A group of soldiers sat a table across the room, laughing raucously as they boasted about their latest capture. They didn’t seem to realize that the rest of the tavern was on edge. Kaltor was a small community and, while the people may not have known of Hal and Jenie’s secret loyalties, they had considered the family as one of their own for too long to let the soldiers’ allegations justify their actions.
From what Geri had been able to gather so far, the soldiers had been sent to round up any rebel sympathizers and transport them to a prison work camp just south of the capital. This was for the safety of the rest of the town, they claimed. They had captured the leader of the local rebels (Hal, he presumed) who had then somehow destroyed his own house with evil magic to prevent them from finding information about the rebel headquarters. The other townspeople had greeted this news with barely hidden skepticism. They knew Hal—he would never do such a thing and risk hurting anyone in the process.
The barmaid approached and offered Geri a refill. He held out his mug and nodded towards the soldiers.
“So, did they really just tackle some poor guy at the market yesterday?” he asked easily.
The girl glanced at the group and then leaned against the table with one hand as she poured his ale.
“They did,” she replied quietly, “and you’d best be careful about asking after them—I’ve heard in other towns they’re targeting travelers of any kind. Anyone hints that you don’t live in the village and they’ll clap you in irons as easily as they did that poor man and his kids.”
Geri blinked, and looked into the girl’s face intently. “They chained up Hal’s kids too?”
She nodded. He cursed under his breath and stood, putting a coin on the table.
“I need to go.”
The girl looked startled, but she picked up his mug and handed it off to a passing customer with an easy wink and a smile. She put the money in the pocket of her apron and took his arm. He raised an eyebrow.
“You’re gonna draw a lot of attention if you just tear off after getting a refill,” she murmured. “Let me show you the door.” This last statement was made in a firm, somewhat loud tone of voice. Geri allowed her to pull him to the doorway, faking a slight, drunken limp.
“Ah jus’ wanted one mo…” he drawled.
“You’ve had enough,” the barmaid yelled as she pushed him out the door.
“Thank you,” Geri murmured, stumbling away from her.
She nodded curtly, checked to be sure no one was nearby and then said softly, “Tell them rebels to get a move on—ain’t no kid deserves to be treated that way.”
He nodded, suppressing a smile, and disappeared around the corner into the alley. Leaving had been an impulsive action. Since he had no idea where to look for Hal and his kids, it would probably be faster to wait here and follow the soldiers to where they were keeping Hal. Then maybe he could do something to help. If only there was some way to get word to Calistra—the rebel army was only a couple days away and could easily send a smaller unit ahead to secure the village, if the villagers didn’t interfere. But if he left to do that, the soldiers could leave with Hal and the other prisoners, and he’d have no idea where they went. He’d just have to trust that Calistra would be here soon and hope that he could do something to prevent the soldiers from getting too far before then.
The tavern door opened again, spilling light and sound out into the darkening street. Geri watched from his hiding place, waiting to see which way the soldiers would go. He was surprised when a group of villagers came out instead. None of them were very drunk and all of them wore scowls.
“Next time one of them says something about ‘loyalty to the land’ or ‘peaceful cooperation’ I think I’m gonna throw up in his face,” one of the men grumbled as they neared the alley.
“Careful Ro, don’t want them to hear you talkin’ that way. They’ll say you’re a rebel sympathizer,” one of the other men said nervously.
“I don’t know anything about rebels and I don’t really care to. I just think it’s sickening for them to talk like ratting on your neighbors and getting good people put in jail is somehow patriotic,” Ro replied.
“I know you were friends with that one they took at the market yesterday,” the second man said, “but if he really was plotting to overthrow the king…”
“Even if Hal was workin’ with them rebels, there’s no reason for them to take his kids too. And we all know he wouldn’t do that to his house…not with his wife inside,” one of the other men chimed in.
“I’m not sayin’ it’s not fishy—I just think we should be more careful ‘bout where we talk about it.”
The men moved out of earshot and Geri turned his attention back to the door. This village was going to be the simplest of their conquests, if the little he’d heard from the townspeople was any indication. Hal and Jenie would’ve known who to talk to in order to peacefully hand things over to the rebels…they probably could’ve organized the village to take down the soldiers before the rebel army even got there. Unfortunately, with Hal out of the picture, the villagers were just as likely to treat the rebels with the same hostility they did the soldiers…yet another reason to rescue him and his family as quickly as possible.
A short time later, the soldiers emerged from the tavern. Geri waited till they were down the street, then slipped out of his hiding place and followed them at a distance. It was difficult to do without attracting attention, since there was almost no one else on the street. He stayed as far back as he could without losing sight of them and stuck close to the buildings so he was less visible. It made him look suspicious, of course, but he figured being far less noticeable but more suspect was safer than being less suspicious but easily seen.
