Horst's mind whirled with confusion. He tried to ponder his situation and how he came to be in it, but although nothing made sense, he focused on several possibilities. The uncouth stableman could have a brother in the army who was willing to teach a foreigner a lesson. He had threatened to do much the same to the stableman given the chance. If that was the case, he need only look forward to a weary night before being discovered to have been arrested in error.
A more serious possibility was that he had indeed seen Asgar, and the Caroomite had contacts within the army. If that was the case, Horst knew that he would never leave the cell alive. Asgar could claim that the Odessian was a murderer or assassin, and Horst's body would simply disappear in the middle of the night with no one the wiser.
The third possibility was theft in the marketplace, but the Odessian found that hard to believe. He had not, after all, moved even a pace away from the stall while he held the knife. A merchant would never stay in business for long if he claimed such actions to be theft. A buyer always wanted to feel a weapon before buying it. As he dwelled upon the possibilities, Horst finally rejected the third. The fact that he was sacked and taken to an empty prison showed some sort of malice on the part of the soldiers. He had been isolated for a reason, and that thought sent a shiver through the Odessian's body.
Horst was left for several hours to ponder his fate before he heard the creaking of the outside door to the old prison. He became instantly alert and listened to the soft footsteps getting closer. From the muffled sounds, there appeared to be only one man approaching. He heard a jingle of keys and then the door to the cell creaked open. The man entered the cell and stood silently for a moment. Eventually the footsteps continued until Horst could also feel the man standing directly before him. He felt a finger probe the palm of his shackled hand, and his brow knitted in confusion.
Horst had a small scar on the palm of his hand. It was not the result of an accident, but the mark of a deliberate act when he was a child. In his youth, the Odessian prince had met two foreign boys and had instantly developed a strong bond with both of them. In an act of loyalty to each other, the three boys had pierced their palms to form a blood bond for life. The boys had maintained their secret well, and no one knew of the blood bond. The three boys had since grown into men, and each was a prince of his respective country. Prince Antion was one of those men, as was the Salacian prince.
"Derri?" gasped Horst. "What are you doing to me?"
The Salacian prince pulled off the sack and tossed it to the floor.
"I had to be sure that it was you," Prince Derri said softly as he fumbled with the keys.
Prince Derri unlocked the shackles, and Prince Umal rubbed his wrists. He stared at the Salacian prince in confusion.
"You have cut off your hair," Prince Derri remarked.
"It was some time ago," nodded the Odessian prince. "Why was I arrested?"
"You were not arrested," explained Prince Derri. "We prefer to call it detaining you. Come out of the cell. There are benches in the corridor. It will be more comfortable."
Prince Umal followed Prince Derri into the corridor and sat on the bench. The Salacian prince sat across from him on another bench.
"I don't care what you call it," scowled Prince Umal. "I was forcibly taken from the marketplace, hooded, thrown into a cell, and shackled. Is this how you treat one who has sworn a bond to you for life?"
"Are your own actions reflections of your adherence to that same bond?" questioned the Salacian prince. "You enter my country and my capital in disguise and seek to avoid me. Why?"
Prince Umal nodded in agreement. He sighed heavily and hung his head as he stared at the floor. "I cannot say," he mumbled.
"You cannot say?" echoed the Salacian prince.
"I wanted to come to see you," admitted Prince Umal, "but I realized that it was not a wise thing to do. Please don't ask me to go further. I cannot."
"You suddenly do not trust me?" inquired Prince Derri. "I thought we could trust each other with our lives? Has that changed, Umal?"
"No," Prince Umal shook his head. "I do trust you with my life, but I still cannot speak of my business in Kyland. You must trust me on this."
Prince Derri shook his head and sighed heavily. He stared at his old friend and decided to take a different tact.
"Fine," said the Salacian prince. "Where are you staying while you visit my city?"
"At an inn," Prince Umal said evasively.
