'I'll tell you what we can do to narrow the odds against us a bit,' Tarma offered. 'I can arrange to set out a little later than you asked us, so that we're about half a day behind that spice-trader. Anybody looking for booty is likely to go for him and miss us.'
'But what about wild beasts?' he asked, looking concerned. 'Won't they have been attracted to the campsites by the trader's leavings?'
Tarma's estimation of him rose a notch. She had been picturing him as so likely to have his nose in a book all the time that he had little notion of the realities of the road.
'Wild beasts are the one problem we won't have,' she replied. 'You're getting a bargain, you know -- you aren't actually getting two guards, you're getting three.'
At her unspoken call, Warrl inched out from under the bar where he'd been drowsing, stretched lazily, and opened enormous jaws in a yawn big enough to take in a whole melon. Sir Skolte regarded the kyree with astonishment and a little alarm.
'Bright Lord of Hosts!' he exclaimed, inching away a little. 'What is that?'
'My partner calls him a kyree, and his name is Warrl.'
'A Pelagir Hills kyree? No wonder you aren't worried about beasts!' The knight rubbed a hand across his balding pate, and looked relieved. 'I am favored by your acquaintance, Sirrah Warrl. And grateful for your services.'
Warrl nodded graciously and returned to his resting place beneath the bar. This close to the Hills, the innmaster and his help were fairly familiar with the kyree kind -- and when Warrl had helped to break up a bar-fight within moments of the trio's arrival, he had earned their gratitude and a place of honor. And no few spiced sausages while he rested there.
Tarma was pleased with the knight's ready acceptance of her companion, and finalized the transaction with him then and there. By the time Kethry returned, she had already taken care of supplies for the next day.
They appeared at the house of the bride's father precisely at noon the next day, ready to go. Sir Skolte met them at the gate -- which was something of a surprise to Kethry.
'I -- rather expected you would send a servant to wait for us,' Kethry told him, covering her confusion quickly, but not so quickly that Tarma didn't spot it.
'Darthela has been insisting that I 'properly introduce' you,' he replied, a rather wry smile on his thin lips. 'That isn't the sort of thing one leaves to a servant. I confess that she has been most eager to meet you.'
Tarma caught her partner's quizzical glance and shrugged.
The odd comment was explained when they finally met the fair young bride; she entered the room all flutters and coquettishness, which affectations she dropped as soon as she saw that her escorts were female. She made no effort to hide her disappointment, and left 'to pack' within moments.
'Now I see why you hired us instead of that pair of Barengians,' Tarma couldn't help but say, stifling laughter.
Sir Skolte shrugged eloquently. 'I won't deny I'm a bit of a disappointment for her,' he replied cynically. 'But beggars can't be choosers. She's the sixth in a set of seven daughters, and her father was so pleased at being able to make trade bargains with me in lieu of dower that he almost threw her at me. Fortunately, my servants are all uglier than I am.'
The look in his eye told Tarma that Darthela was going to have to be a great deal cleverer than she appeared to be if she intended to cuckold this fellow.
But then again...
'Tell me, are folk around here acquainted with the tale of 'Bloody Carthar's Fourteen Wives?' Or 'Meralis and the Werebeast?' '
He shook his head. 'I would say I know most of the tales we hear in these parts by heart, and those don't sound familiar.'
'Then we'll see if we can't incline Darthela's mind a bit more in an appropriate direction,' Kethry said, taking her cue from the two stories Tarma had mentioned. 'We'll be a week in traveling, and stories around the campfire are always welcome, no?'
'What -- oh, I see!' Sir Skolte began to laugh heartily. 'Now, more than ever, I am very glad to have met you! Ladies, if you are ever looking for work again, I shall give you the highest recommendations -- especially to aging
