The lock was not particularly hard and Tedi soon had the cell opened and the rope ladder fastened to the top. He let the ladder drop and scrambled down as he heard the patrol’s boots scraping along the ground. The bottom of the cell was black and, hoping Niki would forgive him, he began feeling around. At least he was sure that the woman in the cell had curly hair. He lay on his stomach and pushed her on top of himself. Shifting her body around on his back to allow the straps of the harness to secure her, he kept listening for the sounds of the patrol.
Once she was secure, he started up the rope ladder. When he reached the top he stuck his head out to look for the patrol and saw no one. A moment of dread ran through him when he thought he might have been abandoned by his friends in the Royal Prison. A feeling of shame quickly followed as Arik and Tanya ran forward from the wall where they had hidden while the guards were in sight. The guards did not make a complete circuit, but came down the path towards the cells and then turned around. Thankfully, they did not see the rope.
Tedi almost lost his balance as he stooped to retrieve the rope ladder and lock the cell. He rose and threw the ladder across the moat. Adjusting Niki’s weight, Tedi stepped to the edge of the moat and jumped up to grab the rope, which was tied to the flagpole. He decided if the rope was going to fail, he wasn’t going to spend time dreading it. Straining against the weight of Niki and himself, Tedi began swinging to get his feet up on the rope. By the time he got his feet wrapped around the rope, Tedi’s arms were aching. As quickly as he dared, Tedi started moving his hands along the rope towards the other side of the moat. Each hand movement was a strain and his arms felt like they would be ripped out of their sockets. Slowly and agonizingly, Tedi put one hand in front of the other until finally he and Niki were safe on the other side.
Tanya ran up to the edge of the moat and cut the rope to leave it dangling in the water. Arik pried the climbing claw out of the ground and coiled the remaining rope. The three Rangers met at the wall and Arik caught the top of the wall with the hook. Tanya climbed the rope first and stayed on top of the wall. Tedi and Niki went next and Arik had to help by pushing. When Tedi reached the top, he managed to straddle the wall without falling. Arik was close behind and pulled the rope up and switched the hook to let the rope dangle on the outside of the wall. Arik descended first and allowed Tedi to place his feet on his shoulders to ease the way down. When they were safely down, Tanya tossed the hook down and then dropped herself to the ground.
Fredrik was downstairs waiting when they entered the house. They changed Niki into her blacksuit and Tanya pushed her leather hat over Niki’s red hair. The three of them mounted their horses and Fredrik hefted Niki up to Arik, who held her in front of him. Tanya took the reins to Niki’s horse and they set out for the North Gate.
Fredrik made it back to his room at the Fluttering Jib on foot and tossed himself on the bed to get a few hours sleep before the guards arrived.
Chapter 18
Mutiny
It was barely past first light when the pounding on the door woke Fredrik. He struggled to sit and the pounding continued. Sleepily shuffling over to the door, Fredrik threw the bolt back and two Melbin Guards rushed in, their heads swiveling to search the room. Fredrik could see two more guards waiting in the hallway beyond the door. “Lord Wason,” one of the guards declared, “you have been summoned to the Royal Palace. It is well that you are dressed, King Alfred appears impatient this morning.”
As fearful as he was, Fredrik walked over to the basin and wet his face. “I shall just be a moment,” he said through the towel wiping the sleep from his face. The guard tapped his foot impatiently while Fredrik tried to smooth his red velvet suit. At least, Fredrik realized, he was not under arrest. The guards would not wait for him if they had orders for his arrest.
When Fredrik was as presentable as he could be after sleeping in his clothes, he turned and walked out the door. The guards had a carriage waiting for him and, once he was in, they rushed him to the Royal Palace. Fredrik was escorted directly to the Throne Room where King Alfred was waiting. The guard escorting him whispered something in the servant’s ear and the servant scurried up to the King and relayed the information.
“I see the lodging in our inns is not to your liking, Lord Wason,” the King stated. “Perhaps I should extend rooms in the Palace for your comfort.”
