by D. L. Kramer
"I guess that answers that question," Bear said.
Paki and Bear jumped from the wagon and led the horses across the street. They both recognized the shopkeeper and knew he was loyal to Mo'ani. Most all the people in Mo'ani's lands were completely loyal to him and equally despised the church soldiers who came through their village.
Tying the horses out front, they pushed open the door and stepped into the well-lit shop. Dried meats and fruits were displayed in open barrels while lettering on sealed barrels described their contents.
"Help yourselves," the shopkeeper said, motioning to a basket of fruit. He handed Paki a note as he puttered around behind his counter. "I've just about finished filling that barrel with the venison for his Lordship."
Paki accepted the note and held it so Bear could read it over his shoulder. Kile had been there before them and had told the shopkeeper they needed an excuse to be in town again. He also left instructions for the shopkeeper to send them on a few errands while they were "waiting". Kile's instructions for the boys were to do the errands and to keep their eyes open for the cloaked strangers.
"Say," the shopkeeper spoke up when Paki put the note down. "Could you boys do me a favor? There's a pile of cornhusks up by the north wall. Could you fetch it for me?"
"Uh, sure," Paki said, looking at Bear.
"Okay," Bear agreed, then led the way out of the shop.
Paki untied the horses and they climbed onto the wagon's seat again. Turning toward the north, he kept the stallion and Chase at a slow, but steady, walk.
"Up ahead," Bear whispered after several minutes.
Paki spotted the two cloaked figures almost immediately. They were in a narrow alley and were watching the north gates. Paki kept the horses moving until they were only a few yards away, then pulled them in.
"I think that buckle's coming loose again," Paki said, pulling the horses in.
"I'll get it," Bear volunteered, jumping from the wagon and walking to stand beside the stallion. He made a show of unbuckling and rebuckling part of the stallion's harness. Almost as soon as he finished, there was a muffled sound from the alley, followed by a second equally muffled sound.
Paki stood up as Gharald and Adie came out of the alley.
"I'd forgotten how fast you can move," Gharald noted to Adie. "You must not have given up your hobby too long ago."
"Some habits don't die," she shrugged, then turned when Kile and Nicho came from outside the north wall. "Thanks for the help, captain," she called to him.
Kile slid from his saddle when he reached them. "Ye had it well in hand," he said. "Besides, the three of us wouldn't fit in there together."
"We left them for you to arrest," Gharald said, leaning against the wagon. "Provided Adie didn't give hers a heart attack and kill him the way she popped up in front of him before knocking him out." He turned to Paki and Bear. "Good job, you two."
"We didn't do much," Paki shrugged.
"You didn't get attacked," Adie pointed out. "That's always a good sign."
"Were they church guards?" Bear asked, climbing back onto the wagon.
"Don't know," Gharald said as Kile disappeared into the alley. "We didn't exactly pause for introductions."
They waited while Kile carried one of the unconscious men out to the wagon. Not bothering to unlatch the back, he dropped him over the gate then went back for the other.
Paki and Bear turned while Adie climbed over the wagon's side and pulled the heavy cloak off. The man was in his mid twenties and wore what appeared to be the plain clothes of a peasant. Adie muttered something as she pulled out a pendant from his shirt. Pulling it off him, she handed it to Gharald.
"One of the Archbishop's sympathizers," Gharald said after examining the pendant. He handed it to Bear so he and Paki could look at it.
The back of the pendant was a polished blue stone while the front was gold and depicted an imprint of a cathedral. Paki handed it back to Gharald.
Kile appeared with the second body and carefully lowered this one over the side of the wagon. "I don't suppose either of ye got a good look at these two did ye?" he asked.
"It was too dark," Adie said, still checking the man for anything else that might identify him. "Why?"
Kile looked at her, then sighed and pulled back the cloak on the second body, revealing a young woman.
"Well I certainly hope I'm the one who knocked her out," Gharald said. "Whichever one Adie hit is going to have one hell of a headache when they wake up."
