The Rambling Spy

by Mackenzie Morgan

  In the few seconds it took for all of that to register with Gildan, Rolan had backed fifteen feet away. He saw the precise moment when Gildan realized his fate. “You did an excellent job with your assignment,” he said as he continued backing away. “Unfortunately, I can’t leave anyone alive who can link me to those houses.”

  Through his fear-heightened senses, Gildan realized the dark spot behind the bushes off to his right was some kind of fissure. It wasn’t very wide, and he had no idea how deep, but it was the only thing around that might provide some cover, provided he could get to it. The bushes were several feet away but if he could manage to get close enough, he might be able to dive into it in time. But that would mean distracting Rolan.

  “Why did you need to know where they live?” Gildan asked. “Your sister isn’t with any them. I checked. No one in any of those areas had seen anyone matching her description, and besides, none of them take apprentices. They aren’t practicing sorcerers.”

  Rolan shrugged. “I don’t guess it’ll hurt to tell you. It’s not like you’ll be able to tell anyone, and the information you gathered will make things a lot easier for me. I’m going to kill a couple of them the same way I killed Badec. Then no one will suspect a thing when I kill Myron.”

  “What are you talking about?” Gildan slipped his right foot closer to the bushes and shifted his weight to his right. “Badec died from a coma.”

  Rolan laughed. “It was the poison in his tea that put him in that coma. The only thing I didn’t count on was it taking him so long to die. I’ll make the next one stronger.”

  “How did you get poison in his tea?”

  Rolan smirked. “Well, I didn’t do it myself. That would have been too obvious. I had someone else do it. A sister.”

  “How did you convince a sister to poison the Master Sorcerer?” Gildan slid a little closer to the bush.

  “The woman was in love with me. She’d have done anything I asked.”

  “Are you going to get her to poison the others, too?”

  Rolan shook his head. “She’s no longer with us. There was no way I could let her live knowing what she knew, and that was a shame. She was devoted to me and very accommodating.”

  Gildan figured he could probably make it into the fissure from where he was, but he wanted to move a bit closer if he could. “So what now? Pick one of the brothers or sisters and poison their family?” he asked as he shifted to the right.

  “Not the whole family. For my plan to work, everyone has to believe it’s a weakness in the House of Nordin, so only Badec’s brothers or sisters will die. Actually, I think if two of the brothers die that will be enough.”

  “How are you going to poison just the men? Won’t their wives drink it and die, too”

  “From what I read in your journal, one brother lives by himself. I’ll slip in one day while he’s in town and put the poison in his tea. As to the second? I think the one who spends his days in his shop will work. I may go there myself. I could say I’m looking for something, maybe a table. Then, when he offers tea, I’ll slip poison in his. As long as I go straight to his workshop, no one will ever know I was there.”

  Gildan slipped his right foot next to the bush. “That’s not a bad plan. It may even work. But why kill Myron? Do you want to be Master Sorcerer that bad?”

  “Of course my plan will work! It’s perfect! As to why I want Myron dead, he’s keeping my sister from me. She belongs to me. I get to decide what happens to her, and she has to die, but first I have to get rid of him.” Rolan snapped. “And now that I’ve answered your questions…” Rolan took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes in concentration.

  Gildan saw the change in Rolan and dove behind the bush and into the fissure. As he tumbled into the dark hole, he heard Rolan laugh. “Like that bush can save you!”

  There was a blast as the energy bolt hit the bush and the surrounding ground. Hot debris and ashes rained down on Gildan as he lay motionless on top of a pile of rocks. He had no idea whether he was at the bottom of the crevice or on a ledge, but for now it didn’t matter. He was alive, and if he wanted to stay that way, he didn’t dare make a sound. He kept his face down and hoped that between his dark clothes, the debris on top of him, and the deep shadow of the hole, he’d be invisible should Rolan notice the fissure and look down.

