The Conspiracy of Magic by Harriet Whitehorn

Author:Harriet Whitehorn [Harriet Whitehorn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781788951449
Publisher: Stripes Publishing
Published: 2019-03-15T16:00:00+00:00

“We must go now. As soon as they realize the dogs haven’t got us they’ll come after us on horseback,” Dacha said, pulling a flask out of his pocket with a shaking hand. He took a long swig from it and passed it to Cass, who did the same, and she felt her nerves steady slightly. Dacha picked up a couple of packs that Cass hadn’t noticed and dusted the snow off them.

“I left these here this morning. There’s enough food in them for a few days, and tinder. I also packed you a hat and some gloves. Oh, and these.” He handed Cass a pair of snowshoes and a staff.

“Well done,” Cass replied and took them from him. “Are we headed to the Bundish border?” she asked as she climbed down the ladder.

“Yes, to Harn. My uncle and aunt live nearby and I have a contact there who smuggled me across the border. Hopefully he should be able to get us out too.”

“How were your aunt and uncle?” Cass asked, remembering his concern for them at the Ice Fair.

“Not great,” Dacha replied. “I wish they’d leave but it has become almost impossible.” He hoisted his pack on to his back. “Anyway, after Harn, we had better go straight to Oskbar to tell King Hoff about Vegna’s intention to invade Metrete.”

Cass nodded. “That’s a good plan, Dacha, but you know Nym is not going to let me go easily,” she said with a deep sigh. “She went to a good deal of trouble to capture me in the first place, and now I know about their plans they will do everything in their power to stop me. The dogs are only the beginning.”

“I know, Cass,” Dacha replied. “But we have to try. Come on, let’s get going. It’s this way…” He led them along a narrow track that wound its way up into the mountains.

It snowed all morning, at times so fiercely that Cass could only see a metre ahead of her. She had to work hard not to lose her sense of direction as she and Dacha picked their way along the maze of mountain paths. They sought the route with the most cover, through the densest forest and away from any farms or settlements. Perhaps because of the weather, or perhaps by luck, they met no one and the only sounds they heard were the cawing of the snow ravens high above them and the crunch of fresh snow under their shoes.

At around midday, the snowfall stopped and the sky brightened, and through the trees Cass managed to catch glimpses of the snow-drenched valley that they were walking through. They paused to eat a little of the bread that Dacha had brought, at a point where they had a clear view through the trees to the road far below them. It was swarming with palace guards.

“Looking for us,” Cass said nervously and Dacha nodded in response.

The sight of the soldiers quickened their feet. The bright weather made the going easier but they were also aware it made them infinitely more visible.

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