by Brian Keller
He abruptly changed direction to the east and wove quickly through the crowd. The closest ‘sellsword’ was still twenty paces away but depending on their intentions that was certainly close enough. He stepped quickly to the edge of the boardwalk, thinking to drop off and use the lower pathway to slip past but as he peered over the edge, he saw that his move had been anticipated. He’d found a fourth sellsword. The man raised a hand and opened his mouth to speak but Cooper was already moving on, skirting the edge to quickly slip past the makeshift cordon. He spared a glance behind him and saw two of the Assassins, for how else was he to think of them, almost sprint between two buildings to the north. He knew that they’d immediately turn east and attempt to either move parallel to him or get ahead of him to box him in again. “That’s fine,” Cooper thought, “That only leaves one here on the boardwalk with me, and one on the catwalk below.” Then another grim thought crossed his mind, “Assuming there’re only four of them, that is.” He cast a nervous eye around him, scanning the crowd for additional threats. He saw that a few nearby members of the City Watch had taken notice of this flurry of activity but hadn’t yet determined whether it was anything they needed to respond to. He had initially outpaced the man on the catwalk. The man had apparently tapped into his Talent and had caught up. Cooper wondered how long the man could keep it up, but after ten more rapid strides the question ceased to matter as Cooper reached the next pier. He turned and sprinted five steps down the pier, then turned to face his pursuers. He continued walking backwards, south along the pier, drawing closer to the Wharf City with every step.
The two men who’d run north emerged and soon all four men had gathered at the end of the pier. The man from the catwalk took a step to follow Cooper further but he was held back by a single, discreet hand signal from one of the others. The one that had signaled then nodded his head toward the Wharf City before he turned to walk back down the boardwalk. Cooper took this moment to better examine his pursuers. He tried to convince himself that they weren’t trained Assassins, that perhaps they were just specially trained soldiers, but there was no denying it. Soldiers, not even sellswords, moved like that. At least not four of them, all the same.
As he turned his attention to those around him, he searched for any familiar face. He’d already reached the inevitable decision. With all else that was happening, these Assassins, whoever they were, presented too much of a threat. They obviously knew to identify him on sight, which meant they were here to serve someone’s intentions. Four Assassins, working in opposition, could derail the whole process if they were allowed to continue. Something had to be done about them.
A brief wave from one of the Waterfront citizens got his attention and recognized an oarsman from one of his longboat rides. Cooper returned the wave and as he approached, the oarsman glanced back toward the boardwalk then spoke, “Ye have the look of sum’un seekin’ transport. Am I right?” Cooper gave him a nod. The oarsman squinted as he looked toward the Waterfront, “So, what’ll it be? East, west, ‘r south?” Cooper followed his gaze, looking to see if anyone was watching, “East, I think. Just to the edge of the Wharf City, but I’ll meet you at the end of the pier.” The man grinned in response, “A cagey one, aren’t ye?” Cooper smiled, “The First seems to think so as well.” Cooper stepped back to the north a few steps, trying to see whether any of the Assassins had walked up the neighboring pier, where the Lukasi ships were moored. If any had that, by itself, wouldn’t confirm they were hired by the Lukasi, since they might simply be trying to stay parallel to him, but if any of them boarded a Lukasi ship… well, that’d be more definitive.”
The boat ride was both brief and uneventful. He disembarked at the edge of the boardwalk and quickly crossed it and entered the Waterfront District. He continued north until he’d almost reached the Palisade Wall, then turned west to the Ruins. He then walked leisurely along the paths and roads where the Ruins joined the Waterfront District, looking at his surroundings then made a circle to approach from a different direction to look again. He identified a few spots he considered suitable and tried to imagine how they’d appear during different times of day, as the angle of the sunlight changed. He selected the best location for his purposes and walked to the Trade Quarter to make a few purchases.