"Enough, Umal," scowled Prince Derri. "While I admire your loyalty to Antion, I am hurt that you think you cannot trust me. Do you really believe that I would betray either one of you? Did you ever think that I could have just as easily had you followed to find out where you are staying?"
"You know?" sighed Prince Umal. "Why are you doing this to me then? Why was I arrested?"
"For your own safety," answered the Salacian prince. "While I can guarantee that I would never cause harm to come to you or Antion, I cannot say the same about any other man, including my soldiers. If I had you followed, my soldiers would learn the truth. I could not allow that. By having you detained and brought to this old prison, they know nothing. I knew that you would reveal nothing to them, and I certainly won't, and they dare not ask me why I issued the orders that I did."
"And you let me stand here for hours to punish me for neglecting to visit you?" questioned the Odessian prince.
"Of course not," sighed Prince Derri. "I left you alone until it got dark outside. I did not want anyone to see me enter this building, and I do not want anyone to see you leave. That is also why I ordered that you be hooded. All that I have done was done to protect you and Prince Antion. Where is he?"
"I promised that I would not contact you," replied Prince Umal. "How can I honor one bond without destroying the other?"
"So it was Antion who decided to shut me out of what is going on?" inquired Prince Derri.
"Do not hold this against him," replied Prince Umal. "He is trying to protect you. You do not understand what is going on."
"No, I don't," admitted the Salacian prince, "but neither do you. Do you think that growing a beard and cutting off your tail can really hide you? If you do, ask yourself how you found your way into this cell."
"I have been asking myself that," confessed the Odessian. "How did you recognize me?"
"Not many men can walk through the streets of Kyland in command of five Odessian beauties," grinned the Salacian. "That was a sight that I could not miss even high up on the ramparts of the castle. What possessed you to do such a thing?"
"A foul beast who thinks he is a stableman," scowled the Odessian prince. "I would love to confine him to one of his filthy stalls. I would not leave the horses in his care."
"I am shocked to hear that a Salacian is so low as to mistreat a horse," frowned Prince Derri. "I will make sure to have the man suitably punished. What stables does this fool preside over?"
"The ones behind the Golden Shield," answered Prince Umal.
The Salacian prince grinned broadly as he discovered the whereabouts of Prince Antion.
"Wipe the grin off your face, Derri," the Odessian said. "You did not trick me into revealing anything. I would rather that you find him without the use of your soldiers, but I implore you to ignore that he is in the city. It would be best for everyone."
"I strongly disagree," Prince Derri shook his head. "There is much that I have to tell him. King Caedmon has sent runners all over the Land of the Nine Kingdoms in search of him. Borunda now knows his identity."
"Is that why we saw the relay soldiers on the road?" gasped Prince Umal.
"No," Prince Derri shook his head. "That relay is to solve yet another problem for King Caedmon. A prince from Caroom has been romancing Princess Glynis. We believe he was spying for Borunda. The relay is to speed a report back to Anatar."
"You are right," declared Prince Umal. "You do need to speak to Antion, but it must be done properly. We have others traveling with us who do not know our identit
ies."
"Then we shall be discrete," agreed Prince Derri. "Can you arrange the meeting?"
"I will try," nodded the Odessian, "but there is one other surprise in store for you. I must warn you before you make the same mistake that Antion and I almost made. We have with us a man who appears identical to Prince Zinan of Borunda. Do not attack him."
"Prince Zinan?" the Salacian's eyes narrowed. "He is the one who is closest to Prince Garrick, the one who Antion feels has been sent to kill him. How could this be?"
"I do not know," sighed Prince Umal, "but both Antion and I almost killed him. We have also discovered that Prince Zinan is traveling the Land of the Nine Kingdoms. He is sowing spies in each and every city he passes through."
"We will be ready for him when he gets here," promised Prince Derri.
