Eventually, they settled on a cave hidden a few meters back in a particularly narrow canyon, just wide enough for the horses. Khollo almost passed it by, but Sermas had investigated out of curiosity and found the cave, which was deep with a high ceiling and a narrow entrance.
Khollo loosened Arle’s girth strap but left the saddle on. “Sorry girl,” he murmured. “But we might have to leave at a moment’s notice.” Arle tossed her head, then nuzzled Khollo roughly. Khollo grinned and went to the center of the cave, where Hern was busily arranging a small mound of branches and twigs.
“Let me guess,” he said as Khollo approached. “No fire?”
Sermas groaned. “The whole reason I went looking for a cave like this was so that we could have a fire.”
“We can have a fire,” Khollo decided. “But just a small one.”
Hern brightened considerably. “Well, that’s a pleasant surprise. Sermas, what do we have left in the way of rations?”
“Dry meat, stale bread, and a bit of cheese,” Sermas reported, rummaging through one of the packs. “Oh, and three apples. Who packed those?”
“Me,” Hern said. “Thought they would be a good snack.”
“You thought right,” Sermas said happily. “Those will do for dessert. Toast some of this bread and heat the meat up . . . will that make the meat any less tough?”
“Hard to say,” Khollo replied. “It’s like leather already. Heating might cure it.”
“Can’t get much worse, can it?” Sermas reflected.
“Have you ever tried to eat cured leather before?” Hern asked.
“No,” Sermas replied, puzzled. “Why would anyone do that?”
“No idea,” Hern replied. “My point, is that dried meat can get a lot worse. You would know that if you’d ever tried to chew leather.”
Khollo shook his head and took his share of the rations from Sermas. “I think I’ll sit this one out,” he muttered, ripping a chunk from his share of the bread and wrapping it around a slice of dried beef.
Contrary to expectations, heating the dried beef actually restored some of the flavor and made it easier to chew. As a result, the three young warriors passed a pleasant evening toasting bread and meat and bantering good naturedly. They ended up eating all of the apples since, as Sermas put it, they might not all be around after the next day and they should make the most of it while they could.
Nothing will go wrong, Khollo told himself for the hundredth time. We’ll sneak in, kill the sentries, free the voice if we can, and get out. We won’t lose anyone.
When the fire had burned low, the three travelers pulled out their bedrolls and set up around the edge of the fire.
“I’ll take first watch,” Sermas offered, drawing his sword and laying it by his side.
“No sentries,” Khollo replied. “We’re safe enough in here. Besides, we need our rest for tomorrow.”
“Are you sure?” Hern asked.
“Yes,” Khollo replied.
Sermas and Hern exchanged a glance, shrugged, and lay down with their backs to the flames. In moments, both were breathing slowly and evenly, fast asleep.
Khollo, on the other hand, could not find sleep. The anticipation of finding the voice at last was too great, the worry that he might do something to put his friends’ lives at risk too persistent. He also kept hearing noises from outside, small noises, but each still caused Khollo to freeze and listen for the larger sound of vertaga rushing through the canyon.
Hours passed. The fire burned down to embers and Khollo tossed a few more sticks on to keep it going and produce a little more light. He did not want to be surprised in the dark if it came to that. Wind howled through the canyon, shrieking among the rocks. Khollo lay down again and curled up, trying to block out the noises, the fears, the questions.
When dawn finally came, Khollo was stiff and sore. He had not slept more than a couple of hours in total, having been woken by the slightest noise throughout the early hours. Hern and Sermas were annoyingly well-rested and wide-awake, but they were grim and quiet. The impending mission was having a serious effect on their spirits.
After a silent, frugal breakfast, the three young warriors led their horses out of the cave and mounted up. Khollo looked eastward, but could see nothing of their target.
“It won’t be far away,” he reminded the others. “Once the fortress is in sight, we hide the horses and advance on foot. Let me know the moment you see something.”
Sermas and Hern nodded. Khollo nudged Arle’s flank and the sturdy little horse broke into a trot.
They found the fortress right where Leon had said it would be, in a steep valley that was nearly invisible if one wasn’t looking for it. The lower slopes were heavily forested, and Khollo was able to find a hidden place to picket the horses with no trouble. When all three beasts were settled, Khollo turned to his two companions.
“Well, this is it,” he said. “Time to go and find the voice.”
“What do we do while you’re shooting vertaga off of the wall?” Hern asked.
“Watch my back,” Khollo replied. “It would be rather embarrassing to be ambushed and surrounded.”
“I would be more than embarrassed, I’d be downright despondent,” Sermas muttered.
Khollo snorted. “Anyway. Let’s go. Follow me.” He hefted his bow and knocked an arrow to the string. Sermas and Hern followed a pace behind, moving stealthily through