That evening, before meal time, he gathered Rukle, Spen, Birt and Dailen. He was wearing his newly-purchased leather armor. He’d had to cinch the straps almost as tight as they’d allow in most places, to allow for his smaller size. Rukle whistled softly and placed a hand on Cooper’s shoulder, turning him slightly so he could look at Cooper from behind. The reddish-haired boy chuckled, “Nice outfit, but don’t they also make these for men?” Cooper brushed Rukle’s hand away and gave the young man a playful shove, “All will be explained. I just have one question. Has everyone been practicing their archery?” Spen stood straighter and nodded his head, Rukle nodded and smiled, but Dailen looked at his shoes and Birt shifted his weight from one foot to the other and looked uncomfortable. Cooper shook his head, “I know, it’s been a busy time. I haven’t kept up with practice like I should either, but with so few of us here, we all need to be ready to fight and defend what’s ours.” He looked at Dailen, “Put a few targets together. For all of us, myself included, four arrows in the black within thirty seconds. Do that, and you can set your bow aside.” Spen leaned forward, “You said all would be explained…” Cooper gestured to Spen, acknowledging the point, “Yes. Some of us will be hunting tonight.” Rukle perked up, “Wha-?” Cooper nodded, “Those Assassins, sellswords, whoever they are; they almost cornered me earlier today. We don’t know their intentions but someone sent them. If they’re Assassins, and that’s what they look like to me, then they’re not here looking to join up. Understand?” Spen cut quickly through to the point, “So, that’s the reason for archery practice? Some kind of ambush?” Cooper smiled, “Exactly. Just like Master Brais’ games, and I’m the rabbit.” He glanced around and realized that not everyone had taken part in that training. He clarified, “I’m the bait. I’ll bring them to you.” Dailen grumbled, “Better make sure you’re well ahead of them. I’m no archer.”
Once targets were positioned, Spen began sending arrows before Dailen had even returned to the group. He balanced the use of his Talent, moving at increased speed to reach for each new arrow and nock it, then let the accumulated power fade as he drew the fletching to his ear and took aim. As soon as the first arrow was released, his hand flashed over his shoulder to acquire another arrow. In twenty seconds he had sent five arrows. All were in the black. They weren’t centered in the black, but that hadn’t been a requirement. Rukle didn’t have Spen’s speed and precision, but he still managed five out of five within thirty seconds. Even Cooper, who hadn’t Manifested when he went to train with Utsef, didn’t have Spen’s flair but still placed all five in the black. There was some teasing discussion as to whether he’d accomplished it within the prescribed thirty seconds while Birt concentrated on getting his feet placed where he wanted them. Dailen stood to one side, taking care to position his quiver. Cooper noted that both Dailen and Birt wore their quiver on their belts, while Spen, having trained in the forest, wore his behind his right shoulder. Rukle, despite never having been to the Forest, had opted to wear his behind his shoulder as well. Perhaps because he’d seen others wearing them there, or because he saw the efficiency of the reduced movement. Wearing a quiver on the belt not only required reaching down to grasp the next arrow, it often required taking eyes off the target to select the next arrow. Then, in order to bring that arrow to the bowstring made it necessary to completely relax the grip on the bow, then re-position it while finding and focusing on the target again while drawing the arrow. With practice, it didn’t appear exactly clumsy, but certainly less efficient. Both Birt and Dailen managed five arrows in the black but for both of them, thirty seconds had come and gone before even their fourth arrows had struck. Rather than watch them continue, in an attempt to achieve five within thirty seconds, Cooper
