The Dothan Chronicles: The Complete Trilogy

by Charissa Dufour

  “Féderic, you’re hurt. Try not to move.”

  “Bethany?” he whispered.

  Lyolf suspected the healer and Cedric were the only ones to not understand the significance of Fed’s message. Before they could question him further, he collapsed back into unconsciousness. Lyolf was on his feet before his father could give a command, Rulfric a mere step behind him. They rushed out of the prince’s room and over to where the rest of the family waited anxiously.

  “He’s still alive,” Lyolf said as he glanced around the growing crowd to where a small mob of guards waited. “You two, with us.”

  The two guards followed them as they rushed down the stairs as fast as they could. A few minutes later, they reached the dungeon level. The four of them burst into the small quarters used by the on-duty guards. Their noisy entrance brought the sleeping guard to his feet in record time.

  Lyolf ignored his transgression of sleeping while on duty to focus on the bigger issue. “Where’s your partner?”

  The guard blinked a few times as he glanced around the empty space. Finally he shrugged. “Don’t know, sir.”

  The bastard prince pushed passed him and barged into the dark dungeon, charging forward with the aid of the guard’s torches. He glanced in each cell, doing his best to ignore the suffering that filled the dungeon. Mostly he found prisoners so far gone with disease or starvation that they didn’t respond to the passing light.

  Finally, when they began to near the end of the long row of cells, Lyolf spotted one cell left open and a pair of feet sticking out into the walkway. He slipped in to find the other guard unconscious and the two sets of manacles empty.

  “Shit!” Lyolf exclaimed loud enough to produce a rumbling response from the inmates. “Shit! You, go sound the alarm. No one is to leave the grounds until I give the all clear.” Lyolf pointed to the second guard he had brought with him. “You, get these two guards into a cell. We will deal with them later.”

  “I’ll go tell Father,” announced Rulfric as the guards raced away to accomplish their tasks.

  “No,” said Lyolf without thinking. “Don’t tell him. He needs to be with Fed. We’ll deal with this. Let’s go wake the captain of the guard. We’ll get a thorough search of the castle started before we bother him with this.”

  Half an hour later, Lyolf had the entire castle guard awake and systematically searching through the castle and the outbuildings. The slaves were awake and corralled in their dormitory, the lords and ladies-in-waiting were lingering in the great hall. Finally, with a sense of dread, he trudged back up to family level. He found his mother sitting on the floor, her slender arm draped over Mirabelle’s plump shoulders.

  “Where are my ladies? I’ve been wanting for an eternity for them to fetch us some pillows and blankets.”

  “They’re in the great hall. Rulfric, please get them some blankets. The nobles are waiting for the search to be completed.”

  “Search? What search?”

  “Cal and the princess escaped.”

  “You think Cal did this?” demanded his mother as she climbed awkwardly to her feet. “He would never.”

  “To save his own skin?” asked Lyolf to make his point.

  “But why attack Fed in his room? If Fed was in the dungeon that would make sense, but not here.”

  “If Fed had taken Princess Bethany up to his room, and Cal was coming save her, it would.”

  “Why would Fed take Bethany up here?” asked Mirabelle from her place on the floor.

  Lyolf stared at his mother, not wanting to put his thoughts into words. If Mirabelle didn’t understand these things he wasn’t going to be the one to explain them. The queen pursed her lips and nodded.

  “I need to go inform Father.”

  “Inform me of what?” asked Wolfric as he emerged from Féderic’s room.

  “Is he alive?” asked the queen before Lyolf could answer his father’s question.

  “Yes. Fenrir thinks he’ll pull through but it’s a little early to say for sure.” Wolfric turned to his son. “What’s going on?”

  “Cal and Bethany have escaped. I have the castle locked down and guards searching for them. Can Fenrir give us an idea of when this happened?” asked Lyolf as he nodded toward his brother’s closed door.

  Wolfric shook his head. Lyolf had a suspicion that only half of what he had said resonated with the king; his mind was still in the sick room with his son.

  “Go back to Fed, Father. I’ll take care of this.”

