Lord of the High Reaches

by James Haddock

  "But you'd advise against that?"

  "I would. There are some fine used ships available that would be a better bargain for you."

  At the skyship yards, we walked the line of new ships; they were a marvel to me. Some were obviously cargo ships; others seemed to have a different purpose, being narrow and sleek.

  "They are beautiful.”

  "They are. Would you like to go aboard some?"

  "No, I may see something I like and miss a good deal."

  "There’s always that chance. Let's go find some deals."

  As we walked, we talked, her guards in tow. "Are you still active in trading? I understand your family's trading house does well."

  "No longer. I gave all that up," she said, looking longingly at the cargo ships.

  "Do you miss it?"

  "Yes. Yes, I do." She stopped in front of a medium-sized skyship. "Let’s look at this one."

  I followed her as we toured the ship. She said little as her eyes scanned. She lifted her head up a bit and sniffed. "Do you smell that?"

  "It smells like the forest floor.”

  “It’s dry rot.”

  We looked at several more when she pointed. "This one. She needs a little work, but has good bones.”

  We continued and picked out three others. They all looked good to me.

  "Now," she said, looking around ensuring no one was close enough to hear. "It's time to put on a show. The king will expect me to bargain hard to get the best deal I can for him. The guards will watch and later report to his highness, so they need to see some arm waving and shouting. We'll start dealing for these four skyships, but you really only want the first two."

  "One other thing," I said. "The contents of my skyship are not part of the deal. All that goes with me on the new skyships."

  “Understood.”

  We walked back to where the guards were standing.

  "What do you think?” She asked when the guards could hear us.

  "These aren't really what I'm looking for, but I'll take these four or two of the new ones."

  She laughed; it was a nice sound. "My dear, Emissary, you have a mid-sized military ship, not a royal battleship."

  "True, but it's one your king does not have."

  "And he won't have at that price. If you want a new ship, I can get you one, but it will be a one-for-one trade."

  "One sky warship for one cargo skyship? Why don't you take the shirt off my back too? One new one and three old ones."

  "Your shirt's not worth that much," she retorted. I heard one of the guards snicker. I threw my hands up and walked back down the line of ships, speaking loudly in clannish. We kept this up for an hour until Isla was satisfied. We agreed on the two ships she had picked for me.

  The king would have to approve the deal, so she sent one of the guards with a message. While we waited for the king’s answer, we had lunch.

  "You seemed to enjoy yourself this morning," I said.

  "I did. I didn't realize how much I missed being on skyships."

  “Well, how would you like to get back involved?" Before she could answer, I continued. "I know little of skyships and less of trade. I need a partner. Well, another partner, Captain La-mar is partnered with me already."

  She looked at me a moment. "How would you fund this endeavor?"

  "How much would we need?"

  "At least, 5000 sovereigns per skyship for cargo. Another few hundred for expenses on trips to begin with. Then you need to pay to register a trading house, another 5000."

  "Say, 20,000 sovereigns total?"

  “More or less. It’s an estimate.”

  "I can cover that," I said.

  She didn't say anything for a bit, just looked at me. "I'll consider it."

  As the server poured the wine, I kept my eyes on Isla. He smelled of fear, but was hiding it well. As the wine poured, I smelled almonds. The wine was poisoned. I tapped her leg with my foot. She didn’t move. I glanced around casually, or as casually as I could. I saw a man at the corner table, watching us.

  "We didn't order wine," I said, smiling.

  "A gift, sir."

  "Well, be sure to thank him."

  Remaining silent, he nodded.

  "Tell me. Am I the target, the Lady, or maybe both of us?"

  He closed his eyes, barely moving his lips, whispered, "Honestly, I don't know, but he has a short gun pointed at me."

  Isla's eyes never left me.

  "The man at the corner table?" I asked.

  "Yes, sir. I'm sorry."