As the sun set, the lengthening shadows made it easier for him to remain unnoticed and he was able to get a little closer to the soldiers. There were seven of them and from what he’d overheard earlier at least three more guarded the captives. He mulled over the plan he’d come up with while waiting in the alleyway. Ten soldiers was too many for him to take on by himself. His best bet was to wait until they separated again, which likely wouldn’t be till breakfast. He’d need to spend the night staking out where they kept the prisoners, to find the best escape route. Once he had their exit planned, it would be a simple matter of creating a distraction…probably by setting fire to something…and then freeing Hal and the others as quietly as possible and taking out a few guards while the others ran for it. It wasn’t the best plan and would probably end with him being captured or killed instead, but Hal’s kids were involved—he was willing to take that chance.
He turned one last corner and found himself at the edge of town. A prison-carriage guarded by three men was parked beside a small house that bordered the short wall surrounding the town. The soldiers joined their comrades and after a brief exchange six of them went inside while the other four settled in to guard the wagon. Geri slipped back into the shadows and worked his way around the other houses until he was next to the rambling, makeshift wall. It only came to his chest at the highest point and was built more as a deterrent to wildlife than as any real fortification.
After checking to be sure he was out of sight, Geri heaved himself up over the wall and carefully lowered himself down on the other side. After that it was a simple matter to follow it along to the house the soldiers were staying in. The wall was shorter here and the homeowners had obligingly planted a couple tall bushes against it, so he was able to crouch and peer through the leaves while being reasonably certain no one would see him. The soldiers seemed perfectly at ease in the little cottage, opening cupboards and taking food with little hesitation. Geri wondered where the family that lived there was, or if they’d been kicked out altogether so the soldiers could have someplace private to stay.
He wished he could get a look inside the prison-carriage. Because it was guarded, it seemed likely that Hal and his family were being kept there, not in the house. But the box-like wagon had no windows and
the locked door that was the only way in or out was on the side facing the little cottage. There was no way he could sneak into it without first distracting the guards, and if he did that, he might give up the element of surprise and ruin any chance of rescuing the family if they were not in the carriage. He’d just have to wait and hope the soldiers opened it sometime before the morning.
Something rustled behind him. Geri turned quickly, peering at the trees to determine what had made the sound.
“Make one move and I’ll have an arrow through you before you can blink.”
The soft voice came from his other side and he froze, trying to place who it belonged to.
“Good, now slowly lower your hood so I can see who you are.”
“Amischel, is that you?” he asked hesitantly, pulling his cloak down.
“Geri!”
This time it was Jenie’s voice he heard. He turned to see her peeking out from behind a tree, a baby tied to her chest and her little girl clutching her skirt.
“Hush!” Amischel warned, and Geri turned back to see her lower her bow and gesture towards the house. “We don’t want to attract their attention.”
He nodded and made his way through the tall grass to the little copse of trees where Jenie hid. Amischel followed him, keeping a wary eye on the house. The soldiers didn’t even glance towards the wall. If they did, they probably couldn’t see much past the bushes, but it didn’t hurt to be careful. When Geri reached Jenie, she gave the baby to Amischel and grabbed him in a fierce hug.
“Thank goodness you’re here, Gerian,” she said, “I assume the others are nearby?”
Geri pulled away and nodded. “I can’t be certain how soon the army will be here. I was supposed to just scout the town and report back. But then I heard about Hal…I assumed you had been captured too…or worse. I saw what happened to the house.”
Jenie briefly explained what had they’d been through. Geri glanced at Amischel curiously when her part in their escape was described, but her stoic expression revealed nothing.
“We intended to make our way south to Doraicolé, but I couldn’t leave without finding out what happened to Hal…Amischel circled the town and saw the soldiers, so we’ve been watching them,” Jenie concluded.
“Are Hal and the other kids in the carriage?” Geri asked.
She nodded. “We heard Tori crying last time the soldiers opened the door to feed them…poor girl must be terrified. I wanted to slap that stupid lug for the way he yelled at her…”
The pain in her voice made Geri’s heart break. How terrifying this world was, for a mother…and with the rebellion’s invasion it was only going to get worse. He could only hope it would ultimately make things better. And in the meantime he could work on getting Jenie her kids back. He would get them back.
Amischel cleared her throat and Geri was brought out of his thoughts.
“Do you have a plan?” he asked, hoping they had something better than he had come up with.
The two women exchanged looks.
“Not exactly,” Jenie said.
“We were trying to decide on the best course of action when we noticed you over here,” Amischel explained.
“But you have some ideas,” Geri said.
“Well…” Jenie hesitated, “The biggest issue is getting them out. There is no way to sneak them out—not with the door facing the house. Even if we distracted the guards outside, the ones in the house will likely see us.”
“So we wait until morning, when half of them leave for the tavern again,” Geri suggested.
Jenie shook her head. “Amischel has been listening in on them all afternoon…They’re leaving at first light tomorrow.”
“So we have to act tonight or risk losing them on the road,” Geri mused.
“Or we could rescue them right before they’re ready to leave,” Jenie said.
Geri looked at her in surprise
“We think the best thing to do would be to steal the whole carriage,” Amischel added.
“We thought, if we wait till they hook up the horses, one of us could cause a distraction while the other sneaks up and drives it off,” Jenie explained.
