“Shantay.” One of them called. “Look at this.” Dionysius took another few steps, attempting to maintain an aura of dignity. Shantay looked up from where he was talking and walked over, waiting at the foot of the hill. He helped Dionysius down.
“Shantay.” He nodded. The Kharidian nodded back.
“Dionysius.” Shantay looked back through the pass. *You were watching?”
“All morning. I made it to the mountains one week ago, give or take a day or two, and made my way over here.”
“You did*’t use the pass?”
“No. I would have run into the bandits.” He looked through the pass with Shantay. “I
counted fifty-two this morning. Why did you let them in?”
“I have my orders to run the pass. I am turning away whoever I can.” He stole a glance at the old man. “How many are heading north?”
Dionysius sighed. “The vanguard numbers some eight hundred bandits. The Pass has thirty men. The Emir has perhaps five thousand.”
Shantay’s face darkened. “A lot of men would die trying to pass if we prepared for battle.”
“Indeed they would. But I doubt the Pharaoh will summon all his strength at once. This is just a taste of what is to come.”
They thought for a while. “What I don’t understand is why there are bandits running ahead. Scouts? Why is this Pharoah using thieves to lead the first wave?”
“I do not know.” Dionysius shrugged. “The Pharaoh does not seem a fool, though. He took down the spymaster’s force. Xenia was distraught when she heard that Ariane had died.” He sighed. “I never cared for any of them, but they might have done good when it came to defending the pass.”
31-Aug-2013 16:10:28
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