Page 39 of Kingdom of Chains

When he arrived at the tents, there were soldiers and horses rushing about in all directions.

‘I know that face,’ Tatum said, handing him the reins of his horse. ‘You know something.’

Blackmane looked around to ensure no one else was listening. ‘I think I know where she went. I’m going to track her.’

Tatum turned to him. ‘Great, because I told Lord Hodge we’d help with the search.’

‘He can’t come where I’m going,’ Blackmane replied.

Tatum frowned. ‘Why not?’

‘Because she’s on her way to the St Clare group.’

Alveye, who was strapping his weapons on, looked over at that. ‘Hoping I misheard that.’

‘She has some connection with the group,’ Blackmane said. ‘A friend.’

Hadewaye frowned. ‘Do the St Clare people know that? They’re likely to shoot first and ask questions later.’

That was Blackmane’s fear also. Gathering the reins, he mounted. ‘Then I need to get to her before she reaches them.’

Tatum grabbed for his horse. ‘If I tell Hodge where she’s headed, it’ll become a genocide mission.’

‘So we don’t tell him,’ Alveye said.

Tatum rubbed his forehead, then looked up at Blackmane. ‘Take Hadewaye with you. I want the extraction done as quietly as possible. In and out with minimal damage. Alveye and I will try to keep Hodge busy in the meantime.’

Blackmane nodded and gestured to Hadewaye to move out.

‘Blackmane,’ Tatum called.

He looked back, waiting.

‘I want you both back here in one piece.’

Blackmane saluted. ‘Yes, Commander.’

CHAPTER 12

How does one measure distance in the dark?She could have been thirty-five miles from the camp or ten. A good sense of direction was not on her list of strengths. There was a chance she was travelling southeast as instructed, but there was also a chance she was heading too far south or too far east. Or possibly west. She looked up, searching for the moon. Had someone once told her it moved east to west like the sun? What was the point of being fluent in French if she could not survive a few hours alone in the dark?

She turned her head to Margery. ‘What do you think? Should we continue straight or wait for the sun to rise to get our bearings?’

The eagle was looking tired despite being a passenger for the last hour.

‘Where is Ita?’ Isabel said on a sigh. ‘Do you know where she is? Can you show me?’

Margery spread her wings and took flight.

‘I should have thought of that sooner.’ She nudged her horse into a trot. ‘Do not get too far ahead. I can barely see five feet in front of my face.’

As though understanding the request, Margery circled back every few seconds.

Around thirty minutes later, Isabel heard running water. It was the creek Yvaine had been referring to.

‘Clever girl,’ Isabel told the eagle when she returned. She dismounted, taking hold of the reins and leading the gelding down to the water for a drink. She rested there for a few minutes, noting the slight lightening of the sky, but it was too cold to sit still for long. Her hands ached, and her face was numb.

‘Let us keep moving,’ Isabel told the horse, who was now tearing large mouthfuls of leaves off a nearby bush. In an attempt to warm herself, she walked for a while, leading the horse along the creek’s edge.