Namul rode with the harper and two other guardsmen back to the Holdless camp. Unlike his mate, who viewed the harper with a curious mistrust, Namul liked the older man well enough, riding in companionable silence alongside of him.
"Guardsman," Harper Lithvu started, and briefly Namul wondered if that was what Fulsa disliked about the man, for he never acknowledged the watchwhers. "Please tell me about the dead man."
"Heh, he was a real piece of work. Fourth son of a minor Holder that looked to Igen, thrown out of countless Gathers for brawling, although what got him exiled was being caught stealing from SmithHall. He broke the back of one apprentice in the attempt." Namul shook his head. "Smith Hendar will never walk again."
"Terrible." Lithvu said with a sigh. "Do we know who murdered the man?"
"No," Namul sighed, "we still don't have a clear idea of even how many were there, other than the rough number of shelters built. The drovers said a group of ten men attacked them, but that at least one other person shot arrows at them when they attempted to pursue, so... there could easily be twenty-two, if you consider a mate for every attacker."
"That's a sizable group for Holdless. How did they remain undetected?" Lithvu asked with a raised eyebrow at the smaller man. Namul shrugged helplessly. "Your guess is as good as mine. Namusk had a hard time seeing the shelters from the air, so I suspect they-" Namul interrupted himself as the lead guardsman, Delka, held up a hand, stopping them as his blue fire lizard popped out of the air and landed on his arm, his eyes blazing red and chattering.
"What's got Scout so riled?" Namul asked, shifting in his seat, his hand drifting to his sword. It was three hours before dusk and Namusk was still sound asleep. Delka, soothed his lizard and frowned.
"Something big has been through the camp." He said slowly, piecing through the images the little lizard sent him. "The site's been tore up bad. Scout says whatever did it is still there."
"Define big." Lithvu ordered, as the whole purpose of this trip was for him to report back to the Masterharper the methods used by the Holdless in camouflage their encampment. Delka stroked his fire lizard, who continued to chatter angrily.
"Iffin' that's a watchwher, it's the largest I've ever seen." He said, blood slowly draining from his face.
"I've seen the queenwher, she's as large as a green." Namul said, trying to quash his fears.
"Iffin' that's so, then this is the largest bronze ever hatched," Delka said uneasily. "Scout doesn't exaggerate, I trained him better 'en that. Sir," he addressed Lithvu, "iffin' it's all the same to you, I'd much rather we turn back now, while we still have the safety of daylight."
"Nonsense. Lord Kestle wouldn't turn back just because of the fears of a flit, and neither will I."
"Lord Kestle isn't here, harper, 'n' the lizard says there's danger, I'm not going." The other watch said, frowning at Lithvu.
"Lord Kestle expects us to stay alive when we can. Scout says going up there's a suicide mission, Harper. I'm not going neither." Delka said staunchly. Namul sighed.
"And you, are you a coward, or would you like to see the largest bronze wher ever hatched?" Lithvu asked Namul, staring at him. Mentally Namul groaned. "I'll go, but I need Scout to deliver a message for me first." He pulled out a strip of vellum as Lithvu impatiently started his runner further up the path. "As for you two, if anything happens to us, " he said, writing out two short notes, "I sent you back, because four was far too dangerous to approach what is in all likelihood a feral wher." He tightly rolled the strip and Delka tied it to the little blue's leg. "Take this to Fulsa, Fulsa." Mentally Namul projected the image of his mate, tousled hair tumbled over her pillow as she lay sleeping in their bed. Scout gave a soft croon before disappearing.
"And him?" The other guardsman indicated the harper with a sidelong glance.
"Iffin' this beast is the size of even an ordinary wher he won't complain. Bronzes are big on a good day. A feral bronze... " Namul shook his head. "Go. We'll be back by dawn or not at all." With that cheerful farewell he turned his runner to follow the harper's, to the hanging valley.
Short because I had to tighten up the timeline. Sorry for my tardiness. Several more short chapters to come this week.
As always, please alert me to spelling or grammar errors.