"You attract people to your side as an uncouth man gathers lovers," Kerzi said softly. "Is it wise to be bringing Monte into our group?"
"Probably not," sighed Gunnar, "but he was bound and determined to leave Caroom on his own if I refused. He is a good man, Kerzi. I can feel it, and you know what would happen to him alone on the road."
"Aye," nodded the merchant, "but is he aware of what may befall him with our group?"
"I did my best to dissuade him," answered Gunnar. "I figured he would be safer with us at least until we reach Kyland. Perhaps he will find something or someone that interests him there."
"Then we shall be four," Kerzi shrugged in acceptance. "I picked up something for you in the marketplace. It is a small token of appreciation for your service in guarding my wares and me. Open it."
Gunnar's gaze fell to the two extremely long paper-wrapped packages on the bed and frowned. "I see nothing small before me," he said. "Which one do I open?"
"Either," smiled Kerzi. "They are one and the same."
Gunnar reached for the closest package and was surprised by its weight. Once the package was in his hands, he could feel the shape of the object and his eyes narrowed in disbelief.
"Stop fondling it and open it," laughed Kerzi.
Gunnar ripped off the paper to reveal a long two-handed sword. He gripped the sword to get its feel and a wide grin spread across his face.
"You should not have, Kerzi," Gunnar said with a lump in his throat. "This sword makes my services rather expensive to you. It must have cost a fortune."
"It did," chuckled Kerzi, "but what is a man's life worth? You have been more than a warrior to me. In addition to saving my life, you have brought me more profit than I normally see in months. I wanted to give you something that you would find useful."
"It is perfect," smiled Gunnar. "How could you even choose something that sits in my hands so well?"
"Horst helped me pick it out," explained the merchant. "He was very fastidious in making the merchant show every sword he had. I think we drove the poor merchant out of his mind. The other package is a back sheath"
Gunnar placed the sword on the bed and embraced the merchant.
"I do not know how to express my appreciation," Gunnar said with a tear in his eye as he hugged the old man.
"You just did," smiled Kerzi. "You have become to me the son that I never had, Gunnar. I may not know your real name, and I know that someday you will leave and never come back, but I will treasure you while we are together. Whoever your real father is, you must make him very proud."
"I would like to think that I do," Gunnar smiled tautly as he released the old man. "Perhaps someday I can introduce you to him."
"I would like that," smiled Kerzi. "I would like that very much."
* * *
Monte led Horst to the tavern where he had been with Gunnar. Asgar was no longer there, and they left promptly. For the next two hours, Monte led Horst on a tour of the nightlife of Caxon. Neither Asgar nor the hooded man was found in any of the taverns. As they were returning to the Rose and Thorn, Monte gently grabbed Horst's arm and nodded towards a man emerging from one of the inns. Horst halted and watched as the man left the inn and proceeded into the inn next door.
"That was Asgar," Monte said after the man had disappeared.
"I suppose he is drinking in the inns instead of the taverns," Horst replied as he prepared to go in and talk to the man.
"I don't think so," Monte responded. "They charge more for the ale than the taverns do, and Asgar is not one to waste a copper."
"Could he be looking for his Borundan friend?" questioned the Odessian.
"Possibly," shrugged Monte. "He is certainly looking for someone. What do you plan to say to him when he comes out?"
"I am not sure," frowned Horst. "What the man is up to is devious and harmful to Caroom. We should alert the authorities to his activities and leave it at that, but my mind is curious as to what would make a man sell out his country."
"You think he is a spy for Borunda?" asked Monte.
"Without a doubt," nodded Horst. "I know the man that Gunnar saw with Asgar. There is no benign reason for their meeting."
"Then we must inform the palace," agreed Monte, "but I doubt they would take the word of a foreigner against one of our own. I wish I had paid more attention at the tavern, but I was trying to get Gunnar to allow me to travel with him. I really did not see the hooded man, and I would not know his nationality if I had."
Asgar came out of the inn and promptly entered the next one.
