Ludo & Elsa

The skull in the box said nothing. Meskhenet must have heard her - but her fleshless face was not able to show what, if anything, she was thinking.


Sieghard

The workers looked at one another, as if seeing who would be the first to raise an objection to Sieghard's orders. When no-one did, a lean youth with a week's stubble on his face wearily picked up a shovel, and led the way over to the spot Sieghard had indicated.

Hechsler fetched the Thorns as Sieghard had asked, and soon almost fifty men and women were at work, digging the pit or carrying stones. The clink and scrape of picks and shovels carried over the hills, a peculiarly lonely sound after so long in the bustle of the crowded camp.

Sieghard called a break in the late afternoon, sharing round some of the food and water that Abdul had left behind. Their supplies weren't plentiful - he would have to make sure that they kept enough back for the return journey. Once the work was back underway, he sat down on a stone to watch, soaking in some of the fleeting autumn sun.


Jarla

"Travelling players?"

Tatiana listened with rapt attention to Jarla's descriptions of life on the road, in Nuln, and everywhere in between. Jarla wasn't sure whether the girl had been living under a rock, but even the concept of an acting troupe seemed to be exciting and exotic to her. Gently, Jarla steered the conversation back where she had intended.

"I haven't really known Mistress Holt for long," she said. "She came looking for me, in Nachgeheim. She took me to the city." She glanced back to check on the horses trailing sedately behind them. Apart from the animals, they were alone within the rocky walls of the ravine.

"She's, um, she's very busy, I think, being the Prince's wizard. She's not always around. And when she is..." She looked at Jarla, seeming to decide on impulse to trust her. "Sometimes I feel like she thinks I'm a child. I miss my friends, sometimes, from before. They made me feel more useful."

Tatiana fell into silence, perhaps feeling she'd crossed some line in criticising her mistress to this relative stranger. Clearly finding the subject uncomfortable, she clumsily tried to steer the conversation back to Jarla's adventures.

A little less than an hour later, they emerged back into the valley where the ruined city stood, a few miles from the site of the camp. Leading the horses back up along the ridge, they saw the Prince's forces there much depleted. The Iron Company and most of the tents were gone. A small force of dirty, un-uniformed men were digging a pit under Sieghard's supervision, while down in the valley, thin fingers of sunlight played over the bones of Nath. The blackened ruin of the tower remained in shadow, as if even the sun's rays wished to give it a wide berth.

"I suppose we'll have to give his Highness' horse back another time," said Tattie, seeming a little deflated at the sight of the empty camp. She looked back at the horses. "We should find them some food and water, and get them cleaned off. I'll take care of it."

Tying Bastard back up at the post where Elsa had tethered him, she led the rescued horses off in search of feed.