Sahila lit a lantern and gave it to Alle, who partially shuttered it to dim the light. "Follow me," she said, descending the wooden stairs.
The men followed her in their marching order. Mikhail brought up the rear, pausing only to move the heavy stone back into place.
"Where are we?" Soterius whispered.
"Caves beneath the barn," Alle replied without glancing backward. "The barn's pretty old. We figure that the settlers found the caves to hide from raiders. Since then, they've been used by smugglers, bootleggers, you name it." She flashed a conspiratorial grin. "Useful thing to have."
The caves were bitterly cold, and icicles glistened along the cave walls in the dim light of the lantern. The trail through the cave was well-worn, broad enough in most places for two men to walk abreast, and in some places, opening into larger rooms of inky darkness. In the distance, water dripped. From time to time, something skittered past their boots, and Soterius had the distinct impression that something-or someone-was watching them.
"Careful," Mikhail warned, his vayash moru senses serving him well in the dark. "There are sheer drops not far on either side-I wouldn't like to bet on how far down they go."
Soterius's fighters stayed close together, following the path. After about half a candlemark, Alle stopped.
"It's safer to cross the caves than to go through the forest at night," Alle said. "We have an arrangement with the local vayash moru. They keep the caves free from squatters and wild things, and they can take refuge here any time they want."
"A reasonable bargain," Mikhail replied. "That explains why the vayash moru we passed didn't try to stop us."
"When we come up to the surface you'll be in the foothills, behind some trees. Just beyond the tree line is a camp. I scouted it earlier today. There are twenty-five Margolan soldiers, plus captives. We think they're the ones who looted a village about a day's ride from here. Burned most of the houses, ran off the livestock, and killed the villagers who wouldn't run. From the sound of it, they've taken a couple of the village girls with them."
"Ashtenerath?" Soterius asked.
Alle paused. "We found half a dozen of those things dead in the village. Haven't seen any in the camp since."
"Fair enough," Soterius said. "What about getting back?"
"I'll wait here," Alle said. "Can't be any more miserable than scouting them earlier." She looked sideways at Soterius as if she anticipated an objection. "Don't worry-I won't try to be a hero. You can do all the fighting. I stashed some bandages and supplies when I came earlier. Just get your wounded back here."
