Defiant Guardians Anthology

by Jacob Peppers

  She glimpsed the man a second before he crashed into her. The impact sent her flying backwards. She struggled to recover her balance, but her feet tripped on a discarded brick. The ground rushed up to meet her, and stars flashed through the shadows as her head struck the wall. Heart pounding, she rolled to the side and back to her feet, fingers already fumbling for her dagger. Eyes wide, she looked around for her assailant.

  Enala found the man standing in the shadows, eyes wide, staring at her with a look of shock and anger. Drawing the dagger, she stepped towards him, teeth bared. To her surprise, the man’s eyes widened further and he quickly raised his hands.

  “Please, I have no money!” he cried.

  Blinking, Enala was momentarily taken aback. “What are you talking about?” she asked. Her brow creased and she shook her head. “Why did you attack me?”

  “Attack you?” he gasped. “You came out of nowhere!”

  Eying the man closely, Enala took a step towards him, dagger still raised. “What are you doing back here?” she asked, eyebrows raised. “You’re not from these parts.”

  Now she’d taken a second to examine him, Enala could see it was true. The man wore a neatly tailored jerkin of blue silk, with matching black trousers and a leather belt that would have cost more than most people’s monthly wage in this part of Chole. A well-worked rapier hung from his belt, but even at the sight of her dagger, he didn’t attempt to draw it. Swallowing visibly, he raised his hands higher. His green eyes blinking rapidly as sweat dripped down his brow.

  “I…I…I’m looking for someone,” he stammered. “Well, not ‘someone’ per se. Something? No, I mean, I’m looking for a hunter!”

  “A hunter?” Enala asked, sensing a lie. “There’s not much to hunt in these parts, you know. Not unless you’re planning to hunt down a Raptor or something.”

  Raptors were a ferocious lizard-like creature rumoured to live in the desert beyond Chole’s walls. While she’d never ventured out to test the rumour, she had no reason to disbelieve it. After all, she’d lived with the dragons, and they were little more than a rumour here, either. So long as the dragons kept to their side of the mountains, no one in Chole seemed to care one way or another if they still existed.

  At her words, the man had gone bright red. He stared at her for a second, and then lowered his hands to his sides. “Look, I dunno who you are…but I’m looking for a killer. I need…I need a bounty hunter.”

  10

  “What’s someone like you doing looking for a bounty hunter?” Enala asked, lowering her dagger a fraction.

  The stranger only shook his head, clearly unwilling to say anything more in the narrow alleyway. His eyes flicked around, searching the shadows, as though he were afraid of being overhead. “Look,” he said finally, “if you can’t help me, I need to go.”

  When Enala said nothing in response, he started to turn away. Watching him retreating down the alley, Enala’s heart gave a pang. The man was clearly out of his depth. If he spent much longer wandering around Chole’s maze of backstreets, he was likely to meet a far rougher crowd than the bounty hunters’ guild.

  Stay out of it, she argued with herself, but she was already moving after him. “Hey, wait up!” she called.

  The man glanced back as she caught him. His eyes flickered to her dagger. Rolling her eyes, she slid it back into her belt.

  “You can’t just walk around Chole blindly looking for the guild. People get lost in these streets for days, you know.”

  The stranger’s eyes widened. “Really?”

  Enala sighed. “No, it was a joke…” She rolled her eyes. “Come on, I don’t know where the guild is, but I know an inn some of its members frequent.”

  She moved past him without waiting for him to respond, taking the lead. He hesitated a moment, uncertainty written across his face, before finally stepping after her. She led him through the shadowy backstreets, taking care to keep the route to the Happy Ox fixed in her mind.

  In the last year, she’d heard rumours about the bounty hunters’ guild, but had never bothered learning more about them. Their profession seemed to fall squarely between the reputable and more shady sides of Chole.

  It took them half an hour to reach the inn. By then, Enala was covered head to toe in the usual layer of dust left by Chole’s underground. Her new-found-companion was in an even worse state. Several times he’d tripped on the garbage that lay discarded in the alleyways. Looking at him now, Enala hated to think about what exactly was staining his expensive clothes.

