None So Blind by Xenon

Author:Xenon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Troubador Publishing Ltd
Published: 2019-04-02T00:00:00+00:00

THIRTY-NINE

The untidy sprawl of Glapolis was beginning to melt away into the surrounding Sea of Grass as their rutted track rose slightly to converge with the Southway again. Dio was increasingly tense, and Kal could see it.

‘You’ve gambled on Tiro not giving the alarm, haven’t you? They could be waiting for us.’ Her face was strained and pale once more.

There was a moment’s pause. ‘Yes. I had to. If he did sound the salpinx, they would be breathing down our necks and too close for us to sidestep. But don’t worry. He’s not got the iron. And even if they have pursued, they’ll be long gone, heading for the East Road at the ram, and we shall just quietly turn around and slip away elsewhere. It will be longer and harder, but we’ll be fine.’

He was lying to her. There was no question but that there was already a pursuit, now that Aeropus was looking for him with an arrest warrant. He could only pray to Athen that they were sufficiently ahead of it to have a chance.

She smiled and nodded, but her frightened eyes belied her seeming reassurance. Without warning, the burden of her safety pressed down on him, thickening his thoughts and searing his brain with images that flung aside all other considerations and rampaged through his mind. He fought for calm and clarity. He could not afford these lapses. He needed to be focussed.

He stopped her short of the junction, where a last, solitary dwelling provided some concealment. ‘Wait here.’ He was conscious of some sharpness to his tone and made an effort to relax. ‘If anything happens, get out of here and find Misenus.’

She nodded, and he rode on, his hood pulled well forward. He could but hope that Aeropus had taken the bait and was heading north, and that he had not had the nous to send men both ways. It had rained that morning, and Dio covertly studied the churned-up ground before quietly signalling her to follow. There was no sign of the passage of any substantial cavalry unit, the ruts of the ox-wagons unmarred. She joined him, and they finally cantered away from the town.

It was just before noon, and the day was dull and gloomy, with leaden grey cloud stretching from horizon to horizon. An unpleasantly cold and rising wind bit into them strongly from the northeast. Kal shivered and pulled her cloak more snugly around her. The road was devoid of travellers as they rode away, but he kept a careful eye behind him. As the track swung round a low ridge, they dropped into a shallow gully, down which ran a small, rock-strewn stream. He led her into its swirling waters, the banks barren of anything beyond an occasional small rowan tree, and they picked their cautious way along as it angled down and away from the road.

It was not long before they were out of view of anyone on the Southway, and Dio could breathe a heartfelt sigh of relief.

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