Guards Vestige

by Alexander Adams

  He glanced at her hand and slowly lifted it off his shoulder with a look of annoyance. “What you want is The Barge, north gate.”

  “Thank you.”

  Griffon started into the city at a slow walk, taking in the sights. Thankfully, Captain Andrews hadn’t taken all of her money as he’d originally planned. He chose to leave her ten silver marks to pay for a place to stay, as well as food when they docked in Navia so she could stay well out of the way while they worked and prepared for the next leg of their trip. She was grateful for it. It was one of the many reasons she thanked him so often. She sidestepped dozens of sailors and workers who never even glanced her way as they busied themselves. She passed hundreds of crates and bags of various goods lining the edge of the harbor, which featured linens, leathers, and even minerals from Forge. Stepping off the wooden planks and onto the stone streets, she couldn’t help but marvel at the bright and cheerful tone of everything and the sheer number of people walking the city.

  If she ever had to pick between here and Forge, then Navia was the clear winner. Everyone wore brightly colored and embroidered clothes. In comparison, Griffon stood out like a sore thumb in her ragged grey and brown. The further into the city she went, the more people seemed to happily acknowledge her. She received smiles and welcoming nods. All of it made her uncomfortable after living in Forge, where the most likely attention one received was someone barking to get out of their way.

  Griffon arrived at the north gate in a little over an hour. She would have arrived much sooner, but she couldn’t help taking her time. Everything in Navia was such a drastic change in comparison to the darkness and bitterness of Forge. It was jarring in a welcoming way and she wanted to savor it for as long as possible. She scanned the buildings around her and read the signs that hung from them until she located one in the shape of the inn’s name sake hanging above a door inscribed with the words The Barge. She smiled and started for the inn, but paused in her tracks when she heard someone shouting from atop the gate. She stopped to listen.

  The first voice spoke with urgency: “Get the manway open!”

  Another unseen voice spoke from the same area: “Quickly, one of them is injured!”

  She cocked her head and tried to catch the rest of what was being said, but it was drowned out by the chatter of city residents as they too paused to see what was transpiring. She turned away from the inn and made her way to the gate as the smaller door set in the gate itself was unlocked and swung open by a guard. Moments later, a woman in leather armor and black clothing ran through the opening, followed by a younger man with short black hair wearing a more traditional outfit and a panicked look on his face. They were followed by a much larger man in heavy leather plating who burst through with another woman dressed similarly in his arms. Her face was pale and her armor was caked with blood.

  Griffon recognized them immediately. Dragon Guards, three of them! She tried to make her way through the still-gathering crowd to get a better look, but was pushed back when the larger man forced his way through and past her, trailed by the younger boy. Both were led by a city guard. Griffon noticed that the other female Dragon Guard had stayed behind and was speaking to one of the city guards with hurried words and frantic motions. The guard nodded quickly and ran after the others at a full sprint.

  The female Dragon Guard sighed and leaned against the wall, her head in her hands. Now that her companions had left, the crowd started to disperse, allowing Griffon room to approach her. The woman didn’t acknowledge Griffon right away. Griffon stood by her with her hands clasped behind her back. After a few moments, the woman finally lifted her head and wiped at her eyes.

  “Can I help you?” she said.

  “You’re a Dragon Guard, right?” The moment the words left Griffon’s mouth, she realized how stupid the question was.

  “What do you want?”

  “Just to talk to you, I’m actually—”

  The woman cut her off before she could finish. “Look, any other time I’d be happy to speak with you, but right now there’s a lot going on and I just need to think for a moment.”

  Griffon was about to reply, but before she had the chance a city guard appeared and pushed past her. “Captain Theo has asked to speak with you,” the guard said.

  The Dragon Guard groaned and rubbed her temples. “Of course he has. Where is he?”

  “He is heading for the clinic to meet with your companions.”

  The woman nodded and moved away from the wall. “Take me to them.”

  The guard led her away, leaving Griffon to stand alone, more curious about the situation than before. The woman held in the man’s arms had looked nearly dead. This woman had said a lot was going on, so whatever had happened was clearly more than a single injured comrade. As much as Griffon wanted to know the story, she realized there was no point in trying at the moment. She would leave the matter alone for now. It was time to purchase her room at the inn and get something to eat.

  Chapter Twelve

  25th of Horace, 26th year of the Fourth Age.

