Hama hurriedly threw a few things together after being so summarily ordered to come along by Fréa. He didn’t really like the man, but—he was his superior and thus to be obeyed. Besides, Fréa knew what he was talking about, surely. After all, he’d had so much more experience than had Hama. But how was he supposed to know that the murde.rer’s brother intended a jailbreak? Wasn’t it customary to allow family to say goodbye? It had seemed only fair to him, but he still had much to learn.
He followed orders and took enough from the cash box to buy provisions for five. That should be more than enough for himself, Fréa, and anyone that the older guard decided to take along. He didn’t take just any spare horse, however. He took his own mare Lluagor. She was a tall, graceful bay whom he’d raised from a foal. He slid his sword into its sheath, crosswise on his back, strapped his longknives along his thighs, and placed his shield within easy reach on his back. He loaded Lluagor with his other things and as many of his provisions as she could carry without strain, then put the rest on a pack animal and proceeded to the Inn.
When he arrived, he found that Fréa and two other men were waiting for him impatiently. They didn’t even give him time to grab a quick drink before leaving. They seemed a little more anxious to capture this prisoner than he might have expected, but he supposed that it was just his inexperience. After all, they were chasing a murde.rer. Weren’t they?
He shook his head at himself. Of course Haldor was a murde.rer; he'd been tried and convicted. These silly doubts weren't worth bringing up with men who were vastly more experienced and surely wiser than he. He would have more than enough time to voice doubts of such things when he'd had as much experience as had they. Now was the time to catch this man and put him back behind bars where he belonged.
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