The young man explained what he had felt during the fight and the Inquisitor leaned back, “You’re on the right track but I think it’s actually meant to keep the victim complacent and not think about fighting until its too late. Is there anything else you can remember?”
Alden shook his head slowly, “No, he was covered from head to toe so I couldn’t see anythin’ about him at all.”
Solace nodded, “Alright. Thank you for turning this into Sergeant Hunter. Speaking of him I think he was planning on accelerating your training today so you had better get back down there.”
The teen rose and inclined his head, “Thank you, Inquisitor.”
The Inquisitor smiled and Alden stepped out of the room before rushing back down the stairs again and joining Warren and Sergeant Hunter back in the arena.
Accelerated was the right word for what they were doing. They were actively fighting against Sergeant Hunter as he switched their weapons on the fly. He got the better of them each time but Alden could tell they were getting closer and closer to being on his level. They kept sparring and the Sergeant began to show them how to use throwing knives, a long bow and crossbow. None of the weapons were a part of Knight’s normal armament but they had to be prepared to use any advantage they could get their hands on.
Chapter 42 Gaining Traction
The Inquisitor made his way through the halls of the Wall, rolling his shoulders and glad to be free of the weight of his armor. He had to report to the Captain and hopefully it would be brief. He had things to put in place and he didn’t have time to talk. Solace glanced over his shoulder as the sound of a Knight pounding down the hall and making enough noise to wake the stones themselves reached him.
The Knight doubled his pace when he saw Solace and the Inquisitor stopped as the man reached him, “Inquisitor. Mason. He’s awake.”
Solace started back in the direction he had come from as he asked, “Is he saying anything?”
The messenger sucked in a deep breath, “Nothing that makes sense.”
The Inquisitor furrowed his brow and doubled his pace, “What does that mean?”
The Knight opened his mouth and then shut it before speaking, “He, well, just keeps going on about birds.”
Solace nodded and rushed off, leaving the Knight behind. A few minutes later and a Knight Medic Isaac opened the door, “Inquisitor, did my apprentice find you?”
The Inquisitor looked at the Medic and stated flatly, “No, he didn’t. That’s why I came down here.”
Isaac nodded, “Right, foolish question. Mason is right over here.”
Mason looked pale and thin and Solace looked over at Isaac, “How well is he?”
The Medic shook his head and spoke in an undertone, “Not well at all. Something isn’t right in his brain and he’s not healing properly even with our help. He has a hard time eating and remembering different events although most memories from the last few years seem to be fine. He’s having a hard time translating what he thinks into speech and he can’t write at all.”
Solace inclined his head solemnly and sat down beside the bed. Mason stared at him and smiled broadly. The Inquisitor smiled back, “Mason, do you remember me?”
Mason nodded, “Questioner.”
The Inquisitor leaned forward on his knees, “That’s right. I need to ask you a few of them alright?”
Mason nodded again and Solace continued, “Do you remember what happened when you were attacked?”
The Knight swallowed and shifted his head looking up at the ceiling, “Stab.”
Solace nodded, “That’s right, you were stabbed. What else?”
Mason stared at the ceiling for a minute before he answered, “Club.”
The Inquisitor stared at the man, “You got hit with a club?”
The Knight nodded and Solace continued, “Do you know who it was?”
Mason stared in silence for a minute and a half before responding, “Bird. Bird did.”
Inquisitor Solace furrowed his brow, “What do you mean? Who is Bird?”
Mason yelled, “BIRD! BIRD! BIRD!”
Isaac rushed over and pushed Mason back down onto the bed and began to try to calm him. His lips moved in silent words and golden light flowed across Mason. The Knight calmed down and closed his eyes. The Medic looked up at the Inquisitor, “I think that’s enough. We’ll let you know if he expands on that.”
The Inquisitor nodded, “Let me know when he wakes again. I want to ask him a few-”
Isaac cut him off, “No. If you have anything else that needs asked just leave a list. His mind isn’t stable and any more strain like this and he might break entirely. You might be the Knight Inquisitor but I am in charge here and this is my patient. I will not allow any more risk then necessary.”
Solace grit his teeth, “Very well, Isaac. I’ll be sending you a list as soon as I get a chance.”
The Medic rose to his feet, “I’ll show you out, Inquisitor.”
The Inquisitor waved him off, “I can see the door from here.”
The man stormed out of the room, no closer to solving the problem in front of him then he had been before.
Solace tapped on Captain Fox’s door and the man responded, “It’s open.”
The Inquisitor stepped inside the office and shut the door behind him. He saluted crisply and Fox let out a breath, “Report, Inquisitor.”
The Knight Inquisitor took a deep breath before he launched into the report, “The Knight’s investigating the staff within the hall have found nothing of interest. I was expecting to hear back from the other team investigating the elves yesterday but they never appeared. I sent Paladin Booker to investigate the matter. I received a message in return this morning. They’ve been murdered, sir.”
Knight Captain Fox sucked in a breath, “I see. So you’re onto something here. How did Booker get a message back so quickly?”