Paki and Bear looked at each other.
"Anything on him?" Kile asked.
"This," Gharald handed him the pendant.
Kile accepted the chain and barely glanced at the pendant as he dropped it into his belt pouch. "That's enough to take 'em back to the Stronghold on," he said, walking to Nicho. "Let's go before they wake up. I'll ride on ahead to warn Mo'ani, can ye two stay with the wagon in case there's a problem?" When Adie and Gharald nodded their heads, Kile turned and spurred Nicho into a gallop, heading for the south gate of the village.
Gharald climbed onto the side of the wagon while Paki and Bear turned forward in the seat.
"Our horses are just outside the south gate," he said. "We'll need to stop for them."
"Okay," Paki said, slapping the reins on the horses' backs and turning to follow Kile.
When Gharald signaled, Paki pulled the reins in. Gharald jumped off the side of the wagon while Adie remained in the back.
"I'll stay here," she told Gharald. "Just bring my horse over and we can tie him to the wagon."
Gharald nodded his head and disappeared around one of the abandoned wooden buildings marking the edge of the gate. He returned a few seconds later leading the two horses. He swung up into his own saddle, then handed Adie her reins. She tied her horse onto the back, then gave Paki a nod to move on.
When they arrived back at the Stronghold, Mo'ani and Kile were waiting for them. Paki pulled the horses in as Gharald dismounted.
Mo'ani waited while Kile lowered the back of the wagon.
"Either of 'em start to wake up?" he asked Adie.
"No," she answered, jumping from the wagon as the boys climbed down.
"Paki, Bear," Mo'ani called the boys. He took out a ring of keys and flipped through them, settling on two. "Go open the two rooms at the end of the east hall, we'll put them in there. Take anything breakable out." He handed Paki the keys and sent them into the keep.
"Wonder what they'll do with them," Bear asked as they made their way up to the east hall.
"I don't know," Paki shrugged. "The woman didn't have any kind of pendant like the man did."
"Not that they've found yet," Bear pointed out as they reached the heavy doors at the head of the hall. They both shouldered them open then broke into a run for the end.
The east hall was located on the second level and the two rooms at the end of the hall overlooked the refuse pile between the keep and outer wall. Because of the odor, the windows in these rooms were small--much too small for anyone to climb out of.
Paki stopped at the door to the left and tried one of the keys. When the lock didn't budge, he tried the second key and was rewarded with the heavy thud of the bolt sliding back. He then unlocked the second door. They each entered one of the rooms to make sure it was all right. Paki found himself taking shallow breaths when he wasn't holding it.
The room was plain, with a bare bed, a table and a washstand. Picking up the basin and pitcher from the stand, he left just as Bear was leaving the other room.
"I sure don't envy them these rooms," Bear mentioned, setting the basin and pitcher from his room on the floor.
"Neither do I," Paki agreed, looking up when Kile and Gharald appeared at the end of the hall, each carrying one of the strangers.
"Ready?" Kile asked.
"There's nothing in there but the furniture," Paki shrugged.
"Good."
The two men took their prisoners and deposited them in each of the rooms. Gharald nodded to
each of them before turning back down the hall, while Kile waited until Paki had locked the doors again. Paki handed the keys to him when he was finished.
"What's going to happen to them?" Paki asked as they turned toward the hall.
"We'll let 'em cool off in there overnight," Kile responded. "Then we'll find out who they are and what they're about."
"They just looked like peasants to me," Bear shrugged.
"That's what they were tryin' to look like," Kile glanced at Bear. "Unfortunately, his hands gave him away."
"His hands?" Paki asked.
"They were too clean," Kile easily pushed open one of the heavy doors at the head of the hall. "If he'd worked all 'is life, 'is hands would look it."
"What about the woman's hands?" Paki asked as they descended the stairs.
