Of Gryphons and Other Monsters (Taryn's Journey Book 1)

by Shannon McGee

  “Luke was in the inn when all the mercenaries were gathered together and had been for some time, if my memory is to be trusted. Taryn, Aella, did you see Master Luke at any point during your walk?”

  Laura spoke over my attempt at a reply. “This alley opens on the next street over. If he and Beth had walked that road and entered this alley from the other side, then Aella wouldn’t have seen them. He could have then returned to the tents when they were on the block he came from! If he ran from here he would have been back before anyone saw them.”

  “Actually,” I said, my shoulders level with my ears, “We were at the tents, and I didn’t see him or hear him. Everyone there was asleep.”

  “Why were you at the mercenary tents, Taryn?” my father asked, his face was blocked from me by flames. I bit my lip.

  Aella spoke into the silence. “I needed my flask. Taryn agreed to walk with me since I don’t know the town yet. Much the same as Luke doesn’t know the town.” This time Aedith’s disapprobation was cast on her daughter, who staunchly ignored it.

  Luke ran both hands through his hair. “I swear, I didn’t beat her.” He looked small. “I swear it.” He repeated this a few more times, but more quietly until Victor put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

  “Laura, it seems unlikely the lad did this,” Willy said. “Look at the blood here. As much as it pains me, we’re searching for someone within the town, or else another guest. We’d do better tallying who wasn’t at the inn at all tonight.”

  Laura shook her head. “We need to hold him and question him.”

  Willy turned to Aedith. “Are you going anywhere?”

  She shook her head. “We’ve a job to do. We don’t get paid unless we complete it, and if someone is setting my people up to take the fall for their own evils, that’s more of a reason for us to keep on.”

  “This is absurd!” Michael burst out. His voice bordered on hysterical. “One of them—maybe not this Lucas fellow, although I doubt it, but one of them assaulted Beth. They can’t be allowed to meander the town and the lands as though nothing is amiss!”

  “Watch your tone, boy. There’s a thing called due process.” Aedith’s nostril flared.

  “Yeah, and there’s a pretty good reason for why mercenaries can’t find work in real armies!”

  The mercenaries were muttering amongst themselves. On a good day, I imagined they weren’t inclined to take such insults. Now, with the accusation and their guts full of drink they were becoming agitated.

  Again, Willy spoke. “Michael, this doesn’t appear to be the deed of one of our new acquaintances, however there is no way to know that for certain, and I’ve doubts this situation will get any better as the moon climbs higher. If the morning comes and the mercenaries have vanished into the woods then we will call their guilt confirmed and bring the law of the capital down upon their guild.” More grumbles came from the mercenaries. “If, however, they stay, and it can be proven that someone else committed the offense, we will all be satisfied, I think.”

  Aedith looked nonplussed, but also a little impressed at Willy’s diplomacy. “My men are exhausted from an evening that came just short of being perfect. We will go nowhere, this I swear.” Luke seemed less than pleased by this, but he bobbed his head along with rest of the group.

  Though Laura didn’t look happy about it either, she nodded. “Aye. That does seem all we can do in this moment. But Lucas should still go into lock up!”

  Lucas took a step backward, but Aedith forestalled his protests with a hand. “Guardswoman Laura is right. For your safety, you should at least spend the night there. Elsewise, we risk a brawl from which no one will find themselves the victor.”

  Willy agreed as well. “With that settled, Laura, would you escort Aedith and her people to their tents, then wait for me there as I walk with Raynard and his family to their horses? We’ll walk Lucas to lockup together.”

  As Aedith spoke quietly with Lucas, we walked in silence back to the gates. Glenn and a few others were impatiently waiting to be released. Once we had gotten out of sight of the other group, Willy’s confident smile had withered away, and now he ignored the questions the farmers bombarded him with. It seemed to be all he could manage to collect signatures and to open the gate. When Daniel found the guardsman unreceptive he turned his ire on Father.