“Well it seems like you have it all figured out,” Geri said, a little impressed by their audacity, “I thought you said you were still deciding? What else did you have to determine?”
“Which one of us was going to be the distraction and who was going to steal the carriage,” Amischel answered.
Geri nodded, seeing the issue. With the kids along, it would’ve been impossible to accomplish for just the two of them. They couldn’t risk one of the babies crying out during the approach or falling if they accompanied the driver, but if the two children stayed with whoever did the distracting, they would be a dangerous liability and could potentially be caught or killed.
“I still think I could do the driving…” Jenie said.
“We’ve been over this,” Amischel interrupted her, “It’s too dangerous for the baby. What if he is jolted out of his sling and falls under the wheels?”
Jenie opened her mouth to reply, and then closed it.
“She’s right,” Geri said.
“That’s my family in there,” Jenie replied hotly, “I’m not going to just sit back and let them be taken from me!”
“That’s why it’s a good thing I’m here now,” Geri reminded her. He sat back on his heels, scratching his chin absently as he thought. “Your plan is probably our best bet…the other kids will be safe in the carriage, and if we time it right, they’ll do all the work of getting the carriage ready to go but not be able to follow us right away.”
“What worries me most is these two.” Amischel motioned towards the baby and Misha, who had been silent and wide-eyed during the whole discussion.
Geri started to grin. He turned to Jenie, “how would you feel about giving those soldiers a piece of your mind?”
She looked startled, and then a tiny smile appeared on her face as well. “I think it’s about time someone called them out on their behavior,” she replied.
Geri quickly outlined the rest of the plan and then looked at both women. “Well, are you up for it?”
Amischel thought for a long moment, still looking somewhat worried, but finally she nodded. “If Jenie is willing to take that risk, then I’m willing to do my part.”
She looked over at the woman as she spoke. Jenie nodded too, and then took a deep breath.
“Well, I guess it’s time to go get captured.”
* * * * *
Ky’ara and Taren stuck close to each other, wading through the thick undergrowth as they wound their way around tree trunks and stumbled over roots. More than once, Taren’s quick reflexes saved Ky’ara from the humiliation of falling on her face. Anytime she caught her foot on a tangling vine or a hidden tree root, he flung out an arm out to catch her before she could go sprawling. Joran followed along behind them, complaining vocally every time he stubbed his toe on a rock or inadvertently got his foot stuck in the occasional patch of mud.
“If it’s really so bad, pay better attention to where you’re walking!” Taren suggested short-temperedly when Joran grumbled continuously for about a mile after having smashed his knee into a rotting log while trying to catch his balance from stepping in a rodent hole.
“Maybe I wouldn’t be so distracted if you two didn’t keep making googoo eyes at each other!” Joran retorted, waving a mosquito away from his face and glaring at it with malice disproportionate to its crime.
Ky’ara raised an eyebrow. “We’re not being remotely as lovey-dovey as we have been before and you never had any balance issues then,” she pointed out.
“You were Blocking your emotions then! And if you’re not twitter pated, then why are you so preoccupied with Taren?” Joran argued back, “I may not be used to actually feeling so much from you, but I can tell you are abnormally obsessed with him right now.”
Taren flushed slightly. “She did just die you know,” he murmured.
; Ky’ara sighed, “It’s not that…well, I guess it is that.” She looked over at Taren, worry furrowing her brow. “I haven’t told you everything that happened when I was…gone.”
He turned towards her sharply. “What do you mean?”
Ky’ara looked down at her feet. “When I went into Death…after I killed the necromancer, well, I couldn’t just pop back out again. Turns out Death is a lot harder to leave than to enter.”
Joran snorted. “I’d say it’s pretty hard to do either one on purpose…I still don’t understand how you followed him in the first place.”
“I—well, I won’t get into that now.” Ky’ara hesitated. “The point is…Myrnai helped me leave…” Taren looked over at her in surprise and Ky’ara forced herself to finish, her voice dropping to almost a whisper, “…by giving up her own life.”
Complete silence followed this announcement. Joran looked shocked, for once rendered speechless. Ky’ara watched Taren anxiously, feeling the conflicting emotions of guilt and jealousy burn in her chest. She had no right to be upset if he blamed her for the loss of his only connection to his former life.
“I hope you don’t blame yourself for what happened,” Taren said after a long pause.
“She does,” Joran jumped in, before Ky’ara could answer.
‘Joran!’
‘Well you do. I call it how I see it.’
‘I didn’t unblock my emotions just so you could announce them to everyone!’
‘It’s just Taren and me out here, in case you didn’t notice, and you need to get this off your chest. Clearly it’s affecting you a great deal.”
“Pleasant as I’m sure your internal chat is, I’d like to talk to Ky’ara,” Taren interrupted.
“I’m sorry,” Ky’ara murmured, fighting back tears as the pressure on her chest tightened.
“It was her choice,” Taren said matter-of-factly.
“But—”
“No, listen to me. She told me back in Doraicolé that her time was almost up. What difference does a few months make when she’s lived for five-hundred years?”
“That’s what she said,” Ky’ara replied softly.
The Keeper's Heritage Page 27