  I flipped the table up to cover Isla, knocking the server down. I heard a gunshot and a smacking sound as the ball hit the table. Turning, I saw the man getting up to run. I leapt over tables and was on him. He seemed ridiculously slow. I sank my claws into his back, picked him up, took several steps outside, and slammed his face into the cobblestone street. Picking him up, his face was a bloody mess; he was out cold. The guards took him away. Isla and the server were fine, except for a few scratches from flying tables and dinnerware.

  "There's never a dull moment around you, is there, Sir Cat?" Isla remarked.

  “Well, I don't want you to lose interest." Realizing how that sounded, I winced. She leaned her forehead onto my chest and burst into laughter.

  Chapter 9

  "Twice in two days?" the king shouted, pacing about the room. "My apologies, Emissary, and, of course, to you, Isla."

  "I’m fairly sure they were after me, Highness, not Lady Isla. Someone, probably the north, does not want us talking. And they surely don't want us to form an alliance. That would be a direct threat to them. They want to manipulate us into fighting among ourselves. Once weakened, we become easier targets.”

  "I agree. Most likely, you were their target. Thank you for protecting my cousin. She is dear to me." He rubbed his forehead, thinking. "Your ship was moved to the military yard for more protection. I agree to trade the cargo skyships for your captured skyship. They’re also being moved to the military yard. Once there, you may transfer any cargo or items you want between ships. It’s best if you stay at the diplomate house for a few days until we sort this mess out. We’ll speak again in a few days."

  "Yes, your Highness. Lady Isla," I bowed and withdrew. Six guardsmen escorted me the two blocks to the diplomate house where there was an increased guard presence. After a light dinner, I sent all the staff home. Alone in the house, all the guards being outside.

  This wasn't over, and if I were an assassin, I'd hit me tonight. Once again, time to stop being the prey and become the predator. Stripping off clothes and weapon’s harness, I changed fur color to the blotched black and charcoal used when hurting or scouting.

  With every light extinguished, I walked the house getting used to the sounds. My padded feet made no noise, but creaking floors and stairs might give me away. While walking, I closed every window and curtain to make the house even darker.

  Next came deception. Each bed was fixed to look as if someone was sleeping in it. Glass objects were strung together with string found in the butler’s pantry. One strong pull would create a noisy diversion. Garments were strewn here and there: a shirt here, jacket there, cloak in another place. Once I knew my killing field, I settled down to wait. I ‘catnapped’ as my father used to say. Cats are naturally light sleepers. If you sleep too heavy, you may never wake up.

  * * *

  My eyes snapped open. No noise, but I smelled a change in the air, a scent that wasn’t there before. I wasn't sure what time it was. Around two, I'd guess. It seemed someone was coming to visit. I didn't move from the shadow. Let them come to me. Staying relaxed, I waited. Patience was the first things you learn as a hunter. I could partially see the backdoor from my position, which is where I thought at least one would enter.

  Down the hall, a wall panel opened. Four men, two with crossbows, entered from a secret passage. After standing and listening a moment, the leader motioned for them to divide into two groups. Again motioning, the leader directed one team upsta
irs while he and his partner waited on the main floor.

  While the first team was upstairs, I dealt with the team left on the main floor. I pulled the string that turned over a glass in the kitchen. It was loud enough they heard it. As they moved toward the sound, they walked past me.

  I stood up in front of them so suddenly they froze. My clawed hands thrust into their throats and tore out their windpipes. The only sound they made was gurgling, as I quietly lay them down.

  No sound came from upstairs. Pulling two chairs out from the table, I sat bodies in them. One small candle was placed on the table between them. I went to the other side of the stairs to wait.

  Soft sounds came from upstairs as they moved around. They weren't loud…for humans. They started coming slowly back down. Seeing the flickering candlelight, they moved toward it. Seeing the others sitting at the table, they relaxed. Quietly, I moved behind them.

  "No one’s upstairs," one said. "Do we wait or what?"

  Simultaneously, a claw went into the back of each neck, killing them both instantly. They dropped to the floor as if boneless.

  Holding the lit candle, I studied each face. One was a follower from the attack where Isla and I were having dinner. He was the one who escorted us back to the palace. The king has more infiltrators than he realizes.

