‘That boy’s coming into his own, isn’t he?’
‘He’s a cut above, for a youngster,’ agreed Jim. Lowering his voice he said, ‘Look, Kaspar, only two people here know what I really do and who I work for: you and me. We are also the only two men who can take word back to those who matter and help make some sense of it. I’ll grant you an edge in wood-lore and hiding in bushes and the like, but I’m far more adept than running away than you are, I suspect. And if it comes to an inclose fight… well, you’re a hell of a soldier, but I know more dirty tricks than you do.’
‘I’m not arguing that it’s you who needs to go,’ said Kaspar. ‘I just hope our hosts won’t be too offended by your escape and take it out on us, and if they aren’t and don’t, then perhaps I can reason with them and your coming trials will be for naught. But if they don’t…’ He shrugged.
‘Better to have me get word to our various lords and masters. Yes, I know. What do we know?’
The two men put their heads close together and began discussing the mission and the implications of the presence of the magic-user and his conjured creature, combined with what they had observed during their march up to this settlement. They continued like this for almost an hour, leaving Jommy, Servan and the other men to speculate on what the leader of this expedition and a common thief from Krondor could be plotting.
Jim Dasher waited until the men had either dozed off or fallen into low conversation so as not to disturb the wounded who were sleeping. He thought at least three of the lads would be dead by morning or mid-day at the latest unless they got proper care from a chirurgeon or healing priest. Whatever magic these elves possessed, healing didn’t seem to be part of it, or perhaps they were disinclined to heal their prisoners. Either way, those lads would have a tough time of it.
Jim had weighed his options and shared a false bravado with Kaspar, who was now crossing over to speak privately with him once more. ‘You ready?’ he asked.
‘A few more minutes,’ Dasher answered. It might help a bit if you wandered over to where Jommy Killaroo is chatting with that old sergeant and… I don’t know, made a quiet announcement about something. I only need a minute or so, but if you can draw attention away from the door, I can be through without anyone seeing me go.’ He looked around. ‘I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the elven guards spend a lot of time watching how we watch each other.’
Kaspar glanced at the two guards outside the door and saw how their eyes were constantly shifting from this group to that, several times lingering on Kaspar and Jim at the far end of the hall. ‘Hadn’t, to tell you the truth.’
‘It’s a good idea,’ said Dasher. ‘You don’t know what to expect, but you reckon the prisoners do and you watch them to see who reacts in a funny way’ He glanced at the men who were sleeping or talking quietly. ‘You’ll have some irritated lads when you wake them to tell them to get some sleep or whatever else you do, but I’ll only need a minute. There’s a window above the beam – don’t look up – and I’ll be up there and out before anyone catches a glimpse. Wouldn’t do to have the lads gawking and saying, "Oh, look! There goes Dasher!"‘
‘I wish you didn’t have to do this, Jim.’ Kaspar crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall, trying hard to look casual.
‘No one else has a chance, and we both know it.’
‘I almost wish I could order you to stay.’
Jim Dasher grinned, and not for the first time Kaspar was surprised how the simple change of expression made years fall away, made him look almost boyish. ‘Ah, but you can’t, can you?’
‘No, I can’t,’ said Kaspar with a slowly broadening smile of his own. ‘Fat lot of good being called "General" does me, right?’
Jim’s grin widened. ‘With me, anyway.’
Kaspar’s expression became serious. He put a hand on Jim Dasher’s shoulder. ‘Stay alive.’
‘That’s my plan.’
‘How many do you think they’ll send after you?’ asked Kaspar.
Jim shook his head slightly. ‘How many do you think?’
‘One, maybe two. They strike me as a pretty arrogant lot. And they don’t have many to spare. Well, you’ve got tonight and five more days to reach the cove and signal if you’re not going back to our camp.’
‘Can’t. It’s the first place they’ll look if they lose track of me.’
‘An elf losing track?’
‘I’ve a trick or two they’ve not seen. And if they find me, I’ll deal with that. No, I need to get over the crest to the northwest, and then down, somehow, to the beach where the ships are. That means we’re hoisting sail on our way to Roldem in two days, not six.’ He fell silent for a moment, then said, ‘I hope that fellow who tried to gut you on the road is one of those coming after me.’
‘Sinda?’ Kaspar nodded. ‘He’s a real charmer. He’s already burying us. If you do tangle with him, say hello for me.’