Patrick gave a wide grin. ‘Not hardly, old son. I’m the only one who can keep this murderous crew in line.’ Voice lowered to a whisper, he added, ‘Or at least that’s what we convinced the runts.’
Stiffly, Kevin broke off the embrace. For three years he had lived with only ‘runts’ and the derogatory term shocked the recognition that his view of the Tsurani had changed. Now, confronted by the gaunt faces of his countrymen, he could not escape the fact that his perspective was unique. Familiar features had changed, become suntanned and hard despite the smiles that welcomed the discovery that their liege lord’s son still survived. Kevin surveyed the ragged gathering, his joy dampened further as he took stock of who was absent. ‘Brandon and William of LaMut, where are they?’ As if more men might be hidden within the dim doorways, Kevin cast about. ‘Marcus, Stephen, and Henry. The two Tims? Brian, Donell, and Jon: where are they, Patrick?’
‘Things changed since you left, old son.’ Patrick expostulated with a tired sigh. ‘This Jican’s a fiend for cutting expenses, so the favours you arranged from her Ladyship vanished. We’re treated the same as any other slaves now.’
‘But where are the rest of us?’ Kevin demanded in concern.
A mutter ran through the men, while thin-lipped, Patrick answered. ‘Brian’s stomach turned sour and he died in a week. The runts let him lay there and wouldn’t call any doctors for a slave. Donell was killed by a needra bull, during breeding last spring. Marcus died from the fever the wet season after you left. Some sort of snake – called “relli” by the runts – bit Tim Masonsson and the guards killed him without batting an eye. They claimed they spared him a slow death.’
‘That at least was a kindness,’ Kevin cut in. ‘Relli poison kills very slowly and painfully, and nobody knows of a remedy.’
Unconvinced, Patrick laid his arm around his countryman’s shoulder; he smelled of dirt, and needra, and unwashed sweat, but Kevin noticed little beyond his whispered words. ‘Some of these runts understand bits of the King’s tongue, we suspect. Jon was sent elsewhere to work with wood; somehow they discovered he was a carpenter. We’ve not seen him for a year. Samuel of Toren lost his temper and struck a runt, and him they hanged within minutes.’ Glancing nervously across the compound, Patrick dared one last line. ‘But Tim Bloget and the others have escaped.’
Kevin forgot himself. He jerked back, eyes wide, and said, ‘Escaped!’
Patrick caught Kevin by the wrist and pulled him strongly away from the huts, past the perimeter hedge and over to the bank of a small brook. Jumpy, tense, and looking often over his shoulder, he continued in a low murmur. ‘There are camps of bandits in the foothills to the west. The runts name them “grey warriors”. We overheard some soldiers speaking of them after the army left. William of LaMut escaped and then snuck back telling us it was true. Brandon, Tim Bloget, and Stephen went with him and we’ve got a few messages back and forth.’
The streamlet chuckled quietly over its bed of stones; the music could not be heard at all here, only the scraping of night insects. Kevin sat down, his hands gripped tightly to his forearms. ‘Escape,’ he muttered.
Patrick chose a worn rock, sat also, and absently pulled a grass stalk. ‘Security’s tighter now. That Keyoke’s no fool. Once the overseers figured out the boys had cut and run, he changed the patrols and doubled the guards who escort us to work.’ Patrick sucked his grass stem, found it bitter, and spat. ‘Leaving would be tougher, now the runts have puzzled out what took place. Before, they never imagined a slave might want to escape.’ He chuckled in bitter irony. ‘Odd lot. Lived here five years and I’ve still got no clue how they think.’
Kevin shrugged, ‘I understand them better now.’
A snap to his words, Patrick said, ‘Well you should. You’re the educated one, Kevin, being a noble and all. I’d have taken the other boys into the hills by now, but I thought it wiser to leave that to you. We need your leadership. Because one chance is very likely all we’re going to get, and -‘
‘Wait!’ Kevin kicked a clod with a splash into the stream. ‘Escape to where?’
‘Why, to the mountains.’ Patrick peered closely at his companion, but the gloom hid details of expression. ‘These grey warriors want nothing to do with us, but they will trade a bit. They’re not about to hunt us down. So, I figured we’d wait for our moment, then bolt and make our own camp in the high country.’
‘And do what?’ Exasperated, Kevin shook his head. Though Patrick had been born a commoner, they had been friends, hunting companions, and later soldiers together; while a loyal man and a staunch fighter, Patrick had little imagination. On campaign in Dustari, Kevin had been quartered among Mara’s soldiers often enough to learn that some had once been grey warriors. Their existence, as they told it, had been a misery of poverty and starvation.