by Sam Sea
She was going to do the same with the other man’s short sword, but the breaking of a plate made her stare at the door again, and then she realized there were three mugs on the table, So she grabbed the drawing and flew toward the door.
Eyes-squinting to adjust to sudden darkness, she jumped inside the empty tavern.
No! I’m not loosing this commission!
A tall blond woman, with a claw in both hands was on top of Les, whose hands were trying to stop the claws to lick his face. Below her sleeve on a left hand, Mikka took out three-inches long knife and in a same motion threw it at the woman, piercing her neck. The next one she threw suddenly connected blond eyebrows, her already dead faced turning to Mikka, not really understanding what had just happened.
She was a big woman, and as she collapsed over Les, he tried to find strength to push her over. But it was not until Mikka gave her a shove that he became free. Les felt all the strength leaving him, so she ended up picking him up as well.
“I told you about that ale mixing with the miracle water,” she told him as she was trying to steady him on his feet, hooding herself up.
“But ale goes good with everything… how can something that is so good as ale and miracle water not mix together?”
But Mikka was not ready to answer his silly questions. “Let’s get out of here,” she said as she saw the tavern owner run in the empty room, but then seeing everything he just stared quietly at them.
“Always trouble when you came around…” The owner could not help himself but utter words quietly to Les as Mikka was pushing him forward. Les grinned and remembered to drop the coin to his feet, and put a finger on his lips to tell him to be quiet.
“Believe me, Irkan, there are more dangerous people than me around here…” he said as a way of goodbye.
“Take the chicken at least…” answered the innkeeper shoveling into his lap the smoking pile of baked chickens, all bundled in a brown paper.
As they cleared the inn, he turned to Mikka and told her, ”Don’t worry, the inn-keeper will take care of it. That woman will be swimming with the fishes very soon.”
“Do I look worried?” Mikka answered, half annoyed.
Fifteen minutes later, they cleared the quiet village, and Les’s breathing became so heavy, Mikka decided to pick him up. But only few minutes away, they saw a peasant leading an ox tied to a car full of hay. They offered to split lunch with him as a way to thank him for giving them a ride, and the peasant, small man with a face buried in a white beard, accepted wholeheartedly.
“I can take you all the way up to Tirna’s Crossing, but then I have to unload this, and come back for more…”
Laying in the hay next to Les, Mikka took out the drawing she picked from the table. “Whoever drew you, really didn’t like you very much.” She said.
Les grabbed the drawing from her and stared at it. “Yeah…I was young a long time ago.”
”Why do they want you dead?”
“I do not know…”
“Were those your own men?”
“Yes… I think so.”
“From your own clan?”
“Yes.”
“Why?” Mikka asked again.
“Probably somebody offered a good price for my head… I do not know.”
“Maybe you know something you shouldn’t…”
“Maybe…”
“Well, my job is to bring you to the summit in one piece…”
“In one piece…”
“Yes… it means, alive, stupid.”
“Oh, I see… good… I thought for a second…”
“Good… good that you thought… even for a second.”
Les had to laugh even though it caused the burning in his stomach to spread up his spin to his neck and head. He felt he would explode any second.
“So how much were you paid to take me there? How much is my life worth?”
“You would not understand.”
“Try me. How many gold coins was I worth?”
“It was not about gold coins…”
“Then what?”
Mikka tried to find the right words, but then just gave up and said, “You don’t need to know.”
Les figured he might as well give up. Whoever wanted him alive, and why exactly, he was not going to get out of Mikka. Maybe she didn’t even know herself. “You have any more of that miracle water?”
“It won’t do you good - you’ve been poisoned. The claws were mocked into something. I see it scratched your face. I can see you have a fever already, the heavy breathing… Do you know what kind of poison it could be? How do we stop it?”
Les took a deep breath. Then another. “You are right. I was not going to tell you, but you are right. I do not know how you knew it, but you knew it. It is a poison often used by my clan. There is no cure I can find here…I will be dead in less than two days. I lose my consciousness in less than a day, and then my mind will drift away slowly…”
“Why… why would they use such a stupid poison on you… why not try to kill you right away? Don’t they have anything stronger to accomplish that?”
“The poison is not meant to kill, but work slowly to produce pain and for me to look for the healing serum.
“They would have it in my clan… maybe that was the idea… force me to go to them… to their safe house.”
“We are not going there. I have no plans to give you back to your old clan. That is not what I am being paid to do.”
“Maybe my clan can offer more…”
“I doubt it. But even if they did, I do not work like that. I may be a lot of things, but I am not a double-crosser.”
“Then I will die… And when your water wares off, I will start screaming. You can be merciful and kill me before then.”
“I am not merciful…I’ll let you scream.”
Les felt dizziness light-heading his thoughts away. “Sometimes I don’t think of you as an angel…” he started to speak in a quiet voice, “…but rather as a demon, or maybe someone like me, a paid assassin, just much better than me..”
