Talon of the Unnamed Goddess, a Fantasy Adventure

by C. R. Daems

  "The townsfolk are nervous. They don't like the Valdan troops. They are arrogant and have no respect for our women," one of the sons scowled.

  "Can we go, then, hi'Lady Rhiannon?" the older woman asked.

  "That is up to Aisha and Jiang Talon," Rhiannon said, "but I can promise you that all will be treated well while you are with us, and no harm will come to you."

  "Master Jiang, I think we need a war council," I said as we walked away. "I would like to send a few Granyan soldiers into Terni to see what they can discover about the castle's garrison and the mood of the citizens. We should infiltrate the castle, but we can't do so without more information."

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Terni: Liberated

  Late the next day, the five Granyan soldiers returned from Terni. I was anxious to know what they found but restrained myself as I assembled everyone for a council meeting. The cool fragrance of pine drifted over our forest as the sun set. The five soldiers stood shifting from foot to foot as we took our places around the fire.

  I looked to Master Jiang to start the meeting, but he showed me a bland smile. He didn't seem to want to take the lead, content to watch. I doubt he missed a thing. I felt like a student being judged on my performance.

  "Well, what did you find out?"

  "The town is nervous. Valdan soldiers are in town every night, acting more like occupiers than visitors. The Granyan soldiers aren't seen much, and the city guards keep a low profile." The soldier paused and looked at his comrades, who nodded.

  "The castle has fifty or so soldiers," another soldier said. "At least thirty are Valdan troops. Most of sec'Tadzio's family is in Terni, his wife, a young son and daughter, two cousins, also two nobles, a forth and a third. A Valdan, a Third noble, is in charge, and a Captain commands the troops."

  Another soldier spoke. "Security at the castle is very tight. They always have a couple of soldiers at the gate and on the walls. Storming the castle would be hard."

  "It sounds impossible," Rhiannon said and frowned. "I don't want to see a lot of men killed just to take Terni. It would not be worth it."

  "Master Jiang, what do you think?" I hoped Jiang would have a magic solution.

  "The Talons may be able to get into the castle," Jiang replied, "depending how alert the night guard stays. Once done, we should be able to open the gate."

  "The guards are alert," the first soldier said. "They are worried about the unrest in Terni. The people resent the Valdan soldiers, and a lot of Granyan soldiers chose to leave or were dismissed."

  "We need to poke the tiger. Make it mad." I saw a solution take shape. "We need to kill a couple of Valdan soldiers each night, make it look like one person, maybe two, working together."

  "Why?" Awotwi asked. "We can't kill them all. Eventually they will stop going into town or go in large numbers. Oh, you want to weaken them for an assault on the castle."

  "No, she wants to use the front gate!" Jiang laughed. The others looked at him in bewilderment. "Very good, Sister. While we are all looking for a bigger sword to slay the enemy, she is looking to have them slay themselves."

  "I don't understand," Lucjan said. All nodded in agreement.

  "Aisha?" Jiang said, nodding for me to explain.

  "Our response depends upon how the castle responds, but they must respond. If we can force an emotional response, anger or hate or fear, they will give us the opening we need."

  * * * *

  Three Talons left that night dressed in everyday working clothes. They were told to start slowly, one or two kills.

  "Do you think this will work, Aisha?" Rhiannon pulled her tunic over her head and reached for her nightgown.

  "The Talon teaches that in a fight or war, emotions are a liability." I yawned. "When you become emotional, you lose your judgment and leave yourself vulnerable. I hope whoever is in charge will overreact and give us an advantage."

  I think we all had trouble sleeping that night. I wanted to help in town, but I knew my place was with Rhiannon. But tonight was only the beginning. Many nights would pass before we could expect the response we needed.

  The ambushes went on for six nights. The Talons killed eleven soldiers, eight Valdans and three Granyans. Our soldiers reported that, at first, the Valdans ordered their men to go out in pairs and in triples. The fourth night they ordered a curfew. Last night they offered a reward of one hundred gold scrules.

  "Time to move," I said. "The front door is open."

  "How?" Rhiannon asked. "They still have forty or more soldiers."

