Dawyn and his companions had been traveling the southwest road for a few hours when Dawyn held up his hand to halt the party. He had seen movement in the woods.
“What is it?” Alivia asked in a voice just above a whisper.
“I saw something in the woods,” Dawyn replied. “It may be nothing, but ready your weapons just in case.” Drawing one of his swords, Dawyn guided Shadow into the woods toward where he had seen the movement.
As they neared the spot, he began to doubt he had seen anything move, but then he heard a twig snap behind him. He spun around just as he heard Anwyn gasp.
There, arrayed behind them, stood several hooded men with short bows in hand, arrows nocked and pointed at the party. “State your business,” a voice said, coming from one of the men.
Dawyn recognized the voice. “Flynn?” he asked. “Is that you? It’s me, Dawyn Johnson. I'm Darklance, now.”
For a moment, there was silence. Then one of the men facing the group stepped forward and lowered his hood. The face of Flynn Davison looked back at him. The man looked as if he’d seen a ghost. “By the Founders, man, it is you! Lower your weapons men; this here is the commander of the Shadow Watch Guard and a former ranger.” The rest of the men, rangers themselves, lowered their bows.
Dawyn dismounted Shadow and walked up to embrace Flynn. The two men clasped hands, pulled each other close for an embrace like brothers reuniting. Dawyn had spent almost ten years in the rangers. Flynn Davison had been at his side from the start. Flynn was one of the men who had rescued him from certain death at the hand of a village full of angry people.
The Ranger-General at the time, Rodrigo Baltam, had come upon Dawyn as he had been about to be burned at the stake for the death of the family with whom he and his sister had been staying. Rodrigo, seeing the truth in Dawyn’s eyes, that he had not committed the crime of which the villagers accused him, ordered the man set free until the facts could be determined. They had inspected the homestead where the poor family had been murdered and found it to be the work of several professional killers, not Dawyn. The Ranger-General had cleared Dawyn of all charges but, because Dawyn had no place to go, and because the villagers had persisted in wanting him burned at the stake, he offered the option of joining the king’s rangers. With the loss of his sister, Bridgette, still fresh in his heart, Dawyn had accepted the offer and been enlisted on the spot.
“What brings you so far from Tar Ebon?” Flynn asked. “Shouldn’t you be guarding the king? Don’t tell me he’s coming this way.”
“My companions and I have been given a special assignment,” Dawyn said. “We are to hunt down and kill or capture the Lord Garik and his highest lieutenants. I suspect you've heard of the man?”
Flynn’s face darkened at the mention of Lord Garik. “Aye, I’ve heard of him. I don’t know a ranger in the land who hasn’t heard of the man by now. His minions have been causing a right bunch of trouble for me and my boys. In fact, I’m sorry to admit that we thought perhaps you and your companions were working for Lord Garik. We’ve heard whisper of a gathering of sorts down to the south somewhere and thought we would patrol the path to see what we could find.”
“Then our purposes are aligned,” Dawyn said with a nod. “But first, allow me to introduce my companions. This is Alivia, Anwyn and Favio. Alivia is a mage from the Tower, Anwyn is a druid and Favio has unique talents of storytelling and knife-work.”
Flynn nodded to each as their names were spoken. “It’s my pleasure to meet you. Any friend of Dawyn’s is a friend of mine.” Turning back to Dawyn he asked, “So you have an idea of where Lord Garik is hosting this little gathering of the underworld?”
“Yes we do. In fact, we know the exact city where the meeting is set to take place, though we don’t yet know where in the city. The meeting will be held in Mara Damare at some point in the near future. We don’t know when, which was the reason for our haste, but we have reason to believe it will be within the week.”
“So it will be the four of you against a den of assassins and thieves?” Flynn shook his head. “I think you could use some support. Let me and my boys come along. I’ve got over three dozen strong rangers at my back and we can help you.”
