by Sam Rook
A short while later, they rode to the gates of the castle. "I wish to see Sir Lanclor, the Knight-Commander."
"Sir Lanclor? What business do you have with him?" The knight at the gate wasn’t as young as expected.
"My business is not to be discussed with anyone but him, Sir Knight. I hope you understand," Drewton said as they dismounted.
"Aye, you’re right. I don’t have the right to question anyone, especially anyone bold enough to demand an audience with Sir Lanclor. I must ask you both to leave all of your arms here at the gate. Not even knights are allowed an audience fully armed. You’re welcome to pick them up on your way out."
"Of course, I expected as much," Drewton said as he unbuckled his sword. "I do ask that you not let them out of your sight. This sword was a death-gift from my father and I treasure it highly."
"I assure you, sir, we’re honorable. No harm will come to your weapons and they’ll be returned to you upon my word." He nodded as they handed over their weapons. "It’s a truly fine piece of work, if I may say so. It looks like Smith Banwer’s work, is it not?"
Drewton smiled. "You have a good eye, knight. My father knew him well and appreciated his work, even though he himself wasn’t trained in its use."
The knight nodded with a sigh. "It was a sad day when Banwer passed to the Goddess. It’ll be ready upon your return. Sir Lanclor’s workroom is within the maze of the High Barracks. I’ll arrange for another knight to escort you."
"An escort would be most welcome. We don’t intend to stay long and finding our own way would waste time."
A few minutes later they were walking the halls of the High Barracks on their way to see the Knight-Commander. The height of the ceilings was impressive and served to intimidate anyone not of the Knighthood who entered. Drewton had heard many things about Sir Lanclor. The Knight-Commander was supposed to be the most gifted with a sword, including the Royal Guard. His temper was notorious as was his anger at his curse. He was the Soulbearer of the Destructor and while most of the people of Av’lor had chosen to forget the deeds of the man he Bore, the Knight-Commander never forgot and pushed himself relentlessly as if for redemption. Sir Lanclor also hated Mercenaries.
Drewton would have to do everything he could to convince Sir Lanclor he was honorable and that his news was genuine. The knight escorting them stopped by a plain looking door and gestured for them to announce themselves through the partially open door.
Chapter 39
A knock sounded upon the door. Lanclor glanced up from his work and rose from his seat appraising the large man in armor looking at him from the doorway.
"Are you looking for someone, warrior?"
"Yes, Sir Lanclor. I’m looking for you. I have some news you may be interested in, if I may enter?"
Lanclor rested his hand upon the pommel of his sword. "You may enter. You seem to know who I am, so would you mind introducing yourself so I may know you?"
"Yes, sir. My name is Drewton and I’m a mercenary. This is Royal Guardsman Mikael." Mikael slipped through the door behind him, giving Lanclor a sheepish look. A knight stood just outside the door.
Lanclor’s hand remained on the pommel of his sword as he responded. "You’re a brave man indeed if you seek an audience with me and you’re a mercenary, Drewton. It’s no secret that I have no respect for the men of your Order. I'll deal with you later, Mikael."
Drewton’s shoulders stiffened. "I’m well aware of your feelings for my Order, Sir Lanclor. I come to you with a warning, from one man to another. I’m an honorable man and—"
"Enough. Honorable men don’t fight for money; they fight for a cause. You have no cause but your own greed and I’ll not be a part of it. If you don’t mind, I ask that you leave my workroom and the castle, and do not return. You and your kind are not welcome here. Knight?" Their escort entered the room. "Please escort our guests out of the castle."
"Yes, Sir Lanclor." He placed his hand upon the pommel of his sword as well and gestured for them to move along. Mikael didn't seem surprised at Lanclor’s response.
"You’re an arrogant man, Sir Lanclor. You think only knights have anything worth saying and it will be your downfall." Lanclor frowned at Drewton's glare and the bitterness and anger lacing his words. Mikael made no move to stop his friend’s temper.
"I don’t do well with threats, Mercenary." Lanclor had come around his desk and now faced them, his wings erect letting Drewton know that he disapproved, but he wouldn’t tarnish his honor by drawing his sword upon an unarmed man.
