She turned and started to carry the pallet to the door leading in the back of the inn then came to a stop when she saw him standing there. A smile was on her face as she met his gaze.
Chad grabbed Riyan by the arm. “Come on,” he said. Riyan nodded to her and then allowed Chad to lead him to the doorway. Before they passed through the doorway, the girl’s merry tune had resumed.
Outside, the mood of the locals was upbeat. Though the captured Raider had escaped, Marl Crest had survived the encounter. Too often in the past, the aftermath of a Raider attack had been a cause for grief and rebuilding.
“Sorry about the loss of your horses,” one man said as they crossed the courtyard to the stable. He was a farmer by the looks of him, despite the bow and quiver of arrows slung across his back.
“We’ll manage,” Bart said.
“Might get them back if we have the fortune to run into the thieving swine,” Chyfe said. “That and a little of their hide for our trouble.”
“Good luck,” the farmer said.
Chyfe nodded and then they were in the stable. Two other locals were there and they too offered their condolences on the ‘loss’ of their horses.
With three horses gone, they were forced to ride double. Chad rode behind Riyan, Chyfe and Bart rode another, as did the twins. Kevik was more than happy to not have to share his horse with anyone.
Once they were mounted, they left the stable. The old soldier was off to the side talking with several of the other locals. When they emerged, the talking ceased and the group watched them silently as they made their way from the inn’s courtyard.
Riyan was quite glad when they returned to the road and left the stares of the locals behind. Most he was sure didn’t believe they had a hand in the escape. But some like the old soldier, had their doubts.
They rode south out of Marl Crest for three miles before finding the farmhouse with the broken chimney where Haran had said he would stash their horses. Bart had been reluctant about this part of the plan, he hadn’t wanted to trust the Raider with their horses.
When they originally came up with this plan, he had argued against leaving the horses with someone they didn’t know. But Chyfe had insisted that it was the only way for them to avoid suspicion. So, they had left it to Seth and Soth’s judgment. If they felt they could trust him, so be it. And they had.
“They’ll be there,” Seth assured them. “He seemed an honorable sort.”
Bart just glared at him as they turned off the road toward the farmhouse. He fully expected for the horses not to be there.
As they moved toward the farmhouse, the unmistakable sound of a horse’s snort was heard coming from within. When they entered through the front door, they found the farmhouse was just a shell of its former self. The back wall was gone as was most of the roof. Tied to a fallen support beam were their three horses.
“I told you he would leave them,” Seth said as he dismounted.
“So they are,” replied Bart.
“Thought he would be here,” commented Soth as he dismounted to claim one of the horses.
“This was where he must have stashed his horse last night before coming to Marl Crest,” stated Chyfe.
“You think so?” asked Chad.
Chyfe nodded and pointed over to the other side of the farmhouse where a pile of semi fresh horse dung lay. It was in a place where their three horses could not have left it.
The rest who were riding double dismounted and reclaimed their horses. Once they were all in the saddle again, they left the farmhouse and resumed their trek south to Hylith.
Chapter Eleven
The plains south of Marl Crest were barren for the most part. In the summer, this area would have tall grass blowing in the wind. But now there were only stunted remains.
Seth and Soth rode in the fore now that the likelihood of encountering Raiders was greater. It was their hope that since they looked like Tribesmen, it may give them an edge should they be encountered. For their part, the twins were quite glad to be leading for a change.
Throughout the morning, the road remained deserted. They continuously kept vigilant for signs of riders in the distance, but so far their luck held good. Above them, the sky was crystal blue. Far to the south was another matter as dark clouds filled the sky.
“Not much to this area,” commented Riyan from where he and Bart rode behind the twins.
“Wouldn’t expect there to be,” replied Bart. “If this area is truly disputed by both sides, then life here could be hazardous.”
“I suppose,” agreed Riyan.
Shortly before noon, the outline of a small cluster of buildings appeared out of the horizon before them. Several buildings stood on the west side of the road, none of which were of any size. Looked more like a cluster of huts than anything else.
As they drew closer, it quickly became apparent that the buildings had long been deserted. Doors were off their hinges, one of the buildings had long ago been gutted by a fire.
“Think they were killed in a Raider attack?” asked Chad.
Riyan glanced over his shoulder at his friend and shrugged. “Maybe,” he said.
Coming abreast of the buildings, a small animal akin to a kidog bolted from one of the buildings and raced off into the plains.
“Should we stop?” asked Seth.
Bart shook his head. “No reason to,” he replied.
Seth nodded and continued on. They soon left the deserted buildings behind.
Those weren’t the last of such buildings lining the road they encountered as they traveled. A couple miles further on they passed by a farmstead set off the road. It too had the look of being abandoned. Then there was nothing for an hour. Now with the sun halfway through its descent to the horizon, more buildings appeared ahead of them. This time however, they could see smoke rising from one of the chimneys.
“Someone’s home,” Soth stated.
“So it would seem,” agreed Riyan.
Shortly after the buildings had come into view, the smoke coming from the chimney stopped. The building from which the smoke had risen was a single story dwelling, set among half a score of similar structures. It and the other buildings had the look of being abandoned. There was no sign of life.
“That’s odd,” commented Bart as they approached the cluster of buildings.
“What’s odd?” asked Riyan.
“Smoke from a chimney usually means people,” he explained. “Yet this place looks just as abandoned as the one we passed through earlier.” He continued gazing at the building from which the smoke had come as they rode past the buildings. Then, just as they came abreast of the one smoke had risen from, he saw an eye peering out from the corner of a window.
“Hello!” he cried as he came to a stop. Immediately, the eye vanished. “Someone’s in there,” he said.
Riyan turned to look. A moment later, the eye reappeared. “Suspicious sort,” he stated.
“I would be too if I lived here,” said Chyfe. Chad nodded in agreement.
“None of our business,” Bart told the others. Then with the eye staring at them, they continued on their way.
When the cluster of buildings had disappeared behind them, Riyan said, “You know, maybe that first place we went through hadn’t of been as deserted as we thought.”
Bart nodded. “I was thinking the same thing,” he said. “In a place prone to raids, and possibly even banditry, such caution could well mean the difference between life and death.”
“But why would anyone stay in such a place?” asked Soth.
“It’s hard to leave your home,” Bart explained. “Even in such a forlorn place as this.”
“True,” agreed Chyfe. “The unknown is always more terrifying than whatever you are currently dealing with.”