Cadmians Choice by L.E. Modesitt

Author:L.E. Modesitt
Language: eng
Format: epub

"Yes?"

"Those aren't any hoofprints I've seen. All the shoes are alike, but they're not Cadmian shoes. Ours have the twin diamonds."

Organized irregulars or insurgents? Mykel didn't like that at all. "Anything else?"

"Prints are pretty deep. Deeper 'n ours. Means that they're carrying gear, or they got bigger mounts or heav-ier riders, or all three. Can't tell much beyond that, except the prints are more 'n a day old."

"No newer prints?"

"Just one or two, and the shoes are different."

"We might as well see if anyone's here."

"Sir... best I send a scout in to see," suggested Fabry-tal.

Mykel had to agree, if reluctantly. While he felt that Gerolt would not shoot, there was no sense in giving a spooked herder that chance. He nodded.

The undercaptain turned in the saddle. "Dyrsak, Sen-glat... ride in and see if anyone's there. Majer would like to talk to them."

"Yes, sir."

As 1the two Cadmians rode up the lane, a lean man in brown sauntered out from one of the outbuildings. He stopped and waited for the riders to reach him.

Mykel waited and watched until Senglat raised his hand and waved. "Wait here with the company," he told Fabrytal. "I'll ask about watering the mounts after I talk with him." If need be, Mykel could insist, but he pre-ferred to ask.

He eased the roan forward, down the nar-row lane toward the two Cadmians and Gerolt.

As Troral had said, four blackened patches had seared the ground and structures, especially just beside the front door to the dwelling and at one corner of an outbuilding.

The patches on the ground were long and thin, more like black streaks or lines. Mykel looked more closely at the outbuilding. In places, die surface of the mud bricks had turned shiny, almost glassy, and above that area the roof beams had burned through. A third of me roof had col-lapsed into the small building.

Mykel reined up short of the man in brown. "I'm Ma-jer Mykel. Troral asked us to come out."

"Gerolt." The man's face was weathered and lined, and streaks of gray ran mrough his long hair and short, but ragged beard. His heavily scuffed boots bore learner patches of a lighter shade.

"Have you seen any sign of your sister or her hus-band?" asked Mykel.

"No. Except he was running from something. His boot tracks were far apart.

They ended just short of the goat barn there."

"Mind if I look?"

"Help yourself."

Mykel rode slowly toward the building with me black-ened corner and partly collapsed roof. As Gerolt had said, there were boot prints—and the prints ended in a larger black spot. Mykel had been afraid of that. He turned to Gerolt. "Troral said that not much was missing."

"Depends on what you mean. Maybe three, four goats and a lamb and ewe don't sound like much to him. They were a lot to Sis."

"Have you seen anyone else?"

"Haven't seen anyone, except you. Did see something glowing over the hills to the southwest afore it got full dark last night," Gerolt said slowly. "Thought it might have been fire. Went away too quick for that.

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