“We are safe, no matter the coin they offer.”

“No matter the coin?” asked Darius.

Jerico shrugged.

“Well, within reason. Everyone has their price.”

“That so? Then what is yours?”

“Eternity,” said Jerico, stepping outside the shed. “I’d love to see Sebastian offer me that.”

Given Jerico’s prominent role in the battle, he knew he needed to be careful, in case the rider had been told his description. With his long hair, red beard, and blue-silver armor, he wasn’t the most easily forgotten of men. Still, the night was dark, and his armor was in the shed. If he kept his distance, he should be able listen in without being noticed.

The rider was still gathering people, ensuring that there would be no need to repeat himself before riding off to his next destination. Jerico leaned against the side of a house, hidden in the shadows cast by the torchlight. The rider wore light armor, and he bore a crest Jerico recognized. Sir Robert Godley and his men had worn similar markings when they came to help fight off the wolf-men in Durham. It seemed like ages ago to Jerico, but he knew it’d been hardly three months. He felt his worry lessen. Robert was a friend, and had little to do with the brothers’ conflict.

“People of Wilhelm, I seek a man responsible for a most terrible tragedy,” the rider began. The speech was well-rehearsed, and though his words were fiery, he spoke them in a perfunctory manner. To Jerico, he sounded beyond exhausted. “Not long ago, a man helped burn down the village of Durham, and slaughtered many of its residents. This act was done without mercy and without reason. I’ve come offering a bounty of five hundred gold coins to whoever brings me, or any proper authority of the King, this man’s head.”

A gasp ran through the people. Five hundred gold was a fortune, a thousand times more than any farmers might see in their lifetime. Jerico felt something catch in his throat as he thought of Durham. He’d preached alongside Darius there, becoming friends with the people. He’d lost many fighting the wolf-men, succeeding only because of Robert’s help. Now someone had attacked it again?