Just outside the castle walls was a small park. It was his destination. Cirris slowed his pace as he walked past the front of the castle gates and nodded to the guards. Without uttering a word, the sailor continued onward and entered the park. Once in the small park, Cirris sat down on a bench. He gazed around the park, but avoided looking in the direction he had just come from. He was afraid that the stranger would detect his fear and be frightened off. Cirris knew that the soldiers guarding the gates would not allow anyone in the park to be abducted, so he managed to relax somewhat while he waited. Keeping his eyes on the ground in front of him, Cirris wondered what the stranger was doing. He fought the urge to look, but it required his constant attention to do so.
A few minutes after the sailor entered the small park, a woman entered from the opposite side. Although she wore a sheath with a short sword visible, her step was light and carefree. Her face beamed with a broad smile, and she gaily called out the sailor's name. Cirrus stood and smiled in response. Sheri almost skipped across the park and hugged the sailor as she planted a kiss on his cheek.
"You are early," Sheri said loudly. "Have you been waiting long?"
"No," Cirris replied without trying to keep his voice low. "In fact, I have been wandering about so I wouldn't be too early. Are you ready?"
"Ready and eager," laughed Sheri as she looped her arm around his. "Shall we be off?"
The couple turned and exited the park in the direction that Sheri had arrived from. They walked unhurriedly with their heads inclined towards one another like lovers.
"I have only seen one man following me," Cirris whispered. "I hope this is not a false alarm."
"There are at least two others that I know of," Sheri whispered back.
"How could you know?" questioned the sailor. "I was only in the park for a few minutes."
"You were seen walking about the town earlier," Sheri replied. "I knew you would arrive in the park even before you nodded to the guards at the gate."
"You have people spying on me?" frowned Cirris.
"Of course," chuckled Sheri. "Did you really think we would just let you roam around Southland without assigning people to watch you?"
"Then the man who is following me," asked Cirris, "is he one of yours? Is this really a false alarm?"
"Absolutely not," Sheri replied. "You would never detect the men that Wylan has watching you. This man is a stranger to Southland as are the other two who were following you earlier today."
"Earlier?" gasped Cirris. "Do you mean that I missed them?"
"Do not let it worry you," Sheri replied tenderly. "We never expected you to be skilled as a spy. Most people would not have even picked up on the one you did discover. They are fairly decent at their craft, but not good enough when others are already expecting them. Wylan is setting a trap for them now."
"A trap?" Cirris repeated nervously. "I guess that is what needs to be done, but truthfully, I have avoided thinking about what would happen when they finally showed up. What kind of trap will it be?"
As they exited the park, Sheri stopped suddenly alongside a carriage. She turned to Cirris and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Kiss me," she said softly. "We are supposed to be lovers on our way to a secret rendezvous."
The sailor's eyes widened in confusion, and his mouth hung open speechlessly. Sheri giggled as she leaned forward and kissed Cirris. She immediately broke the embrace and danced onto the seat of the carriage.
"Hurry up," she taunted the sailor loudly. "I only have a couple of hours. I want as much time with you in the barn as possible."
Sheri laughed loudly as the sailor stumbled in his hurry to climb onto the carriage seat. As she was laughing, she glanced past the sailor and saw the stranger hurrying away. She smiled inwardly and turned her attention to the team of horses.
Cirris was silent as Sheri guided the team of horses through the city streets. Only when they exited the city gates did the sailor speak.
"Where are we going?" he asked. "Is it safe to leave the city?"
"It is imperative to leave the city," Sheri replied. "These assassins are too quick to take their own lives. We need to isolate them so that they can be captured quickly without any warning whatsoever."
"But we must have already lost the man that was following me," frowned the sailor. "I am confused."
"The stranger ran to warn his cohorts," Sheri explained. "We are riding in a carriage to make it easy for them to follow us. They will know within minutes that we have left the city. I suspect that they must keep one man near the city gates in case you decide to flee. They will gather their horses and be after us fairly quickly. They will probably still be able to see the carriage when they ride out of the gates."
"Then they will be on us quickly," Cirris pointed out. "Surely, you do not believe that they would think twice about attacking me simply because a woman is with me?"
"Certainly not," conceded Sheri. "The timing will be close, but Wylan and I have been over it before. If the assassins manage to get their horses quicker than we anticipated, the gate guards will slow them down until the timing is right again. The assassins are to be let out of the city just as this carriage reaches the edge of the forest. We will have just enough time to get set up before they find us."
Cirris was still sweating profusely, and he realized that his hands were curled into fists. His whole body was taut with fear. The sailor stared at Sheri in amazement. The young Knight of Alcea was seated calmly with a smile on her face as if the journey truly was a pleasant romantic interlude.
"We are about to play victim to six assassins," Cirris declared. "How can you remain so relaxed about it?"
"Worry does not solve any problems," Sheri shrugged. "I am concerned about the danger, but I refuse to let fear immobilize me. Besides, I have faith in my husband. When Wylan says that we will be safe, then we will be safe. You have to learn to trust in him as I have."
As the carriage grew close to the forest, Cirris casually glanced back towards the city. He saw six riders charging towards them.
