Thierry was surprised to find the shaman behind them when he and Nogai finally abandoned the khan’s yurt and stepped into the relative silence of the night. The man moved stealthily and Thierry felt a twinge of annoyance at his presence. The shaman smiled as though he had detected the path of Thierry’s thoughts.
“You assume that you will succeed on the field tomorrow,” he said silkily.
Thierry shot a glance at Nogai. His companion said nothing, but ’twas easy to detect his uncertain response to the unexpected comment.
“Such an expectation would not be unreasonable,” Thierry said, hating that he was beginning to question the matter himself. This man had no true power. The shaman had political aspirations of his own and the truth was clear to all who dared to see. Indeed, how could he div
