Chapter 18
- Lead and Follow
Zara,
Toriban, and Allendrie stood next to their cart at the gates of the mining
town, wondering if Zara's translations had been right. When they had finally reached the ruins of
the Coryn mansion three days before, they discovered a message carved into the
wall. Strangely, the message changed
languages every five words, making it so that the average person would be
unable to follow its directions. After
Zara had translated the message, she summarized it as saying that the fight had
moved, and it gave directions that had led them to Caerwill.
"So
what do we do now?" Allendrie asked, looking about as they entered the
town. "Caerwill is not exactly a
small town. They could be
anywhere." He noticed that their
covered cart was drawing the attention of groups of vagabonds.
Zara
looked around nervously, mistaking their interest in the cart as curiosity
towards her heritage. "Are we to
split up? Or will we search
together?"
"Together,"
Toriban said. His hand seemed to be
permanently attached to the handle of his sheathed weapon.
"Good,"
she said. "I wouldn't want to be
alone in this place."
"It's
been years since I was last here," Allendrie said, "but it was
different here, then. I've heard that
the mining business has started to dwindle in this area. That would explain the number of unemployed
people walking around."
They
searched around every building, sign, cart, and gathering of people, hoping to
find some hint of where they could find the help they sought. It was
Allendrie
let out a groan. His friends looked at
him questioningly. He sighed, and said,
"I don't know why I didn't realize this earlier. The mine would be closer to the directions we
followed than the town. That means we
have to head north."
Toriban
grit his teeth. "You mean we've
been wandering around this slime-pit all day for nothing?"
'Well,
yes, I suppose," Allendrie said, shifting uncomfortably. Toriban simply sighed and started leading the
horses toward the northern gate.
Allendrie pulled Zara aside for a moment and whispered, "I think
he's started to get used to us. A month
ago, he probably would have threatened my life." Zara giggled a bit at this as the two hurried
to catch up.
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"Why
would the Childe wanna come here?" Issin asked Damien as their men
searched the burnt shell that was once the Coryn mansion. Damien shrugged, then wandered off
alone. Why's he been so mopey lately? He asked himself, but put the
thought aside as one of the soldiers uncovered a slab with writing upon
it. "Hey, there! What does it say?!," he yelled to the
soldier.
The
man brushed off the stone slab. "I
can only read parts of it, sir. 'For
those who seek us.' '...turn west at
fifty miles...' '...the place that we
are.'"
Issin
walked over and looked at the slab himself.
"Damn, it’s coded. I didn't
suppose we'd be able ta' find 'em the easy way.
We'll hafta' keep using the dogs."
He let the stone fall to the ground, chipping a small piece off the
bottom. "We can still catch
'em. We'll just hafta' move double
time."
Issin
looked around the plains a moment, trying to find Damien. When he didn't see him around, he started to
look for him. "You men keep moving
on. We'll catch up."
He
found Damien over a hill, sitting with his sword lying out in front of him, his
lips moving as though he were talking to someone. Issin called his name, but Damien didn't
hear. Issin walked to him and shook his
shoulder. Damien turned his head and looked
into his friend's face with tears brimming in his eyes. "Why won't they stop?" he said, and
when Issin asked him what he meant, Damien just shook his head and said,
"Nothing. Nevermind."
Why is he acting so strange?
Issin asked
himself. He closed his eyes and realized
that he was acting strangely too, just in a less obvious way. As he thought this, he reached up and touched
the breast of his jacket, where the package Cloak had given him was carefully
and lovingly concealed.
He
hadn't tested the drug yet, but he knew he might have to soon, his cravings
being unsated since they had left the Capital.
He was beginning to have what felt like hunger pangs, but not for lack
of food. It was the adrenaline rush of
taking life that he craved, and if the craving grew too great he would begin to
prey on the men he commanded. Or maybe Damien, some part of him said. That would be the ultimate challenge, the
greatest high. His sensible side
easily ignored this, and he reached out his hand to help his friend off the
ground. "Come on, let's get
going"
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The
mine's entrance was like a giant mouth seeking to swallow the three of
them. They spotted no people as they
entered, but this was understandable, as it was
When
they were about a mile into the mine, Toriban raised his hand, motioning the
others to stop. He took a few steps
back, then spun swiftly with Crimson seeming to leap into his hand on the way. The red blade stopped just short of a man's
throat. Noticing the man wore the
preferred colors of the Coryn family, Toriban lowered his weapon slightly. "How did you get behind us so
quickly?" Toriban asked once the man had regained his composure.
The
envoy pointed to his left at the wall.
"Hidden tunnels," he said, trying to compose himself after his
near-death experience. "Oh, how
long we have waited for word of the Prince's whereabouts, but we never guessed
that he would actually seek us out."
Allendrie actually seemed a little embarrassed at this. "Come, my liege. The Lord and Lady would wish to speak to you
right away."
"I
suppose my presence will be necessary as well?" Toriban asked.
The
man, who had been trying to draw his attention from Allendrie's missing arm,
looked confused. "What? Oh, yes.
I suppose the Prince's retainers may attend as well."
Toriban
gave the man a look more evil than he had ever given anyone before. It actually sent shivers down the envoy's
spine. "I'm the Childe Fangora, you
nitwit!"
"Who?"
The
black essence of You Ki flared
through Toriban's eyes a moment, and he began to raise his sword until
Allendrie grabbed his arm. Toriban
snorted. "Apparently I'm not
important enough to remember five years after my death," he said snidely
as they let the man guide them down a side path.