Halfway down the third floor hall, the drenindru stopped and puffed up her fur. Something darted out of a shadow near Ga-Min’s room. The little brown animal yapped at us with extreme fury. It almost had me unsheathing my sword.
“Kick the little bastard or something!” said Dae-Won.
“Shifa will distract him!”
I sprinted for Ga-Min’s door. Shifa played her part and ran up to growl and snap at the dog. I heard a door slide open somewhere at the same time I shut Ga-Min’s door behind Dae-Won. Going by the retreating racket, Shifa was fruitfully leading the dog and a woman’s voice away from us.
“Now what?” asked Dae-Won. I pointed at the rope. His eyes followed it out the window. “Do you think the rope will hold me?”
“I’ll hold the rope on this end, and I tied the other end myself, so I know that end will stay tied. I’d be more worried about your grip.”
Staring at his chubby hands, he asked, “There’s not a backup plan, is there?”
“Sure, I can push you out the window.”
“That’s not funny.”
“It’s a little funny. Listen, this is what your life choices have led to—either use the rope or go back to the cellar. What’s it gonna be?”
Dae-Won sighed. He mumbled in his tongue to himself as he climbed through the window. I followed him out.
“This is how you got here?”
“Yes, now stop dallying. I saw no such thing from your lover and friend. Or shall I tell them that Dae-Won was too cowardly to run from his broken cage?”
He groaned and rolled his eyes. His hands grabbed the rope and tugged it a few times. I grasped the rope to cease its shaking. Dae-Won took a step closer to the edge and got himself under the rope.
“Can you help me with this part?”
“Start lifting yourself up and I’ll catch your legs.”
After taking a few quick breaths, Dae-Won seized the rope and tried pulling his girth up. I grabbed his feet when he got his legs to dangle, then stretched and wrapped them around the rope.
Letting go of him, I asked, “You okay?”
“Yeah, sure. This isn’t so bad.”
“Good. Always keep at least one hand on the rope, and I’m not saying you have to go fast, but once you get moving, don’t stop until your head hits the tree.”
“Head on tree. Got it…”
“Any day now.”
“Right, right.”
He extended a hand, clutched a higher segment of rope, and squirmed forward. I hated how slowly he started, but he found a reasonable pace in due course. Even with my pulling the rope, it slackened by one or two feet when he reached the midway point, hindering his speed again. The gusts of wind did not help either.
Going by the number of different voices and footfalls echoing nearby, Shifa’s chittering and the dog’s yapping seemed to have woken the entire tower. None of them would have much trouble spotting the rotund man gently swaying on a rope if they glanced out an eastern facing window. The strengthening wind and the activity from the tower made it difficult to hear whether the troupe carried on in their diversion, so I was getting anxious to get a move on.
Once Dae-Won was wriggling over tree branches, I decided to risk the extra weight. I inverted my sight and clambered my way up the rope. The wind made it a touch more precarious, but when I saw that Dae-Won’s feet had settled on a branch, I pulled out a dagger and cut the rope. My side of the rope swung me through the air and over the wall. My extended, prana-filled legs lessened the shock the rest of my body received when they contacted the tree. For some damn reason I forgot about the crack in my jaw, which the tremors going up my body kindly reminded me of.
Looking at a sweaty Dae-Won a few branches above me, I said, “Get on the other side of the tree, then climb down to the lowest branch.”
“Easy for you to say.”
“Just do it.”
As Dae-Won hugged the trunk and maneuvered himself to be on the other side of it, I climbed up to cut a length of rope. That in hand, I climbed down to the lowest branch on Dae-Won’s side and tied it to it.
When an out of breath Dae-Won finally caught up to me, he looked at the dangling rope and said, “Are you kidding me? My arms are noodles. I can’t climb down that.”
“I wouldn’t use ‘noodles’ as your comparison.”
“Shut up, I’m serious. I’d lose my grip and break my legs.”
“So you’d rather jump?”
