Matthias looked ahead, apparently unsure what he was supposed to say, and Fel, who was driving the cart beside them, spoke first.
“You really say all kinds of things to a kid.” “What.” “I asked what you’d done for fifteen years, and you said you didn’t die.” “It’s true.”
Fel made a sound like a sigh.
“Forget it.”
Leon didn’t say anything else, either.
The road was still crowded with people who had left the camp. Carts loaded with supplies, merchants, and demobilized mercenaries were all heading south together, and Fel’s cart moved slowly among them.
Matthias followed behind on horseback.
He hadn’t lied when he said he knew how to ride.
He just wasn’t very good at it.
His hand was gripping the reins far too tightly, and his shoulders shook along with the horse every time it moved.
Still, he wasn’t about to fall off, so Leon decided to leave him alone for now.
Screech.
A sound came from the cart.
Leon turned his head.
Screech.
The same sound came every time the right wheel made a full rotation.
“Fel.” “Yeah.” “The wheel.”
Fel glanced down.
“It’s been doing that for a while.” “It wasn’t making that sound this morning.”
Leon brought his horse alongside the cart. The crack he had seen that morning had spread a little farther.
“We should stop.” “Now?” “Ahead.”
They stopped the cart where the side of the road widened.
Leon dismounted and sat in front of the wheel, and Fel followed him.
“How bad is it?” “Worse than this morning.”
When he pressed it with his hand, the rim shifted slightly. There was no spare wheel, and they were carrying a lot of cargo.
They’d just have to make it hold until the crossroads.
“Got any rope?” “Of course.” “Some hard wood, too.”
While Fel rummaged through the back of the cart, Leon pulled out his work axe.
Matthias approached from the side.
“Can you fix it?” “Not exactly.” “Then what are you doing?” “Binding it so it won’t spread any farther.”
Fel brought over some rope and a few pieces of firewood. Leon picked out one of the harder pieces and cut it to size.
“Matthias.” “Yes.” “Hold this.”
The boy immediately squatted down and grabbed the wood.
“A little lower.”
His hands moved down.
“There.”
Leon pressed the wood against the cracked section and wrapped the rope around it. The wood shifted when he pulled the first time, so he untied it. The second time, he caught one of the spokes in the binding and tied the knot.
This time, it held.
After rolling the wheel twice, he took his hand away.
“That’ll do.”
Fel looked down at it.
“That?” “It should make it to the crossroads.” “You can’t say for sure...” “Want me to make a new wheel here?”
Fel kept his mouth shut for a moment.
“Let’s go.”
Leon brushed the wood shavings from his hands.
Matthias was still looking at the bound wheel.
“Do mercenaries do things like this, too?” “Not all of them.” “Then how do you know how?” “I’ve done it a few times.”
Leon hung the axe back up.
“When the cart stops, the supplies stop, too.”
Matthias glanced at the cargo loaded onto the cart.
“Because of the food?” “Soldiers have to eat before they can move.”
The cart was moving a little slower than before.
Fel checked the wheel several times, apparently worried about it, and around the third time Leon said,
“Watch the road.” “I’m watching the wheel.” “At this rate, you’ll hit something first.”
Fel reluctantly raised his head.
Nothing happened for a while after that.
Leon looked at Matthias’s posture again. He was still gripping the reins too tightly.
“Relax your hands.” “Won’t I drop them?” “I’m not telling you to let go.”
Leon raised his own hand.
“About this much.”
When Matthias imitated him, the horse’s neck eased forward a little.
“Don’t squeeze so hard with your knees, either.” “Then I think I’ll fall off.” “You’ll tire faster if you keep bracing yourself.”
The boy adjusted his posture for a moment.
After a few steps, he was swaying less than before.
“Is this better?” “Yeah.” “Could you not ride at first, either, Leon?” “I fell off a lot.”
Matthias looked at him, a little surprised.
“Even though you were a mercenary?” “Before I became a mercenary, I wasn’t one.”
Matthias thought about that for a moment, then nodded.
Fel, who had been listening beside them, laughed.
“That’s true.” “Obviously.” “Most things you say are.”
Leon didn’t bother answering.
Before noon, the road ahead began to clog up.
Several carts were lined up, and a long log had been laid across the middle of the road.
A small shack and four soldiers.
A checkpoint?
Fel’s face soured immediately.
“They’re going to charge us.”
When the merchant in front handed over some coins, the log was raised.
