Chasing Down Glory: The Outrider Legion: Book Two

by Christopher Pepper

  Garrey sighed and quietly spoke to his men in words Nerthus couldn’t hear and then turned and walked back into the city. The other soldiers grumbled, but they followed their captain, their heavy footfalls and clanking plate armor melting into the throng of people.

  “Lord Titus seems to be stirring up the pot all over Bellkeep,” Edda mumbled.

  “So it would seem,” Nerthus said. “Come on, let’s see if we can’t meet this guy.”

  The two of them hurried up the broad stairs to enter the Keep, but the mass of City Watch refused to part for them. From behind the armed guards at the top of the steps, an old, wizened functionary appeared. He adjusted spectacles on his nose almost as thick as his fingers.

  “I’m sorry ladies,” he said, obviously not sorry. “Only government officials and petitioners with appointments today.” Despite Nerthus’s words, and Edda’s rather suggestive body language, the guards did not budge, nor did the functionary change his mind. As they left the governmental district, Nerthus had the distinct feeling they were being toyed with.

  One thing they learned as they passed from the government to the commerce district was that Egveny's handiwork from the night before had not gone unnoticed. As Nerthus and Edda walked through the city's main marketplace, the large explosion (the second in a month) that rocked the industrial section of the city was all the lower classes were talking about. At first, Nerthus had thought it would work to their advantage. The two women were wearing their Consortium disguises, and initially merchants and craftsmen they spoke to had asked their opinion on safety measures or other possible hazards that could happen. Bellkeep's more exotic industries such as alchemy and mechgineering were a relatively new arrival to the city, and the people who had been slow to accept it before now found themselves wary of it and the dangers they could pose to the population.

  However, as they spoke to more and more people, Nerthus could detect a rising attitude of suspicion and hostility directed towards the Consortium. And if not at her and Edda personally, then at the insignia of the Consortium they wore on their blouses and cloaks. One merchant even refused to sell Edda a small bell-shaped candy, insisting that the Consortium was trying to undermine Bellkeep's economy. During the exchange between the merchant and Edda, Nerthus was quite aware of the three City Watch who were lingering conspicuously nearby. Nerthus couldn’t tell if they were from the group that was part of the altercation with the soldiers from before, but it wouldn’t surprise her. Though they wore helmets that concealed their faces, Nerthus could feel their eyes on her and Edda.

  “Pike the candy,” she whispered to Edda. “I’m getting rather hot here, and I haven’t gotten so much as a twitch from the bracelet. Let’s go back to our rooms for now.”

  Edda, arguing with the merchant, stiffened slightly at the phrase “getting rather hot here,” one of dozens of codes the two women had devised. She made an exaggerated huffing sound, crossed her arms under her breasts, and left the merchant with a self-satisfied expression on his face. Nerthus wore a pained expression as she hurried after her partner.

  “Guards behind,” she whispered once she was next to Edda. “I think they've been following us. They are definitely keeping an eye on us now.”

  “This place is starting to boil,” Edda said. “It can't all be because of Egv-er, Cecil's late night activities. Something else is going on here, deeper than why we are here. I can almost taste the hostility here. Which sucks, because I really wanted that damn candy.”

  Nerthus rolled her eyes. “Let’s head back to the inn for now. Maybe Cecil has turned up something new while we were on our stroll.”

  The two ladies walked through the market, doing their best to appear casual while hurrying back to the perceived safety of their inn. After a few moments, the hairs on the back of Nerthus' neck pricked up. Edda hissed softly under her breath.

  “Four plain clothes men. On our right. Been shadowing us since before I talked to the merchant. Had to make sure. Definitely four of them. I’m not feeling that adventurous for a surprise first date.”

  Nerthus looked around her, her eyes and head moving with relaxed ease as if simply examining the various wares around them. They were walking in a more open, crowded area of the market district, one that while it lacked Tethis’ marketplace in grandeur, it made up for it in sheer size. They had passed the rows of storefronts and shops and were wandering amongst rows of small wooden stalls with brightly colored awnings hanging over each. The merchants there were selling everything from fruits and meats to sewing implements and precious stones. The market was loud and busy, with merchants and criers hawking wares and services. Nerthus even saw a merchant attempting to sell pogors, small four-legged animals with shaggy fur and bright green eyes. They were expensive to purchase, and resembled oversized badgers, but were just as loyal and trainable as dogs. They were popular with nobility, more as status symbols than as pets.