“You’re an assassin?” Mikka asked surprised, with a bit of mocking inside her spoken words. “How can you be an assassin? You can’t even hold a sword, can’t even kill a woman… So tell me then, honestly, how many people did you kill, assassin?”
Les didn’t like her mocking tone at that moment. He felt so weak. “I don’t want to talk about it… Besides, I made a promise… I swore an oath to Ra, if I ever get out of this alive, I will not ever kill for money again.”
Mikka let go of a long breath before her tone turned very sober. “Haven’t’ I hear that before…”
The words surprised Les and he jerked up on his elbows. There was a lot of sadness and regret in those words, and it made Les even more depressed.
“I think I will die soon. My mind is slipping away… I can feel the poison working. I bet the only reason I do not feel pain is because of all the medicine water you gave me.”
“Medicine water can’t cure you… it just blocks your pain.”
“Before I die, as I know I will, I would like to know something…”
“What… what do you want to know?”
“Something about yourself…”
“I do not like to talk about myself.”
“Something… anything. I will be dead anyway soon. Like where do you live?”
“I do not particularly live anywhere. The place I used to have.. I do not have anymore. They took it away from me
“They cast me out… and if they ever catch me, they will send me to a place where there is no sign of trees, no warmth of sun, no light of stars…”
“Like a dungeon..”
“Worse… there is no even ground under your feet. You are just lost in darkness and emptiness, forever...”
“I wish you never end there.”
“So do I.”
“These people, they are more powerful than you are?”
Mikka thought about it for a second. “In the
ir ways they are. They can control things I cannot.”
“Can I trust you?”
Mikka took a deep breath before deciding to answer, taking time to sort her own thoughts. “There is this girl, her name is Silent. At least that is what she likes me to call her. I saved her from this horrible place, a while back… And ever since she has been staying with me. I… made a certain promise to her, like that I will not take another man’s life in vain, or for the pleasure of it, or for the gold coins offered by someone... So, actually, I think you have nothing to worry from me. Even if they offer gold for your life, I would not take it…
“That is not to say that I can save you. I think I did everything I can. And I can’t think of any ways I can help you anymore… I wish I could…”
“Yes, I understand that…”
“I made mistake for going to that tavern, and now…”
“No, that was not your fault.”
“Sure it was.”
“You’ve already saved me. And I am thankful to you for that beyond the words I can use to express that.. You’ve already done enough, for whatever reason it was, I am grateful. Nobody has ever done so much for me. I… I think I will die soon. I can feel it coming… And now that I’m dying, you know, it is not regret that I will be gone, it is more regret that while I lived I didn’t do things I thought I should have. Do you know what I mean? My life seems to be so wasted, so wrong- “
“Yes I know what you mean. Save your energy. You should not talk so much.”
“No, no…It doesn’t matter anymore. But before I go, I need to tell you something…”
“I told you already, I do not care to hear about your secrets, and whatever else you have inside that little brain of yours. Just keep quiet, and let me take you to-”
“I need to tell you…you can go to the priest…”
“Keep quiet. And let me think. And you are right, it was your stupid idea to go and have a beer. Now you will keep your mouth shot, or I will shut it for you. If you want anyone to know your secret, well, you better then make sure you make it through..”
“You have to listen, I know I will not make it. This will change everything… The world is to end…”
Ch
apter 5 - The Gathering
When Duke Forick received the news of his prized hounds being poisoned, he was glad that he was all alone for his anger was more than he dared anyone else to see. Men he could replace easily, but those hounds, it would take years to select the right ones and train them well.
“Send a pigeon to our Northern Post in Middle Lake. There should be over hundred horsemen there.” His range he did not want to subdue. Someone had to pay. “Tell them to put everyone on alert. Trackers had to be sent to the mountains to get into his trail. Scatter patrols through every village, every bridge, every road, every tavern. Someone must have seen him. He could not have disappeared! I want him found now more than ever before. Do you understand?”
“Yes, my Lord,” his new sergeant hardly dare to move his lips.
“Now, I will go downstairs to the great hall and dine with the king and the rest of the dukes. There better be no more bad news today…” But the night was still young.
The feast for Balaz the Second, the king of Vartira, was actually a very sober and quiet affair, as the duke found out swiftly. The entertainers he chose, singers and harp players, were ordered by the king to leave the hall, and everyone set quietly around the fifty-foot long table. Nobody seemed even to be talking, but solemnly waiting, and all had turned their eyes on him as soon as he stepped through the guarded door.
At first the duke could not understand as to what was happening as all the food was already covering entire table, but each individual plate in front of each guest remained untouched by it. Drinks were poured but seemed untouched in their glasses.
Instantly, Duke Forick became extremely embarrassed, felt his face reddening, as he realized that nobody was eating, obviously waiting for his presence.
The king, sitting at the top of the table in his bright golden robe and a hat that covered his bolding head, waved him over, and pointed to the empty seats, only two places away from him.
