Trail of Fate Read Online Free PDF Page B

followed, and now he has spotted something.”
    â€œSomething?” Robard asked. He knew the answer. Danger was approaching.
    â€œThis is not our concern. You don’t intend to become involved in her problems, do you?” Maryam asked.
    â€œNo, I don’t plan to,” I said.
    In truth, I had no idea what to do. Did I owe anything to Celia? I had my duty to the Grail to consider. If they were being pursued by a large force, their only logical choice was flight. Robard, Maryam and I could slip away into the forest and work our way toward the coast and follow it until we came upon a port.
    Within minutes, the horses were saddled and nearly every sign of our camp was gone. Only a close inspection by an experienced forester would find any evidence that a camp had ever been made here.
    Celia approached the three of us while her friends mounted their horses.
    â€œPhilippe says nearly fifty of the archbishop’s guards are tracking us. They are a few miles back and moving slowly, but will be on us before morning if we do not leave right away.” She looked at me expectantly.
    â€œThen you must leave now,” I said.
    â€œWhat will you do?” she asked.
    â€œWe’ll be fine; we’ll head back toward the shore and follow it west until we find a port city. Don’t worry about us,” I told her.
    Celia looked down at the ground for a moment, as if struggling to speak.
    â€œTristan, realize this: these men following us are ruthless. They kill and maim with no provocation. If they suspect you have seen us and helped us in any way . . .” She let the words hang in the air.
    â€œWe’ll be safe,” I assured her.
    â€œHow do you know . . . ?” She looked at me strangely, but I nodded. The Grail had kept me safe thus far. It would protect the three of us. Then, almost as if she remembered how the strange sound she had heard pulled her to me on the beach, she nodded. I hadn’t had much time to think about it, but I wondered if the Grail was pulling me to her just as much. As if she needed its protection as well. But that sounded foolish. My duty was to protect the Grail, not to treat its wonders like a cheap carnival trick. Sir Thomas had entrusted it to me because he believed I would keep it safe. And although I sorely wished he had picked someone else, he had chosen me. I had to get on with my mission.
    â€œYou are a two-day walk from Perpignan. You should easily find a ship there,” she said.
    Philippe was mounted and impatient to be under way. “Mademoiselle . . . ,” he whispered.
    â€œShh,” she hissed at him.
    â€œThank you, Tristan,” she said.
    â€œFor what?” I asked.
    â€œFor listening.” She nodded good-bye to Maryam and Robard, then mounted her horse, and we watched in silence as they rode away into the darkness.
    Robard had retrieved his bow and held it in his left hand. Nervously shifting back and forth on his feet, he coughed quietly.
    â€œTristan?” he asked.
    â€œYes?”
    â€œTime to go,” he said.
    Both Maryam and Robard were eager to be on their way. We started off at a trot, following the stream. It would lead us to the shore eventually, and from there we could make our way to the city. We hiked in the opposite direction of Celia and her riders. Moving along in silence, Robard finally suggested we stop for the night.
    â€œWe need to rest,” he said. “I’m exhausted. Haven’t had much sleep since we came out of the water.”
    â€œAll right,” I said. “But we should reach the shore soon. We should make camp there. We’ll be far enough away from Celia’s camp then. If anyone finds us, it will be easier to convince them we’ve been following the shore and haven’t come across any other travelers.”
    By the time two hours went by, the half moon rode high in the sky, providing us some light. The smell of salt water wafted over us, and we broke