Heather nodded, but Derek asked, “Are we to meet up somewhere?”
Flare nodded, “Yes. I want us to meet in the city of Helum. As each group arrives in the city, we will meet up at the northern gate.”
“How are we to do that?” Derek asked.
“As each group arrives in the city, one member will go to the northern gate each day at noon. As the other groups arrive, they also will send a member to the northern gate at noon. Once all three groups have met up, then we will have to decide how to proceed from there.”
“And how long do we have for the journey?” Derek asked.
“Six weeks,” Flare answered. “That should get us there at the start of the winter festival in Helum. It should be nice and crowded.”
Kara left the meeting room and ignored the other Guardians' urgent whisperings. Instead, she headed straight for her room as quickly as she could. At one point, she thought that she might have broken out into a run, but she wasn't sure, and she really didn't care if she startled a few maids.
She reached her room, threw open the door, entered and slammed the door behind her. She leaned back against the door, breathing heavily and shaking. “Oh, Adel. Help us.” She said aloud.
She stumbled across the room and sat down in a chair. Her hands were shaking so badly that she had to set on them to keep them from moving. How could this be happening? Surely, Flare wasn't the one prophesied about. He couldn't be, he just couldn't be.
Then another depressing thought occurred to her. She was obligated to report this mission to the arch-bishops, but Flare had commanded them not to speak of the mission to anyone. What was she to do? Disobey her friend and commander, or disobey her church.
She loved and believed in Flare, but the church was her life. The decision weighed on her and threatened to tear her apart. She rested her head in her hands and cried.
Heather and Derek left the meeting room with Flare, but then they went left while he went right. They waited until he was out of earshot before they started talking. “What do you think?” Heather asked.
“It should be fairly easy until we get to Helum, from there things may get tough.” Derek said shrugging.
Heather cocked her head, “You really think so? You really think that Flare would split us up if there wasn't the possibility of trouble on the way?”
Derek smiled, “He's probably overreacting. I mean there might be someone watching for us on the roads, but they won't even notice the three small groups.” His smile got even wider, “This should be fun,” then he quickly added, “at least until we reach Helum.”
Flare had only waited for several minutes when he was ushered into a small office. Lord Maltin sat behind a wooden desk that was piled high with papers and books. It was a common theme in the room, with what seemed like all available surfaces covered with papers, even the bookshelves were overflowing.
Lord Maltin stood when Flare entered the room, his brown pants and grey shirt hardly seemed fitting for a lord, but perhaps elegant enough for a spy master. “Prince Flare, it's a pleasure. What can I do for you?”
Flare nodded his head, “The king told me to get your help if it was needed.”
“Of course. I'm assuming that this is in reference to your upcoming trip.” He pointed toward a chair that faced the desk, “Please have a seat.”
Flare nodded and sat down, Lord Maltin waited until Flare was sitting, and then he too sat down. “Lord Maltin,” Flare began, when Lord Maltin interrupted him.
“Please call me Jared. It's makes things easier.” He smiled as he spoke.
Flare smiled back, it was hard not to like the man. “Jared, I need your help. We're leaving tomorrow evening, and I have to get things organized.” Jared nodded his head as Flare spoke, “But here's the problem. It's kind of hard to organize a mission and keep it secret at the same time.”
Jared smiled, “I know exactly what you mean, but it is what I do. Perhaps I can help.”
Flare ran his hand through his hair. “Yes, I was hoping that you could. I need horses and supplies, and I need a way for us to get out of the city quietly.”
Jared nodded, “Not a problem.”
Flare was speechless for a moment. “Really? I thought I was asking a lot.”
Jared laughed, “Actually, I have to get people in and out of the city frequently. There is a small gate in the western wall; it's called the drainage gate.”
“The drainage gate? Never heard of it.”
“Not surprising, few have. There's a natural spring in that part of the city, in a public garden, and it drains through the drainage gate.” Jared grimaced, “unfortunately, some also use it as a sewer, so you'll want to bring a change of clothes.”
“A sewer?” Flare asked, suddenly liking this plan less and less.
“It's the only unguarded exit, at the moment, which you can use. There are several others, but they are unavailable.”
“Unavailable?” Flare asked. He appreciated the help that Jared was giving him, but he still didn't like wading through sewage.
“Two of the secret exits are blocked at the moment, and two more are, well, let's just say that they are unavailable and leave it at that.” Jared shrugged, “I'm afraid that the drainage gate is the only exit I have to offer you.”
Flare sighed and nodded. “If that's all you got then I'll take it. Can you arrange for eleven horses and supplies to be outside the western wall?”
Jared leaned forward in his chair, “Shouldn't be a problem. I'll arrange for two supply horses as well.”
Flare interrupted him, “Make it three supply horses. We don't know how long we'll be gone and I would hate to run out of supplies.”
Jared nodded, “Okay. There is a small grove of trees about five miles west along the western road; it's just past the second bridge that you will cross. I'll have the horses and supplies waiting for you there. There will be several servants with the horses, but they won't know your business, unless you are foolish enough to tell them.”
