Seer of Souls (The Spirit Shield Saga Book 1) Page 24

  The voice of the wizard drifted up the passageway to Fabian. “Nelson asked me to pass on a message. He says dinner is on him when you get back and bring your coin purse. He arrived at the wall here about three hours ago.”

  Chapter 45

  THE BALANCE OF THE JOURNEY to the outlying village of the capital was unremarkable. Few people travelled at night and the road was in use only by merchant trains running tight schedules of perishable goods.

  Ryder peered at the indistinct forms as they approached and resolved into horse teams and wagons. Drivers raised a hand in greeting but did not slow as they passed.

  They reached Lower Cathair as the moon broke the horizon. The area was suddenly bathed in a cool white glow, revealing low rugged fieldstone buildings with thatched roofs. A lower stone wall followed the road, guiding traffic to the main crossroad. Most traffic passed right by the village, focused on reaching the capital.

  The windows of the houses were dark as they passed, the hour being late. The village slumbered. It wasn’t until they left the road and entered into the village proper that they spied the inn tucked back against the river. Light spilled from the windows of the main floor illuminating the wooden front verandah.

  They pulled up at the inn’s entrance. Strains of music drifted out the door as a man and woman exited the tavern and walked off down the street, arm in arm.

  Ryder and Laurista dismounted, leaving Darius to take the horses around to the inn’s stable located at the side of the building. Mark followed Darius with his team and Joy accompanied them inside. The interior of the inn was warmed by two large stone fireplaces set at either end, crackling with a merry fire of dried logs. The locals were listening to a woman singing and playing a guitar situated on a raised platform to the right of the fireplace.

  Joy placed a hand on Ryder’s arm and pointed to a man standing behind the bar to the right of them. Ryder followed her to the barkeep and they each took a stool at the bar. A short wiry man stood polishing glasses in front of the bottles lined up under the etched mirror. He called a welcome over his shoulder without pausing from his work. “What can I get you all?”

  “Mulled wine for me,” said Ryder, peering at his companions and at a nod from Laurista and Joy: “and also for the ladies. We are also looking for information.”

  “Three mulled wines. An easy order to fill,” he said as he pulled three mugs from under the bar and took up a pitcher of wine from the back counter, pouring as he spoke. “But as to information, well, that usually depends on who is asking and why?” His gaze finally rested on them, measuring.

  Joy spoke up first. “We are looking for a gentleman named Denzik. We have business with him. It’s important.” Ryder looked at her, a quizzical look in his eyes.

  The barkeep squinted at her and then looked at Ryder. “Your accent isn’t from these parts. If I were to hazard a guess, I would say you hail from a village on the coast. Tell me why you are so far from home at such a young age?”

  Laurista and Ryder exchanged glances then he shrugged. “We are looking for a friend of ours who was headed this way when we became separated. We have reason to believe he may seek this man named Denzik and wished to know if he has arrived yet.”

  “We also require rooms for the night,” Joy said.

  “A hot bath too,” Laurista added.

  “Now that is something I can arrange,” said the barkeep. “A meal comes with the room, so why don’t you eat and relax while we prepare your lodgings. I will see what I can do about your other request in the meantime.” He flagged down a serving girl, who went off to the kitchens and returned with three steaming plates of roast chicken and potatoes. The barkeep wandered off into the back of the inn as they set about their meals. Darius and Mark soon joined them and two more plates arrived in short order.

  ***

  Nelson let the door swing shut behind him and spoke to the head cook, Tabitha. “Keep that group at the bar busy. I have to go speak to Denzik. They asked for him specifically.” He grabbed his coat from a hook by the back door to the kitchen and let himself out into the rear yard of his inn. He quickly found his way to a small gate set in the stone wall and briskly strode down the dirt path leading to the river.

  Five minutes of energized walking brought him to Denzik’s door. The lights were out. He knocked on his door and waited, fidgeting. His heart was thumping in his chest as though he had jogged the short distance.

