Sly

Chapter Twenty Two

Sly

"Sly! Sly, they're here!" Addah hobbled down the cellar stairs. The sun was up and Davery was already out on whatever business he had that day. I stretched and rubbed the sleep from my eyes.

"Who's here?" I mumbled.

"The soldiers! The first wave of soldiers returning were spotted from the Northgate Tower just a bit ago! They should be here within the hour." Addah came into my room practically bouncing with excitement, which was rather comical coming from such a small old woman. I grinned wide and threw off her blankets, my heart already pounding.

"I want to watch them," I announced pulling on my boots. "Are any royals with them?"

"No, I hear King Joasten and Prince General Mason will be with the next group, just in time for the Harvest festival at the end of the month.n Here, take this with you." Addah shoved a roll with honey on it into my hand as I ran for the door. "Tell me who you recognize!" The old woman called.

"Thanks, I will!" I yelled racing up the stairs.

The rain from yesterday had blown out, the air was crisp and the sky cloudless. I ran through the lower streets, winding around buildings where I knew the shortcuts. I reached Northgate and easily found a crowd gathered to watch the procession. Folks packed as close to the road as they could get without the mongrels prodding them off the actual street to make room for the returning men.

I was late enough that I couldn't see the street through the people. I turned around and eyed the buildings around me, most of them had faces in the windows and one of them had a shed attached to the main apartment house. Looking up at the roof I noticed a few brave children had the same idea I did. Rooftops in Unays had a peculiar quirk, the middle ridge was flat enough to walk on. The roof line of the city could be used as a sort of path during high floods if one was really desperate, which I had been on occasion. Most inhabitants of the buildings below though would be less than pleased, which I found on almost as many occasions.

The roof paths were the original rout around the city in flood times before the High Road was finished. A relic of times past, but currently my best shot at seeing any of the action. Climbing a rain barrel to get to the shed roof, I hoisted myself up carefully onto the main building as quietly as I could so as not to alert the people inside.

I had eaten the roll from Addah on the run and now wished I had stopped for more food. I was hungry from the run and now thirsty, but rather than lose my great new seat, I stayed put to watch the gate.  The first few men made it into the gate and the crowd began chattering excitedly, a few cheers speckled the crowd. The man leading the marching soldiers was on a horse. I didn't know anything about his rank but he rode a horse and had on a red cape which the regular soldiers didn't wear. Everyone's attention was on him, so they didn't notice that someone else was on the road until the horseman stopped. He raised his sword in a salute and bowed his head, causing the mass of people watching him to look down the road further into the city. Prince Braeton rode his own white stallion and was flanked by Prince Rorik and Guardcaptain Pettypiece also mounted. Several City Guards of rank stood at attention behind them. They must have gone to the gates to meet the incoming army's return.

Rorik, with that stupid knowing smirk and perfectly tousled hair, glanced around the rooftops seemingly amused by the children watching. A chill ran up my spine as his gaze stopped over where I sat for a moment before moving on. I was one of the only adult sized figures on the roof, a choice I regretted now. Did he recognize me? I was wearing the same clothes he had seen me in spying on Lord Girault for the first time. I wondered what he made of the letter Davery sent him, and if he was doing anything with their information.