"He is still searching," commented Horst. "Let us go wait for him in the next inn. Perhaps we can get an idea of what he is up to."
Monte nodded his approval and the two men walked into the inn that would be next on Asgar's search. Horst looked around the common room and saw no sign of Prince Zinan. The innkeeper looked at the two new arrivals expectantly, and Monte guided Horst to a table near the door before the innkeeper could ask their business. The innkeeper realized that the newcomers were not in search of a room, and he turned his attention elsewhere.
Moments later Asgar opened the door and stepped into the common room. As Horst had done, Asgar's eyes swept the room looking for someone, but he took longer doing it as he tried to stare at each face in the room. That delay caused the innkeeper to approach.
"Are you requiring a room?" asked the innkeeper.
"No," Asgar replied curtly as he pulled a paper out of his tunic. "I am looking for someone. Have you ever seen this man?"
Horst strained to see the drawing, but he was not in the right position. Monte rose from the table and squeezed past Asgar as he made for the door. Horst shook his head in confusion, but rose to follow. The innkeeper had shaken his head negatively and Asgar had folded the drawing, leaving the inn right in front of Horst. Horst was about to grab the man and ask to see the picture when he saw Monte across the street waving him over. Horst hesitated and Asgar walked away, so Horst crossed the street to meet with Monte.
"Why did you stop me?" asked Horst. "I had a perfect opportunity to talk to him."
"The picture," Monte said softly. "There was no beard, but I would swear that it was a drawing of Gunnar. The eyes were identical, and the way his hair set was the same. Does any of this make sense?"
"Very much so," Horst replied as he watched Asgar enter another inn. "He is working his way towards the Rose and Thorn. I do not know if the innkeeper saw Gunnar, but I cannot take that chance. I will not allow my friend to be sacrificed to the Borundans."
"What will you do?" asked Monte.
"Nothing that you would want to be involved with," Horst replied. "I think it is time for you to go home and spend your last evening with your family. We will be leaving early in the morning."
"You promised Gunnar that you would bring no dishonor to your family," cautioned Monte.
"There is no dishonor in stamping on a viper just before it strikes," retorted Horst. "With the dark prince of Borunda still in Caxon, this man is threatening the life of my dearest friend. Go home."
"Prince?" gasped Monte. "Do you mean the man with the hood? Why would a Borundan prince sneak around Caxon?"
"There are two reasons," sighed Horst as he realized that he had said too much. "One is to find Gunnar and kill him; the other is to arrange for spies to aid in the coming war. Go home now and say nothing of this to anyone."
"So Gunnar spoke the truth when he said that war was coming to the Land of the Nine Kingdoms," frowned Monte as Asgar left the inn and proceeded to the next. "Why would the Borundans ruin a peace that has reigned for generations?"
"Monte!" barked Horst. "This is no time to discuss politics. I have no idea what the Borundans hope to gain, and I do not care what their reasons are. What I do care about are those who are dear to me, and the Borundans threaten all of them. I can do little to stop the coming war, but I can guard Gunnar, and that is what I must do. For the last time, go home."
"No," Monte shook his head. "If
I go home, you will slice into Asgar while he is walking from inn to inn. By morning you will have been captured and executed by the guards. I will not let you do that."
"You will not let me?" Horst scowled. "You do not seem to have a grasp of the situation, Monte. You may very well turn me in to the authorities, but I will be doing Caroom a great service. It is no small coincidence that Asgar was chosen as the local spy for Borunda. By your own words, he has access to the army barracks and the royal palace. Do you have any idea of the damage one man can do on the eve of war?"
"I can imagine," nodded Monte. "I have an older brother in the army of Caroom, and I know the type of man that Asgar is. Caxon will be no sadder for Asgar's death, but Gunnar will be, if you are no longer there to guard him."
"You still do not grasp the situation," argued Horst as Asgar left another inn and proceeded to the next. "The Borundans use magic to accomplish their evil. By morning Gunnar will be dead, and probably Kerzi and I as well, and there will be no battle marks to point to the killer. The dark prince will walk away from Caxon a free man. I am not going to let that happen no matter what you think is right and proper. Now go home before I lose my temper with you. The Rose and Thorn is only a few inns away, and Asgar gets closer with each passing minute."
