Luck in the Shadows

Finishing hastily, he followed Seregil and Micum out to the street where their mounts and small baggage train stood ready under Runcer's watchful eye.
    They'd dressed as gentlemen to be seen leaving the city, and the groom had saddled Cynril and Windrunner, but Patch and Scrub were ready among the pack horses.
    It was a brisk, fine day for riding, and they arrived at the byway leading up to Watermead just after midday.
    Crossing the bridge, Alec and Seregil dismounted and ducked into a thicket to change clothes. From here they would travel as merchants.
    "You're heading for the Pony tonight?" asked Micum as they emerged again.
    Seregil glanced up at the sun. "We should be able to make it if we push on."
    "Say hello to Kari and the girls for me," said Alec. Looking up the valley, he saw a pale ribbon of smoke rising from the kitchen chimney at Watermead and imagined the warm scents of hot bread, roasting meats, and drying herbs there.
    Changing mounts, Seregil roped the Aurлnen horses in with the pack animals.
    "Expect us when you see us," he told Micum, handing him the lead rein.
    "Good hunting to you," said Micum, clasping hands with them both. "And take care on those damned goat paths they call streets up there in Cirna. One wrong step and it's ass over tippet into the bay before you know what happened!"
    Riding back across the little bridge, they turned their horses north and set off along the highroad again at a gallop.
    The rolling hills soon gave way to steeper country. Jagged cliffs fell away to the sea on their left, and they could see the dark expanse of the Osiat stretching out past the coastal islands to the horizon.
    They reined in at last to rest the horses. Pushing back the hood of his cloak, Seregil let out a happy whoop. "By the Four, it's good to be free of Wheel Street again!"
    "You, too?" Alec turned to him in surprise.
    "I can scarcely breathe there anymore!" exclaimed Seregil, shaking his head. "I hate to admit it, but I've felt pretty trapped there these past few years. It's a disguise that's taken on a life of its own. Once you've seen how far it all goes, you'll understand."
    "Is that why you never told me about it?" Alec asked. The residual mood left by the nightmare, together with some lingering irritation over his first introduction to the place, lent an unexpectedly sharp edge to the words.
    Seregil glanced over at him in surprise. "What do you mean?"
    "I mean all those weeks we were in the city and you never once mentioned it. Not until you could spring it on me as another of your little tests."
    "Don't tell me you're still mad about that?"
    "I guess I am," muttered Alec. "You do it all the time, you know—not telling me things."
    "Illior's Fingers, Alec, all I've done for the last two months is tell you things. I don't think I've ever talked so much in my life! What haven't I been telling you?"
    "About Wheel Street, to begin with," Alec shot back. "Having me break in like a thief and then throwing me into the middle of that party—"
    "But I explained all that! You're not going to tell me now you weren't proud of yourself once the shock wore off?"
    "It's not that." Alec struggled to put his warring emotions into words. At last he blurted out, "I'd just like to have had some say in the matter. Now that I think of it, I haven't had much of a say in anything since we met. After all we've been through? Bilairy's Guts, Seregil, I saved your life!"
    Seregil opened his mouth as if to answer, then silently nudged Scrub into a walk.
    Alec followed, still angry but aghast at his outburst. Why was it that strong emotions always seemed to take him by surprise?
    "I suppose you're justified in thinking that," Seregil said at last.
    "Seregil, I—"
    "No, it's all right. Don't apologize for speaking the truth." Staring down at Scrub's neck, Seregil let out an exasperated sigh.
    "It was different when we first met. You were just someone who needed help and might prove momentarily useful. It wasn't until after Wolde that I was sure about bringing you south with me."
    "After Wolde!" Alec turned to face him, anger rising again. "You lied to me? All that talk out there on the Downs of Skala, and me being a bard?"
    Seregil shrugged, still not looking up. "I don't know, I guess so. I mean, it sounded good to me at the time, too. But I didn't really know how suitable you were until that burglary in Wolde."
    "What would you have done if I wasn't "suitable"?"
    "Left you somewhere safe with money in your pocket,