  “What in the name of the gods happened back there? I was having a strong drink at the inn and then we’re all being told that we have to return to our homes. Then we find we have to wait here in the dark and the cold because the gate is locked and we can’t go home! Where the blazes were you, Raynard?”

  Father waited until he had mounted Tess to reply. “There was a problem in town. I am more than certain everyone will know all the details by noon tomorrow. Rather than giving you information to blow out of proportion tonight, I’ll ask you wait until then.” Daniel sputtered a protest but without pause, Father reached down to give Mother a hand up so she was settled snuggly in front of him.

  “You will tell me right now! Or I’ll not move from the spot!” Daniel crossed his arms over his chest in defiance.

  Michael and I exchanged a weary glance and slung ourselves onto our ponies. Cherub and Hale were in a bad state. Between the late hour and the reek of the blood that stained the front of Michael’s clothes and his boots, we were lucky they didn’t toss us and run. Father and Mother seemed to notice, because they waved to Willy, who waved back. Then they led us out through the gate.

  Behind us the fight continued. “Daniel, you may plant yourself wherever you like, but that gate is only staying open the next two minutes! I’m going home to my wife and babe.”

  I peeked over my shoulder. Daniel glared for a few moments more, but good sense seemed to win as he finally hustled to mount onto his own speckled gray pony. “I’ll be writing the capital. Mad gryphons, and whatever has happened here tonight. You’re slipping William!”

  “Go home and take to your bed Master Daniel. Threaten me again tomorrow when I’ve had my sleep.”

  Daniel might have growled a parting shot, but we were out of earshot. The dark trees looked like looming ogres, and I huddled into my cloak as our mounts took us quickly home.

  Mother made Michael leave his bloody boots outside. I didn’t see what he did with his soiled clothes. All my energy went into getting myself into my own bed and ignoring the gentle probing questions my parents were asking him about what had happened. Even if he had left anything out from his report, I trusted that Michael would let me know if there was anything left to tell.

  It could have been Nai. The thought came unbidden after I had tucked myself in for the night. Or it could have even been me. We’d had strangers come through town before, a few had been unsavory. Never had something of this magnitude happened. I couldn’t help wondering when things would get back to normal. How could they ever get back to normal?

  The hunting party arrived at our home before the sun had finished creeping over the horizon. The firm knock on the door came as I was shoveling porridge into my mouth. Mother was in her room, Michael had gotten up early to clean his boots and was in the barn preparing for the field. Father was out there as well, getting ready to hunt.

  Swallowing my last bite, I pushed back from the chair, wincing at the scraping noise it made against the wooden floor. On stockinged feet, I padded to the front door. For the first time since I was a small child I paused to peek through the peephole before I opened it. Aedith’s stern face was fish-eyed through the small round glass, and I unlocked and opened the door. I was still in my nightgown, and though her body blocked me from the rest of the hunters, I couldn’t help but cross my arms over my chest.

  “Good morning mercenary Aedith.” I bobbed a lame curtsy, not quite looking her in the face.

  “Taryn … Miss Taryn, is your father ready to join us?” I looked up at her first utterance of my name. There had been regret in her voice, but her face was as much like a stone as it had been when I’d first met her.

 
; “Yes ma’am. I believe he’s saddling Tess now, out in the barn.” I hesitated. “Would you like to come in and wait for him?”

  She shook her head, a small smile twitching at her lips. “I’m afraid good manners would dictate you then let the rest of that lot in.” She jerked her head at the company of near thirty men and women assembled on the road. “And forgive me, but I don’t believe you have enough chairs.”

  I couldn’t help but smile in return. “No ma’am, I believe you’re right. One or two of us would have to stand.” Another pause, then as she turned to leave three words left my mouth in a rush. “Was it him?”

  She stopped short, and her eyebrows lowered as she stared at the ground, and then she brought her gaze back to me. “Luke is new to my company in comparison to the others, but he’s been with us a year and a quarter. I feel confident in judging his character. He’s a pretty lad, and he picks up a bedmate in each town we pass. He probably has bastards across half the country, but every time a lady has said no to him, he has moved on as quickly as a blink. There’s always a more willing partner around the corner. He did not do this.” She met my eyes with her own brown ones and enunciated the last sentence clearly.

