“Shouldn’t you keep walking?” asked the fairy. “You don’t want to get caught now.”
“Did you?” repeated Bin-lu.
“Well, your ear was blocking the only light in the room,” Shrimp blurted out. “How was I supposed to see your arm in the dark? You almost maimed me with that swipe of yours.”
Bin-lu shook his head and started walking again. “I thought you were a poisonous spider,” he chuckled after a few paces. “I hope I didn’t hurt you badly.”
“You won’t tell anyone, will you?” pleaded the fairy. “This is the first time that Prince Midge assigned me to a dangerous task. If he finds out, I will be grounded.”
“I thought you weren’t an amateur?” chuckled Bin-lu. “You sure talk a good game.”
“I didn’t want you to think that I wasn’t capable of the job,” admitted Shrimp. “That would be embarrassing.”
“A Knight of Alcea is truthful to his friends,” lectured Bin-lu. “That is the first lesson that you must learn. We must have faith in each other in order to survive. I guess what I am saying, is you don’t have to pretend to be something bigger than you are. We all have limitations and we must learn to adapt to the limitations of those we fight alongside. Do you understand?”
“Completely,” Shrimp answered quickly. “Does that mean that you won’t tell Prince Midge about my error?”
“I have no idea what you are talking about,” grinned Bin-lu. “I certainly didn’t see you in that room.”
“You are a wonderful human,” beamed the fairy. “I won’t ever deceive you again.”
“I hope not,” retorted Bin-lu. “Why are you called Shrimp? I would think that fairies would consider such a name demeaning.”
“Demeaning?” balked the fairy. “Then you don’t understand fairies very well. We are proud of our stature. In the land of ogres, smaller is better. Do you know how ferocious a shrimp is? For their size, I mean. Shrimp is a name I proudly bear.”
“I guess I never thought about it,” confessed Bin-lu. “I will say this, I do not question your courage. You could have easily left me behind tonight. I am indebted to you.”
“No,” smiled the fairy. “We are a team. We look out for each other. How are we getting out of this camp? They will discover you missing pretty soon.”
“I haven’t figured that out yet,” admitted the Knight of Alcea. “I could possibly lead my group into battle in the morning. Maybe I could scale the wall and then surrender to the Sordoans.”
“Too risky,” Shrimp shook his head.
“I know better than to try to leave the camp with some fool excuse,” sighed Bin-lu. “Too many men have tried that. None of them have succeeded.”
“How about the noble?” suggested the fairy. “You seemed to have built a rapport with him.”
“I thought about that,” conceded Bin-lu. “I want to tell him about his precious emperor, but I fear what he might do with the information. It may be better if the Black Devils don’t know that their masquerade has been compromised.”
“Won’t they realize that when they find you missing?” asked Shrimp.
“They might,” nodded Bin-lu. “It would be ideal If they thought I was dead. That is why I was thinking about the attack on Trekum as a way to escape. There are too many things that could go wrong during a battle though.”
“One nice thing about hiding in the enemy camp,” offered Shrimp, “is that even if they know what you look like, it could take them weeks to find you.”
“You are right!” exclaimed Bin-lu as he stopped walking. “How courageous are you feeling tonight?”
“I have a feeling that I am going to regret my last statement,” sighed Shrimp. “What do you want me to do?”
“There are plenty of Lanoirians that died in battle today,” explained Bin-lu. “They have not had a chance to bury them all yet. If we could steal a body and put it back in that cell, they might think I died.”
“Of an arrow wound?” quipped the fairy. “I don’t think those men are that gullible. You would need someone who was struck in the head. Then you would have to transport the body through the entire Lanoirian camp, put the guards to sleep again, and hope that nobody has checked the cell yet.”
“You are right,” agreed Bin-lu as he started walking again.
They walked on in silence for some time. Bin-lu was careful to avoid the campfires and altered his course several times to avoid bumping into people who might remember seeing him. Before long, Bin-lu’s campsite came into view. He urged Shrimp back into his pocket as his men saw him coming.