  "We will catch the murderer," I replied. "And turn him over to the castle guard." Master Jiang laughed. I glanced at Master Bakaar, standing nearby. "I suspect the murderer is a woman."

  It took another two hours to work out the details.

  * * * *

  The next night Jiang, Bakaar, and I stood in the shadows and prepared for our gambit. Jiang made a small cut on the top of Bakaar's head. Blood ran down the side of her head and face. She applied a little pressure to stop the bleeding, and we waited for the blood to dry. We then tied Bakaar's feet to the old horse's saddle we had purchased earlier in the day. We stepped out into the street and walked slowly up to the castle gate, a pretty threesome, Jiang with his long gray hair and uncombed goatee flying about in the wind, Bakaar on the ground, filthy as the horse dragged her down the street, her face covered with blood, and me, clothed as a beggar.

  "We got her," I said to the gate guards. "We captured the one who's been killing the soldiers. I banged her in the head and my grandfather tied her up. She wounded another soldier who just arrived in town. He's at the healer. We want our hundred scrules."

  "Go take a look, Vollo. I'll wait here," the sergeant ordered as he stood by the inner iron gate. Vollo opened the outer gate and approached Bakaar, looking Jiang and me up and down, then looked away.

  "Sergeant Aeson, this woman they captured is a Talon, judging by her clothes. Get a few of the guards on the wall to help me get her inside." Vollo shook his head.

  "When do I get my money?" I danced from one foot to another. "A hundred scrules, the reward said."

  "Sergeant, let her through the gate. The captain will want to talk to her. He has your reward." He sneered at Jiang. "You stay here, old man."

  I skipped through the two gates. The guard at the other end grabbed my arm and pulled me over to him. He was Valdan.

  "Hello, sweet thing," he said with a leer as the other hand groped at my breast. Reaching behind me, I found the small blade I had woven into my hair and pulled it. I smiled as he pulled me face to face with him, and I cut his throat. I could see a captain and two soldiers rush across the courtyard. I was covered in his blood. I held the body upright and watched them approach. The captain, a Valdan, pulled a tabard over his head as he walked. I released the dead guard and, in the same motion, grabbed the sword out of his scabbard. I had no other weapons on me for fear I might be searched. The sword weighed more than my Astrakan sword, not well balanced, but it would have to do. I held it low, pretended I didn't know how to hold it, shifted my feet, and tried to look frightened. The captain strutted out in front of the two soldiers with a smirk on his face. I shuffled a step back toward the gate, acting afraid. As he got close, he lunged. I twisted sideways as his sword passed an inch past my stomach, then I slashed across his neck. The impact of the blow threw the captain back between the two soldiers. The nearest soldier sliced downward at my head. I parried, twisting my sword up and into his neck. I saw the sergeant's blade swing at my head. I dropped to the ground, rolling away. Coming to my feet in one motion, I sliced under his blade, slitting his belly open. He dropped his sword and grabbed his stomach. As I reversed my motion upward, my sword crashed into his head. Blood and bone exploded.

  An arrow tore through my shoulder, tearing cloth and leaving a nasty gash. Blood dripped down my arm. I stepped back and saw four Talons dash into the courtyard, shooting arrows into the few guards on the ramparts. Talons seldom missed. The guards fell dead.


  Granyan and Jaddahan troops poured through the gates and headed for the garrison where Valdan and Tadzio's Granyan soldiers emerged. Stuffing a cloth atop the gash on my shoulder, I bounded toward the castle.

  "Do you mind if we join you, Sister?" Bakaar ran up beside me, the four Talon brothers with their bows behind her.

  "No. I decided to tour the castle."

  "Jiang asked me to give you these." Bakaar handed me my sword, my sash, and several throwing knives. I wound the sash around my waist and tucked my knives into it. No one met us at the main entrance to the castle. We started down a long corridor lit by a few flickering torches. Halfway down, two guards turned a corner, running down the hall toward us, shouting something as they ran. Bakaar stepped in front. With a couple of lightning-quick motions, she blocked and killed both guards. I had to smile as we moved forward, kicking bodies out of the way. I knew I was good, but watching a true master in motion was humbling.

