Atreus grabbed the dust cover and fed it over the rearmost canopy brace, draping it down to prevent Naraka's riders from hurling their lances into the wagon. He cut a tiny square out of one corner so he could see, then had Yago pick up the heaviest carpet in the cargo bed. By the time they finished, Naraka and his leading riders were only a few paces away, with the rest of the patrol hard on their heels.
Naraka barked an order, and the riders in front grasped their lances like spears. Watching through his viewing hole, Atreus realized that the Edenvale Mar were not quite as foolish as Rishi made them sound. Naraka rode up beside the wagon and reached out to jerk down the improvised curtain.
'Now, Yago!' Atreus shouted.
Yago shoved the carpet out under the dust cover, giving it a sideways spin so that it turned across the road. The six closest riders barely had time to curse before the heavy roll caught their mounts across the front legs. The ponies went down in a screeching mass, filling the air with a cacophony of panicked whinnies and clanging equipment An instant later, the second rank of riders crashed into the mess and tumbled over their fallen comrades, stretching the mayhem another dozen paces up the road. The men at the end of the column avoided the snarl of legs and lances by swerving into the willows, then returned to the road with their weapons ready to hurl.
Yago grabbed a second carpet roll. Naraka's hand grabbed the edge of the dust cover.
'Duck!' Atreus yelled.
The wagon swerved as Rishi obeyed. Naraka jerked the curtain down, and the riders launched their lances. Atreus hunched down behind the wagon's tailgate and heard three quick thuds and a wet thwack as one of the missiles sank into Yago's shoulder. The remaining lances hissed through the length of the cargo bed to clatter off the driver's bench.
'Not to complain, but are you doing anything back there?' Rishi demanded.
Yago shoved the carpet onto the road. The roll caught two of the galloping ponies across the breast and slid down to their legs. The beasts and their riders went screeching and tumbling in four different directions, tripping three more ponies and leaving only one of Naraka's men in pursuit.
'Here!' Yago plucked the lance out of his shoulder and passed it over.
Atreus wasted no time hurling it at the rider's chest. The man threw himself out his saddle and barely escaped being impaled. Naraka himself came swinging around the corner of the cargo canopy, sword blade flashing. Atreus caught the assault at the wrist almost casually, grabbed his attacker by the throat, and jerked him into the wagon.
Naraka landed on his back beside Yago, his sword arm pinned to the floor. He brought a knee up and slammed it into Atreus's side, then tried to jerk his weapon free. Atreus merely grunted, having suffered a thousand blows far more powerful at the hands of his ogre siblings. He began to squeeze Naraka's throat.
'I'll have the sword whether you release it or not,' Atreus warned. 'The only thing you control is whether or not I crush your windpipe to get it.'
For the first time, Naraka really seemed to look at Atreus's bloody face. His eyes grew as round as coins, and his lips trembled and glistened with sweat. Yago sat up and ripped the cloak off Naraka's shoulders, using it to start bandaging his wound. The patrol leader released his sword and began to babble wildly in Maran.
Rishi laughed. 'He is calling upon the Old Gods to accept his death on the queen's behalf and smite down Ysdar's devil.'
Atreus's heart filled with dismay. The reaction was little different than the one his appearance usually evoked. An ugly face could not be human. He tossed Naraka's sword to the other side of the cart, then released the Mar.
'I am no monster,' he said. 'Leave me alone, and you have nothing to fear.'
Naraka swallowed and glanced nervously away, then found himself staring into Yago's purple eyes. He screamed and reached for his belt dagger. Atreus slapped the hand down, gently removed the knife, and tossed it over beside the sword. Naraka spit in his face and cursed him in Maran.
'Oh, now you are in trouble,' chuckled Rishi. He was alternating between steering the wagon and glancing back over his shoulder. 'That stupid Mar thinks you will not kill him because you fear the vengeance of the Old Gods. It would be wise to prove him wrong.'
'I won't kill him in cold blood.' Atreus glared at Naraka.
'I mean no harm to you or your queen, so I have nothing to fear from your gods. Do you understand?'
Naraka's face remained wild with fear, and his eyes began to search the wagon for a weapon.
Atreus looked to Rishi. 'Does he understand?'
'Who can tell?' Rishi shrugged. 'He is mad with fear. If you do not wish to kill him, then at least let Yago break an arm or a leg. Otherwise he will hound us all the way to Langdarma.'
'Rishi, enough!' Atreus looked back to his prisoner and spoke in a calm voice. 'I know you understand me. I mean no harm to you or Queen Rosalind.'
'Lying devil!' Naraka hissed. 'You have done much harm already! You have killed the queen's Wu-jen!'
'It was not my intent, nor was it my fault,' Atreus replied. 'Had Queen Rosalind shown me the courtesy she would have shown any handsome man, there would never have been trouble between us.'
Atreus glanced back and saw Naraka's warriors beginning to mount and draw swords. Reluctant as they had been to attack earlier, they were not about to abandon their leader to Ysdar's devil. Atreus swung his prisoner to the rear of the wagon.
'Leave me alone, and there will be no more trouble between us. Tell your queen that.'
With that, he hefted Naraka over the tailgate and dropped him to the road. Naraka rolled once, then came up screaming in Maran. Rishi slapped the reins, shaking his head. 'Oh, my, what a curse!' he said. 'The good sir is certainly going to wish he had broken something on that stupid Mar…'
CHAPTER 6
They pulled the wagon down into the willows, into two feet of cold, clear water, and when Atreus jumped in, his legs went instantly numb. He took Naraka's sword and the hastily loaded rucksack from Yago, then waded forward to where Rishi was freeing the yaks from their harnesses.
'I d-don't think this will w-work,' Atreus chattered. 'We'll f-freeze to death.'
'The good s-sir may have f-faith in his servant.' Rishi's hands were shaking so badly he could barely work. 'It is our p-pursuers who will freeze, not us. We have yaks.'
A loud splash sounded from the rear of the wagon, then Yago said, 'Ch-chilly!'
The ogre stooped down and began to bathe his wounded shoulder in the cold water, moving his arm back and forth to work the stiffness out.
'What about Yago?' Atreus kept his voice low. 'He's too big for a yak.'
'He will find plenty to eat in the swamp. That will keep him warm.' Rishi motioned for the rucksack. 'The only other choice is to confront our pursuers, and then there will certainly be much killing, which I know the good sir finds so distasteful.'
Seeing that the Mar was right, Atreus hoisted the rucksack onto a yak's back. Rishi slipped a rope through the shoulder straps and pulled it toward the beast's withers, then frowned and hefted its weight.
'My goodness, this is light,' Rishi remarked. 'What does it contain?'
'Our bedrolls and extra cloaks, the last of our food, the cooking pot and water-skins-'
'And what of your treasure coffer?' Rishi broke in.
'My treasure coffer? Even if we had a way to carry it, we don't have time-'
'If you don't bring the coffer, how can you pay me?' demanded Rishi. 'You have your own reasons for seeking Langdarma. I am doing it for the gold.'
'But Naraka's patrol is-'
'Had the good sir listened to his guide and killed Naraka, the patrol would undoubtedly have turned back by now,' Rishi said as he stepped away from the yak. He stood with arms folded, leaving the rucksack to hang half secured. 'You may spare your enemies if you wish, but your kindness will not cost me my fortune.'
Atreus sighed and glanced through the willows back toward the road. When he saw no sign of Naraka's