"There is a better way to handle this," retorted Monte. "If you kill Asgar, you will save Gunnar, but what about Caroom? They would not believe a foreigner's claim that war is coming and that Asgar is a spy, but if I turn Asgar over to my brother, the army will interrogate him and learn the truth. I am sure that Asgar is hoarding a fair amount of gold on him. No spy works cheaply, and Asgar doesn't earn that much. Add to that the testimony of all of the innkeepers he has spoken to, there will be no doubt that he is up to nefarious deeds. Think about it. Gunnar is safe from discovery, Borunda loses a spy, and Caroom is made aware of the activities of the dark prince."
"And how do we capture Asgar without a fight?" questioned Horst.
"I will lure him into the alley alongside the Rose and Thorn," suggested Monte. "It is a narrow alleyway, but there is a small cutout not far from the street where a door opens into the kitchen of the Rose and Thorn. If you were to wait there, you could easily club Asgar over the head as we pass by. We remove the drawing of Gunnar from his possession and then stuff him into a sack. I will hide the sack in my stall and then go get my brother. He will handle it from there."
"You brother is a member of the army," Horst shook his head. "He would feel obligated to question Gunnar and me. I do not think that is a good thing at this time."
"How early can you leave in the morning?" asked Monte.
"We have to pick up a load before we can leave," answered the Odessian. "It will be at least an hour after the merchants open at the earliest."
"I can handle that," assured Monte.
"Instead of storing him in the stall," nodded Monte, "I will put him in the cellar of our home. I will make sure that my brother does not take possession of him until high sun. I am sure that Asgar will be hesitant to talk about his foul deeds, so that will ensure you a few day's head start, and the army will have no idea who you are and which way you have gone. In fact, there is no reason for the army to even think of looking for you. Asgar has not been successful in locating Gunnar, so he does not know that he is even in the city. The army will not waste its time chasing ghosts."
Horst hesitated for a moment as Asgar left an inn and headed for the next one. Finally, the Odessian nodded his acceptance of the plan.
"Will you not be coming with us then?" asked Horst.
"It is more important than ever for me to join up with you," stated Monte. "If the Borundans mean to attack my people, I want to be part of trying to foil that plan, and while I do not know what you and Gunnar are up to, I know enough to understand that you believe in what is right and just. I will catch up to you on the road."
"That would be the Caxon-Kyland Road," informed Horst. "Let's do this and get it over with."
"Get to the alleyway," instructed Monte. "I will wait for Asgar at the next inn. Be ready for us."
Horst ran off towards the alley, and Monte walked to the inn next to the Rose and Thorn. It would be the next inn that Asgar visited. He stepped into the common room and scanned the patrons to see if the hooded man was present. He was not. The innkeeper approached just as Asgar opened the door and entered. Asgar stood next to Monte, his eyes staring at the faces present.
"Are you two requiring a room?" asked the innkeeper.
"We are not together," Monte declared.
"Have you seen this man?" Asgar asked as he brought out the drawing.
"Not that I remember," the innkeeper shook his head. "Do you wish a room?"
"No," replied Asgar as he turned and left.
Monte spun and followed Asgar out the door.
"Can I see that drawing?" he asked. "I had a customer today that looked something like that."
Asgar's eyes widened with interest, and he showed the picture to Monte.
Monte walked towards the Rose and Thorn and stood near the torch to stare at the picture.
"I think it is him," Monte remarked. "Is he a wanted man?"
"Did you see him or not?" Asgar asked impatiently.
"Yes," Monte nodded vigorously as he handed the drawing back. "It's him alright."
Monte spun and started walking away.
"Wait," called Asgar. "Come back here. Where did you see him?"
"I have to pick up a package at the stables," called Monte. "As a matter of fact, it is a package that I have to deliver to that very man."
