The Ruby Knight

Kalten said. ‘Speaking of which -’ He looked meaningfully towards the fire.
    ‘It’s your turn,’ Ulath told him.
    ‘What?’
    ‘It’s your turn to do the cooking.’
    ‘It surely can’t be my turn again already.’
    Ulath nodded. ‘I’ve been keeping track.’
    Kalten put on a pious expression. ‘Sparhawk’s probably right, though. We really should move on. We can have something to eat later.’
    They broke camp quietly and saddled their horses. Tynian came back from the edge of the woods where he had been keeping watch. ‘They’re breaking up into small parties,’ he reported. ‘I think they’re going to scour the countryside.’
    ‘We’ll want to keep to the woods then,’ Sparhawk said. ‘Let’s ride.’
    They moved cautiously, staying well back from the edge of the trees. Tynian rode out to the fringe of the forest from time to time to scout out the movements of the numb-faced men out in the open fields. ‘They seem to be ignoring these woods entirely,’ he said after one such foray.
    ‘They’re unable to think independently,’ Sephrenia explained.
    ‘No matter,’ Kalten said. ‘They’re between us and the lake. As long as they’re patrolling those fields out there, we can’t get through. We’re going to run out of woods eventually, and then we’ll be at a standstill.’
    ‘Just exactly which ones are patrolling this section?’ Sparhawk asked Tynian.
    ‘Church soldiers. They’re riding in groups.’
    ‘How many in each group?’
    ‘About a dozen.’
    ‘Are the groups staying in sight of each other?’
    ‘They’re spreading out more and more.’
    ‘Good.’ Sparhawk’s face was bleak. ‘Go keep an eye on them and let me know when they’re far enough apart so they can’t see each other.’
    ‘All right.’
    Sparhawk dismounted and tied Faran’s reins to a sapling.
    ‘What have you got in your mind, Sparhawk?’ Sephrenia asked suspiciously as Berit helped her and Flute down from her white palfrey.
    ‘We know that the Seeker was probably sent by Otha – which means Azash.’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘Azash knows that Bhelliom’s about to emerge again, right?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘The Seeker’s primary task is to kill us, but if it fails to do that, wouldn’t it settle for keeping us away from Lake Randera?’
    ‘Elene logic again,’ she said disgustedly. ‘You’re transparent, Sparhawk. I can see where you’re leading with this.’
    ‘Even though their minds are blank, the church soldiers would still be able to pass information to each other, wouldn’t they?’
    ‘Yes.’ She said it grudgingly.
    ‘Then we don’t have any choice in the matter. If any of them see us, we’ll have them all right behind us within an hour.’
    ‘I don’t quite follow,’ Talen said, looking puzzled.
    ‘He’s going to kill all the men in one of those patrols,’ Sephrenia said.
    ‘To the last man,’ Sparhawk said grimly, ‘and just as soon as the others are all out of sight.’
    ‘They can’t even run away, you know.’
    ‘Good. Then I won’t have to chase them.’
    ‘You’re plotting deliberate murder, Sparhawk.’
    ‘That’s not precisely accurate, Sephrenia. They’ll attack as soon as they see us. What we’ll be doing is defending ourselves.’
    ‘Sophistry,’ she snapped and stalked away muttering to herself.
    ‘I didn’t think she even knew what that word means,’ Kalten said.
    ‘Do you know how to use a lance?’ Sparhawk asked Ulath.
    ‘I’ve been trained with it,’ the Thalesian replied. ‘I much prefer my axe, though.’
    ‘With a lance you don’t have to get in quite so close. Let’s not take too many chances. We should be able to put a fair number of them down with our lances, and then we can finish up with our swords and axes.’
    ‘There are only five of us, you know,’ Kalten said, ‘- counting Berit.’
    ‘So?’
    ‘I just thought I’d mention it.’
    Sephrenia came back, her face pale. ‘Then you’re absolutely set on this?’ she demanded of Sparhawk.
    ‘We have to get to the lake. Can you think of any alternatives?’
    ‘No, as a matter of fact, I can’t.’ Her tone was sarcastic. ‘Your impeccable Elene logic has completely disarmed me.’
    ‘I’ve been meaning to ask you something, little mother,’ Kalten said, obviously trying to head off an argument by changing the subject. ‘Exactly what does this Seeker thing look like? It seems to go to a great deal of trouble to keep itself hidden.’
    ‘It’s hideous,’