Solace glanced around the room before answering, “Booker found their bodies in Low Town. Its very possible we have a spy in our midst.”
The Captain leaned forward in his chair, “Do you have any idea who it could be?”
The Inquisitor rubbed the back of his head, “I know you’re going to have your doubts about this but everything points at Sergeant Malcolm Hunter.”
Fox shook his head, “No, it can’t be him. He’s been a loyal Knight for years.”
Solace let out a breath, “I understand. But besides the two of us the only person who knew about the Knights I was dispatching to investigate the elves was Malcolm. And for both Knights to be eliminated so quickly and quietly whoever attacked must have known where they were going and when.”
Captain Fox studied his Inquisitor intently before sighing, “Place Sergeant Hunter under observation. Do NOT interrupt his duties or regular schedule. Understood?”
The Knight inclined his head, “Of course. The next issue I wanted to bring to your attention is the fact that Alden Flint was attacked by our killer. He brought me the blade and it matches the fragment we found in Grant.”
Fox leaned back in his chair, “And? How did a Cadet manage to defend himself from an attacker that’s killed several seasoned Knights?”
Solace smiled grimly, “As far as I can tell it’s because of that infamous temper he has and the blade being broken weakened the enchantment. AS far as I can tell the thing is designed to make anyone the wielder focuses on relax into a trance like state. Between the magic weakening and Alden’s temper firing up at the slightest provocation the boy managed to actually defend himself.”
The Captain nodded, “Fair enough. Anything else?”
The Inquisitor swallowed, “Well, I had no choice but to release the City Guard commander we’ve been keeping in the cells. It turns out that she has a few frinds amongst the Iron Masks, I’ll be keeping an eye on her though. Also, I stopped in the
Medical Wing to check on Mason.”
Fox sighed and looked down at his desk, “You know the Judges don’t liwk that particular nickname. Mason is gone isn’t he?”
Solace smiled sadly, “He’s alive. But his mind is broken and Isaac says he might not recover.”
The Captain nodded, “At least he’s alive. Did you get anything out of him?”
The Inquisitor shook his head, “Nothing solid. He was struck with a club as well as stabbed. And he says his attacker is ‘Bird’.”
Fox stared at the Knight, “Bird?”
Solace let a breath out through his nose, “I know. It’s not much to go on but better then nothing. It could be a crest of some kind. I have the feeling its connected somehow.”
The Knight Captain nodded, “Very well, dismissed.”
The Knight Inquisitor saluted and stepped out of the room quickly to continue his investigation. The pieces were slowly being revealed in this mystery.
Chapter 43 A New Announcment
Warren felt the months flow past like water. He spent his weeks training in weapons and donned his armor for the first time. Reginald left Alden and Warren alone except for hard glares and cold disdain. That didn’t bother either of the young men. The Sergeant kept both of them drilling relentlessly with their weapons as they learned how to fight with the weapons they would carry as well as at least twenty others for close fighting. Both boys were proficient in the bow, in the crossbow, and accurate with throwing a dozen different weapons. Only two were made for throwing while the rest were improvised.
Warren and Alden were sparring at full speed with practice weapons. The larger boy tended to win thanks to the advantage his large shield offered. Warren could stand like a wall as Alden tried to find an opening and the smaller boy would leave himself open most of the time. There were a few times Alden managed to force Warren’s guard open and score a victory. Sergeant Hunter fought them together again and again as the teens slowly gained ground on him. Each time they fought Warren could feel victory coming closer and closer. Warren knew the day the duo finally beat their teacher would make all the welts and bruises worth it.
Malcolm Hunter stood at the ready, wooden sword held to the side in his right hand with a kite shield extended before him. Warren braced behind his shield, a weighted wood mace wrapped in heavy cloth was held to the side and behind him as he took a deep breath.
Alden stepped up behind him and slapped Warren’s shoulder, “Let’s do this.”
The larger teen grunted in response and lifted the shield, rushing forward towards the Sergeant. They had tried this before and it had ended badly. Malcolm tensed up as the wooden wall rolled towards him. Alden fell into step behind Warren and Sergeant Hunter spun out of the way of Warren’s charge. The Sergeant’s sword extended to slam into the large teen’s back just like before but Alden was there this time. The smaller teen smacked the practice blade aside with his own sword and dropped his shoulder behind his kite shield. Alden slammed into the Sergeant’s shield and sent the older man stumbling backwards.
Warren came to a halt and turned to face the Sergeant as Alden pressed him. Hunter parried one blow and met a second with his shield. The Sergeant pushed back against the teen as Warren rushed to join the fight. Hunter caught a blow from Alden on his shield and tossed the blade out wide before lunging in, shouldering Alden’s shield. The young man went down as a thwack sounded against Alden’s stomach.
The Sergeant jumped back as Warren swung his mace. The weapon whipped through the air leaving the large teen off balance and Hunter stepped in to strike. The large boy managed to reverse the mace’s direction and bring it back up in a backhanded swing that slammed into the Sergeant’s shield with a thundering boom. Malcolm Hunter stumbled back as Warren stepped forward, swinging his mace downwards. The Sergeant hopped back and the mace whistled by in front of him. The wooden blade hummed through the air before Warren could reset his shield again. It smacked across Warren’s shoulder and the mace fell from his limp hand.
