A Crown Imperiled by Raymond E. Feist Read Free Book Online

again to the old keep on top of the hill overlooking the road. He had conducted a quick inspection of their defences a week earlier when he had first arrived. Now he wondered if he had been overly hasty.
    ‘Find Bolton,’ Martin said softly to his brother.
    Captain Bolton appeared at a run behind Brendan less than five minutes later. He was a slender young man, the same age as Martin. He had been left in charge of the city’s defences by the Duke of Yabon, and until now, his only practical experience had been overseeing a squad of the Earl of LaMut’s personal guards, of which his uncle was commander. To the brothers’ surprise, he had turned out to be a willing worker and a quick study; his arrogant manner as defender of the city had been a mask to hide his uncertainty. But once Martin had defined his duties, Bolton had thrown himself into whatever task had been given him. Even Brendan had come to like him despite the fact they were both smitten by the mayor’s daughter, Lily.
    Martin said to him, ‘What I need to know is if there is any sort of sally port or secret exit from that keep.’
    Bolton said, ‘I don’t know, but I’ll find out.’
    Martin nodded and Bolton ran off towards the stable nearest the gate.
    Brendan smiled at his retreating back. ‘He’s still eager.’
    ‘He’s just like a lot of men,’ said Martin. ‘A total waste until you give them something meaningful to do, then you see the man’s true measure.’
    ‘What are you thinking?’ Brendan asked with a twitch of his head in the general direction of the keep.
    ‘If that Keshian commander can get control of that ridge up there,’ he pointed to the crest of the road and the clearings on either side, ‘he can erect those trebuchets and just pound this wall until it’s rubble. Then a single charge down the hill and he has this city.’
    ‘So you want to hit him in the arse?’ said Brendan, but his expression was serious.
    ‘If I can get a big enough company behind him, yes; but he’ll have pickets stationed a quarter of a mile out on either flank. If there’s a tunnel or an old escape route, or a sally port with a road downhill . . .’ He shrugged. ‘It’s worth a look.’
    ‘Yes it is.’
    Martin motioned for the gates to be closed and said, ‘If I was that Keshian commander, I’d be sending scouts south of the pass road to seek out game trails and old farmers wagon paths, so I can infiltrate as many men as possible south of here without being seen.’
    ‘Should we send a patrol towards Natal?’
    ‘The Free City Rangers should be able to annoy the Keshians and prevent them moving too far south, so we can guess where they’ll pop up if they do infiltrate.’
    Brendan said, ‘I’m glad it’s you having to puzzle all this out, brother. I’m a bit out of my depth.’
    ‘You’d do fine, I suspect,’ Martin said with a tired smile. Then he stared at the closed gates as if he could somehow will his sight through them, over the mountains and to the Keshian camp. ‘It’s just the waiting that tires me out.’
    ‘And a lack of sleep.’ With the evil grin of a younger brother Brendan said, ‘Besides being up all hours getting our defences in place, Bethany—’
    Before he could finish, Martin raised a single finger before his brother’s nose. ‘Don’t!’
    Stepping back, Brendan put his hands up, palms out, in a supplicating gesture. ‘I was only going to say that you spend a great deal of time talking to her after supper.’
    Martin fixed his younger brother with an expression that meant he found his brother’s claim to be dubious, but he let it go. ‘She’s a wonder,’ he said in obvious admiration. ‘She’s done amazing things with the women and children in this town: about two-thirds of the women and almost all the children are leaving tomorrow for the north, to seek shelter in Zün. The women who are staying behind will cook, wash clothing, and care for the wounded.’
    ‘They will no doubt make