The Shadow Roads

Nine

Lord Kel Renne rode along the crest of a low hill, gazingout over the Isle of Battle, the shimmering curve of the canal in the distanceand smoke from the pyre where they had burned the fallen still hazing the view.

Tuwar Estenford sat upon his horse near at hand, and he toostared out over the canal and to the lands beyond. “There is an army there, mylord,” he said firmly. The old man shifted in his saddle, trying to relieve thepain in a leg that had been gone now many decades. Ghost pain, he calledit, in his ghost limb.

Kel saw the old warrior wince.

“Yes, but what will Innes do with that army? That is what Iwonder?”

“It is what he is wondering as well,” Estenford said. “He isnot a smart man. He would not have considered the possibility of losing theIsle. Contingency plans would not have been in place. Now he would like to findsomething that will allow him to save face. Some small thing, for he has not alarge enough force to cross the Wynnd-not yet. But if he could manage somesmall deed here-kill a few of our men on patrol, or cross the canal in oneplace and take a few hostages. That is what we must be on guard for.”

“Lord Kel?” One of his lieutenants motioned to the grassy,southern hillside. A rider was galloping up the slope, his horse in a lather.

“A messenger from the Duke of Vast.”

“So I see,” Kel turned away from the view out over thecanal, taking one last look, as though he might catch a glimpse of an armyhiding in the wood.

The rider, hardly more than a boy, was himself out of breathwhen he arrived on the hilltop. His mount heaved beneath him like a bellows.The boy, blue-eyed and lightly bearded, banged a hand to his chest in salute. “Icome from the Duke of Vast with a message for Lord Kel Renne,” he said, ratherneedlessly, Kel thought.

“Yes, yes. Let me see it.”

Estenford intercepted the letter, keeping himself and hishorse between Kel and the messenger. Kel could see by the tenseness in the oldman’s carriage that he was ready to kill this young messenger in an instant ifneed be. The assassination of Kel Renne would do quite nicely as a face-savingact for the Prince of Innes, and Tuwar would give his life before he would letthat happen.

Kel rode a few paces off with Tuwar in tow and broke the letter’sseal. Inside he found a sheaf of papers, the first written in Vast’s nearlyillegible hand.

My Lord Kel:

A company of my men-at-arms apprehended Lord Carl A’denneattempting to cross the canal to the Isle. This in itself should, of course,cause no alarm, but my men observed Lord Carl try to rid himself of somepapers as he was found. These were fished from the canal at some risk. Whenbrought to my attention I quickly perceived they were documents copied from mypersonal correspondence, some of which was of a sensitive nature regarding ourpreparations for war with the Prince of Innes. It seems that young Carl wasplaying us for fools, and was, all along, a loyal ally of Innes. I confrontedhim with these papers, which I have included with this message for yourperusal, and I must say, his answer was less than satisfactory. I deemed itwise to keep him secure until I could consult with you, but to my shame, he hasescaped. I’m sure he will try to make his way over the canal again, so all ofyour troops should be alerted to this. I have men out searching for him now.With luck I will have him again before this letter reaches you.

Your servant, Vast

Folded in with the letter Kel found some sheets of paper,wrinkled, and water-stained. They were all in the same hand and were copies ofletters from various Renne to the Duke of Vast and from Vast to Toren and LadyBeatrice. Kel leafed through them, skimming over the contents, finding littleof real import. Still, they had been copied by Carl A’denne, and there could beno other explanation for this than that he was a spy for Innes, pretending hehad changed sides-he and his father. Kel felt a little twinge of disappointment.

“What is it, sir?” Tuwar asked.

Kel handed him the bundle of letters without explanation.The old soldier read through them slowly. After a moment, he looked up, eyeswrinkled to slits. “This is the same boy who saved your life?”

“The very one.”

Tuwar glanced down at the letters again. “I find this veryodd. Certainly there was nothing to be gained by keeping you alive.”

“So one would think. Tell me, Tuwar, why would Carl A’dennebe in possession of letters he had copied from Vast as he crossed back overinto our territory? That seems a rather foolish thing for such a clever youngman to do.”

“It does, sir, but I have seen wiser men make worseblunders.”

“I suppose.”

“I’ll alert the men to be on the look out for Carl A’denne.”Tuwar turned and gestured for one of his escorts.

“Tuwar …” Kel said.

“Sir?”

“If you find him,” Kel said so that no others might hear, “besure he is brought to me unharmed, if at all possible.”

Tuwar regarded his young commander a moment, his head tiltedto one side, but he asked no questions. “As you say, Lord Kel.”