"They are coming up quickly," Cirris announced nervously.
"As expected," Sheri frowned as she noted the sailor's continued nervousness. "Think of Wylan as you would think of Captain Hill," she suggested. "If Captain Hill were guiding the ship through treacherous waters, would you be as fearful as you are now?"
The sailor had great respect for Captain Hill. He tried to mentally put himself in the situation that Sheri had described, and he slowly shook his head.
"I do not know why," Cirris admitted, "but I always felt safe under Captain Hill's command, even when the journey was not safe. I think I am beginning to understand what you are trying to teach me, but I am more familiar with the ocean than I am with assassins."
"Understandable," Sheri shrugged, "but if you think about it some more, I think you will see that the dangers are not much different. Impending death is still death no matter how the deed is done. There is the barn. We are to get inside quickly. Just follow my lead."
Sheri brought the carriage to a halt just outside the barn doors. The couple jumped to the ground and raced into the darkness of the old barn. Sheri grabbed the sailor's hand and halted in the darkness for a moment to let her eyes adjust to the gloom. The sounds of thundering hooves could be heard in the distance.
"Over there," Sheri said excitedly as she pointed to a large pile of hay at the far end of the barn. "Come on."
Sheri dragged Cirris across the barn. When they reached the hay pile, she laughed as she pushed the sailor into it. She immediately jumped into it alongside him.
"Have you gone mad?" spluttered the sailor.
"Laugh," Sheri commanded softly. "If they think that we are enjoying ourselves so much that we can't sense them approaching, they will be less careful. I want them to be overconfident."
Cirris tried to respond with a loud laugh, but it came out more like a whine. Sheri turned on the sailor and tickled him, bringing a genuine laugh from his lips.
Outside the barn, the sounds of men dismounting could be heard. While still laughing, Sheri placed a knife in the sailor's hand and slowly drew her short sword. The silhouettes of three men filled the barn's doorway.
"Keep laughing," Sheri whispered, "but be ready to move around this pile of hay when the action starts."
When their eyes had adjusted somewhat, the three men saw the couple in the hay and made no attempt at a stealthy approach. One of the men grunted a terse order, and the other two started across the floor towards the hay pile. The two men had not taken more than a few steps before the barn burst into activity. A huge net dropped from the darkness and enshrouded the three men. Shouted curses rang through the air. Dark figures raced out of hiding and clubbed the heads of the men before they could turn their weapons on themselves. Outside the barn, shouts of alarm rang out. A man stuck his head into the barn and immediately fled.
"Come on!" urged Sheri as she leaped to her feet. "The others are getting away."
Cirris rose, still clutching his knife. He raced after Sheri as the young woman dashed into the sunlight. As the sailor exited the barn, the bright light nearly blinded him, but he was not blinded enough to shield the sight of three bodies sprawled in pools of blood. The clearing outside the barn was encircled with soldiers, and Wylan stood over the dead assassins.
Wylan sheathed his sword and embraced Sheri. "You were supposed to remain in the hay," he said sternly. "What if something had gone wrong out here?"
"Something did," Sheri retorted. "We were supposed to take them all alive."
"That was our goal," shrugged Wylan, "but it never was a realistic one. "We captured three, and that is actually better than I had hoped for. If we had gotten any closer to them before the trap was sprung, we would not have gotten any of them."
"I guess," sighed Sheri. "What now?"
Wylan smiled and opened his breast pocket. He inserted his finger, and a tiny head popped out.
"Is it time to set the trap?" asked the tiny green man.
"The trap has already been sprung, Twerp," chuckled Wylan. "It is time for you to fly to Tagaret and gather the Royal Sorcerer. Tell Fredrik that we have three captives that require his attention."
Twerp jumped out of the pocket and shot up to Wylan's shoulder. He gazed at the bodies on the ground and shook his head.
"Not even a magician will get anything useful out of them," the fairy frowned.
"The captives are in the barn," laughed Wylan. "Now fly swiftly, or I will ask for a female fairy next time. They know how to follow orders without being sarcastic."
"That may be your experience with female fairies," laughed Twerp, "but it is not mine."
The little green man leaped into the air and disappeared amongst the branches of the trees.
Chapter 17
Predator or Prey
The common room of the inn was crowded as nighttime heralded the end of the working day in Pia. Dockworkers and seaman poured into the room for the evening meal, or to share an ale or two with their friends and fellow workers. Most of the tables no longer had empty seats available, but one table was nearly empty. Seated in the dark corner of the room was a tall, muscular stranger. The man was dressed entirely in black, and his demeanor invited no company. Patrons entering the common room approached the table, thinking it was empty, but they soon turned away when they gazed upon the killer seated in the dark. Before him sat an empty plate and a half-full mug of ale. Some newcomers dallied near the door as if expecting the stranger to leave, as it was obvious the man had finished his meal. It was equally obvious that the stranger was not desirous of company. His cold eyes bore into anyone attempting to sit at the table. Eventually the newcomers drifted to another table, the stranger forgotten. The stranger sipped his ale occasionally, but he did not seem to be in a hurry to finish it or order another. His eyes gazed about the room, constantly moving, but not in a fearful manner.