Sergeant Hunter stepped back as he dropped his own sword and shield back on the table. Alden got up with a groan and tossed his wooden blade down before setting his shield down. Warren set the tower shield against the wall as he worked sensation back into his arm. A moment later he bent down and set the mace alongside the two practice blades.
The Sergeant studied them for a moment before saying, “You two have improved over the past few weeks. The city is going to get quiet here before long as the cold sets in. So, we’ve decided that it’s time for the Cadets to go through the Second Trial.”
Alden and Warren stared at the Sergeant for a moment before nodding and Warren spoke, “What is the Second Trial?’
The Sergeant sighed, “I can only tell you so much but the task ahead of you is to provide protection to an assigned individual. I cannot tell you who it will be only that you will be traveling out of the city. Most likely on horseback. The Guard will provide five crowns for you to find a mount with and they will be provided for within our stables. Anything you spend over five crowns will have to come from your own money. Understood?”
Warren and his partner inclined their head again, “Yes, sir.”
The instructor eyed the pair of them a long moment before asking, “You both know how to ride a horse, right?”
The pair glanced at one another and Alden answered, “I have before.”
Warren responded a moment later, “I do.”
The Sergeant waved his hand, “Get going then.”
Alden lifted his shield off the ground and slung it across his back and sheathed his regular sword. Warren left his tower shield behind but belted his mace back on and the pair made their way of the room. Malcolm sat down heavily in a chair beside the table and let out a breath. He absently rubbed his left arm and tried to shake the feeling of eyes on him. He had felt like someone was watching him for weeks now. The Sergeant shook his head and belted his regular weapons back on before leaving the room.
Chapter 44 Renegade
Alden made his way down into the Market and headed towards the outer edge of the city. That was where the stables were and that would be where he would find his mount. Warren had opted to wait and stayed behind for the time being. Alden didn’t know when the larger boy was planning on finding a horse but that wasn’t the young man’s problem. His problem was finding a horse suitable for him.
He had five crowns to spend and he couldn’t afford to go very far over that. He had sent his family money on two more occasions despite his father telling Alden that they had enough and he didn’t need to worry about them. Alden ignored the protests and continued sending money.
The first stable Alden came to was owned by a large man who offered him a decent mare. The young man studied the animal and she looked healthy so he let out a breath and asked, “How much?”
The horse master considered for a moment before saying, “Ten crowns and I’ll throw in the tack for another.”
Alden turned and walked away without saying another word. That price was borderline banditry. The second stable the young man visited had seen better days and didn’t have any horses that would serve the young man. They had pack animals and plow horses but no animals for riding.
The third stable Alden stepped into was closing down. A few horses were left and Alden spotted one that caught his eye immediately. He waved the stable master, an old man with sad brown eyes, over.
The old man shook his head when he saw the horse Alden wanted, “Not that one. He’s a bit to temperamental.”
Alden smiled, “I’ve heard folk say the same thing about me. How much is he?”
The young man approached the stallion who gave him a sniff before shaking its head at him. Alden smirked and stopped moving, “Easy there. I think you and me have got a lot in common.”
The horse shied away from the young man before easing back forwa
rd, sniffing Alden’s hand again and starting to relax. Alden patted the black stallion’s nose and looked over at the old man, “How much is he?”
The old stable master stared at Alden for a long time, “Well, I’ll admit you’ve gotten closer then anyone else has. If you can get a saddle on him and ride him, well, I might as well give him to you.”
Alden’s head snapped up, “No, I can’t do that.”
The stable master sighed, “Well, if you can saddle him and ride him you can give me what you can for him. Alright?”
The young man studied the animal intently before nodding, “Alright. What’s his name?”
The stable master shook his head, “Don’t have one yet. We name our horses when they’re fit to ride. He’s been ridden before but he normally don’t let anyone close enough to saddle him. Mine’s Chuck by the way.”
Alden turned back towards him, “Alden.”
Chuck started to move, fast for his age, and opened the back doors of the stable to a paddock outside. The old man turned back to the interior of the building and motioned to the far wall, “You’ll find saddles and everything you’ll need there.”
Alden started to move, he had saddled horses and got them ready to ride before so he moved efficiently but slowly. He spoke to the stallion the whole time he worked with him and the black horse seemed to be skittish but he responded to Alden’s voice.
A tense half hour later and Alden opened the pen and led the black stallion out of the stable and into the paddock. The horse was almost pure black but had white stockings on all four legs. Chuck sat just outside the fence watching Alden intently.
The young man put one foot in the stirrup and the stallion tensed. Alden locked up in that position and started to talk quietly to the animal. Once the horse relaxed a fraction the young man slowly hefted himself up and took his seat on the saddle. The stallion was skittish still but Alden let him stand where he was, ready to bolt, until the horse relaxed again.
A Knight's Path (The Path of Cinder Book 1) Page 17