When the pounding in Khisanth's head began to slow, there was little left of the mare except teeth and hooves. She'd crunched through the bones for the moist, delicately flavored marrow.
Swallowing the last knuckle joint, Khisanth fell into a sated languor, listening to her own mind. It was thankfully clear of the emotions that had confused her decisions as a human. She felt powerful again, in control. That was very good. But to her surprise, she also felt unpleasantly cumbersome. She missed the spriteliness, the freedom afforded her by her human form. Heaviest of all, now, were her eyelids. The dragon wanted nothing so desperately as a nap. Into her drowsy brain came a vision of her last sleep, and Led. She was instantly alert. Sigh shy;ing, she pressed herself to remember the purpose for changing back into her dragon form-to think clearly about a lie to dis shy;guise Toba's disappearance.
What would she tell him? Did it matter? Led was intriguing, but still merely a human. Yet she could not deny that she felt some sort of attraction for this man, that she had begun to appreciate aspects of her own facade of humanity because of him. Now, in her dragon form, she found it much easier to consider him objectively.
Once Khisanth reached her decision, she willed herself back into the form of Onyx, then located the saddlebag in the woods, retrieved her clothing, and dressed. The young woman envisioned the campsite near the pool and narrow clearing, and called upon her sorcerous abilities. Within the time it took to blink once, she was standing some ten feet from Led. Star shy;tled, the mercenary drew his sword. He relaxed only slightly when he recognized Onyx.
'Where's your horse?'
'She, uh, stumbled in a hole and threw me, then ran off. I couldn't stop her.'
Led looked at her closely for a moment longer. Licking the end of his thumb, he dabbed at a crusted, brown spot in the corner of her mouth. 'Found something to eat, did you?'
She pushed his hand away to wipe at the spot herself. 'I couldn't find any sign of Toba.'
A muscle jerked in the hollow under Led's left cheekbone.
'This just isn't like Toba. I checked the wagon, and there's no sign that he attended to, uh, its contents yet today.'
Once again Led peered intently toward the tree line, speak shy;ing to himself. 'I can't believe Toba would just up and leave. He's been with me for three years. There's something very odd about this.' He ran his fingers through his hair in exaspera shy;tion. 'I can't waste any more time searching for him. I'll tell you this, though. If he does show up again, he'd better have a damned good story to tell or he'll never work for me again.'
Led pulled the wagon back onto the trail and checked the traces. At his signal, an ogre stepped up onto the wagon. The vehicle's front end settled and groaned noticeably under the massive bulk. The ogre fumbled with the reins, and Led eyed the doltish soldier dubiously.
'There's nothing to be done about it, I suppose,' he said stiffly. 'Lef s get a move on.'
He blew shrilly between two fingers. Onyx took her place to the right of the wagon. The ogres collected up their weapons and filed to their usual positions behind. Without morning food except wine for himself, Led doled out traveling rations to the groggy, grumbling soldiers, climbed aboard his horse, and herded his troops onward toward Needle Pass.
Led's foul mood allowed for little conversation as they wound their way up the mountains. The rocky trail, if the nar shy;row passage they followed through the trees could be called that, became slippery with snow the higher they rose.
By midday they came at last to Needle Pass. The horses pulling the wagon were showing signs of exhaustion, espe shy;cially with the added weight of the ogre driver. Led called a halt, hoping to rest and eat at a point just beyond the gap in the mountains, a spot where the trail widened to a width of two wagons. The ogres spread out and pulled chunks of meat and coarse, molding bread from the depths of their packs. Led again offered Onyx a few strips of jerky. She wasn't hungry and gave her share back to him.
Except for the slurping and grunting of the ogres, the party ate in silence. Stone walls worn smooth by the wind rose to either side of the pass; Onyx considered the high, rocky cliffs curiously. If she were fighting as a dragon, those towering, stony ledges would be a perfect perch from which to swoop down onto an unsuspecting enemy.
