The day’s ride started well. The full sleep had refreshed him, and the meal shared with new friends had lightened his mood. “What on Esper is wrong with you?” asked Jack as he noticed William smiling to himself as they rode behind the line of prisoners.
“What’s not to be happy about? The sun is shining, I hurt less than usual, and I’m enjoying the company of fine people, such as yourself.”
“Okay, now you’re scaring me,” said Jack.
William laughed. “You miss Rachel, don’t you, you grump?”
“Shut up, Will.”
His good mood didn’t last. The pain returned as Maya predicted, and though his horse was gentle the ride jarred his bruised ribs and other injuries. As promised, Maya gave him something to lessen his suffering, but the day’s march ended none too soon for his liking.
“Hey look,” said Maya. She pointed as they passed under a large tree branch overhanging the path. “It looks like Rachel and her friends found some food.” Two large bundles hung from the branch and soon proved to contain several pheasants and a small boar. They would eat well tonight. William hoped to stay awake long enough to enjoy it, especially if Maya cooked.
Maya again frustrated William’s attempt to help set up camp. He settled for resting by a fire near his tent. The flames beat back the chill in the air as the sun descended. He closed his eyes and soaked in the warmth.
“Does something seem strange to you?” asked Jack, startling William awake.
“Everything seems strange with these pills. What’s in them, Maya?”
“Secret herbs and spices,” said Maya.
Jack shook his head. “No, I mean about the way the food was hanging.”
“Huh? It hung down,” said William. “How else is it supposed to hang?”
“The bags seemed far apart to me. If you have two bags of food to hang, would you have placed them so far apart?”
“I don’t know Jack. I’ve never hung bags of food before. What’s gotten into you?”
“I’m taking another look,” said Jack as he stood. “Who’s with me?”
William looked at Maya, and receiving no disapproving glares he struggled to his feet. “I guess I am.”
“Me too,” said Maya with a sigh. “They won’t let me cook, and Charlie’s still on duty, so I’ve got nothing to do except watch my patient.”
“There,” said Jack when they reached the tree. He pointed to the branch where they found the food cache earlier. “Look. What do you see?”
William squinted at the branch above, unable to see any details through the medicinal haze.
“There’s the ropes that the bags were hanging from,” said Maya. “You can see where the Guards cut them.”
William moved to get a better view, and with the blue sky behind the branch the two ropes came into focus. “Okay, I see them now, too.”
“Now look between them,” said Jack.
He found it hard to keep the branch in focus, but when he relaxed his eyes he caught a glimpse. “Is that a third rope?” he asked.
Maya nodded. “Same kind, too. That’s strange.”
“Was it cut higher up? I don’t see it hanging down,” said William. “Are my eyes playing tricks again?”
“No, it’s been flung over the branch to hide it,” said Jack. “Look on this side, you can see the end right there.” Maya confirmed it, but William couldn’t make it out.
“So what does it mean?” he asked, fearing he already knew the answer.
“Someone found the cache, stole one of the bags and tried to hide the evidence,” said Jack, confirming William’s guess. “We should tell Mattice.”
Mattice shrugged it off when William informed him. William did his best to convince him, but Mattice grew impatient. “I have four people hunting and scouting. If someone else is out there, they would know about it and report back unless they were injured or killed. The fact that they left food for us tells us they aren’t hurt or dead. And we have the largest armed force in Azuria outside Faywater Port sitting right here. No one would be crazy enough to attack. And besides, we don’t know for certain there was a third bag.”
“Yes we do, I saw the rope myself.”
Mattice slammed his fist on the chair beside him. “But you saw no third bag, did you? Look, Whitehall, I pulled a fast one on you back in Marshland. I’m man enough to admit that. The truth is you’ve given me reason to respect you. In return, you need to respect my ability to judge the situation here, especially since I’ve done this job for as long as you’ve been alive.”
