The Gathering of the Lost by Helen Lowe

Author:Helen Lowe
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Fantasy
ISBN: 9780356500034
Publisher: Orbit
Published: 2011-12-01T05:00:00+00:00

Part III

The Border Mark

Chapter 28

Border Crossing

“Just what we need,” said Garan. “A coterie of Stone priests.” He had led his company out of the Barren Hills just on dusk, intending to camp overnight by the Border Mark, only to find another group of travelers already settled in by the standing stone. And not just any travelers, Garan thought with an inward groan. Stone priests were the nearest thing to a warrior class within the three priestly Houses, and as rigid as the House of Blood in their adherence to the divisions that had arisen out of the Derai’s civil war.

He rubbed at his chin, aware of the quality of Nerys’s silence beside him and mutters amongst the other Honor Guards. The minstrel they were escorting said nothing, his expression untroubled. Nothing in his appearance reflected the grueling weeks they had spent on the road north, contending with the wildest of spring and early summer weather as they traversed the Barren Hills. As though road dust doesn’t even stick to him, Garan thought—and although Haimyr had put aside his usual golden garb for the wool and leather of the road, there was no denying that he did not look Derai. But then again, if the Stone priests wanted to pick a quarrel, they would find a reason, whether it was because the newcomers were retainers of Night, or because they rode with an outsider.

Garan shrugged, reaching his decision. “We ride in slowly and make our camp away from theirs. And we don’t fight them, no matter what provocation they offer.”

“Do we need to camp here at all?” Eanar was a newcomer to the Honor Guard, a slim dark recruit from Westwind hold. “We’ve crossed the Gray Lands by night before.”

“Not if we can avoid it,” Garan said. The more experienced guards nodded, all too familiar with the deteriorating boundary situation. As fast as they cleared out one infestation of low-level darkspawn, another would take its place, all wearing away at the Derai patrols. Even the Gray Lands were increasingly hazardous.

“There are Morning priests with the Stoners,” Keron said. He was another new recruit to the guard, but he had keen eyes. “I count six, maybe seven in House of Morning colors.”

Garan rubbed at his chin again; he needed to shave. “If the Stone priests are doing escort duty, they may be less inclined to pick fights.” He wasn’t going to rely on it, though, not given what he knew of Keep of Stone priests and their ways. The Morning priests were more of an unknown quantity. All he knew about their House was that they followed the goddess Mayanne and were given to studying the patterns of the stars and the weather, or grubbing over history buried in the ground. “We have to camp,” Garan said finally. “So let’s go in.” He caught Haimyr’s eye. “Try to stay in the background if you can. Stone priests don’t like outsiders much.”

The minstrel raised golden brows. “From what I’ve heard,” he replied, “that is considerably understating the case.

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