Led suddenly cocked his head to the side. 'Did you hear something?'
'You mean that tinkling, like bells, from back the way we came?' Onyx asked. 'I've been hearing it for some time.'
Led shot her an angry glance. 'Why didn't you say some shy;thing? Can you tell what it is?' he added, before Onyx could reply to the first question.
'It sounds like a group of horsemen coming this way, and they're making no effort to be quiet.'
Led set down his food and moved back up the slope fifty or sixty yards, to where the trail crested the pass. He stayed close to the rock walls, taking pains not to silhouette himself against the sky. After several moments, he trotted back to where Onyx and the ogres waited.
'If s what I thought,' he said, 'a squad of Solamnic Knights in full panoply riding up the trail. They've got banners flap shy;ping and bells ringing. It's a wonder they don't send a herald on ahead to announce that they're coming.' He shook his head, snickering. 'Thaf s the knights for you, all pomp and honor and stupidity masked as chivalry. I wish I could hide the wagon from them, but there isn't time. We'll have to make do.'
Tapping three ogres, Led told them, 'Stay with me. The rest of you, up into the rocks. You know the drill. Be ready for my signal, just in case. Be quick. There's one knight riding point- I don't want him to see anything unusual.'
Twelve ogres clambered up tike rocky cliffs on both sides of the trail. Onyx was surprised at how quickly and completely the bulky creatures blended into the cover. To her further sur shy;prise, Led calmly resumed his lunch. He patted the rock next to him.
'Are you going to attack them?' Onyx asked.
'If necessary. Now sit down.' Remembering rule number two, Onyx complied wordlessly.
Led had managed to down four hearty swigs of wine and put on a mask of innocent surprise by the time the jingling rang clear. A snapping blue banner emblazoned with a red rose appeared on the western edge of the pass. Slowly it topped the crest, fluttering on the end of a lance, followed by a crested helmet and finally the rest of a knight riding a horse draped in yellow. Through his open visor, Onyx could see that he was very young, his wispy blond mustache almost invisible against his pale upper lip. The knight spied the couple, accom shy;panied by three ogres, eating lunch on the rock. He rode straight toward them with no hesitation, but stopped the length of three horses short of them. The knight sat in stony silence and waited without looking at Onyx and Led.
The jingling of bells, clanking of weapons and armor, and clattering of hooves on frozen ground reverberated back and forth between the rock walls. Onyx spied eight more banners snapping in the chill wind. The knights on horseback beneath the banners topped the crest and proceeded down toward their point rider.
As the main group met up with the waiting knight, he jogged his horse backward to move behind the man at the fore of this larger procession. There could be no question about who led this group. The knight now in front wore a blue-and-red tunic over his armor. The visor of his helmet was also raised, revealing a deeply weathered face and a tremendous, drooping, snow-white mustache.
With a raised arm the commander of the knights brought them all to a halt. He sat still in his high saddle, surveying Led's party. With frank distaste, he stared at the ogres.
Led took the opportunity to lean close to Onyx and whisper, 'Thankfully, Knights of Solamnia are completely predictable. Take your lead from me.'
The commander spurred his horse several steps closer to Led. There was no welcome in his face. 'I am Sir Harald Stip shy;pling. Part of my charge is safeguarding this road. Who are you? State your business.'
Led calmly tore off a piece of jerky. 'They call me Led-just Led. I'm a law-abiding trader carrying valuable cargo from Styx to Kernen.' He appeared to be struck with an idea. 'Say, I've heard rumors that there are bandits on the road. Perhaps we could travel together and you could protect my shipment. Isn't that your job?'
The knighf s eyes narrowed with disbelief. 'What law-abid shy;ing trader would hire such guards as these ogres?'
'Here in the wilds, I'm at the mercy of what is available for hire. Ogres are plentiful and easily replaced.'
'What are you transporting that needs such protection?'
'The wagon contains merchandise of value to me.'
