Klarg slapped his fist to his chest in a salute. “I hear and obey, Mistress.”
* * * *
Arik and Tedi awoke to the sounds of horses not far off. Quickly, the boys sat up and tried to determine which direction the horses were coming from. It was already dark out and the water was at low tide, but the sounds echoed off the walls of their little hideaway and determining direction was impossible. The boys hefted their duffel bags and readied their bows. Arik slid down the rocks a way and tried to pick up the sounds again. It had gone deadly quiet and he stayed perched on the rocks waiting without movement. When he finally heard a sound, it was the sound of men wading through the water from the South. “There are men coming through the water,” Arik whispered. “We need to move now or we will be trapped.”
Tedi was already at Arik’s side as the taller boy started edging across the rocks to the north. As the boys stepped into the water, they could hear shouts coming from behind them. Arik could distinctly hear a man bellow the order, “Take nine men with you over the top and cut them off.” Frantically, Arik tried to run through the water, but succeeded only in kicking up more water.
“We aren’t going to make it,” Tedi shouted. “They will have us between them.”
“Just keep going,” demanded Arik. “Don’t ever give up.”
As the boys struggled through the thigh-high water, ten horsemen galloped up the southern incline and across the plateau towards the northern path that led down to the other side of the rocks. The charge to encircle the boys quickly turned to chaos as the first four riders succumbed to a rope stretched across the path at neck height, right where the path started down the northern slope. The rest of the group of Dark Riders reacted quickly enough to avoid the unseen rope, but confusion reigned as the forward riders turned their horses aside and the following riders smashed into them. While it might have been expected that several riders would fall from their saddles during such a collision, no one could mistake the sound of a bowstring singing as those riders fell.
“Bowmen towards the sea,” shouted one of the Dark Riders. “Dismount and take cover!”
One of the Dark Riders dismissed the orders and charged towards where he thought the bowmen must be hiding. A black shape hiding behind a bush near the cliff’s edge hurled a Lanoirian Star, which struck the rider’s forehead. The horse continued to carry the dead rider and plunged off the cliff striking the rocks below.
Garth took stock of his situation. Two of the lead riders were down and unmoving. Two were down, but writhing in pain. Three had fallen to arrows and one had charged over the cliff. That left two healthy Dark Riders trying to kill him and two who would regain their wits and functionality all too soon. Garth strained to see the two healthy riders, but the fool who had charged had distracted him and now they were well hidden. Garth crawled slowly along the edge of the cliff towards the two fallen riders who had hit the rope. He caught a momentary glance of one of the healthy riders doing the same, but heading for the point. He froze for a second to make sure that the other man had not spotted him and then continued on.
Garth reached the last bush before the northern path where his rope had helped even the odds. The two wounded men lay curled in fetal positions holding their faces and howling in pain. Garth knew he had to find the last healthy man before risking exposure of himself in the open to finish these two wounded men. Laying a Lanoirian Star in the dirt before him, Garth stole a glance behind him to see if the point man had decided to come back this way. Satisfied that he had a few moments to complete his task, Garth reached into a long narrow pouch and extracted a long tube and two slender myric quills. The myric quills were poisonous and taken from an animal that inhabited marshlands. Their use as a weapon was pioneered by the Targan Rangers, a group of elite soldiers in Targa before the Collapse, but most bandits and mercenaries shunned their use because obtaining the quills often led to the death of the gatherer. The poison in the quills was so strong that it produced instant death and many a gatherer failed on their first attempt.
Garth fed a quill into the long blow tube and raised it to his lips. Steadily, he sighted on the farthest man and blew. He reloaded the tube as quickly as he could because he knew that the cut off of the man’s screams would bring his enemy running towards him. Garth sent the second dart into the closest man and shoved the tube into its pouch as he lifted the Lanoirian Star he had placed in the dirt with his other hand. The two remaining Dark Riders were charging his position, one from the point behind him and the other from across the clearing by the south path. Had Garth been visible, arrows would be coming his way instead of charging men. Garth leaped to his feet and hurled the Lanoirian Star at the man coming from the point. Even as he watched the man clutching his bleeding throat as he tumbled off the cliff, Garth pulled his large sinuous sword from the scabbard on his back. Holding his great sword with both hands, Garth twirled just in time to slice through the last Dark Rider’s midsection.
