‘A half-mile that way,’ said Jadow. ‘Our friends here have remarkable hearing and told us there was horses over here, so I thought we’d check things out.’ He put his hand on Roo’s shoulder. ‘We’re on our way to Ravensburg. Care to come along?’
Roo laughed. ‘Thanks. We could do with some company. Now, what do you have to eat?’
TWENTY-TWO - Ravensburg
Erik smiled.
Kitty seemed to fly into his arms, barely giving him time to dismount. ‘I was so scared I’d never see you again,’ she said.
He kissed her and hugged her tight. ‘Me too.’
Soldiers milled about the stable yard of the Inn of the Pintail, and Nathan and Freida approached. Freida hugged her son, then Nathan shook his hand. ‘Congratulations!’ said Nathan with a grin. ‘Made a Knight-Captain and married.’
Freida said, ‘Why didn’t you send word? When this girl first came to me I thought her mad, married to my boy.’ She fixed Kitty with a dubious look. ‘But after a while she told me enough to convince me she knew you quite well.’ Then she smiled.
Erik blushed. ‘Well, things were pretty confused and we had to act quickly.’
‘So she tells me,’ said Freida.
Nathan said, ‘You look all in. Come inside and have a bath and some food.’
Erik said, ‘I will, but first I have to start getting people out of town. You’re all going to have to be on the march by the day after tomorrow.’
‘Leave?’ asked Nathan.
Erik nodded. ‘The enemy is no more than five days behind, perhaps as close as three, and some of his cavalry units may be closer. We’ll defend the town for as long as we can after you leave.’
‘Then?’ asked Nathan.
Erik looked down, almost ashamed to answer. ‘We’ll have to burn it to the ground.’
Nathan went pale. ‘Do you know what you’re doing?’
Erik said, ‘I know. I’ve already put Wilhelmsburg, Wolfsburg, and a half-dozen villages to the torch.’
Nathan ran a hand over his leathery old face. ‘I never thought I’d see it again.’
Erik remembered he had lived through the sacking of the Far Coast, years before. ‘I can only tell you it’s absolutely necessary.’
A very tired-looking figure in a grey robe rode awkwardly into the courtyard and pulled up next to Erik’s horse. Robert d’Lyes got off his horse, his trembling left knee barely able to support his weight as he dismounted. He looked almost bowlegged as he turned to Erik. ‘Do you ever get used to this?’
Erik smiled. ‘Mother, Nathan, this is Robert, and he’s just learning how to ride.’
Nathan winced in sympathy. ‘Come inside. I’ll pour you some wine to ease your discomfort.’ Nathan signaled to Gunther, his apprentice, to take the magician’s horse. The boy ran over, smiled at Erik, and looked questioningly at the former smith’s mount.
Erik said, ‘I’ll be needing her for a while. I’ll be back later and then you can tend her for me.’ To Nathan he said, ‘I’ll be billeting men here and in every other inn in the town, the Growers’ and Vintners’ Hall, and any other place I can find. So expect a fair amount of shoeing and tack repair between now and when you leave. You’re the only man in Ravensburg besides our company smith who can repair weapons and armor.’ He looked regretful as he said, ‘Don’t expect much sleep for a few days.’
Nathan shook his head and said, ‘Come with me, Robert, and I’ll join you in a glass. I think I’m going to need it.’
Kitty kissed Erik. ‘Hurry back.’
Freida kissed him as well and whispered, ‘She seems a fine girl, Erik, if a little odd at times.’
Erik grinned. ‘You don’t know the half of it. I’ll be back for supper.’
As his mother turned away, he said, ‘Any word of Roo?’
She stopped. ‘Two of his wagons got here a couple of days ago. I think they’re over at Gaston’s. But we haven’t heard anything of him. Why?’
‘He was on the road, and . . . it’s been difficult.’
Freida, who never had any use for Rupert but knew how close her son was to him, nodded and said, ‘I’ll say a prayer.’
Erik smiled. ‘Thank you. Mother.’ He remounted and headed back out into the town of Ravensburg, to oversee the deployment of the men and get ready for the destruction of the town in which he had lived most of his life.
Roo said, ‘How are you doing?’
Luis said, ‘Better.’ He was riding beside Roo and indeed looking better.
From ahead, Jadow turned and said to Roo, ‘Man, considering that you almost killed him with that poultice, he looks positively reborn.’
‘Well, I thought that was the moss Nakor had showed us.’
The elves had removed Roo’s concoction, found the correct ingredients for a healing poultice and had re-dressed Luis’s wound.
Jadow’s soldiers had secured enough mounts from the raiders they had killed so Roo, Luis, and the women could ride. The elves were all on foot, so two of them led the horses with the children, while Karli and Helen kept a close eye on their offspring.