by AC Cobble
Whitehall. Why not? He couldn’t think of anything better.
They settled down to wait, but by midday, they were getting impatient. They knew Mathias would be gone several bells, but sitting in the small gazebo was driving them mad. They decided to have a look around.
Ben and Amelie crept up the short grass of the lawn and wiggled to the top of the rise where they could see Reinhold’s massive estate spread out in the distance. It was quiet. Tendrils of smoke drifted out of a forest of chimneys thrusting up from the slate roof. There were no signs of people.
“It’s almost noon,” muttered Amelie. “I cannot believe there would be no activity at an estate this size. Is the staff sleeping in with their lord away?”
Ben nudged her arm and pointed to a dark shape by the side of Reinhold’s gate, at least a quarter league from where they lay.
“I think that’s a tipped over wagon,” he guessed. “They aren’t sleeping in. They’ve left. Look over at the stables. All of the doors are open but no one is moving about. Reinhold’s staff must have taken all of the horses and fled. Judging by that wagon, they took a lot of other stuff too.”
Amelie peered down at the silent estate. “What should we do?”
Ben glanced behind them at the river then back ahead. “I think we go in. Let’s leave a mark for Mathias to let him know we’re still around, and then see what we can find. It won’t be long before someone else comes along. The Sanctuary, another lord, looters…someone will be here soon. Now is our only chance.”
The massive silver-studded oak doors of Reinhold’s estate stood open. They rose twice Ben’s height and led into a large open chamber braced by two sweeping marble staircases. Below the staircases, hallways led deeper into the building.
One hundred strides across, the foyer was covered in marble and little else. The walls were studded with places where rich sconces, tapestries, and paintings may have once hung, but now, everything of value had been stripped away. The vast empty chamber echoed with their voices.
Amelie glanced to Ben. “Are you sure we should be doing this? If we get caught in here, there will be nowhere to run.”
Ben nodded. “Let’s be quick. They took the candlesticks but may have left something we can use.”
They moved quickly through the front part of the estate. It contained offices, reception areas, and meeting rooms. It appeared to be where Reinhold ran his merchant banking business. Everything portable and of value had been taken. Some fine furnishing and carpets remained, but neither had any interest for Ben and Amelie. They noticed open drawers and cabinets that looked to have been looted as well. Scatters of loose paper lay around the floors and doors hung open with irregular shelves of documents missing.
“Reinhold’s business advisors,” muttered Amelie. “They would have taken any documents describing Reinhold’s business. They’ll sell it or use it to barter for employment with his competitors.”
After ducking into several of the offices, they gave up on that wing and moved deeper into the estate. They needed food, clothes, and supplies for traveling.
The building was massive and there wasn’t time to explore every room. Ben thought the place could house every resident of Farview with room to spare. The silence in a building that size was unnerving. They could hear only the soft slap of their bare feet on the cool marble floor. Shoes were definitely an item Ben wanted to find.
Deeper into the building, they found grand ball rooms and open verandas for strolling. It was built for entertaining large numbers of guests. Ben realized they would find nothing useful here. Just like the foyer, the valuables had been taken. Only large, heavy items remained. It gave them hope though. If looters focused on the valuables, maybe they had left more common goods like clothes behind.
Past the entertaining spaces, they finally found something useful. The kitchens. There, the looting had been minimal. Long pantries containing a wide variety of delicacies and basic foods items lined the narrow hallways off the main kitchen. Ben found sacks full of potatoes which they emptied out and began stuffing with food they could easily travel with.
Amelie eyed a shelf of marmalades, passed them over for a sack of dried beans, and sighed. “That is one thing I will miss about the Sanctuary. The food.”
Ben grinned. “You don’t like my cooking?”
She snorted. “I don’t like my cooking.”
They collected a few more useful items like a frying pan and cutlery then left the pantry to continue exploring. They didn’t get far before finding something completely different.
Behind the kitchen, in a large room which must have been the staff mess hall, they opened the door and paused in shock. The floor was painted in blood. Bodies were scattered about, the results of a violent confrontation. At least two score of them by Ben’s quick count.
Ben looked at Amelie before tentatively stepping into the room. The lifeless corpses were dressed in Reinhold’s livery. Most appeared to be servants, but there were three guards also. Ben edged around the pools of still tacky blood and realized he knew one of the guards.
“I recognize this one,” he told Amelie, pointing at the dead man. “He was at Arrath and fled when I hid. He must have come straight here after the attack.”
She glanced around the room thoughtfully. “That explains the looting. He would have brought news of what happened. If he arrived yesterday like you did, there would have been plenty of time for knowledgeable servants to strip the place.”
“Yes, but what happened in here?” asked Ben, waving a hand at the surrounding carnage.
“A disagreement, perhaps,” answered Amelie. “It looks like it was internal, whatever it was. Maybe some of the staff resisted the looters?”
She was right. All of the bodies were wearing Reinhold’s livery and were either servants or guards. Ben eyed a few of the guard’s weapons and thought about taking them. He had managed to hold onto his Venmoor steel longsword and the hunting knife Serrot had given him. He didn’t need any of the guard’s weapons and they looked to be too heavy for Amelie’s use, so they passed out of the bloodstained mess hall and kept searching.
