Fall of the Tower 2

by Cecelia Isaac

  "I have no assurances to give," he said. "But I know the Arrowheads have weathered worse. We will fear later. Now we need to prevent any more loss on our end. Today, we work. Tonight, we will light a fire and I will supply the wine!"

  This brought out a few smiles, at least. The lieutenants and crew streamed from the base to correct the course of the Arrowheads.

  ~*~

  Gawin knew he shouldn't, but he took a detour to the Demon's Breath headquarters. He wanted to see who Moon had left them for. Grimly, he perched on a rooftop in lion form and watched the street below. Sun warmed him after the day of rain.

  He couldn't quite see the monstrosity of Loviva Shayu's base. It was as garish as the leader of Demon's Breath. He and Renat had infiltrated it just once. They had wanted to get the lay of their enemy, once the Arrowheads and Demon's Breath had become the two main crews of Carnate. This had been before the Hji arrived and both crews had become even more powerful overnight.

  He tracked the movements of main agents. They were cocky in their own territory, displaying their symbol on capes.

  Loviva, a sharp-toothed jaguar, returned to her dwelling in late afternoon.

  After she passed, Gawin shook himself. The day was waning, and he'd wasted an hour on his own hurt feelings. Did he really expect to see Moon walk by? What would he say to her if he did?

  He remembered them sitting around a fire on late evening. She had jingled bracelets in between her hands in a fidgeting motion. They hadn't known each other well then, and he'd watched her with careful eyes.

  She'd been the more patient one. He'd burst out, "What are you doing here?"

  Moon had cocked a head and regarded him with glassy eyes.

  "Looking for safety," she'd said.

  It had been so unexpectedly honest, he found himself grudgingly respectful.

  "Just earn it," he'd growled. Philippa would have laughed. She never found him scary, despite his reputation.

  Moon had nodded in simple acknowledgement. After that peaceful accord, their friendship and mutual respect had grown.

  Sighing, he left Demon's Breath territory.

  ~*~

  As Renat's second-in-command, his jobs were more varied than the average crewmember. Now that they knew the cause of the raids on Arrowhead runs, he wasn't needed as extra muscle. Gawin left the others to manage themselves as he went off to complete special errands.

  He decided to head over to the home of Lady Pazong. The elderly noblewoman had asked for ruby cigars, a rare find these days, and Gawin had managed to procure them from Saccharine finally.

  A servant let him into the house through the back.

  This was one thing he never liked. Xavier the Red was welcomed through the front door of most dwellings in the city, and treated like a guest. Renat had not yet achieved this, though in his own neighborhood he was well-loved. Xavier had transcended it all, despite a vicious past.

  Do they even know who they let in their front doors? How easily that man would go from gentleman to lord of the underworld? Maybe everyone had these two sides to them. How had Moon pretended to be in love with Renat, while never revealing her treachery? Gawin, criminal though he was, would never have been able to do it. He could not pretend not to be in love with Philippa, of that he was sure.

  His thoughts in a dark place, he walked up the hallway. It was cavernous and refreshingly cool. The servant had directed him to the library, and so he made his way there on light feet.

  Still distracted, he pushed open the library door without knocking.

  He almost dropped the pack of ruby cigars. Lady Pazong was on the settee, topless, straddling a man forty years her junior.

  "Oh!" he gasped.

  The noblewoman and the younger man started.

  "Gawin, my love!" Lady Pazong cried out. "Leave the cigars on the piano, would you? I'll want them later. Ask Hella for a cup of tea before you go, my dear!" She rustled her flouncy linen skirts, which hid both her and the young man's lower halves.

  Gawin clamped his mouth shut. Averting his eyes, he set the cigars on the piano.

  "Send my regards to your leader."

  "I will, my lady."

  He managed to make it out of the manor before bursting into laughter. Gawin leaned against the walls and roared at the sight he wouldn't soon forget. There was Lady Pazong's two sides: one, the elegant seventy-year-old elder of her people, and two, a person with no inhibitions or embarrassment.