"I think he has already been here," retorted Prince Umal. "He left men at the bridge over the Salacian River to kill us, but he did not stay himself. There is another man traveling with him, a Caroomite named Asgar. I thought I saw his face earlier today in this very city, but I am not sure. It was but a brief glimpse, and I could find no trace of him when I looked."
"We each know one of two different sides to this affair," stated the Salacian prince. "That is all the more reason for us to talk to one another. How will you arrange the meeting?"
A mischievous grin came over the Odessian's face. "How about I chain you to the wall in the cell and return later with Antion? It wouldn't take more than a few hours to get him and come back."
"I am truly sorry for your treatment," chuckled the Salacian prince, "but I am not willing to undergo such treatment myself. I have stayed with you in the yurts of Odessia. Surely, that is just as bad?"
"Hardly, you Salacian fiend," laughed Prince Umal. "The royal yurts are a far cry from an old prison, however, I will plan carefully for your next visit to Natura."
"I can hardly wait," cringed the Salacian prince. "Let's try a different idea for the meeting, though."
"Now that I know that his identity has been discovered," frowned Prince Umal, "I am hesitant to make him leave the inn, and I suspect we will be making a hasty exit from the city in the morning. Is there any chance that you can come up with a disguise suitable to move around your own city unseen?"
"I am sure of it," smiled the Salacian. "Shall we meet in the stables behind the Golden Shield in two hours?"
"Not there," Prince Umal shook his head. "Not only is the place foul, but I might end up killing the stableman."
"The stableman will not be there," grinned Prince Derri. "I will see to that. It is the least I can do to make up for my treatment of you."
"Deal," smiled Prince Umal. "You should know the names we are using in case something goes wrong. I am called Horst, and Antion is Gunnar."
"You do prepare for unseen troubles," noted the Salacian prince. "Refer to me as Kenra if anyone is around. That way the title prince will be on none of our lips."
"How do we leave this place?" asked Horst. "We should not be seen together."
"You leave first," suggested the Salacian. "I have to lock it up anyway."
Horst rose and made for the outer door of the old prison. He saw his weapons in a pile and picked them up and slid them into their proper sheaths. When he was ready to leave, he turned and looked back at his Salacian friend.
"Thanks for stopping by to visit," grinned the Salacian prince.
Horst shook his head and chuckled to himself as he opened the door. The night was already upon the city, and distant torches illuminated some of the streets. It took a few moments for Horst to orient himself, but he saw the distant marketplace and moved towards it. Once the marketplace was near, the Odessian knew the way back to the Golden Shield. He moved briskly along the streets, but not so fast that others would find interest in him. When he arrived at the Golden Shield, he found most of his party sitting at a table in the common room. They looked expectantly as he approached the table and sat down.
"Did you get lost?" asked Monte.
"I moved the horses to different stables," answered Horst. "The ones out back were unacceptable to me. What are they serving for the evening meal?"
Kerzi was missing from the group, and Horst assumed he was already asleep. Talot and Monte returned to a conversation they were having before the Odessian arrived, and Jared appeared to be lost in thought. He had two bowls of stew before him and was hungrily attacking one of them. Gunnar, however, was staring at his Odessian friend.
"There are three choices," Gunnar replied softly. "I would recommend the stew. Did you meet any interesting friends today?"
"I met a most unagreeable stableman," Horst answered slyly. "Fortunately, I also met a rather agreeable one and his assistant. The horses are stabled several blocks away."
Gunnar was not buying Horst's answers. He knew his friend was being evasive, and he was pretty sure of the reason for it. He sighed heavily and wondered what was coming next.
"We need to talk," Gunnar stated softly.
"I could not agree more," nodded Horst as he looked into his friend's eyes. "Let me eat my meal first. There is time left before we need to talk."
"How much time do you need to eat?" asked Gunnar as he realized that Horst was trying to tell him something without using the horse language. In such a crowded environment, the use of finger talking would cause people to notice you.
"Less than two hours," Horst replied.