A Sordoan sailor stood near the door watching the man in the dark corner. He was fearful of approaching the killer, but there was not another empty seat in the common room. Eventually, he steeled his nerves and approached the table. The killer's eyes bore into the sailor, and the Sordoan nearly faltered and turned away, but he was hungry and tired, and he needed a meal before heading upstairs to his room. The sailor hesitated only briefly and continued his walk to the corner table. He avoided looking directly at the killer as he slid along the bench opposite the man in black.
"Sorry to intrude on your solitude," the sailor apologized, his eyes staring at the surface of the table, "but I need a meal, and your table is the only one with a free seat. I will eat quickly and be gone."
The din of a hundred voices in the room was overpowering, and the sailor was not sure if the killer had replied to his apology. He risked a glance at the man across the table from him and shivered in confusion. The killer was smiling at him.
"Enjoy your meal," the stranger said softly as he returned his attention to the rest of the room. "I am no threat to you."
The sailor swallowed hard and nodded. The serving lad stopped at the table and set down a mug for the newcomer. He filled it with ale and gazed at the stranger questioningly. The stranger shook his head and placed his hand over the mug in reply.
"Just a bowl of stew for me," stated the sailor.
The sailor started to relax slightly when his food arrived. He managed to glance several times at the stranger as he spooned stew into his mouth. Each time the stranger's eyes flicked towards him as if he could feel the sailor looking at him. It was unnerving, but the killer truly did not seem to be interested in him. The man in black seemed content to sit and watch everyone else. The sailor grew curious and brave.
"My name is Abel Mubari," announced the sailor, wondering if he had misjudged the stranger. "Can I buy you another ale for sharing your table with me?"
"No," the stranger replied as he shook his head slightly. The thin smile appeared once again. "I am about ready to leave. You are Sordoan, are you not?"
"I am," the sailor nodded. "I currently am crewing on a ship between Pia and Kantor. The ship damaged its rudder coming in, and I have a few days to wait before the next voyage. Do you live in Pia?"
"No," replied the stranger. "I am just passing through. It has been some time since I was last in Pia. It has changed a great deal."
The sailor looked around furtively before speaking in a whisper. "These Lanoirians are crazy," he said. "You would be wise to move on as soon as possible."
One of the stranger's eyebrows rose as he looked at the sailor questioningly. "Crazy in what way?" he asked.
"There is a revolt brewing in this city," replied Abel. "It gets worse every time my ship arrives in port. I think when I get to Kantor, I will try to crew on a different ship."
"I have been noticing a lot of talk this evening about the evils of the government," nodded the stranger. "I am glad to know that it has not always been this way. My name is Garth Shado. Let me buy you another ale. I would be interested in hearing about your observations of Pia."
"Well met, Garth," smiled the sailor, "but I am not sure that I have much to tell. All I know is that it gets worse every trip. Usually there are soldiers on the docks when we arrive, but not today. In fact, I haven't seen a soldier anywhere today. I think they are afraid to be out on the streets."
"What makes you think that?" asked Garth.
"There were bands of men on the docks," replied Abel, "and they were bossing everyone around. The captain of my ship wanted his rudder repaired today, and he got into an argument with the locals. They told him that he would have to wait. When he demanded to speak to the harbormaster, they threatened his life. That was when I decided to get a room at the inn instead of staying on the ship. The dock area is not safe to be near."
"Are you a religious man?" asked Garth.
"Not too much so," the sailor shook his head, "but these people are. Everything they do, they shout praise to Balmak. I never even heard of him before. He must be a Lanoirian god."
"There is a temple for him in Trekum," informed Garth.
"I am not from Trekum," shrugged the sailor. "I never heard of their god before. I wish I could shed more light on the situation here, but I cannot. I usually only spend one day here while the ship is emptied and reloaded. Maybe you should ask someone else. I wouldn't even be here now if the captain hadn't broken the rudder trying to avoid that strange ship."
"Strange ship?" echoed the Knight of Alcea. "What was strange about it?"
"It was unlike anything I have ever seen," answered Abel. "It was not a shallow water ship like the ones out of Dalek, and it wasn't a cargo ship like the Lanoirians or Cordonians use. The captain didn't like the looks of it, so he altered course closer to land. It was really strange because the weird ship also headed towards land. The captain ended up hitting a reef or something."
"It is hardly strange for ships to be heading towards land," replied Garth. "Perhaps your captain is inexperienced?"
"No, sir," the sailor shook his head. "He knows where the shipping lanes are. That ship was heading for the Great Sordoan Desert. There are no ports there. That other captain must have been lost."
Garth's head swiveled as the door opened. A woman dressed entirely in black looked across the room and then left. Garth smiled warmly at the sailor as he rose. He dropped a gold coin on the table.
"I have to go," he said softly. "Enjoy that ale without me. Well met, Abel Mubari. I hope we meet again."
Garth strode out of the inn and saw his wife walking slowly away. He caught up to her and walked alongside her.
"What have you discovered?" Garth asked.
"There is definitely magic at play here," Kalina answered. "While much of the devotion to Balmak is genuine, some of the people appear to be under a spell."
Knights of Alcea Page 21