  Shaking his head in wonder, Gawin went to check on his crew.

  ~*~

  By the time his errands had concluded, it was full dark and he was almost in a better mood. Leaving the High Road, he reached a popular night market. There, he bought supplies for a "mourning party", as the others kept calling it.

  The market had changed since the siege. It now more resembled a dance hall. Trinkets and handmade toys were sold there. Fancy liquors and rare fruits no longer made their way in, but the market still flourished. Couples set up rugs and pillows to watch the musicians perform. A dusty patch of ground made up the dance floor. The whole place was firmly within Arrowhead territory, and so it was more prosperous than other parts of the city.

  This evening, a crowd had already gathered. Lamplight played over Gawin's body as he leaned into the stall of a merchant who owed the Arrowheads a favor. The merchant produced three bottles of Kingdom wines. Gawin chuckled triumphantly. He passed the bottles to a runner girl, who left to bring them back to the Arrowhead base.

  That ought to do it, he thought, mentally tallying the supplies already at the base.

  Now, he needed to see Philippa.

  Gawin smirked. There should be time for a quick tryst before bringing her back to base. Who cared what anyone thought anymore? Life was too short. He wondered if she’d want to open the curtains and—

  Gawin's steps faltered. The smile dropped off his face.

  Philippa sat on a carpet amongst the revelers by the musicians. A young man's arm draped casually over her shoulders.

  Neither faced him, but Gawin faded back behind a curtain. He could not tear his eyes from the sight. Philippa was radiant in a summer yellow. The young man wore white in a style he did not recognize. But there was no denying it. This could only be Niksa.

  Philippa laughed at something Niksa said. Then she—unbelievably—placed her head on his shoulder, and squeezed his arm.

  Gawin gaped. He almost ran to tear them apart.

  But worse than seeing them was the spark of fear that Philippa would not welcome that. Hadn't she done nothing to break the engagement? He'd thought it was for the sake of propriety. But no. She hadn't done it because she...liked him.

  He had eyes only for her, and she was torn between him and another.

  Fool. You knew exactly what was happening. It is no surprise.

  And yet, it was. Every moment they were together he forgot about the other man. Didn't even realize he was in competition. He'd just been waiting for her to come to her senses.

  And she had dragged him along, teasing, cajoling, never accepting a breakup. What in the tower had she been playing at?

  Anger burned through him, burned his senses straight. This wasn't his fault, it was hers. Why was he the one threatening tears?

  Gawin turned on a heel. Shifting to lion form, he bounded away from the sight. For now, he had to help his crew. They were his only stability. Later, he would make clear to Philippa what he thought of her.

  ~*~

  By the last light of fire, the others had passed out, and Gawin and Renat sat drinking.

  Renat broke the silence. "What's got you so caught up, Gawin?" His boss did not turn from the fire when he spoke.

  "Same as you," Gawin answered simply. It was true. While Philippa's betrayal could not match Moon's, it was still a stab to the heart.

  Renat got sharply to his feet. "Come. We're going to see Xavier the Red."

  For a moment, he thought Renat knew about him and Philippa. Then he realized Renat probably wanted information f
rom the most well-connected man in Carnate.

  Taking a steadying breath, Gawin stood. Loyalty to his crew. That was all that mattered.

  Ursa & Amadou

  Ursa pulled the mask of a big cat over her, transforming into a lithe cheetah. She liked this form best. When she did leave the walls, she found it best to be spry. The guard seemed to prefer her choose one type of cat and stick with it. It was easier for them to pretend she actual was like them. Many sorcerers thrived on being noticeable, and there were benefits to that strategy. But it would not be wise to appear disrespectful of the cat-form in Carnate, and so she stuck to the cheetah where possible.

  Amadou, a native of Carnate, took his usual sandstone-colored mountain lion form. This kept him easily camouflaged against the rocks around Carnate. It was the form, Ursa knew, of his father. They had thought something wrong with Amadou when he could not shift, until he had displayed the gifts of a sorcerer.

  Captain Wen led their troop of fourteen. Inside Carnate, Lieutenant Nimbus readied guards to receive them when they returned the next morning.

