“Lead the way.”
Their blue-skinned guide led them slowly through the trees and up the hill. Every step Doka made was carefully considered; Teer presumed she was checking for things that would make noise.
Teer quickly realized that the other two were far better at stealth than he was. He didn’t think he was making that much noise, but it was obvious he was making far more than Kard or Doka. After a few minutes, he swallowed his pride and started following literally in Kard’s footprints, putting his feet exactly where the El-Spehari had stepped moments before.
“Down. Here.” Doka obeyed her own order, going flat on her belly as she reached the top of the hill. “Stay low.”
“Stay back,” Kard murmured to Teer. “Watch the hill behind us. If Boulder’s been here for a tenday, his men know this hill better than you and I.”
Teer nodded, kneeling on the mossy ground and checking the forested slope behind them. Kard joined Doka on his stomach, slowly squirming forward to get a view down to where the camp was supposed to be.
The young Merik couldn’t hear anyone and was figuring that meant Boulder wasn’t there. He wasn’t going to say that out loud yet, though. Doka and Kard knew this type of task far better than he did.
“Looks clear,” he heard Kard whisper. “I see the overhang by the water. No sign of a camp.”
“Not roadside camp,” Doka replied, also whispering. “No firepit. Smart folk clear debris, signs. Should check closely; might have been here and moved.”
“Agreed. Teer!”
The call for Teer was in a more normal voice, loud enough for Teer to hear clearly.
The youth turned and moved far enough forward to see his boss.
“Yeah?” he asked.
“Get up here and cover us,” Kard ordered. “We’re going down into the valley. It looks empty, but someone might be playing games.”
“Yes, sir.”
With less of an immediate concern over being spotted, Teer joined the two quickly. Doka was carefully picking dirt out of the front of her corset as she knelt and studied the slope downward.
“If here, they moved on,” she finally said. “Doka think we check for track and sign, but no threat.”
“I agree,” Kard said. “I still want Teer to cover us with that hunter. Boulder’s left more than a few dead Wardwatches and hunters in his trail who weren’t careful enough.”
Doka looked back at Teer, then at the gun he was holding.
“Like this,” she agreed. “Friend outside trap is best key.”
Teer checked the scope on the rifle as the other two headed down the hill. He wasn’t used to having one—the hunter he’d used on the ranch didn’t have one, as the optics were expensive—and he was surprised by how much it brought everything closer.
Almost dangerously so, in his opinion. The wider view of the brook’s valley was more valuable than the very focused view through the scope. If he needed it, he could use it, but he was pretty sure he could hit anything that threatened his companions without it.
Anyone, he supposed. He shivered at that thought. He wasn’t hunting deer today. If he pulled the trigger on the gun Hardin had given him, he was firing at a person.
“Nothing,” Doka finally said in disgust after poking through the sheltered area for at least a quarter-candlemark. “Doka not think so. Still had to check.”
“Agreed,” Kard replied, standing up and stretching. “Teer!”
Teer stood up from his own kneeling position, slinging the hunter over his shoulder and stretching carefully.
“Nothing?” he asked loudly.
“Nothing,” Kard confirmed. “Go check on the horses; we’ll catch up.”
“Yes, sir,” Teer replied. He was pretty sure he’d have heard something happen to the horses, but there was no point taking chances. Keeping his hand on his quickshooter, he slowly headed down the hill.
There was less concern about making noise now that they knew the brigands weren’t camped here, and the horses started whinnying at him as he approached. The animals had done a solid number on the scrub near them, but the tone of Star’s whinnies told him they’d probably need more food.
He gave each of them a handful of oats, dodging back from Grump’s halfhearted attempt to take some fingers with them, and then set about checking Star’s hooves for rocks and burrs.
The other two rejoined him a few minutes after he started checking the horse, both of them falling to the same task in silence.
“Two more camps, Doka?” Kard finally asked.
“Can reach one today,” she told him. “Best wait till morning for other. Reach it in dark if we push on.”
“I’m not coming up on Boulder in the dark without knowing exactly what I’m doing,” the bounty hunter agreed. “Let’s get to the next site today, though. I want this bastard’s trail.”
“Doka want to get paid,” the guide agreed. “Grump ready to go.”
“So is Star,” Teer said. “Just taking the time to take care of her.”
“Without horses, everything else becomes much harder,” Kard said. “Let’s take the time. It won’t hurt us, not that much.”
“Next site likely. Longer route to town but clear,” Doka warned. “Well hidden. Less water, but good hiding spot.”
“Would Boulder have found it, then?” Teer asked.
“Coach drivers know it,” the guide said. “Could buy or hurt it out of them.”
“We’ll see soon enough,” Kard replied. “Clack’s hooves are clean. Shall we?”
13
“Stop.”
Kard and Doka pulled their horses up at Teer’s sudden order, both of them looking back at him strangely.
“What’s going on?” Kard demanded.
“Voices,” Teer told them, straining his ears to try and make out words before shaking his head. “I think at least four.” He gestured to the side of the road they were riding along. “That way, probably a quarter-mile?”
“Quarter-mile,” Doka repeated. “Through trees, hill, water.” She glanced at Kard. “If they camped where Doka think, that nearest stream.”
“You can hear them?” Kard asked.
“You can’t?” Teer replied. From what he understood, the El-Spehari should have superior senses to him, able
