“Do you mean us?” Aiden asked, somewhat incredulous.
“I value Criosa’s opinions highly, sir,” the duke explained. “If she does indeed trust you with her life, then I am looking to you to help us uncover this threat. What say you?”
“Don’t you have people better suited to this sort of thing?” Sayana asked timidly.
“Ordinarily, yes,” Sir Godfrey replied, “but His Majesty has nearly all of them with him on his campaign in the west.”
“Naturally,” Aiden grumbled quietly, wishing the King had had the foresight to leave a few competent people behind to actually run his Kingdom.
“The few we have left would be recognisable to our enemies,” Sir Godfrey continued. “In order to be successful in this endeavour, we would need fresh faces like yours to do the legwork.”
“Your point is well taken,” Aiden replied, “but to be honest, the prospect of tracking down professional assassins in their home territory is a little outside my field of expertise, and I don’t think any of us here – save Ronan and possibly Pacian – would be very useful in that regard.”
“Yeah… part of me wants to volunteer and another part of me wants to run away,” Ronan hedged. “But I think I can help you out with this one.”
“Excellent, it sounds like we’re moving forward on this already,” the duke observed, rubbing his hands together. “I wish to check up on dear Criosa, so I shall leave you all in Sir Godfrey’s capable hands. Keep me apprised of your progress, and good hunting to you all.”
“Thank you, Your Grace,” Sir Godfrey replied, bowing low. Nellise performed a perfect curtsey, and Aiden had the presence of mind to bow as well, though Sayana watched them in her typical state of confusion. Life in the city would be a real test for her, and Aiden silently hoped she was up to the challenge.
“You were saying something about being able to help us out, Ronan?” the knight prompted. “Were you referring to something specific or simply general assistance?”
“While I don’t know much about the assassin’s guild, as such, I know some people who probably would,” the sailor confided, letting go of Pacian so that he could stand on his own. “I’ll have to see if I can re-establish some old contacts before I find out however, so don’t hold your breath.”
“We’ll take whatever assistance we can get at this point,” the knight replied. “To that end, I believe I know someone who might be of use to us. His credentials are impeccable, and he’s an old friend of mine so I know we can trust him. I understand you must be tired and in need of food and rest, but if you take your ease at the Fair Maiden Inn, just a few minutes into the city from here, you’ll find this man spending his evening at one of the tables. His name is Sir William Bryce-Clifton.”
“A knight of the realm?” Aiden remarked. “I would have thought His Majesty would have taken him too, if he was any use.”
“He is a man of many years’ experience, and would find an extended period of deployment detrimental to his health,” Sir Godfrey explained delicately. “Just speak with him, and take your measure of the man in person.”
“Very well,” Aiden agreed hesitantly. “If we’re going to be investigating on behalf of the Crown, we should probably have something to declare our authority, should we need it.”
“I’ll see to it the duke writes up a signed letter to that effect, and it shall be delivered to you first thing in the morning,” the knight said. “I won’t keep you from your rest any longer, ladies and gentlemen, so I thank you again for your service thus far, and wish you good fortune in the coming days. I will be doing what I can with my limited resources, so stop in from time to time as you need to. The castle will be under lockdown, so movement will be somewhat restricted for you, even with your royal authority.”
“We’ll keep that in mind,” Aiden replied. “Farewell, for now, Sir Knight.”
*
They walked through the castle’s gate and watched as the drawbridge was raised after their departure, where it slammed into place with a resounding boom. Sir Godfrey hadn’t been lying about the castle lockdown, for the number of visible guards on the walls tripled as they watched. Aiden hoped it was enough to keep Criosa safe for the time being. Her continued welfare was of paramount importance to the Kingdom, and not because of any personal feelings he was experiencing, of course, as that would be unprofessional.
“I’m going to head off and look around for a bit, you know, to get my bearings and talk to some old contacts of mine,” Ronan informed them as they walked towards the inn. “I might be able to find a few more reliable people to help us out, because just between you and me, we’re completely outmatched by what we’re up against.”