  Wolfric turned and rejoined the healer at Féderic’s side.

  Chapter Three

  Bethany huddled in the warmth of the horse blanket as the knight nudged the horse down another street. They had been weaving through the labyrinth of streets for what felt like an eternity. Bethany wasn’t sure why they had turned back so many times. Surely Sir Caldry knew the city well enough to get them to a gate. Before she could ask, she heard a deep, ominous ringing coming in the direction of the castle walls.

  “Shit!” exclaimed the knight.

  “What? What is that?” she asked, panic returning to her. “Are they after…what’s going on…”

  Before the panic could turn into screaming, the knight clamped a hand over her mouth and whispered in her ear.

  “It means they’ve discovered that we’re gone. It’s only a matter of time before they lock down the entire city. We need to get out, but we have to be quiet to do so.”

  Bethany froze, her breath coming in frantic gasps for a few seconds before she nodded.

  With that, Sir Caldry kicked his horse into a canter. They turned down the next main street, abandoning the narrow alleys and side streets. It felt as though their luck was failing them as they turned onto the new street to find it packed with whores and liquor venders. The horse slowed on its own accord, and Sir Caldry began weaving him through the crowd. Bethany felt him shift in his seat and realized he was pulling the hood of his cloak up over his scarred face.

  The women came right up to the side of the horse and began running their hands over their legs. Bethany flinched as she felt one pair of callused hands touch her bare legs and opened her mouth to scream. As though he sensed her growing terror, the knight clamped his hand over her mouth once again.

  “I won’t let them hurt you,” he assured her.

  Fresh tears burst from her eyes, ran down her cheeks, and over the knight’s hand.

  As the whores ran their hands up her legs they called out their prices. Bethany leaned into the knight’s chest and tried to hide her face from the mob. Normally she would never have found Sir Caldry comforting, but now, considering the current alternative, he felt like a knight-in-shining-armor.

  He pulled her close and tapped his heels against the mighty horse. It tossed its head in agitation, wanting to move forward in obedience to his master, but finding too many bodies in the way. The animal charged onward, knocking a few women off their feet.

  One woman was brash enough to grab hold of Sir Caldry’s tabard. He brought his fist down on the woman’s weathered face. She backed away with a cry of pain. Even in the darkness, Bethany could see where his blow had split the skin on her lower lip.

  How could these women do this ever night? she wondered as she took a peek and looked into their glazed-over eyes.

  Her mind began to wander back to the prince, who lay dead on the floor of his bedroom.

  He can’t hurt me now, Bethany told herself over and over again, repeating the phrase each time her chest began to tighten. To her disgust, each time she felt another wave of panic building in her chest, she would cling to the knight and feel the terror ease away.

  After many anxious minutes, they made it through the crowd. The knight urged his horse back into a canter and they turned at the next intersection. A few blocks down and they turned again. Bethany wished she knew more about the city to help her understand just how far away they were from the gates. She didn’t like not having any idea where they were or how long they had to travel before they wer
e safe.

  At the next turn, they entered a brightly lit pathway with many buildings proclaiming themselves to be pubs and theaters. Bethany realized this was the upper-class version of the street with the whores. Here men of wealth and privilege came to be entertained. It may have been more discreet, but the fresh paint and gilding did nothing to hide its filth.

  Bethany could feel the knight’s arms strain as he pulled the powerful horse into a sedate walk.

  “Why are we slowing down?” she asked, barely able to keep her frightened voice soft enough not to carry.

  “No one rides fast through this street. It would draw too much attention.”

  Bethany took a second look at the buildings. Each one was more grand and ostentatious than the last. She could understand why even a high-born, virtuous woman would slow her carriage as she traveled down this road. It made her feel uncomfortable to meander down the long stretch of road, but she had to trust the knight to get her out of the city. Once they were free of the city she would find a different way of getting home.

  They had nearly reached the end of the brightly lit promenade when a voice cried out, “Cal, is that you?”

  The knight hesitated a moment before pulling the horse to a stop.