  Snuffing out the candle, I blended into a deep shadow. This was the third attempt to kill me. With this kind of persistence, it was unlikely that the men inside the house were the only ones. There would be more outside in case I tried to run.

  I went upstairs and gathered clothes, weapons, and my backpack, putting them in the secret passage. Time to muddy the water and confuse my trail. I set fire to the rugs in a few of the rooms, then left by the passage, closing the door behind me.

  The passageway went down, then straight for a good way, then up. The floor became level and turned slightly to the left. Doors with tiny spyholes were in the walls every so often. These made it easy to determine location within the palace. I passed food storage rooms, the kitchen, and the throne room.

  Stairs on the left led up to another passage. On this floor were guest rooms and royal quarters. Moving on, voices could be heard. One sounded like Isla. Looking through the spyhole, I saw her talking to two men. One of the men stood close to me beside a chair with a girl sitting in it. The girl, or young lady, was probably Isla's daughter. She had a bag over her head.

  "You signing away your shares only kept us from the money temporarily. With your untimely death, being killed with the emissary in a coup attempt, we shall raise your daughter. Through her, we'll get access to the money. You stopped nothing, absolutely nothing."

  "A coup attempt? No one will believe that!"

  "Yes, my dear Lady, they will. At this moment, the Northerners are assassinating your cat friend. They have their plans, we have ours; we help them, they help us."

  I had heard enough. I checked the peephole again to ensure the guard nearest had not moved. Slow and steady, I opened the panel just enough to enter the room. No one turned toward me, though Isla glanced my way then back to the other man.

  "The king will never believe such a thing," she scornfully retorted, keeping the men’s focus.

  "The king will be too busy with his own problems. The Chief of State Security will see to that."

  Isla laughed. That's when I struck, driving my claws into the back of the guard’s neck, then laid his dead body down, making no noise.

  Isla continued talking as though she had seen nothing. "The security chief is an idiot who got the position through connections."

  "True, but he's serves his purpose."

  I moved up behind him. "Nothing more to say? Cat got your tongue?” he snickered. I really disliked this guy.

  She chuckled, then turned deadly serious. "You manhandled my daughter. For that offense, your life is forfeit."

  I spun him around, seeing his eyes go wide. I drove my clawed hand up through his lower jaw and neck, tearing out his tongue and throat. As he was dying, I showed him his tongue. I'm not sure he got the joke. I let his body fall to the floor and laid his tongue on his chest.

  I looked at Isla. “Are you alright?"

  "I am now."

  "Mother?" asked the young lady in the chair.

  "Yes, Alyse"

  "May I take the bag off now?"

  "Yes, dear."

  She took the bag from her head, revealing a miniature version of her mother. She was just as pretty with the same intelligent eyes.

  "Alyse, this is my friend, Sir Cam."

  Alyse curtsied. “I am pleased to meet you, Sir Cam."

  I bowed. "And I you, Lady Alyse.”

  She looked perplexed. "Did someone steal your clothes, sir?"

  Out of the corner of my eye, Isla was grinning, awaiting my response.

  "They did indeed, Lady. If you will excuse me, I shall make myself presentable." I went back into the passageway and quickly dressed. Returning to the room, I spoke urgently. "We should go.”

  "We need to get to the king, Cam."

  We entered the passage, closing the door behind us. I led the way, holding Isla's hand, while Alyse held the other. We arrived at the King's private office where he was meeting with the Chief of State Security. How convenient.

  "Sire, the diplomat house is totally engulfed in flames. I doubt there will be any survivors."

  The king turned to the window, looking toward the burning buildings. The chief drew his knife and started toward him. Busting the panel open, I was on him in two strides, grabbed the back of his coat and threw him against the far wall. Bouncing off, he hit the floor hard.

  The king turned at the crashing of the chief hitting the wall. "What in God's name…" he started.

  Before he could say more, Isla was there, holding up her hand toward him. She picked up the knife as I picked up the chief and slammed him into a chair.

  "Can I eat him now, Lady?" I growled.

