Raiya sighed. Men were the same everywhere you went. She turned her head to look back at the talkative thug. He was ten feet away and blocking the way back while his two friends blocked her from going forward. She had walked right into a trap, and if he hadn’t been a loudmouth it might’ve been an effective trap. Instead of begging for her life, like the loudmouth obviously expected, she simply reached into one of her pockets and threw the contents onto the ground in front of the two men coming straight towards her. The package exploded and a large cloud of smoke filled the alley. Raiya ran into the cloud, counting her steps. She couldn’t see, but neither could her attackers. She slid on her knees, knowing that her attackers’ instincts would be to strike middle or high, never low, when they can’t see.
She was only inches away when she was able to spot them. As anticipated, they’d stopped moving and were holding their weapons waist-high, blades up. The one on the left was waving his sword back and forth while the one on the right side of the alley wasn’t moving a muscle. She decided the one on the right was her primary concern and she struck him first with a dagger that went under the ribcage and up into his organs. Knowing she’d struck a fatal blow, she then used her second dagger on the shifty attacker to the left.
As her second dagger sunk home, she withdrew her first as he started to fall to the ground. With practiced precision, she stood and waited for the talkative one to reveal himself. With both his companions in the smoke and the only sounds being the low groans of the dying men, it didn’t take long for him to call out to his companions.
“Burt, what is going on? I can’t see a damned thing!”
Raiya threw one of her throwing stars at the sound. The gasp for air and gurgling noise told her that her aim had been true. The throwing star had connected with his neck. Wiping her daggers clean on the shirt of one her attackers, Raiya walked through the smoke to the end of the alley. By the time she reached it the smoke was starting to dissipate and she could see that all three bodies were on the ground, not moving. It served them right, the audacity to attack a shadow warrior with only three men. Either they were fools or the king was for not informing his men how dangerous it was to hunt a shadow warrior. She might not have been a Shadow Brigade member like her older sister had been, but Raiya was a well-trained shadow warrior and the three attackers obviously had no idea what they were up against.
Leaving the alley, Raiya scanned the street, looking for any more potential enemies looking to stop her from boarding the ship. Seeing nothing out of place, she sighed. The talkative one had called her a former Shadow Brigade member. That was false, but Raiya knew she looked a lot like her older sister had. Perhaps that was who he thought she was. Either way, it mattered not. She was going to Mara, and no number of king’s assassins were going to stop her.
Reaching the ship, Raiya walked up the plank and onto the deck. She ignored the crew and went directly to the captain.
“Have some troubles on your way here?” the captain asked.
Raiya frowned. How did he know that?
“Your wrist is speckled with blood, and from the look of it, it isn’t yours. This isn’t the first time I’ve transported a shadow warrior,” Captain Burton said.
That the captain was observant enough to notice the specks of blood spoke volumes to Raiya. Her journey to Mara was going to be filled with danger, but at least she had a competent companion. She wouldn’t allow herself to trust him completely—that would be foolish—but the chances of them being surprised by an attack with such a careful and observant captain were unlikely. “It was nothing. A minor disagreement about my leaving the city.”
“Well, I don’t see any city constables, so no one has found your handiwork yet. But we should get going before anyone questions a ship leaving so quickly after a killing.”
Raiya didn’t mention that there were three men in the back alley. The less the captain knew about the details, the more surprised he would be if confronted about the attack next time he sailed into Westshore. “My quarters?”
“You’ll stay in my cabin. I’ll bunk with the crew. The betrothed of a famous warrior from Droll would expect no less.”
Raiya gave a small curtsy. “Thank you, Captain Burton.”
The captain signaled to his first mate.
The man, a tall, bald sailor with gold hoop earrings and a crooked grin, nodded politely towards Raiya before addressing the captain. “Everything’s loaded, sir.”
“Thank you, Johan. Signal the crew to cast off while I show our guest to her quarters,” Captain Burton said.
