The Crowded Shadows Read Online Free PDF Page B

burned under his terrible disappointment in her. “How could you, Wynter? How could you abandon him like that?”
    “Leave her be, Razi,” commanded Christopher softly. “We
all
abandoned Lorcan.” He lifted his eyes to meet those of his friend. “And all for the same bloody reason. So leave her alone, and come sit for your meal.”
    Razi deflated at the quiet bitterness in his friend’s voice. Wynter smiled gently at him. He looked away, nodded and crossed to hunch down by the food pot.
    They ate their fill in silence, then Christopher covered the remaining food and put it aside for breakfast. “Bloody beans,” he grumbled. “My gas could fill a swamp.”
    Razi went to scour their bowls while Christopher carefully split an apple in three. “Here,” he said, holding Wynter’s segment out to her. She reached for it and their eyes met. “Are you all right?” he asked.
    She nodded gratefully. “Aye.”
    He looked her up and down uncertainly, released her portion of the apple and looked away. Razi returned and sat cross-legged on his bedroll, his sewing kit in his hand. Christopher tossed him his third of the apple and Razi caught it neatly.
    “It’s the last one,” said Christopher, lying back against his saddle and looking up into the trees. The horses shifted quietly in the gathering gloom. Wynter sighed and bit into her apple; it was good juicy and sharp.
    “What are you doing here, Wynter?” Razi’s deep voice was grudging, and he did not look up from sewing the hole in his britches.
    “Same as you, Razi. I’m heading for Alberon’s camp to see what he is up to.”
    Christopher snorted. “Good luck finding it. We’ve seen neither hide nor hair of aught since we set off. We’ve been chasing our bloody tails this last week. Those buggers over there were the first sign we’d found since we trotted into this forest. You know something, Razi,” he mused, picking apple-skin from his teeth. “I think that Comberman spy back at the palace was pulling your tail. Your brother’s nowhere near here.”
    Wynter sat up straight. “Don’t you know where he is?” she exclaimed, a little seed of excitement growing in her chest.
    “No, Wynter, we do not,” said Razi, snapping off his thread. He grimaced sarcastically at her as he put his needle away. “Do you?”
    Wynter grinned at him and Razi’s eyes widened. Christopher propped himself on his elbow.
    “Good God!” said Razi, and he actually started to grin. “Wynter, are you serious?”
    Wynter told her friends about Isaac’s ghost and the Indirie Valley. She told them about her encounter with the Combermen and the Haun, and their remarks about the Rebel Prince. By the time she was finished it had come on to night. An almost full moon filtered down through the trees, and it gave the silently listening men the air of watchful spectres in the gloom.
    “The Indirie Valley,” murmured Christopher. “We’ll have to ponder our maps tomorrow, friend.”
    “But
I
know the route,” said Wynter. “There’s another ten days journey left.”
    The pale smudge that was Christopher’s face bobbed as he nodded his understanding.
    “Haunardii,” whispered Razi. With his dark skin and clothes, he was almost completely invisible, but Wynter could see his eyes flashing as he lifted them to look at her. “Oh sis, what is he thinking?”
    “I know,” she said softly. “Bad enough the Combermen, after everything our fathers have done to rid this place of intolerance… but the Haunardii? What does Alberon expect will happen if he tries to wrest the throne from Jonathon with those allies? The people will revolt against him. There’s still too much bitterness left after The Haun Invasion. Also…” she paused. “Also Razi, there is the matter of my father’s invention. This machine of his. This Bloody Machine.”
    Wynter barely made out the movement as Razi lifted his hand and ran it across his eyes. Christopher shifted quietly against his