  After leaving the governmental district, the two women had played the part of simple tourists, wandering through most of the more public locations within Bellkeep. The gardens, the forum, and even the art district, which Nerthus despised. Yet in none of those places did their bracelets detect any sign of the missing agents. Nerthus was growing impatient. The three members of the town watch that had been tailing them since they left the Keep weren’t helping. They were obviously sent to monitor the two delicate flowers visiting from the Consortium. But their presence still grated her nerves.

  The four men that Edda warned her about were painfully obvious to identify. They were dressed plainly, but they made no attempt to hide their intense stares. One of them, a little shorter than the other three, had sandy hair and a pale complexion. He was openly carrying a mallet in one hand. The other three were holding what looked like large carpenter tools as well. As she continued her view of the marketplace, she saw that the three town watchmen from earlier were still following. They either didn't see the armed men or didn't care.

  “Let’s deal with this now before they follow us closer to the inn,” she whispered to Edda. Edda, however, didn’t seem to have heard her. She had stopped in front of a stall selling little tarts, her mouth gaping like a child’s. The tarts were baked a golden brown and were heaped with unfamiliar red and blue berries, fluffy white cream and sugary syrup pooled around the fruit. Edda nodded absently at Nerthus’ words, her eyes resting covetously on the tarts as she searched her pockets for coins.

  “How much for two?” Edda asked the merchant, a plump baker still in his stained morning apron.

  The baker smiled at her. “Four silver pennies, young lady. My wife and daughters baked those fresh not three hours ago.”

  Nerthus almost laughed in the man's face. Four silver pennies could rent a room at a cheap inn, with dinner included. Edda, however, nodded eagerly and handed the coins over. With one hand the baker dropped the coins in his pocket and with the other pulled up a small box to place the tarts in. Edda picked up two tarts and gave the baker a genuine smile.

  “I don't need a box, but thanks.”

  “Of course,” the baker said. “Enjoy your day, ladies.” He turned and began speaking to another customer who had appeared on the other side of his stall. Edda held her tarts, one in each hand, considering each of them as if deciding which one was her favorite.

  “You're drooling,” Nerthus said over her shoulder. “Come on,” she said impatiently. “Sleep with them or eat them. Either way, hurry it up. Those rather grumpy looking men are getting closer.”

  In three large, unladylike bites, one of the tarts vanished from Edda's hand. She turned to Nerthus, her lips and tongue stained a light blue from the syrup. “I'm sorry, I'm just so piking hungry. What were you saying?”

  “Guys. Angry. Four of them. Behind you,” Nerthus said, exasperated. She was about to say more when Edda, mid-bite, dropped the second tart, smearing fruit-filled cream down the exposed parts of her neck and chest. Bits of the delicate pastry were lodged in between her breasts and all along the neckline o
f her dress. She made a girlish squeaking sound, attracting the eyes of almost every male in the marketplace. She looked down at the mess and let out a sad wail, bringing her the attention of even more people. With her arms wide in shock, she slowly turned to the baker, giving everyone in the marketplace a full view of her chest, embarrassment on her face. To his credit, the baker only briefly glanced at Edda's fruit-covered cleavage as he picked up a small rag from under the stall's counter, his expression equal parts concern and amusement. The other customer, however, leered at her openly, as did almost all the other men in the market. A few women shot her dark looks as well, seeing Edda’s lack of subtlety as a cry for attention. The baker handed the rag to Edda when she yelled.

  “Gods, why am I so clumsy, Cecilia? I’m so stupid! Now it's ruined!” she cried out, and after snatching the rag from the baker she unsteadily ran past the stall and Nerthus at full speed. The baker and Nerthus exchanged confused looks before she turned and hurried after Edda. She found Edda outside of the stall area in a small alleyway. It was a wide alley, but not a very deep one. A tall wooden fence walled off half of the alleyway, making it feel like a three-sided room. Edda was leaning against a brick building wiping herself off with the baker's towel.