Dawyn considered the request. He had ruled out bringing standard soldiers because the movement of troops would arouse suspicion from Lord Garik. However, rangers, by their very nature, moved quietly throughout the land, never reporting their movements to anyone but the king. A small force of rangers could infiltrate the city, entering in pairs, and wearing nondescript clothing, and rendezvous at the place of the meeting in time to disrupt it.
At last, Dawyn nodded. “Yes, that sounds like it would work. A large force would draw too much attention, but if your rangers can slip into the city without being noticed then we could set an ambush at the place of the meeting and kill or capture a great many of them, ending Lord Garik’s coupe in one strike.”
That settled, the group, now over forty people strong, began moving southwest toward Mara Damare. The rangers all had mounts at their camp, so the traveling was not slowed. While rangers were on patrol, they seldom rode horses. The horses were used when they had to travel long distances to a new patrol area.
The journey from the point where the companions had met the rangers to arriving at the city of Mara Damare was four days. During that time, a cold spring storm blew down from the Windy Mountains and drenched them with water but, still, the group trudged on. The further south they rode the warmer it became, for in addition to it being spring, they were moving closer to the equator.
At last, at dawn on the fourth day, they rounded a bend in the road and came within sight of Mara Damare. The city was good-sized, the largest port city in its kingdom. It was unique among cities in that it incorporated a small cliff into its building design. The city was split into upper and lower parts. The upper city was the section that lay atop the cliff, while the lower city lay against the ocean. A zigzagging path led from the top of the small cliff to the bottom and there were also elevators pulled by mules that could carry goods and people from one elevation to the other. Because of the unique design of the city, it had five gates: one northern gate, two western gates and two eastern gates. The sea lay to the south, where a mid-sized harbor jutted out. The port of Mara Damare was often used by coastal ships as a mid-way point between Valnos and Aran’Pier, the closest coastal city in the western desert lands of Shar’Hai.
The group made for the nearby woods and stopped to rest and plan. Dawyn and Flynn had been riding at the head of the party, with Dawyn’s companions riding just behind, followed by the rest of the rangers. Dawyn turned to Flynn. “My companions and I will enter the city first, Flynn. Then, split up your rangers and have them go through in pairs at each of the five gates. Make them appear as innocent as possible. Have you or any of your men ever been in the city before? I ask because we must decide on a rendezvous point.”
“My lieutenant grew up in the city. Dennis! Come here, please.”
Dennis, a lanky ranger boasting a full head of blonde hair rode forward on at the request of Flynn. “Yes, sir?”
“Where’s a good inn within this city to have our people rendezvous? We want something inconspicuous, so nothing too slow or too dangerous-looking.”
“My uncle owns an inn within the city, sir,” Dennis replied. “I know that he would allow as many of us in need of shelter to stay there for as long as required. The name of the inn is the Bald Chicken. It’s in the lower city.”
“Excellent,” Dawyn said. “Dennis, you’ll come with us then if you don’t mind. You can speak with your uncle and ensure that he agrees to let us stay there.”
“Aye, sir, I can do that,” the lad grinned and gave a salute to Dawyn and Flynn, which they both returned, before turning his horse away and going to wait near Alivia and the others.
“Spread the word about the Bald Chicken,” Dawyn said. “As Dennis for directions and make sure the men know where to go and tell them to ensu
re they aren’t being followed. Walk around the block a few times to reveal potential tails, that sort of thing. It’s mid-day, so we’ll say by tonight everyone should be at the inn.”
“Sounds like a good plan, sir. I’ll spread the word and see you there.”
Plans made, Dawyn and his now four companions made their way toward the northern gates. Better to get into the city as soon as possible so they could get to the inn by the most direct route rather than go around and enter from the western or eastern gate. There were guards at the city gates though, unlike at Henry’s Crossing, these guards wore the livery of house Rigor, the ruling house of this city. The guards seemed to know their job and seemed cordial enough. It was hard to believe this was the city where assassins and other denizens of the underworld were supposed to be gathering.