In a distant wing of the estate, they finally found what they were looking for, the servant’s and guard’s quarters. Reinhold had hundreds of employees on staff and the rooms spread out across several hallways and floors. It felt more like a huge inn than an estate. Most of the rooms showed signs of a quick exit. People had hastily packed their things before fleeing.
The majority of Reinhold’s guards had been with him in Arrath, though, so those rooms were intact. Ben was able to find wardrobes full of clothing and boots. He searched until he found some that fit and breathed a sigh of relief as he dressed. He left behind his still damp pants and changed into a simple set of britches, tunic, and cloak. A worn pair of marching boots completed the outfit. He strapped on his longsword and knife before grabbing two more changes of clothing and stuffing those in his potato sack.
Back in the hall, Amelie had also changed. She carried a backpack with her and held it up. It looked to be packed for a trip. “Flint, steel, twine, and a few other useful things.”
“Good find,” Ben replied appreciatively. “We’ll need that. Now, let’s get out of here.”
It was afternoon by the time they made it back over the small rise in Reinhold’s lawn and saw the gazebo. From a distance, Ben could tell Mathias had returned and was hunkered down behind the railing.
When they drew close, he stood and waved.
“All clear at the estate?” called the gruff barkeep.
“Nothing left but bodies,” Ben answered.
Mathias raised an eyebrow.
Ben explained, “We think an argument broke out between what was left of Reinhold’s staff and what was left of the guards. It turned ugly.”
“Aye, not surprising. You cut off the head of the snake and the body doesn’t know what to do.” Mathias gestured toward the pack and potato sacks. “It looks like you found some supplies. You were more succe
ssful than I was.”
“How was it?” inquired Amelie. “Any sign of a search for us in the City?”
“Nothing overt,” replied Mathias. “But enough that I wasn’t going to stick around long. There were disguised guards at all of the bridges, and watchers stationed around key intersections. I spotted one outside the Flying Swan. After that, I didn’t even bother with the Issen Consulate or the brewery. But I did track down one of my employees, someone we can trust, and told him to get word to Renfro, Saala, and the others. We can’t wait on that, though. There’s already plenty of heat in town and my man said that the army is being assembled.”
“The army?” asked Ben. “I didn’t think the Sanctuary had much of an army.”
“They don’t have a standing one, aside from the guards, of course,” Mathias answered. “But they do have a reserve they call in times of need. Supposedly, it’s to investigate and protect against what happened in Arrath. They’re spinning it like it was an attack on the City. I think it’s safe to assume, the real reason is us. If the full force of the army is looking for us, we need to move fast. Any thoughts on where you want to go?”
“We’re thinking Whitehall,” answered Ben. “And I agree, we should leave today.” Ben paused, then asked, “Mathias, are you sure you want to come with us?”
Mathias sighed. “I don’t think I have much choice. If they’re watching the Flying Swan, then they must suspect I was involved last night. There’s no way I can risk being taken in for questioning. That’ll be the last anyone sees of me.”
The barkeep rubbed at the stubble on his chin. “Whitehall. That makes sense. Try to get help from Argren. Let him get word to Lord Gregor. The problem is, that will make sense to the mages, too. They’ll be waiting for us.”
“Like you said though,” replied Amelie grimly, “we don’t have much choice. Where else can we go?”
They all looked at each other. No one had an answer to that.
“Whitehall it is then,” declared Mathias after a long pause. “Following the Venmoor River north is the obvious route. We can’t do that. The main roads are just as bad, with the army involved they’re sure to have that covered. There are some back roads through the mountain towns we can try, or maybe go off the map and rough our way up to Kirksbane. We might be able to do it. The Sanctuary doesn’t have much of an army, and they aren’t professionally trained. They’ll be spread thin the further out we get.”
“I’m comfortable in the woods,” remarked Ben. “We’ll be okay there, but I’m not sure the army is what we need to worry about. The mages, what are they capable of? Can they track us somehow?”
“I don’t think so,” answered Amelie. “To track us, they would need to mark us to create an affinity. I think I’d know if they did that to me, and they had no reason to do it with you before last night. There are other ways they could find us, far-seeing for example, but those are rather random if they don’t know where to start looking. The further we get from the City, the more difficult it will be for them.”
“If they could easily find us,” agreed Mathias, “then we’d already be found.”
“That’s it then,” declared Ben. “Let’s go.”
They quickly distributed the supplies into the backpack Amelie found in Reinhold’s estate and one Mathias had collected in the City. Ben fashioned a strap on a potato sack and swung it over his shoulder. No ideal, but better than carrying it in his arms.
They didn’t have much, but it would be sufficient for a few days. If they survived that long, they would worry about more supplies then.
Instead of taking the road which would carry them north through the other estates and eventually to Kirksbane, they decided to traverse across the estates and stick close to the river. The risk of running into a lord’s guard was a lot easier to handle than seeing the Sanctuary’s troops on the road.
