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"They are not so far behind," Pony remarked doubtfully, for she and Colleen had spotted the northward-bound forces of Markwart and King Danube two days before, many miles back at that time, but closer, it seemed, each day The tomen didn&039;t know the disposition of the force, of course, but thethem told thesot that fine horse o&039; Connor&039;s under ye, but er Besides, it htbird&039;s in Caer Tinella"
Pony shook her head Elbryan was long gone from the place, she knew, in Dundalis, at least, and probably even farther north The blond wolanced back over her shoulder, down the southern road They were a few hours ahead of thefor Colleen to get a fresh horse, and of conversing with villagers, ould likely be interrogated afterward, bothered her But seeing her co aardly, for she had thrown a shoe, Pony found that she could hardly disagree They would get a new horse here, or Colleen would be walking very soon
"Perhaps we can find soested, "a far firewood, who can help us"
Colleen nodded and Pony led on, circling the village of Landsdown, and then Caer Tinella, to the east They did spot a couple ofthe pair froe But then they heard the ruh the trees, the wo east, and there, ruon and another pair tied behind, cahing
And wealing the robes of an Abellican monk
"Don&039;t ye even think o&039; killin&039; the lare at her "Kill him?" she echoed "I do not even know him!"
"Ye know his robes," Colleen said quietly
Pony winced and lowered her gaze, sighing She was no murderer; never would she strike one who did not deserve it She wondered then if that was a distinction that she could morally make Who was she, after all, to decide who deserved to live and who did not? Though her hatred for Markwart had not abated, though she believed that if he was in front of her, vulnerable, she would try to strike hiain, Pony worried that she was a lost soul
She shook the troubling thoughts away Now she had to get one of those horses, preferably without letting the e a spot of darkness into thehiht be oblivious of the theft until Pony let hier if he didn&039;t immediately notice that a different horse had been tethered behind his wagon
He would know that ic He ht even be able to identify the stones used, and wouldn&039;t that be an easy trail for the minions of Markwart to follow?
No, she needed to be subtle "Go down to the road a hundred yards ahead of him," she instructed Colleen "Dismount and unsaddle your horse When he passes, and beco horses with one of those tethered to the back of his wagon"
"I&039;d rather have one from the front," the warrior wolare at her, she saw that Colleen was so," she said dryly
Despite her ht smile as Colleen walked her mount away The woman had become a true friend, a pleasure to be around, one who could read Pony&039;sher from darkness or to keep her focused on the present Pony reached into her pouch and took out her soul stone, then reached into herby a lake afterbi&039;nelle dasada She burned that i it so that she wouldn&039;t be recognizable, and covering parts of her naked forhtly, wondering if she could really pull this off She would have to be perfect, she realized One slip would show the monk the truth of the contact, and then all would be lost
She fell into the stone, again su it into the , enjoying the fine weather, thinking that spring should begin any day
"Any day!" he cried aloud "Ha-ha!" He gave a click and shook the reins, urging his tea; Janine o&039; the Lake had promised him a fine meal if he arrived before she had cleaned her table He wanted
It cae alluring and aon slowed, nearly to a stop, but the befuddled man hardly noticed He sat very still and closed his eyes, trying to e of a beau-tiful, tehts
He tried to wash it away, even s of a prayer
But it was no use There she was, so beautiful, and he couldn&039;t dison was hardly
Colleen Kilronney ca her horse Shewhat Pony had done to the man!
When she rejoined Pony with her fresh horse a few minutes later, she found the wo the soul stone in her hand Colleen looked down the road and saw the wagon crawling along, the friar swaying
"What did ye do to hi Pony fro better to watch," Pony replied cryptically
Colleen looked at her, confused for just a moment, but then a wry smile spread over her face "Ah, but ye&039;re a wicked one!" she said with a laugh
The two set off at once,it east, away from the still very distractedto recapture the ie all the way to Janine o&039; the Lake&039;s farm He never even noticed that one of the horses tied to the back of his wagon - one of the two he was planning to sell in the village - had changed until he moved to untie the beasts outside Janine&039;s door
They cah Caer Tinella and Landsdoith little fanfare, but surely the two hundred people who had resettled in the region were amazed by the splendor of the procession, by the fabulous Allheart Brigade, riding their faai-ru pintos
The force put in at Caer Tinella that the soldiers could rest their horses, checking shoes and saddles, and could oil arreed that they would not reh they would only find another two hours on the road after that before sunset forced them to camp
"Brother Si De&039;Unnero aathered in the common house of Caer Tinella "Ye back in the south so soon? I&039;d thought ye going to Dundalis, to bring yer God to the Ti no desire to speak with the peasant wo north this season," Janine reht the words, and promptly intercepted her "What do you ed "A friend says he saw a pair riding north just this , not six hours before ye came into Caer Tinella, is all," she replied "That and yer Brother Sio"
"Two riders?" Markwart asked "And was one of the "He just says he saw a pair A long way off, so he&039;s not for knowing Been a curious day, is all Friar Pe with horses to sell, and now he&039;s spouting craziness that one of theed for a shoe - one he insists was on the beast that !"
"There is an Abellican friar in town?" Markwart asked His inner voice prodded hinificant here
"Just said there was," Janine replied "He&039;s all flustered, to be sure, at yer arrival He&039;s cleaning up and will be along presently, I&039;d be guessing"
Even as she spoke, Friar Pe his hands He spotted the Father Abbot standing with Janine, De&039;Unnero not far away, and shuffled over, boith every step
"I did not knoere co, Father Abbot," he sputtered "Had I known "
Markwart raised a hand to calm the man "You had problems with a horse, I am told," he said
Friar Pembleton&039;s eyes widened and he looked over at Janine, see horrified that the Father Abbot knew the tale Would the great man think him crazy? "I - I was confused - am confused, I am sure," he staet so many - I traded many with the caravan you sent north froain Markwart patted his hand in the air to caled "I know not how to even answer," he said "I have no recollection "
"Are you trying to cheat these people, good friar?" Markwart asked De&039;Unnero walked over and stood by the hed him by fifty pounds, the friar was unnerved by his powerful presence
"No, Father Abbot, never that!" he cried "I have been dealing with Caer Tinella for ood oods," Janine interjected
"What is it, Pembleton? " Markwart asked calmly "Is the horse the same one you left your chapel with?"
The friar seelanced around repeatedly "Has to be," he e a horse on the back of a wagon without the driver knowing it, after all! I just do not recognize "
"Is it the salanced nervously around
"Look at aze with his own, "and answer honestly"
"It&039;s not my horse," Pembleton replied