Raiya followed the captain as he led her into his quarters. The room was simple, but clean and well-organized. There was a bed against one wall, and on the other side of the room was a table. The walls were lined with maps and several books.
“Do you need anything?” the captain asked.
“No, I’m fine, thank you.”
The captain nodded and closed the door, leaving her alone in his quarters. Raiya examined his bookcase as she wondered about what she’d find in Mara. It was likely that she was chasing a ghost, but with the dire situation in Oshva, it was worth the risk. A traveler from Mara had sworn he’d seen Mendris Fox outside of the city of Golrog, in the kingdom of Vaton. “Trust me,” the traveler had said, “once you see a shadow warrior in action, you never forget him. He robbed a carriage carrying a king’s tax man. And that tax man knew not to try anything funny—he was as white as a ghost when he saw Mendris. I would’ve giggled if I wasn’t so scared myself. But he didn’t want anything from anyone else, only wanted to take the king’s money. From what I hear, he has a grudge against all of Vaton’s royal family.”
Mendris Fox. If there was any chance he was actually alive, she needed to find him.
14
Yosef
Yosef knocked on the door. He waited for the familiar sounds of the slow shuffle of the man inside. When the locks turned, he stepped back away from the door.
Magistrate Benton opened the door. “Yosef Rosa. What can I do for you?”
Yosef looked into the older man’s steel-grey eyes. They were slightly bloodshot and had dark shadows under them. It looked like the magistrate wasn’t sleeping again. A hazard of the job. “I’m returning from Riverside. I’m on my way to report to the king.”
Magistrate Benton frowned. “It isn’t like you to dally when the king is expecting you. I suspect you have a reason for interrupting my work beyond informing me of your duties.”
“The king will want you to hear what I have to say. I suggest you accompany me to meet him.”
“I see.” The magistrate stepped out of his office and closed the door behind him. He took a key ring out and proceeded to use three separate keys to close his locks. “Don’t give me that look. Someone actually tried to break in the other night. Picked both of the locks. If I hadn’t been here and had the deadbolt locked, they would’ve gotten in. I had a third lock installed that should at least make it more difficult for someone to get in while I’m away.”
Yosef examined the locks. Sure enough, there were signs of small scratches on the bottom two locks. But only a couple. Whoever had picked the locks had been no amateur. “Why on earth would anyone want to break into your office?”
Magistrate Benton started walking down the castle corridor. “Records. I keep all the records of crimes committed in Deytar in my office, along with pardons and other assorted documents in regards to the kingdom. There are literally hundreds of reasons to break in. That my office is in the castle and there are armed guards patrolling this hallway at night are usually sufficient deterrents to anyone thinking of stealing anything.”
Yosef nodded. Magistrate Benton’s office was deep in the corridors of the castle. Anyone who made it this far into the castle had permission to be there or was an exceptional thief.
They walked the rest of the way to the king’s meeting chambers in silence. The magistrate wasn’t a talkative man at the best of times and wouldn’t bother with idle chitchat, especia
lly when he knew that Yosef wouldn’t share his news until they were in the king’s presence.
They arrived to find the king deep in conversation with Captain Lohan, his personal head of security.
“Yosef. I hope you’ve brought me good news,” the king said.
“I’ve brought news, though whether it’s good or not is not for me to say,” Yosef said. “I found the Grant girl. She’s alive and well in Riverside. However, there was an attempted assassination.”
The king frowned. “You left her in Riverside? We need her here. We can’t protect her there.”
Yosef nodded. “I’m afraid it is more complicated than just that. She has a protector. Mendris Fox.”
The king’s eyes went wide. “You must be joking?”
Yosef shook his head. “I wish, my lord. I saw him with my own eyes. The Grant girl has security forces around her at all times and one of them was a little overzealous in his protection when I went to speak with her. I dispatched him and was preparing to explain the situation to the girl when he rode up. He sent me here, saying that we were welcome to come visit Riverside but they wouldn’t be leaving.”
