“As in…Tristan and Iseult?” Ere asked.
The boy frowned.
“Who’s Iseult?”
“Or do you prefer Isolde?”
Tristan shook his head.
“Well, I suppose you’re still too young,” Ere remarked as he looked Tristan up and down. “Are there a lot of Tristans around here?”
“I am the only one by the name that I know of.”
Ere’s eyes lit up as he thought of something else.
“Have you met Ayelet?”
Tristan blinked with incomprehension.
“Apologies, sir, I do not know of what you speak.”
“Don’t mind me—”
“I never do,” Ray muttered.
“—I’m just rambling. Just…don’t drink any potions, okay? And don’t sleep with anyone’s wife. No good ever comes of that.”
Tristan scratched his head and glanced uncertainly at Wolfe.
It was time to take control of the situation.
“I can’t help but notice that we are traveling on the same road,” Wolfe said to the trio.
“I overheard your discussion earlier. Tristan and I would be amenable to share the load with you. Our larger group will also deter brigands or hostile soldiers recently returned from war. What say you?”
“I’m totally for it!” Ere crowed just as Ray opened his mouth.
“You and Tristan can take Rui. I’m sure we’ll have lots to talk about on our way there. This will be so much fun!”
Wolfe grimaced at Ere’s enthusiasm.
Information went both ways. He wanted to know more about the foreigners, and they must be looking to do the same with him. He’d have to be careful around the man called Ere in particular. He was a wily one.
“Shall we?”
Wolfe looked down at Ray, whose partially bowed head hid most of his face.
The elf assassin was chewing indecisively on his lip, a sign of uncertainty that seemed contrary to his character, based on what little Wolfe had seen.
“It is logical,” the man muttered.
Then, in the blink of an eye, he flipped himself weightlessly on top of Wolfe’s stallion, light as a feather.
“I ride front,” was all he said, keeping his gaze ahead and not looking, not even once, directly at Wolfe.
Wolfe shrugged, attributing the odd exchange to the strange customs of foreigners.
He mounted swiftly behind Ray, as Sorin mounted behind Ere, and Tristan mounted as well. Together, the group of five set out for Caerleon Castle and Cardigan Bay.