  Meanwhile, up on top, Rolan grinned at the scorched ground and ashes where the bush had stood. With a satisfied nod to himself that one more loose end had been dealt with, he turned his key and left for home.

  ~~~~

  Gildan didn’t move for what felt like hours. Only after he saw the glow of daylight out of the corner of his eye did he dare lift his head. He couldn’t see the sun, but from the look of the sky it had to be close to midday. Surely Rolan had gone.

  As he eased himself into a sitting position, he realized he was on a fairly wide ledge. After shifting around until his back was against the side of the fissure, he tossed a rock over the side to see how deep it was. Several seconds later, he heard a splash.

  Then he scanned the wall behind him for any footholds he could use to climb out of there. He spotted several rocks jutting out from the wall that might work, provided they’d support his weight. He considered yelling for help in hopes someone would come, but as soon as the idea crossed his mind, he discarded it. If Rolan used that stretch of land to dispose of people he considered threats, it had to be desolate.

  Gildan was on his own.

  With a deep sigh, he carefully stood up. He didn’t think he’d broken anything, but he was banged up and pain shot through his body with every movement. As he checked himself over, he found cuts and burns on his arms, face, and hands from a mix of rocks and flying debris. His tunic was ripped in some places and burned in others. At least he still had his boots on and the heavy leggings he’d worn had provided some protection for his legs.

  Gildan looked towards the sky and started climbing the wall, testing each rock before shifting his weight to it. It took him nearly an hour to inch his way up the wall and he was exhausted by the time he reached the top. With a huge sigh of relief he pulled himself out of the hole and collapsed on the ashes of the bush that had saved his life.

  After lying there long enough to catch his breath, and relax enough to feel the pain of his various injuries, Gildan struggled into a sitting position and looked around. No sign of anyone. No sign of a road, a trail, or anything else. There was also no sign of any berries or anything else edible. And the only water he knew of was at the bottom of the crevice.

  With a resigned sigh, Gildan got up and started walking, albeit slowly and with a slight limp. Since he had no idea which way to go, he headed for higher ground, hoping he’d be able to spot something.

  While he walked, he replayed his last conversation with Rolan. He picked up his speed as he thought about Kyle, going about his business with only his dogs for company. Panic mixed with guilt churned in his stomach. He wanted to warn Kyle, warn them all. He wanted to tell them Rolan was coming for them, that he was planning to poison them and then go after Myron. And for what? So he could kill his sister? Why was he so afraid of her? She wasn’t even a sorcerer yet!

  Gildan was almost running by the time he reached high enough ground to get a good look around. He still didn’t see anything resembling a town, but he did spot smoke in the distance. Might be a camp, or a house, or it could be a wildfire, but there hadn’t been any storms since he’d been there, so someone must have started it. Maybe they could tell him how to get to the nearest town or where he could buy a horse.

  Gildan absentmindedly patted his money pouch. At least he’d kept it on him when he’d left his room to meet Rolan.

  As he started walking towards the smoke, a question crept into his head. How was he going to warn them? There was no way he could travel all over Camden in time. He’d have to go to Milhaven, tell Myron, and let him handle it.

  He stopped in his tracks. What was he thinking?! There was no way he was going to tell Myron he�
��d spent a year and a half collecting information on his aunts and uncles so Rolan could poison them. He’d be dead within the hour. He might as well have let Rolan kill him!

  Gildan shook his head. He’d worked too hard trying to survive to throw his life away now. Besides, Rolan had that key. He’d be done with whatever he was going to do long before Gildan could reach Milhaven.

  With a heavy heart, Gildan started walking again, slower this time. There was no need to rush since there was nothing he could do to save them. The only thing he could do at this point was save himself, and to do that, he needed to get as far away from all of them as he could. His best bet was to head south and not stop until he was back in Riordan.

  ~~~~

  While Gildan was struggling with his conscience, Rolan was sleeping with a smile on his face. His patience was paying off. Things were falling into place. He slept late and woke up in the best mood he’d been in in years. As he got out of bed Sunday morning, he decided to spend the afternoon on one of the islands he frequented. Once he was there, he’d find a willing girl and celebrate.

