'That is not possible.'
'It is possible if you take a more direct route,' insisted the Guildsman.
'Sir, that is a most dangerous path,' said Mika, once more in control of his temper. 'We deem it wiser to take the forest route, which will ensure the safe arrival of your cargo.'
'I did not think that danger was an important issue with you Wolf Nomads,' said the Guildsman. 'I thought you cut your teeth on daggers and fought wild boars for sport.'
'We are not afraid,' Mika said stiffly, 'but only a fool risks his skin when it is not necessary. We will travel as fast as possible and perhaps shave some time off our reckoning if there are no problems with the wagons.'
'You will find nothing wrong with my wagons, my drivers, or my animals. And you forget, wolfman, that you are but the guard. I represent the Guild and have the final word on all matters. It is my decision that we take the direct route.'
'You may represent the Guild, sir, but I am responsible for our lives, including yours, and I will choose my own path,' Mika said hotly.
'I should have known that Wolf Nomads lack the courage of their cousins, the Tiger Nomads,' sneered the Guildsman. 'When I reach Eru-Tovar I will speak to the Guild and tell them of your cowardice. They will not take kindly to the late arrival of this valuable cargo. I will convince them that we have made a mistake in entrusting our caravans to your craven care. The time for treaty-making is almost upon us. I will see to it that we sign an exclusive arrangement with the Tiger Nomads. They are men and do not run weeping like women at the mere thought of danger.'
Mika stared at the Guildsman, his thoughts in turmoil. No more than one night out and already he was faced with a terrible decision. Mika looked at Horns-buck for guidance, hoping that the man would step in and take charge. But Hornsbuck merely twirled his beard between his fingers and stared at the ground.
Mika thought fast. Loss of the valuable Guild treaty was a powerful threat. Enor would not be pleased if Mika brought the caravan in safely but lost the treaty. It would hardly be a fitting tribute to the memory of his father. And it would scarcely win him a place at the fire.
Finally, he struck on what he considered to be his only option. 'All right, Guildsman, we will take the overland route, but let it be known to all that it was by your directive. If we fare poorly, the blame will rest on your shoulders alone.'
Hornsbuck sighed at Mika's words, but the Guildsman smiled coldly and, bowing in mock respect, retreated from the fire.
'Mika, lad, why did you fall for that old trick? Could you not see that he was prodding you, hoping to bruise your pride until he shagged you into doing his bidding? Go after him. Tell him that we will stick to our original plan.'
TamTur looked from one face to the other, sensing something was wrong. His large, intelligent hazel eyes reflected concern, and he stared after the Guildsman and growled.
'No,' said Mika, regretting his decision. 'I must do as I said. We cannot afford trouble with the Guild. We will take the overland route. We will leave at dawn. We must make certain that all waterskins are filled and that the men ride armored and fully armed.'
Hornsbuck nodded unenthusiastically and rose to give the new orders, a glance of contempt over his massive shoulders indicating that the earlier camaraderie had cooled. Probably the man considered Mika a fool, but the Guildsman's threat to the caravan treaty could not be ignored.
'Great Mother Wolf, what have I gotten myself into?' Mika muttered, kneading his forehead with his fist. Then, unwilling to sit in the firelight, a clear target for the certain hostility of his men, he rose and stalked into the darkness that lurked on the far side of the wagons.
He roamed for an hour or longer in the forest, the fragrance of ferns, pines, and roanwood a soothing balm to his troubled mind. He paced the unfamiliar forest floor with little or no thought to the carnivores whose home it was, or to the savage, aboriginal humans, thought to be the remnants of the original Flannae Folk, who lived in the forest and attacked with deadly stealth.
TamTur was well trained and could be depended on to scent out all danger and prevent it before it occurred. It was a pity, though, Mika reflected, that the wolf could not monitor his wayward tongue as easily as he warded off physical risk.
One day, Mika's hasty words might place them into a situation that neither he nor Tam could handle. Once again, Mika resolved, albeit once again too late, to think before he spoke.
Chapter 7
They broke camp well before dawn, hurriedly downing chunks of dry mealybread and mugs of steaming coffee.
The mood was sullen and tense as the men turned the caravan away from the shelter of the forest and headed out onto the open plains.
All day the party watched their back trail, and scouts rode before them and to either side, searching for threats that did not materialize. They were lucky, and as evening drew near, they found a large pool of clear water in a depression at the foot of a small hill covered with thick sweet grass. The loosely hobbled horses and mules drank deeply and ate their fill and, their bells tinkling pleasantly, settled down to graze through the night.
'The Great She Wolf, mother of us all, is guiding our steps,' Mika ventured as he sat down next to Hornsbuck who was eating a peppery dish of beans and hart meat.
'One day. It's only one day. Don't be getting your hopes up. They're out there and they'll be on us in the flash of a wolfs tail as soon as they spot us. We're too rich a prize to pass up. Horses. Weapons. Armor. Goods. If you were stuck out here, wouldn't you risk all for a try at us? After all, what have they got to lose?' muttered Hornsbuck as he shoveled the hot mixture into his beard-shrouded mouth.
Wiping the bowl clean with a hunk of mealybread, Hornsbuck tossed the dripping piece into the air where it was caught adeptly by his wolf, a great grizzled male named RedTail, which bore an uncanny resemblance to the nomad.
RedTail's fur was heavy and thick, a strange shade of reddish blond that Mika had never seen in other wolves. His body was thick and muscular, almost stocky, with none of the long, lean grace normally found in wolves. His muzzle and ears were short and stubby and covered with a network of old scars. His bright green eyes followed Hornsbuck's every move, and Mika knew that the bond between them was great. Heaven help the man who tried to hurt Hornsbuck!
'Too much open space out here to suit me,' Hornsbuck said. 'Gives me the shivers.'
Mika looked out past the fire and nodded his agreement. Hornsbuck was right; the plains were a desolate place, nothing but rock, scree, greasewood, and an occasional salt bush all the way to the horizon and beyond. By comparison, the spring seemed a magical place and one he would be loath to leave.
'Have you been here before?' Mika asked the older man. 'This seems like such a good spot. Why has no one set up a base camp here, used it as a way station or even a trading post? The water is exceptional, sweet and satisfying to tongue and thirst. I've told the men to empty the waterbags and fill them with water from the pool.'
'Water. Pah! I never touch the stuff myself,' said Hornsbuck and setting his bowl down on the ground he poured himself an ample portion of honeyed mead from the large skin that hung from his saddle. He settled himself comfortably in front of the fire.
'As for this place, I dunno, something funny about it if you ask me, which you did. I've never seen it before. It's not on the map, and I've never heard anyone talk about it. And there's no rogues hanging about. Water on the prairie would draw them like trolls to flesh.
'Only thing I can figure is that there was a rain, just a little one, see, and it filled the pool and brought on the grass. I've known it to happen that way in the desert sometimes. Probably this place will be dust again in a day or two. Just luck, that's all. Doesn't mean anything. We'll still have to be on our toes if we want to reach the city with all our body parts attached.'
The older man's sour words depressed Mika, and he felt a strong chill of misgiving pass through him.