  “You,” Nerthus said as she walked towards her, “are the strangest woman I have ever worked with.”

  Edda looked up, a fruit-stained grin on her face. “Sure, you say that now, but you don't know all the facts. I got a delicious snack and I got to look highly desirable while being surrounded by many wealthy men. Which is something I haven't gotten to do much lately, thankyouverymuch.”

  “Desirable,” Nerthus said, her voice incredulous. “Really? Is that what you call looking like a slovenly little strumpet?”

  “Oooh, strumpet, good word. And yes, really. Don't ever underestimate the effect that cleavage mixed with baked goods has on the simpler gender. But, in all honesty that was just a side benefit. I really just wanted an excuse to make a big scene and run down here. Now I just look foolish, not cunning. And, despite your harsh words, I have a present for you, dear sister.” She pointed behind Nerthus to the opening of the alley. The four angry men from before were walking towards them. They all wore stained trousers and sleeveless shirts, with hard leather boots. The sandy haired man was gripping his mallet tightly. Nerthus saw that two of the men had large wrenches, and the third had nothing but a coil of rope around his shoulder. All of them were pale, as if they rarely saw the sun. “Now we can entertain our callers in privacy. Yeah, I'm the best,” Edda said, her grin getting wider.

  The men stomped towards them with no grace or subtlety, stopping a few yards from the two women. “You people have a lot of nerve showing up here, after the things you’ve done,” the sandy-haired one said, glaring at them. “Well we know who you are, and what you're doing in our town.”

  Nerthus put a hand on her hip. This was ridiculous. These dopes had figured them out? Couldn't be. She offered her most diplomatic smile and clasped her hands together in front of her.

  “I'm sorry, but just how can the Consortium help you fine gentlemen today?” she asked, her voice oozing sweetness.

  “You can help by leaving our city alone!” the sandy-haired man shouted. “It was bad enough when you were ruining our livelihoods, but now you're piking with our people! Well, we have a message to send back to your people. Don't pike with Bellkeep. ”

  “Which one will it be?” the man with the rope asked, hate in his eyes.

  “The dumb one. The whore who can't even eat properly.”

  “I think they mean you,” Nerthus sighed. Next to her, Edda fished out one of the round blue berries from inside her blouse and popped it in her mouth.

  “Well this isn't exactly what I was expecting,” Edda said in a matter-of-fact tone despite a full mouth.

  “True,” Nerthus said. “That short one is doing a lot of talking. Think he's the brains?”

  “I doubt 'brains' is the word we should be using but sure, why not? I'll grab him in a sec.” She slid her boots off of her feet, standing barefoot in the alley. “Gods these boots are terrible,” she mumbled. “Okay,” she said. “Let’s hurry this up.”

  The four men suddenly looked a little unsure of themselves. Four large, armed men who had cornered two demure women in an alley were supposed to be the ones in control. They were obviously new at this, Nerthus thought.

  “Fellas,” she said, “just turn around, walk away, and no harm done. If you have a problem with us or the Consortium, you can actually try to talk to us. This wannabe thug act is tiresome.”

  “We're the thugs?!” the sandy-haired man blurted out. “We'll show you a problem! Get 'em!” The other three men ran at them, rage in their eyes.

  Nerthus and Edda took a step away from each other. The one with the rope coiled around his shoulder charged Nerthus, his arms outstretched as if to tackle her to the ground. She took one step forward and planted her mecharm in the man's solar plexus as he charged. She didn't swing her arm at all, merely held it forward and let the man's forward momentum ram him into it, dropping him like a sack of potatoes. He fell to his knees gasping for breath, both hands clutching his chest. She then lightly hopped backwards as one of the wrench-carrying men swung his makeshift weapon at her head. The large wrench smashed into the brick wall to her side, showering them both with flakes of red brick. She aimed a swift jab with her real hand at the man's face as he struggled to swing his wrench again. Her knuckles hit the man square in the nose with a satisfying crunch and he cried out, dropping his wrench as he staggered backwards holding his face, blood spurting from between his fingers.

