“You have not yet learned much about humans, Peanut,” Morro said softly. “To Clint, you are like his child. He loves you dearly and seeks to protect you. Now, I happen to understand what you are saying, and I am sure that Clint would agree with me when I say that we stand in awe of your bravery and skill, but we still have those sentimental feelings that are hard for us to ignore. You upset Clint very much by flying off into danger without telling him. We were worried for you.”
The fire burned out of Peanut, and his tiny brow creased with concern. Clint didn’t know how to respond, so Sparky decided to save the day.
“What is the Black Citadel like?” Sparky asked enthusiastically.
Peanut was relieved to change the subject. “It is a fortress built into the face of the mountain,” he reported. “There are scores of rooms and over one hundred warriors bearing the gold emblem of the badgers. Black-cloaks were too numerous to count.”
“What about the hostages?” asked Clint.
“Three human females are held in an isolated chamber,” answered Peanut.
“What were you able to learn about shields?” asked Morro.
“I did not bother checking the trail,” answered Peanut. “It is obviously shielded at regular intervals to warn the mages of an impending attack. Inside the fortress, there are few shields and little need for them. There is one over the main entrance, again to give the mages time to prepare for an attack. There is another shield covering the entrance to the women’s chamber. I think whoever is in charge does not even trust his own men. He seems to not want the women harmed in any way.”
Clint’s brow was creased in concentration, the confrontation with Peanut already forgotten. Morro glanced at the Ranger.
“What are you thinking, Clint?”
Clint started out of his concentration and looked at the elf. “I am thinking that their heavy reliance on shields as warning beacons could very well work against them. What was their state of readiness inside, Peanut?”
“Everyone was relaxed,” the fairy answered. “Even when I discovered the shields, they ignored the tiny alarms. I think they are used to thousands of tiny hits each night.”
“Let’s find a safe place out of view,” suggested Clint. “I want to see complete images of the fortress.”
* * * *
A knock on the door at the Palace Keep in Giza caused the two Knights of Alcea to look at each other questioningly. Tedi and Natia knew that Garth was out of the city on an errand, so the knock would not be his. They froze with indecision as to who should be the one to open the door.
“Natia?” came a distant voice. “Are you in there?”
Tedi moved quickly, but silently into the bedroom and pulled the door almost closed. Natia waited until Tedi was set before approaching the door to the hallway and cracking it open.
“Colonel Fisker!” Natia said loudly as she pulled the door completely open. “What a surprise.”
“I hope I am not intruding,” the Federation officer said as he entered the suite and looked around.
“Of course not,” Natia smiled as she closed the door. “Come in and sit down. Take a seat on the couch,” she added, knowing that such a seat would make it almost impossible to observe the bedroom door. “How did you know I was back in town?”
“I have been waiting to hear of your arrival,” smiled the colonel. “Judge Julius let it slip that he had finally gotten rid of that pink pouch you left him holding.”
“How did you know about that?” Natia asked.
Colonel Frisker grimaced when he realized that the judge would not have told Natia that her pouch had been stolen during her absence.
“I couldn’t imagine anyone else in the world who would be so bold as to carry gold in a pink pouch,” lied the colonel. “I thought I would check here at the Palace Keep to see if you were in the city.”
Natia smiled broadly, well aware of how the colonel knew about the missing pouch. She had, after all, planned for him to learn about it. “How nice of you to think of me.”
“I wanted to thank you for the information you gave me the last time you were here. I wish I had followed up on it sooner than I had. I assume that you heard about the escape of the elven children?”
“I wouldn’t be very good at what I do if I hadn’t heard about the simultaneous breakouts in four cities,” answered Natia.
“Three cities,” corrected the colonel. “Despair managed to catch the rebels before they struck.”
Natia eyed the colonel conspiratorially. “Four cities, Colonel. That is just between you and me, but don’t believe everything you hear coming out of Despair.”
“Are you serious?” gasped the colonel.
“The garrisons in Despair couldn’t catch a rebel if he surrendered,” chuckled Natia. “That is why the emperor formed the A Corps. Unfortunately, General Forshire and his men were sent to Olansk on another matter and were unable to be in Despair at the same time.”
“That might explain the rather mild berating of King Anator during the celebration,” mused the colonel. “He had expected to be verbally torn to shreds by the emperor for allowing the elves to escape. I imagine things are probably pretty dismal in Elfwoods these days.”
“Elfwoods is empty, Colonel. Again, this is not common knowledge, so keep it to yourself, but all of the elves fled the same night as the escapes from the centers.”
“Fled?” balked the colonel. “Where could they flee to?”
“I heard a rumor that they fled by ship from Shark Point, but I do not know for sure. You must understand that no one in Despair really cares to bring the subject up. It is quite an embarrassment for the Federation.”
“That is simply amazing,” the colonel responded with astonishment. “If I didn’t know how accurate your information is, I would be tempted to dismiss it as wild conjecture.”
“Perhaps that would be wise,” smiled Natia. “I really shouldn’t even be talking to you about such things, but I like you for some reason.”