William was surprised by the Captain’s speech, almost insulted. But Mattice was right. William was not the expert here, Mattice was. “I apologize,” he said. “I didn’t mean to suggest you didn’t know what you were doing. Well, yes I did. But I was wrong to do that. I’m sorry.”
Mattice let him go without argument. They would never be friends, but they had a mutual respect and even admiration that prevented outright hatred. William left the Captain’s tent and found a group of Guards sitting around the cooking fire. He recognized Ethan Weimer, who called him over and offered a slab of roasted boar.
“Thanks,” he said, finding a seat next to Weimer. “Not on duty?”
“No, I have night watch. I’ll be guarding your tent, among others.”
“Oh, drew the short straw, did you?”
Weimer laughed. “Volunteered.”
William shook his head and grinned. “Crazy.”
“Hey, maybe we can chat a while if you aren’t too tired.”
“Not a chance!” Maya arrived in time to spoil the Guard’s plan. “Drink this, and finish eating,” she said to William. “You’ll be sleeping in no time. No, don’t argue. You want to feel decent in the morning again, right?”
William laughed and did what he was told, and stumbled his way to his tent less than an hour later, nearly careening into a large tripod that held a collection of copper pots. Catastrophe averted, he slipped into his bedroll and was asleep in moments…
He woke hours later, fully alert, in complete darkness and dead silence. He tried to sit up, but a firm hand closed over his mouth and forced him back down. Something sharp jabbed at his throat and stayed there.
“You and I are going to leave here quietly.” William recognized Kaleb Antony’s voice; somehow the rebel leader had escaped his bonds, but how? The only answer he got was the savage beating of his heart in his ears. Antony pressed the blade even harder against William’s throat. “If you make a sound, this dagger will silence it instantly. Understand?” William nodded.
“Get up slowly. No, on this side.” William did as he was told, moving slowly to avoid giving Antony an excuse to slice his throat open. “I have a present for you,” said the man. Before William had time to be puzzled, his mouth was gagged with a ball of cloth. Antony knotted it with a yank that belied his anger. “Fair is fair, Whitehall. I expect you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. Now, out of the tent.”
Antony kept his dagger at William’s throat as the rebel pushed him from behind. His view unblocked, William glanced around for a way to raise an alarm. His stomach dropped as he saw the body of a Guard splayed before him. A dark pool of liquid shone in the pale moonlight beside the corpse. William realized it was Ethan Weimer, who had volunteered to stand watch here.
“Move,” said Antony, pushing him between the fire and the body. William complied—but faster than Antony expected. A small gap opened between them, and William stopped short and swung his head back into Antony’s face. Free of the older man’s grip, William kicked over the tripod straddling the fire. A wave of joy passed over him as he heard the crash of pots on stones.
“You insolent bookworm!” Blood poured from Antony’s nose, but he ignored it and lunged for William. William bent over the fire and scooped a double handful of embers into his attacker’s face, his hands searing with pain. Antony screamed and clutched his face, his momentum knocking William over. Antony groaned in pain as they both sprawled on the ground, unable t
o fight.
“Over here!” William heard the voices of Guards as they approached. Antony staggered to his feet, nearly blind. A figure emerged from the dark, and William recognized Ray Findlay.
“Come on boss, we have to git.”
“Get Whitehall!” yelled Antony.
“Forget it boss, they’re coming.”
The two men had almost disappeared into the darkness when William heard the sound of an arrow followed by a muffled scream. Another arrow flew past him, but no sound indicated that it hit its mark.
“Rachel! When did you get here?” William asked.
“Not soon enough. Otherwise they’d both be dead.”
“It sounded like you got one.”
“A leg wound, I’m pretty sure,” she said. “Are you hurt?”
“Just my hands. They’re burned.”
“How on Esper did you manage that? No, never mind. Where’s Maya?”
“I’m here,” she said as she arrived at a run, Jack and Charlie right behind her. “King’s blisters, William! What did you do to your hands? Why can’t you fight like a normal person?” Bewilderment and worry fought for control of her voice, and bewilderment was winning.