In half a bell of brisk walking, they made it to the border of Reinhold’s property and found a head- high stone wall.
“I know we need to keep moving, but let’s wait here for dark,” suggested Ben. “From what I recall when we came down the river, most of these main houses have views looking all the way down. We’ll almost certainly be seen if we cross in daylight.”
“Good thinking.” Mathias nodded. “Let’s get some rest now. I advise we travel all night while we have the cover of darkness. Then we find a place to hole up during the day tomorrow. It’s going to be a long night. But…” He glanced toward the river. Around the bend, the City was still uncomfortably close. “I want to put as much distance between us and that place as we can.”
The three of them sprawled out in the autumn sun and tried to get some sleep. Mathias quickly dozed off, but Ben and Amelie lay awake.
After several minutes of silence, Ben asked, “Do you think we’ll make it?”
“I don’t know,” answered Amelie somberly.
2
The Road
When night fell, they had a quick meal of cold provisions, scaled the wall, and dropped easily to the other side.
The property was much like Reinhold’s, wide open lawns with a scattering of trees. The moon rose and they trotted across smooth grass.
The main building was well lit. The rest of the estate was dark. They were worried about guards patrolling the grounds but in half a bell made it through without seeing anyone.
The night was cool but the quick pace kept them warm. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves of a nearby tree and the scent of flowers wafted up from an unseen garden. It should have been a pleasant evening, thought Ben.
At the border to the next estate, they found a wall similar to Reinhold’s, head high and easy to scale. Five more walls, five more hurried trots across open lawns. They squatted down to catch their breath.
In a soft whisper, Ben remarked, “I don’t know if we’re getting lucky or if they just don’t have guards, but this is easier than I expected. I thought we’d have to be watching and hiding as we moved.”
Mathias grunted. “Don’t get cocky now. Just because these were easy doesn’t mean the next one will be. I’ve been thinking, though. It’s taking us nearly half a bell to cross each property. Unless they keep an entire army to do patrols, they can’t have enough men to watch all of the walls. They must keep the guards close in at night. As long as the buildings are guarded, there’s nothing out here anyone would be interested in sneaking to.”
“It’s not the lord’s guards we need to worry about,” muttered Amelie.
“Do you think the Sanctuary would have people out here on the estates?” Ben worried.
“I’m not sure,” she replied. “That’s what scares me. We know they have resources, but how quickly can they deploy them? How long before they realize we’re not moving on any major roadways?”
Ben frowned. It wasn’t such a pleasant night any longer.
“They are either out here or they are not,” declared Mathias. “If they’ve already locked down cross-country routes, then we’re cooked no matter what we do. The one thing we can affect now is time. The quicker we go, the further they will have to expand the net, and the better our chances.”
Ben stood and settled his makeshift pack. “Shall we?”
The next two estates passed smoothly like the ones before them. The manicured lawns were just as easy to travel across as a well-paved road. The high moon provided plenty of light. It gave Ben a little concern that they would be visible to anyone really looking, but so far, the only sign of life was in well-lit buildings they easily avoided.
The next wall proved to be a bigger challenge. It stood nearly twice the height as the others and the top was studded with sharp glass shards.
“This fellow is a bit more worried about security I guess,” grumbled Mathias.
Luckily, despite the increased height, the wall was roughly mortared field stones and had plenty of finger and toe holds. Ben griped a stone and pulled himself up. At the top, he swung his cloak off and folded it before draping it across the glass shard
s. They were worn from exposure to the weather, but still felt uncomfortably sharp. He pressed a hand down on the cloak to test then called to his companions, “Mathias, I wouldn’t recommend straddling the wall and sitting down, but this should hold for us to swing over quickly.”
The barkeep snorted derisively in the darkness below.
Ben hung a leg over, found footing, and moved to the other side. Amelie came up next. Ben stayed near the top to help her get across. Mathias brought up the rear and the three of them descended into the grounds of the new estate.
“Not bad,” whispered Mathias as they all scanned ahead. It looked just like the other properties they’d traversed. Open lawns, stands of trees, and a small wooden structure in the distance that appeared unoccupied.
“Whoever lives here,” Ben responded, “they may be worried more about security, but like you say, no one can afford to pay enough guards to patrol all of this. Let’s move.”
At a quick jog, they made good time with only a little delay when they came across a small stream. In the darkness, Amelie almost ran straight into it. Ben caught her arm at the last second before she plunged in.
She gave him a thankful look and they moved upstream until they found a short bridge to cross and stay dry.
“Two or three more of these estates and we should start looking for a good place to hole up and rest.” Mathias panted.
“I’m with you on that,” replied Ben.
Amelie only nodded in agreement. It was an easy pace for Ben, but he was used to training with Saala for several bells at a time. Amelie and Mathias weren’t adjusted to this much physical activity.
Ben was considering running ahead to scout their path when he thought he heard something.
“Hold on,” he said, gesturing for everyone to stop.
Over the heavy breathing of his companions, he strained to hear what it was.
“A guard? Should we run?” Amelie gasped.
“I don’t think it was a guard,” he answered.