Dwarven Ruby

by Richard S. Tuttle

  “I understand,” nodded the corporal. “Nothing will lead the Targa army to the Grakus Mercenary Company.”

  “Good,” stated the sergeant. “Your sister will have to wait to see you. You and your men are to have no contact with the citizens of Tagaret until you are given leave to. We cannot afford to have citizens noting that there are a number of Red Swords in the city.”

  “I understand,” frowned the corporal.

  “Good luck, Corporal,” nodded Sergeant Trank as he spun and headed back towards the farm mansion.

  The corporal turned and headed for the section of the practice field where his men were sparring. He called to his twelve men as he approached and they gathered around him.

  “We leave within the hour,” declared Corporal Sydar. “Dress in citizen clothes and pack your uniforms.”

  “Where are we going, Corporal?” asked one of the men.

  “I will let you know when we get there,” stated Corporal Sydar. “If any of you get separated, you are to return here. Is that clear?”

  The twelve men nodded and scattered to prepare for the trip. Sydar walked to his tent to gather his own belongings. He stripped off his uniform and dressed in the clothes he had worn when he was called to the farm. Sydar had few belongings to pack other than his weapons and clothes. The only keepsake he owned was the figurine that he had carved for his sister. He wrapped that tightly in a tunic and carefully placed it on top of the clothes in his pack.

  The corporal left the tent and walked around the grounds of the large farm that the Red Swords had taken over. He bid farewell to old friends that he had made before the breakup of the Red Swords and his new friends that he had had a chance to know since coming to the farm. None of them asked where he was going. The Red Swords knew that no departing soldier ever shared that information.

  As the time of departure approached, Sydar mounted his horse and headed for the front of the mansion. His men were already assembled and waiting. Without a word, Corporal Sydar led his men down the long drive of the farm and turned towards Tagaret.

  The Red Swords rode in silence until the first distant view of Tagaret appeared through the trees. Sydar turned off the road on a narrow trail until he found a small clearing.

  “Listen up gents,” Corporal Sydar said when his men were assembled in the small clearing. “Our destination is in Tagaret. We will be entering the city in groups of threes. Two groups will enter via the western gate and will be separated by a span of half an hour. The other two groups will do the same through the southern gate. Those going in the western gate will proceed to the Golden Sword. Sit down and have a meal. I will contact you with your next destination. Do not acknowledge the other group in any way. Each party of three is separate and should remain so. Are we clear about this?”

  The men silently nodded and Sydar continued, “Those going through the southern gate will proceed to the Falcon’s Hood. The same rules apply to you. If I do not show up to give you instructions, return to the farm. Be very careful that you are not followed if that happens.”

  “What is our reason for coming to Tagaret?” asked one of the men.

  “You are friends with each other who have come to look for work,” answered the corporal. “If for any reason your bag is opened and your uniform is seen, do not panic. Tell them that you used to be a Red Sword and the uniform means a great deal to you. You might also mention that you would never think of throwing good clothes away. I do not think they will pursue it.”

  “It seems a shame to return to the farm once we have infiltrated the city,” frowned one of the men. “Is there no other way?”

  “Those are your orders,” replied Corporal Sydar. “Maintaining security is more important than being in the city.”

  Sydar paused to see if there were any more questions. Hearing none, he said, “You are good men, and I know you will follow these orders explicitly. I am going to go into the city now. The first two groups will leave in half an hour. Good luck.”

  The men nodded silently as Corporal Sydar turned and rode back along the trail to the road. He turned towards Tagaret.

  Ten minutes later he was in a small line at the western gate of the city. He watched the Targa soldiers as they decided who to question and who to search. He shook his head as the visitors were admitted through the gate. The disdain he had felt for the regular army was reinforced by their lack of professionalism shown at the gate. The soldiers searched the basket of an old woman, but let a young Sordoan through without even a question. When it was his turn, the soldiers just waved him through the gate.