The mounted man after him only had his weapon and destination checked before being allowed through.
While the line shortened, Leon watched the soldiers.
They opened the cargo.
They checked weapons.
They didn’t look at faces for long.
They didn’t seem to be looking for anyone.
Matthias edged a little closer.
“Should we turn back?” “No.”
Leon glanced at the boy.
“Just stay quiet until I tell you to speak.” “Yes.”
Fel’s cart went through the inspection first.
The soldier who saw the crates of salt asked,
“A merchant?” “Starting today.” “What?” “I’m taking it north to sell.”
The soldier asked nothing else and collected the toll.
Fel grimaced as he handed over the coins, but went through in the end.
Then it was Leon’s turn.
The soldier’s gaze swept over his one-edged sword and crossbow.
“Mercenary?” “Until yesterday.” “Unit.” “Third Scout Company, at the end.” “Heading south?” “Yeah.”
The soldier looked at Matthias.
“Not your son?” “I’m escorting him.” “How far?”
Leon paused briefly.
“South.” “Where in the south?” “I don’t know, either.”
The soldier looked at Leon again.
“You don’t know the destination while escorting him?” “Right.”
Now that he thought about it, that did sound strange.
“You have a contract?”
Leon took out the folded paper.
The soldier skimmed it.
“Two gold coins for five days?” “That’s what it says.” “Suspicious.” “I think so, too.”
The soldier writing in the ledger beside him laughed.
“If he knows it’s suspicious, what more is there to ask?”
The checkpoint guard handed back the paper and glanced at Matthias’s bag, but didn’t tell him to open it.
The line behind them was growing longer.
“Two horses. Toll.”
When Leon heard the amount, he asked,
“Why is it more than the one before us paid?” “You’re armed.” “Does being armed change how you’re charged?” “You’re a mercenary.”
Leon wanted to say no, because he had retired.
But he had taken a contract, and fighting here wouldn’t make the toll any cheaper.
Leon handed over the coins.
After they had gone far enough that the checkpoint was no longer visible, Matthias moved alongside him.
“Why did we just go through?” “Because they didn’t look like they were searching for anyone.” “How did you know?” “They checked the cargo and weapons first.”
Leon glanced back once.
“If they were looking for someone, they’d pay more attention to faces and clothing.” “Could you be wrong?” “Sure.”
Matthias’s expression tightened a little.
“And you still went through?” “If we waited until we were certain, it would take longer.”
Leon thought for a moment, then added,
“If something seems off, we can turn back then.” “Is that why you told me not to speak earlier?” “Yeah. But next time, at least give them your name.” “What if they ask for my last name?”
Leon didn’t know that one yet, either.
He had a point.
“You answer anything harmless. Hand the questions about the destination or your bag over to me.”
Matthias understood immediately this time.
“Understood.”
“Good.”
He should have explained it that way from the start.
The crossroads came sooner than expected.
Based on an old signpost, the left road led north and the right road south.
As soon as Fel stopped the cart, he checked the wheel first.
The rope was still holding.
“Looks fine.” “Tie it again once we’re halfway there.” “Do I have to?” “If you don’t want to, forget it.” “I’ll do it.”
Fel climbed onto the cart.
Their directions diverged now.
“I’m heading out.” “Yeah.” “Let me know if you find a mill.” “Where?”
Fel paused for a moment.
He hadn’t decided on anything except that he was going north, either.
“We’ll figure it out later.” “Sure.”
Matthias bowed his head to Fel.
“Take care.” “You too.”
Fel glanced at Leon and added,
“Listen to that bastard.” “I am.” “Good. Then that’s settled.”
The cart slowly moved down the road to the left.
Screech.
The wheel made another small sound.
Fel’s head dropped immediately.
“Watch where you’re going.” “Got it.”
Fel raised one hand and continued on without stopping.
Leon watched for a moment, until the cart disappeared between the trees, then turned his horse south.
“Is he your friend?”
Matthias asked.
“Fel?” “Yes.”
Leon thought for a moment.
They had met on the same battlefields several times over fifteen years, drunk together, and lent each other money.
That much...
“He probably is.” “You’re not sure?” “I’ve never asked.”
Matthias looked at him as if he found that strange.
Leon started moving first.
“Let’s go.” “Yes.”
Without having to match the cart’s pace, he could pick up the speed a little.
Not as much as he would have liked, with Matthias along.
Leon checked to the side once and followed the southern road.