"Drewton, is that you? What’s going on here?" Lady Kathryn pushed through the doorway and walked into the room to see Drewton and him glaring at each other. Mikael moved closer to get a better look. The hostility floating about the room was significant, but Lanclor wasn't surprised when Kathryn walked between them.
"You guys look like a bunch of gang members ready to start a war." She crossed her arms and glanced from Drewton to Lanclor, awaiting an explanation.
Lanclor gave in first. "Do you know this man, Lady Kathryn?"
"Yes, Sir Lanclor, I do know this man. He warned me about a poisonous paint used upon a figurine a woman sold to me at the market. I owe him my life. Now, what’s going on here?"
Lanclor had let his pride and temper get the best of him, again. He removed his hand from his sword and his wings returned to a relaxed position. "Drewton, I apologize. I let my prejudice guide me and I’ve acted dishonorably." He offered Drewton his hand as a sign of truce.
Drewton extended his hand and accepted Sir Lanclor's apology. "There was no dishonor, Sir Lanclor. There has long been a rift between the Mercenaries and the other Orders. I’m working to bridge that gap, but it’s a long and difficult process." He turned to Kathryn. "Lady Kathryn, you have my thanks for your timely entrance."
Sir Lanclor moved slightly in front of Lady Kathryn in an attempt to shield her from his words. "What news is so important you brave the High Barracks?"
"Yes, the news. There are hit contracts out for some members of the Knighthood. We’re sure of at least three—one for you, one for Lady Kathryn, and one for Lord Alextor."
"Hit contracts?" Sir Lanclor shook his head. "Why would anyone want to get rid of us? We’re the only defense against the Daemons." Sir Lanclor couldn't hide his surprise.
Kathryn looked thoughtful, but said nothing.
"I asked the same question." Drewton shrugged and shook his head. "I must admit, I was approached about one of these contracts myself, but turned it down. A rich merchant acted as the middleman. He offered me a significant amount of gold crowns if my squad would take care of Lady Kathryn. Naturally, I chose to investigate why anyone would want to harm a knight, much less a female one not even of this world. No offense, Lady Kathryn, but you don’t look like much of a threat to me."
"None taken. Looks can be deceiving, Drewton. Never forget that." Lady Kathryn gave him a grim smile and looked at Lanclor, awaiting his response.
Lanclor smiled beneath his helmet. Looks can definitely be deceiving. "I need to think about this. You may not know, Drewton, but there have already been attempts made on both of our lives. Until this point, we had only thought them directed at Lady Kathryn and me, but if there’s also a contract for Lord Alextor, I need to take extra precautions."
Lanclor turned to Lady Kathryn. "In the future, Lady Kathryn, I’d appreciate it if you would let me know about any attempts upon your life. I’m responsible for the safety of all knights and you’re much too important to the Knighthood at this time to lose. I’m tempted to provide you with an escort."
Lady Kathryn sighed. "I’m sorry, Sir Lanclor, I hadn’t thought to notify you about the attempt. If you’ll excuse me, I have other things I have to do. I came up here to let you know, Sir Lanclor, that Sir Garrent requires your presence in the armory."
"Of course, Lady Kathryn, thank you." She saluted and left the workroom. The other knight, the escort, simply stood there, not knowing what he was supposed to do. Sir Lanclor solved his
dilemma.
"Gensten, please show Drewton and Mikael to the gate to collect their weapons. Notify the gate guards that Drewton and Mikael are welcome to seek me out whenever they please." Sir Lanclor nodded to them. "I thank you for the warning, Drewton. I’ll take the necessary precautions to prevent the contracts from reaching completion. Gensten, nothing mentioned in this room is to be shared with anyone, understood?"
"Yes, Sir Lanclor." Knight Gensten saluted and he guided them away from his workroom.
Lanclor stepped out of his workroom, closed the door behind him and waited for his visitors to round the far corner, out of earshot.
"If anyone hurts her, I'll kill him."