  Sydar rode through the new section of Tagaret. That area between the new wall and the old wall was mostly small farms and shacks for the poor. The new wall had been built to protect the small farms and accommodate the great influx of people who had fled the rural areas when bandits started attacking after the Collapse. The corporal frowned as he viewed the poverty of the city.

  As he reached the gate in the old wall, he was forced to wait in line again. The line here was longer as people who lived in the new section of the city were also forced to be inspected as well as visitors to the city. The soldiers manning the gate were even more careless than the last ones. They passed everyone through without an inspection. The only reason for the line appeared to be the soldiers’ need to feel important as they fed the people through the gate one at a time.

  Once he was in the central city, it took Sydar a while to find the Grakus Mercenary Company. When he did, he dismounted and tied his horse to a post outside. He entered the building and asked to speak with David Jaynes. A mercenary promptly escorted him along a hallway to an office on the right hand side of the hall and knocked on the door. A voice called out permission to enter, and the mercenary opened the door for Sydar.

  Sydar closed the door and approached the large desk. He stiffened and saluted the figure behind the desk.

  “Corporal Sydar reporting, Sir,” declared the Red Sword.

  “Welcome Sydar,” greeted David Jaynes. “What can I do for you?”

  “I have a delivery, Sir,” Sydar stated. “Twelve men not counting myself.”

  “Good,” smiled David. “Let us keep this informal while you are not in uniform. Have a seat.”

  “Thank you,” replied Sydar.

  “Where are your men now?” asked David.

  “I have split them into groups of three,” answered Sydar. “Each group will be waiting in the common room of an inn here in the city. I would like to send them here one group at a time.”

  “Quite acceptable,” nodded David. “Tell each group to ask for you when they arrive here. I will have men waiting to take them to where they are going. You can return here after all of your men have safely arrived.”

  “May I ask where we are being sent?” questioned Sydar.

  “You may ask,” smiled David, “but don’t waste your breath. Your men will be under my care until they arrive at your final destination. Welcome home, Sydar.”

  “Thank you, Sir,” grinned Sydar as he rose and left the office.

  Sydar grabbed the reins of his horse as he left the building. He walked the streets of Tagaret until he came to the Golden Sword. He tied his horse to the post and walked into the common room. He scanned the room, but he did not see his men. He walked over to an empty table and sat down. A serving girl came to take his order, but he waved her away. A few minutes later his three men arrived. They saw Sydar at the table and promptly joined him.

  “You are to proceed to the Grakus Mercenary Company and ask for me,” Sydar whispered. “The people there will get you to your final destination. I will join you later.”

  The three men nodded silently and left the inn. As soon as they had left, Sydar rose and also left. He never noticed the Targa colonel that had been watching him.

  “Sergeant Pyke,” Colonel Salvo said softly, “the man who just left used to be a Red Sword. Did you see how he interacted with the three men who came and promptly left?”

  “Seemed
fairly fishy to me,” the sergeant replied. “Not one of them even ordered an ale.”

  “Precisely,” nodded Colonel Salvo. “Follow the Red Sword and see if you can determine what he is up to.”

  Sergeant Pyke rose and quietly eased out of the door of the common room. He scanned the streets and saw Sydar walking with his horse in tow. He followed at a discreet distance until the former Red Sword entered the Falcon’s Hood. He slyly looked in the window and saw Sydar sit at a table with three other men. Sydar sat for only a minute before standing and heading for the door.

  Sergeant Pyke slid into an alley before Sydar emerged from the inn. He watched as Sydar stood next to his horse for a long time. The three men, who Sydar had sat with, left the inn and rode down the street without acknowledging Sydar. The former Red Sword opened his bag and retrieved a tunic. He extracted a carved figurine from the tunic and stashed the cloth back in the bag. He then left his horse tied up and walked away.

  The Targa sergeant followed the former Red Sword as the man navigated the streets of Tagaret. Pyke slid into an alley when Sydar approached a small house and knocked on the door. A woman opened the door and threw her arms around Sydar. As Sydar looked around hesitantly, the woman dragged him into the house. Sergeant Pyke scribbled on a slip of paper and then hailed a passing Targa soldier.