“Were you at the interrogators all this time?” asked one of the men.
“Not all of it,” answered Bin-lu. “I have been walking around and thinking.”
“The walking is good for you,” quipped one of the men. “I am not sure that the thinking is allowed in camp, though.”
Several of the men laughed and even Bin-lu had to smile at the joke. Bin-lu walked to the fire and poured himself a cup of tea. He sat on the ground alongside his men and stared at them. His eyes showed sadness as he realized that these men were his fellow countrymen. Although he did not know any of them, they came from villages just like his. He was sure that none of them had any real desire to conquer the world.
“Where is everyone from?” asked Bin-lu. “I am from Barouk.”
Bin-lu listened to the answers. The men were from all over Lanoir. While there were zealots and war-hungry fanatics in the Lanoirian encampment, Bin-lu’s group seemed to be there because they had to be. He guessed that most of them had been ordered to join the army.
“The interrogator cleared us of any wrong doing,” Bin-lu announced.
The men cheered or sighed with relief. Punishment was harsh in the Lanoirian army, and these men had expected the worst.
“He is also giving us the honor of leading the attack tomorrow,” continued Bin-lu.
“No,” frowned one man. “Why doesn’t he lead the attack?”
“This is our last night together then,” another man said sadly. “I will miss my family.”
The talking continued, and Bin-lu listened carefully to each man’s comments. He waited patiently until every man had spoken.
“I do not think this is fair to you men,” announced Bin-lu. “The ambush yesterday was hard enough on you. Plus, you are cavalry, not infantry. It just isn’t fair.”
“Can’t you do something about it?” asked one of the men. “You seem to have a way with words that the rest of us lack.”
“If I did do anything,” sighed Bin-lu, “it would be considered treasonous. You men wouldn’t want me to do something like that, would you?”
“Why not?” asked one of the men. “We didn’t ask to come here and die. If I could get out of this camp, I would, and I am not afraid to say it.”
“To us, you aren’t,” laughed one of the other men. “You wouldn’t dare say that in front of anyone else.”
“True,” the man shrugged with embarrassment. “But don’t you feel the same way?”
The men all agreed and Bin-lu smiled inwardly. “I can think of only one way to avoid leading the charge tomorrow. It will be very dangerous if we are caught. Are you men sure that you want to risk it?”
“What is there to risk?” asked one of the men. “None of the men who led today’s charge survived. I will take any risk to avoid it.”
“Even if it means that you might be attacked by your own countrymen?” pushed Bin-lu.
“Even then,” nodded a soldier. “I have two little boys that I want to see again. I didn’t ask to be in this army, and I don’t want to be here.”
“Well, that makes about twenty of us then,” smiled Bin-lu. “Get your mounts ready for a patrol.”
“A patrol?” questioned one of the men. “I thought you said we were supposed to lead the charge tomorrow?”
“That is what the interrogator said,” corrected Bin-lu. “We, however, are going on night patrol, and it is going to be a one-way patrol.”<
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“You mean desert?” gasped one of the soldiers. “Nobody as ever succeeded in doing that before.”
“Nobody has tried with a complete patrol before,” grinned Bin-lu. “We have already learned the power of all saying the same thing. Just follow my lead and be firm about our orders. I am sure that we will be scrutinized, but I hope to bluff my way through it. If the bluff does not work, we may have to fight our way out.”
“Then we shall fight,” one soldier said courageously.
The rest of the men nodded in agreement and went off to pack their meager belongings and get their mounts ready for patrol. Bin-lu rose and walked away from the campfire. When he was far enough away to speak without being heard, he opened his breast pocket and let Shrimp out.
“It is better if you did not ride in my pocket during this escape,” Bin-lu said. “There is a chance that I won’t make it past the guards.”
“I understand,” nodded the diminutive man. “What excuse are you going to use for the patrol?”
“I haven’t thought of one yet,” confessed Bin-lu. “Do you have any ideas?”
