warmer,” Janco muttered.
“See?” Valek said to Ute. “There’s a bright side to everything.”
She laughed. “I’ll add that to my plaque.”
* * *
Valek hated to push the horses after only a half day of rest, but they needed to be well away from the manor house before they could stop for longer than the brief breaks to feed and water the horses.
The sun rose behind them as they headed northwest and it wasn’t until the sun set that Valek thought they’d gone far enough. They halted at the next travel shelter, and, after taking care of the horses, they built a huge fire in the hearth and crowded around it. Conversation was limited to one-word replies, usually about passing or sharing food.
Everyone was clearly exhausted, but Valek had to set a watch. “I’ll take the first shift,” he said. “Then Ari and Janco.”
“And I’ll take the last,” Ute said. When he looked at her, she added, “I’ve plenty of experience on watch. You don’t get to become a general without doing a ton of grunt work.”
“See, Janco?” Ari asked. “All those hours of grunt work that you complain about might just get you promoted.”
“Still won’t stop me from complaining.”
Ari shrugged. “Worth a try.”
“All right,” Valek said. “We’ll do three-hour shifts. That way everyone gets at least eight hours of sleep, and it’ll give the horses ample time to recover.
