Niki followed Kalina as though she was going to be prepared for cooking instead of the breakfast. Fredrik walked over to Arik and whispered, “We will have to play along until the right moment and breakfast will be welcome if we have to spend days on the trail trying to shake Garth. He can’t really do anything until all four of the graves are done, anyway, and you said he had completed only two.”
Kalina and Niki quickly had breakfast going with more of the strange, large eggs and slabs of bacon. The smell of the campfire and the cooking bacon lured Garth out of the woods and he came over and sat by Kalina. The four others huddled together on the other side of the fire and everyone ate in silence.
Finally, Garth put his empty plate down and looked across the campfire at the others. “Today is going to be an unusual day,” he began. “As you can see we are eating earlier than normal and there will be no practice sessions. Arik and Tedi, you two have a special task ahead of you. I need you two to finish digging some holes for me, very large holes.”
Tedi and Arik looked at each other with their mouths hanging open. “I am not feeling well today,” Tedi quickly blurted out.
“Perhaps it was something we ate or the effects of the magic last night, but I don’t feel really well, either,” Arik got out.
Garth looked at the two boys suspiciously as well as the almost concealed grins of the other two children. Something was going on with the four of them that he did not understand, but he would not allow it to get in the way of the plan he had for them this morning. “It is unfortunate that you two do not feel well,” he said slowly, “because it will make the digging appear worse than it really is, but make no mistakes, you two will finish the digging if it kills you.”
Niki leaped to her feet, spilling her plate and her second helping of food on the ground. Placing her hands on her hips, she glared at Garth and Kalina. Fredrik slowly rose and placed his hand on her shoulder, but this time it was in a show of support rather than a reprimand.
“Niki is right,” Fredrik stated clearly. “We both have powers that we would prefer not to use right now because of the Dark Riders, but we will if we have to and damn the consequences. You are not going to order Arik and Tedi to dig their own graves.”
Arik and Tedi also rose and placed their hands on the hilts of the swords they had managed to get on while doing their breakfast chores. Kalina stood with a smile on her lips, but Garth rose with a scowl on his face.
“They are not digging their own graves,” Garth said flatly, “they are digging yours. I have already finished theirs. If you children are quite finished with your mutiny, I will describe my plan.”
The scene around the campfire appeared frozen and nobody spoke. Niki, who would have already attacked by now, felt patience and reassurance from Fredrik’s hand on her shoulder. Arik and Tedi knew the minute they drew their swords, Garth would strike them down. They had been practicing two on one with Garth for several days now and they knew they were not even close to being ready to take him on.
“The Dark Riders will most certainly be here this morning,” Garth continued. “If any of you are seen, we will have to do battle and destroy them all. The graves that you speak of are holes for you to hide in. I have already cut strips of wood to hold canvas over the holes, so that the dirt piled on top of you will be very thin. You will be able to easily get out if something should happen to Kalina and myself. I have cut long reeds for you to breath through and the excavated dirt will be spread evenly over the ground just before I reposition the horses to ring the area. The Dark Riders will not give it a second glance.”
Fredrik and Niki looked stunned and the two boys from Lorgo sported deep red faces as they sat back down. Kalina went around and refilled the coffee mugs as Fredrik and Niki also sat back down.
“Niki cannot stand enclosed spaces,” Fredrik stated. “We will have to devise something else for her.”
Garth nodded thoughtfully and resumed his seated position. “Just as well,” he finally said. “We have already wasted too much time arguing about the two incomplete holes. I think I can arrange to strap the two of you up underneath the wagon so that you will not be noticed. The only danger is if they ask us to move the wagon. The strapping would hurt severely and perhaps even break if we had to move it over any distance. It will have to do, though, and we had better get to it.”
Arik was sent off to arrange a string line for the horses that would screen the two holes, while Garth slid under the wagon and began fastening leather straps that would hold Fredrik and Niki tight to the floor of the wagon. Kalina and Niki cleaned up the campsite and removed all traces of anything that might indicate that there were more than two people here. Tedi and Fredrik worked to spread the dirt that was extracted from the two holes.
Everything took around two hours and after the children were all secure, Garth collected his black stallion and the white mare and tied them gently to the side of the wagon. Less than half an hour later, three Dark Riders rode into the campsite and stared at Garth and Kalina who were sitting idly at the campfire.
“What brings gypsies this far inland?” asked one of the Dark Riders.
Garth looked up lazily from his cup of coffee. “Lack of people chooses our path,” Garth said. “If you wish a moment’s rest on your journey, you may have a cup of coffee before you depart.”
One of the Dark Riders dismounted and walked over to Garth while the other two let their eyes roam over every inch of the campsite. “I am called Klarg,” the Dark Rider announced as he sat by the fire and waited for Kalina to get him a cup of coffee. “Have you seen any people come by this way?”
“We are gypsies,” Garth stated. “We have not even seen you come by.”
Klarg did not smile at Garth’s remark, but seemed to be studying the man in black. “You are rather well armed for a gypsy. Do you not fear traveling alone?”
“The world is an unsettled arena,” Garth reflected. “We all know fear from time to time, but fear does nothing to change the facts. You travel this same land with only three of you and you are also well armed. This only shows that we both know that to travel this land in small numbers requires at least a show of strength.”
“I do not care for riddles, gypsy,” Klarg stated impatiently. “Where have you traveled from? Have you been near the coast?”
“We have been here for some time now,” Garth answered. “I have seen the coast before, but not on this trip. There are too many people along the coast and bandits congregate where people live.”
Klarg chewed his lip and stared back at his men. One of the Dark Riders nodded towards the woods at the far side of the clearing and Klarg’s eyes followed the direction indicated. Even from where he was, he could see the stand of horses once he knew where to look. Klarg rose and walked across the clearing to the horses. He stared at the string of horses and returned to the campfire.
“You have many horses, gypsy,” Klarg declared, “and unless my eyes grow weary, I recognize some of them as having belonged to associates of mine. How is this possible?”
“All things are possible,” Garth stated dryly. “We have been fortunate on this trip to run across horses roaming free. Some of them did, indeed, have saddles. Gypsies are known for taking what other people abandon. If your associates care to claim their horses and come to us, we will be glad to return their animals for the cost of caring for them. For that matter, we will gladly sell you the horses and you can deal with your associates as you like.”
Klarg snorted at the comment of the gypsies finding the horses. Gypsies were well known for stealing horses and reselling them to their previous owners. The occupation of horse thief suited this armed man more than traveling gypsy, but he would let Wolinda decide.
“You two will accompany me to our camp,” Klarg stated authoritatively. “We shall let others decide what to do with you.”
Klarg’s two men immediately became alert to the possible outbreak of trouble. Garth casually stood up and turned towards the two men.
“We will favor you with our company,” Kalina said, “but we will not be gone from our wagon for a great period of time. There may be bandits around and we do not give up our belongings easily. You will assure us that the questions will be asked quickly so that we may return in a short span of time.”
Klarg did not reply, but waited for the gypsies to mount up. “You will respond to Kalina,” Garth prompted, “or we will not travel with you. You have assurances to give.”
Klarg snorted, “You are assured.” Klarg silently laughed at the gypsies’ demand for assurance. Any fool who took the word of a Dark Rider was a fool indeed.
Garth and Kalina untied their horses from the side of the wagon and mounted them bareback. Klarg led the procession while his two men rode behind Garth and Kalina. Several moments after Fredrik heard the horses ride
