Blend shrugged. 'If it was me I'd have Quick Ben take a good long peer at them, and sooner not later.'
'Togg's balls, if you'd a suspicion-'
'Didn't say I did, Corporal — it was you complaining they were tight. Can you get them off?'
She scowled. 'No, damn you.'
'Oh.' Blend looked away.
Picker contemplated giving the woman a good, hard cuff, but it was a thought she entertained at least ten times a day since they'd paired up for this posting, and once again she resisted it. 'Three hundred councils to buy my arm falling off. Wonderful.'
'Think positive, Corporal. It'll give you something to talk about with Dujek.'
'I really do hate you, Blend.'
She offered Picker a bland smile. 'So, did you drop a pebble in that old man's pack, then?'
'Aye, he was fidgety enough to warrant it. He damn near fainted when I called him back, didn't he?'
Blend nodded.
'So,' Picker said, unrolling her sleeve, 'Quick Ben tracks him-'
'Unless he cleans out his pack-'
The corporal grunted. 'He cared less about what was in it than I did. No, whatever serious booty he carried was under his shirt, no doubt about it. Anyway, he'll be sure to put out the word when he gets to Pale — the traffic of smugglers through these hills will drop right off, mark my words and I'll lay coin on that wager — and I threw him the line about better chances at the Divide when you was off collecting the councils.'
Blend's smile broadened. ' "Chaos at the crossroads", eh? The only chaos Paran's crew has over there is what to do with all the takings.'
'Let's fix some food — the Moranth will likely be as punctual as usual.'
The two Bridgeburners made their way back up the trail.
An hour after sunset the flight of Black Moranth arrived, descending on their quorls in a slithering flutter of wings to the circle of lanterns Picker and Blend had set out. One of them carried a passenger who clambered off as soon as his quorl's six legs alighted on the stony ground.
Picker grinned at the cursing man. 'Over here, Quick-'
He spun to face her. 'What in Hood's name have you been up to, Corporal?'