Wyrms

"Oh, he doesn't mind if we warn people. There's always plenty of fools who figure if they buy a few extra arrows they can go where they like."

"I can go anywhere," mumbled Sken. "I'll cut em in half, every last bastard of em."

"Go by boat," said the i

The i

"Back to the water," said Sken. "About time." She lifted her mug to salute the others and sloshed ale on Angel. They enlisted the help of the four household dwelfs to get her to her room.

On the dock the next morning they found a good many boats for hire, but not many for sale. "Doesn't matter," murmured Angel. "Any boat is for sale when the price is high enough."

"Our money isn't infinite," said Patience. "We may want some next year."

"Do you want to get to Cra

Yes, she wanted to get to Cra

But when there were delays, like now, as they walked on the wooden wharf of the riverport, the need became quite intense.

Today, though, she noticed a subtle change. It wasn't just that she needed to get to Cra

And it occurred to her that she had never felt such feelings before. She hadn't particularly enjoyed the journey on the Glad River. Why should she long for water- home travel now?

She thought of last night, when the i

What could it be but the Cra

Am I not a trained killer? And Angel? Sken, too, looks like she could be dangerous enough. Even if the robbers are as vicious as the i

In the moment she made that decision, she felt an agony of regret. How could she even have thought of doing such a stupid thing? Risking the lives of all three of them on some stupid whim. When the water looked so inviting, was so easy, just to sail upriver-

And now she knew, through the cloud of these passions, that Unwyrm wanted desperately for her to stay off the forest road. She also knew that regardless of the cost, she would travel by land. The gnawing hunger for Cra

Or was it an enemy? It didn't matter. She was determined not to succumb to the Cra

"This one," said Sken. The boat was small, compared to some of the sailing vessels, but it looked clean and sturdy.

"All right," said Angel.

"No," said Patience.

Sken was a

"Nothing. Except that I'm not going by boat."

Angel drew her away from Sken. "Are you out of your mind?" he whispered.

"Probably. But I'm not going by boat. I'm taking our carriage through the forest road."

"It's suicide. Didn't you hear the i

"I heard him very well. I also hear the Cra

He wants me to go by water. Wants it badly. I'm going to find out what it is that he doesn't want me to find in the forest."

"Death, that's what he doesn't want you to find,"

"Are you sure? I think he's a little too eager to get us off the road. This isn't the best place to begin a sailing voyage upriver-the current's too swift. Sken said so herself, didn't she?"

"It's better than dying."

"Since when have you been afraid of a few highwaymen, Angel?"

"Since I thought of dozens of them dropping out of trees onto our heads. I'm trained to kill unsuspecting people in subtle ways, not fight with a bunch of unma

"You haven't met them. You know nothing about their ma

"Did it occur to you that maybe this is just what Unwyrm wants you to do? Maybe the creature knows that you're stubborn and rebellious. Maybe it wants you to go into the forest, and figured this was the way."

"A little far-fetched, Angel."

"Maybe it wants the robbers to get rid of your traveling companions."

He was as much as confessing that he feared for his own life. The Cra

The feelings welled up in her. How can you endanger them? What kind of person are you? Selfish, arrogant.

Go by water, for their sake.

But the more the Cra

You can even take all the money-I trust you."

"No," said Angel. His hands were trembling. "No, I won't leave you."

He really is afraid, thought Patience. Almost she decided to give in, for Angel's sake. But the moment she thought that, the Cra

"Good. We go by land."

Sken was no happier than Angel had been.

"You don't have to come with me," Patience said.

"You've served me well and earned your passage home."

"We need all the help we can get," Angel said. "I'll double your payment, if you come with us."

Sken looked at him with contempt. "I'll come because of who she is, not what you offer."

Angel smiled. Patience knew perfectly well that Angel had expected Sken to react that way. The art of diplomacy, as Father had always said: to provoke your opponent into wanting to do what you pla

They left the dock and went to the stable. Their horses had been well groomed-Angel had paid for the service, since he was expecting to sell them.

Patience prepared her blowgun with three dozen wooden darts. They were more visible than her glass darts, but they flew farther and carried as lethal a close of poison.

Angel gRuinbled about being an old man as he took a shortbow and a packet of arrows from his trunk. "I'm not very good with this," he said. "I'm better with knifework in close."

"From behind, too, no doubt," said Sken.

"I can poison them all, too," said Angel. "Provided they invite us to supper."