  We went through the first floor, Bakaar and I with swords in our main-hands and knives in our off-hands, the Talons with arrows nocked in their bows. Once we were sure it was clear, Bakaar motioned to the stairs with her chin. We walked up on full alert, expecting a counterattack. The first hallway was empty. As we turned a corner, a man stepped out of a niche to swing at my back. I caught his sword on mine, our hilts locking as I slid my knife under his ribs and into his heart. At his shout, another charged out of his room, dying on Bakaar's blade in an instant.

  Toward the end of the hallway, a woman opened the door with two young children and peeked out. "I would stay in your room for now. You and your children could get hurt in the hallways." She slammed the door shut in my face. We passed by as the door opened again.

  I turned as a tall Valdan noble stepped into the hallway, sword drawn. He attacked with a hard backhand stroke. My shoulder throbbed now from the arrow I'd taken, and I felt lightheaded, but I parried his stroke. I took a step backward. He realized his mistake as two arrows went through his chest, and he fell backward from the force.

  "Thank you, Brothers," I mumbled. Everything went black.

  * * * *

  "Will she live?" I heard Rhiannon say in a whisper.

  "Yes, hi'Lady Rhiannon," Jiang replied. "The wound is not serious. The arrow ripped through the upper part of her arm. It's deep but not life threatening. Had she stopped and had it taken care of, she would have been fine. But she chose to continue fighting, and the loss of blood caused her to pass out."

  I opened my eyes to find it was evening, so I hadn't been unconscious long. I tried to lift myself on my elbow, but my head spun and I collapsed on the bed. Obviously, I had been out long enough for them to move me to one of the castle's bed chambers.

  "How do you feel, Aisha?" Rhiannon looked pale and sounded worried. Master Jiang was standing next to her.

  "A little tired," I said. I cleared my throat when my voice sounded raspy. I probably needed a good night's sleep, even though the room had stopped spinning.

  "You have been unconscious nearly a full day, Aisha." Rhiannon put her hands on her hips, looking angry.

  "A full day," I repeated. I vaguely remember passing out in the hallway and waking up a minute ago—in bed. Loss of blood, I had heard Jiang say. Oh, that damn arrow. It didn't seem to hurt at the time. I moved my arm and felt a deep twinge.

  "She needs some food, and she will be all right." A stranger in healer robes raised me into a sitting position against some pillows.

  "Bring the food over here. Eat." Rhiannon ordered.

  Two maids carried over a platter. I sniffed at the scent of a roasted chicken. The food smelled wonderful, and I was ravenous. I pulled some meat off the chicken, sighing with pleasure as I stuffed it in my mouth.

  "What has happened since I passed out?"

  "I talked to Master Jiang, and he agrees. You are in violation of your contract."

  "I am?" I managed not to choke on the mouthful of chicken.

  "Yes. You went into town with your friends for a night of partying and were unable to perform you duties as my bodyguard today. Master Jiang had to fill in for you."

  I sat there speechless. Rhiannon still had a scowl on her face, but I saw the corner of Jiang's mouth twitch.

  "Yes. I will forgive you this time if you promise not to let it happen again. You scared me to death, Aisha!" Rhiannon shouted, hugging me until I sucked in my breath from the pain in my slashed shoulder. "Sorry."

  "I am sorry, hi'Lady Rhiannon, that I worried you. I will try to be more careful in the future." I didn't mean it the way Rhiannon would probably take it. One cannot be careful in war or combat. I meant I would try not to worry her more than necessary. I was very fond of my charge—more than I had realized.

  "It's been a busy day, Aisha," Rhiannon said. She was now all smiles, and her color was coming back. "Merchants, store owners, and nobles have been coming in to see me and swear allegiance. And they brought gold scrules to help me pay for our campaign against sec'Tadzio and hi'Radulf."

  "You are the rightful heir to your father's kingdom, hi'Lady Rhiannon, but..." I faltered, hating to say what I was thinking but knowing I needed to.

  "Yes, my terrible advisor, Master Jiang has already pointed out that while they may prefer to see me on the throne, they are hedging their position in case I win, although most don't think I will." Rhiannon laughed. "But I will."