  A light flared in the window and then the door opened a crack and a sleepy-eyed Denzik peered out. Seeing Nelson standing there, he opened the door further to allow him to enter.

  “What’s up?” He walked back into his living room and sank down in his favourite chair.

  “A group of out-of-towners are asking for you by name at the inn. They have accents from the coast…the northwest coast.”

  Denzik’s posture straightened and Nelson imagined great mental gears whirling in his head. “What did they want?”

  “They say they are searching for a friend who they were separated from and they thought he would come looking for you.”

  Denzik frowned. “I do not know anyone from that area of the province.” He reached into his upper pocket and pulled out his pipe. With his left hand, he searched his other pocket for his pouch of tobacco. He pulled it out and packed the fragrant leaves into his pipe. The routineness of the action calmed his nerves and cleared his head.

  “I doubt he is the one we seek. But he may have a connection to him. We need to speak to him privately, away from the villagers. The inn is no good. Go back, and after they are seen to their rooms, bring him along with you to my house here so we can talk privately. If it’s nothing, I can spend a quiet hour or so sharing tea with a stranger from the coast.”

  Nelson nodded in agreement and left Denzik still packing his pipe and studying the patterns on the rug under his feet without seeing either of them.

  ***

  Darius’s room was at the far back of the inn, tucked under the roof line. The ceiling slanted to meet the walls about a third of the way down. His bed was pushed up against the wall, which suited him fine as who stood up on a bed anyways? He peered out his window which overlooked the back garden of the inn. Two shadows appeared in the garden below, hurrying toward the gate. One of those shadows resolved into Ryder, accompanied by the innkeeper.

  He waited until they had disappeared from view, and then he donned his coat and picked up his saddlebags which sat on the floor beside him, still packed. He swung the pack over his shoulder and exited his room, quickly descending the back staircase and out to the stable where his horse was waiting in its stall, still saddled.

  He flipped the groom a coin as he rode out of the stable and off into the night.

  ***

  Denzik’s kettle was boiling by the time Nelson arrived back at his doorstep with a stocky solid lad in tow. Tall of stature, the youth moved with a grace that spoke of confidence and grounding. Now this is a good, solid soldier, Denzik thought, as though measuring him up for a post in the Kingsmen ranks.

  “Please, enter.” He stepped aside for the lad, Nelson on his heels. He motioned to the chairs in the living room. “Tea?”

  “Yes, thank you,” said the stranger politely.

  “I will take a cup too,” said Nelson, leading the way into the living room.

  Ryder inspected comfortable but sparse furnishings, noting the fine sword displayed over the fireplace mantle. It appeared to be sharp, and well used. Not a display piece at all. He frowned at it, studying it closely. What was that marking on the hilt?

  “You are examining my sword very closely, lad. Do you know about swords?” Denzik set a cup of tea down in front of his two guests.

  “I am an apprentice blacksmith. I have had the opportunity to work with steel such as this on occasion”—Ryder’s head swung back to Denzik—“but never so fine a blade as that, sir. Where did you get it?”

  “It’s mine.” Denzik lowered himself into his favourite chair and took a sip from his
cup. “I am a retired Kingsman. It was my blade while in service to the king. I keep it polished and sharpened, but obviously it hasn’t seen much action in the last twenty years. Still, old habits die hard. Tell me, why are you looking for me?” He studied Ryder over the rim of his steaming cup and noted the clear gaze he received in return. This is an honest lad, he thought.

  Ryder took a sip of his tea. “I left Sanctuary-by-the-Sea roughly three weeks ago to catch up with a friend, who had been pressed into the queen’s legions. By the time I caught up…” As Ryder recounted the tale of his travels, the words spilled from his lips in a torrent. He spoke of Cayden and their parting, and the men who followed him; the attack by the Charun, their separation, and his search since then to locate Cayden. He did not speak of Cayden’s strange abilities but focused on the Kingsmen who had joined his ranks and his concern to reach Cayden before anything else happened to him. As he wound down his discourse, a stunned silence filled the room.