"Sir Lanclor, I’m glad you could take the time out of your busy day to see me," Sir Garrent said in a sarcastic voice as Lanclor strode into the Armory.
"Enough, Garrent. What did you want to see me about?" he said with a touch of anger. He was in fact busy.
"It’s something we should discuss in private. Here, let’s go in the back room. It should be secure from wandering ears." They walked into the back where vast majorities of the Knighthood’s extra weapons were stored. "We have a problem. Pick up a sword from the rack. Any sword."
Lanclor picked up a sword randomly and held it, waiting for Sir Garrent to direct him.
"You can’t tell, can you?" Garrent drew his own sword and held it upright, in readiness. "Swing your sword against mine and see what happens."
Lanclor could tell that something was wrong. He confirmed it when the blade of his sword shattered upon impact. "What the hell? What’s going on?"
"My thoughts exactly. I tried selecting some other swords and they’re all like that. If you pay close enough attention, you’ll feel the difference in how they’re balanced. All of the crossbows have partially cut strings. I would never have noticed if I hadn’t been going through the extra weapons we were planning on loaning to the Royal Guard. We’re lucky we gave up on the crossbows, or we would have been facing a Daemon horde with nothing but broken strings and startled knights."
"The Preservation spells should have prevented this from happening. How is this possible?"
Sir Garrent paused a moment and took a deep breath before speaking. "Sir Lanclor, I believe someone is trying to sabotage the Knighthood."
Chapter 40
Kathryn gathered her fruit and bread, looking around the meal room for a place to sit. She usually just followed Hal, but he was in R’kelo for the week. There were open spots at some of the tables with one table empty except for one lone knight with black wings.
After the Red River Battle, most of the other knights gave her shy smiles and included her in polite conversation. She wasn’t in the mood for polite conversation. The change in the demeanor of some of the knights—those who were bad-mouthing her less than two months before—made her uncomfortable.
Kathryn placed her tray on the table and looked down at Sir Lanclor. "Good morning, Sir Lanclor."
"Good morning, Lady Kathryn. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" The open mouth flap of his helmet showed his smirk.
"You’re just so charming I couldn’t resist." She sat down next to him and noted a smile replaced his smirk before he looked down at his meal.
Kathryn was halfway through her meal before she realized the other knights were staring at them and the usual ruckus of the meal room was now a pool of hushed voices. She shook her head and brought the last of her bread to her mouth.
"They’ll be talking about this for months you know." Sir Lanclor said with amusement. "Lady Kathryn, the brave knight who annihilates Daemons and challenges the great Sir Lanclor."
Kathryn snorted. "Don’t flatter yourself. I just saw your table as the lesser of the evils."
Sir Lanclor straightened. "I think you’ll find you chose wrong."
"Oh please. I prefer your blunt honesty to their honey-coated insults any day. The only reason some of them don’t call me an undeserving Earthling anymore is because they now know I can annihilate them with one spell."
"Fear is a powerful thing." Sir Lanclor closed his mouth flap and gathered his tray.
If everyone feared her, she’d never have anyone. Kathryn piled her utensils upon her tray. "It’s also lonely as hell." She stood up and left the table without a backwards glance. Depositing her tray on the counter next to the trash can, she exited the meal room.
"Lady Kathryn, wait." She glanced back to see Sir Lanclor hurrying after her. He caught up to her in a few strides and fell in beside her. "That conversation didn’t end like I intended."
"Oh, really? What was your intention?" Kathryn regretted the bitterness in her voice.
Sir Lanclor sighed in frustration. "You surprised me. I usually have time to think before I speak."
"You think before you speak?" Kathryn exaggerated her look of surprise as she glanced his way and his eyebrow turned down in disapproval. She heard him growl deep in his throat before responding.
"You are the most frustrating woman I’ve ever known." He clenched his fists but remained by her side.
"Thank you. I try." She closed her mouth flap and smiled beneath her helmet.
"Our paths separate here." They stopped at an intersection and he gestured toward his workroom. "I’ll see you in the library this afternoon." He hesitated, and then started walking down the left corridor.
