C. J. Cherryh - Fortress 01 by Fortress in the Eye of Time

Author:Fortress in the Eye of Time [Time, Fortress in the Eye of]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-02-15T22:51:25.813000+00:00

He turned Petelly along the wall-road, and at his asking Petelly picked up his pace, laying back his ears at the thunder-strokes, but shaking his neck and wanting to run.

“Go,” he said, and let Petelly have the rein he wanted. Petelly stretched out and ran, splashing through puddles and tearing along the road beside the Ivanim camp.

He had at no point of his evolving escape been sure he could escape and ride out past the guards, and past the camps—but no one now put his head out of a tent, no sentry prevented him in this downpour. He passed the Ivanim. He passed the camp of Lanfarnesse. The guards in town were not at fault, if no one had told them not to let him out. The sentries of the camps outermost, watching Cevulirn’s horses, and those watching Pelumer’s, had no reason to challenge him: he had come from the town, past other sentries.

And with the last tents and the last picket lines behind him—there was nothing but open road and the night ahead of him.

Now he had no one to account to and no one to harm but himself: his greatest fear had been Uwen’s finding out, and rushing after him in a mistaken and utterly dangerous direction, because they had talked of Ynefel.

He was sure that Uwen, hearing Cefwyn and others come in, as he must have done, would be wondering already why he had not come back.

Uwen would have begun to worry; and probably already Uwen would have dressed and gone downstairs to look.

Then Uwen would ask close questions of the guards, who perhaps had not seen where he went. But once they began to search as far as the stable-court, which was a favorite haunt of his, and far more likely than the garden in the dark and the rain, then the boy would surely say at once that he had given him a horse.

But after that—after that, Uwen had to ask for a horse, too, and Uwen was not a lord: Uwen could not obtain a horse for the asking. Uwen would have to go to the commander of the watch, who might have to wake someone of more authority, like Captain Kerdin.

Or Idrys. Idrys would be angry, and cast about very far and very fast looking for him, bringing his cold wrath down on those who should have asked more questions. He was sorry for that, he was very sorry for it.

But there was no way at least Idrys could blame Uwen, who had not been on duty. It was, if it was anyone’s fault for not watching him-Idrys’ own fault, though he did not think it would put Idrys in any better humor. Idrys would send down to the town gates to ask where he had gone, and they would surely say, He went west, and Idrys would know at once, the same as Uwen would, where besides Ynefel he might go.

Then Uwen would beg a horse and orders that would let him and the guards ride out to catch him.

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