  Denzik and Nelson exchanged glances and Nelson nodded.

  “Son, we have been waiting for you and young Cayden for seventeen years.”

  ***

  It was predawn when Darius located them. As he suspected, their camp was located in the woods off of the main road. It seemed Cayden had acquired a bunch of soldiers, same as Ryder, but this bunch seemed less military and more like families. Darius marched up to the ring of guards and identified himself. He was escorted to Cayden immediately, who exited his tent and gave him a hug in welcome.

  “I am so glad I found you! Have you been hiding here the whole time?” asked Darius.

  “Nah, been trying to make our way south without running into the Charun. We ran into some legionaries recently. I am beginning to worry that our presence is known to the queen.”

  “Well, Ryder wants to talk to you. He’s in the village ahead. Come with me for a quick ride?”

  Cayden observed the quiet camp. Most of the men were bedded down. Ziona slept peacefully; he felt her nestled in his head. Tobias had finally gone to bed but set two guards for Cayden while he rested, as though it took two to replace him.

  “OK, but I will need two escorts or there will be hell to pay when I get back.”

  Darius grinned. “OK. Grab your horses and personal guard, and follow me.”

  A short time later, Cayden and the two guards rode up to Darius, where he sat astride his horse. At Cayden’s nod, they headed off into the woods, Darius taking the lead. The moon had fully risen now, and visibility was good for the horses. After about an hour of winding through the woods, they came to an opening in the forest wall and rode into a small meadow with knee-high grass. They rode out of the trees side by side and as they did so, the shadows of the forest elongated after them and resolved themselves into three tall, eerily still Charun. Three more glided out in front of them, encircling their small group. Cayden yelled and attempted to boot his horse into action, but the animal snorted and reared in fright at the sight of the Charun. His two guards, on either side, drew swords and booted their mounts, charging the Charun ahead of them. The Charun let them come.

  The guards had almost reached the Charun when black arrows from the edge of the forest struck both rushing guards in the back, and they toppled off their mounts to the ground. Their horses bolted past the Charun and disappeared into the trees.

  Cayden’s eyes widened as he caught sight of Darius lowering his bow. A fourth black tipped arrow was notched in his bow and swung Cayden’s direction. He sat calmly in his saddle, slightly behind Cayden, who had finally brought his mount under control.

  “There is no sense fighting them, Cayden. You cannot win.”

  Cayden, seeing Darius’s total lack of concern over the presence of so many Charun, felt his fear ratchet higher. “You brought them,” he whispered, shocked. “You betrayed me! Why?”

  Darius’s lips twisted in a cold smile. “You didn’t listen to what I said when we first met, did you? I joined the legion when they found me, but it was more than that. They needed a spy, someone to infiltrate the locals where ever we went with the sole purpose of finding you. The queen’s bounty on your head has made me rich and I will live easy the rest of my days. I will finally be able to go home and help my family.

  “Unfortunately for Sergeant Perez, he became rather greedy. He did not want to share the prize money for turning you in. So I had to steal you away from him…and what better way than by befriending and freeing you? Now I have tracked you all the way to the castle and will deliver you straight into the queen’s waiting arms. I have you trussed tighter than a festive turkey. So much simpler to make sure I was the one who benefited in the end. Poor Perez. I doubt the Charun were very kind to him.”

  He turned his back on Cayden. “He is yours now,” Darius said to the Charun. “Be sure to not harm him in any way. Take him to the queen whole and undamaged.”

  He spurred his mount and trotted back off into the trees. The Charun closed in on Cayden and claw-like hands reached for him. His horse snorted and shied away from the Charun. Refusing to wait to be captured, Cayden booted his horse in the ribs and it shot forward, galloping toward the oncoming Charun.

  The Charun pulled out long hook poles and swung the loops forward, dropping two of them over Cayden’s body even as he ducked to avoid them. The loops tugged tight, binding his arms to his side and yanking him out of the saddle to hang by the loops in midair. A third Charun, red eyes glowing from under its hood, glided forward and pressed an oily cloth to his face even as he struggled in their grip. The fumes stung Cayden’s eyes and lungs, even as his senses faded into nothingness.

