Free Broken World Book Four - The Staff of Law by T C Southwell

on the wind. “Why are you leaving the
city?”
    Prince
Orland’s voice rang with authority. “I’m escorting my cousins back
to their father in Jarima, not that it’s any business of yours, now
get out of my way.”
    “ Where are the thieves who stole my queen’s Stone of Good
Fortune?”
    “ Still in the city.”
    “ We demand that they be given to us.”
    Orland
snorted. “We’re not giving you anything. If you want them, go and
get them.”
    “ I could take you hostage, then your king would be forced to
give them to us.”
    Talsy cast
Kieran a worried glance. They had not considered that possibility.
He ignored her, listening to Orland’s scornful reply.
    “ I’d like to see you try. You may have noticed that you’re
badly outnumbered.”
    “ A simple matter,” the officer sneered. “If I call the black
army, your defeat and capture is assured.”
    Orland
shrugged. “Call them. By the time they get here you’ll all be dead,
and they know the Mujar is still in the city. They’re not
interested in me or my cousins.”
    “ As a hostage, you’d be very useful.”
    “ My father won’t be blackmailed. If these thieves are hiding in
the city, we don’t know where they are, but nor will he allow you
to dictate terms to him. All you’ll do is start a war your queen
will regret very much. Now, I’d advise you to get out of my way,
before I have my men remove you.”
    The officer
glanced past the Prince at the long column of men behind him. “You
need a whole battalion to escort your cousins?”
    “ It’s a dangerous world these days.”
    The man
hesitated a little longer, then urged his horse closer to the
Prince. “We’ll inspect your wagons, just in case you have stowaways
aboard. You wouldn’t want that, would you?”
    Orland
shrugged. “Certainly not. Inspect all you want, but don’t damage
our supplies.”
    The men
converged on the wagons, leaving the manhorses to block the road.
Orland signalled to the drovers, who set their brakes and untied
the tarpaulins that covered their loads, pulling them aside. The
officer who had confronted Orland rode past Talsy, Kieran and the
Aggapae, his eyes raking them. Talsy raised her chin and glared at
him, Kieran ignored him. As befitted a king’s cousins, she wore a
gold-trimmed green velvet dress and Kieran a smart outfit of royal
blue edged with silver. The officer studied them and passed on,
following his men to the wagons. They poked their swords amongst
the provisions until they were satisfied, then rejoined the
manhorses. The officer stopped his horse in front of the
Prince.
    “ You may go, Prince Orland. Queen Larina does not desire war
with your father. We have strict orders not to start one, so, in
view of that, we’ll not detain you further. The thieves will
eventually have to leave your city, or perhaps your father will
eject them when his people run short of food. Either way, we’ll
capture them in the end.”
    “ I’m sure you will. Doubtless you’ll enjoy watching those stone
monstrosities suck the life out of your fellow Truemen. Just
remember, one day it’ll be your turn.”
    The Prince
urged his warhorse forward, shouldering aside the officer’s mount,
and the manhorses moved off the road, allowing the column to
proceed. Talsy let out her pent breath as they passed Larina’s men,
and the tension drained out of her, leaving her dizzy with relief.
She did not like to think of what might have happened had they been
discovered. Certainly there would have been a great deal of
bloodshed. She looked back many times at the city with its looming
castle, wondering if Chanter watched them leave from its tall
turrets. Eventually a belt of trees hid it, and she concentrated on
the road ahead.
     
     
    Two weeks of
uneventful travel brought them to the mighty forest that girded the
foothills of the mountains to the south, where the peaks sank into
wooded land and vanished. Entering the forest’s gloom, they
followed a road that wound