The Ruby Knight

embraced him. ‘My brother,’ he said, ‘you are a true friend. It’s an honour to have met you.’
    ‘The honour is mine, Domi,’ Tynian said gravely.
    The Domi wiped his greasy fingers on his leather breeches. ‘Well, I suppose we should be on our way, friend Tynian,’ he said. ‘Slow riding earns no bounty.’ He paused. ‘Are you sure you don’t want to sell that boy?’
    ‘He’s the son of a friend of mine,’ Tynian said. ‘I wouldn’t mind getting rid of the boy, but the friendship’s valuable to me.’
    ‘I understand perfectly, friend Tynian.’ Kring bowed. ‘Commend me to God next time you talk with Him.’ He vaulted into his saddle from a standing start, and his horse was running before he was even settled.
    Ulath walked up to Tynian and gravely shook his hand. ‘You’re fast on your feet,’ he observed. ‘That was absolutely brilliant.’
    ‘It was a fair trade,’ Tynian said modestly. ‘We get the Zemochs off our backs, and Kring gets the ears. No bargain between friends is fair unless both sides get something they want.’
    ‘Very, very true,’ Ulath agreed. ‘I’ve never heard of selling ears before, though. Usually it’s heads.’
    ‘Ears are lighter,’ Tynian said professionally, ‘and they don’t stare at you every time you open your saddlebags.’
    ‘Would you gentlemen mind? ’ Sephrenia said tartly. ‘We have children with us, after all.’
    ‘Sorry, little mother,’ Ulath apologized easily. ‘Just talking shop.’
    She stalked back to the wagon, muttering. Sparhawk was fairly certain that some of the Styric words she was saying under her breath were never used in polite society.
    ‘Who were they?’ Bevier asked, looking at the warriors who were rapidly disappearing towards the south.
    ‘They’re of the Peloi,’ Tynian replied, ‘nomadic horse herders. They were the first Elenes in this region. The Kingdom of Pelosia is named after them.’
    ‘Are they as fierce as they look?’
    ‘Even fiercer. Their presence on the border was probably why Otha invaded Lamorkand instead of Pelosia. No one in his right mind attacks the Peloi.’
    They reached Lake Venne late the following day. It was a large, shallow body of water into which nearby peat-bogs continually drained, making the water turbid and brown-stained. Flute seemed strangely agitated as they made camp some distance back from the marshy lake-shore, and as soon as Sephrenia’s tent was erected, she darted inside and refused to come out.
    ‘What’s the matter with her?’ Sparhawk asked Sephrenia, absently rubbing the ring finger on his left hand. It seemed to be throbbing for some reason.
    ‘I really don’t know,’ Sephrenia frowned. ‘It’s almost as if she’s afraid of something.’
    After they had eaten and Sephrenia had carried Flute’s supper in to her, Sparhawk closely questioned each of his injured companions. They all claimed perfect health, a claim he was sure was spurious. ‘All right, then.’ He gave up finally. ‘We’ll go back to doing it the old way. You gentlemen can have your armour back, and we’ll try a canter tomorrow. No galloping; no running; and if we run into any trouble, try to hold back unless things get serious.’
    ‘He’s just like an old mother hen, isn’t he?’ Kalten observed to Tynian.
    ‘If he scratches up a worm, you get to eat it,’ Tynian replied.
    ‘Thanks all the same, Tynian,’ Kalten declined, ‘but I’ve already had my supper.’
    Sparhawk went to bed.
    It was about midnight, and the moon was very bright outside the tent. Sparhawk sat bolt upright in his blankets, jolted awake by a hideous, roaring bellow.
    ‘Sparhawk!’ Ulath said sharply from outside the tent. ‘Rouse the others! Fast!’
    Sparhawk shook Kalten awake and pulled on his mail-shirt. He grabbed up his sword and ducked out of the tent. He looked around quickly and saw that the others needed no rousing. They were already struggling into their mail and were taking up weapons. Ulath stood at the edge of camp, his round shield in place and his axe in his hand. He was looking off intently into the darkness.
    Sparhawk joined him. ‘What is it?’ he asked quietly. ‘What makes a noise like that?’
    ‘Troll,’ Ulath replied shortly.
    ‘Here? In Pelosia? Ulath, that’s impossible. There aren’t any Trolls in Pelosia.’
    ‘Why don’t you go out there and explain that to him? ’
    ‘Are you absolutely sure it’s a Troll?’
    ‘I’ve heard that sound too many