Shards of a Broken Crown by Raymond Feist Read Free Book Online Page B

sought out another fish
for supper.

    For three days
they moved slowly toward Krondor. Several times they had heard
distant voices and the sound of men moving through the woodlands, but
they had avoided contact with anyone.
    Jimmy and Dash
both found Malar an enigma. He had surprising skills for wilderness
survival, odd for one claiming to be the servant of a rich trader. On
the other hand, Jimmy had confided to his brother, the servant of a
rich smuggler might prove in need of such skills. Still, they were
pleased to have him along, for he had found several shortcuts through
the undergrowth, had identified edible plants that supplemented their
stores, and had proven a reliable night sentry. As they were walking
their horses, leading them more than half the time, his keeping up
had proven to be no difficulty. Jimmy judged they were less than a
week’s travel from Krondor.
    At midday they
heard horses in the distance, from the north. Jimmy spoke at a low
conversational level. “Duko’s men moving along the
highway?”
    Dash nodded.
“Probably. If we can hear them from here, we’ve headed
back toward the highway.” He turned to Malar. “Do you
know of any southern route to Krondor?”
    “Only the
highway that loops around from Land’s End, young sir. But if we
are nearing the King’s Highway, within a few days we should
start encountering farms.”
    Jimmy was silent
for a long moment, then said, “They’ll almost certainly
be burned out.”
    “But,”
suggested Dash, “if they are, no one is likely to be living in
them, and we might slip into the city unnoticed.”
    “No
farmers, you mean,” corrected Jimmy. “But they’d be
decent shelter for some very unpleasant men with a fondness for
weapons, I bet.”
    Dash’s
brow furrowed, as if thinking he should have thought of that, but a
moment later, his grin returned and he said, “Well, then, we
will just blend in. You’ve told me often enough how unpleasant
I can be, and I am certainly fond of my weapons.”
    Jimmy nodded.
“Two more hired swords will scarcely be noticed. And if we can
get close to the city, we’ll find a way inside. There are
enough holes in the walls, that’s for certain.”
    Malar said,
“You’ve been to Krondor, then, young sir? Since the war,
I mean.”
    Jimmy ignored
the question, saying, “We’ve heard of the damage.”
    Dash agreed.
“More than a few people left Krondor and came east.”
    “This I
know,” said Malar, falling silent.
    They moved on
through the woods for the rest of the day and made a cold camp that
night. Huddled under their blankets, Jimmy and Dash stayed close
together while Malar took the first watch. They slept fitfully,
coming awake many times.
    In the morning,
they resumed their journey.

    The woods were
filled with the sounds of the thaw. In the distance the cracking of
ice rang through the suddenly warm air as ponds and lakes began to
lose their frozen skins. Large mounds of snow fell from trees in
sudden, wet attacks on the travelers, while everywhere water dripped
from branches. The footing beneath their feet alternated between
crusty patches of ice and thick mud which gripped at boots and
horses’ hooves. The constant noise was a backdrop against which
the occasional sounds of spring could be heard. The distant call of a
bird that had returned from the south early, seeking others of its
kind. The faint rustle in the distance of small creatures coming out
of their winter’s burrows stilled as they passed, only to
resume after a while.
    When they paused
to rest, Jimmy tied his horse to a low tree branch and motioned for
Dash to do likewise. Dash did as he was bid, and said, “Keep an
eye out. We’re going to relieve ourselves.” He moved to
where Jimmy stood, making a show of urinating into the snow.
    Dash did
likewise, whispering, “What is it?”
    “Have you
formed an opinion of our chance companion?” asked the older
brother.
    Dash shook his
head slightly, saying, “Not really. I’m