The guards did what gate guards did – ask questions about their intent and wave them through. The worst that could be said for the guards was they appeared to be bored of the duty. Once inside the city, Dawyn gave the lead to Dennis and told him to guide them to the Bald Chicken.
Because the inn was located in the lower city, the companions had to take the either path or the elevator down from the heights. They chose the path method, more because they had heavy-laden horses and wanted to remain together than any particular fear of being dropped due to a rope or chain breaking, though Dennis told stories of such tragedies occurring from time to time.
The Bald Chicken was located near the shipping district of the city, which meant it was frequented by sailors, merchants and other people who plied their trade on the open seas. Dawyn and the others stabled their horses before entering. The bouncer at the door, with arms the size of tree trunks, recognized Dennis and smiled. “Dennis! You’ve come back. It’s so good to see you lad.”
Dennis wore a huge grin and went up to hug the man. “Hello, Uncle Bernie. It’s been a while. How have you and Aunt Bernice been?”
“Oh, you know your aunt; she’s always trying to cook something new. Just last week she tried a spiced dish from Imperial lands. I almost spit it out and went out to drink from the well, it was so hot! What brings you to Mara Damare, lad? I thought you were in the rangers, up in Tar Ebon?”
“I was, and still am, in the rangers, uncle; I’ve been sent on urgent business by order of the king himself. I was hoping that I could enlist the aid of you and Aunt Bernice for my friends and me.”
“Oh, you needn’t even ask, Dennis. Of course we’ll help. Come in, come in, let’s get you and your friends some food and drink and you can tell me all about this urgent business of yours.” Dennis' Uncle Bernie led the group into the inn and showed them to a private dining chamber, where he urged them to sit down, before rushing off to fetch Bernice.
“Your uncle seems like a kind man,” Dawyn observed.
“He’s one of the kindest men I know, sir,” Dennis replied. “He once served in the army of Tar Ebon, but retired after the last war and moved here. He still has a great respect for Tar Ebon, though he lives in another kingdom.”
“A person doesn’t have to live in a particular nation or kingdom to still be loyal to that nation or kingdom,” Dawyn said. “Patriotism lives in the heart and is not extinguished by crossing boundaries.”
Just then, the door opened and a plump middle-aged woman with graying hair and a red apron walked into the room. Her eyes took everyone in and then honed in on Dennis. “Oh, Dennis, you’ve come home!” she exclaimed as she went to give him a rib-crushing hug. He returned the hug as Favio covered a laugh at the sight by coughing. Uncle Bernie slipped in after her.
“It’s good to see you too, Aunt Bernice. Please allow me to introduce my companions. This is Dawyn, Alivia, Anwyn and Favio.” Dennis pointed to each one in turn. “They’ve come all the way from Tar Ebon on official business for the king of Tar Ebon and have asked for the help of me and the other rangers in my squad.”
“All the way from Tar Ebon, you say?” Bernie asked after he and Bernice had greeted them each in turn. “I was a soldier once in the king’s army. I just couldn’t stomach the killing in war, that’s all. I decided to settle down here in a quieter place than you would find in Valnos or Tar Ebon. I love the smell of the ocean. What can we do to help?”
Dawyn cleared his throat. “We’re searching for someone within the city. A man calling himself Lord Garik, though I know not what he is lord of. He is the leader of a conglomerate of assassins and thieves who have been terrorizing the kingdom of Tar Ebon and neighboring territories. Our information has led us to this city, and we have strong reason to believe he is here. Have you heard anything?”
Bernie nodded grimly. “Aye, I’ve heard the whispers on the street. Good, law-abiding folk are afraid to go out at night for fear of those who walk in the shadows. Rumors abound of ships full of strange dangerous-looking men and women coming into port. I’ve not had a run-in with any of these suspicious characters in particular, but I’ve had other innkeepers in town tell me of their encounters. By all accounts this is a dangerous man you seek to face.”
“Yes, he is quite dangerous,” Dawyn replied. “But he must be brought to justice. Have you heard anything about the lord of this city doing anything about the influx in criminals?”