“Charlie,” said Jack. “I don’t care what Mattice says, you’re guarding Will from now on. At least until they catch that man.”
Charlie nodded, but Maya protested. “If Charlie had been here, he would have been dead, and not him,” she said, nodding toward the cadaver. “That’s not happening.”
“Forget it,” said William. “I’m not sleeping anymore. At least not until we get home.”
Maya sighed as she bandaged his hands. “We’ll figure something out. Your hands aren’t too bad. But don’t injure anything else, okay? I’m running low on supplies.” Her voice quavered, and tears welled in her eyes.
“Hey, it’ll be okay,” said William. “We’ll all be home soon.” He reached up to touch her cheek, but jerked his hand away in pain.
She snapped. “I hate this!” she said, her voice shaking. “I hate it! All of it. The trip, the river, the bugs, the dirt.” She fell into Charlie’s arms. “The fighting. I hate the fighting. Make it stop!”
William and Jack stood in stunned silence, unsure how to react to this outburst of emotion. Even Charlie didn’t know what to do, so he put his arms around her. Only Rachel seemed to understand. “It’s not the same, Maya,” she said, trying to soothe her friend.
“I know,” said Maya, her voice muffled against Charlie’s chest. “But it feels the same.”
“That’s natural. Just let it pass,” said Rachel as she stroked Maya’s hair.
“What’s going on?” Jack asked William in a hushed voice.
“I have absolutely no idea,” said William.
Rachel left Maya with Charlie and approached William. “It’s your burns, Will,” she said.
He stared at his blistering hands. “What about them?”
“She has trouble dealing with burns. They…bother her. You need to leave her alone for a bit. Okay?”
A Guard ran up to William before he had a chance to answer. “The Captain is asking for you,” he said. “You’re to come immediately.”
William scowled at the Guard. Mattice had no right to order him around. “I’m a bit busy. My friend here—”
“Go, Will,” said Rachel. “There’s nothing you can do right now. In fact, it might be better if you aren’t around her for a bit.”
“Fine,” he said, his scowl deepening. “Where is he?” he asked the Guard.
Mattice was pacing in his tent when William arrived. “Two Guards dead, Whitehall. Go ahead and say it. I was wrong.” He glared at William, almost defying him to speak.
“You weren’t wrong, Captain,” he said. “At least not about one thing. You said they would have to be crazy to attack us. But desperation makes people crazy.”
“That doesn’t make my decision right,” said Mattice. “In fact, this is the sort of decision that ends a man’s career, you know that?”
William knew of no answer he could give, especially not when two lives had been lost. “Weimer was one. Who was the other?”
“Weimer’s dead? King’s gizzards, that’s three now.” Mattice kicked his pack across the tent in anger.
“Any prisoners dead?” asked William.
“We found five bodies. Four more are unaccounted for, probably escaped. We got lucky, too. Something drew the watchman’s attention before all the prisoners escaped. He heard some sort of crash.”
“Yes, that was me. I knocked over some pots.”
“You did that? Why were you awake?”
William explained what had happened. When he finished, Mattice noticed William’s hands for the first time. He shook his head in admiration.
“You’re a resourceful man Whitehall. I shouldn’t have let Cairns take you. If you still want to be a Guard, I can talk to the Earl. Especially since I’m going to need replacements after tonight.”
William looked at his feet before answering. In a quiet voice he said, “That’s not what was meant to be.”
Mattice nodded, disappointed at the answer. “Our plans have changed. It’s a forced march between here and Marshland now. Can you handle it? If not, I can leave a couple of guards with you, but I’d prefer we all stay together.”
“I’ll keep up.”
While the population of Esper has not yet covered either Ibyca or Azuria, the Kingdom itself has no true outer boundaries. When the conversion to Kingdom took place, it was decided that in order to maintain the peaceful benefits of the new hierarchy, it could never be allowed that new population centers be created outside the jurisdiction of the Royal Court.