Garth ran to the four dead men by the rope and cut off two of their scabbards before wiping his blade clean on one of the dead men and sheathing it. He grabbed the two Dark Rider swords and ran down the path to the North.
Arik and Tedi heard the shouts and screams from above and hurried on. Tedi continuously turned his head to look behind himself for any signs that the men were getting closer. He never caught sight of the men, but he gasped when he saw the Dark Rider and horse plummet over the cliff to the rocks below. The boys had just made it to shore when another Dark Rider bounced off the side of the cliff and landed on his back in front of them, a Lanoirian Star buried in his throat. The boys leaped over the body and continued running though their legs felt like they were about to give up.
Trying to run through the undergrowth was almost as difficult as running through the water and both boys were getting very tired. As they broke through the bushes to the path that paralleled the seacoast, they both came to an abrupt halt. The bandit from Lorgo stood directly in front of them holding the reins to three horses in one hand and two sheathed swords in the other. “Why am I not surprised that it is you two who are causing so much fuss?” chuckled Garth.
The two boys looked at each other and started slowly backing up. “Let me guess,” Tedi spat, “you expect us to believe that you aren’t one of the Dark Riders who are chasing us. We give you our weapons and you escort us back to their camp so they can torture us before killing us.”
Garth just smiled and tossed the two sheathed swords at their feet. “I would hardly welcome your company, fisherboy, but Kalina thinks you are worthy of rescuing from the Dark Riders. You can have the swords and two of their horses to do with what you want. If you come with me, I can offer you safety. If not, then take the horses and get going where you will, but make your mind up now because I am not waiting. I’ve killed ten of them up on the plateau, but there are ten more coming as we speak, as well as a witch, and I am getting tired of killing men for the sake of boys.” Garth stepped forward and shoved the reins of two of the horses towards the boys. Arik stepped forward and grabbed the reins. Garth twirled and mounted his horse as soon as Arik had taken the reins.
The sounds of men shouting behind them indicated that the Dark Riders pursuing them had found the body that had fallen from above. “Time’s up, fisherboy,” Garth whispered. “Follow or flee, I head west.” Garth took off heading for the coastal highway.
Arik and Tedi exchanged glances and quickly picked up the swords and mounted their new horses. “I don’t suppose being hung as horse thieves is any worse than being killed for no reason at all,” Arik remarked as he turned his horse westward.
“Surely you don’t believe his story,” Tedi quipped as he turned to follow. “You don’t really think one man could have killed ten Dark Riders by himself? And who is this Kalina?”
Arik sighed as he followed the path that the bandit had made through the bushes. “I don’t know if he did it by himself,” stated Arik, “but I have no doubt that the Dark Riders died up there on the pla
teau. These scabbards have been cut off somebody’s body and there was blood on the blade that cut them. These horses didn’t just wander in from the road and the Dark Riders who were supposed to be coming over the top of the plateau never made it. Think what you want, but I am inclined to follow this bandit, at least until I learn more of what is going on.”
“I think he is one of them and that this Kalina whom he is taking us to is the witch who held us on the docks in Lorgo,” Tedi declared.
“Well, my father said that this man was a killer,” argued Arik. “He certainly just had the chance to kill us without anyone finding out and he didn’t. That means, to me, that we can trust him to some degree. I don’t mean to trust him very far, but right now we need a safe place to hide and figure out what is going on. I don’t know of any other solution, Tedi.”