A shiver ran down Fredrik’s back as he thought the King must know about the house he had occupied last night. Slowly it dawned on him that the King probably was referring to the state of Fredrik’s clothes. Some travelers slept in their clothes and armed because they did not trust the innkeeper to keep them safe while they slept. “I am afraid it was a long day yesterday, Your Highness. I know that Melbin is a city where travelers are safe, but I was so tired I must have fallen asleep before I could undress.”
“Understandable,” the King laughed. “You probably indulged yourself in a bit of merriment last night to toast the conclusion of your hunt for the witch.”
Fredrik noticed that the King’s laugh had been forced and the body language of the servants and the guards, who had not been withdrawn, told him that he was a suspect in the escape. “Actually, it was simple fatigue,” Fredrik stated. “The witch has led me on a merry chase for some weeks and I must admit that many of those nights did not afford a bed as comfortable as the Fluttering Jib.”
Frowning, the King tried a different approach, “I am told that you had a party of four with you when you arrived and they left you late last night. Did they have some urgent task to fulfill for you?”
This part Fredrik had rehearsed in his mind last night. “They were not my servants,” Lord Wason declared. “They belong to Captain Grecho of the Cidal Mercenary Company. They are on their way north to negotiate a contract. They had agreed to be my escort while I was chasing the witch. When I informed them last night that my search had ended, they took their leave and continued on their mission.”
The King’s frown grew as his brow knitted and his eyebrows lowered, darkening the monarch’s eyes. “Then I am to believe that they did not effect the release of your witch last night?” King Alfred said with a rising voice. “The very professional escape, I might add.”
Fredrik knew it would come to this and realized the next few moments would decide his fate, whether it be death or freedom. “What do you mean escape?” he shouted. “You can’t have let her escape.”
The room grew very tense and the guards appeared to tighten their hands on their weapons. “I am sorry for my outburst,” Lord Wason said softly while consciously clenching his hands to appear furious with the King’s poorly guarded prison.
“I beg the King’s pardon for words spoken in haste, but the thought of her being free again boils my blood,” Fredrik humbled with the sound of forced softness. “The men of Captain Grecho obey my command and are loyal to the Lord of the Manor. They would not take it upon themselves to free a witch that I wished imprisoned.”
The comment about loyalty had been meant to impress King Alfred that if he detained Lord Wason, he would be striking out against the Cidal Mercenary Company, which, while not true, would cause the King to tread more lightly towards Fredrik. “May I ask if the woman could have possibly used magic to escape and if Your Highness has any indication of where she has gone?” Lord Wason queried.
The King, after a minute of studying Fredrik, motioned for the guards to leave. “This has never happened before,” conceded King Alfred. “The witch was drugged which should have made it impossible for her to use magic and there was a stub of rope found attached to the flagpole which would indicate a mundane rescue. Although, the cell was still locked and the purpose of the rope makes no sense. It was long enough to reach the bottom of the cell, but it was next to the wrong cell and the loose end was not in the cell. I am afraid that there is little information that I can supply to help you locate her. If I receive further news, I will send a messenger.”
Fredrik bowed and left the throne room. He spurned th
e carriage, which was waiting for him and walked backed to the Fluttering Jib lost in thought. As he entered the common room, he noticed Yolinda Obanik sitting by herself at one of the tables. He nonchalantly walked over and sat down. The crowd was sparse for the morning meal and the serving girl appeared promptly. He ordered a concoction of eggs and cheese and turned towards Yolinda.
“You are alone,” Yolinda whispered while holding her mug of coffee to her lips. “Where are the others? What has happened?”
Fredrik acted like he was having pleasant conversation with a stranger. “They rode out last night and are waiting for us north of here. I can’t explain it all now, but if your business in Melbin is complete, I would suggest that we leave.”
“Is everyone all right?” Yolinda demanded.
“Niki has been drugged to keep her from using magic,” Fredrik explained. “She was unconscious when she left. Everyone else is okay.”