"Is everything alright?" asked Gunnar as he nodded in agreement to the timeframe.
"I believe everything will be fine," smiled Horst. "If I thought otherwise, I would not have the appetite to eat."
"Then we shall talk when you are done eating," agreed Gunnar. "I will wait in my room for you."
"Keep your boots on," advised the Odessian as the serving woman arrived to take his order.
Chapter 22 - Home Front
Home Front
Gunnar was sharing a room with Monte, but the Caroomite was still in the common room talking with Talot. The Arin prince sat anxiously on the bed as he waited for Horst to arrive. When the knock finally sounded on the door, he swiftly moved to answer. The Odessian prince slid into the room and closed the door.
"I thought you had promised not to contact Derri?" Gunnar asked accusingly.
"I kept my promise," replied Horst. "The prince had me arrested in the marketplace. He knew that you were with me, and nothing I said could make him believe otherwise."
"How did he even know that you were in the city?" asked Gunnar.
"He claimed that he saw me leading the horses to the other stables," replied Horst, "but that was too convenient. I cannot imagine that he just happened to be gazing down upon the city at the very moment I moved the horses. I do not believe in coincidences."
"I agree," nodded Gunnar. "Have you any ideas?"
"I think he knew we were coming to Kyland," offered the Odessian prince, "and he has been standing on the castle walls watching for us."
"That is not good," mused Gunnar. "If he is able to figure out our movements in advance, so may others. Where are we meeting him?"
"In the stables out back," answered Horst. "He has made plans to have the stableman removed before we meet."
"Then let's not keep him waiting," stated the Arin prince. "I do look forward to talking with him."
"Are you rethinking about having him join us?" questioned Horst as they made for the door of the room.
"Absolutely not," answered Gunnar. "He would be too quick to offer up his life to protect me."
The princes exited the room and made their way down the stairs, past the common room, and out the back door of the inn. The walk to the stables was short, and both men scanned the area well before stepping into the dark stables. A foul stench assaulted Gunnar's nose, and he was acutely aware of Horst's hands moving to the hilts of his twin scimitars. He nodded in silent agreement as a knife slid into his hand.
"Your weapons will not cut through this odor," came a soft voice from the rear of the sta
bles. "You were wise to alert me to the stableman. Anyone who treats animals this poorly deserves to be in prison."
Gunnar slid his knife back into its sheath and moved into the darkness. He saw a dim outline of his friend as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He moved towards it and embraced the Salacian prince.
"It is good to see you," smiled Gunnar, "even if for just a moment."
"You cannot believe how happy I am to see you," replied Prince Derri. "I have spent sleepless nights worrying about you, and I am not alone with those feelings."
"You mean my father?" asked Prince Antion.
"And your sister," nodded Prince Derri. "You really do need to go see them."
"It is not possible," Prince Antion shook his head. "Prince Zinan's people are searching for us."
"More than you know," nodded Prince Derri. "Your father sent a private message to my father. The Borundans employed a Caroom prince to spy on the palace in Anatar. He struck up a friendship with your sister and was invited into the palace. He also determined that the bodyguard from the trip to Tarent was Prince Antion."
"So the Borundans know everything," sighed Prince Antion. "How did you know that we would be arriving in Kyland? You were obviously waiting for Umal to arrive."
"We arrested a spy last week," explained the Salacian prince. "He was showing a drawing around the city. That drawing was your likeness. You can imagine that such news distressed me without end, but when the message arrived from your father, I knew that you were in trouble. I sent patrols out, and one of them reported that a battle had occurred at the bridge to Caroom. The battle site was indicative of a typical ambush, but it was the ambusher's bodies that were found, not the victims. That must have been a close one for you."
"It was," nodded Prince Antion. "I lost my horse to the river."
"After I received the report," continued Prince Derri, "I spent each day watching the city for some sign of you. I expected you many days ago. What happened?"
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