The boys soon came to the coastal highway and crossed over it. A short way into the woods they came to a small clearing with the bandit and two horses standing in it. One horse was the one the bandit had left the battle on. The other was a large, beautiful black stallion. “I had to stop and get my own horse,” explained Garth. “If you boys have decided to accept our safety, just continue heading west. I will follow and make sure that no Dark Riders are tracking us.”
Arik simply nodded and continued across the clearing and westward.
* * * *
Klarg was studying the placement of the bodies and the method by which each was killed when Wolinda reached the plateau. “What happened here?” she demanded.
“It would appear that our little boys had some help this evening,” Klarg explained. “Several very skilled assassins, if you ask me.”
“Why assassins and not mercenaries?” inquired Wolinda.
“The weapons and methods used, Mistress,” Klarg answered. “Perhaps several mercenaries and one assassin. That is possible. Lanoirian Stars are used by some very skilled mercenaries, but myric quills are used only by highly skilled assassins. They are extremely dangerous to use. A single prick while loading one will lead to instant death. No mercenary would risk ending his career with such a dubious weapon.”
“Are you sure that they were here to help the boys?” Wolinda asked.
“No,” replied Klarg, “I am not. The rope was meant to create a killing ground and allow for a slaughter during the confusion. Bandits have used such tricks in the past to snare a quarry, but it normally requires horsemen traveling at great speed to have any real effect. That is what puzzles me. Why put such a trap on this plateau? I would expect bandits to target the coastal highway, not some seldom used path.”
“Could it have been the boys, themselves?” Wolinda queried.
“Not a chance,” laughed Klarg. “This was professionally done. If it was done to aid the boys, it was very lucky. I, myself, did not know that I would send riders along this path until I actually did so. No, Mistress, I think we may have just stumbled into a bandits’ den by accident. The rope was probably part of a standard campsite protection and they were only alerted by the noise from down below when we spotted the boys. That is the only scenario that makes any sense.”
“What does that mean for our mission, Klarg,” Wolinda inquired.
“Unfortunately, our two trackers were among the ten dead men,” Klarg responded. “The spooked horses have left so many trails through the bushes that we will not find the proper trail until we have more light. I suggest that I go to Toresh and get replacements. I think ten men is enough to get the boys, but if there are bandits in the area who do not fear to kill Dark Riders, we should have a company strong enough to deal with them, as well. Plus, we need to replace the trackers.”
Wolinda thought a moment before responding. “Your plan is acceptable, Klarg,” she began, “but send one of your men instead of going yourself. If this is a bandits’ lair, your expertise in leading the men will be valuable should they decide to return and attack during the night.” Wolinda would never have stated her real reasons for keeping Klarg close. Once in Toresh, Klarg could report on Wolinda’s lack of progress and without Klarg around to contain his men, Wolinda might not wake up from her night’s sleep.
Chapter 8
Young Lord
Niki yawned and stretched in her fine, white silk robe while standing on the balcony overlooking the sea. At first Niki had been put out that the servants had assigned her to guest quarters instead of the Master’s Suite, but that was before she discovered the rich wardrobe of clothes in various sizes and styles. Fredrik also pointed out that they were supposed to be brother and sister and putting one of them in the Master's Suite would naturally insult the other. The servants had, after all, made the correct decision. Surely, the old sea captain’s mansion was not a Royal Palace, but Niki had never seen a palace and this was more than she expected. She had a bedroom that was larger than any house she had ever been in and it was only one of several rooms that were hers alone. Even the balcony she stood on, overlooking the peasants running around below, was larger than the house she grew up in. She stood there for a long while soaking up the sea air and listening to the bustle of the townspeople running about below.
A knock at the door disturbed her and, reluctantly, she turned and made her way through the suite of rooms to the entry. Opening the door, she saw a man standing there in a rich, red velvet suit with vest and coat and a white, frilled shirt with fluffy sleeves protruding from the cuffs of the coat. It took her a moment to recognize the man as Fredrik. Laughing, she threw open the door to admit her partner. Fredrik sauntered in like he was the Lord of the manor, a stride that Fredrik had perfected long before Niki had met him.