  “Take this note to Colonel Salvo at the Golden Sword,” instructed Sergeant Pyke. “He is in the common room. Be discreet.”

  The soldier nodded and departed. Sergeant Pyke waited twenty minutes for Sydar to reappear. When the door opened, Sydar stepped out and hugged the woman again. Two small boys ran up and hugged his legs. Pyke noticed that the figurine was nowhere in sight.

  Corporal Sydar broke the embrace and returned to the Falcon’s Hood. Again, Pyke observed from the window and saw a repeat of the meeting he had witnessed a short time ago. When Sydar left the Falcon’s Hood with his horse, Pyke followed him back to the Golden Sword. Pyke entered behind Sydar and rejoined Colonel Salvo, who now had another soldier sitting with him.

  “Did you get my message?” Pyke asked the colonel.

  “Yes,” smirked Colonel Salvo. “I think we have stumbled onto a plot against the Council. We shall see what trouble the old Red Swords have in store for us.”

  “He emerged from the house without the figurine,” added Sergeant Pyke. “The embrace he received was not from a lover. She is either a relation or a friend.”

  “Either will do for my needs,” sneered Colonel Salvo.

  The colonel leaned over and whispered something in the soldier’s ear. The soldier nodded and left the inn. Colonel Salvo watched as three men entered and joined Sydar at his table. Again the three men left without ordering. Corporal Sydar waited a few moments after the men left and then rose to leave. Colonel Salvo and Sergeant Pyke also rose. They followed Sydar out the door. As Colonel Salvo exited the building, a dozen soldiers emerged from the alleys and surrounded Sydar. The Red Sword corporal drew his sword.

  “You won’t need the sword, Sydar,” Colonel Salvo smiled thinly. “We just have a few questions to ask you.”

  Corporal Sydar looked quizzically at Salvo and shook his head. “Whatever questions you have, soldier, the answer is that I don’t know anything,” quipped Sydar.

  “You don’t remember me, do you?” sneered Colonel Salvo. “But I do remember you. That has always been a failing of the elite Red Swords. They think so highly of themselves that they pay no attention to the others around them. I am Colonel Salvo. I suppose you even fancy that you can best a dozen of my men with your sword.”

  “One can always try,” retorted Sydar, “ or die in the attempt. I would wager that at least half of these fine young men won’t live to see tomorrow. You will gain nothing from this encounter.”

  “Ah, but you are willing to die for your cause,” taunted Salvo. “You must be afraid of telling me something very important then. Like where you sent those dozen men today?”

  Corporal Sydar swallowed hard and tightened his grip on his sword. He knew that he had been clumsy and realized that he was now going to pay the price for it. He gazed around at the circle of soldiers and planned which one he would strike first. He knew that he would die in the coming battle, but he would not betray his cause.

  A soldier eased up to Colonel Salvo and whispered in his ear as he discreetly handed the colonel something. Salvo nodded and a grin spread across his face. He turned to face the captive with his hands behind his back.

  “Drop your sword, Sydar,” demanded Colonel Salvo. “You will answer my questions now.”

  “Not bloody likely,” snarled Corporal Sydar. “Why don’t you borrow one of your men’s swords, and we can go man-to-man? Or don’t you have the spine for that?”

  “Had you been more observant in your glory days,” sneered Colonel Salvo, “you would have noticed that I refrain from anything that involves chance. I like to win, and I always do.”

  As Colonel Salvo finished talking, he brought his hands around in front of him. He held a carefully carved figurine for Sydar to see.

  “Of course if you do not wish to talk to me,” snickered Colonel Salvo, “I can find other things to amuse myself with. There is really nothing on my agenda for the next three or four days.”

  Sydar’s mouth fell open in surprise. Tears formed at the corner of his eyes as he realized just how foolish he had been. His right eye began to twitch uncontrollably, and he felt his veins struggling to escape his skin.