“Indeed I do,” grinned the fairy. “After they put you to sleep, they continued talking. They mentioned that the supply wagons for today did not arrive. Maybe you could say that you are being sent out to look for it.”
“I like it,” nodded Bin-lu. “If no supplies come into the camp, men will go hungry. That is a very valid reason to send out a patrol. I will try it.”
“I will stay close to you when you leave,” promised Shrimp. “If my skills can be helpful, I will not hesitate. How will we meet up afterwards?”
“Wait until I am alone,” answered Bin-lu. “I do not want anyone to see you, not even the men of my patrol.”
“Then I will be unseen,” grinned Shrimp as he leaped into the air.
Bin-lu returned to the campsite and found his mount. He did not have any personal things to pack, so he just readied his horse for the patrol. When all of the men were ready, Bin-lu led them towards the western edge of the camp. Most of the camp was already asleep, but those awake followed the patrol’s progress with curiosity.
At the edge of the encampment, a dozen soldiers stood in a small knot. Two of the men were officers. Bin-lu had never seen the men before. They looked at the approaching group with curiosity, rather than suspicion. Bin-lu smiled inwardly.
“Where are you going?” asked one of the officers.
“Patrol again,” scowled Bin-lu. “And at night, too.”
“You don’t sound too happy about it,” remarked the other officer.
“We were on patrol yesterday and got ambushed,” explained Bin-lu. “Going out at night is our punishment.”
“I heard about the ambush,” commented a soldier. “You are lucky to receive such light punishment. I would have thought that you would be leading the charge against Trekum today.”
“I don’t think the interrogator rates our performance that highly,” shrugged Bin-lu. “I don’t understand. The ambush was not our fault.”
“Why is he sending you out at night?” asked an officer. “We don’t normally have night patrols.”
“The supply wagons never arrived today,” declared Bin-lu. “There was concern that it might have been attacked. We are to search the road between here and Gortha. There are probably some special sweets on one of the wagons for the emperor,” he added with a slight laugh.
“Now that makes sense,” laughed the soldier.
“We should have been notified,” frowned an officer. “This is most irregular.”
“I agree,” Bin-lu nodded vigorously. “If you haven’t been notified, you should not let us pass.”
“Are you making fun of me?” asked the officer.
“Not at all,” Bin-lu feigned shock. “I was agreeing that you should have been notified. Perhaps you should go speak to the interrogator now. I do not mind waiting until you come back.”
“The interrogator is probably asleep,” frowned the officer.
“I am sure that he is,” Bin-lu smiled with a malicious grin.
“Bah,” scowled the other officer. “He is baiting you. You will get punished for waking the interrogator while he sits on his rump waiting for you to come back.”
“And I probably wouldn’t be back until my punishment was complete,” nodded the first officer. “That could last until morning. I am not falling for it. Move your column out. I hope it takes you all night to find those wagons.”
“It probably will take all night,” scowled Bin-lu. “May ants infest your boots.”
The second officer howled with laughter as the knot of men moved aside to let the column pass through. Bin-lu led the column at a walk until they were out of sight of the guards, then he picked the pace up to a trot and continued for some time before stopping.
“You did it,” cheered one of the soldiers. “I cannot believe your luck.”
“Not luck,” grinned another man. “Bin-lu has a way with words. I am indebted to you Officer Bin-lu.”
The rest of them murmured in agreement.
“We should probably split up,” advised Bin-lu. “The bandits that attacked us before would like to attack us again. As single men riding, I do not think they would bother. If you have clothes other than your uniform, I suggest that you change the first chance you get.”
“Are you returning to Barouk?” asked one of the men. “I would be happy to ride with you for a while.”
“No,” replied Bin-lu. “As long as I am this far north, I want to see some of the world before I return home. May your wives and children be blessed by your return.”
Bin-lu waved to his men as he turned off the trail and entered the forest.
