UNGLOVED

Chapter Thirteen Part Two - A Dangerous Path

After the second hour had passed, the road began to look more used and less wild. The brush at the sides had almost disappeared. Finally, Ergin pointed ahead and they left the path to head out into an open field.

"This is where it gets dangerous. You should cover your head so your hair doesn't shine in the light."

They marched through the field, lifting their knees as they went, for the grass grew taller here. Rocks and boulders dotted the landscape. As the rocks became more frequent, Liriel realized she knew this land. They must be near where she had been during her last trip. Ergin pause by large boulder and bent to Liriel's ear.

"Time for us to be very quiet. We're getting near. Be ready to reveal yourself the moment you see him. Otherwise, try to stay out of site."

They crept along, pausing behind rocks and boulders as they went. As far as she could tell, they were heading west by north, towards the border where the bridge should be.

Ergin stiffened and held out an arm to stop her from going further. His placed a finger on his lips. Liriel nodded. She waited, straining to see what was ahead. A shadow crossed the field ahead in the distance. After a moment, another passed, heading in the same direction.

They waited, watching as even more shadows passed. After the last one, Ergin held her back as he waited. Finally, his body relaxed and he grabber her sleeve and pulled her forward.

They scurried forward, hunching over to avoid notice. When they reached the spot where the shadows had been, Ergin located a boulder and tucked in behind it. Liriel squinted to see if she could locate the Castillonians who were clearly in the area.

A snick of wood on wood caught Liriel's attention. She turned to find a green clad woman aiming an arrow right at her. As all of her focus had been centered on the area before her, she forgot to think about what was happening behind her.

Three other archers appeared in short order, each one aiming, alternating between Liriel and Ergin. Ergin turned and raised his hands, the white linen cloth fluttering in the breeze.

The faces of the Castillonians were grave. The woman tossed back her curly auburn hair and signalled to the others to hold off. While they remained active with their bows aimed at her, their posture seemed to be more easy.

"Explain your presence." The woman spoke the common tongue with a heavy accent, rolling r's on the tip of her tongue. It wasn't so different from the way Lorenzo spoke.

Ergin moved to face her. "We seek audience with Lorenzo Calimero." His own common was smooth and crisp. Liriel was surprised he knew the language. It was hardly a necessity for the average Hilliri to know.

Liriel stood up to her full height, slight as it was, and made sure her condition was clearly visible. The woman glanced and took note. She turned to one of her companions.

"Get Lorenzo, quickly." The man nodded and left, fading into the shadows. The others snapped to attention and refocused on their aim. Liriel had expected they would be tense upon finding Hilliri wandering in their area. After all, it was their job to keep the Hilliri out of Castillon at all costs.

Another man approached from the dark. He was almost as tall as Lorenzo, and his hair, though following a similar fashion, was more dark brown than black. As she observed him, she realized there were similarities between the two, and wondered if he was a kinsman.

"What's going on here, Renata? Who are these people?"

"Ghosts, as you can see. The woman is pregnant, nearly ready to birth."

"How the blazes did ghosts get through our defence line? Someone must have been sleeping at their post." The man frowned, and again, Liriel saw the resemblance.