33
Help from Others
They weren’t far from Whitechurch now. Khallum had wanted to cut through the Gap of Ever to bisect Fionn’s Pass, but Oakenwell insisted there’d be more men to the south of Whitechurch in anticipation of that, and it was the men led by Strong and Garrick who were better prepared to distract them. If Lord Warwick and Lord Blackwood wanted to maintain their secrecy in position, Oakenwell said, they would have to add a day and cross where the pass eased at Rushwood.
Khallum hadn’t made up his mind about Oakenwell. The man’s earnest defection was written plainly upon his face. But when he tried to envision one of his own men doing the same, the raw discomfort this produced created a twinge of doubt. He both admired Oakenwell, for standing strong against tyranny, and also