  “You leave her out of this,” croaked Sydar. “She knows nothing that could help you.”

  “I am well aware of that,” sneered Colonel Salvo. “I prefer to have helpful information, but if she must be my consolation prize, well that is your decision now isn’t it? You can trust me to make sure that she knows exactly why she is suffering. She will be reminded hourly for as long as she lasts. And that will be a long time.”

  Rage raced through Sydar’s body as he pictured his sister undergoing the torture that Colonel Salvo had threatened. Slowly defeat and despair set in. He dropped his sword.

  * * *

  Three men opened the door to the Grakus Mercenary Company and entered the building. They walked over to the large desk and stood until the men behind it noticed them.

  “We were told to ask for Sydar,” one of the new arrivals stated.

  “One moment please,” answered the man behind the desk as he rose and walked down a hallway.

  The mercenary returned shortly and nodded to the three men.

  “Please follow me,” smiled the mercenary as he led them down the hallway.

  Half way down the hallway he stopped and pointed to an open doorway on the left hand side.

  “If you will have seats in here, someone will take care of you promptly,” smiled the mercenary. “Just have a seat.”

  The three men entered an almost bare room with half a dozen chairs against the far wall. As the men entered and crossed the room, the mercenary closed the door. The distinctive sound of bolt being slid shut echoed through the room. The mercenary crossed the hallway and knocked on another door. A voice called for him to enter.

  “They have been secured, David,” the mercenary reported.

  “Good,” nodded David Jaynes. “It does appear that Corporal Sydar has been compromised. It was bound to happen sooner or later. We have had a good run of it so far. Get a man out to the farm immediately. Notify General Gregor of the situation. I want Sydar’s complete file brought back here tonight. I need a runner to notify Mitar Vidson as well.”

  “Anything else?” asked the mercenary.

  “Yes,” nodded David. “Have my horse readied. I think I need to have a talk with Stafa Rakech. Have the runner to Mitar invite him as well. If I am not back when Sydar’s file arrives, send it to me there.”

  The mercenary nodded and retreated from the room.

  * * *

  Tedi rode across the stream and continued along the narrow trail. He urged his horse to run faster as he gazed up at the color
ful sky that indicated sunset was upon him. He had hoped to catch up to Arik and the Rangers this day, but it did not appear likely that he would.

  A few minutes later, Tedi heard a noise behind him and turned swiftly to see if anyone was about. That was when the wood slammed into his head, throwing him to the ground as his horse continued onward.

  “Any harder and you would have separated his head from his body, Caroom,” declared Adan.

  “You said to stop him,” shrugged the giant of a man. “He is stopped, isn’t he?”

  “Yes he is,” Adan shook his head. “Search his body while I gather his horse.”

  The redheaded giant-sized man knelt next to Tedi and started removing things and piling them up on the ground. A few minutes later, the black-haired Adan returned with Tedi’s horse.

  “He’s a got a fair amount of gold on him,” stated Caroom as his grin split a massive red beard. “I ain’t never seen clothes with so many pockets before. He carries stars, too.”

  “I am not surprised,” replied Adan. “A sword, stars, a bow, and this black staff. I guess our young friend must have been expecting a fair amount of danger before him.”

  “Well none of it helped him now, did it?” chortled Caroom. “Should I kill him?”

  “I would be surprised if you haven’t already with that blow you gave him,” frowned Adan. “No, we take him back to the camp.”

  “Why?” frowned Caroom. “We already have everything he owns.”

  “Several reasons,” sighed Adan. “One, I want to interrogate him to find out what he knows about us or about the Lanoirian patrols. Two, he had a sizeable amount of gold on him. He might be of use for ransom. Three, because I am the leader of the band and I said so. Why do you always question me?”

  “You make things too difficult,” retorted Caroom as he hefted Tedi’s body and draped it over Tedi’s horse. “You know we will end up killing him anyway. Why bother talking to him? You won’t be able to believe anything he says.”