As Tarrant headed in his direction, the Woodsman slipped to the bottom branch of the oak tree, then jumped, landing neatly on the spongy, moss-covered ground. He made the soft hooting sound of an owl, and several of his men emerged from their hiding places behind trees. Dressed just like the Woodsman, with brown breeches, dark green tunics, and brown hooded cloaks, they blended in well with the forest. They waited silently as the rest of his troop led the horses through the woods to join them.
“Don’t get greedy and take more than you can carry,” the Woodsman warned them softly. “We follow the plan, go straight to the supply tents, help ourselves, and get out. Once the horses are packed, take them down Norus Creek for a while so you can’t be traced, then take the goods to Drudaelen Castle before heading back to Haven. You two—” He looked at two of the youngest in the group, Ronan and Colwyn. “You know what to do.”
“Yes, sir!” The two young men glanced at each other, excitement glittering in their eyes.
The Woodsman winced inwardly. He hated endangering any of his men, but when the elfin army discovered they had been robbed, they would send out search parties. If these two didn’t succeed in leading them astray, then the people at Drudaelen Castle and Haven could be in danger. “Just because you’ve outsmarted them in the past, it doesn’t mean you can afford to be lax. Keep your wits about you. If they capture you, they will torture you. They’ll want to know the location of Haven.”
Their faces sobered. Both had family in the hidden village.
The Woodsman placed a hand on each of their shoulders. “Do as you were trained, and you’ll be fine.”
“Don’t worry, Captain.” Colwyn smiled. “We’ll lead them into Whistler’s Bog. We grew up near there, so no one knows the bog better than we.”
The Woodsman squeezed their shoulders, then let go. “If something goes wrong, tell a Living Oak, and it will let me know. We’ll come for you. We never leave men behind.”
The rest of his followers murmured their agreement; then they all headed down the ridge.
Tarrant met them at the edge of the camp. “There’s no one here, so help yourselves.” He pointed out the supply tents, and the Woodsman’s band quickly took the horses over, then set to work, relieving the army of most of their food supplies.
“How are my mother and sister?” Tarrant asked as he walked alongside the Woodsman.
“Good. They’re happily settled in Haven and send their love.” He wasn’t sure he should mention that Tarrant’s thirteen-year-old sister was smitten with Colwyn.
“Thank you, sir.” Tarrant bowed his head. After the army had ransacked a local village, they’d burned it to the ground, leaving his family without a home.
As the Woodsman glanced around the camp, memories from his childhood flooded his mind. Some were good. Some horrific. He shook those thoughts away and stopped in front of an officer’s tent, much like the one he had shared with his father and his father’s squire so many years ago. In front of the tent stood a straw dummy decked out in full uniform. “Why did Caladras go to so much trouble to make it look like the army is here?”
“He wanted to fool the Norveshki,” Tarrant explained. “He’s planning an attack a few miles east of here where the Vorus River is shallow. That’s where I was. We were ordered to move last night in the dark, and we’ve been hiding there since before dawn. I managed to sneak away to meet you—”
“Is Caladras planning to invade Norveshka?” the Woodsman asked.
Tarrant shook his head. “I don’t think so. He has the army about two miles south of the border, hiding in the forest on both sides of a road.”
“So it’s a trap? Who is the target?”
Tarrant dragged a hand through his long, brown hair. “I’m not sure. The officers don’t tell us foot soldiers everything.”
“Tell me what you do know.”
Tarrant pointed in the direction of the river. “There’s a bridge over there, and that’s where the king and queen of Norveshka were supposed to meet the general and Princess Jenetta at sunset.”
The Woodsman stiffened. “The princess is here?”
Tarrant nodded. “I heard she came to see her long-lost daughter, who’s the queen of Norveshka now.”
Gwennore. The Woodsman took a deep breath. His informants had told him about the latest events in Norveshka, but he wasn’t sure what Princess Jenetta and General Caladras were up to. Was the princess trying to lure Gwennore and King Silas across the border?
“But the meeting on the bridge was canceled,” Tarrant continued. “Now the princess has set up a tent—”
“Dammit.” Gwennore was in trouble. The Woodsman whistled for one of his men to bring him a horse. “I need to go there.”
Tarrant gasped. “Captain, you can’t! The place is swarming with soldiers, and you have a price on your head.”
Father Kit, the band’s resident priest, jogged over to them, leading a horse. “What’s wrong?”
Tarrant grabbed the reins with a mutinous look. “I can’t let him go. It’s suicidal.”
“Caladras has laid a trap for the king and queen of Norveshka,” the Woodsman explained as he swung into the saddle. “I have to stop it.”
“By yourself?” Father Kit frowned at him. “It’s too dangerous. You’re too valuable to—”
“Enough! And you, let go.” The Woodsman yanked the reins from Tarrant’s grip. “Father, make sure everyone gets away safely. I’ll see you later in Haven.”
Father Kit shook his head. “I’m staying. Halfric will, too, until we know you’re safe.” He pointed at the ridge. “We’ll wait for you there tonight.”
The Woodsman gritted his teeth. He didn’t have time to deal with the stubborn priest now. “Fine, but whatever you do, don’t get caught.” He urged the horse into a fast gallop, headed east for the forest.
How could he keep Gwennore from falling into a trap? Dammit, he needed a plan. She was a member of the royal family, so she might be able to communicate with trees.
Living Oaks, he called to them. Are you able to converse with the elfin queen of Norveshka?
She cannot hear us, one replied.
She is not as gifted as you, another said. Her abilities are limited.
Damn. He leaned forward, encouraging the horse to run faster. They cleared the camp, then headed into the woods. As the forest grew thicker and the terrain more hilly, he was forced to slow his pace. Frustration gnawed at his normally calm determination. What if he didn’t reach her in time?
I have heard her talk to the Kings of the Forest, another oak told him.
Renewed hope lightened his heart, and he called to the giant redwoods. Great Kings, hear my plea. Can you pass on a message to Queen Gwennore?
The silence of the forest bore down on him, and he worried that the Kings hadn’t heard. The trees surrounding him were beech, ash, and oak. No redwoods in sight.
What is your message, Woodsman? A faint reply filtered into his head. The Kings might be far away, but they had heard him.
Thank you. Will you tell Gwennore to remain in Norveshka? She must not venture into Woodwyn. The elfin army has set a trap for her!