The Rogue Tribe - Ranger's Apprentice

Chapter 12: Not Dead

"Shan... We've run out again."

Or'kan turned toward the terrified young soldier standing before him, clutching his water skin in his shaking hands. "Didn't we just fill them an hour ago?"

The man's hands dug deeper into the bag with bloodless fingers. "We did, Shan, but... They're all empty."

Or'kan turned slowly, bearing down on the soldier. "And how could that be? No one has drunk enough for even one of them to be empty."

The soldier's whole body trembled now. "True, Shan, no one has drunk hardly anything... They are empty, and we have no explanation. I take full responsibility - "

Or'kan reached suddenly and snatched the bag from the man's grip startling him into silence. "If none of us drank any of it, and they were all tightly sealed, then what could have happened for them to all become empty?"

The soldier was quiet until he saw that Or'kan was expecting an answer. "Uh... Tampering?"

Or'kan smiled thinly. "Exactly, soldier. Exactly." He gently felt along on the bottom of the bag, right along the seam, until his finger hit a small ridge. He turned the bag over, and the last few drops of water trickled out of a thin, nearly invisible slit cut cleanly into the bottom of the bag. Or'kan glanced up suddenly. "Check your water skins! Feel along the bottom by the seams! Do all the skins have a cut?" The men quickly checked all their skins, and sure enough, every single one had an identical slit on the bottom. Or'kan threw the ruined skin to the ground, and muttered to At'lan, "Have the men get out their reserve skins from their packs. We will set out very soon."

"Shan! They have been spotted! The Atabi!" A scout came running up through the camp, panting.

"Where? Are they same ones we ran into a few hours ago? The young one and his friend at the camp?"

"No, these two are much older. They have been following us for an hour or so now. I suspect these are the ones who cut our water bags."

Or'kan rubbed the bridge of his nose. "So now the question is, do we follow the two younger ones, or track these new older ones?" Everyone stood around him in silence, unsure of what to say. Finally Or'kan raised his head and threw his shoulders back, remounting his horse with renewed vigor.

Everyone else scrambled hastily up onto their mounts after him. At'lan leaned over and murmured, "Excuse me, Shan, but where are we going? Are we going all the way to capital?"

Or'kan met his eyes, and the dark light of revenge glinted in them. "Those young ones are wounded. They can wait. I think it's high time we paid these two water skin slicers a visit."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alyss saw the large crowd of people standing inside the courtyard and knew immediately something was very wrong.

She had been filing away some of her reports in Lady Pauline's office when the alert was sounded that someone was approaching the castle. She had heard the rumbling as the drawbridge and portcullis were lowered and raised to let them in, and she went outside onto the balcony passageway to see who had come.

The courtyard was jam packed full. The clump of people, numbering around thirty, was surrounded by one of the elite squads of the Royal Guard. The uniformed men stood in a tight circle, not letting passerby into the center. They stood fiercely in a strict formation, their spears hefted, silently threatening anyone who tried to come near. Villagers, servants, guests, and nobles alike were peering over their heads, trying to see what was happening, but the soldiers, held them back. Why would they have a heavy armed guard in the middle of Castle Araluen? Isn't this one of the safest places in the whole country? Near the center of the group stood a surprisingly large group of men in green-gray cloaks, at least five, maybe more, all with their cowls up, shielding their faces. She couldn't count or recognize them from this distance, but they were all huddled in the center of the circle with their exhausted mounts. Another taller figure, whom she recognized as the King, stood in the middle of the group engaged in what looked like an intense conversation with one of the Rangers. Other soldiers, as well as palace scouts and guards, stood around inside the guarded area. Alyss skimmed the group one last time, and then she saw it. A long, canvas-wrapped bundle about the size of a man was strapped to the back of one of the horses, and she immediately knew what it was: a body.