Flare smiled, “Thank you. I won't forget your help.”
Jared smiled sympathetically, “Luck to you. Personally, I wouldn't wish this mission on an enemy.”
Flare shrugged, “What can I do? The king ordered me on this mission.”
Jared nodded.
“Jared, How do we get our packs through this drainage sewer? I don't want to be wearing clothes that smell like sewage.”
Jared stood up, “Don't worry about that. Have them get their clothes and packs to me, and I'll make sure that they are on the pack horses.”
The castle was quiet and dark. Kara had waited until shortly after midnight to leave her room, for fear of being seen. She had wanted to wait even later, but she didn't dare. She walked down the hallway as quickly and quietly as she could, staying in the shadows to avoid being seen.
She had struggled with the decision about whether or not to tell the church about their mission, and in the end she had simply felt that her loyalty to the church was stronger than her loyalty to her fellow guardians. She hated the way it made her feel like a traitor, but she simply couldn't imagine not fulfilling her duty.
There wasn't time for her to leave the castle grounds and make her way to the golden square, but one of the arch-bishops was staying in the castle for the evening. He was scheduled to lead a sun-rise prayer in the king's garden, and it was convenient for Kara that he was here.
She paused in the hallway, just outside a dark alcove. She heard noises coming from the alcove, and with an embarrassed start she realized what was causing them. Apparently, a couple of the servants were taking advantage of the darkness for their own pleasure. She crept by without them even noticing, but then again judging by the sounds they were making, she probably could have kicked them and they wouldn't have noticed.
Kara turned onto the hallway where the arch-bishop was staying, and stopped in her tracks, her breath catching in her throat. Two guards stood on either side of the door and it took a moment for her to realize that they
were wearing the colors of the church. 'Knights!' she thought. Church guards were called knights and were the honor guard of the church elite. Relief flooded over her at the realization that it was the knights that guarded the arch-bishop. Knights could be trusted to keep silent, whereas regular castle guards were not as discrete. She didn't want word of her late-night visit to get back to Flare.
The guards remained at attention, as they watched her approach. The plate armor that they wore was beautiful but it was more for decoration than battle. Full face helmets covered their faces and it was difficult to tell one guard from the other. The only part of them that moved was their eyes as they followed her progress.
Kara came to a stop directly in front of the guards. “Tell the arch-bishop that Kara Elba needs to see him.”
The guard on the right shook his head. “It's late and the arch-bishop has to get up early. If you would like to make an appointment...”
Kara stepped up to within inches of the guard, although the effect was diminished by her head only coming to his chest. “Now you listen to me. If you keep me from seeing him tonight, then he will have you flayed alive.” She put her hands on her hips to enforce the point. “If he's asleep then wake him!”
The guard started to retort, but a quiet voice, from the doorway, beat him to it. “Kevin, it's all right. If the young lady wants to see me that much, then perhaps she has a good reason.” Kara started when she recognized the arch-bishop as Simon. When the arch-bishops had summoned her, he had seemed nice.
Kara opened her mouth to speak, but the arch-bishop turned and walked back into his room, leaving her to follow. Simon walked slowly, limping as he moved to a padded chair near the fireplace. “You'll have to pardon me,” Simon said, lowering himself into the chair. “My old bones need the warmth.” The old man's eyes studied Kara, trying to peer into her soul. “So, what is so important that you had to disturb me at this hour?”
Kara moved closer and stood in the flickering light. “My apologies, Sir. I felt that what I had to tell you was too important to wait.”
Simon nodded, “Fine, what is it?”
The urge to turn and leave the room without discussing the mission came over her, but she pushed it back down. She knew what she had to do. Her first loyalty had to be to the church. “Sir, the king is sending Flare and the guardians to retrieve Ossendar,” she paused before adding, “the sword of Osturlius.”
Simon couldn't help but smile, “Yes, my dear. I know what Ossendar is, but I must say that I was starting to worry about whether or not you would come to tell me all this.”
It took a moment for the words to sink in, “What? You mean that you already knew?”
Simon's smile got a little bigger, “Yes. The church is aware and has given the king its blessing.”
Kara blinked, “But sir, I don't understand. Isn't this what you feared?”
The smile disappeared from Simon's face. “No! The church does not believe that Flare is the one. However, he is dangerous and may be a forerunner of the one that will try to restore the order. He must be watched closely, and that is exactly what you are to do.”
“Yes, sir.” Confusion flooded over her, they had already known and they had approved it! Another thought suddenly occurred to her, they had approved the mission, but then they had waited to see if she would tell them. They had been testing her! At that thought, anger threatened to wash over her.
“Is there something else?” Simon asked.
Kara struggled to keep her anger in check. It wouldn't do to anger an arch-bishop. “No,” was her only response.
Simon nodded, “Good.” He stood up and moved toward the bed. “I have something for you.” It took a moment for him to find it, but he soon returned with a small silver bracelet. “We want you to wear this on your journey,” he said, handing it to her.
She turned the rather plain looking bracelet over, examining it. “Why? What is so special about it?”