  "Yes, you will, and you will make a fine ruler." I pulled a leg off the chicken and took a big bite.

  "Yes, the merchants and others are not fighters," Jiang said, "and do not want to anger whoever becomes the winner in this battle, so they must cater to both. Most believe you are the rightful successor but doubt that you can win against sec'Tadzio and Valda, especially when they only see a small number of Granyan soldiers supporting you. They feel caught in the middle."

  "I understand, Master Jiang. Aisha has explained the problems with being in power, although I didn't want to hear it at the time. I do not hold it against them. As you say, they are caught in the middle." Rhiannon wrinkled her face in thought. "What now, my war advisors?"

  "I would propose," I said, "that you and I stay in Terni another day and take a tour of the town. You need the support of the common people in the streets for when you do win. Besides, you may find more volunteers for your army." I swallowed another mouthful of food. Licking my fingers, I imagined a big clan rather than a kingdom. Rhiannon needed to build a feeling of clan among her people. Anyway, I understood clan, not kingdom. "Master Jiang should join your troops in the Hazwood forest and help organize the ambush. I will stay with you, so that I don't violate my contract anymore."

  "Master Jiang?" Rhiannon looked toward him.

  "It's dangerous, but I believe Sister Aisha is correct. Support of the common people is more important than most rulers realize. But we only have another day or two before troops come from Savona to retaliate. Aisha needs to stay with you, and I need to organize our response. Sister, I will leave another ten Talons with you and Leszek to ensure hi'Lady Rhiannon's safety. Do not wait longer than another day to join us."

  * * * *

  Master Jiang left that night. The next day after we broke fast early in the smallest of the castle dining chambers, I pulled Leszek aside. "Leszek, send several Granyan soldiers into town to look for your wife and son. She shouldn't be hard to find if she is here. Even if they can't find her, maybe they can find information about her."

  "Thank you, Sister. I couldn't bring myself to ask you to spare anyone. And as terrified as I am, I can't desert my duty."

  I left him to organize a search while I organized a procession for Rhiannon in the castle courtyard. Leszek and his guard would be responsible for Rhiannon's immediate safety and form a loose circle around her, with me next to her. Another twenty Granyan troops and ten Talons would form an honor guard to the front and rear of us. It would be impressive and an effective fighting force if necessary.

  "Any advice, advisor Aisha?" Rhiannon asked as we started out the castle gate a
nd into the town.

  "Be accessible, be relaxed like you were unconcerned about anything, keep the Talons around you, and you will be all right." I said a silent prayer to Yun, goddess of Charm and Luck.

  The tour went well. We stopped at merchants' stalls, where Rhiannon purchased a scarf from one merchant. She stopped to talk to a carpenter, buying a tiny chest from him. She bought some fruit to eat and talked small talk with everyone she met. We worked our way to the dock, where she talked to the boat owners and fishermen. It was obvious the crowds who followed us about the streets were fascinated with the young hi'Lady. Late in the day, we finally hit the wealthier neighborhoods and shops. Rhiannon spotted a small knife shop and entered.

  "Hi'Lady Rhiannon, welcome to my shop. How may I help you?" The owner was a thin, elderly man.

  "I'm looking for a small knife of good quality and a sheath for it," Rhiannon replied. The owner spent the next thirty minutes showing her knives, explaining where they had been made, the difference in steel, tempering, and balance.

  "I'll take this one. You have been most helpful, and I have enjoyed the education you provided in helping me to select." One of the Talons collected the knife and sheath from the merchant.

  As we exited the small shop, three nobles stepped out of a doorway a few paces away.

  "Tri'Livius, do you want to be ruled by a woman…no, a girl, pretending to be our better?" the older one said as he drew back his arm to throw a knife he had concealed behind his friend's back.

  I jerked Rhiannon's arm, stepping partly in front of her, and sent her flying. I swatted at the knife with my free hand, deflecting its spin. I let go of Rhiannon as she landed against Leszek. Turning, I reached for my daggers and let both fly while reaching for two more. One landed in the knife thrower and the other in his friend. At the same time, six other Astrakan knives landed in the three nobles' chests and thirty swords were bared.