Typically, new settlements are financed by either Dukes or Earls who wish to increase their holdings on bordering wilderness, so rarely is fealty questioned. However, these developments have been uncommon in the last century, and are just as likely to be peopled by displaced laborers than sponsored settlers.
Planet of Hope: A History of Esperanza
They arrived in Marshland Crossing four days later having slept no more than three hours each night. The grueling pace had drained William, but he refrained from complaining since unlike many others, he at least had a horse. The Guards took turns riding, while the prisoners marched the entire way, many in bare feet.
It was painful, perhaps even cruel, but it was necessary. Mattice would not repeat his mistake and let the escaped rebels attack them again. “Even if we are being followed,” he said to William, “they’ll be more worn out than we are. And our prisoners would be too exhausted to fight. Besides, we can rest when we get home.”
Exhausted as he was, sleep was low on William’s mind when the familiar sights of Marshland came into view. Administration Hill shone like the head of a bronze statue as it reflected the morning sun, the white stone walls of the Library its silver crown. William and his team were ferried across the river and reached the hill a few minutes later. The Armory and the prison lay ahead, while the upper path led to the Library. Maya and Rachel gave their farewells and headed to Deacon’s Inn while Charlie remained with his company. William handed the reins to a weary Guard who was grateful to ride the remainder of the way. Mattice shook William’s hand. “Remember what I said, Whitehall. I meant it.”
“Thank you, Captain.”
“What was that about?” asked Jack as the line of prisoners was marched away.
“He wants me to join the Guard. He needs replacements now.”
Jack’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious? That’s perfect! What will you tell Cairns?”
“Nothing. I’m staying at the Library.”
Jack’s mouth hung open as William walked on. Catching up, he said, “After all this, you’re turning down your dream job?”
William hesitated before answering. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate the offer. And I’m glad I proved him wrong for not choosing me in the first place. But you saw the Guards. Their job is mostly marching around, or waiting, and
sometimes fighting…and getting killed. I never really considered that before. I know it sounds strange, since my father was killed on duty…but it never dawned on me until Ethan Weimer died outside my tent.”
“We nearly died, too, you know.”
“Yes, I know. I was there, remember? But between us and the Guards, who had the most excitement?”
Jack grinned. “You’re smarter than you let on, you know that?”
“And you’re almost as smart as you pretend to be.”
“Well, a smart son shouldn’t keep his parents waiting after so long away, so I’m heading home. You should, too.”
“Soon,” said William. “I have a couple of errands at the Library first.”
“Suit yourself.” Jack took a few steps toward home, but turned back. “Have you figured out what you’re going to say to her?”
“Who? My mother?”
“No, stupid. You know who I mean.”
William sighed. “You can call her Melissa.”
“Fine. Have you figured out what you’re going to say to Melissa?”
“I’ll start with hello, and take it from there. Why are you asking me this?”
Jack raised an eyebrow and shot a mischievous grin at William. “Because you’re scared of girls.”
William laughed. “After everything we’ve been through I’m not scared of a conversation.”
Jack smiled and nodded. With a wave he turned and headed home.
When William opened the Library’s large wooden door he was met with a scream of delight. “He’s back!” said Jessica, who hugged him so hard he groaned in pain. Melissa emerged from her workroom as he winced.
Melissa let out a long sigh of relief, tears welling in her eyes. “You’re back. How long—oh, King’s mercy! Are you hurt?”
They pulled him into a well-lit office and fussed over his injuries, Jessica tut-tutting as she inspected his visible wounds, Melissa searching his face for evidence of how much pain he was in. “I’m fine,” he said, taking Melissa’s hands in his own bandaged ones.
Jessica took William’s act of intimacy as her cue to leave and smiled at them both. “Welcome home, William,” she said, and left the room.
The Defender of Rebel Falls: A Medieval Science Fiction Adventure (The William Whitehall Adventures Book 1) Page 27
