“The rain will mask the smoke, so none will see it,” Barker assured him and sat himself down with the knight and squire. On the table were several small loaves of bannock and some dried cheese.

Bruce tore a hunk of hard bread from one loaf and soaked it in the warm broth to soften it up. “Will the princess join us?” he asked around a mouthful of cheese.

Humphrey looked up from his bowl. “The Lady Isabelle is now yer queen, lad,” he said softly and Bruce blushed at his memory lapse. “She sleeps,” he added, “and needs the rest. There will be food when she awakes.” Bruce nodded and went back to his meal. They ate in silence, occasionally passing around an ale skin to wash down the dry bread and cheese.

After their meal, all three men sat near the fire and began to clean and sharpen their weapons. The dried blood and gore which resulted from their earlier battle was removed from the steel with warm water and then each blade was sharpened and polished. Eventually Barker broke the silence.

“Sir Humphrey, would ye be willing to tell me just where it is we be heading?” he asked, but before the knight could speak, Barker added, “I mean aside from just, north.”

Humphrey smiled and set aside his sharpening stone. “Aye, Master Barker, ye have earned the right to know where it is we be going,” he said. “We go north into the mountains, beyond the Westerlands.”

Barker glanced over to where Humphrey’s sword lay across a bench and saw the firelight gleam along its surface. “Ye go to seek aid from the dwarves, then,” he stated, then turned back to face the knight.

“Aye,” Humphrey said and reached over to pick up the long sword. “At this point, I know naught if we may trust any within the borders of this realm.”

“I have heard talk that many of the northern Barons be still loyal to the late king,” Barker stated.

“True,” the dark knight said as he began to sharpen his sword with slow, easy strokes of a whet stone. “But Regent Moorcroft—or whoever is behind the attempted overthrow of the royal family—may have spies planted even in the castles of loyal Barons. I therefore can not risk their involvement in our cause until we have sufficient backing to protect the queen and any one who may side with us.” Humphrey paused to test the blade’s edge and then began to sharpen the other side. “That is why we must reach the dwarfish people before any one else knows of our plan.”

Barker nodded his agreement. “I can find the way for ye, no doubt o’ that,” he said, “but have meself never had any dealings with the mountain folk.”

“Nor have I,” Humphrey admitted, then raised his sword and the firelight danced along its length. “But I was told many years past that if I brought saesi bora back to the Three Mountain Clan, they would aid me, and so too the realm.”

“Let us hope so,” Barker said.

“How long will it take us to reach the mountains?” Bruce asked. He had never been outside of the Westerlands before and had only seen the snow covered peaks of the northern mountain range from a distance.

“We are still some three or four days from Big Rock,” Humphrey told him, “which lies in the foothills. Beyond that it is mayhap two days more to the border, then we climb. But how long it will take us to find the Three Mountain Clan…” and he paused for a moment. “For that I have no idea.”

They worked in silence after that until all three finished with their weapons. Then while Barker banked the fire, Humphrey checked on the young queen once more. She still slept and he added more wood to the fire in her room, then went out to check on the horses and take first watch. Barker and the squire rolled up in blankets and lay down on the floor near the fireplace and both were soon asleep.