“What brings the Lord to his Lady’s Suite?” chuckled Niki.
Fredrik hurriedly closed the door and took up position in one of the large cushioned chairs. “I just wanted see how my Lady was accepting her transition,” he smiled smugly. “This place is huge. I’ve been wandering around for an hour and I doubt that I’ve seen all of it. This old sea captain must have been a smuggler to afford something this grand.”
“Well,” she chided, “I think I did rather well getting us in here, but don’t you think for a moment that I have let you go of your pledge to make me a queen. Perhaps you can organize the rabble down below into some kind of kingdom for me to rule. Those mercenaries will do for a Palace Guard while we look for someone more suitable and then we can have them organize an army to take over any neighboring countries.”
Fredrik looked at her with disbelief. Could she really think getting in here was her idea? Get the mercenaries to bow to her? Maybe she really was crazy. Grand fantasies were one thing, but what she was proposing was suicide. “I never promised to make you a queen,” he stated. “I said that I would like to see you in a palace. Now that I have, I do think it becomes you.”
“You will serve in my court, also,” she continued as if not hearing a word he said. “Perhaps I will have you as my Royal Consort.”
“We are best to avoid the mercenaries,” Fredrik reminded her. “They have let us in here because it costs them nothing and avoids embarrassment of their failure to do anything with the Black Devils. If we do anything that might upset them, you will be surprised how quickly they acknowledge their mistake. Where are your old clothes?”
Niki snapped out of her fantasy. “In the closet in the bedroom,” she answered. “Why do you want my old clothes?”
“I asked Miranda to have our old clothes washed today,” Fredrik said. “I do not know how long we will be here, but I want our clothes to be clean and packed in case we have to leave quickly.”
“Leave?” she asked incredulously. “Why would we ever want to leave here? We just got here and you’re talking about moving on already.”
“I am not planning on leaving just yet, Niki,” he declared emphatically. “I just believe in being prepared. One can never know what tomorrow will bring.”
As if on cue, there was a knock on the door followed by Miranda poking her head in. “Does My Lady have wash today?” she inquired.
“Perhaps your traveling clothes could use a refreshing?”
“They're in the closet in the bedroom, Miranda,” Fredrik directed. “And thank you for your prompt service.”
Miranda went and retrieved Niki’s clothes and returned to leave. She bowed to Fredrik and said, “Your thanks are most welcome Lord Wason. Certainly not necessary, but graciously welcome.”
“Take extra care of my cloak,” demanded Niki. “I intend on wearing it on my Coronation Day and I don’t want you mucking it up.”
Miranda looked confused but merely nodded and withdrew from the suite. Quickly, she hurried downstairs to have Alicia do the wash. When she reached the servants’ quarters, Alicia was talking with Orthan, the Lord’s butler. “Humph,” Miranda began, “that Fredrik is all right, a pleasant boy at least, but that Niki, I’ll strangle her with my own hands before too long.”
“Now, now,” admonished Orthan, “we went through all of this last night. We all know they are not who they claim to be. For goodness sake, Lord Alrecht did not even have any brothers or sisters so he certainly couldn’t have nephews and nieces, but without a Lord or Lady in the manor, we will all be out in the streets. I, for one, am willing to put up with this charade for as long as we can make it last.”
“He’s right, Miranda,” agreed Alicia. “We can’t afford to be out on the street. It would kill us for sure. There is no other Lord or Lady in Cidal who will employ us and there are more than enough beggars already so that none of them can get enough to eat. You’ll just have to grin and bear it.”
“Not quite,” snapped Miranda, “I am the head maid here and I have decided that you will be the one to deal with our Lady Niki from now on. We shall see just how well you grin and bear it.”
Alicia went storming off with the wash. “Was that really necessary?” asked Orthan. “We are all in the same boat, so to speak.”
Sapphire of the Fairies, Book 1 of Sword of Heavens Page 9
