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"What do you think we should do?"
He thought it over a moment. "Well, if they do come by, but don't find him, then they won't have any reason to stop and question the people here. If they don't find him, they'll go somewhere else to keep looking for him."
He rose and looked around. "Ground's too hard to dig a grave." He pulled his hood farther forward to shield his eyes from the mist as he searched. He pointed to a spot near the base of the cliff. "There. There's a deep cleft that looks big enough. We could put him in there and cover him over with gravel and rocks. Best burial we can manage this time of year.»
And probably more than he deserved. She would just as soon leave him, but that wouldn't be wise. Covering him up was what she had pla
Seeing her trying to hastily weigh the various ramifications, and mistaking it for reluctance, he spoke in soft assurance. "The man is dead. Nothing can be done about it. It was an accident. Why let that accident bring trouble? We didn't do anything wrong. We weren't even here when it happened. I say we bury him and go on with our lives-without D'Haran soldiers becoming unjustly involved."
Je
If the piece of paper was what she thought it might be, then questioning would only be the begi
"Agreed," she said. "If we're to do it, let's be quick."
He smiled, more relief than anything, she thought. Then, turning to face her more squarely, he pushed his hood back off his head, the way men did out of respect for a woman.
Je
The combination of his short white hair and those blue eyes was arresting. The way they both went with his clean-shaven face was singularly appealing. It all fit together with his features in a way that seemed completely right.
He held his hand out across the dead soldier.
"My name is Sebastian."
She hesitated a moment, but then offered her hand in return. Even though his was big and no doubt powerful, he didn't squeeze her hand to prove it, the way some men did. The u
"Are you going to tell me your name?"
"I'm Jermsen Daggett."
"Je
She felt her face going red again. Instead of noticing, he immediately set to the task by grabbing the soldier under his arms and giving him a tug. The body moved only a short distance with each mighty pull. The soldier had been a huge man. Now he was a huge dead weight.
Jermsen seized the soldier's cloak at the shoulder to help. Sebastian moved his hold to the cloak at the other shoulder and together they dragged the weight of the man, who loomed as dangerous to her in death as he would have in life, across the gravel and slick patches of smooth rock.
Still panting from the effort, and before pushing the soldier into the crevice that was to be his final resting place, Sebastian rolled him over. Jermsen saw for the first time that he wore a short sword strapped over his shoulder, under his pack. She hadn't seen it before because he was lying on it. Hooked on the weapons belt around his waist, at the small of his back, hung a crescent-bladed battle-axe. Je
Sebastian tugged the straps of the pack down off the arms. He unstrapped the short sword and set it aside. He pulled off the weapons belt and tossed it atop the sword.
"Nothing too unusual in the pack," he said after a brief inspection. He added the pack to the short sword, the weapons belt, and the axe.
Sebastian started searching the dead man's pockets. Je
Sebastian held the money out to her.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Take it." He offered the money again, more insistently this time. "What good is it going to do in the ground? Money is of use to relieve the suffering of the living, not the dead. You think the good spirits will ask him for the price of a bright and pleasant eternity?"
He was a D'Haran soldier. Je
"But… it's not mine."
He frowned a reproving look. "Consider it partial compensation for all you've suffered."
She felt her flesh go cold. How could he know? They were always so careful.
"What do you mean?"
"The years taken off your life by the fright this fellow gave you today."
Je
She allowed Sebastian to put the coins in her hand. "All right, but I think you should have half for helping me." She handed three gold marks back.
He grasped her hand with his other and pressed all three coins into her palm. "Take it. It's yours, now."
Jermsen thought of what this much money could mean. She nodded. "My mother has had a hard life. She could use it. I will give it to my mother.»
"I hope it helps you both, then. Let it be this man's last good acthelping you and your mother."
"Your hands are warm." By the look in his eyes, she thought she knew why. She said no more.
He nodded and confirmed her suspicion. "I've got a touch of fever. I came down with it this morning. When we get finished with this business I'm hoping to get to the next town and rest up in a dry room for a while. I just need some rest to regain my strength."
"Town is too far for you to make today."
"You sure? I can make good time. I'm used to traveling."
"So am I," Je
Sebastian let out a sigh. "Well, I guess I'll make do."
He knelt again and rolled the soldier partway over in order to unstrap the knife. The sheath, fine-grain black leather, was trimmed with silver to match the handle and decorated with the same ornate emblem. On one knee, Sebastian held the gleaming, sheathed knife up to her.
"Silly to bury such a fine weapon. Here you go. Better than that piece of junk you showed me before."
Je
"I'll take the others. More to my taste anyway. The knife is yours. Sebastian's rule."
"Sebastian's rule?"
"Beauty belongs with beauty."
Je
"Any idea what the 'R' in the hilt stands for?"
Oh yes, she wanted to say. She knew only too well what it represented. That was the ugliness.
"It stands for the House of Rahl."
"House of Rahl?"
"Lord Rahl-the ruler of D'Hara," she said in simple explanation of a nightmare.