The horseman seemed less than pleased with the curt answer and nudged his horse closer in a menacing manner. The animal puffed out a hot moist breath into Hadrian’s face. “Then what are you doing here?”
“Just passing through,” Hadrian replied in his usual amiable manner. He even managed a friendly little smile.
“Really? Just passing through Dahlgren? To where in the world, might I ask, is Dahlgren on the way?”
“Just about everywhere, depending on your perspective, don’t you think? I mean, all roads lead somewhere, don’t they?” He was tired of being on the defensive and took a verbal swing. “Is there a reason you’re so interested?”
“I’m Sentinel Luis Guy and I’m in charge of managing the contest. I need to know if everyone participating is listed.”
“I already told you I wasn’t here for the contest.”
“So you did,” Guy said, and slowly looked around at the others, taking particular notice of Magnus. “You are just passing through, you said, but perhaps those traveling with you wish to be listed on the roll.”
A feint, perhaps? Hadrian decided to parry anyway. “No one I’m with will want to be on that list.”
“No one you’re with?”
Hadrian gritted his teeth. It was a feint. Hadrian mentally scolded himself.
“So you’re not alone?” the sentinel observed. “Where are the others?”
“I couldn’t tell you.”
“No?”
Hadrian shook his head—fewer words, smaller chance of mistakes.
“Really? You mean they could be washing over the falls right now and you couldn’t care less?”
“I didn’t say that,” Hadrian replied, irritated.
“But you see no need to know where they are?”
“They’re grown men.”
The sentinel smiled. “And who are these men? Please tell me so that I might inquire of them later perhaps.”
Hadrian’s eyes narrowed as he realized too late his mistake. The man before him was clever—too clever.
“Did you forget their names too?” Luis Guy inquired, leaning forward in his saddle.
“No.” Hadrian tried to hold him off while he struggled to think.
“Then what are they?”
“Well,” he began, wishing he had his own swords rather than a borrowed one. “Like I said, I don’t know where both of them are. Mauvin is here, of course, but I have no idea where Fanen has gotten to.”
“Surely you are mistaken. The Pickerings traveled with me and the rest of the entourage,” Guy pointed out.
“Yes, they were, but they are planning on returning home with me.”
Guy’s eyes narrowed. “So you are saying that you traveled all the way out here alone— passing through, as you put it—and just happened to join up with the Pickerings?”
Hadrian smiled at the sentinel. It was weak, clumsy, and the fencing equivalent of dropping his sword and tackling his opponent to the ground, but it was all he could do.
“Is this true, Pickering?”
“Absolutely,” Mauvin replied without hesitation.
Guy looked back at Hadrian. “How convenient for you,” he said, disappointed. “Well, then don’t let me keep you from your practice. Good day, gentlemen.”
They all watched as the three men rode off toward the river trail.
“That was creepy,” Mauvin remarked, staring off in their direction. “It can never be good when any sentinel takes an interest in you, much less Luis Guy.”
“What’s his story?” Hadrian asked.
“I really only know rumors. He’s a zealot for the church, but I know many even in the church who are scared of him. He’s the kind of person that can make kings disappear. He’s also rumored to be obsessed with finding the Heir of Novron.”
“Aren’t all seret?”
“According to church doctrine, sure. But he really is, which explains why he’s here.”
“And the two with him?”
“Seret, the Knights of Nyphron, they are the sentinel’s personal shadow army. They’re answerable to no king or nation, just to sentinels and the Patriarch.”
Mauvin looked at Hadrian. “You might want to keep that sword. It looks like a bad time to be without your weapons.”
Although he had put his lantern out long before the creature’s return, Royce could see just fine. Light permeated the walls of Avempartha, seeping through the stone as if it were smoky glass. It was daylight outside, of that he was certain, as the color of light had changed from dim blue to soft white.