“Are we sure Mendris Fox wasn’t there to kill the girl?” asked Magistrate Benton.
“I thought of that,” said Yosef. “I spoke to a few locals before I returned here. It seems that Mendris lives in the area, perhaps on lands owned by the Grant family. The locals call him Rogue. Rumor has it he spends the majority of his time in Vaton robbing and harassing king’s men.”
“Thank the gods he’s directed his attention to Vaton instead of us,” said the king. “How on the earth did the Grant family become tied up with someone like him?”
“If I recall correctly, Lady Grant had some difficulties when she first arrived in Riverside. An issue with Baron Levy that we couldn’t intervene in because of the baron’s influence in Jorra,” said Magistrate Benton.
Yosef looked over at the magistrate in admiration. The man had a memory like a vault. “And nothing came of it?”
“The baron left Riverside of his own accord. I’d presumed he’d made some arrangement with Lady Grant of a private nature, but nothing was reported here. And ever since there has been no issue. In hindsight, it was strange that Baron Levy would leave a business opportunity so willingly. He had intentions of controlling all the mining operations in Western Deytar. In fact, with what we know of the baron, it is extremely impressive that Lady Grant has done so well over the years. If she has hired Mendris Fox, it would explain why the baron gave up.”
“The Shadow Brigade. There was more than one night I woke up in a sweat because of them. Mendris Fox and his companions were a scourge upon these lands. A plague sent from Vaton to destroy us.”
“It almost worked,” said Magistrate Benton. “If King Horace Leach hadn’t been on his deathbed and wanting to divide his kingdom among his sons, he wouldn’t have agreed to a peace deal.”
“And he wouldn’t have betrayed the Shadow Brigade to us,” King Drake said.
Yosef nodded. The end of the last war between Deytar and Vaton had been particularly brutal. King Leach had brought in mercenaries from all over the world to fight for him, and among the most effective had been the Shadow Brigade, a small group of warrior-mages who specialized in destruction and creating chaos. They had hit supply lines, destroyed bridges, and targeted commanding officers, and then they disappeared without a trace until the next attack. When the war was almost over the Shadow Brigade had been in the heart of Deytar, close enough to attack right in Evermeir. “It is a good thing the war ended when it did. We had little luck stopping the Shadow Brigade. If Mendris Fox is working for the Grant family, perhaps he will be our ally.”
The king’s brow furrowed. “You think a man we imprisoned and tortured would be our ally?”
Yosef shrugged. “The Shadow Brigade were men of honor, and they all did as you asked when offered a deal for their freedom. I know for a fact the rest of the men returned to their homeland. Only Mendris Fox wasn’t on the ship. I’d thought he’d died. Apparently he felt the need to exact some revenge on Vaton for betraying him and his comrades.”
“Whatever his current feelings towards me, we still need to bring the girl to Evermeir. Magistrate Benton, you will accompany Yosef back to Riverside where you will meet with Lady Grant and her daughter. Once you’ve explained the situation, I’m sure they will choose to come to the capital. Yosef, take as many men as you think necessary. If Mendris Fox has claimed responsibility for the Grant family’s safety he won’t allow her to leave Riverside unless we show that we are capable of defending her, something we’ve failed to do with all of the other heirs to the throne.”
“And Mendris? Have you a message for him?” Yosef asked.
The king sighed. “Tread carefully, Yosef, that man is a devil. But make it clear that if he is in fact in service of the Grant family, then he is a vital ally to the throne and we harbor no ill will towards him. Whatever sins he has committed in the past mean nothing if he’s saved Jasmin Grant from assassins. She could be the key to keeping the kingdom together. And we need to find out who is behind the attacks. Who better than Mendris Fox?”