The colonel grinned broadly. “What brings you to Giza this time? Are you just passing through?”
“Pretty much,” answered the gypsy princess. “I have been hearing some strange things about the priests of Balmak. I thought I would stop in Giza and see how the security situation was here.”
“We did hear about the deaths of the priests in Farmin and Valdo,” offered Colonel Fisker. “General Antero has ordered a constant patrol around the temple in case the rebels try to strike here.”
“Interesting,” frowned Natia. “Was that ordered by anyone in Despair?”
“No,” the colonel answered hesitantly. “General Antero decided upon the course of action himself. Why does this news seem to displease you?”
Natia shook her head but didn’t answer the question. “Would you care for something to drink, Colonel?”
“No.” The colonel stared at Natia and knew that she was hiding something. “What is wrong with setting up patrols around the temple? There is something that you are not sharing with me.”
Natia sighed heavily and smiled thinly. “You know me too well, Colonel. I am not sure that there is anything wrong with the patrols. I know the local authorities in both Farmin and Valdo think that the deaths are the work of rebels, but I am not so sure.”
“If not rebels, who?”
“I am hesitant to say. If you were to take my suspicions to heart, it might cause problems for you, and I would not want to see you put in such a position.”
“I appreciate your concern, Natia, but if there is even a small possibility of it not being rebels, I would like to know.”
Natia sighed again and nodded. “I think there might be a faction within the Federation army that seeks to eliminate the priests. Are you aware that two Priests of Balmak were killed in Waxhaw before the latest two murders?”
“I had not heard about those,” answered Colonel Fisker.
“One occurred inside the Royal Palace of Vinafor, a place where rebels would have a hard time ge
tting people into, and the other priest was attached to an army interrogation unit. He mysteriously died during an investigation. The priest in Farmin was killed the same night as the center breakout, but he was nowhere near the center. I think the timing of that death might just have been a coincidence.”
“But the one in Valdo was clearly rebels,” countered the colonel. “They came up through the sewers.”
“That is true,” agreed Natia. “Such an entrance surely sounds like a rebel attack, but don’t you find it curious that the previous three do not seem to be rebel attacks? I think someone is cleverly trying to throw us off the scent. I managed to speak to some rather unsavory characters in Valdo on the way here. I was told that the thieves who normally inhabit the sewers were not in place the night of the murder. In fact, they had not been using the sewers at all for three nights prior to the assassination.”
“That is strange,” frowned the colonel. “Why weren’t they using the sewers?”
“Because soldiers were hunting them in the sewers,” answered Natia. “A full week prior to the assassination, Federation soldiers began entering the sewers and killing thieves. It only took a few days for the thieves to get smart and clear out until things calmed down.”
“This is important news,” Colonel Fisker said anxiously. “We have constant patrols around the temple, and the very soldiers who are patrolling might be the assassins. I should bring this to General Antero’s attention.”
“I would advise against that,” cautioned the gypsy princess. “As I said, it is only a personal theory, and it is based entirely on assumptions. If you asked the general to withdraw the patrols and something happened, it would look bad for you. You are better off letting the patrols remain in place.”
“But your assumptions appear valid to me,” frowned the colonel. “Rebels do not infiltrate the Federation army, nor do they waltz into a royal palace.”
“Still,” warned Natia, “the assumptions are not strong enough to stick your neck out. You have such a handsome neck, and I would hate to see you lose it.”
Colonel Fisker smiled warmly at Natia. “Perhaps there is a way to move the patrols away from the temple without risking my neck.”
“But what if I am wrong?” asked Natia. “What if the patrols could stop a rebel attack?”
“Frankly,” replied the colonel, “I can’t imagine a handful of rebels standing much chance inside that temple. There are over one hundred clerics inside, and they are armed and trained to defend the temple. There are also two black-cloaks inside. The army patrols are overkill, and now that they are suspect, I am uneasy having them that close.”
“That close?” echoed Natia as she tried to figure exactly what the colonel had planned.
Colonel Fisker nodded. “I could move the patrols back a block in each direction. They would still stop any armed band of rebels from getting near the temple, but they would be too far away to get into any mischief themselves.”
“Would they also stop any other soldiers from getting near the temple?”
“I would make sure that their orders required them to do so,” answered the colonel.
“I don’t know,” Natia said. “It makes some sense, but you would still be taking a risk. I should not have shared my concerns with you.”
“Nonsense. I think I know a way to get their orders altered without my name even coming into it. In fact, I should be off if I want to accomplish that.” The colonel rose to leave, but he stared at Natia before moving away from the couch. “Will you be in town long?”
Natia shook her head. “I am just passing through. I will probably be gone before morning, but I should be returning in the not too distant future. Maybe we can share a meal the next time.”
“I would like that,” smiled the colonel. “Let me know when you return to the city.”
Natia smiled and nodded as she rose to let the colonel out. After he was gone, Tedi emerged from the bedroom.
“Listening to you twist that man around your finger frightens me,” Tedi said. “Now I have to wonder if you are doing that to me.”
Natia laughed and embraced her husband. She kissed him and then pushed him away.
