Keep on the Borderlands

a plain stone chamber, talking to a tall, pale fellow named Hollis. ‘Undersecretary to CastellanFerec,’ he said. He knew about our set-to out on the road and said Ferec wantedto thank us himself. There’s a banquet tomorrow night, Blor, and we’reinvited-us and our men.”

“Hmmm. That might mean the castellan wants to look us over,Brother. Talk to us, see if we might be useful to him. They say it’s how he doesthings.”

“Could be. Thing is,” Jerdren leaned forward to plant hiselbows on the map, “I ran across Odis-that’s one of the men I hired for thisjourney, Eddis-on my way to the barracks, early on. He and his mates alreadyhave a return job, and they’re heading out tomorrow. Wanted to know if I’d give’em good recommendation to this ore merchant who’s eager to get back north withhis pouch of gold. Well, I did that, and I also told Odis about this raid. He just laughed! Said the main reason they signed on with us was hopes of a chance like the ore merchant. ‘Why give over an easy job with a filled purse at theend,’ he said, ‘in exchange for real danger and crawling through the woods?’

“Anyway, when this Hollis said we were all invited, Ithought, say those bandits had set their ambush late, rather than early, then Eddis would’ve taken ’em out just like we did, right Eddis? And we’re equals inthis, right?”

Eddis stared at him. “Jerdren, tell me you didn’t try towangle us an invitation to a formal banquet!”

He smiled cheerfully. “I didn’t just try-I got it! Allfive of us, tomorrow at second bell after sunset.”

Eddis broke the silence. “Jerdren, I can’t eat at a lord’stable. I’m village!”

“So?” he asked. “We’re village, and we left that forthe army. But this castellan’s no lord! He was a soldier left in charge herewhen the old lord went north with most of his army. When none of ’em came back,he stayed on to keep things together, that’s all. Man like that won’t care howyou eat your soup. Besides, you wanted to know how much truth there is to Meb’srumor, and who’d answer that better for you than the man in charge?”

Eddis shook her head in disbelief. Behind her, the room was filling up, and the babble of voices was growing louder by the moment. M’Baddahsaid something quietly to M’Whan, who went off through the crowd and came backsome moments later followed by one of the taverner’s daughters-a dark-haired,slender lass in bright blue, who smiled at everyone and joshed with most, expertly balancing a tray piled high with bowls of stew and chunks of bread.

Eddis sniffed the fragrant steam cautiously. Stew with no onion-they remembered. She tore her bread into thick strips and dipped it intothe rich broth.

“Eddis? You can do this, right?” Jerdren looked ratheranxious.

She chewed bread, swallowed. Finally shrugged.

“The banquet, you mean? I can-” She fell forward as someoneslammed into her left shoulder.

A long-fingered hand dragged her back upright, and a reedy voice mumbled apologetically. Eddis was turning toward the voice when her belt shifted. My purse! She spun around the other way and snatched at the dark-haired, skinny fellow backing away from her. He evaded the grasp but went sprawling as M’Baddah stuck out a leg. Eddis was off her stool and had him bytwo handfuls of roughspun shirt before he could scramble up. He twisted in her grip but subsided when she transferred one hand to his hair.

“All right,” she snapped, “where is it?”

“Where’s what?” The face was a boy’s, despite a thin smear ofmoustache on his upper lip and a skinny tad of beard. His eyes were very wide.

“The purse you just cut from my belt,” Eddis hissed.

“Purse? Cut? I lost my balance, woman, and fell into you. Isaid I was sorry, didn’t I?”

“Fine,” she said. “Apology accepted, once you hand over thatpurse!” He twisted suddenly, freed himself from her grasp, and dove under thenearest trestle. Merchants and their women scattered. Eddis swore under her breath and went after him.

She flailed out and caught hold of a boot. The boy yelled as she edged forward, ready to wrap her arms around his leg, but he kicked hard, hitting her shoulder, and the boot came off in her hand. It was thin and old and smelled awful. Eddis tossed it aside and dragged herself grimly into the open and partway up.