Monte swiftly turned into the alleyway at a brisk walk with Asgar running after him.
"Where will you deliver the package?" Asgar asked. "Perhaps I can deliver it for you?"
Monte passed the small cutout and stopped. He turned around to face his pursuer.
"Is there gold in it for me?" asked Monte.
Asgar halted facing Monte, his eyes gleaming with success. He opened his mouth to answer the question, and his world suddenly went black as Horst slammed the hilt of his scimitar into Asgar's head.
"Get the drawing," urged Horst.
"You hit him rather hard," commented Monte as he retrieved the drawing, "but he is still alive. Carry him to the stables. There are some feed sacks there that we can use."
Horst easily lifted Asgar and tossed the body over his shoulder. The two men moved along the alleyway to the stables where they stuffed the body into a burlap sack. Monte gave the drawing to Horst and picked up the sack.
"I will see you tomorrow night on the Caxon-Kyland Road," he promised. "There is a small bridge that runs over a stream which you should probably reach around sundown. Just on the other side of the bridge is a trail leading north. Take that trail and you will find an excellent campsite alongside the stream. Few people know about it, but it is where I do a great deal of my hunting. I will meet you there."
Horst returned to the Rose and Thorn and found Kerzi and Gunnar waiting. He detailed the excursion that he and Monte had undertaken, and revealed the plans for the next day.
"Can Monte be trusted to do as he says?" asked Kerzi.
"I think so," nodded Horst, "but we would be wise to take some precautions."
"I agree," declared Gunnar. "While I do not think that Monte would betray us, I think he is unaware of what we are up against. Either the Caroom army or the Borundans might try to follow him. Anything is possible and we should plan accordingly."
"Should we choose a different campsite?" asked Kerzi.
"That would show Monte that we do not trust him," Horst shook his head. "I do think we need to get there as soon as possible to check it out. After we load up the wagon, I will ride out ahead. By the time you arrive, I will have a plan thought out."
"That leaves you traveling alone on the road," frowned Kerzi. "That is precisely what you did not want Monte to do."
"Monte will also be riding alone," Gunnar pointed out. "There are times when it is unavoidable. Besides,
it will only be a half-day's ride for each of them. I think it is a prudent plan."
"Then let's get some sleep," suggested the merchant. "It will be a busy day tomorrow."
Gunnar rose before the sun, and he woke the others. They ate the morning meal in an empty common room and had the wagon sitting in front of a wood merchant before the shop opened. Gunnar chose the hardwoods to purchase, and the wagon was loaded within an hour. As the wagon pulled away from the shop, Horst mounted his horse and headed for Caxon-Kyland road.
The Odessian reached the small bridge by high sun. He followed the trail to the campsite that Monte had described and nodded in appreciation. He dismounted and surveyed the surrounding landscape. The campsite showed few signs of use, and there was a cliff face on the opposite side of the stream. He forded the stream and climbed the cliff wall. From the top of the cliff, he could reconnoiter the area surrounding the campsite.
The small campsite was surrounded by dense woods, and he saw nothing that posed a threat. There were no signs of human habitation in any direction, and there appeared to be no other trails that would allow easy access for riders to get behind the campsite. Moving to a spot on the cliff further to the east, Horst was pleased to see the view afforded of the Caxon-Kyland Road. He could see along the road for miles, and the cliff turned out to be the perfect place to observe the traffic approaching the turnoff. Horst settled in for the wait.
It was almost four hours later that he saw the wagon approaching. He squinted to make out the distant image, and suddenly became concerned. He could see two people in the bench of the wagon, but there was also a rider following the wagon. He waited anxiously for the wagon to get closer.
When the wagon did get closer, Horst was finally able to identify the following rider. It was Monte. The Odessian's eyes scanned the road back towards Caxon and could see no other riders, but he remained in place just to be sure. An hour later the wagon passed out of sight as it crossed the small bridge. Horst gave one last look to the east and scrambled down to the campsite. He reached the ground just as his friends were entering the campsite.
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