“So you’re certain that it’s this ‘assassin’s guild’?” Nellise asked dourly.
“Very, though don’t ask me why,” Ronan warned, his breath misting in the cold night air. “It’s not their actual name, by the way. We never found out what they called themselves. Anyway, I think the Fair Maiden is a good base to work from, so set up there and I’ll be back before dawn with news, hopefully.”
“Watch your back,” Sayana called to him as he walked off along the snow-covered streets.
“Always do,” he replied before disappearing around a corner. Eager to be out of the cold, Aiden opened the heavy wooden door of the inn and stepped inside, welcoming the rush of warm air laced with the aroma of hot food and strong drink.
The Fair Maiden inn was much larger than the Bracksfordshire Arms, and it was nearly full to capacity as the citizens of Fairloch crowded out of the bitterly cold winter. Musicians strummed their instruments on the far side of the vast common room, barely audible over the din of hundreds of people chatting away with each other. The small group made their way through the throng towards one of the few empty tables available along the far wall.
“I’m going to rent a room and take Pacian upstairs to heal and rest,” Nellise advised, leaning her head close to Aiden in order to be heard and then hauled Pacian off towards the bar.
“I’m going to order us some food,” Aiden advised Sayana, rising to his feet. “Wait here for a few minutes.” Pressing through the crowd, he noticed that the clientele at this inn were well-dressed men and women of means, and while their attire wasn’t as lavish and expensive as the duke or the castellan, the people here were clearly doing well for themselves.
Aiden eventually made it to the bar, where a cheerful, plump girl with a big smile received his order for Aiden’s favourite meal, ‘whatever you’re serving’. Looking up, he saw a huge, gold-framed painting hanging on the wall overlooking the common room, depicting a lovely young lady with red hair and fair skin sitting on a plush couch.
She also seemed to have misplaced her clothes. A caption on the bottom of the picture read ‘Constance’, no doubt the name of the maiden, and most likely where the inn took its name from. Aiden was no artist, but he certainly could appreciate the subject material.
“Lovely, isn’t she?” the waitress asked him.
“The painting certainly adds a touch of class to the place,” Aiden commented, not knowing what else to say. The wide grin from the girl indicated she liked what he’d said, and a few other things she had an eye on too. He handed over a small handful of copper jacks and made his way back to the table, satisfied that the meal would eventually be brought to them by the enthusiastic girl.
As he came into sight of Sayana’s red hair, however, he could see that the sorceress was gripping onto the table with white-knuckled tension, and the look in her eyes reminded Aiden of the first time he had seen her in the wild.
“What’s the matter?” he asked as he sat down next to her, watching her chest rise and fall with her rapid breathing.
“Nothing, I’m just really hungry,” she replied a little too quickly. “Perhaps I should go and get some fresh air.”
“If you need to, sure, but the food is on its way, so perhaps you can just try to relax and enjoy the warmth,” he advised with a smile. Sayana let
out a slow breath and seemed to calm down, so Aiden leaned back on his chair and waited idly, slowly allowing his mind to sift through all he had experienced over the past few hours.
“How did you create that light?” Sayana asked abruptly a minute or so later.
“Excuse me?”
“After the fight in the alley, you lit up your sword,” she clarified.
“I did?” Aiden asked, to himself as much as to her.
“It wasn’t the flame that I invoke, either. You did what Nellise does with that prayer, but without any sort of ‘incantation’, as you might call it.”
“I wasn’t even aware of it,” Aiden admitted, astonished at this revelation as much as she was. “I needed light so I just… sort of made it happen.”
“You really are a sorcerer,” she remarked, smiling slightly at him. It was the first time she had expressed any sort of positive emotion towards him since their last encounter near the akoran highlands. It created mixed feelings in Aiden’s mind.