  “Well, this is it – the Happy Ox,” Enala said simply, brushing the dust from her clothes. “I hear guild members sometimes like to drink inside. It’s a little early still, but you might get lucky.”

  In fact, it was only around noon, and now she thought about it, the inn was likely to be almost empty. Still, she’d done her part, and, straightening, she started to turn away.

  “Oh,” the man’s voice called her back. He stood looking at the double doors to the inn, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. “Ah…I don’t suppose you’d like to accompany me for a drink?” he trailed off lamely. “You seem…accomplished, and I’m not really sure what I’m doing, to be honest.”

  Enala snorted. “No kidding.” She shook her head, and then shrugged. “Well, it is my birthday. I guess I could go for a drink. My name’s Enala, by the way,” she said, offering her hand.

  “Tom,” he replied, taking her hand in his. A smile spread across his cheeks. “It’s your birthday, truly? Well, in that case, let me buy you some lunch, as well. You look half starved…” he trailed off again, as if suddenly realising what he was saying.

  Enala’s stomach did a little flip at the mention of real food. Now it was her turn to stand there wide eyed, more than a little shocked by his offer. She wondered if he knew how expensive food was in Chole. With so much of their fresh produce imported from Lonia, the price of eating out was staggering. Crossing her fingers he wouldn’t change his mind inside, she allowed herself to be led through the double doors by a grinning Tom.

  “Now, what would you like, Enala?” he asked after they were seated.

  Enala’s eyes widened as she looked at the prices on the menu, and all she could do was shake her head. “Ah…whatever you like, I guess?”

  “Excellent! Let’s see what the barbeque is like here, then. Looks like they’ve got some Lonian steaks available. Waitress!”

  Enala stared as Tom ordered them each a steak that would have cost her a week’s salary – if she’d had one. He added a bottle of Trolan red to the order, then sat back with a broad grin on his face.

  “So, how old are you today, birthday girl?” In his excitement, Tom seemed to have forgotten all about his reason for being there.

  “Ahh…I’m…sixteen.” She said softly. Suddenly thinking that Tom might get the wrong idea, she added. “You know, I can’t be here too long. My parents are expecting me home.”

  “Of course, of course,” Tom said, raising his hands to supplement her. “Don’t worry, I’m not after anything. Honestly, I get the feeling you may have saved me from more than just being lost back there. I wanted to thank you.”

  Enala nodded, still a little wary. “You’re welcome, Tom.” She shrugged. “You looked a little out of your depth. I remember being that way too, not so long ago. I thought I could help you out.”

  Tom smiled. “So, your parents let you wander the streets here a lot?”

  Blinking, Enala inwardly cursed herself as she realised how ridiculous that statement sounded. Biting her lip, she nodded. “They…don’t know where I go during the day.”

  “You did look pretty accomplished with that dagger,” Tom replied, laughing. He fell silent for a moment, his eyes sliding around the room. “So, do you think anyone here’s a bounty hunter?”

  Enala took a moment to study the people eating in the diner. Several men sat at the bar, their elbows leaning against the ale-soaked wood. They certainly looked the part – they were unshaven, grizzly
looking men, each far larger than Tom. But they were also unarmed, and, given the nature of a bounty hunter’s work, that didn’t fit. Hunters spent their lives tracking down criminals, and made more than a few enemies in doing so. She doubted such men would ever be caught without their blades.

  Her eyes continued around the room. The other tables were mostly empty, with just a few older looking merchants sitting having lunch. The only occupant near them was a woman sitting at a nearby table. The angle of the table concealed any weapons the woman might be carrying, and a tangle of scarlet hair hid her face from view. But to Enala’s practiced eye, the woman was far too young to be a hunter. She hardly looked older than Enala herself.

  Returning her gaze to Tom, Enala shook her head. “Sorry, Tom. It doesn’t look like there’s anyone here today.”

  Tom’s shoulders sagged. “Damnit,” he mumbled, but forced a smile. “Oh well, maybe tonight.”