  "Not just yet."

  I extended a claw from my finger. "Just an eye? Just one?" I pleaded, scratching his cheek.

  "Maybe later."

  "I love eyes," I looked longingly into his. "They make such a delicious pop when you bite them.” He fainted.

  "Does trouble follow you everywhere, Emissary?" the king asked.

  I stood back from the chief. "I must admit, it seems that way of late, Highness."

  "So, you are not dead," the King said.

  "Obviously," Alyse said from beside her mother. I pressed my lips together hard to keep from laughing.

  "Whatever, Alyse. Someone tell me what's going on." he said.

  I told him my story, then Isla told hers.

  "So, a two-pronged attack: one against the alliance, the other for greed.” The king furiously paced about. Stopping over the unconscious Chief of State Security, “Wake that fool up!" he bellowed.

  I slapped the chief a few times, bringing him round. I stayed by him, hand on his shoulder. When his eyes cleared, he looked at each of us with innocence. "Sire, what is the meaning of this?”

  "Don't insult me. The Greenwells are dead. Your assassins are dead, and your plan failed miserably."

  "I don't know…" That was as far as I let him get. I lunged, sinking my teeth into his jacket, ripping his sleeve off. He screamed, grabbing his shoulder.

  "Your aim seems off, Sir Cat," the king observed. “Not a single drop of blood. Perhaps next time, you will do better.”

  I spit the sleeve out. "Sorry, Highness. It won't happen again."

  After that, the chief couldn't talk fast enough. He named everybody involved in anything, including stealing eggs from the kitchen. When the king was satisfied, he looked at me with cold eyes.

  "I understand war, but you went after my family." He turned back to the window as I snapped the chief's neck.

  "What now, cousin?" Isla asked.

  "What a mess, Isla! I've gotten complacent. Well, that changes tonight, and I guarantee, it's going to get messier."

  His Highnes
s tuned back to me. "Emissary…Cam, none of this is your fault. The Southern Kingdom accepts the treaty and alliance with the Eastern Realm." He handed me a diplomatic bag. "Your king will find what he wants in there. It will take me a while to straighten this mess out. I ask a favor of you."

  I tilted my head for him to continue. "I ask that you take Ladies Isla and Alyse to your home and keep them safe. That way, I can concentrate on my enemies and do what I must here."

  I looked at Isla and Alyse. "I will protect them with my life."

  "Thank you. Isla, take father's yacht. It's fast and the two of you can handle her, leave tonight. Cam, tell your captain to crew your cargo ships and meet you...wherever. I'll ensure he gets what he needs."

  "Yes, Highness."

  "Now go while there’s still confusion. I'll send messages when all is done." He hugged Isla and Alyse.

  "To reach us, Sire, send a message to Lord Windford in Windford, Eastern Realm.”

  We bowed and left through the secret passage. Everyone staying silent, we walked for quite a distance. I saw a small shaft of light coming through a spyhole up ahead. Isla held up her hand up in a ‘stop’ motion. Feeling along the wall, she pushed a stone. A section slid open, revealing a darkened space. Ilsa lit a candle. It was a supply room. Alyse, who seemed familiar with the layout, went to a shelf, picked up a backpack and started putting supplies in it. Apparently, they had trained for just such an occasion. Both changed into flying clothes, and Isla put on a weapons harness and weapons. She handed me a purse and took one for herself. I dropped mine in my backpack. Once Isla checked Alyse, we moved into the passageway. A short ways down was another door with a spyhole. Looking through it, we were apparently outside the royal hanger.

  "Clear, as far as I can see," I said. Isla came forward and also looked, opened the door, and stepped out. We walked toward a small sleek, fast looking skyship.

  Immediately, she assumed her role as ‘the Lady Isla’. Head held high, shoulders back with a confident stride, she led the way like we did this every day.

  "Ground crew!" she shouted loudly with impatience. Men came running out of a side room. "Prep my yacht for departure. We leave as soon as it's ready." They didn't balk, just quickly complied. It was clear, they did not want to cross this woman.