Tal motioned for Quint to move closer to him and said quietly, “We need shelter. We need to have a place to rest up for a week, maybe more, a place where we can hunt and bring in some stores and get the men stronger.”
Quint nodded in agreement. “We’re a month from Bardac’s, at least,” he said. “Even if Jenkins hadn’t found that snake, he’s not likely to make it.” He pointed toward three men who were looking for wood, but moving at a very slow pace. “Donska, Whislia, and Stolinko are dead men within a week if we don’t rest up.” He glanced around. “But where?”
“A cave, maybe,” said Tal. “You get the men comfortable about the fire, and I’ll see if I can find shelter. I’ll be back before dark.”
Tal returned two hours later, having found a cave up in a ravine. He told the men, “We’ll stay here one more night, without moving Jenkins, then we’ll head up there tomorrow.”
After a meager meal of berries found along the way and the last of the dried boar meat, the men gathered close to the campfire and went to sleep. Jenkins groaned, and his breathing became ragged and shallow.
Tal watched the man’s face, seeing the perspiration running off as he whimpered.
Quint came over and softly asked, “He going to make it?”
“Maybe,” said Tal. “We’ll know in the morning.”
Quint took Tal by the arm and moved him a little way from the others. “Tal, you’ve said nothing about what we’re going to do when we get to the border.”
“I’m counting on you to get us across, Quint. You know the Olaskan military better than anyone. Some time or another you must have read a report or heard about a place we can cross, then circle around and get north of Karesh’kaar, so we can enter the city that way.”
Quint said, “Maybe. I heard of some bogland south of the river, maybe forty miles inland, where no one patrols; it’s too treacherous. But even if we do get across, once we’re in Karesh’kaar, what then?”
“We eat, we rest, we heal, then we start recruiting.”
“I thought all that ‘building an army’ talk was just bravado.”
“I’m serious. I plan on sacking Opardum’s citadel with Kaspar in it.”
Quint laughed. “Have you ever seen a mercenary company, let alone been in one?”
Tal smiled. “As a matter of fact, I have. Truth to tell, I was captain of a company.”
“Really?” said Quint. “You never mentioned it.”
“I didn’t think Kaspar would appreciate hearing about it.”
“Why?
Tal said, “Because I’m the man who killed Raven and destroyed his company, blunting Kaspar’s attack into the land of the Orodon.”
Quint said nothing for a long moment. Then he laughed. “My first reaction was to throttle you, because Kaspar was as mad as a bull with a porcupine up his arse, but now that I think of it, good for you. I served with Raven once. He was an evil bastard if ever there was one. I am a soldier, but I’ve no love for war. That man enjoyed slaughter. I saw him kill babies.”
Tal said nothing for a while, then asked, “Why didn’t you try to stop him?”
“I’d have had to kill him. And I was there as a military liaison, just making sure Raven found the right targets, not a commander telling him how to do his work.
“I saw him butcher women, order archers to shoot at old men, saw him ride over children…” Quint looked down for a moment as if the memories were uncomfortable. “I saw him shoot down a boy, couldn’t have been more than thirteen, fourteen. Poor lad was covered in blood, carrying a sword far too large for him, wobbly-legged, and half dead already. I just warned Raven in case the lad got close enough to maybe take a cut at him, but instead of knocking him down or riding away, the bastard shot him with a crossbow.” He was silent for a bit, then added, “Glad to hear you’re the one who killed him, Tal. Makes me think you might have some hope of seeing this mad plan of yours work. But I have one question.”
“What?”
“Armies need gold. Last time I looked we weren’t lugging any along with the supplies. How do you propose to get gold?”
Tal said, “Get us to Karesh’kaar, and I’ll get us some gold.”
“I’ll do my best,” said Quint. “Why don’t you turn in? I’ll take the first watch.”
“Wake me in two hours,” said Tal. He found his own bundle, unrolled it, and lay for a while thinking of what Quint had said. He remembered the day Quint had mentioned, for he had been the boy Raven had shot with the crossbow. He could recall in detail the Captain’s turning to Raven, while Lieutenant Campaneal sat on the other side, and Quint’s mouth moving as he warned Raven of Tal’s approach. And he well remembered the casual way in which Raven had raised his crossbow and shot him.
Tal rolled over. Liaison or not, Quint had still been there when his village had been destroyed. His distaste for Raven didn’t change a thing. One day Quint was going to die at Tal’s hands.