Free Slavers of the Savage Catacombs by Jon F. Merz Page B

nearby, and big cauldrons of soup were being prepared. Ran’s mouth watered at the scent, and then he saw the cook slicing up a great side of beef into thin slices that he paired with cooked potatoes and bread. The cook looked up as Ran entered.
    “It’s not ready yet.”
    “Smells incredible,” said Ran. “Not exactly what I’d expect on a caravan like this.”
    The cook smirked. “The master likes to eat, in case you hadn’t noticed. He demands the best even on his journeys, so it falls to me to make sure that the entire company eats well. Yasseh says that when men are well fed, they are better able to handle the challenges of an overland crossing like this.”
    “I like that philosophy,” said Ran. “A good meal can do wonders.”
    “You’re the new one that Yasseh hired after you beat Gunj, right?”
    Ran glanced around. He didn’t like the fact that the cook had phrased it quite that way. He felt certain that Gunj wouldn’t like that sort of talk. He shushed the cook and nodded. “I was hired after Gunj put me through that test.”
    The cook smiled again. “That’s not how we heard it. Some of the people who saw it said you took care of him handily. That’s no easy feat. Gunj is reputed to be one of the best fighters in Igul. How’d you manage to take him down?”
    “I didn’t really take him down,” said Ran. “We were going at it, and then he simply stopped and told Yasseh that I had some measure of skill in fighting. That’s all there was to it. It wasn’t some incredible beating one way or the other. Just two warriors going at it. He underestimated me, probably because I look so young.”
    “Call it whatever you want,” said the cook. “It’s impressive just the same.” He gestured to the beef. “I can get you a serving of this right now if you’d like.”
    “Before anyone else?”
    The cook shrugged. “You’re here, they’re not. Besides, it’s the least I can do. I’ve got no love for Gunj, and anyone who can hold their own against him is well-deserving of a good meal in my book. Besides, once you get done eating you can let the other guards come and eat.”
    “Fair enough,” said Ran. He grabbed a plate and watched as the cook began shoveling potatoes onto it. A thick slab of beef followed, and Ran took a container of the piping-hot soup as well. “Thank you for this.”
    “Enjoy,” said the cook. He went back to preparing the meal, and Ran turned to leave the tent. As he approached the flap, he sensed someone just beyond it.
    Gunj.
    As Ran let the flap fall back into place, the smaller man eyed him with a grin. “There’s a lot more to you than meets the eye, isn’t there, Ran?”
    Ran held his gaze. “I suppose the same could be said for you.”
    Gunj nodded. “I respect the fact that you didn’t let the cook hold on to his version of our match the other day.”
    “It was the right thing to do.”
    “And yet a lot of these people wouldn’t have corrected him. They would have basked in the glow of his praise. Not you, though.”
    “The truth speaks for itself. You did think I was inexperienced and I used that to my advantage. I doubt I could ever land that kick on you again.”
    Gunj eyed him for another moment and then nodded once more before passing into the cook tent. Ran stood there a second longer and then left to eat, unsure of how to take the exchange that had just happened.

C HAPTER N INE
    Ran felt full and content as he settled in for his first shift of sentry duty. He’d already relieved Kuva and sent the burly warrior to get some sleep. As Ran shifted in the deep shadows on the hill overlooking the caravan’s camp, he felt a cool breeze wash over him, and he shivered in the night. He looked away from the camp and off into the wilderness that extended in all directions. Fortunately, Yasseh had picked an excellent spot to make camp. There were meadows on all sides for at least half a mile. The hill Ran stood on gave him a perfect vantage point, and