* * *
“Why do you always wear those things over your eyes?” Sheri asked Wylan as she gazed at the eye patches.
“The sun gets very bright during the day,” replied Wylan as they walked towards the Royal Palace. “It hurts my eyes if I don’t wear the patches.
“I didn’t know that you could even see the sun,” remarked Sheri. “Can you see anything else?”
“Try this,” Wylan answered as he avoided the question. “Close your eyes. Now look up at the sun. Can you see anything?”
“No,” answered Sheri, “but it is bright. I guess that could get to be a distraction. Where did you get the patches? They look like a very skilled person made them. He certainly was very artistic.”
“I got them in a leather shop here in Tagaret,” replied Wylan. “As for the skill of the maker, I cannot tell. I have never seen the design on them.”
“Of course,” Sheri responded with embarrassment. “I keep forgetting that you are blind.”
“I take that as a compliment,” grinned Wylan. “Would you still like me if I was not blind? You didn’t in the beginning.”
“Of course I would,” asserted Sheri. “I was just distracted by the king when we first met. I could not think of anyone I would rather spend time with than you.”
“Even King Arik?” pushed Wylan.
“Even King Arik,” smiled Sheri. “Oh, I would love for him to notice me, but I understand that there can never be anything between him and me.”
“Lucky for me,” smiled Wylan.
“You put yourself down too much,” complained Sheri. “There is no need for you to compare yourself with King Arik. You have a fine job at the palace now. Benni said he saw you yesterday down by the waterfront. What were you doing down there?”
“The waterfront?” stalled Wylan. “Oh, I had something to do for Colonel Nolan. It was nothing important. Are we getting close to the Royal Palace yet?”
“You are keeping something from me,” accused Sheri. “You know quite well how close we are to the Royal Palace. You forget that you told me how you keep track of your location by the smells of the shops. They don’t smell any different today than they did any other day. You asked me the question just to change the subject. What are you hiding from me?”
“All righ
t,” grinned Wylan, “you have found me out. I am really a secret spy for Colonel Nolan. I spend my days tracking down Black Devils and setting them up for elimination.”
“Oh, bother,” giggled Sheri. “I don’t know why I put up with you. It is a good thing that everyone is working on the wall and the streets are empty. Could you imagine someone hearing you say that? I bet that is what you would like to be doing, though.”
“It would be satisfying work,” nodded Wylan. “You do realize, though, that if I was a spy, I could never tell you about it. That just wouldn’t be proper.”
“You wouldn’t have to tell me,” laughed Sheri. “I am sure that I would be the first to know. You can’t hide anything from me.”
Wylan suddenly lunged forward and raised his staff up. The tip of the staff caught a man in the throat. Sheri screamed as the man fell to the ground. As the man’s hand went to his throat, a knife clattered to the street.
“Don’t touch the knife,” Wylan warned Sheri. “It is probably poisoned. Move into the alley, quickly.”
Sheri stood shaking her head with confusion. Wylan bent down and picked up the knife while the man gasped for air that he would never breathe. Wylan pushed Sheri into the alley and swiftly followed her.
“We need to get away from here before anyone notices,” he said softly, but urgently.
“What is going on?” asked Sheri. “Why did you kill that man? How did you know the knife was poisoned? How could you find the knife on the street?”
“Too many questions,” Wylan said abruptly as he pushed Sheri along the alley. “The short answer for now is that I am a spy for Colonel Nolan. That man was out to kill me, and he would have killed you first to leave no witnesses behind.”
“You can see?” Sheri asked accusingly. “You could not possibly know what you know if you are truly blind.”
“Just a little,” nodded Wylan. “Let’s get into the Royal Palace, and I will tell you all about it.”
Chapter 16
Laws of Nature
Lieutenant Montbalm stood fifteen levels above the ground on the third battlement of the Castle of Man. The catapults sat idle as soldiers ran along the ramparts dislodging hooks that the ogres were throwing up from the second battlement, which was five levels below. He snared a soldier by the arm who was running by him.
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