  That's about all we can control, she thought as they streamed out of the gate. Outside the walls, anything could happen.

  Thisbe swooped overhead in the form of some small bird. She was scouting their near path, triple-checking the location of the wolves. Obiad and Isis took up their posts at the main gate, visible to Nagendra and Jephta Lev so as to give the illusion it was business as usual.

  She slunk between guards in various hues and forms. They reached the hills and dispersed amongst the underbrush, following Wen in loose formation.

  ~*~

  Amadou watched Ursa vanish outside the wall as he waited with the other eight soldiers. Once Wen and her group made it to the hills—confirmed by a shout from the guard on top of the wall—his group followed.

  He hadn't tried to speak to Ursa. Well that he hadn't; she had been icy about even the smallest, most necessary of exchanges.

  He certainly wasn't ready to apologize. Yes, he'd insulted her child and would have to atone for his behavior there. But with regard to Ursa, well, she would have to apologize too, for leading him on.

  Therefore, he spent the trip near the back of their pack, while she stayed near the front. After an hour, Thisbe kra-kawed a farewell, indicating that they were on their own for the rest of the journey. They were lucky not to have run into the Hji. As planned, Ursa shifted into hawk form and scouted their route from then on.

  Amadou kept his head down and focused on the path ahead. The terrain was bad, and their pace grueling as the day dawned and the sun rose. Eventually, they stopped for lunch and to escape the hottest part of the day. Ursa landed, and he switched with her. Flight was a welcome escape, and cooler too. By early afternoon, they reached the end of the rocky area and rejoined the plains.

  ~*~

  Four soldiers and a carriage awaited them at the pre-determined spot. Two had gone out the night before, and two others were part of permanent units stationed outside Carnate.

  They still had some hours to go before reaching Saccharine, because they had been forced to avoid the plains. Now that they were far from the city, they could breathe a little easier. The wolves likely wouldn't pursue them out here.

  Ursa stretched sore limbs. How easily one forgets long exercise. Trapped in the city like they had been, she hadn't run or flown long distances in some time. Battle always felt more like a sprint or pushing a boulder, not a rejuvenating experience.

  At the border between the plains and the hills, they changed into commoner clothing. She and Amadou had already left their bulky robes in the tower. Now, they pulled plain shifts over their heads. One observant guard mentioned she ought to fix her hair, and so Ursa pulled it into a demure plait. Her mother would likely be appalled.

  Now they were twelve, ten guard and two sorcerers. To disguise their numbers, some crowded into a covered carriage, while the rest sat in the open bed of cart. They were to be disguised as laborers, while the covered carriage was supposed to have business in Saccharine. Grateful for the rest, Ursa settled into the cart. They left first again, trundled by two slow-moving mules. The carriage would follow, it pulled by an artificially-dirtied horse.

  ~*~

  Amadou leaned against the carriage to wait. The cart rolled excruciatingly slowly. He wanted to fly on ahead and get the lay of the land, but the guard had been clear there were to be no rogue missions.

  It was antithetical to being a sorcerer, the rules and regulations of the guard. One was used to swift, decisive action. Usually he did not chafe under it, but today he wanted to burn off his energy.

  "What's wrong with you and Sorcerer Ursa today?"

  A younger guard gaped at Guard Aika's tone, but Amadou and Aika had met many times, and he was used to the young woman's breezy manner. At the moment, he welcomed the freedom from rank and class.

  He chuckled to show the others Aika wasn't in danger of being smote. "Everyone has their disagreements from time to time, Aika. You think you're trapped in the city? We're trapped on one floor of the tower."

  A wave of laughter went through the assembled guards.

  Aika shook her head. "A field mission isn't a time for that, Sorcerer."

  Amadou was forced to shrug. "When do you recommend we talk it out? It will have to wait until we return to Carnate."

  A younger guard shook his head and flipped pebbles at the ground. "Gotta talk it out soon, Sorcerer. There's no guarantee about tomorrow."