  Enala pursed her lips. “Look, Tom, it’s none of my business, but why do you need a hunter? You don’t seem like the type to make enemies. If someone’s done you wrong, why don’t you just go to the authorities?”

  Sitting back in his chair, Tom studied her, as though weighing up whether a sixteen-year-old girl could handle what he had to say. Before he could respond, the waitress came bustling over, a steaming plate in each hand, and Enala was immediately distracted by the delectable scent of roasting meat.

  Her eyes slid to the plate. Most of the food in Chole was some combination of curried vegetables, chicken and spice – as was most of what she scavenged. She hadn’t seen steak since leaving her parents’ cabin in Dragon Country. Only now did Enala realise how much she’d missed real meat. Stomach rumbling, she reached for the knife and fork.

  “I’m from Ardath,” she looked up as Tom spoke, a chunk of meat halfway to her mouth. He hadn’t touched his food yet, but he lifted his mug of wine and took a swig before continuing. “I came here a week ago, but I haven’t been able to leave.”

  Enala placed the chunk of steak in her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. She stifled a moan as the rich, smoky flavour filled her mouth. “Why not?” She mumbled between bites.

  Tom shrugged. “There’s a merchant, called Robin Tucker, he…he has my wife.”

  The meat caught in Enala’s throat as she spluttered over his answer. Choking, she started to cough. Sweeping up her mug, she slurped down a mouthful of wine, swallowing hard. The blockage dislodged and she gasped in a fresh breath.

  “What?” she managed finally. “Why haven’t you gone to the authorities?”

  “He’s a very rich merchant,” Tom replied lamely, “and well connected. I don’t even know he has her for certain – only that she went to deliver our shipment of spices to his house, and never came back.”

  “So you don’t know if she ever reached his house?” Enala asked, still a little breathless. Not to be deterred, she picked up her fork and took another bite.

  “Quite sure. He’s…not a good man. I went to call him out, to try and get her back, but he set his guards on me. There were…too many for me to take by myself. When I went to the constable, they wouldn’t even hear my case. I’m…I’m out of options,” he said finally, spreading his hands.

  Enala nodded, taking another sip of her wine. This time she held it in her mouth a second, savouring its rich, aromatic taste. Noticing her glass was empty, Tom took the bottle and refilled it.

  “So, you want a bounty hunter to rescue her?” she asked.

  “Essentially, yes,” Tom said, “I’m not even sure if they do rescues, do they?” His voice became strained, as though the thought had just occurred to him.

  Enala’s lips twisted in a frown. “I’m not…really sure a bounty hunter is what you need.”

  To her surprise, tears sprang to Tom’s eyes. His head banged down on the table. “I don’t know what to do, Enala,” he gasped. “I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m so afraid, what he’s done to her, what he’s doing to her…”

  Enala sat in shock and stared at the man. Her mouth opened, then closed, as her heart clenched in her chest. She’d never seen someone look so broken. He was clearly so far out of his depth in this city, she could hardly imagine how he’d survived this long. Warmth flushed in her cheeks as she thought of him trying to rescue his wife alone.

  Before she knew what she was doing, a voice spoke from somewhere in the vicinity of her head.

  “Don’t worry, Tom. I’m going to help you.”

  Only when the voice faded away did Enala realise it was she who had spoken.

  11

  Enala crouched on the rooftop and stared across at the merchant’s house. With the full moon illuminating the night, she had little trouble making out the guard stationed on the front gate, but otherwise nothing moved inside the complex. A twenty-foot brick wall surrounded the building, with the gate the only way through. Beyond the wall, the single-storey villa was dark, its glass windows shining in the moonlight. They would make things more difficult – but then, they weren’t such a rare occurrence here. If there was one thing Chole had in a plenty, it was sand, and the coal with which to transform it into glass.

  She took a moment to check the sword on her belt. Tom had given her his rapier after they’d surreptitiously scouted out the house. It was lighter than the short swords she’d trained with back in Dragon Country, and longer than she was used to, but she hoped it wouldn’t be needed. She planned to sneak over the wall, then wait for Tom to distract the guards, before taking his wife out.