"Be safe, Sir Lanclor." Kathryn started down the right corridor.
"Be safe, Lady Kathryn. And Lady Kathryn?"
"Yes?" She turned to meet his gaze.
"Breakfast? Same time tomorrow?"
"Sure." She nodded and watched him turn to continue up the hallway, disappearing around a corner. Frowning, she continued on her way trying to figure out why there was now a spring in her step.
"Good morning, Sir Lanclor." Kathryn placed her tray on the table and sat beside him a week later. The other knights around the table smiled at her and continued their various conversations.
"Good morning, Lady Kathryn." Sir Lanclor smiled and tossed his roll to a knight across the table who then tossed her apple to him. "I heard drill didn’t go so well yesterday. Something about Artemis bolting towards a stallion?"
The other knights chuckled then quieted as Kathryn glared at them. In just a week, others had arrived at their table and had grown comfortable enough to engage in conversations with them both.
"Artemis likes him. She just forgot I was on her back is all." Kathryn missed the protection of her helmet as her cheeks blazed. She no longer saw the purpose of wearing it during meals. Others had adopted her opinion, but some knights around their table preferred anonymity.
"Well, it’s a good thing she gave you the opportunity to get off of her back before she entertained him." Sir Lanclor tightened his lips in an attempt to suppress his laughter. He failed after only a few seconds and joined everyone around the table except Kathryn.
"Yeah, laugh it up." Kathryn snatched the fruit from Sir Lanclor’s tray. "She’s not getting any of these today." Placing the fruit upon her tray, she hid her smile with a piece of bread.
The laughter died down and everyone continued the meal. She could tell Sir Lanclor was trying not to smirk at her between his bites of cheese. Frowning, she remembered her unease and wiped her mouth with her napkin.
"Sir Lanclor, have you seen Hal this morning?"
Sir Lanclor’s eyebrows rose and he grunted. "Now that you mention it, no. He’s never late for a meal, so I would have expected to see him this morning."
She lowered her voice. "He wasn’t at dinner last night and he’s not in his room either. I’m getting worried. It’s just not like him to miss a meal and I assume he would have paid me a visit after he got back from R’kelo."
"Meet me in my workroom this evening. I’ll speak with Hook and Garrent and see if they know where he is." Sir Lanclor’s voice was low and the other knights didn’t seem to hear him.
Kathryn nodded. "I’ll be there."
Chapter 41
Drewton held
his sword at the man's throat. "Vikten, I suggest you start talking and start talking now, before I give you a permanent smile."
Mikael watched from the doorway, protecting Drewton’s back.
"I have nothing to say to you. Now put your sword away before my men return and I’ll consider forgiving your intrusion. As you can see, I’m in the middle of important business." Vikten gestured toward the two terrified prostitutes crouching in the corner behind the bed.
Drewton pressed the blade ever so slightly against Vikten's throat and a trickle of blood began to run down his neck. Vikten winced at the cut, but still maintained his look of hatred. "Who hired you to disperse the hit contracts for the knights?"
"All right, just get that damn sword away from me." As he pulled his sword away, Vikten suddenly fell to the floor and started convulsing. Cursing, Drewton wiped his sword, returned it to its sheath, then reached toward Vikten to try to halt his convulsions. Mikael hastily closed the door and knelt to assist Drewton with Vikten. Before their hands reached him, he had stopped. Vikten's dead eyes stared up at the ceiling as foam and blood trickled from his mouth. The smell of a Death spell emanated from him and Drewton quickly withdrew. He herded the prostitutes out of the room, then heard the sound of footsteps.
Drewton pulled Mikael to the wall behind the door. "Lak’oth vin’tes’malor." Drewton cast a Chameleon spell over both of them and they blended with the wall as the door opened to reveal a dozen of Vikten’s mercenaries. "Boss? Boss, what’s wrong?" one voice shouted—the voice of an unintelligent man.
"Idiot, he’s dead, that’s what’s wrong. He told him not to talk about it. Even talking about it to a prostitute could lead to death. Let that be a lesson to all of you. With Vikten dead, that leaves me in charge since I was his second."