  Amadou nodded in agreement but secretly the words cut him. He was one of the leaders of Carnate. Such easy despair in the ranks of the common people wounded him.

  He sighed. There wasn't much he could do about it now. Finally, they'd given the cart enough of a head start to set off.

  ~*~

  Hard to believe an empire is expanding over our city not hours away, Ursa thought upon seeing Saccharine. The encampment sprawled busily. In contrast to the reports General Freas had given, Saccharine was organized enough to demand a toll to park their cart. Under their cover, her group would not camp the night here, but rather stop for a while, and then pretend to leave in the evening. Captain Wen surveyed the area with a critical eye. It was a soldier's nightmare: a warren of winding paths between tents, and surrounded by flat, open plain on all sides. A clean escape would be both easily tracked, and also prevented by the sprawl of carriages, carts, grazing livestock, and haphazardly-camped humans.

  In keeping with her role as a driver bringing laborers to their next job, Wen barked at them, "Be back by dusk. We won't wait for loiterers, and we leave at dawn tomorrow."

  That was their cue to disperse in pairs, to get a better understanding of Saccharine.

  Ursa walked with an older guard named Firenze. Their sabers were hidden away on the carriage. But he used a hickory stick as a cane, one that Ursa had no doubt would become very dangerous if necessary.

  Strictly speaking, they were only to understand the layout of Saccharine, but Ursa hoped to identify the location of the demon as soon as possible. She explained to her companion that if they walked quickly enough, they could cover all of Saccharine. The charms keeping the demon protected would create a well of magic from which she would feel something almost like a sagging pull.

  Captain Wen had kept the wooden tab. It was half of a key, and might vibrate when it came near its partner, depending on the spells.

  Her companion agreed, and though they tried to appear as if they were just a pair of laborers looking for a quick drink, they walked with purpose.

  An hour into their search, they crossed paths with another pair of guards. The two had planted themselves in an open area. They nodded curtly in Ursa's direction. As Ursa and her guard passed them, one of the others muttered, "Warehouse on the southwest corner."

  Ursa made no acknowledgement that might draw attention to them, and her companion merely grunted. But they changed tack, and turned their route southwest.

  "Warehouse" was too generous a term for the long t
ent. But they could tell it was filled with boxes.

  "I can't feel any magic," she noted. "Except a few spells on the tent itself."

  That kind of magic was already prohibitively expensive for most, so at the very least that told her the goods inside might be illegal.

  Firenze stood guard while Ursa disarmed the charm and wriggled under the side of the tent, a ridiculous action around her ever-broadening belly.

  Rising, she saw crates upon crates stacked about the space. She was alone, and none of the stacks rose higher than her head.

  Brushing dirt off of her stomach, Ursa tiptoed about the place, peering at box after box.

  Then her eye caught the hint of metal.

  Her heartbeat rising, she approached a box at the bottom of a stack. That it was different from its peers was clear. The chest was made of fine wood, locked with leather and metal. It had aged badly, and that was the only reason it had escaped notice. Beyond the wooden tag and tassel, there were no protective charms on the box at all. The wooden tag was the last temple spell keeping the demon from escaping.

  By the Great Eye!

  Ursa backed away from the box as if it would explode right then. She went to the side of the tent and whistled the two notes that meant she'd found something.

  Then she knelt by the chest. She could not grab it now. She would need time and Amadou's help to ensure it wasn't spelled in other ways. But for now, she could spell it into a protective oblivion. For the next five minutes, she sat by the chest and put every spell she could think of on it. It wouldn't do much. A demon needed temple-crafted spells to bind its essence. All she had done was reinforce the chest. It would hold for now, provided no one tried to smash it.

  Back outside, she reset a facsimile of the protective charm that had guarded the tent-warehouse. With forced calm, she made her way back to the campground, while Firenze stayed behind to watch the warehouse.

  ~*~

  Their carriage paid the toll and settled in the open area outside of Saccharine. Amadou was eager to be free of the stuffy carriage. As he disembarked, he spotted Captain Wen and Ursa talking with heads bowed.