  Was he crazy?

  Anyone from the castle would know that he wasn’t supposed to be in the middle of the city but hanging from the wall of a cell. A second later, Sir Marcus Kerwin came into view. He stopped at the shoulder of Sir Caldry’s horse, one hand resting lightly on the animal’s muscular neck. Bethany turned her head away, using the horse blanket to shield her face. Though the general population of Tolad wouldn’t be able to recognize her, Sir Kerwin was a knight of the king and had spent many evenings in the same room as her. There was no way he could see her face and not know who she was.

  “I thought I recognized this ol’ beast of yours. Whatcha got there?”

  “Package from the king. He wants it taken out of the city,” Sir Caldry said without missing a beat.

  Bethany didn’t like the implication that she was one of Wolfric’s whores, but she couldn’t complain about the result. Kerwin laughed heartily.

  “You’re a patient man, taking out the king’s rubbish.”

  Bethany tensed, but forced herself to remain quiet.

  “You know what all the hubbub is up at the castle?”

  “No. Do you?”

  “No,” smirked the other man. “I’ve been down here for the last two days. Best days o’ my life. Think I might just stay here.”

  Sir Caldry laughed too, his voice sounding only minimally off. “Seems like a solid plan.”

  “I thought so. Say, want me to take the package out of town? If there’s a commotion up there, he’s more likely to want you than me.”

  “Nah. I better get rid of this. I’ll meet you up there as soon as I’m finished,” said Sir Caldry. With that, he urged the horse back into motion and they escaped into the darkness of the regular city streets.

  Chapter Four

  Lyolf saw the look on the guard’s face as he approached the bastard prince. He knew the guard’s message before he spoke: They hadn’t found the prisoners.

  “Nothing, sir,” said the guard.

  They weren’t in the castle.

  Lyolf turned to the captain of the castle guards. “Lock down the city,” he ordered.

  The captain nodded once before running toward the bailey. Lyolf followed him at a slower pace.

  Just as Lyolf reached the bailey, he heard a raucous clamor coming from the main gate. He scurried forward, thinking they just might have already been caught. Instead, he found Sir Kerwin demanding entrance into the castle, his drunken voice carrying loudly.

  “Watcha mean i’s closed?”

  “Sir, I’ve sent word to Prince Lyolf…”

  “Wa’s he gotta do with it?”

  “Kerwin!” shouted Lyolf, hoping the old man wouldn’t draw any more attention to himself. “Let him in.”

  The drunk knight stumbled through the gate, narrowly avoiding the captain’s horse. The captain nodded back to Lyolf and took off into the city at top speed.

  “Wa’s the hub-bub?” asked the knight.

  “Cal and Bethany escaped.”

  “Escaped? Whatcha mean escape?”

  “Where have you been?” demanded Lyolf.

  “Down at the Lighted Stree’. Bes’ three days of ma life!” exclaimed Kerwin with a wide wave of his arm.

  Lyolf rolled his eyes. The Lighted Street was the castle inhabitants’ nick-name for a stretch of road lined with the high-end brothels and theaters. Lyolf had spent many evenings in that special place. Now, though, he needed every man at their very best.

  “Father imprisoned Bethany and Cal. Bethany for burning down the weapons depot. Cal for suspicion of helping, or being her lover, or something.”

  “Wha’?” asked Kerwin in a comical gasp as he tried to lean forward.

  He over did it and began to topple forward. Lyolf caught him out of reflex and helped the drunk man right himself.

  “Tha’s bad!”

  “You there,” said Lyolf to one of the many guards loitering around the gatehouse. “Get him sobered up. When he can think straight, bring him to me.”

  “Where’m I going?” Kerwin asked as Lyolf turned him toward the waiting man.

  “Go with the guard, you drunk idiot.”

  “Wai’, wai’! Cal’s in trouble? I jus’ saw him!”

  “You what?”

  “Yah! I saw him in the Lighted Stee’. I also saw the prettiest lil burne’…”

  “Cal! When did you see Cal? Was the princess with him?”