  The man who charged Edda swung his wrench so violently that he missed her by almost six inches. When his wrench hit the alley wall, it hit with such force that the vibration shot up the wrench handle and forced him to drop it. He simply stood there, holding his hands together and cursing. Edda looked at Nerthus, her hands spread out and disbelief on her face. Nerthus shook her head and shrugged, aiming her mecharm at the sandy-haired man who still stood back from the fight, panic on his face. He turned to run down the alley and Nerthus fired, her mecharm making a soft thumping sound as her metal fist flew off of her wrist, connected by a thin cable, and hit the fleeing man in the back of his knee, bringing him down. Edda ignored the other three men as she casually walked to the downed man, rolled him over, and put her bare foot on his throat.

  “'We'll show you a problem?' Really, that was the best you could come up with?” she asked, a smirk on her face.

  “Pike you,” the man said, fear in his eyes.

  Nerthus walked up to the two of them, her hand back on her hip. “This has to be the most inept mugging I've ever been a part of,” she said. “I'm feeling a little insulted.” She pointed a thumb over her shoulder at the other three men. “Why don't you actually tell us what your problem is? What has the Consortium done to fire you up so much that you’d try to jump two helpless women?”

  “You know what your Consortium has done,” he spat. “Bellkeep was growing, expanding. But on its own, without anyone's help. So you sent your spies and saboteurs among us, damaging equipment, blowing up our shops, taking our people.” The man fought back tears as he spoke. “Good people died because of you. But you don't care. None of you do. Now here you are, the Consortium's watchdogs, come to take everything away from us again.”

  Edda took her foot off the man and he sat up, rubbing his throat and wheezing. “So that's what this is about? You want revenge for the people who died in the explosion because you think we killed them?”

  The sandy-haired haired man glared up at her. “You think we are so stupid? They were our people! We know that no one died in the explosions. No, we know that you took them away before that.”

  “So your big plan to get your missing people back was to...what? Kill us? Hold us for ransom?”

  The man seemed at a loss, and looked down at the ground. He was definitely in over his head. “We just wanted to show that we wouldn't
be taken lightly,” he said, his anger tinged with sadness. “That you couldn't just do whatever you wanted to our city. But we couldn't even do that.”

  Nerthus and Edda shared a look. Behind them, their three assailants were back on their feet, unsure of what to do now. Edda shrugged, so Nerthus crouched down next to the sandy-haired man. He flinched away from her as she did so.

  “I don't know anything about any kidnapping, I swear to you,” she said. “I know that it'll be almost impossible for you to trust me, or believe what I have to say, but I ask you to try. My sister and I aren't here as some sort of hostile takeover. We're a little more specialized than that.” She lowered her voice. “Yes, the Consortium had people here. We have representatives in almost every city. But, they vanished. Presumably like your own people. We are here to find them, or whatever happened to them.”

  The man looked up at her. “Why? Why are you telling me this?”

  “Honestly? Because sadly, you four have been the most open, honest people we've ran into here this entire time. Everyone here seems to blame us, or at the very least distrust us. No one's told us a gods damned thing, which hasn't done our investigation any favors. But at least you told us something.” She stood up. “We are staying at the Steel Bells, which I'm sure you already knew. If you really want to find out what happened to your people, come talk to us. We’ll be there all day tomorrow. Help us help you. But if you still don't believe me, and want to keep on getting embarrassed, come by anyways. And bring your friends again,” she said, gesturing at the three larger men in the back of the alley. “We'd love to wail on them some more.”

  Nerthus didn't wait for a response before walking to the street at the end of the alleyway, Edda right beside her. She was about to speak when, as the two of them rounded the corner, they came face-to-face with the three town watchmen from earlier. They still had that same disinterested body language, as if they were unsure how to stand and listen properly, but she saw that all of them had their hands resting on the mean-looking cudgels they carried on their belts.