intervened, “Ok, that’s five in the black for both of you but the light is fading as the sun goes down. I just needed to know that you can hit what you’re aiming at. I won’t know how close I’ll be to the targets, it’ll be dark, and we’ll all be moving. I’ll know where you all are, so I’ll try to get them to hold still for a few seconds.” Spen wondered, “How’re you going to do that?” Cooper shrugged, “I’ll bring them into a tight space, then turn to confront them. I shouldn’t have to face more than two of them at once, but it’ll also mean that you’ll have to shoot past me.” Spen nodded, accepting the plan, but Dailen asked, “Wouldn’t it be better to bring them into an open area?” Where it’ll be easier to shoot them.” Spen’s reply confirmed that he understood, “No. If Cooper turned to confront them in an open space, where they could spread out and face him four on one, they’d know they were being ambushed. At least, I would if I were them.” Cooper scanned each of their faces, “Just don’t release an arrow unless you have a clear shot. If two of them get hit in the first volley, that’d be ideal. I think there’s only four of them. I’ve not seen more than four.” Cooper took a few moments to describe the ambush site he’d selected and then added, “They might decide to have one walk to each side, in parallel to my path, to catch me if I turn to go a different direction. They’ve done it before, and we do the same thing. Watch for that; and for the possibility that they’ll use the rooftops, as well. I’m confident that they’ll follow, but can’t predict the paths they’ll take.” Dailen chuckled, “Not many rooftops to choose from once they cross from the Waterfront to the Ruins.” Cooper clapped a hand on Dailen’s shoulder, “And that’s one reason why I’m going to lead them into the Ruins.” Rukle raised an eyebrow, “They might balk at entering the Ruins. The workers still won’t stay here at night, even though they’ve seen for themselves that it’s safe now.” Cooper shook his head, “These people aren’t locals. They might have heard rumors about the Ruins, but they certainly haven’t grown up with the superstition. They might slow down and be a little hesitant, but I wouldn’t even bet on that.”
They all followed Cooper to the ambush site and chose vantage points. Birt and Dailen were off to each side, in case someone opted to try to flank Cooper, while Rukle and Spen found spots where they could send an arrow past Cooper and along the path he’d be using. It wasn’t ideal, but everyone could see at least one other Guild member from where they’d be standing. Cooper gave them each a wave and turned east to revisit the Waterfront.
Chapter 17
A faint glow from the receding sun remained along the western horizon. Depending on the orders they’d received, the four Assassins would think that Cooper showing himself at dusk, alone, on the Waterfront, was some kind of gift. So naturally, they’d be suspicious. Cooper was still trying to sort out the facts. It didn’t make sense to send four Assassins to kill only him, unless the client knew about his ability to Channel. As far as he knew, maybe five people in the world knew about that. Maybe more depending on how many University mages had been told. The University! That could explain the Assassins! They would’ve hired Assassins from a different city! Not only because the local Guild had been destroyed, but also because foreign Assassins might not realize, not at first anyway, that they were hunting one of their own. This made Cooper wonder what the team of Assassins were thinking now. They’d already accepted the contract, but it didn’t mean that they couldn’t refund it and refuse to fulfill it. Cooper knew better than to try and explain any of this to them. He’d be dead before he could even manage introductions.
Dusk was perhaps both the best and the worst time for hunting. It would be just as difficult for him to identify them as it would be for them to spot him. Did they even hunt for him at night? He should’ve spent some time hunting them, learning their patterns, finding where they stayed, but there just wasn’t time for that. Too many other activities demanded his attention. The simple fact was, he was already falling behind if he intended to accomplish everything that was needed within the forecasted forty days. Once this situation with the Assassins got resolved, he’d sit down with Spen, Mister Ysel, and perhaps Birt, and go through everything from start to finish. Having more than one person thinking it all through would help make sure no details had been overlooked.
Cooper looked around the boardwalk, bringing all his awareness back to the task at hand. Before worrying about events still forty days away, he needed to concentrate on simply surviving the ‘here-and-now’.
For the last several weeks, he’d been watching and reporting on the Apex peddlers. The Assassins would know this. They’d have positioned themselves somewhere near the Lukasi agents. Cooper still couldn’t rule out the possibility that they had been brought or hired by Lukasi, as a measure of protection from all the recent attacks against them. The Assassins could have spotted him as he followed the men from Lukasi to the house in the Dregs.