  “Umm… I don’ know. He had a woman, tha’s sure ‘nough. I don’ know if it was the princess though.”

  “How long ago?”

  “I came righ’ back here. The bells had just gone off.”

  Lyolf sighed. That was an hour ago. They could already be out of the city.

  “Take him,” he said to the guard.

  A moment after the drunk knight left the gatehouse, Lyolf heard the sound of the city-wide bell system resound, one bell being rung after the other, transmitting the message around the enormous city that ran over mountains and valleys alike. In another minute, all seven of the city’s gatehouses would be shut. If somehow they were still in the city, they wouldn’t be getting out.

  Lyolf trudged to the stables to get his own horse. There was no point in returning to the castle until they were found. His father would just send him back out.

  Bethany was just starting to calm down from their recent encounter with Sir Kerwin when she heard a low gong resound from somewhere behind them. A second later another gong sounded off from somewhere to their left.

  “What’s that?” she whispered, her body tensing all over again.

  “Our death toll,” the knight sighed. “It means they’ve discovered we’re not in the castle. When the guards at the different gates hear that, they will lock down their gates. We’re not getting out of the city tonight.”

  With that, the knight turn his horse up an alley and headed in the opposite direction.

  “What are we going to do?” Bethany asked, fresh anxiety making it hard to breath. Would this night never end?

  “Find a place to hide. Now, shut up,” he ordered.

  Bethany cringed at his tone of voice, but clamped her mouth shut. It wasn’t worth fighting with him. Not now, when their lives hung in the balance. Sir Caldry was still her best chance of getting free from Tolad and, as much as she hated it, she needed to trust him.

  It took them another hour of weaving through dark alleys and avoiding the sudden increase in night guards to make it to his chosen hiding place. Sir Caldry pulled the giant horse to a stop, swung himself down to the ground, and took a firm hold on the reins. He guided the horse into an extremely dark alley. Bethany strained her eyes to see the vague shapes of crates and debris lining the narrow walkway. Occasionally, the horse would trip over some unseen item, nearly send
ing Bethany off its back. Sir Caldry would steady the anxious animal with a soft word or gentle pat on the neck.

  As they progressed, they passed the sporadic window, well curtained against the night’s chill. The tiniest strip of light could be seen around the edge of the thick curtains. From this light, Bethany caught a glimpse of her surroundings. The irregular walls were covered in snow that clung to the dead vines. Once in a while she would spot sharp icicles, looking very much like teeth, hanging from the vine. From somewhere behind them, Bethany could hear the creak of a shutter that hadn’t been fastened against the wind.

  Finally, when Bethany was ready to scream, Sir Caldry stopped and knocked on a door she couldn’t see. A second later, the door scraped open and the silhouette of a face appeared in the crack.

  “What?” asked the dark face.

  “Lilah here?” he asked.

  “You are?” asked the woman.

  “Tell her Cal came for her help.”

  “Is that Cal I hear?” asked a loud, rough voice from within the building.

  The door was pulled open, allowing a flood of light to wash over Bethany. She blinked a few times. Though the light coming from within the building wasn’t bright, it was overwhelming after the pitch blackness of the alley. An elderly woman stepped forward, leaning heavily on her cane.

  “Whatcha got there?” the woman asked, nodding to Bethany. Bethany presumed she was Lilah.

  “Not for you. We just need a place to hide for the night.”

  “Hide? You in trouble?”

  Sir Caldry hesitated a second before nodding. “Yes. If you won’t take us in we’ll be dead by morning.”

  The old woman took a moment to think through his statement before nodding again.

  “Bring her in. You know where to put the horse.”

  The knight turned to Bethany and lowered her from the tall horse. Bethany clutched at the tear in her dress, trying her best to ignore the pain in her groin. She felt a shiver run up her spine as they ushered her into the building. Sir Caldry disappeared back into the alley, presumably to stable the horse.

  “Now let me have a look at you,” said Lilah. “You’re nothing but skin and bones. Good thing Cal’s not trying to dump you on me. I wouldn’t get a penny for you.”