"Stay here!" Yorgh breathed with his lips touching Vaneen's ear. "I'll try to creep around behind him."
"I can do better than that," whispered the girl, pushing against his arm to force him behind a shrub.
Yorgh swore luridly to himself when he discovered that the plant was armed with sharp thorns the size of arrowheads, but it was too late to protest.
"Kansi ..." called Vaneen softly.
The sentry straightened nervously and hissed, "Who is it?"
"Come and see," invited the girl, keeping her voice so low that it might have been any girl.
Kansi strode over with quick, worried steps, the picture of a man torn between opportunity and duty.
Yorgh's big fist shot out of the darkness to take him behind the ear with a solid thunk! He went down without a sound.
Back in the village, there were symptoms of a growing hue and cry. Torches began to move out along the trail.
"Hurry!" said Yorgh.