Huge Ajax's Arc

Chapter 577 of 619

Corin held the gate through the morning. He read every man who passed, the way Marco had drilled him. Carts rolled by. Iron rang against stone in the trader's minds. He caught it all and let none of it slip. Then, near noon, a merchant came through with two hired guards, and something in Corin's chest went cold and wrong. He stopped. He reached out again with his sense. The feeling was not like a collar or a lie. It hummed low and old, the way the marked stones on the cliff had hummed when he first touched them. It came off the merchant's saddlebag. Corin pressed a hand to his own chest. His breath came short. The hum grew louder the longer he held it, pushing at the back of his eyes. He waved the merchant off the road before the man could pass through. Marco was there in three steps. He had felt the change in Corin's face. "Talk," he said. "Not a man," Corin said. "A thing. In his bag. It feels like the stones under the cliff." He swallowed. "Old binding. Strong." Marco's eyes went to the merchant. He was still for a moment, reading the man's mind. Then he nodded. "He doesn't know what it is. Bought it two towns west from a woman who wanted it gone. Says it keeps his horses from spooking." Marco's mouth went flat. "He's telling the truth. He has no idea." Corin's head throbbed. "I can't read past it. It's too loud." "Then don't push," Marco said. He stepped between Corin and the merchant, breaking the line of it. The pressure eased at once. Corin drew a full breath. Marco turned back to the merchant. He kept his voice easy. "That bag. What did the woman say when she sold it?" The merchant shifted. "Said her house had no use for it anymore. Said the north was done with such things." He glanced at the saddlebag like it might bite. "You want it? Take it. I'll take half what I paid." Marco looked at Corin. Corin gave a small nod. They had to know what it was. Ajax would want it read. "We'll take it," Marco said. He counted silver into the merchant's hand. "Ride on. Speak of this to no one." The merchant took the coin and left quick, glad to be rid of it. Marco lifted the bag with care. Even wrapped in leather, Corin felt it pull at him from an arm's length. "Chalam has to see this," Marco said. "And Ajax." Corin steadied himself against the gate post. "It came through my post. If I hadn't felt it, it would have gone past you into the town." "I know." Marco looked at him, and the dry warmth came back into his voice. "The gift first. You held it. Good." He tucked the bag against his side. "Now we find out what walked up to our gate."