“Oh, there are rumors that Lord Andrew and his wife, Lady Castella, are hiring mercenaries to help rid their city of the unsavory types, but there are just as many rumors saying they are working for the Lord Garik and his men. One such story claims Lord Andrew was held down as Lord Garik allowed his personal guards to despoil Lady Castella. I’m not sure what to believe.”
“Well, that is something. Would you mind reaching out to your fellow innkeepers and tavern owners to see what they’ve heard? There is supposed to be a meeting coming up of all those criminals that have gathered here. We need to know about it. Also, may we use your inn as a staging ground for our operation? We have over three dozen rangers heading into the city to support us as we strike.”
Bernie nodded. “Yes, I’ll find what information I can from those I trust. Of course, any servant of the king is welcome here in my inn. We can use several of these large dining rooms to hide your men during the day, and they can sleep in spare rooms at night.”
“Thank you, that would be most appreciated,” Dawyn said. “Dennis, would you join us in the common room? I think we should be on the lookout for other rangers so that they are comfortable upon entering.”
“Certainly, sir, let’s go.” The group of companions followed Bernie and Bernice out of the dining room and claimed a large table near the door to the outside. As each person stepped into the inn, Dennis or Dawyn would look up and see if they recognized the person, while trying not to be noticed. For about an hour strangers were all that entered, but then the first rangers appeared. First Johan and Marco came, then Zachariah and Thomas. Soon it was a deluge of rangers, coming in pairs. As each group entered the inn, Dennis led them to the rear of the inn to the dining rooms, where they were asked to stay for the time being.
As evening wore on, the flow of rangers slowed as the amount of ordinary patrons increased, and Flynn stepped through the doorway with a ranger that Dawyn did not remember the name of. Dawyn rose, greeted Flynn with a handshake and he and Dennis led the two back to the dining room where the other rangers waited.
Once everyone was gathered in the dining room, Dawyn spoke. “Thank you all for coming tonight. Did anyone have difficulty reaching this inn?” When no one spoke, he smiled and continued. “Good, this means there is a good chance that Lord Garik does not know we are here yet. Our next step is to find out the location of the secret meeting Lord Garik is orchestrating. The innkeeper is going to query his contacts within the drinking establishment business, but I would like rangers to go out in pairs among all of the inns and identify establishments where this gathering could be taking place. Once the place is identified, come straight back here. The plan is to strike the establishment at once, when everyone Lord Garik invited have arrived for the meeting. The fight
ing will be fierce, but I have confidence in the fighting prowess of rangers. So for tonight, eat and drink your fill and try to get a good night’s rest. Tomorrow we will hunt.”
After Dawyn and his companions had left the dining chambers, Favio pulled Dawyn aside to speak with him. “Dawyn, while I admire you using every resource available, I think the rangers and innkeeper will fail to find Lord Garik in time.”
“What would you suggest we do then, Favio?” Dawyn replied.
“Allow me to go out into the night and infiltrate their ranks once again. The chances are slim that anyone knows I betrayed Lord Tomas and Lady Igraine back in Henry’s Crossing. I can slip back into character, find the location of the meeting and relay it back. The risk for danger will be low.”
Dawyn shook his head after a moment. “I think it’s too dangerous, Favio. What if you are killed trying to gather this information? You’re betting not being caught on the fact that no one saw you betray Lord Tomas, but what if someone did see and lives to report it? It is too great a risk.”
“Is there any risk too great if it allows us to find Lord Garik before the meeting, Dawyn? Please trust me, I will be fine.”
“All right, but be very careful. At the first sign of your cover being blown, get out. Even if you don’t have the information yet, just get out and escape to safety.”
“I will do my best,” Favio said with a bow. “See you soon, Dawyn.” With that he grabbed his dark cloak from within the dining chamber and stepped out into the night. Dawyn silently wished him luck in his hunt.
Chapter 22: Firestorm
Blood and Shadows Page 22