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Kethry shook her head.  None. I think we may have gotten away with it.
Jodi sighed.  Don t count your coins before they re in the coffer. There s a reason why we are
running tail, lady, and it s not just to do with magery, though that s a good share of it.
The scout cast a doubtful look at Kethry and for the first time Kethry realized that the woman
had serious qualms about her abilities to handle this mission, if it came to something other than a
simple trek on treacherous ground.
Kethry didn t bother to hide an ironic grin.
Jodi noted it, and cocked her head to one side, moving easily with her horse. Her saddle was
hardly more than a light pad of leather; it didn t even creak when she shifted, unconsciously
echoing the movements of her mare.  Something funny, lady?
 Very. I think we ve been thinking exactly the same things about each other.
Jodi s answering slow grin proved that Kethry hadn t been wrong.  Ha. And we should know
better, shouldn t we? It s a pity we didn t know each other well enough to trust without thinking
and worrying especially since neither of us look like fighters. But we should have figured that
Idra knows what she s doing; neither of us are hothouse plants or we wouldn t be Hawks.
 Exactly. So give me the reasons this particular lot is riding tail; maybe I can do something
about preventing a problem.
 Right enough one  The scout freed her right hand from the reins to hold up a solemn finger.
  is the trail. Shale shifts, cracks. We re riding after all the rest, and we ll be making the last
few furlongs in early evening gloom. This path has been getting some hard usage, more than it
usually gets. If the trail is likely to give, it ll give under us. You ll notice we re all of us the best
riders, and the ones with the best horses in the Hawks.
Kethry considered this, as Hellsbane topped the hill and picked her cautious way down the
sloping trail.  Hmm-hmm. All right, can we halt at the next ridge? There s a very tiny bit of
magery I can work that might help us out with that.
Jodi pursed her lips.  Ts that wise?
Kethry nodded, slowly.  It s a very low-level piece of earth-witchery; something even a shepherd
wise-woman might well know. I don t think any of Kelcrag s mages is likely to take note of it
assuming they can even see it, and I doubt they will. It s witchery, not sorcery, and Kelcrag s
magickers are all courtly mages, greater and lesser. My school is more eclectic; we use whatever
comes to hand, and that can be damned useful somebody looking for High Magick probably
won t see Low, or think it s worth investigating. After all, what does Kelcrag need to fear from a
peasant granny?
Jodi considered that for a moment, her head held slightly to one side.  Tell me, why is it that jiles
and Oreden have gotten so much better since you ve been with us?
Kethry chuckled, but it was with a hint of sadness. It had been very hard to convince the hedge-
wizards that their abilities did not match their dreams.  You want the truth? Their talents are all
in line with Low Magick; earth-witchery, that sort of thing. I convinced them that there s nothing
wrong with that, asked them which they d rather ride, a good, steady trail-horse or your fire-eater.
They aren t stupid; they saw right away what I was getting at. She set Hellsbane at the next
slope, her hooves dislodging bits of shale and sending them clattering down behind them.  So
now that they aren t trying to master spells they haven t the Talent to use properly, they re doing
fine. Frankly, I would rather have them with us than two of those courtly mages. Water-finding
is a lot more use than calling lightning, and the fire-making spell does us more good than the
ability to light up a ballroom.
 You won t catch me arguing. So what s this magic of yours going to do?
 Show me the weak spots in the trail. If there s something ready to give, I ll know about it before
it goes.
 And?
 I should be able to invoke a greater magic at that point, and hold the pieces together long enough
for us to get across.
 Won t that draw attention?
 It would, Kethry replied slowly,  if I did what a court mage would do, and draw on powers
outside myself which causes ripples; no, I have just enough power of my own, and that s what
I ll use. There won t be any stir on the other planes. . .. But it s going to cost me if I do things
that way. Maybe high. Well, I ll handle that when the time conies.  You said one reason we re
riding tailmost that implies there s more reasons.
 Two we re tailguards in truth. We could find ourselves fighting hand to hand with Kelcrag s
scouts or his mages. They haven t detected us that we know of, but there s no sense in assuming
less than the worst.
 So long as they don t outnumber us I m not exactly as helpless in a fight as Tresti. She [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]