“Well, I guess that depends,” Vanin said. “I could probably make two hundred leagues in a little over a week, if I were going alone, with a couple of good horses to ride in shifts and was crossing familiar terrain. The whole army, though, through these hills using a broken roadway? Twenty days, I’d say. Maybe longer.”
Joline glanced at Mat.
“We aren’t leaving the Band behind,” Mat said. “Not an option, Joline.”
She looked away, her expression dissatisfied.
“You’re welcome to go on your own,” Mat said. “That goes for each of you. You Aes Sedai aren’t my prisoners; leave any time you want, so long as you head north. I won’t risk you heading back to be taken by Seanchan.”
What would it be like, traveling with just the Band again, not an Aes Sedai in sight? Ah, if only.
Teslyn looked thoughtful. Joline glanced at her, but the Red didn’t give any indication if she’d be willing to leave or not. Edesina, however, hesitated, then nodded to Joline. She was willing.
“Very well,” Joline said to Mat with a haughty air. “It would be good to be away from your crudeness, Cauthon. Prepare for us, say, twenty-four mounts and we shall be off.”
“Twenty-four?” Mat asked.
“Yes,” Joline said. “Your man here mentioned that he’d need two horses to make the trip in a reasonable amount of time. So that he could remount, presumably, when one of the beasts grew tired.”
“I count two of you,” Mat said, his anger rising. “That means four horses. I figured you’d be smart enough to do that math, Joline.” And then, softer, he added, “If just barely.”
Joline’s eyes opened wide, and Edesina’s expression was painted with shock. Teslyn gave him a shocked glance, seeming disappointed. To the side, Talmanes just lowered his pipe and whistled quietly.
“That medallion of yours makes you impudent, Matrim Cauthon,” Joline said coldly.
“My mouth makes me impudent, Joline,” Mat replied with a sigh, fingering the medallion hidden beneath his loosely tied shirt. “The medallion just makes me truthful. I believe you were going to explain why you need to take twenty-four of my horses when I barely have enough for my men as it is?”
“Two each for Edesina, me, and my Warders,” Joline said stiffly. “Two each for the former sul’dam. You don’t presume that I’m going to leave them behind to be corrupted by your little band here?”
“Two Warders and two sul’dam,” Mat said. “That’s twelve horses.”
“Two for Setalle. I assume she’ll want to be away from all of this with us.”
“Fourteen.”
“Two more for Teslyn,” Joline said. “She will undoubtedly want to go with us, though she currently has nothing to say on the matter. And we’ll need about four pack animals’ worth to carry our things. They’ll have to trade their burdens too, so four more for that. Twenty-four.”
“Which you’ll feed how?” Mat asked. “If you’re riding that hard, you won’t have time to graze your horses. There’s barely anything for them to eat these days anyway.” That had proven a big problem; the spring grass wasn’t coming in. The meadows they passed were brown with fallen leaves, the dead winter weeds pressed flat by snow, barely a new shoot of grass or weed. Horses could feed on the dead leaves and winter grass, of course, but wild deer and other animals had been active, eating down whatever they could find.
If the land didn’t decide to start blooming soon . . . well, they were in for a difficult summer. But that was another problem entirely.
“We will need you to give us feed, of course,” Joline said. “And some coin for inns. . . .”
“And who is going to take care of all those horses? You going to brush them down each night, check their hooves, see that their feed is properly measured?”
“I suppose we should take a handful of your soldiers with us,” Joline said, sounding dissatisfied. “A necessary inconvenience.”
“The only thing that is necessary,” Mat said flatly. “Is for my men to stay where they’re wanted, not where they’re an inconvenience. No, they stay—and you’ll have no coin from me. If you want to go, you can take one horse each and a single packhorse to carry your things. I’ll give you some feed for the poor beasts, and giving you that much is generous.”
“But with only one horse each, we’ll barely be faster than the army!” Joline said.
“Imagine that,” Mat said. He turned away from her. “Vanin, go and tell Mandevwin to pass the word. We’ll be camping soon. I know it’s barely afternoon, but I want the Band far enough from that village not to be threatening, but close enough that a few of us can go down to feel things out.”
“All right,” Vanin said, with none of the respect he’d shown the bloody Aes Sedai. He turned his horse and began to ride down the line.
“And Vanin,” Mat called. “Make sure Mandevwin is aware that when I say ‘a few of us’ will go down, I mean a very small group, led by myself and Talmanes. I won’t have that village invaded by seven thousand soldiers looking for fun! I’ll buy a cart in the town and what ale I can find, then send it back for the men. There is to be strict order in camp, with no one accidentally wandering down to visit, now. Understand?”
Vanin nodded, looking grim. It was never fun to be the one who had to inform the men that they weren’t going to be getting leave. Mat turned back to the Aes Sedai. “Well?” he asked. “You taking my kind offer or not?”