Allan held his breath.
He wasn’t sure if Captain William would come. He wasn’t sure if the man would come alone. Then he saw a man in a guard’s chest plate and helmet approach the ruined building.
The man appeared average in every way: average height, average build, average face. Allan wasn’t sure if this man was a Captain, a Sergeant, or just another member of the Lord’s Guard. The man walked slowly, and he looked around.
The man came around the front of the burned-out structure. He stopped, and jumped back a step, when he saw the bound and gagged forms of Merrick and Callum. “Do you need help?” the man asked.
“They need to go to jail,” Allan said.
“Who said that?”
“Up here.”
Allan had placed himself on the last chunk of the second floor of the hideout. That section happened to be on what had been the street side of the structure. Part of the front wall and one of the side walls still stood. The spot allowed Allan to conceal himself until the Captain arrived. It also allowed him to safely cast an illusion spell to keep his captives hidden until it was time to reveal their presence.
“Who are you?” The man gripped the hilt of his sword.
“A friend.”
“Whose friend?”
“Yours. The people’s.” Allan nodded at the two criminals. “Not theirs. Are you Captain William?”
“I am.”
“The older man is Merrick. He owns a pawn shop on the Street of the Bass. The boy is Callum. Callum led a band of boy thieves. Merrick bought what the boys stole, and sometimes told them who to steal from.”
“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”
“They’ll confess to your crimes. If you go to Merrick’s shop, you’ll find a young woman there. One of the boys is her brother. Ask her how she came to be in Merrick’s bed.”
“I see.”
“It’s also possible that some of the items for sale in Merrick’s shop are stolen property.”
“Why should I believe you?”
Allan was aware that, just because he spoke the truth to the Captain, he wouldn’t be believed. He knew that he would have to convince the Captain in other ways. But he didn’t have letters, or a way to show the Captain what the two had been doing. The only thing Allan could do to make the Captain take him seriously was use magic.
Which was another reason for Allan to have chosen his hiding place. He concentrated for a moment, then stepped away from the edge of the floor. He floated forward a couple of paces.
The Captain gasped. His eyes widened. “You’re a mage!”
“Yes.” Allan floated to the ground floor. He kept a few paces of distance between himself and the Captain. “I use magic to help people, Captain. I used magic to find Callum. I used magic to set fire to this place, to get away from Callum’s gang of thieves. I used magic to carry both of these criminals away from the city.”
“Did you use magic to make them talk?”
“A little magic. Mostly, I didn’t share any of my food and water with them until they told me the truth.”
“I see.”
“When Merrick confessed to me, he asked me to take him to Captain Thomas.”
The Captain’s eyes narrowed. “Why would he do that?”
“Because Captain Thomas protects Merrick and his boys. Merrick also told me that he protects another group of thieves, run by a man named Simon.”
The Captain nodded his head. “Now that you say that, it explains why the proof I had against a pair of boys disappeared.”
“What happened, Captain?”
“A few of the guards under me brought in two boys. They’d been seen breaking into a home. The guards caught them with rings and coins. The rings and coins were taken to the barracks vault while the boys were held in jail. A few days later, when the Public Court convened, the rings and coins were gone. The man who owned the home the boys broke into never appeared to testify.”
Allan gestured at Merrick. “He told me similar stories about his own boys.”
“Are you sure that Thomas is the one?”
“Of course. That’s what Merrick said.”
The Captain shook his head. “That won’t be enough, friend. It would be Merrick’s word against a Captain of the Guard. Even if we find the other boys in Merrick’s gang, they won’t know enough to say who helped them go free.”
“What do you need to send Captain Thomas to jail?”
“Proof that Thomas has some connection to this Simon. That man will have to confirm what Merrick says.”
Allan nodded. “You’ll get your proof, Captain.”
“How? I can’t use magic?”
“I can. One way or the other, I’ll get you your proof.”
“Why? Why do you care? Who are you, anyway?”
“I’m a young man with a new gift, Captain. Others who had this gift used it to help themselves, and it led to their downfall.” Allan chose to smile to the Captain. “Just as it seems Captain Thomas is using his status to help himself. I’m not going to follow such bad examples. I trust you won’t either.”
“No, I don’t. I take being a member of His Lordship’s Guard seriously.”
“Then know that a man, who calls himself Defender, takes his gift seriously, and intends to use it to help people. I’ll send you a message when I have the proof you need.” Allan drew his rod without another word, and flew away.
The Defender: Elderwood Page 10
