Read Online Demontech: Gulf Run by David Sherman - Free Book Online Page A

south as though he could see through the trees. “They won’t come at night, I think. If any more are following now, they’re camped for the night. If we move out soon after dawn, no one should reach us before midday. But if there was more than one troop, I think they would have come together. I also think I would have seen sign.”
    “Why did they come faster after they saw their trailing patrol had been killed?” Spinner hadn’t considered that earlier, he’d been too busy with other matters for it to occur to him. Now that he thought about it, it didn’t seem to make sense.
    Silent shrugged. “Who knows what a Jokap officer thinks? If they read the signs as well as I did, they knew their patrol was attacked by a small rear guard. Maybe they hoped to catch them and get revenge.”
    “That would have left them free to harry our rear,” Fletcher said. “They could have done us a great deal of injury before we could organize a counterattack.”
    Haft snorted. “My rear point still would have beaten them,” he growled.
    “No,” Spinner said. “You caught the first by surprise—and that lancer troop was much larger than the patrol you ambushed. If they didn’t beat you immediately, the commander could have split his force, kept half of it back to deal with you, and sent the rest ahead to attack the caravan.”
    Silent nodded agreement with both. “We still would have beaten them, but at a much higher cost.” He looked back into the trees. “But I don’t think any more are following us now. What do you think, Wolf?”
    Wolf looked up from the bone he was worrying and cocked his head at the steppe giant as though considering his answer.
    “Ulgh!”
he finally said with a vigorous shake of his head and shoulders.
    “Do you want to backtrack tonight and make sure?” Silent asked.
    Wolf growled and lowered his head and shoulders as though preparing to pounce.
    “Good. We go in an hour.”
    “It’s too dangerous to go back at night.” Alyline spoke for the first time. “A patrol couldn’t go far enough and have time to get back before we leave in the morning. Then the men would be tired and have to take up wagon space to sleep.”
    Silent chuckled, a bass rumble deep in his throat. “Just me and Wolf, we can do it and be back in time.”
    “If no one is behind us,” Zweepee interjected, “we can stay here for a day or two. Our wounded need time to rest and heal. And we can use the time to gather more food. We
can
stop for a day or two if nobody’s following, can’t we, Spinner?”
    “Maybe we can,” Spinner replied in a voice that sounded like he didn’t think they could.
    Not long after that they finished their stew, wiping the bowls clean with bread old enough that it was turning stale and brittle.
    Alyline and Zweepee, trailed by Doli, set out to check the encampment. Maid Primrose looked longingly after them before she turned to help Maid Marigold bank the fire and give the dishes a better cleaning. Silent stretched out for a short nap before he and Wolf left to check the back trail. Fletcher went to check on the horses.
    Spinner stood. “Let’s check the lines,” he said to Haft.
    Haft led the way because he’d placed the sentries and knew where they were.
    It was night under the trees by the time they reached the first post. The four soldiers, Zobran Royal lancers, were nestled in a fall of tree trunks. If Haft hadn’t remembered where he placed them, he and Spinner would have gone by without seeing the quartet. A stout tree had been felled by a lightning strike and dropped two lesser trees with it, the three forming a strong barrier the Zobrans were able to hide behind. Bushes behind them hid their silhouettes as they looked over the logs.
    “Lord Haft, Lord Spinner,” the Zobrans murmured greetings after signs and countersigns were exchanged.
    “Don’t call me ’Lord,’ ” Spinner muttered.
    “Guma, Lyft, Ealu, Eaomod,” Haft greeted them by name. “Hear anything out