“Morning,” Shade said. “I can’t very well track them in the dark. Besides, judging from the direction they were riding, I’ve got a pretty good idea where they’re headed.”
“Where?” Rondo asked.
“The border.” Shade scratched his cheek and his finger came away bloody. That little scratch must have started bleeding again. “It’s the only fortification of any size in the area. The bards are connected to the Rend government, so they can count on support from the military. If they’re smart, and I’ve seen nothing to indicate that they’re not, that’s right where they’ll head.”
Shade and Rondo set out for the largest building in the village, the only one with two stories. It had to be the inn, though you’d think they’d have a sign or something. With all the villagers headed for the forest, they should have the place mostly to themselves.
“If they’re in a fortress surrounded by soldiers,” Rondo said, “how exactly are we going to get the kid out?”
Shade shrugged as they mounted the steps. “I don’t know. Until we get a look at the layout, it’s impossible to make plans. But don’t worry, one way or another we’ll get her. Assuming we don’t get eaten by a dragon first.”
Rondo blanched and Shade grinned even though he was only half jesting.
Two days of hard riding and listening to Rondo complain practically nonstop finally brought Shade within sight of the border. The massive stone fortification stretched for hundreds of yards east to west. It was one of the largest military compounds in the kingdom. Not surprising since it guarded the best crossing point along the entire border.
They left the horses behind a low hill and walked around for a closer look. The area inside the fort was crawling with people, most of whom didn’t look like soldiers. Shade frowned and scratched his chin. Getting in would be easy enough, the wall on this side was a joke. The trick would be getting the kid out with all those people around. Someone was bound to notice him lugging a little blond girl over his shoulder.
“Is this what you were expecting?” Rondo asked.
“More or less,” Shade said. “Once it gets dark, I’ll sneak in and have a closer look around. In the meantime, how about you get supper going?”
“I’m not much of a cook,” Rondo said.
“You’re not much of a sneak either,” Shade countered. “You might as well do something useful. I’m going to catch a nap.”
It was fully dark when Rondo finally woke him up. A small fire snapped and crackled as a pot of stew bubbled over top of it. The brown sludge wasn’t the most appealing food Shade had ever seen, but when Rondo scooped him out a bowl, he took it without comment. The first bite proved his fears correct. The meat was tough and stringy and the vegetables little more than mush. At least overcooked food wasn’t likely to poison him.
Shade forced the last of the food down and said, “Wish me luck.”
“I do,” Rondo said. “If you get yourself killed, Lord Black is apt to send me in there to find her.”
Shade laughed. “Good to know you care.”
He slipped silently out into the night. This was where he was most at home, alone in the dark, a lethal shadow that no one would see until it was too late. Angling away from the gate, it took nearly half an hour for Shade to close the distance between their camp and the fort.
Shade froze at the base of the wall and listened. Nothing but silence, good.
He gathered himself and leapt, stretching as far as he could. His fingers slipped over the edge of the wall and he hoisted himself up and over. He dropped silently to the ground, landing behind one of the many canvas tents. The layout actually reminded him a bit of the tent city out in the desert only far smaller.
Beyond the tent, a number of fires burned in iron braziers. They created pools of bright orange light and equally dark pools of shadows beyond them. Shade would have no trouble sneaking about.
He slipped out from behind the tent as soon as a group of four soldiers passed by. The soldiers appeared more interested in discussing one of their girlfriends than keeping watch. Clearly things in the camp were peaceful.
Moving from shadow to shadow, he explored the camp. A family had gathered by one of the fires to cook a fresh rabbit. Shade paused, completely unseen, to listen to what they were saying.
“How long do you think they’re going to make us wait here?” the father asked.
His wife shrugged. “At least here, we’re free.”
“Are we?” He adjusted the rabbit over the fire to cook the other side. “It feels like we’re just prisoners of a new master. Perhaps when the chief’s son returns things will get better.”
It sounded to Shade as he slipped away that the new arrivals were escaped slaves from Carttoom. He knew that they occasionally made it across the border and into Rend, but he never imagined this many all at once. There would be plenty of people in the north having a fit about it. The slaves kept Carttoom’s economy running. If too many escaped, or worse, got the idea that maybe they didn’t have to be slaves after all, there would be chaos.
Shade liked a bit of chaos. But too much of it was bad for business. He slunk along behind a row of tents, making his way towards a particularly large one with a pair of guards stationed outside. That had to be the local commander’s.
When he reached the rear wall, Shade drew one of his daggers and sliced an inch-long slit so he could peek inside. An older man with gray hair was sitting behind a rickety desk, his back to Shade. A woman dressed in blue and maybe in her midfifties stood facing him. Shade recognized her as one of the bards he was looking for.
“I received word from the king,” the older man said. “He’s sending a full company to escort you and your companions to the capital. It’ll take a few days to get organized and then perhaps a week to make the trip here. Until then, we’ll be happy to do whatever we can to keep you safe.”
“We appreciate that, General,” the bard said. “We’ve been doing our best to help with the refugees. I healed a few with minor injuries. Unfortunately, there’s nothing my powers can do for those who have been branded. They will probably be stuck with the marks for the rest of their lives.”