“Perhaps I’ve just been hanging around the right sort of people,” he replied, receiving a slight nod of acknowledgement. The short chat suddenly became very awkward, as it was the first time they had been alone together – crowd not withstanding – for some time. The silence started to drag out as neither of them had the courage to speak. Fortunately, their meal arrived shortly thereafter.
Nellise arrived a few minutes later, as Aiden was digging into the platter of mashed potatoes. She seemed to have acquired a new friend, however, for by her side was an elderly man in fine clothing and long grey hair, receding at the top but bundled into a short tail at the nape of his neck. A heavy moustache of a style popular with the men in Fairloch adorned his upper lip, and his face was worn and wrinkled with age. His blue eyes sparkled with intelligence and vigour.
“I see I haven’t missed out on the food, at least,” Nellise observed.
“Not at all, and I bought enough for all of us,” Aiden replied after he’d swallowed. “Who’s this gentleman?”
“Friends, allow me to introduce Sir William Bryce-Clifton,” she said as way of introduction. “Sir William, this is Aiden Wainwright and Sayana Arai, two very talented people whom the duke has recruited to aid him.”
“Any friend of the duke is a friend of mine,” Sir William declared in a resounding tenor, proffering his hand. Aiden gave him a firm handshake and gestured to a seat next to Nellise. The elderly gentleman bowed slightly to Sayana before he sat down, while Aiden wondered just how old he was. Although Sir Godfrey had hinted that Sir William had ‘experience’, it had become clear that he was being polite, for the man him was well into his sixth decade.
“Well, this is a fortunate encounter,” Aiden remarked, keeping his thoughts to himself. “We were planning to look for you later this evening to have a word. How did you two run into each other?”
“I saw this lovely young lady helping a wounded man through the crowd, so I offered my assistance, as any gentleman would,” Sir William explained. Aiden smiled, but refrained from commenting about the ‘lovely young lady’ statement. Silently, he wished Pacian was here to blurt out the things he was thinking of, but would never say.
“It was excellent timing on your part, Sir Knight,” Nellise thanked him, “as my wounded companion was enjoying my close company a little too much.”
“Think nothing of it, dear lady,” the knight dismissed. “Clearly, God guided me to your presence at the right place and time, so I have no doubt as to your worthy intentions. Tell me, Mister Wainwright, why is it you were seeking me out?”
“We came from a meeting with the duke a little while ago, and his aide Sir Godfrey mentioned that you were someone we should talk with,” Aiden replied, silently taking his measure of the man.
“Ah, Godfrey - splendid chap,” the elderly knight stated with a warm smile. “I have not spoken directly with him in quite some time, but I am well pleased that he remembers me.”
“I was under the impression you were fast friends,” Aiden said hesitantly, glancing at Nellise for a moment.
“In the past, certainly,” Sir William clarified. “But he is a talented man and found his services to be in demand in the royal court. Those duties keep him quite busy, whereas I am considered something of a relic, rarely consulted on important matters.”
“You sound bitter,” Sayana stated rather bluntly.
“Not really, madam,” Sir William sighed. “But if His Majesty feels he has no use for me then who am I to disagree? I have sworn to obey him, and that oath binds me to the King’s service, even if he never calls upon me.”
“So he just left you to sit around while he’s off fighting a war?” Aiden asked respectfully, trying to avoid provoking the old fellow
“Evidently, yes,” the knight replied curtly. “May I ask why Sir Godfrey sent you to see me?”
“Well, that’s what I’m trying to figure out,” Aiden answered directly, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “You see, there is a security issue developing, and we need trustworthy people to provide assistance. How can I put this delicately? Your age strikes me as being a little too advanced to really help us in a fight, so I have to wonder what skills you possess.”
“If you are referring to my prowess in battle, I can assure you I am no novice,” the knight informed him. “I would point out that the Kingdom has seen peace for most of my active life, and opportunities for proving my valour in battle have been very rare indeed.”
“But you have been directly involved in a real fight before, yes?” Aiden pressed.