“Be ready to leave in fifteen minutes,” Yolinda whispered. “I will get the ingredients needed to help Niki. We will meet you at the stables for the Bosun’s Chair.” Yolinda placed her coffee mug on the table and disappeared out the door of the inn.
Fredrik finished his breakfast and went to his room to gather his belongings. He removed the red velvet suit and dressed in a gray woolen tunic and matching breeches. Carrying his gear down to the stables, he paused to inform the innkeeper that he was leaving. When he reached the stables of the Bosun’s Chair, Mikal was waiting for him holding both his black stallion and Yolinda’s white mare. Yolinda hurried along the alley and mounted without a word. Silently the three rode through the streets of Melbin and out the North Gate.
When they were well away of the gate, Garth demanded an explanation of the events of Melbin. He told Fredrik to start at the beginning and leave nothing out. Fredrik was just finishing his tale when they left the coastal highway and headed for the sea. “I think I know the cove that Tanya is speaking of, although it is not a particularly safe spot to wait,” Garth commented.
Garth was pleased to see that Arik was at least alert to the danger when the young warrior jumped down from his hiding spot in the rocks to welcome them. “I guess everything went okay,” Arik smiled at Fredrik.
Arik led them into the cove to where Niki was stretched out on a blanket. Kalina quickly dismounted and knelt at the girl’s side to examine her. “Get a fire going and put some water on to boil,” she demanded.
“This is not a safe place for a fire,” Garth cautioned. “Can it wait until we find a more suitable place?”
“No,” replied Kalina. “The drug can be very harmful, especially if they were not careful administering it. The fact that she was about to be executed could be enough reason for them not to care how much they used. I must get some tea into her.”
Kalina removed a parcel from her pouch and handed it to Tedi. “Mix half of this into a tea and see that she drinks all of it. Return the unused half,” Kalina ordered.
Kalina went to her horse and removed the long, canvas wrapped package and laid it on the ground. Stopping, she unwrapped the Sword of Heavens and picked it up. Holding it out from her she started to rotate in a circle and finally stopped when it tingled.
“It is as much west as it is north,” Garth surmised.
“Yes,” replied Kalina dryly, “and you want to take us further north.”
“The children are getting better every day,” Garth explained, “but they are hardly ready to battle the world. The delay of a week will not matter in the course of the Prophecy and they will be one week better trained for it. Besides, if we let the situation in Alcea totally crumble, the Prophecy can not be fulfilled. Remember, one of them is supposed to lead Alcea to greatness. How can that be accomplished if Alcea doesn’t exist anymore?”
“So, the children will be better trained, will they?” Kalina snorted. “And you expect me to believe that your plans won’t get them killed in Alcea? We could have lost them all for only one day in Melbin and there is no one there who particularly cares if they live. In Alcea, everyone will want them dead.”
“If you are so opposed to my plans,” Garth stated, “I will go to Alcea alone. I know what must be done and I will have it done.”
“And abandon the Children of the Prophecy,” mocked Kalina. “I think not. You have waited all your life to get your hands on them. You will not leave them now.”
“I will find you wallowing your way across Targa when I am done,” Garth smiled.
“Let us not fight about this, Garth,” Kalina sighed. “We will talk about it later.”
Kalina wrapped the sword back up in the canvas and went to check on Niki. Garth wandered down to the surf and removed his boots to let his feet feel the cool saltwater wash over them as he paced along the beach. A barefooted Tanya appeared alongside him and Garth shivered as he realized how complacent he had become about the children’s presence.
“Something is troubling you, warrior,” Tanya suggested. “I have never seen you two have a harsh word for one another. Is it because of the difficulties we got into in Melbin?”
“No,” confided Garth. “The Alcea Rangers performed admirably in Melbin. I am proud of all of you, not just for using your abilities well, but because you worked as a team. I learned some very disturbing information while in Melbin and feel that the problems in Alcea need to be addressed now. Kalina feels that we must hurry to fulfill the Prophecy and she has a point. Even though the Rangers are not yet battle worthy, every day we delay is an opportunity for Sarac to get at you.”