“I never doubted those bastards in Carttoom were savages,” the general said. “But marking people like cattle is worse than I expected even from them. They must really be desperate to stop their precious slaves from crossing.”
“You and I both know how important the slaves are to Carttoom.” The bard dropped into one of the spare camp chairs and scrubbed a hand down her face. “How many more are you expecting?”
“I don’t know. Frankly, I wasn’t expecting this many. We’ve been keeping them here to make sure there aren’t any Carttoom infiltrators mixed in, but soon enough we’re going to have to let them go. The border fort is no place to keep families. We want them to make meaningful lives here, to become true citizens of Rend, not just refugees. We can’t do that keeping them housed in a tent city.”
“I don’t envy you your mission,” she said.
Shade slipped away. Information about the slaves was interesting, but not nearly as interesting as the company of soldiers coming from the capital. He didn’t know how long Domina needed to create her poison, but she’d better hurry or they were going to end up in a real fight. Or worse, lose the girl altogether.
A handful of tents down, Shade froze. In an open tent flap, he thought he saw a flash of blond hair. he watched for half a minute and sure enough a little blond girl walked across the opening.
That was her. He memorized the location of the tent and retreated back towards the wall. As soon as the boss made contact, he would be able to report success as well as offer a warning. Time was running out and the sooner they grabbed the girl the better.
Chapter 23
An odd sense of déjà vu washed over Brigid as they approached Tom and Anna’s farm. The fields were harvested now, but that was the only real difference. The midday sun shone down bright and strong. They hoped that by simply walking up in t
he middle of the day, everyone would remain calm. Anna had seemed a kind woman and Brigid was determined that no harm come to her if it was at all avoidable.
When she had volunteered to take the lead in getting Cal back, Yaz hadn’t offered a word of objection. She was grateful for that. It wasn’t so much that she thought he had become cruel, it was just that the pressure of saving everyone had forced the gentleness out of him, making him hard inside. Hopefully when this was all over, the sweet, funny Yaz she had fallen in love with would return. Brigid clung on to that hope with all her might.
At least he had accepted her desire to take the lead with more grace than her parents. They seemed to think she was still a scared little girl in need of protecting. She had seen and done things since leaving home, things she doubted she’d ever be able to tell them about. All those things had changed her, made her stronger. She’d show them both; she’d return with Cal, safe and sound. Her parents would have no choice but to accept who she had become.
“So how do you want to handle it?” Yaz asked.
“Anna seemed so nice,” Brigid said. “I was hoping I could talk to her and explain things and that she would just hand Cal over without a fuss.”
Yaz smiled and nodded, but his eyes were as hard as chips of flint. If her plan didn’t work, she had no doubt he’d do whatever it took to get the boy free. That’s why she was determined to convince Anna to do the right thing. Not so much for her sake as to keep Yaz from having to do something else he might regret.
As they approached the front door to the farmhouse, Brigid heard pounding from the barn. Hopefully that was Tom working on something. Dealing with Anna one-on-one would be much easier than having to convince them both.
Brigid rapped on the door with her staff. A moment later it opened and Anna appeared in the doorway. She looked lovely in a red dress and matching shoes, but there was no hiding the dark circles under her eyes. Something had been keeping her awake at night.
“Brigid! What a nice surprise. I hadn’t expected to see you again so soon.”
“We were just passing by and thought that as long as we were in the area we’d stop and say hello. Can you talk for a moment?”
“Of course, of course.” Anna moved out of the doorway. “Please come in.”
Anna led them to the dining room and they all sat together around the big table. Brigid froze for a moment, not entirely sure how to broach the subject.
Before she could speak Anna said, “Did you hear the news? The army finally defeated the rebellion down south.”
“What happened?” Yaz asked. His tone was a little sharp, but Anna didn’t pay any attention, at least not that Brigid noticed.
“The patrol that stopped by our farm didn’t have many details,” Anna said. “But apparently they got a lucky break and hit the renegade slaves’ main camp. Many of them fled, but the ringleaders have been taken into custody. They are being transported to the capital to hang. It seems the king intends to make an example of them.”
Yaz muttered something under his breath and caught Brigid’s eye. He didn’t need to say anything; she knew if Sandul talked they were going to be in trouble. Not that she expected the ex-slave to tell his captors anything, but just in case, she needed to wrap this up and wrap it up quickly.
“So what have you three been up to?” Anna asked.
For the second time Brigid prepared to tell her story, and for the second time she was stopped, this time when the kitchen door opened and Cal came out with a tray in his hands. “I brought tea, ma’am.”
This was the perfect opportunity. “Hello, Cal,” Brigid said.
The boy looked up, saw her, and his eyes went wide. The teapot and glasses crashed to the floor, smashing into a million pieces.
“Brigid? Is it really you?” Cal asked.
“It really is,” Brigid said. A tear was forming in the corner of her eye, but she blinked it away. This wasn’t the time to let her emotions get the best of her.
Anna looked from the boy to her and back again. “You two know each other. That’s why you acted strange during your first visit. You weren’t sick at all.”
