The others told him a few more things, most complaints from the troops. Supplies had not arrived, and they'd not prepared for a march of this length.
They did not want to go up against the Sciwen troops.
"Some wisdom there," Andora said with a smirk. Rory laughed.
"What can you tell me about Unanik, Jamison?" Rory asked. " He wasn't someone I paid that much attention to since I arrived. I thought he was an office general and not out on the lines."
"He was still active ten years ago," Jamison said. "However, he and the King fell out over a battle that went bad. Hardly more than a skirmish with the Atrians. Something else was happening, and it may have had something to do with the Queen."
People rarely spoke about the Queen. According to official reports, she had retired to the royal lands in the south, which were better for her health. This new knowledge, though, hinted at a scandal barely hidden.
He was not in a position to find answers. The others looked as surprised, too.
"You think Unanik is working with the Queen," Rory said. "Do we need another player?"
"Just trying to make sense of Unanik being here, though I have no idea what he could intend to do."
"Make trouble. Add to the confusion. We need to find out where Queen Shi is," Jamison said and looked around as though the answer was hanging from a tree. "She's been gone and quiet for a long time. I never even considered her when the King died. I thought only of the two princes."
"We all forgot her," Keltrina said. "A worse mistake for me since she is my father's cousin. I saw her a couple of times at court, but we never visited after she went to the estate. I realize now that my father must have known she was in exile, not ill, and it would be impolitic to do more than send a wish for her recovery."
Rory made a sound of agreement. He wasn't even sure if his own Queen had links to her. At any rate, no one had mentioned the Queen as part of his assignment.
He had arrived to protect the ambassador and his entourage, but he'd failed in that work. The reminder made him stumble a little, but he recovered and kept going in silence. He had done nothing wrong in any of this, and he should have been able to reach his charges in time.
What if they were all wrong about Kellic?
"I think we need to find somewhere safe for a few days and have time to think," Rory said. "I want to go over the rest of the paperwork. I remember a few references to General Unanik, but I paid little attention."
"That was in the written part, not the code," Keltrina pointed out.
"Yes, you're right. I need to go over everything."
"I'll find you somewhere to rest for a few days," Andora said. "But that means my people will want to talk to you."
"I have nothing to hide from the people of Sciwhen."
"Good. The post is on about a mile away."
After another turn in the road, they could see the post ahead. Rory thought there couldn't be more than a dozen guards there, and they would never be able to hold back the Euriday troops.
Andora jogged on ahead at the last quarter of a mile. Rory had a moment of mistrust, but it passed. A few of the women greeted their fellow soldier with shouts of pleasure. They knew Andora, and that would help.
By the time the others had reached the post, the jubilation had disappeared. They had learned what they faced coming somewhere not far behind Andora and her odd companions.
"Pull back to the man camp. Do it on my orders, Intesia. Get your group there as fast as possible and warn General Junal or whoever she left in charge. Go, go, go!"
All but two of the border guards took off at a run. Andora didn't argue with them. Unfortunately, there were no horses, and she frowned at the corral.
"Junal sent for the mounts," one of the women said, seeing where Andora had looked. "Last night. There is too much going on." The woman looked at the group of men following them.
"There is a lot of trouble out there, Ropren. We need all the information we can gather."
Rory was glad to see no one argued with her. He wasn't sure if Andora had rank or if they simply trusted her to do the right thing. He said nothing to challenge her authority, even though he had more questions with every step. Jamison held to his wife, who looked exhausted. Zorian appeared more curious than worried.
Soon they were all worried. They could hear the sound of boots marching up the road. Rory almost suggested they hide or he used magic, but best, he realized, that they get more help. His magic would not hold up for long now.
They moved faster. Rory moved to help with Keltrina, but Zorian took her up in his arms and moved out ahead at such a fast pace that the rest had trouble keeping up with him.
A turn and another turn. Rory began to pant, the roaring in his ears loud enough that he could not hear the enemy behind them and dared not try to look back, or he would fall. He'd not regained enough energy.
Rory wasn't likely to get a chance for it soon.
Movement ahead. Rory and his friends came to a stumbling stop at the sight of Schiwen soldiers moving forward in good formation, ready for the trouble.
When Rory looked back, he saw the Euriday troops moving much the same way.
While Rory and his friends were caught in the middle.
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