The Last Ringbearer by Kirill Yeskov Page A

searching! Right, the last one – meaning that those will be searched as well, sooner or later, by elimination. Too bad, at first the idea looked pretty decent … How about a diversion, a false trail with a sideways move … to where? …
    Time was slipping away like water from a torn water-skin, and suddenly the scout’s expression and posture changed subtly in a way that told Haladdin with cold certainty that the Orocuen did not see any chance of escape, either. A soft icy hand entered the doctor’s bowels and began leisurely sorting through them as if through freshly caught fish thrashing on the bottom of a boat. It was not soldier’s dread before a battle (he had already been through that today), but something rather different, akin to the dark irrational terror that grips a suddenly lost child. Only now did he understand that Tzerlag did not just fetch him water through the Elf-infested forest at Osgiliath, did not only carry him on his back under the noses of the sentries at Minas Morgul – no, all this time the scout had also shielded the doctor with his powerful and comforting ‘there’s a man in the house’ protective aura, and this aura was now in tatters. To be honest, Haladdin had agreed to this mission of vengeance only because he had firmly decided that it was better to be in any kind of a bind, but with Tzerlag – and had guessed wrong this time. The circle has been completed: Eloar paid for Teshgol, in a few hours they will pay for this camp … Then, frightened and despairing, he yelled in the Orocuen’s face:
    “Are you happy now?! First-rate vengeance, still can’t get enough of it?! You paid with all of us for one Elvish bastard, may the earth swallow him and his ilk forever!”
    “What did you say?” the scout echoed in a strange tone. “May the earth swallow this Elf forever?”

CHAPTER 13
    A  nd suddenly Haladdin, brought up short, beheld before him the usual Tzerlag – the one who knows what to do.
    “Sorry,” he mumbled guiltily, looking away.
    “Whatever, it happens. Bygones. Now, try to remember exactly – you too, Baron – did that pair of Easterlings beat it before or after I took on Eloar?”
    “Before, I think …”
    “Before, Sergeant, I’m positive – bet my life on it.”
    “Right. So they can’t possibly know that Eloar is dead or that he even fought … All right. Now, doctor – can the baron walk at least a couple of miles, with crutches?”
    “With crutches – yes, I think so. I’ll stuff him full of analgesics … but there’ll be a bad reaction afterwards.”
    “Do it, doctor, or he won’t have any ‘afterwards’. Put together the medkit, some water and those breads, nothing else. Oh, and some weapons, just in case.”
    A few minutes later the sergeant handed Tangorn a pair of cross-shaped crutches he had just fashioned out of shortened Easterling spears and began laying out instructions.
    “We’ll split now. You two will get on the hamada and head north along the edge …”
    “North?! But that’s where the outpost is!”
    “Exactly.”
    “Oh, I see – do the opposite of what the foe expects?”
    “You got it, doc. Listen. Don’t stray from the hamada to the sand. If – no, when – the baron conks out, you’ll have to lug him. Don’t lose the crutches, hear? Watch that the wound does not reopen, else there’ll be a blood trail. The most important thing for you right now is to not leave any tracks; that’s easy on the hamada , it’s all gravel. I’ll catch up with you in two, two-and-a-half hours.”
    “What are you going to do?”
    “I’ll explain later, every minute counts now. Forward march, warriors! … Wait – toss me a couple cola nuts, I could use them, too.”
    After seeing his comrades move off, the scout got busy. He had plenty of things to do, many of them small and easily overlooked ones. For example, he had to gather all the stuff that might come in handy later, should they survive this bind – from Elvish