The Crown of blood

II

Anglhan was groggy as the party set off down the valley midway through the following morning. He had spent a restless night, mind abuzz with possibilities. Aroisius had offered no clue as to where they were going or why, but Anglhan felt it in his waters that they were meeting the rebels' Askhan sponsor.

There were eight of them in the group: Anglhan; Aroisius; Barias; two other chieftains called Gedderik and Stal; a pair of hillmen guides, Dulkan and Gerril; plus the red-headed Reifan. The snows had lightened but the sky was filled with clouds that hung low across the mountains. Anglhan was soon out of breath keeping up with the hillmen's brisk pace along a narrow goat trail that meandered down the dawnwards slopes towards Ersua. By the time they called a break mid-afternoon, the landship captain's feet were sore, his back and legs ached and he was sure he was developing a fever.

They pressed on relentlessly as the snow thickened again towards evening, eventually making a rough camp in a stand of pines. After the wind and snow, the peace within the trees leant the place an air of sanctuary. Anglhan flopped down into the carpet of needles covering the ground, and rested his head on his travel sack. Within moments he was asleep.