“I don’t have to do that with you,” she laughed. “You always give me what I want without my having to ask for it. You need to get going. You are already late. Tell Garth what the colonel said here.”
Tedi nodded. “You will meet us there?”
“I will check out the placement of the patrols before you arrive. No matter how meticulously we planned, there is a chance that Colonel Fisker will not deliver as we expect him to. Does Garth have a backup plan?”
“Garth has faith in your abilities,” grinned Tedi. “So do I. Don’t be late.”
Tedi kissed Natia and then hurried out the door. He got his unicorn out of the stables and rode out of the city. He took the fork for the Zinbar Trail and rode for about an hour. Hearing the call of an osprey, the gypsy prince turned off the road and into the forest. Minutes later he entered a large clearing where Garth and twenty Rangers were waiting for him.
“How did it go?” asked Garth.
“It went down exactly as planned,” answered Tedi. “Natia didn’t even have to send for the colonel. He showed up on his own.”
“I think he is mesmerized by your wife,” chuckled Garth.
“She scares me,” laughed Tedi. “She led him straight to where we wanted him, and all the time she was telling him not to do it.”
“She is a gypsy,” grinned Garth. “Will the colonel change the patrols tonight, or do we have to waste a day in these woods?”
“He sounded like he wanted them changed immediately,” answered Tedi. “Natia is going to check on it and let us know for sure. I see you managed to get the Rangers here. What did King Arik say about it?”
“He was hesitant at first,” answered Garth, “but I explained that the Rangers would be used primarily for training the thieves in four cities. He agreed to five men per city. I mentioned that they might have an attack or two before they got into place, but I did not linger in mentioning it.”
“A wise move. How are we getting them into the city? I can’t believe that you will ride them through the gates.”
“Morro showed me the entrance that the thieves use,” answered Garth. “I have cleared our use of it with Headman. His people will be leaving the city the same way when he sends them out here for training.”
“As usual, you have everything covered.”
“Perhaps,” mused Garth. “I think we will teach the Federation that nothing is impregnable, but that doesn’t mean that this mission will be risk free. It is always wise to plan for surprises, but even with a lack of surprises, this mission will be risky. We are going into a fortified building inside a fortified city with just one squad of men. It doesn’t get much riskier than that.”
“I think I will offer up some prayers before we depart,” Tedi said seriously.
Chapter 35
Casting Doubts
Twenty-two black-clad men moved furtively through the sewers of Giza. Rats scurried away from their approaching footsteps, but there was no other life below the streets. The thieves had abandoned the sewers as promised, and the only sounds heard were the constant drips of water. Garth Shado led the group with a practiced sense of direction. Although he changed tunnels frequently, he led them steadily towards the Temple of Balmak. Unexpectedly, he halted at the base of a ladder.
“We are going up into a building,” Garth explained softly as his men gathered around him. “This is the location I spoke about earlier. The building should be empty, but use caution. If there are people present, disable them and wait for further instructions. The first team is to secure the ground floor. Go.”
Five Rangers separated from the others. The team leader climbed the ladder until he reached the hatchway into the building. He paused as he waited for the rest of his team to be either on the ladder or waiting to climb it. When he was sure that everyone was ready, the leader eas
ed the hatch open and stealthily entered the basement of the building. The other four Rangers quickly followed, spreading out in the large basement room. After verifying that no one was hiding in the room, the leader guided his men up the stairs to the ground floor. Behind him, the other teams were already flowing out of the sewer.
The team leader halted at the top of the stairs, his hands silently directing his team members as they exited the stairway. Within seconds, the ground floor was secured. There were no people present other than the Rangers. The other three teams soon followed with Garth and Tedi coming last. Garth moved directly to the front door and cracked it open. Bitsy flew out of the building and shot straight upward to the roof. There, the little woman landed on Natia’s shoulder alongside Button.
“The assault team is ready,” Bitsy announced with a sharp military manner.
“Button, go with Bitsy,” Natia ordered softly. “Report that all is as planned.”
The two fairies leaped off of Natia’s shoulder and dived downward. With aerobatic twists, the two fairies darted through the crack in the door and they each landed on one of Garth’s shoulders. Garth closed the door and moved away from it. The Rangers gathered around the Knight of Alcea.
“All is as planned,” reported Button.
“Send me your fairies,” Garth said to the Rangers.
The four team leaders woke their fairies and sent them to Garth. There was a slight moment of disorganization as the fairies tried to settle on Garth’s shoulders, but Bitsy and Button had command of the situation. The two leading fairies issued terse instructions until there were three fairies on each of Garth’s shoulders.
“Listen closely now,” Garth began. “The rear door of the temple is just across the street. This attack has to be totally silent. The myric quill is the weapon of choice tonight, but use whatever is necessary to get the job done. There are scores of Federation soldiers standing just a block away in each direction. If they hear anything, expect them to come rushing towards the temple. As I explained earlier, we are facing at least one hundred warriors and two black-cloaks. They are all fair game for any team, but the demonkin is to be avoided. Tedi and I will be going after K’san.”
Heirs of the Enemy Page 44