“My Lord! I apologize I was detained,” he pleaded. “I would never guess you would all be waiting for me…”
“Dear Duke Forick, we would never think of starting without you… At least not for another minute,” he said and started to laugh freely, joined by few other ones.
As the duke made to his seat, the king got up, and raised his glass. “It is nice to see everyone here today. It is nice to see that the fruits of living in peace has spread all over this great kingdom of ours and including as far north as Sirnia. We thank our host , Duke Forick, for his warm welcoming, and the food he placed in front of us. Let gods of old bless his house and all of us in many more years to come.”
Obviously the king seemed very hungry as the speech seemed overly short. As soon as he emptied his glass and others followed he set down, and everyone eagerly reached out toward serving plates. Some went straight to the carved suckling piglets, some went for roasted ducks, covered in the honey sauce. Sweet bread buns, the size of man’s hands, swiftly were cleared off the table, and servants immediately rushed and brought additional baskets of newly baked ones.
The king himself took a whole leg of a lamb, roasted over a spit, the juice of it running down his chin as soon as he put his teeth in it.
They all seemed very hungry, and nobody bothered with much talk. But after their original plates were cleared, the new clean ones were brought in front of them, and then the third once. Their ferocity abided, and servants slowly started to change serving plates offering meat dishes with those packed with apple cakes, berries pies, and honey cookies. The chatter among guests gathered volume, and soon everyone was empting their wine glasses and talking aloud. A laughter started to echo through the hall, and the duke felt a whole lot better.
Maybe too soon.
The king had finally pushed the last of his plates away from him, and unbuttoned his belt. “No more, no more for me,” he declared to servants nearby. Then he turned his eyes to the duke . “It has not escaped my attention that you have profited a great deal during the last four years. I see you expanded this castle, your soldiers all seem so well dressed, even better than those we keep guarding us at the Great Castle.”
King’s men hearing his words grown in approval.
“My Lord, thank you, it’s only…” the duke certainly didn’t expect to hear those words, and the tone of king’s voice, almost accusatory, completely confused him and took him of guard, and he was simply unable to find appropriate answer.
“That is true my lord,” duke’s brother, Maxion, jumped in. “We did very well during the last few years, thanks to peace that the great Lord like yourself was capable to bless us with. Certainly we had been very blessed. The income from trading fur and wool really worked well for us, thanks to your part of course. And we did end up saving a good coin in order to buy new uniforms for few of our guards… But that was mostly done to impress your highness. It was done so you can think higher of us, my Lord, as we are your most noble servants, and eager to ask for your approval.”
The answer seemed to appease the king even though the face-reddened duke was not fully aware, nor ready to admit how much embarrassment did his brother save him.
“And little additional income we did achieve in those trade deals, I am sure that my brother will very generously share with you and all those in your company…” his brother continued, not particularly interested to register how upset the duke was at his answer.
“Well, if that is the case, then I am glad I find myself here in this great hall of yours. You can even ask for music to be send in now. Let’s hear some joyful songs of old…” The king demanded.
The feasting went on for most of the night, and wine was poured in streams.
After countless glasses had been emptied and shouting and drunken laughter had slowly start to abate, the great hal
l soon begun to vacate itself. Some of the guests went over to the wine cellar, hinting for the drinks stronger than wine, while more sneaked off to outside the castle to check out other types of entertainment... Even more departed after the king excused himself and decided to lurch to his sleeping chamber in the Castle’s eastern tower.
Two of those that ate and fisted for hours decided to take a walk along the lonely castle walls where wind whispered and the darkness of the night was their only other companion. Their figures soon got lost in it.
“Some may say this to be a great meal, but for me, I prefer something lighter, a fish steamed, a chicken broiled… All this food is heavy on a body and mind. But what can we do? King gets what king wants.”
“Yes, exactly. We can only look ahead, and move forward.”
“That’s true, but to move forward… the only way to move forward is by eliminating all that stands in your way…”
“Yes of course, I understand that… But how would someone as wise as you go about doing that?”
“Not an easy thing to do.” the voice whispered.
“No, no it is not.”
“But not impossible either…”
“No?”
“Many would say that you have a righteous claim to be nominated for the next leader of our great kingdom…”
“You really think so?”
“Of course I do. And you know it perfectly well yourself. Otherwise we would not be here talking.”
“But how… How do you think it could be done?”
But the other man was not ready yet to give answers so freely. “It all sometimes comes at a great cost. And if you are not ready to sacrifice for your cause, I am afraid not much can come out of it…”
“I understand. But you need not worry about how much I am ready to sacrifice. Just tell me, what would be the first step?
“You are fully aware that my brother has some of the best taverns… “ he was going to say ‘around all five kingdoms’, but held his tong. ”There are an awful lot of different and interesting people visiting those taverns. I am sure we can find those suitable for this kind of a job.”