15
Jasmin
The Wretched Wench wasn’t a place Jasmin had visited often. In fact, this was her second visit. She’d gone into the rowdy bar once with Lilly to meet a pair of cute young miners, but the place had been a little too much for Jasmin. The rowdy crowd had been filled with drunken miners and lumberjacks who eyed her up like a prime rib ready to be devoured. She’d been accustomed to men looking at her, but never so openly and brazen. The place had seemed like it could be fun—many of the patrons were laughing and singing—but with only Lilly there as her backup Jasmin had not felt comfortable and they’d left after only a drink.
Today the bar was much more subdued. It was a weekday and the vast majority of the patrons were still in the work camps. Only a few locals were in the bar. Jasmin walked up the bar where a man with a ruddy complexion stood wiping down mugs.
“Miss Grant, what can I do for you?” said the man.
Jasmin was surprised. She’d only been in the bar once before and hadn’t spoken to anyone resembling this man. “I’m sorry, have we met?”
The man chuckled. “No, not officially, but I know both you and your mother by sight. Rogue would have my head if I let anything happen to you in here. This place can get a bit rowdy at times and I know your friend Lilly likes to come here.”
Jasmin frowned. “Did this start after the assassination attempt?”
“Oh no. It’s been that way for years. I mean, you’ve only recently become old enough to be coming to a place like this, but I’ve been keeping an eye out for the Grant family for years. Your mother hardly ever comes here, and never on a weekend. A smart lady, your mother, real sharp. She’s helped me a time or two when it came to dealing with those big-city traders trying to gouge me for good liquor.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name?”
“’Tis Sam, Miss Grant. A pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise, Sam. Can you tell me why Rogue had you keeping an eye out for us?”
Sam shrugged. “You’d have to ask Sherry. She’s more inclined to have an idea as to why that man does the things he does. I just know that when he asks me to do something, I darn well make sure it gets done. Not a man I would want to get on the bad side of, if ye be knowing what I mean.”
Jasmin smiled. “Yes, I don’t think I would want to be on his bad side either. Are there others that you keep an eye on for Rogue?”
“Sure, Ched Morton and his wife, Sandra. Anytime they come in I make sure they get a good meal. They’re not the drinking types and don’t come in on the weekends either, so that’s a pretty easy task, and they only come to town once every couple weeks to buy supplies and check on their sales.”
“The Mortons? I’m not sure I know who they are.”
“You’d know them to see them. They are originally from Chambia. They�
�re one of the families homesteading along the edge of your family’s lands. They sell blankets in all the nearby cities. You can see their wares down at Trevlan’s merchant shop.”
“They make the really colorful blankets? They are nice. I’ve never understood why Trevlan keeps them on the back shelves.”
Sam chuckled. “Seems you haven’t been to the merchant store in a while. Front and center display, even have a little plaque promoting them as fine Riverside products.”
Jasmin raised an eyebrow. She didn’t know the Mortons, but she knew the Trevlans well enough to know Charlotte Trevlan’s opinions of Chambia. She was very willing to tell anyone and everyone how terrible the place was and how awful its people were. “Rogue’s doing?”
Sam shrugged. “Well, it could be coincidence, but last time Rogue was in town he visited the merchant store. And since that day Charlotte Trevlan hasn’t uttered one word about the Mortons or Chambia, and the blanket display changed. It could be something else gave them a change of heart, but I wouldn’t bet on it.”
“That is very interesting. Thank you, Sam. Is Sherry Sweet around? I’d like to talk to her.”
“Sure, Sherry’s in the back doing inventory. Why don’t you two have a seat and I’ll go get her.”
Jasmin turned around. She’d forgotten Marcos was accompanying her. He was standing well back, but it would have been impossible for him not to hear everything that had just been said. As Sam went into the back, she sat down at a table and motioned for Marcos to join her. “What do you think?”
“I think I don’t like this Charlotte Trevlan lady,” said Marcos.
“No, you probably wouldn’t. Her opinion of Vaton is only slightly higher than her opinion of Chambia. She’d probably stick her nose straight in the air if she met you.”
Rogue Page 9