The arch-bishop smiled, “It's magical. It will allow us to track your progress for this mission.”
Kara was dumbfounded. “But if you can track it, surely others can as well.”
He scowled at her, his brow wrinkling as he did so. “It's not a request, it's an order. The order came from Dalin Olliston, himself.” All humor was gone from his eyes, “Do you understand?”
Once again, Kara had to fight to keep the anger from overflowing. “Yes,” was all she said before she turned and marched out the door. She stomped through the hallways, not paying attention to anything around her and not even caring if anyone noticed her. It wasn't until late the next day that she realized she had forgotten to mention that they were splitting into three groups.
Flare felt paranoid, but he spent the next day acting like everything was normal. He wasn't sure, but he didn't think that anyone was bothering to watch. It seemed like there were so many things that he needed to take care of, but he was in such a haze that he didn't seem to get many of them done.
He was excited to be getting back out of the castle and back on a horse, but going after Ossendar wasn't what he had in mind. At times, the day seemed to be speeding by, but at other times it seemed to be dragging.
He made himself eat a good dinner, but each bite had to be forced down. He was nervous, and he was feeling it in the pit of his stomach. Throughout the day, he saw several of the other guardians, and they too looked nervous, or perhaps they actually were excited.
Flare didn't see Kara all day, and that bothered him. He liked her and had trusted her once, but now he was afraid that she might have divided loyalties. He didn't like doubting one of his fellow guardians.
After dinner, he went back to his room and lay down. He wasn't tired, but it was going to be a long night.
He lay there for several hours listening as the commotion in the hallways gradually lessened. Finally, he felt it was time. He dressed quickly and left the room, barely pausing to look back.
They met in the western part of Telur, near a small inn called The Rusty Dagger. People still moved through the street near the inn, so their several small groups didn't seem to draw any attention. Flare arrived last and he didn't even say a word to them, instead he just nodded his head and walked past. Slowly, the groups broke up and followed him down a side street that ran toward the western wall. He paused after a block or two, stopping between several dark merchant buildings, and waited for several of the other guardians to catch up. Atock and Aaron were the first to arrive.
“Anyone following us?” Flare asked.
Atock shook his head, “No, at least not that we noticed.”
Flare nodded and smiled, “Good. Maybe this trip will at least start off in a good way.”
The rest of the guardian's caught up, and Derek moved to the front. “Where to now?”
Flare nodded westward. “There's a public garden near the wall. We just got to find it.”
“No problem,” Derek said, a smile growing on his face, “It's right over here.” As he spoke, he pointed to the west and south. Several of the guardian's looked questioningly at him. “What? I grew up in Telur and I've been in this garden before.”
“Good,” Flare said, smiling at Derek. “You take point and lead the way.”
With Derek leading the way, it only took the group several minutes to find the public garden. Once the garden had been located, Flare took the lead and moved them toward the western wall. Lord Jared had given him detailed instructions on how to get out through the drainage gate. Relieved to be out of amongst the buildings, Flare quickly moved the guardians through the garden to the point where the garden was up against the western wall. Then they located the small drainage pipe that allowed the spring water to flow through the wall. Trees grew all along the wall on the edge of the garden, which should keep the guards on the wall from seeing them.
“We'll never fit through that!” Enton exclaimed.
Flare flinched at the sound of Enton's voice, as it seemed to echo off of the walls. He sincerely hoped that if there
were any guards passing by on the wall, that they didn't overhear. He moved closer and peered down at the drainage pipe, the first pangs of worry growing in his stomach. The pipe would be tight for a normal sized man, but for someone of Enton's size, the pipe seemed almost impossible. He looked back up at the guardians, “Enton, Lord Jared assured me that we could all fit. He said that both ends are the narrowest part of the pipe.”
“He's right.” Aaron called out softly from near the wall. He was bent down with his head up against the metal grate that covered the pipe. “It looks to open up, and it's not too long.”
That made sense. The wall was about fifteen feet thick, so the drainage pipe had to be about the same. Flare turned back to Enton, “All you have to do is squeeze through the opening and then back out the other side.”
Enton didn't look reassured; in fact he looked a little scared. “Enton, you don't like tight places?”
“I don't mind tight places, but I just don't want to get stuck.”
“Flare, Do you know how to get this grate off?” Aaron asked.
Flare moved down to join Aaron, who was standing in ankle deep water near the drain pipe. “Yes. Jared said that there is a hidden lock.”
“Hidden lock?” Aaron asked, looking puzzled.
“Well, I guess that they don't want everybody to see that the drain grate can be moved.” Flare said as he kneeled down and began pushing on several of the bars on the grate. Jared had said that four specific bars had to be pushed. The four bars had to be pushed on the edges and in a certain order or the grate wouldn't open. He started by pushing the second bar on the bottom from the left, and then he moved to the top of the grate and pushed the bar all the way to the left. The last two bars were on the right side, the second and third from the bottom. As he pushed the last bar, the grate made a soft popping noise, and he was able to swing it out.
Ossendar: Book Two of the Resoration Series Page 19