  ***

  Ziona sat bolt upright on her cot. Terror spiked through her like a living thing, rioting her into motion. Sweat popped out in beads on her skin and she shivered as fear rolled over her waves through her connection to Cayden. She jumped to her feet and took three steps before exhaustion hit her like a club. She stumbled and grabbed on to the central tent pole to keep from collapsing to the ground. The room spun and she fought to keep her eyes open. “Help!” she cried out weakly. “Help!” she cried again, a little louder. She let go of the post and stumbled to the tent entrance, falling to her hands and knees and spilling out of the flap. She shivered again, dressed in nothing but her thin shift. The world spun and she slumped to the ground, helpless to stop herself from doing so.

  Hands reached down and helped her to her feet, where she swayed in their grip, fighting to keep her eyes open. Bleary eyes attempted to focus on Tobias and another soldier, their grip on her arms the only thing keeping her on her feet.

  “Let me help you to a seat, my lady,” Tobias said.

  Ziona shook her head and slurred drunkenly, “Its Cayden…He…” She swallowed past the dry lump in her throat. “He’s in trouble…some kind of trouble…,” she slurred. Ziona shook her head to try to clear it, but it only made things worse. “He’s been drugged, I think.” Her eyes drifted closed and she sagged in their arms.

  Tobias bolted into Cayden’s tent and found no sign of him. His fear mounting, he yelled for his men, who came running from all directions of the camp. “Search the camp and find him and his horse,” he snapped to the guards stationed around him. “I want to know who is missing from this camp.

  “Roll call now!” Tobias bellowed to the men standing around him. A bugle was brought forth and blared. Men tumbled from their tents to answer the summons.

  Tobias lowered Ziona to the ground and grabbed one of the Kingsmen as he passed. “Take her back inside her tent and stay with her at all times. If she comes to again, I want to know immediately!” The soldier saluted and picked up the unconscious woman and carried her back to her tent.

  Far away across the realm, Avery stumbled in her tent and fell to the ground, her voice slurring unintelligibly before she succumbed to the drugging fumes.

  Chapter 46

  THE SUN WAS PEEKING OVER THE HORIZON when Ryder, Laurista, Denzik, Nelson, and Fabian rode out of the village. They had waited as long as they cou
ld for Darius. If he had wandered off in the middle of the night without leave, he would be court-marshalled. They had been warned. It bothered Ryder, but he could find no answer for the strange behaviour. Nelson reported Darius’s bed had not been slept in and the serving staff advised he had not been in the common room that evening.

  Perhaps he had ridden on into the capital to find a greater selection of entertainments. Ryder tried to put it out of his mind. He had more important things to think about, but the absence weighed on his mind, making him uneasy.

  The revelations of the previous evening still spun in his head. He had stumbled on, or been guided to, an underground movement of people with imbedded ties and loyalties to the former king. He rode beside a knight…a real knight of the realm. Ryder shook his head in wonderment, bemused by his thoughts, pushing down the giddy glee he felt.

  They had explained their years of preparations and had given Ryder a quick tour of the beginning of the tunnel system to the capital. They had also been already aware of his and Cayden’s bands—armies, they called them. Ryder thought it was going too far. His band of men and women were untested in battle and more of a rabble than a trained force. However, the drills were working and he did see improvement in them.

  Denzik, Fabian, and Nelson were excited to meet up with Cayden and happy to lend their assistance in locating the other band through their eyes-and-ears network. Now that they knew what to look for, they were confident that someone would get back to them within a day as to the location of Cayden’s camp. It was funny to think that Cayden had gathered a force of men and women in much the same way as he had.

  They reached the camp about noon. As they rode in, Ryder looked around for Darius’s cheery face. He could not locate him in the sea of faces saluting as they rode past. Cheers rose around him as he reined in at the command tent set up in the middle of the band.