The boy was two trestles away now, dodging through startled patrons, forcing his way past serving girls toward the door. A tray of bread went flying. Eddis scrambled onto the nearest trestle, jumped from it to the next one, scattering people and cups in all directions. Another jump. The thief was about to dive under one last trestle and gain the way out when she threw herself at him, slamming him to the floor.

He was yelling now, crying out for help as she wrapped one hand in his hair and yanked.

“Where is it?” She had to yell just to be heard. “I won’t askagain, boy!”

The room went quiet around them, all at once, and the boy’seyes moved rapidly, taking in his surroundings. Suddenly he yelled, “You’rehurting me, owwww! Let go!” Startled, Eddis nearly loosed her grip, but M’Baddahhad come up and caught his arm. “What’re you doing, woman, are you mad? I wasjust-I was just trying to get past your table, minding my own business andyou-owwww! My hair, you’ll pulling it out!”

“Not like I will if you don’t give me back my purse,” Eddissnarled. She was aware of staring patrons all around them.

M’Whan pushed his way through the crowd. “Eddis, I can seetwo guardsmen coming this way!”

“Good,” she said.

“Yeah, good!” the youth said virtuously. “And when theysearch me and don’t find anything, you’ll be sorry you hurt me!”

“I found it,” Blorys said as he and Jerdren came up. “I sawhim toss something under our table when M’Baddah tripped him.” He held up asmall, thin-bladed knife and a plain leather pouch.

“That’s a lie,” the youth said. “You can’t prove those thingsare mine.”

“You’re right. That purse isn’t yours,” Eddis glanced at thetwo solid men in guard’s colors who stood quietly next to her and the youth.

At a gesture from one, M’Baddah released his hold and steppedback.

“Sir,” she told the guard, her eyes still on the boy, “thepurse is mine. I can tell you exactly what’s in it, to the last coin. Also,there’s a red fletch I saved from an arrow-the one I used to kill my firstdeer.” She waited while one of the guards took the bag, fingered its cut stringsand poured the contents into one hand. His companion took the knife, peered at it closely. Eddis kept her two-handed grip on the thief. His muscles were taut, ready to spring if she relaxed her attention.

A low buzz of conversation broke out around them once more. People were standing and staring. The guard slowly pushed the coins around on his hand, then fished out a small strip of red feathers-frayed and faded from somany years in the pouch. He snugged down what was left of the cut strings then handed it to Eddis, who freed a hand to stuff the little bundle down the front of her shirt. She stepped aside as the soldiers took charge.

“What’s this about, boy?” the guard asked, mildly enough.

The youth shook his head. “How should I know? I was justgoing to get a fresh mug of ale, and she jumped me for no reason. Maybe you should search her, see if she’s got anything of mine.” He patted a cloth baghanging from his belt and suddenly looked worried. “Maybe you should just holdonto her while I make sure my coins aren’t missing. I had four silverpence when I came in, and I’m not feeling anything there!”

“Oh, is that so, Kadymus?” The taverner came out of thecrowd. “Seems to me a lot of us have wondered how a mere ’prentice always hascoin for beer and ale-and how it seems folk find themselves short at timesyou’ve been about.” He looked at the larger of the two guards. “SergeantEvoe,” he said formally, “this lady here’s named Eddis. She guards caravans,comes to the Keep often, and always visits my tavern. I’ve never had a spot oftrouble from her. And that little knife belongs to Kadymus, I’ve seen him useit.”

Kadymus glared at the taverner, but before he could say anything, Evoe grabbed his near arm, the second guard grabbed the other, and they hustled the skinny cutpurse away. The taverner watched them go, and as the crowd began to break up, he took Eddis’ hand in both his.

“My thanks for catching him. I’ve had my suspicions for atime, but I’m a busy man, and he’s that quick.”.

“I noticed,” Eddis said dryly. “More fool I for wearing mypurse openly on my belt like that.”

“This is a lawful place,” the taverner replied sternly. “Noneof my customers should have to worry for where a