  When he opened his bedroom door, his guard snapped to attention. “Sir?”

  “You can send for my breakfast now.”

  “Yes, sir,” the guard responded, surprised at the sorcerer’s tone. He was usually brusque, demanding, and hateful. Pleasant was not a word any of the castle residents would use to describe him. It was all the guard could do to keep from asking Rolan if he was feeling all right.

  When Rolan’s breakfast arrived, the guard knocked once and opened the door. “Your breakfast, sir.”

  Rolan was gazing out the window over the back gardens. “You may set it on the table,” he said without turning around.

  The woman who’d brought the tray set it down and exchanged questioning looks with the guard as they left the room.

  While Rolan ate, he thought through the next phase of his plan. Getting the mushrooms would be no problem, but since Gerry wasn’t here to prepare the poison, he’d have to do it himself. The question was when.

  He’d need to harvest several mushrooms, take them to the cave, prepare them, and get back to the castle before anyone realized he’d left. It would take a bit of time, so he’d need to do it on a weekend. And since he didn’t want anyone to see him around the chapel in Glenco, he needed to go after they were asleep, probably a little after midnight.

  Rolan nodded as he drank the last of his coffee. He’d go next Saturday night.

  ~~~~

  Gildan walked all day Sunday and into the evening. After the sun went down, the temperature began to drop. The light breeze that had felt so good during the day became uncomfortably chilly. Gildan gathered the lightweight tunic closer around him and longed for the cloak he’d left in his room.

  For a moment, Gildan wondered where he was, but then decided it didn’t matter. He needed shelter for the night, and he needed it soon. The only thing he could find was a gully between some small bushes. As darkness crept in, he snuggled into the gully, thankful to be out of the wind.

  The next morning Gildan was so stiff and sore he could hardly get up. He pushed through the aches and pains and trudged on in search of people, food, and water. He had no idea whether he was headed towards civilization or away from it, but there looked to be a forest in the distance. Maybe he’d find a road there, and roads led towards people.

  It took most of the day, but he finally made it to the trees. There was no road, but there was a small cabin nestled right inside the tree line.

  When he knocked on the door, it swung open. The cabin was small, and although no one was there, it was obvious someone had been, and recently. He found food, water, and clothes. After he ate enough to quiet his stomach and drank his fill of water, he changed into one of the tunics. It was too large for him, but it was warm. As he paused to consider his next move, a mantle of exhaustion settled on his shoulders.

  The narrow bed sitting against the far wall looked too good to pass up, so he decided to stretch out for a few minutes. Telling himself he’d be gone before anyone came home, he sank down on the narrow bed and pulled the blanket around him.

  The first thing to penetrate his deep sleep was a low, guttural growl. His mind wanted to jump up, but his body wasn’t cooperating. The best he could manage was to open one eye. What he saw made his heart hammer and his breath catch in his throat. Not a foot from his face was the snout of the largest canine he’d ever seen. He had no idea whether it was a wolf or a dog, but the way it was snarling and gnashing its teeth, it didn’t make much difference.

  As he tried to slide back and sit up, he realized someone was standing behind the huge animal.

  “Now Ulric, calm down,” the old man said as he reached out to grab the scruff of the animal’s neck. “You’re scaring that poor fella to death!”

  Gildan struggled to his feet and held up his hands. “I know it looks bad, but I’m not a thief. I was going to leave you some money to cover the food and tunic.”

  “Never crossed my mind you were. I figured you were lost or something,” the old man said as he stroked the animal’s head. When Gildan opened his mouth to explain, the old man shook his head. “You don’t owe me any explanations, and I don’t want any. Strange things happen around here, especially out on that plain. None of my business. Now, how can I help you?”

  Gildan couldn’t take his eyes off the animal. “If you could point me in the direction of the nearest town, I’ll be on my way.”

  The old man nodded. “It’ll take you two, three days to get there, so there’s no need to rush. You’ll stay the night. I’m fixing beans and hard bread for supper. I’ll make extra bread so you can take some with you. You’ll need it.”

  “I don’t want to put you to any trouble.”

  “No trouble. You look like you’ve had a bit of hard luck. Least I can do is help you out. If it was me, I’d want someone to help me.” Then the old man looked around the cabin. “Now, where did I put that pot?”