It didn’t take long to find a team of drug peddlers. They’d adjusted their methods due to the increases in City Watch patrols and stationary posts, but they still had drugs to sell and they couldn’t stay in business if prospective clients couldn’t find them. He found an unobtrusive spot where he could observe them, knowing that if the Assassins were around, they’d be watching this spot, and probably a few other nearby places like this one.
By now it was getting dark enough that details were quickly obscured by distance, but he noticed a few others moving around. A few tavern patrons leaving their seats to either return home or simply to get their mugs refilled. A few people on the streets glanced in his direction, but once they’d determined that he posed no threat to them, they ignored him and continued along their way. Still, there were a few occasions where the attention seemed to linger but there could be dozens of reasons for that, some innocent and others far less so.
Cooper shifted his position, convinced that by now, he’d either been spotted or the Assassins simply weren’t watching. He walked southwest along the boardwalk, watching to see if anyone took notice of movement. One man stepped out and walked to the northeast, in the direction from where he’d just come from. The man stopped, leaned out from under an awning to look further to the north and his posture suddenly tightened. He was close enough that Cooper could hear the snarled curse as the man started to look in his direction but held his movement. Cooper turned to look behind him, in the direction the man was looking and was in time to see a dark figure drop from the roof above where he’d been standing a few minutes earlier. The knowledge that he’d managed to find his prey made him feel a grim satisfaction but it was heavily outweighed by the thought that the entire time he’d been waiting, he hadn’t heard a single whisper of noise above him.
Cooper had only glanced, but it was enough to know that they’d taken the bait. Now he needed to make it feel like he was trying to evade them yet again, while allowing them to remain close enough that they didn’t lose him. He increased his pace to the south while he passed the next five buildings then turned straight west, as if to flee into Batter’s Field. If he were leading the pursuit, he’d try to get at least two or three of his team close behind him as quickly as possible, leaving one to weave east parallel to him, to keep him from doubling back and trying to slip away. He needed to continue east long enough to either force them together or spread them out a little. He’d need to be able to turn back to the north at some point so he could lead them into the Ruins.
He’d passed three buildings and a shadowy figure stepped out in front of him to block his path. His first thought was that he’d been out-maneuvered but the sing-song voice he heard from the man revealed the truth. “Who’s this I see? A boy? A boy could bring coin. Coin could bring joy. Do you bring joy, boy?” The tittering laugh was typical of a man that was well in the grips of Apex, but the clarity of his speech indicated that he’d gone more than a day without a dosage. This would be a desperate man. Cooper had no time for this. Any significant delay could lead to his own death. He tapped his Talent and rushed forward, drawing his
blades, leaving the man no time to react other than to reach out with clutching hands. Cooper slipped under the man’s grasp and slashed with each hand. His right hand opened a huge gash across the man’s midsection while his left cut upward into the man’s right arm, just above the elbow. The addict staggered backward, tucking his right arm to his body and his left hand clutched at his belly, shrieking, “No, no, no! This is not right.” The man fell backward, sitting down hard. Cooper knew that the man likely had a painful death ahead of him, but Apex offered him little better. The death offered there might be less painful, but much more drawn out. He briefly wondered whether it was a fair trade as he hurried further west.
He couldn’t take the time to look around to make sure they’d managed to follow him, nor did he want them to see him looking for them. Well before reaching Batter’s Field, he began shifting his direction to the north. He might encounter an Assassin intent on intercepting him, but in order to bring them to the ambush site from the right direction, he needed to be further north. He’d passed several buildings, spanning nearly half the distance to the ambush site, when he heard a bird call from the east. He thought, “That’d be unremarkable, except for the fact that there are no quail in the city. And certainly none on the rooftops.” He paused long enough to confirm his location, seeming to catch his breath and glancing around as if frightened, before continuing north. At least now he knew that at least one of them had seen him, and was attempting to direct the actions of the others. He resisted the urge to sprint the rest of the way, balancing the desire to put as much distance as possible between himself and his pursuers with the knowledge that he actually wanted them to follow him.