  If everything went to plan, Tom and his wife would be on their way to Ardath by sunrise.

  Of course, she’d never actually been in a real sword fight before, never mind broken into a man’s house. Anything could go wrong between now and the dawn.

  Slipping off the rooftop, she clambered silently down the drain pipe and crossed the road. The guard did not look up from his seat outside the door. She hoped he hadn’t fallen asleep – if he missed Tom’s distraction, he would still be waiting there for her when she and Tom’s wife slipped outside.

  When Enala reached the wall, she pressed herself up against the bricks and then slipped along to where it intersected with the neighbouring building. The merchant had done a good job keeping his wall free of nooks and crannies that might help someone climb it, but, fortunately for Enala, his neighbour hadn’t done the same. Several missing bricks, and a jutting pipe allowed her to scramble up and slip across onto the top of the merchant’s wall. She quickly dropped down the other side before anyone spotted her.

  Landing on the soft grass, she darted across to where a cluster of rose bushes hid her from sight of the house. There, she crouched in the shadows, ears peeled for any hint she’d been spotted. The night remained silent, the sweet scent of fresh roses drifting in her nostrils. For a second she paused, closing her eyes to savour the smell. Tom hadn’t been wrong – this man was obviously rich beyond imagining, if he had the money for a garden in the middle of the desert.

  Convinced she remained undetected, Enala stood at a crouch and slid across the garden. Her neck tingled as she imagined unseen eyes watching her, but the house remained still. Internally, she berated herself for this midnight heist.

  Idiot. You shouldn’t be doing this. You’re no hunter!

  When she finally reached the side door to the house, Enala could hardly believe she’d made it. Squatting outside, she reached up and tried the handle. To her surprise, it opened easily, and for a moment she wondered if this whole thing had been a trap. She dismissed the thought an instant later, deciding the merchant was obviously over-confident about his wall and guards, and hadn’t bothered to lock his house.

  Slipping inside, Enala waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Moonlight shone through the curtains, illuminating a room far wealthier than anything she’d ever seen. Silk carpets covered the floors, and, looking down at her filthy boots, she almost retreated outside in horror at the mess she was making. Instead, she steeled herself and pressed further inside.


  The house appeared to be one large, open-plan living quarters. In the right wall, a dim glow revealed where the fire had burned low. A feline’s fur coat lay across the carpet in front of it, surrounded by plush velvet couches that looked more comfortable than her bed back in Dragon Country. Two half-drunken glasses of wine sat on the coffee table beside the couch.

  A snort from across the room drew her attention. Heart racing, Enala strained to make out the source of the sound. A massive poster bed took shape from the shadows. She glimpsed two figures lying beneath the silken duvet, eyes closed, hair messed with sleep.

  Enala’s breath caught in her throat as she saw the woman lying in the bed. Her blond hair, pale complexion, and prominent cheeks gave her a stark, raw beauty – exactly as her husband had described. This could only be Amanda, the woman she had come to rescue.

  The bastard!

  Anger stirred in Enala’s stomach as her eyes flickered to the man. He lay on the other side of the bed, one hand extended towards the woman he had stolen. His hair was greying, the skin of his face hanging in folds. Age had not been kind to him. Enala could see why he’d stooped so low as to steal another man’s wife. Teeth gritted in rage, Enala fingered the hilt of her sword and moved towards the bed.

  Stepping up beside the woman, she struggled to think what to do. Could she wake the woman without disturbing the merchant? Glancing at the man, she felt an urge to drive her sword through his chest. A shadow flickered in her vision and the blade was half drawn before she realised what she was doing. Taking a breath, she returned it to the scabbard. She was no killer – not in cold blood, anyway.

  She tried to quell the trembling in her heart, and reached out to squeeze Amanda’s hand. The long black eyelids fluttered, then cracked open. For a moment, the woman did not move, just lay staring into the darkness, trying to make out who was holding her hand. A frown creased her forehead.