  Aaron paced the small room as he, Kenneth, and the captain of the city watch waited for Claudia to arrive. As much as he worried for Mila and her wound, he feared more for Daniel. He was still down in the cavern with the satlis. Barden had said that both passages would eventually lead out, but Daniel could be hurt or a satlis could have followed him down the slope. The unknown of it all was what worried him the most.

  “Shade curse you boy, would you quit pacing!” the captain said with a glare. Aaron sheepishly took a seat next to Kenneth.

  Claudia entered the room and stepped up to the captain, anger etched across her face. “What do you want?” she said.

  He raised his chin and looked down his nose at her. “I was informed you asked one of my men to organize a search party. I’m afraid I must deny your request.”

  A look of sheer disbelief replaced the anger. “What?”

  “I won’t spare my men to go off on some foolish errand. If you have a missing Dragon Guard, I’m sure you three can handle it without the help of the city watch.”

  “He’s not a Dragon Guard, he’s a boy trapped in a cave. He could be hurt. We need to find the second entrance to get him out before it’s too late.”

  The expression on the captain’s face softened for only a moment. “If that is the same cave in which your companion received her injury, then I stand my ground with even more conviction. None of my men will be leaving these walls. Boy or not, I don’t trust your order enough to risk their lives.”

  Kenneth got up slowly and stood in front of the man. In spite of the captain’s stature, Kenneth dwarfed him. “Are you telling me you are going to leave him to die?” he asked. Kenneth’s tone was oddly calm, which seemed to set the captain even more off balance.

  In spite of this, the captain lifted his chin again. Aaron could tell he was trying to be tough, but there was a hint of fear in his tone. “If he is down there with those things, then that boy is already dead.”

  The moment the man spoke the word “dead,” Kenneth slammed his fist into the captain’s face, sending him flying off his feet and into the wooden wall behind him, which shuddered and sent plumes of dust from the gaps of the boards into the air. The captain slumped to the ground. Aaron saw cracks in the wood where his back had struck. The captain held his hand to his nose, which poured blood between his fingers. Without a word, Kenneth walked to the door. With a single kick it flew open hard enough to crack and splinter the wood around the latch. A moment after he walked out, several guards rushed in. Upon seeing the captain on the floor, they rushed to his aid.

  Claudia crossed her arms and looked down at the captain. “You’re lucky he only punched you.”

  Aaron walked out of the room and outside. He scanned the street until he caught sight of Kenneth heading back toward the north gate. Aaron ran to catch up to him. When he did, Kenneth
didn’t even turn to look at him as they walked.

  “Kenneth!” Aaron said. “Where are you going?” Aaron stepped in front of him, but Kenneth moved around him without speaking and continued down the street. Frustrated, Aaron started shouting at him, “Kenneth, what are you doing?”

  “I won’t let him die down there,” Kenneth replied without breaking stride.

  “So what’s your plan? The way we came out is blocked!”

  Aaron knew there was another entrance, but they had no idea where it was. The one they had exited was now blocked by a cave-in. They hadn’t planned on blocking their way back into the cavern, but when they’d emerged it was still well before sunrise. Instead of retreating into their caves, the satlis would have pursued them into the forest. Out in the open, they would have had no chance against the creatures. So Claudia had used an ingera as a last resort—two, in fact. She’d lit them and tossed them up the slope over the mouth of the cavern as they exited. A loud blast had followed, and then a wave of force Aaron had never experienced knocked the breath out of him. When he’d looked back, the cave had been blocked by rubble from a rockslide caused by the curious orbs.

  Kenneth gritted his teeth and set his jaw firmly: “I’m going to find the other entrance and bring him out.”

  “How? You have no idea where it is!”

  They reached the north gate. Kenneth shoved aside the guard by the manway. “Then I’ll find it.” He threw the door open and walked out without looking back.

  Aaron stared for a moment in disbelief. Kenneth was acting irrationally. It was nearly impossible to find one particular cave in a mountain range that was dotted with them. Without knowing what else to do, Aaron turned around and started back. Hopefully Claudia would go and talk some sense into Kenneth. He would just have to hurry before he got too far from the city. He rushed past confused bystanders and nearly fell more than once before he found Claudia as she was leaving the clinic. Her face was beet red and her hands balled into fists.

  “Claudia!” Aaron said. “Kenneth went out the gate. He said he’s going after Daniel.”

  She brushed past him. “So am I.”

  Aaron stood still, dumbfounded. Everyone was brushing him off and ignoring what actually made sense. The chances of finding the entrance were so slim that without a detailed map of the mountains or a guide who knew the area, they had no way of knowing where to look. It didn’t help that Kenneth and Claudia were outright ignoring him, something he was entirely unused to.