  ~~~~

  Tuesday morning, as soon as Rolan got to his office he yelled for a page. When the page opened the door, he said, “Tell Sgt. Trevor I want to see him, and send someone for a cup of tea.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Rolan had his tea in ten minutes, but it was half an hour before Trevor showed up. “When I send for you, I expect you to come then, not half an hour later!” Rolan barked.

  “I was out in the pasture. Took a few minutes to get back.”

  Rolan motioned Trevor towards a seat. “Tell me about Myron’s schedule.”

  “You mean his usual routine?” Trevor asked as he sat down.

  “Or course that’s what I meant!”

  Trevor shrugged. “I was a soldier, not a guard. The only time I was in the castle was for meals, and that wasn’t an everyday thing.”

  “So what do you know?!” Rolan demanded impatiently.

  “I know he used to run through a magic routine every morning before breakfast. As to whether or not he still does…” Trevor shrugged. “He usually went back upstairs for a bit, and then, sometime around eight, he and Chris would come down for breakfast. After that, he went to his office, where I assume he spent the day. Sometimes he’d eat lunch in the dining hall, sometimes in town, sometimes in his office. Same thing with dinner. After dinner, he usually walked his dog, then went upstairs to bed. At least that’s what he did while I was there.”

  “When he eats at the castle, does he eat the same food the rest of the staff eats, or do they fix him something special?”

  “As far as I know, he eats the same stuff, at least he did every time I saw him in there. The only thing they make sure they have for him is coffee. He drinks coffee from morning to night. The guards keep a pot going all night in case he wants some.”

  “Coffee? What kind?”

  Trevor shrugged. “I have no idea, but he must like whatever they use because he doesn’t add anything to it. He drinks it straight out of the pot.”

  “No cream? Or sugar?�
��

  Trevor shook his head no.

  “Anything else?”

  “Seems to me I heard someone say he liked brownies.”

  Rolan frowned until his eyebrows met. “Brownies? He eats brownies?”

  Trevor nearly laughed but covered it with a cough. “Not like you’re thinking. Brownies is the name they use for some small chocolate cakes Miranda makes.”

  “Oh,” Rolan said. “Anything else?”

  Trevor paused as if he were trying to think of something and then shook his head. “That’s all I can remember, but I didn’t work in the castle. I wasn’t around him much.”

  Rolan stood up and walked to his window. “You can go.”

  After Trevor left, Rolan sat back down. Coffee and small chocolate cakes. Didn’t give him a lot to work with. It would be tricky getting Myron to eat or drink the poison and make sure no one else did. He’d need someone on the inside, someone who could hand him a cup of coffee or one of those brownie things without arousing suspicion. Too bad he didn’t have Shana anymore. She’d have been perfect. But he’d find someone, maybe one of the pages. He’d have to see what he could find out about them.

  But first he needed to make the poison. And then he had to poison a couple of the brothers. He had time.

  ~~~~

  For the next two days, Gildan walked, and walked, and while he walked, he kept thinking about Rolan’s plans and his own inadvertent role in them. He couldn’t shake the guilt of having had a hand in them.

  He’d pushed himself and walked from dawn to dusk, but when he hadn’t reached town by the end of the second day, he began to wonder if the old man knew what he was talking about. He’d told him to head east until he came to a river. Then follow the river south to the town.

  As Gildan bedded down for the second night, he decided to give it one more day, but if he didn’t reach a river the next day, he was going to forget about the river and head south.

  The next morning, he set off walking shortly after daybreak, but not with the same enthusiasm he’d had the previous two mornings. Then, a couple of hours later, he came to the river. His spirits soared as he turned south and his pace quickened. The sun was still high in the sky when he walked into the inn and asked for a room.