“No, no. You look like a strong guy. I’m thinking I hold on to your back as you climb down.”
The groan in my head escaped my lips. “Fine, but don’t squirm those ‘noodle’ arms of yours too much. I have a crack in my jaw that’s barely feeling better.”
“Sure, sure. Anything for my knight in shining armor.”
I turned around and allowed Dae-Won’s chunky limbs to drape over my shoulders. His hefty gut precluded his legs from doing anything other than droop from his body, putting all his weight on my shoulders and back. I hoped Ga-Min was never beneath her lover. Only by expending my prana throughout my body could I expect to last more than a few seconds in this position. I was thankful that the ground was not so far away.
I think Dae-Won did his best not to push his arms against my jaw, but it happened anyway. All I could do to keep the most sensitive area of my injury from becoming too inflamed was to press the left side of my face against his left arm. Now it was his squalid stink that bothered me more.
The ground soon graced our feet with its presence. Dae-Won fell on his knees and touched the ground with his forehead.
After giving him a moment, I said, “Let’s go.”
Standing up to follow me, he asked, “Where?”
“A cheap tavern Ujin told me to meet him at. Said you’ll want a drink or two once you got free.”
“Gods yes. I don’t care how cheap it is.”
“I imagine you’ll have to get used to cheap.”
“Ah, yes, my path will have to go through a rough patch for a while, but I’m sure Ujin and I can figure out a way to bring me back to my former glory. You will certainly be better rewarded when that occurs.”
“Give that reward to some orphan or war widow. Coin is useless to someone who can obtain it easily enough.”
“That so? Who is my savior, anyway?”
“Mercer.”
“Well, Mercer, how did Ujin find you? Not many northerners visit Shia.”
“Shifa found me. She liked my scent. From that Ujin figured I was worth talking to. He mentioned the plight of his friend, and I didn’t see the harm in helping him out.”
“Glad you thought so. But I’m still confused. You didn’t accept any kind of reward for freeing me?”
“No.”
“Even knowing the danger?”
“I don’t know why you’re confused about risk and danger. You must have known beforehand what would have happened if you were ever caught with Lady Cho, yet you risked it all the same.”
“That I did, but being with Lady Cho for a night is a grand reward. I don’t see what’s in it for you.”
“Let me put it this way—you wanted to embrace Lady Cho, and I wanted to embrace my selfish ambitions.”
“Selfish? Hmm, I’m thinking we’re two different kinds of people.”
“Aye, we might be.”
Dae-Won lacked the lungs to continue talking and jogging at the same time. I was glad not to have a conversation distracting me, as I sometimes needed a few moments to remember the way back to the rendezvous point near the troupe’s home. The problem exacerbated itself when I entered poorer areas that contained buildings that resembled one another. I once had to circle a block of homes twice to confirm that I headed in the right direction. Anyway, without a sign we were being hounded, I felt free to take a little time to choose the right path.
We eventually saw the correct tavern, the one with a white banner fluttering above the doorless entry. We doubled the amount of patrons when we entered and sat in the dimly li
t place. Already satisfied, I told Dae-Won to order nothing for me, but he used me as an excuse to order another meal and drink for himself.
Just as “our” courses of skewered meats and cooked vegetables arrived, so did Ujin and his little partner. The old friends cheerily greeted one another in their native tongue. Shifa jumped on the table and grabbed herself a skewer. I got up and placed Lady Cho’s purse next to Shifa, then I turned to go.
“Hey, where you goin’?” asked Dae-Won. “We’re just beginning to celebrate!”
“I’ve done my part, which is to say I’ve now grown tired enough to get some sleep. That’s how I’ll celebrate.”
Opening the purse to rummage its contents, Ujin said, “Ah, but I invite you to extend your part in our escape.”
“And why would I do so?”
“Mostly as a precaution. There’s no guarantee Lady Cho will keep our part in this quiet, and it will be particularly easy for guards to identify you. I recommend leaving with us tonight.”
