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Page 177
their ways and people could have permitted him to learn so well.
Although Simon was aware of what the men thought, he no longer worried about the fond condescension with which they regarded him. Tonight in particular the silent slipping through the darkness released a well of joy in his soul. Richard's depression was oppressive and made the crowded conditions and restricted activities inside Usk even less palatable than usual.
They had reached the forested stretch now and could come upright and move faster and more steadily. Still, they were silent as any other predator, circling like wolves to be sure the wind would not carry their scent. Naturally the men would not notice, but the horses and oxen might grow restless and thus give warning to guards who might be extra alert because of recent raids. In less than an hour they were on the low wooded hill that lay northwest of the armed encampment. The moon was just rising, but its light did not yet fall into the valley. For Simon and his men the time was perfect, the low moon providing even more disturbing shadows that flicked and shifted as the breeze drove clouds across the sky.
The field was also perfect, dotted with tall weeds, low bushes, and clumps of saplings. There was, Simon thought, cover for an army of Welsh. But there were guards in plenty too, not quite shoulder to shoulder but well within sight of each other. The little existing light gleamed fitfully on the ring-sewn leather armor they wore. Simon smiled. Such precautions surely indicated that Llewelyn's men had been at work.
Siorl, Simon's captain, and the other men knew what to do. They were now fading away into the open area one at a time. From his perch on the hill, Simon could see one guard and then another tense up and call softly to his neighbors. Most often all three would take a few steps forward and peer around. Simon did not see his men slip past and around the searching groups into the

 
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