"Didn't look at 'em," Kile shrugged. "We'll see what she 'as to say when she wakes up. Just bein' in the company of someone wearin' this," he pulled out the chain and pendant, handing it to Paki. "Makes 'er an equal partner of whatever 'e was up to." He paused as they reached the bottom steps. "Mo'ani wanted me to give it to ye," he said. "He said 'e wanted ye to keep it and he'll talk to ye about it later."
Paki nodded his head as Kile disappeared down one of the other halls. Bear looked over at the pendant.
"I could think of a few things to do with it," he offered.
"So could I," Paki agreed. "But I guess first I'd better find out why Mo'ani wants me to have it."
"Find out in the morning," Bear jumped the last couple of steps and turned toward the kitchens and dining hall. "Let's go get something to eat."
Paki nodded his head and dropped the pendant into the pouch on his belt. The two boys matched each other stride for stride as they ran for the dining hall. If they hurried, they could still get something for dinner before they had to be back in their bunks.
Nine - "You have to find who you are here"
Paki's dreams kept him from sleeping well. It seemed something from every part of his life--and some he had never seen before--seeped into them. The auction master, a tiny house he guessed belonged to his parents, the stallion and mare. And a woman. Her long hair was straight, black as night and flowed behind and around her. She was humming something, but Paki didn't recognize the song. She smiled and her dark eyes turned to him. There was something familiar about them. Something else was familiar about her, but he wasn't quite able to pinpoint what it was.
He had barely drifted to sleep when the bunk watch went down the hall, banging on the doors waking everyone up for the day. Paki heard his three roommates as they got up and began dressing. Rolling from his bed, he groggily pulled on his breeches and tunic. He checked for the pendant as he buckled his belt and pouch around his waist, then followed his roommates into the hall as they made their way to breakfast.
Bear was waiting for him at the end of the hall and fell in step beside him.
"What's wrong?" Bear asked.
"I couldn't sleep," Paki answered, yawning.
"Bad dreams?" Bear moved to one side as a couple of older boys pushed passed them in their hurry for the doors.
"Just dreams in general," Paki took the steps down two at a time. The woman's song had already faded from his memory.
They made their way to the dining hall and Paki ate his breakfast slowly. He found himself wondering how mad Meda would get if he slept instead of practicing his writing. Most everyone else had finished and left by the time he was ready to scrape his plate. Bear had even given up on him and left to feed the horses. Before he could stand up, Mo'ani sat down beside him.
"Kile gave you the pendant?" he asked.
Paki looked up at him, then nodded after a few seconds. "It's in my belt pouch," he said. "Why did you want me to have it?"
"Let me see it," Mo'ani held out one hand.
Paki took the pendant from his pouch and handed it to Mo'ani. Mo'ani turned it over so the polished blue stone was facing up.
"Do you know what the stone is?" he asked.
"No," Paki shook his head.
"It's a stone that's rare here in the west and the north," Mo'ani explained. "It's true color is white with grey veins in it, but it can be dyed any color. The Archbishop has people who do nothing but look for quantities of this stone. It's put on the jewelry and weapons owned by supporters of the Archbishop." Next, Mo'ani turned the pendant over.
"This is the Grand Cathedral in Herridon; the Archbishop's center of power." Mo'ani handed the pendant back to Paki, then closed the boy's hand over it. "Study it, Paki, learn everything you can while up north with Kile and Adie." Mo'ani's voice was calm and serious, his eyes unblinking.
"I know you want another name for yourself and a name for your stallion. But you have to find who you are here," Mo'ani tapped Paki's chest. "Before you can have a new name." Mo'ani stood up and put his hands on Paki's shoulders. He gave each shoulder a firm squeeze before turning and leaving the dining hall.
Paki sat for a long time, his hand closed over the pendant. Mo'ani's words drifted around him. He felt he had just been warned of something, but wasn't sure what. Sighing, he dropped the pendant back into his pouch and stood up. Scraping his plate into one of the slop buckets, he left the dining hall and headed up to the library.
Meda was waiting for him when he opened the door and she ushered him to a table. She set a bound book and blank roll of paper in front of him, then set an inkpot and pen to one side.