Tanya reached down and plucked a shell from the surf, letting the water rinse the sand from it. “Can’t the problem in Alcea wait for us to return from wherever we are going?”
“I don’t know,” admitted Garth. “The situation may wait, but some very good people will die in the meantime. They are friends and people whom I admire, as well as being influential to affairs in Alcea. When it comes time to place the heir upon the throne, they would be good people to have alive.”
“You will work it out, warrior,” Tanya chirped as she sprinted across the sand to a blanket against the rocks.
Garth turned around and headed back towards his boots. He looked and saw that Kalina had Niki sitting up, drinking tea. He picked up his boots and strode across the sand towards the rest of the group. Niki was talking and Garth deduced from the smile on Kalina’s lips that Niki was going to be all right. He sat down on somebody’s blanket and dusted the sand off his feet before putting his boots back on. Tedi was missing from the group and Garth assumed he was on sentry duty.
Kalina got Niki up and walked her back and forth to assure herself that there was nothing wrong with her. Once she was satisfied, she ordered the campfire extinguished and announced that they would be leaving in five minutes.
Everyone got their belongings packed back on the horses and mounted up. Garth let Kalina lead while he pondered which way he would go when they got to a road that led westward. They rode for half a day before the road westward appeared. Kalina halted at the crossroads, but the children kept on going. Kalina started to say something, but Arik cut her off.
“The Alcea Rangers are bound for Alcea,” he proclaimed. “It is about time that we saw what we are fighting for. If you and Garth don’t hurry along, you will miss dinner.”
Kalina looked dumbfounded as Garth caught up to her and he just shrugged his shoulders and grinned. Kalina shook her head in dismay, but Garth saw the corners of a smile appearing on her lips. “You orchestrated this, didn’t you?” she accused.
“This was not my decision,” he chuckled. “Our Rangers are becoming more of a tight-knit group than either of us would have suspected. I only mentioned my concern to Tanya because she asked what we were arguing about. I do think they have a valid point about seeing what they are fighting for, though.”
“You would,” laughed Kalina. “It is funny to have two strong-willed people ignored by a group that we still call children. You better move along, I do not intend to miss dinne
r.”
For the rest of the day they rode on, and nobody mentioned the incident at the crossroads. Arik chose the campsite and Garth watched with amusement and pride as the Rangers efficiently set up camp and started dinner and practice as if this was their daily routine. The episode in Melbin, without Garth and Kalina to guide them, had melded them into a working team, dependent on each other and seemingly independent of anyone else. Garth knew better, but it filled him with admiration for the five of them.
Kalina mixed the rest of her concoction into a tea for Niki, while Garth went to observe the practice sessions. Arik and Tanya were using the bolas that Tanya had purchased in Melbin. The pair of balls attached by a strong cord was thrown at the legs of a person or animal. If thrown properly, the weight of the balls caused the cord to wrap around the legs and fell your opponent. They were using a pair of sticks for the practice and were getting better with each throw.
Fredrik and Tedi were battling with the new staffs acquired in Melbin and Garth had to admit that the staffs made a difference in their effectiveness. Seeing no need to intervene, he walked over to check on the stew that was cooking over the fire.
Niki recovered well from the drug and was rattling on to Kalina about her captivity and how she had been good in Melbin and how it wasn’t her fault. Garth smiled broadly and announced that dinner was ready. Dinner was fairly quiet as the stew was ravenously devoured. After dinner Garth lit his pipe and the questions started about what they should expect when they arrived in Alcea.
“I am not really sure,” Garth admitted. “It has been years since I was there. The information that I am getting leads me to believe that things have gotten progressively worse. King Byron was assassinated and Queen Marta fled the city. I do not know who rules it now. There has been a power struggle in Alcea since the time of the Collapse. Many refuse to accept Alcea as their new country. They prefer to call the city Tagaret, which was its name when Targa still existed. I think many would prefer to resurrect Targa to its former greatness. They, of course, would not be the ones whose blood was shed doing it.”
Sapphire of the Fairies, Book 1 of Sword of Heavens Page 22
