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The Kings of Clonmel

John Flanagan

Chapter 1

It was Tug, of course, who first sensed the presence of the other horse and rider.

His ears twitched upwards and Will felt, rather than heard, the low rumble that vibrated through the little horse's barrel-like body. It was not an alarm signal, so Will knew that whoever Tug had sensed, it was someone known to him. He leaned forward and patted the shaggy mane.

'Good boy,' he said softly. 'Now where are they?'

He already had a fair idea who it would be. And even as he spoke, his guess was confirmed as a bay horse and a tall rider trotted out of the trees some hundred metres ahead of him to wait at the crossroads there. Tug snorted again, tossing his head.

'All right. I can see them. '

He touched Tug lightly with his heels and the horse responded instantly, moving to a canter to close the distance to the horse and rider. The bay whinnied a greeting, to which Tug responded.

'Gilan!' Will shouted cheerfully as they came within easy earshot. The tall Ranger waved a hand in reply, grinning as Will and Tug clattered to a stop beside him.

The two Rangers leaned over in their saddles to clasp right hands.

'It's good to see you,' Gilan said.

'You too. I thought it would be you. Tug let me know there were friends nearby a few minutes ago. '

'Not much gets by that shaggy little beast of yours, does it?' Gilan said easily.

'Little?' Will replied. 'I don't notice that Blaze is exactly a battlehorse. '

In truth, Blaze was a little longer in the leg than the average Ranger horse, and had slightly finer lines. But like all of the breed, Gilan's bay mare was still considerably smaller than the massive battlehorses that carried the Kingdom's knights into battle.

While the two young Rangers chaffed each other, the horses seemed to be carrying on a similar conversation, with a lot of snorting and head tossing to punctuate the good-natured horsey insults they were undoubtedly swapping. Ranger horses definitely seemed to communicate with each other and Gilan regarded the two of them curiosly.

'Wonder what the devil they're saying?' he mused.

'I think Tug just commented on how uncomfortable Blaze must be, carrying a spindle-shanked bag of bones like yourself,' Will told him. Gilan opened his mouth to reply in kind but oddly, at that very moment, Tug nodded his head violently several times, and both horses turned their heads to study Gilan. It was a coincidence, the tall Ranger told himself. And yet it was uncanny how they chose that very moment to do it.

'You know,' he said, 'I have a strange feeling that you might be right. '

Will looked back along the road he had just travelled, then down the crossroad, in the opposite direction to the one from which Gilan had emerged.

'Any sign of Halt so far?'

Gilan shook his head. 'I've been waiting for the best part of two hours, and I haven't seen him yet. Odd, because he has the shortest distance to travel. '