01 - Honour of the Grave by Robin D. Laws - (ebook by Undead)

other border rat princes—you retreated inside your crapulent forts as soon as the fight grew tough!
Cowards!”
    Isaak shortened the distance between himself and the big man. “My comrades
were watering their horses by a stream, assuming we were safe from attack, when
your men came crashing through the woods towards them. Nothing to worry about,
they thought, they’re our allies. Then out came the swords and pistols, and a
dozen good souls were murdered, before they could even draw their blades!”
Isaak’s men followed him onto the small, circular ledge where Angelika had made
camp. She squeezed up against the rock, thinking of the long fall, should anyone
be shoved off. Franziskus had foolishly planted himself near an edge. She tried
to catch his eye, to beckon him away from it, but he was too intent on the two
angry men.
    “I don’t know what happened,” Gelfrat conceded. “I was not at the fight
you’re talking about. All I know is that the border princes betrayed us, and had
to be shown the cost of that.”
    “You don’t deny that they were basely slain, then?”
    Gelfrat looked down on his adversary. “Do you deny that your men then
attacked one of our regiments, which was already taxed and wounded from fighting
the greenskin? That you slew them nearly to a man? Is that what you slimy
rodents call a fair fight?”
    Isaak made fists. “That was just vengeance!”
    “They weakened themselves battling the orcs—who aim to destroy us all—and
you took the chance to cut them down like stalks of wheat. I say our only error
was in not killing more of you!”
    The pistolier gripped the polished oaken handles of his weapons. His eyes
parted ways: one pointed at Gelfrat, the other, at Benno. Angelika decided that
her hundred and twenty-five crowns were in jeopardy.
    “How long have you been out on the trail, Isaak?” she said.
    “Nearly a month. We were sent south, to recruit replacements for our fallen
friends.”
    “These men were allowed to enter the Castello unmolested. Prince Davio could
have easily taken them hostage, or worse. It could be that he’s reconciled with
the Averlandish commander. You know how quickly allegiances shift, hereabouts.”
    He sank the back of his left hand indecisively into the palm of his right.
“All things are possible in the Blackfire…”
    “Perhaps then you should know for sure where Davio stands, before you wreak
any more vengeance for him. If he’s settled his dispute, he won’t be happy for
you to stir it up again.”
    He stood thinking, his tongue working around the inside his mouth. After
taking a long pause, he said, “I will remain facing you, as will my comrade
Ivan, here.” He indicated the gunman. “The rest of my band will turn their backs
to you, and head down the trail. Then the two of us will follow. We will leave
your man as he is now, tied up. We’ll ride away, and you will not pursue us.”
    “No doubt you’ve already stolen our horses,” said Benno. “So it’s an easy
promise to make.”
    Isaak employed a dark-rimmed fingernail to pick at a morsel of food lodged
between his front teeth. “We don’t want to kill each other over mere horseflesh,
do we?”
    Benno shook his head.
    “If you do cross us,” Isaak continued, “we’ll grant you no mercy. Our numbers
equal yours, and we know this country better than you.”
    “Be gone then,” Gelfrat said, “before your boasts fatally bore me.”
    The border men executed their retreat as Isaak had said. Following Gelfrat’s
example, the Averlanders affected postures of varying disinterest. Gelfrat
studied his fingernails, as if contemplating their overdue annual cleaning.
    As he turned to go, Isaak said, to Angelika, “You’ve saved your companions
from harm, but you must not trust them.”
    Scornfully, Gelfrat cleared his throat. When he saw that Isaak and Ivan had
reached the slope below, he stepped towards the trail. Benno held him back. “Wait
till we see them ride