“Ga-Min would never rat you out,” said Dae-Won.
“Hey, I would bet all the coin I’ve ever owned that she wouldn’t, but I’m not betting my life. It may not even be her. A servant or neighbor could have spotted us at some point. Best not to take chances. It’s why the girls are coming with us.”
“Where are you going, anyway?” I asked.
“To the coast. Probably Nogoro. We’ll have friends and options there. The coin and jewels Lady Cho generously donated will pay for our journey. I just have to check with a couple people to see which convoy we can join, then we’ll be off at dawn.”
“A convoy? I presume they’ll be armed. Are you expecting trouble?”
“I expect those we slighted will not think twice about hiring unscrupulous types to start a search for Dae-Won.”
“Ah, so that explains why you want me to come with you.”
“Mere precaution, friend. And why not join us? Traveling is always safer and more comfortable in a convoy, no? You want to reach your friends safe and sound, no? And you can sleep away most of the journey.”
“I’ll have to talk to my friend first.”
“Of course. Tell you what, go back to your inn, talk to your friend, and I’ll be over before dawn to get your answer. How’s that?”
“Fair enough.”
“You can find your way back, yes?”
“I’ll be fine, thanks. Make sure Shifa doesn’t get too close to Dae-Won. His stomach has only been growling louder since I met him.”
“Ha-fucking-ha,” said Dae-Won’s full mouth, a few wet crumbs falling out. “Like to see how you eat after being imprisoned.”
“Come on,” said Ujin, “he’s earned a joke or two, just like you’ve earned every meal you can stuff down that giant-ass neck of yours.”
The pair of friends continued talking as I saw myself out.
After an uneventful excursion back to my inn, I walked down the second story hall and noticed that Kiku’s room had its door open. I looked in to see her sitting on her bed, in the dark, eyes closed.
“You awake?”
“Yes. Where have you been?”
“Someone asked for my help, so I gave it.”
“Are we in danger?”
“It may be safer to leave the city.”
Her eyes opened. “Now?”
“The man I helped should be here before dawn. He invited us to join a convoy heading west. Any visions suggesting that’s a bad idea?”
“There are visions suggesting drinking too much water is a bad idea, so your question is a bit too broad. My advice is to trust your instincts. What do they say?”
“I don’t know about instincts, but logic tells me I should leave the trouble I stirred up as soon as possible, and we can always leave the convoy whenever we want.”
“Then I suppose it’s decided. Does the one you helped know who you are?”
“Not exactly. His summoned beast sniffed out my dragon scales, so I told him I was allied with the dragon knight.”
“Should I be as well?”
“Be whatever you want… uh, within reason.”
“Then I want to be sleeping. Please shut my door.”
I actually hoped she would continue the conversation. It was turning into one of those nights where sleep itself had taken a sojourn, and I had no idea when it would return.
The best I managed to do was meditate into a short-lived state of languor that was interrupted by a knock. Kiku and Ujin stood on the other side of my door, with Shifa sniffing Kiku’s legs.
“You ready?” asked Ujin.
Closing my door behind me, I replied, “Aye. You found a convoy?”
“Yes. My favored choice, actually. They’re in a respectable trade guild mainly transporting fabrics and furs, and they’ll be well defended. We can stick with their wagons the whole way to the coast if we wanted to. They won’t go straight for Nogoro, but they’ll get pretty close.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“Come on, then. They’ll be on the move soon.”
Our fast walking guide led us to Manvi’s wide central road. Here we passed other travelers preparing their steeds, carts, and wagons for journeys that would start when the shade of black above us diminished its oppression within the next hour. We headed toward a convoy made up of nine heavy wagons, four carts, and plenty of work horses and oxen to pull them. Including the fifteen armed men and women on foot or horseback, there looked to be about forty people total, some taking shelter under the dark gray fabric arched over four of the wagons.
