Food was brought, and Talon and Caleb ate in silence. The meal wasn’t as good as what was served at Kendrick’s, but it was filling, and the young man found the ale satisfactory.
Before they had finished, Talon saw all four other men rise and leave together. After they had gone, Caleb asked, “Who do you judge them to be?’’
“Two merchants on their way to Latagore, with two guards to accompany them.’’
“A fair assumption. Though I wager something more was in the wind.’’
“What do you mean?’’
“I mean it’s not unusual for guards to eat near their employers, at a separate table, as those two did, but they seemed intent upon a topic they wished their employers not to overhear. They spent the entire meal in deep conversation.”
Talon shrugged. “I’m not sure what this means,” he said.
“It means nothing, except that it was not ‘business as usual’ for the guards. One didn’t touch his meal.” He indicated the table where the two guards had sat, and Talon saw that one plate was indeed untouched.
Talon had served enough guards and mercenaries during the year at Kendrick’s to know that most of them ate whatever was in front of them as if it might be their last meal. “All right, Caleb. What do you think it means?’’
“There was no wagon in sight either in the stableyard behind the inn as we approached, or on either side of the building, but there were four horses being looked after by the boy who came to take our wagon.’’
Talon reflected upon what he had seen and what he knew of traveling merchants. “So, this would mean that those two merchants were traveling to buy goods in Latagore?”
“Or to arrange for transport somewhere else, but they are not selling wares in the city.’’
“Which means they are carrying gold.’’
“Perhaps, but the two mercenaries they hired are likely to assume as much.’’
Talon hurried to finish his meal.
“What are you doing?” asked Caleb.
“We’re going to hurry after them and help, aren’t we?’’
“We are not,” said Caleb. “You’ll find enough trouble on the road without volunteering to take up someone else’s.’’
“But those two guards will kill those men for sure,” said Talon, draining his mug and standing up. “We can stop black murder.’’
Caleb shook his head. “Most likely they will take whatever gold the merchants have, and the horses, and leave them to walk to Latagore. By the time they reach the city, the two mercenaries will already have left on a boat for the far shore and be on their way to High Reaches or Coastal Watch.’’
“Or they could simply slit their throats and linger in Latagore. The nervous one might get panicked and act rashly.’’
Caleb stood up and signaled to the woman who had served them. “Tell the boy to ready our wagon.” Looking at Talon, he said, “We will have to whip the horses to a froth to overtake them.’’
“Not necessarily,” said Talon. “The mercenaries do not look like the type to ride in haste. They will attempt to keep the merchants deceived until they attack them. You’ve traveled this road before; where would you judge the most likely place for the murders to take place?’’
“There’s a deep ravine five miles along from here, and it abuts the road. If I were to carry out an attack, that is where I would do it, for it would be easy enough work to drag the bodies up into the ravine for half a mile or so, then quickly return to the road without anyone noticing. It might take months for anyone to stumble on the bodies should that be the case.’’
Talon said, “Then we need to hurry. They must already be a mile or more down the road.’’
Caleb fixed Talon with a curious look for a moment, then said, “Let us go, then.’’
They had to wait a few minutes for the wagon to be fetched around from the back. The boy had brushed the horses while they had rested, and Caleb gave him a copper piece for doing the extra work.
Caleb set the horses to a fast walk, causing them to snort in protest at the faster than average pace. “If you’re right, we’ll overtake the merchant and guards just as they reach the ravine cutoff.” He glanced over and saw that Talon’s face was set in a mask of determination. “Why are you so anxious to intervene, my young friend?’’
Talon’s expression turned dark. “I don’t approve of murder.’’
Caleb nodded. After a moment he said, “If you’re going to act the hero, it would be well for you to go armed.’’
Talon nodded. He turned and fetched out a sword and belt-knife from behind the wagon’s seat. He had seen no reason to don them prior to that moment.
Caleb kept the horses moving, and after a few minutes of silence, asked, “How are the two mercenaries armed?’’