“We do know each other, and I was sick,” Brigid said. “Sick that I couldn’t do anything to help that day. You see, Cal grew up on the farm next door to mine. I’ve known him since he was a little boy. A few months ago, he was kidnapped along with everyone else near our village. And like all those people he was sold into slavery.”
The horror on Anna’s face grew by the moment.
Brigid didn’t intend to give her a moment to collect herself. Better to keep pounding away and wear her down. “We’ve rescued most of our people already. Cal’s father and brother are both safe. If you do the right thing, we will be reuniting them soon.”
“You’re with the rebels, aren’t you?” Anna asked.
“They took a more aggressive path than we would’ve preferred,” Brigid said. “But yes, we freed the first group and we have let many more go free since then. I can’t help but notice you didn’t brand him.”
Anna looked at the boy and smiled faintly. “The soldier said we should, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. He’s been a sweet little helper. Burning him with hot iron seemed wrong.”
“And your other slaves?” Yaz asked.
Anna couldn’t meet his gaze. “It’s different. They’re grown men.”
Yaz didn’t have to say anything. It was perfectly clear Anna didn’t believe what she was saying. It was amazing what you could justify if you tried hard enough.
“Will you let us take him back to his father?” Brigid asked.
Anna let out a long sigh. “Of course I will.”
Cal ran over and hugged Brigid. She let the tears flow then. She was too happy to hold them back.
“We should go,” Yaz said.
Brigid ruffled Cal’s hair before turning to Anna and saying, “Thank you for doing this. It’s the right thing.”
“I know,” Anna said. “And I won’t be asking for a replacement helper. I wish I knew what to tell Tom.”
Brigid smiled. “Tell him the truth. He’s a good man. He’ll understand.”
She held Cal’s hand and they followed Yaz and Silas out of the house. It was a ten-minute walk down an empty dirt road back to the clearing where they left the rest of the group. When they arrived, Cal ran to her parents and hugged them both.
“If we hurry,” Yaz said, “we might make it to the capital in time to save Sandul and the others.”
Brigid’s father marched over. “You’re not taking my daughter on any more crazy adventures. We’re all crossing the border together. Right now.”
He grabbed Brigid’s arm, but she pulled away. “I’m not a little girl anymore, Father. I can take care of myself and we’re not leaving those men to die. Not if there is anything we can do about it.”
“Besides,” Yaz said. “We still have to rescue the sages. I’d say a prison break would provide good cover.”
Brigid’s father gave her a pleading look, but she refused to be swayed. She’d come this far, no way was she abandoning Yaz and Silas now. One way or the other, she was in this to the end.
Chapter 24
Carttoom City was nowhere near as big as Port Steel, but it was still huge. If you’d told Yaz on the day he left his village that before the end of the year he would’ve visited the two largest cities in the kingdom, he would’ve laughed. And yet here he was. While the circumstances weren’t exactly ideal, it was still quite a sight.
The royal palace towered above everything at the center of the city. Turrets and towers rose nearly as high as the dragonspire. Even the temples seemed afraid to build above the king’s home. Probably a good idea on their part given the king’s personality. Not that Yaz had ever met him, but the stories were that he had an ego nearly as big as the city and a temper even bigger than that. He didn’t envy Sandul right now.
“How are we ever going to find them in all of that?” Brigid asked.
It was jus
t Yaz, Brigid, and Silas now. He had provided a detailed map of where to cross the Rend border and the other villagers set out first thing in the morning two days ago. Brigid’s leave-taking hadn’t been as warm as she might have hoped, but she admitted after they’d gone that it was a relief to be away from her parents.
“There’s only so many places they could keep prisoners,” Yaz said. “Considering how famous Sandul and the others are, I doubt it will be difficult to get a lead.”
“I need to warn you,” Silas said. “Carttoom City has an archmage, the same as Port Steel. If anything, Carttoom City’s archmage is even more alert to any inappropriate magic. You won’t be able to count on my abilities to get us out of a jam.”
“Will you be able to use your magic at all?” Yaz asked.
“For simple things, maybe. Conjuring a light, looking through Wicked’s eyes, that sort of thing. But nothing flashy and nothing offensive.”
Yaz nodded. Not having Silas’s magic to rely on would make things more difficult, but they’d figure something out. At the very least it should limit their opponents too, well not any guard wizards, but any private wizards working for the slave keepers anyway.
They nudged their horses into motion and rode down to the busiest of the city gates. Despite the lateness of the season, plenty of wagons came and went. In the back of one, Yaz spotted baskets of apples and in another, potatoes. He allowed himself a moment to imagine how much he could get for his wolf pelts if he brought them here directly. Somehow, he doubted his days as a trapper and hunter would come again. That was a shame, but what could he do?
The squad of guards on duty at the gate gave them no more than a passing glance before waving them through. Looked like Sandul hadn’t given them up yet. Either that or the powers that be didn’t think they’d be stupid enough to ride into the capital on their own. Just as Yaz hoped, the entrance was so busy they just didn’t have time to give everyone special scrutiny. They probably assumed that the guards inside would handle any trouble.
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