Ujin went up to a well-dressed, well-groomed gentleman sitting alone in one of the carts. They spoke in Shia’s tongue for a moment, the man’s leery eyes making it obvious that he was most concerned about the foreigner. The convoy leader’s scratchy voice spoke with Kiku next. When he was mollified with her replies, he moved on to me.
“What is your blood name?” he asked in a rough form of the shared tongue.
“I assume you mean my family name. It’s Eberwolf.”
“Well, Master Eberwolf, Master Ro vouches for your character, yet I’ve never known strangers to bring good omens to these lands.”
“Then you should be happy to know that my intent is to leave your lands as quickly as possible, omens and all. You should have peace of mind knowing that every day I spend in your convoy will be another day closer to having Wregor bear my presence.”
He snorted. “Peace of mind? Eh, perhaps it would be best to have you under my watch rather than roaming free…” He looked behind me. “Master Ro, I hold you to your word. If anyone you’ve vouched for brings hardship to my people, then all of you will be sent away. Understand?”
“Very much so, but I guarantee the girls alone will justify your decision to bring us along.”
The three of us thanked the leader with a bow.
Kiku and I wanted to get an uninterrupted round of sleep, so Ujin led us to a covered wagon hiding Dae-Won and two young men. Since most of the crates inside this wagon were draped with furs and linens, it looked to be a wagon specifically outfitted to allow a few people to get some rest. Using my lap as a pillow, Kiku achieved our goal first. I found the early stages of sleep soon after the convoy got moving. Not the smoothest ride, but I coped.
Chapter Twenty
Odet
Interested in getting himself back into prime fighting shape, Yukata often found himself joining us in the sparring room. Since physical fitness was his main goal, the young lad liked to train with his fists rather than weapon or elemental spell. Given that Wregor revered the god of stone and admired the brawn of the minotaurs, it was obvious that the empire favored strength over the elements or trickery.
Yukata liked to bash his fists on my shield in an attempt to break it, though he had trouble putting cracks or dents in it. Only when I wanted to give him some encouragement did I lessen my shield’s durability enough for him to bend it. He wanted to fight Gerard, Clarissa, or one of the riders in a hand-to-hand contest, but his retainers
denied him the desire. As a consolation, the prince was able to witness two elite combatants display their prowess with close range combat when he convinced Guanyu and Gerard to spar with heavy wooden poles.
Guanyu boasted experience and a longer reach, but Gerard was sturdier and could counter speed well. Thus begun a whirling, smacking dance that entertained everyone watching. Even Lady Nuan looked to be invested in the mock match. A smattering of understated cheers and applause met every blow that landed anywhere below their heads. My knight held up well, but Guanyu adhered to Wregor’s preference for persistent brute force and incrementally gained more and more total hits. When it reached a point that Gerard needed half an hour of accumulated bruises to catch up, I forced him to concede defeat.
Yukata’s presence helped us to extend our time in the sparring room, though we still tried not to exceed the allotted hour by too much. However, the day after the match between Gerard and Guanyu, our training session was cut short by a woman’s forceful voice coming down the stairs.
As Yukata responded to the voice in his tongue, Nuan said, “It’s the empress.”
It couldn’t have just been the empress alone, for multiple sets of footsteps trampled the ground. A tall woman with equally tall hair appeared first. A beautiful green and yellow gown enveloped her lissome frame, the dress barely ruffling in her precise movements. Her strides were short but quick. Her acute stare cut through the dim light and reminded me of a cat’s intense stare as it stalked its prey.
Four men in armor trailed close behind her. One of them wore an ornate breastplate overlaid with black glass and gold etching. Half of it was covered by a red shoulder cape. Despite the helmet, I noted that he resembled the emperor quite a bit, so it was no great leap to assume him to be Prince Wuhen Ashina, heir to the throne.
Yukata, in a restrained run, went up to his mother and hugged her. They each said something in words I could not understand. Empress Satiko Ashina ran her fingers through her son’s messy hair and passed him off to her eldest.
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