Free The Orphan King by Sigmund Brouwer Page B

wonder how someone in garb barely better than suits a peasant managed to secure the gold. He’d have asked plenty of questions after that. If not to you, then to all he meets. And among them would be those who would decide you were a nice fat goose that needed plucking. And in defending ourselves from them, again, we’d draw attention to ourselves. Is attention what you want?”
    Thomas shook his head.
    “Even if the farrier was discreet and said nothing about a youngman carrying enough gold to buy two horses and still have a full pouch of coin left over, you need to take into consideration how much more attention you would draw riding a horse through the countryside. Word would travel far faster than any horse, I promise. Might as well leave a trail of crumbs for anyone searching for us to follow.”
    “Enough,” Thomas said.
    “Enough? Hardly. Now imagine the reaction to those at the entrance to Magnus. Men approaching on horseback? Those are the kind of men with enough money and power to be a threat. No, lad, you want to appear weak. The more you are underestimated, the better it will suit you in battle.”
    “I meant enough said because I was wrong and you were right. You’d made your point. No sense beating me further.”
    “It felt like a beating, did it?” William said. He grinned. “Good. I meant it as one.”

I ’m glad for a warm summer evening,” William said, sitting on the trunk of a fallen tree.
    The group had traveled until the approach of dusk, then stopped on a hillside to eat cold duck and cheese and bread. Darkness was nearly upon them.
    “You have a reason for saying that,” Thomas told him. He sat farther down, not on top of the trunk of the fallen tree but leaning against it. “You always have a reason for everything, don’t you? And I’m guessing you are pointing out how pleasant it is because you’re about to tell us we’ll not build a fire. Best not to attract attention.”
    “Now that you mention it, there was a reason I insisted on the purchase of blankets,” William said.
    “Always a reason.” Thomas had not departed from the town with the magnificent horses of his dreams but a few knapsacks of sensible provisions. “And the reason for rope?”
    “Rope is something a man can always use. That’s enough reason.”
    The mute-and-deaf girl, who lay on her side on the ground, stared at the stars, oblivious as always to their conversation.
    “No fire?” John said. He perched beside William on the trunk and gave a theatrical shiver. “What’s going to keep away wolves and such?”
    “The heart of a brave man,” William said, patting him on theshoulder. “And that brave man is Thomas. He’ll stand guard half the night. I’m not near as brave, but I’ll stand guard the other half.”
    “No,” John said. “I’ll take half myself. If three of us each take half the night, it’s a burden easy to share.”
    “But if you add three halves,” Thomas began, “the total is—”
    William cut Thomas off. “The boy is right. Half the night for you as sentry. Half for me. And half for him.”
    John puffed out his chest, proud to be included. “And when I see a wolf, I’ll yell so loud it will run. And if it doesn’t, William has a sword and he’ll wake up in time. Right?”
    “Of course.”
    “But how many nights will it be like this?” John asked. “We can’t expect every night to be warm. If it rains, we’ll want a fire.”
    “A couple more nights,” William said. “Then we’ll reach Magnus.”
    “Magnus!” The mute-and-deaf girl whirled toward them. “Magnus!”
    John fell backward off the trunk, scrambled to his knees, and peered over the fallen tree. “She speaks.”
    “Indeed,” William said. “She does.”
    “She never told us she couldn’t speak,” Thomas said, happy for the chance to defend the enchanting woman who’d walked beside them their entire first day together in silence.
    “Of course not,” John said. “If a person says they