  I thought of Luke’s panicked face last night, lit by torchlight. “But you can’t be sure.”

  “Surety is for the gods. We cannot be sure that a gryphon killed your livestock, but for the signs it has left which are typical of a gryphon. The same is true for any beast that hunts. It leaves tracks which those who are experienced can read. I know what marks an opportunist.”

  I rubbed the fabric of my nightgown as I mulled over her words. The draft from the open door caused the hem of the skirt to press against my shins. “You truly believe it was someone from Nophgrin?”

  She ran her tongue across her front teeth. “I believe it is possible that someone who had eyes for Beth saw her with Luke, and punished her for it when she was alone.”

  “Who though? Beth wasn’t tied to any one boy. She was seeing Corey some, but he wasn’t the only one. Gods, my mother even said she was asking after my brother on occasion, and no one came after him.” Corey had, I realized, but I kept that thought to myself.

  Aedith seemed think about that for a moment. “It could have been one of her beaus, it’s true, or it could have been her father, if he didn’t like that behavior.”

  I schooled my face carefully as I thought of Aedith and Aella’s own experience with disapproving fathers. The details were a little muddled, as was everything from last night, but I knew they weren’t good. “The man you saw her mother with, he’s her stepfather, and he’d never hurt her. Beth and her mother sought sanctuary here a few years ago. She only remarried recently, but her last husband is ancient history. There’s no way he’d come here.”

  “I wouldn’t think Willy and your wall could provide such assured safety.” Aedith spoke carefully.

  I looked away, unsure if she knew and was being coy. “Nophgrin is a northern town that burns all of those murderers and rapists who are caught and tried, ma’am. It’s the only way to keep the bad energy from continuing. It’s what the flame symbol burned into the gates means.”

  Through my lashes I saw her eyes widen in surprise. It was a fraction of a second, but it was there. It was a harsh rule, some called it barbaric, but the general opinion was that it was no more barbaric than committing the crimes to begin with. There was always the option of being shipped to the capital’s justice, but that fate was a grueling and bleak one. A march on foot to the capital where a judge almost always sided with the town’s judgment, and then the sentence was hard labor until death. Few criminals argued for the right to it.

  She looked over her shoulder at her people. “What if you get it wrong?”

  I shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know. There hasn’t been a burning since before I was born, and you’ll understand I was not told the details.”

  She made a noise of understanding. “Where Aella is from, they burned those who dared disobey their sun god Artuos. I suppose given my druthers between the two, I’d pick your village’s way but…” Her eyes went over my shoulder and I glanced back. Michael was emerging from the light of the kitchen. He must have come in through the back.

  “I wanted to say goodbye to you and Mother before I went to work.” He spoke to me, but his eyes were on Aedith. “Father’s headed this way now. You should take to your horse, mercenary.” He didn’t add her name to the title, turning it into a slur.

  I didn’t chastise him for it. Michael had found poor Beth and had to sit with her alone in the dark as she slipped closer to The Dark Lady. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what he was feeling towards the people he believed to be responsible. Still, I felt the insult and looked to the mercenary captain to see if she had taken offense.

  The blank mask Aedith had adopted when Michael entered the room did not waver. She merely nodded to him, and then to me. “It was good to see you this morning Miss Taryn.”

  “You as well, ma’am. Hunt well, and stay safe.”

  She saluted me and turned to stride towards her horse. Without her form blocking my view, I could see the group that had been gathered at the inn. Had that only been yesterday? Were there also all fifteen of the mercenaries? No. I scanned their faces one more time. Aella was missing. Michael came up behind me and shut the door.

  “Hey—” I protested, then stopped short at the look on his face.

  “You’re letting the cold air in, and we don’t need that mercenary seeing you and targeting you next.” Michael’s voice was cold.