“I participated in the cull of bandits not ten years ago along the Kingswood highway near my estate, and they haven’t resurfaced since,” the knight replied. “Prior to that, I helped lead an assault against a group of traitorous sewer-dwellers that called themselves ‘assassins’, though that was long ago. I hesitate to mention it as it wasn’t really a battle, more of a common alleyway scuffle, though I am proud to say they haven’t returned to the city. But you are being evasive, sir! How can I answer to your satisfaction when you will not discuss the real issue at hand?”
“Can I trust your discretion?” Aiden asked, realising why Sir Godfrey had really sent them to this man. He had been involved with battling the assassins in the past, and that experience would count for something.
“I give you my word of honour I shall not tell another living soul,” Sir William said, locking eyes with Aiden.
“There have been several attempts to kidnap the princess over the past week,” Aiden began after glancing around to make sure no-one was eavesdropping. “My companions and I have been personally involved in thwarting them and frankly, we feel that we’re out of our depth. The latest attempt seemed to involve members of this so-called assassin’s guild, the very group you mention combating in the past, and this is probably why Sir Godfrey wanted us to meet. That, and our deductions have resulted in the unpleasant truth that we cannot trust the City Watch or most of the nobility, and we are seeking reliable allies to aid us.”
“The assassins have returned?” Sir William bristled, clearly outraged. “Dash and blast it, man, why didn’t you mention that right up front? I am at your service, sir!”
“Keep your voice down,” Aiden warned, hoping no-one had caught that outburst.
“My apologies, I was taken aback by the gravity of your situation,” the elderly knight said in a more reasonable tone. “What resources I have are at your disposal, as well as my sword arm, aged though it may be.”
“Have you other, less physically demanding talents?” Nellise asked politely.
“I am well acquainted with the city and the surrounding lands, my lady, as well as a passing fair knowledge of the inner workings of the nobility. You say that there may be some members of the aristocracy involved in this devilish plot? I will be more than happy to assist in sleuthing out the blaggards. And I appreciate your concern for my well-being, madam, but I assure you I am fit, healthy and more than ready to step into harm’s way,” Sir William added,
touching the cleric’s forearm lightly as he spoke. Nellise withdrew her arm reflexively at his touch, and an expression of hurt flashed across the old man’s face for the briefest moment.
“Your pardon, my lady, I did not mean to offend you with an overly familial gesture,” he stammered.
“It’s alright, I just… never mind, it’s nothing,” Nellise replied with a surprising lack of grace. An awkward silence descended over the table once more, and Aiden groaned inwardly at the ongoing discomfort amongst the group, that had even spread to its newest member.
“It sounds to me like you’d be of great help to us, Sir William,” Aiden stated to help gloss over the momentary discomfort. “Welcome aboard. You’ve met Pacian, briefly, and tomorrow you’ll meet Ronan, who is helping us out with his own chain of local contacts. Would you care to join us for the rest of the meal, before Sayana finishes it off?”
“I have already eaten, but thank you for the offer,” Sir William replied, standing up. “If I am to be prepared for the morning, I must ride to my estate immediately and gather my equipment. I take it you are staying at the Fair Maiden?”
“Yes I think it will serve quite nicely in that regard,” Aiden said.
“Then I shall meet you here at first light,” the knight declared. “Good evening to you Aiden, ladies,” he finished, and strode through the crowd towards the front door.
“Pleasant enough chap,” Aiden commented mildly, biting down on some crusty bread.
“Just like most other men, though,” Nellise replied in that dark tone of voice she was beginning to use since their foray in Akora. Aiden tried not to react to that remark, for he didn’t really know how to help Nellise with her issues.
“I think I’ll take some of the food and go to my room, if I have one,” Sayana said, looking tired and worn.
“That reminds me,” Nellise added, “I hired two rooms – one for Aiden, Pacian and Ronan, and one for myself and Sayana.”
“So you’ve fixed Pacian up okay?” Aiden asked as he mopped up the last of the gravy with a slice of bread.
In Defence of the Crown (The Aielund Saga Book 2) Page 9
