officiating at the ceremony.'
Now that Gabriella was awake it almost seemed like a dream. Erak was dozing beside her and wore a smile that matched the one she felt on her own face. He opened his eyes. 'Getting up so early?'
'Force of habit. It's dawn. How's your singing voice, by the way?'
Singing the Hymn of Three Eminences, Erak and a troop of foot soldiers began the next morning marching along the dusty streets. Each man-at-arms wore a blue tabard with the Faith's crossed-circle. They were all devout men and loyal servants of the Swords.
Erak led the way towards the inn on the corner of the market square. They sang nervously at first, but soon lost their inhibitions as they realised no-one was pointing or laughing, and began to enjoy it. Celebrating the Lord of All was supposed to be enjoyed and Erak couldn't understand when people found services or hymns a chore.
As they walked towards the inn, people paused to watch them. A few seemed amused but one or two spat on the ground as they passed, others simply looked on and then went back to their business. A couple of people, mostly children, actually even joined in, though they clearly didn't know the words, and were mumbling vague syllables for most of the song.
By the time they entered the huge inn, even the people who were reacting with disdain found that they couldn't help humming the tune. The reactions were much the same in the inn; again, mostly children joined in, but even those who didn't just shook their heads and went back to their breakfasts.
A man in fine velvets came over immediately. 'Enlightened Brother… To what do we owe the honour?'
Erak nodded to the others to stop singing. 'I just thought I'd drop by on behalf of Enlightened One Stoll and introduce ourselves. I'm Brother Brand and I just wanted to pass along the message that if you or any of your customers are interested in worshipping the Lord of All at the local church — '
'I'm sure many of my clients will be happy to join in,' he said doubtfully. As if to prove him correct, almost of the people in the inn were rising and heading for the exit. Some had even left their meals on the tables. If Erak needed a demonstration that the Faith was less welcome in Pontaine than in Vos, he had it now. The recent war had only polarised things further, because the Faith had fought for Vos.
A few people were shaking their heads as they left and muttering about not being able to break their fasts in peace. A couple of them glared with hostility. Erak wasn't looking for their reactions, however; he was looking for the hidden expressions, which were more likely to be revealing of true feelings.
A furtive look away here and Erak memorised a face; a hand covering an upper arm, and he wondered if it was covering a Brotherhood tattoo, A friendly smile that didn't reach the eyes was worth watching. Of course, if even one or two people decided to come along to the next Tenthday service, then the visit would have been worth making.
Moving on the Hymn of the Red Clouds, Erak and his followers left the inn. As he passed through the door, he glanced back at the man in the sleeveless jerkin who had covered his arm and saw that he had uncovered his bicep, thinking he was safe. There was a pair of linked circles tattooed there. His eyes met Erak's, and he paled, knowing he had been seen. Erak froze for a moment and the man made his move first. He leaped for the nearest window, crashing straight through it. Erak bolted through the inn after him, while a couple of the soldiers-at-arms ran round the outside of the inn.
Chairs, tables and other diners scattered, tumbling away as Erak barrelled through the dining area and hurled himself through the same space as the Brotherhood man.
Gabriella had left Solnos before Erak had begun his hymn singing. She rode out past the thin woodland that grew against the foot of the southern escarpment and explored among the flitting insects and rustling of birds and small animals. She hadn't seen many signs of human habitation, and certainly nothing that looked like it might be the Golden Huntress. There were occasional farmhouses and sometimes a byre or a mill house, but no large buildings that would house a brother catering to such a large area. The last building she came across was a farm cottage nestled in a bowl-shaped cut near a spring at the end of a cart track. Taking some vellum from a saddlebag, Gabriella added the final touch to a map she had been making of the locations she had visited and the route she had taken to get to them. Then she wheeled her horse around, and angled back towards Solnos.
There was a glint of metal and the warmth of flames part way up a low rise in the thin woods to her left, and Gabriella debated with herself whether to investigate. If it was the campsite of a caravan travelling between cities she would be able to ask a few questions. If it was a group of bandits, she would have a less pleasant time.
Gabriella guided her mount up a narrow trail and into a stand of scrubby trees well out of earshot of the camp. There, she dismounted and crept closer until the fire resolved itself into a set of three camp fires, surrounded by about twenty men. Horses were hobbled nearby and the men were all recumbent, or at least sitting eating from iron pots. They wore a mixture of armour and so weren't from the army of a city's Lord, who would all be outfitted by the same armourer. Their tabards bore the shark's mouth design of a mercenary company from Malmkrug.
None of them had noticed her yet, as she had managed to become quite adept at moving quietly despite wearing mail. Since she had recognised their company's insignia as that of a reputable company, and one which had fought with the Faith several times, she slipped away to retrieve her horse. Then she cantered back to the camp in a more open fashion.
Two guards hailed her as she approached the camp. 'Well met!'
'Well met and God be upon you.' Gabriella wasn't exactly worried about being outnumbered twenty to one, but she was wary. Mercenary companies were not uncommon, but they had rules among themselves. 'It's a long way from Malmkrug.'
'You're telling us.' Their Captain laughed as she approached. She was a bulky woman, all muscle, with black hair, brown eyes and a scar on her chin. 'There's nobody to fight at home. You're out of, what, Solnos?' Gabriella nodded. 'And this certainly isn't the country for a woman alone. Not unless she's well-trained.'
'It suits me fine.'
The Captain grinned. 'I suppose it's too much to hope you're hiring?'
Gabriella smiled apologetically. 'Just looking to share a camp for a few hours. My horse needs a rest, for a start.'
The mercenary Captain invited her forward. 'Of course. The Faith's always been good to us and I dare say there are some of us could do with confession. If you'll hear us out, we'll give you a hot meal and a groundsheet.'
'Fair enough.' Gabriella dismounted and tended to her horse. 'Thank you, Captain…?'
'Kannis. And you are Sister…?'
'Gabriella DeZantez. You know Solnos well?'
'I've been through it a few times. Don't remember seeing anyone from the Swords Of Dawn there, so I'm assuming you're a new arrival. It's not a bad town. The people are hard working. We've just come up from Fayence. Things weren't too bad, considering.'
'Considering what?'
'Ah, the locals down there are getting themselves jumpy about things that go bump in the night. Farmers and villagers from the lands west of Fayence have been flooding into the city, claiming there are goblins out there. There's no such thing within five leagues of Fayence and Lord Aristide is going blue in the face denying that they even exist. You and I know different, of course. But the farmers down there are scared and Aristide's words aren't doing any good.'
Gabriella didn't like the thought of goblins. It was something the Order would have to keep an eye on. 'How far have these goblins been reported?'
'A few days' ride west of Fayence. Nowhere near the city itself and there are some burned villages right enough. I can't imagine them coming much further, though. You know how they like to stay close to their nests and all the nests are in the World's Ridge.'
'Indeed. Well it's certainly a situation that we will keep an eye on. Many thanks for the food and your hospitality, but I must be getting back to Solnos now.'
'Well met Gabriella. If you ever need a good troupe of well trained men, be sure to look us up.'
Erak and his merry band were no longer touring the town with their hymns when Gabriella rode into Solnos. One of the soldiers was waiting at the church's plaza to lead her to where Erak and the others were waiting for her.