  I flushed, glancing down at my nightgown. “Aedith says she doesn’t believe it was him,” I said softly. “She says he has been with them over a year, and it’s not the kind of man he is.”

  “We’ve known the people of this town for over seventeen years now.” Michael was moving back to the kitchen, and I followed him. “Can you say that you could imagine any of our friends and acquaintances doing that to Beth?” He scrutinized my face, and I was the one to look away. “Exactly.”

  “You think she flatly lied to my face?” I sat down and scooted the chair closer. The porridge had congealed into one gelatinous mass. I poked at it with my spoon.

  “People do that. She probably doesn’t want to have to take the time to replace this Lucas fellow.” He saw my perturbed expression, and he sighed, tucking a strand of hair back behind an ear. “I think she’s looking out for her men. The gods only know, maybe she believes him and thinks she’s speaking the truth to you.”

  “Maybe that’s it.” I spooned a piece of porridge into my mouth and swallowed without tasting it.

  The scent of sunflowers and lye swept into the room ahead of Mother. She smiled, but her eyes held concern that made me wonder how much she could hear of the rest of the house from her bedroom.

  “You’re on your way out?” she asked Michael.

  He came over and embraced her in the doorway between the family room and kitchen. “Yes, I just wanted to say goodbye before I went. I love you. Be careful to and from town.”

  She cupped his cheek with one hand. “I love you too dear, and I want you to practice that same care. You never know, the hunting party could spook the gryphon and drive it towards field rather than the mountain.”

  “I’ll keep a sharp eye out. Taryn,” he stooped and hugged me around the shoulders, “I’ll see you this afternoon.”

  “Ride safe, brother dear.” My tone was mocking, but my hug was earnest.

  When he had gone and my porridge was finished mother and I took the dishes out to be washed. The only sign that the hunting party had been to our home was the churned road. Father had not stopped inside to say goodbye before he left. Mother told me she and he had said their farewells before he went out to the barn.

  “He’s anxious to get this over with,” she said, scrubbing at the stuck on oats in the bowl she was working on, with more force than was necessary.

  My hand slipped as I rubbed hard at my own bowl, and water and foam sq
uirted onto the grass. “It’s from this onto the next catastrophe. He’s probably hoping to stay ahead of whatever bad luck we’ve called down upon us.”

  I saw out of the corner of my eye a large tomcat of a lesser gryphon creeping out of the hedges. His body was gray with darker stripes across his back, which blended up to the head of jackdaw. His eyes were intent on a bowl that still held a few yellow streaks from Father’s egg yolks. Casually I began to fill the bowl I was washing full of water.

  Mother continued, oblivious. “He and I spoke last night after you two went to bed. He says it’s as likely to have been Beth’s father as one of the mercenaries. That’s not new bad luck. That’s old luck that didn’t get dealt with properly.”

  “But how could he even get into town? The gates were shut tight, and Willy knows not to let him in. They have his name, right?” I swirled the water gently. The lesser gryphon crept closer, his thick tale swishing slowly.

  “That’s true, but nothing is completely certain.” She echoed Aedith’s sentiment. “He could have slipped in during this confusion of the past week or used a fake name. Even Beth’s mother could have had a moment of weakness and harbored him” The jackdaw gryphon inched one paw forward.

  I shook my head. “That I find hard to believe. We all saw her when she first came to this town. She was bruised from eyebrow to ankle, and both she and Beth were meeker than mice. She’d have to be crazy to let him into town.”

  “Sometimes the heart can be blind to the faults of other— don’t.” Her stern tone caused my arm to scoop back in the middle of tossing the bowl of water on the jackdaw gryphon. As a result, the water made an unsatisfying splat a few inches in front of me, and the startled creature leapt into the air, as dry as ever.

  I glared at Mother. “It wouldn’t have hurt it any, and I’m starting to hate the cursed things. They’re annoying.”

  “It didn’t do anything to you. Now finish with that bowl and plate so you can get dressed and we can go.”