"Copy the first four pages," she instructed. "That should be enough for the day."
"You usually make me copy ten pages," Paki pointed out. He certainly wasn't going to argue with the lessened work, but was suspicious of what else she might have planned.
"You've got your packing to do," Meda reminded. "The captain is leaving tomorrow morn and if you're going with him, you've got plenty to do."
"Oh, yeah," Paki mumbled, opening the book and beginning to copy the words. He found himself able to write whole sentences with barely glancing at the text in the book. Connecting the letters into words had taken him several months, but from there his reading had progressed rapidly.
He finished the four pages quickly and took them to Meda's spot at the desk. She set the book he had been using to one side and glanced over his work.
"Very good," she congratulated, then looked up at him. "I understand Lord Othon has quite an extensive library," she said. "Please pay an occasional visit to it while you're in the valleys, would you?"
Paki shrugged. "Sure."
Meda smiled at him. "I'll look forward to your return, Young Master," she nodded to him. "Please don't take undue risks on your trip."
Paki nodded his head and turned to leave the library. He pushed open the heavy doors and began the descent to the main level. Reaching the bottom, he turned to leave the keep when Bear ran up and grabbed his arm.
"It's about time you finished," he said, pulling Paki towards another of the large staircases.
"What?" Paki asked, surprised. "Wait, where are we going?"
"The Lieutenant's gone up to talk to those two people from the village," Bear said. "The captain said if you finished in the library in time we could go with."
"Why would he let us go with?" Paki wondered, matching Bear's pace.
"Something about having kids around maybe putting them off guard," Bear answered. "We're just supposed to look like we're there to clean or something. The captain said to see what they talk to us about. We're supposed to go into whichever room the Lieutenant's not in."
Paki sighed and followed Bear up to the east hall. At the end of the hall, a young Mo'ani stood guard. Paki recognized Jayehl immediately.
"I was wondering who they were sending," the young Mo'ani said. "I guess I should have guessed you'd be in on it." He directed the last to Bear. The young man handed them each a waiting bucket and rag, then turned and opened the door to the young woman's room, letting them in.
The woman had removed her cloak and sat on the bed. Her long dark hair hung in disheveled strands.
Her clothing was plain, but a little too clean. As Paki and Bear entered the room, she looked up, her face tear streaked. Bear moved to wash the windowsill while Paki turned to the table.
"Please," she said quietly. "How is my husband?" Paki and Bear exchanged glances when they realized her inflection was the same as Paki's. Paki suddenly found himself much less tired than he'd felt a few minutes ago.
"We don't know," Bear shrugged, then turned back to the windowsill. He washed the last of the dirt from it, then looked back at her. "You talk strange, where are you from?"
The woman bowed her head. "I was born far away," she said. "South, in a small village."
Paki and Bear exchanged looks again and Paki mouthed the name of his home village.
"Edgewind?" Bear asked.
The woman looked up quickly. "You know of it?" she asked, a hint of hope in her voice. "Please, tell your lord he is mistaken about us," she stood, then dropped to her knees in front of Bear. "I have no love for the Archbishop and neither does my husband. His family made him carry the pendant they undoubtedly found. Please." Her eyes filled with tears and she bowed her head.
"I'm not nobility, you don't have to kneel," Bear pointed out.
Paki watched from the corner of his eye as he scrubbed the tabletop. He wanted to ask her so many questions, but something told him if she heard his voice, it could mean trouble.
"Tell them," the woman pleaded. "My village pays its tithes to the BishopLord. Many of the people there are poor." She bowed her head again. "Parents often have their children taken and sold to pay delinquent tithes."
Paki's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't known that's why his parents had sold him. His master's lies about his parents not wanting him flowed through his mind. He had been foolish to believe him.
"Listen, lady," Bear said. "I don't know what they want from you or your husband, but I know there's no love for the Archbishop here. If I were you, I'd throw myself on the mercy of Lord Mo'ani and beg for a quick death."