  He followed her. Like Kenneth, she never turned to look at him as he spoke. “You want to find one cave in a range of mountains stretching from one coast to the other,” he said. “How are the three of us supposed to do that? It could come out near the peaks for all we know.”

  “Two of us. You’re staying here.”

  For a moment he struggled to speak. “I-I’m what?”

  Now Claudia stopped to face him. “Aaron, it was one thing to take you through the den because we didn’t have a choice. But now we do. You will stay here and wait. We’ll be gone for no more than two days regardless of what we find.” She turned and began walking again.

  “But I can help! He’s my friend. You have to let me come!” Only now did the words actually hit him. Daniel was his friend, his only one. Despite the many other things afforded to him, Aaron had never had the luxury of friends.

  They reached the gates. Claudia placed her hands on his shoulders. “Aaron, I’m sorry, but no. Kenneth and I will move faster on our own and we’ll be out there after dark in satlis hunting grounds. It’s not safe for you.” She reached into a pouch at her belt and withdrew five silver marks. “Here,” she said. “Take this. There’s an inn right here by the gate. Rent a room and wait.”

  Aaron tried desperately to come up with an excuse as to why he had to go with them. “What about the guards?” he asked. “Kenneth just assaulted the watch captain. They won’t be happy with us. Is it smart to just leave me here?”

  “I smoothed it over with him as best I could. If you just stay at the inn they’ll leave you alone.”

  The guard opened the manway for Claudia. She left just as Kenneth had, leaving Aaron to throw up his arms in frustration as he watched her go. At this point there was nothing for him to do but wait for them to return. He looked around until he located the inn and strode over, his head low and his mind racing. Without breaking stride, he pushed the front door open. The inn’s main room was smaller than he had expected, with only a few people sitting at the bar enjoying a drink and another couple across the room next to a hearth set in the wall. Walking slowly, his eyes looking at the floor, Aaron approached the bar and waited for the tender to finish serving a young girl her drink.

  “What can I do for you, young man?” The bartender spoke with a gruff, gravelly tone.

  “I just need a room for a couple of days,” Aaron said. He handed him the marks, which the bartender quickly took and counted.

  When he was done, he nodded. “I’ll go get you a key.” He disappeared into the back room, leaving Aaron to stare at the bar top as he waited.

  After a few long moments, the girl across the bar leaned toward him. “You look like you need a drink,” she said.

  Aaron glanced at her as she slid him a full mug, presumably hers.

  The bartender returned and handed Aaron a small rusty, key. “Second on the left. Stairs are through that door.” He motioned to the back of the room.

  Aaron thanked him and ordered a bowl of stew. Now that there was a moment to sit still he suddenly realized he hadn’t eaten in well over twelve hours. The man again disappeared into the back. The girl across from him got up and moved to the seat next to Aaron. She leaned forward and smiled.

  “I’m Griffon,” she said. “You’re the guy that came in with those Dragon Guards, right? What’s your name?”

  “Aaron.”

  “So what happened to the one with the blonde hair? She looked pretty bad when you all showed up.”

  Aaron didn’t answer. He just sat with his head in his hands.

  Griffon bit her lip. “So . . . where are your Dragon Guard friends?”

  He turned to look at her. “Look, Griffon, I’m kind of having a bad day. One of my friends might die, another might already be dead, and I’m stuck here by myself for about two days until the other two get back. So I’d really like to be left alone right now.”

  They were quiet for a while. She swirled her drink before taking a sip. The bartender returned and placed a bowl in front of Aaron before leaving to attend to some new arrivals.

  Aaron lifted his spoon as Griffon spoke again: “So what happened to all of you?”

  He dropped his spoon into the bowl, causing several drops of the thick brown broth to splash out and spread as they landed on the smooth bar top. He rubbed his temples. “You don’t give up, do you?” he said.

  “It’s kind of a new thing for me. So what happened?”

  “Do you want the long version?”

  She shrugged. “Seems like we both have the time.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  25th of Horace, 26th year of the Fourth Age.

  A sharp, throbbing, nearly unbearable pain was all Daniel could feel. There was nothing but a constant pulse that originated in his right ribcage and spread outward, in a beat matching the rhythm of his heart. Daniel tried to sit up and was greeted with shooting pain so intense that it threatened to make him black out. In spite of the overwhelming discomfort, he managed to sit up and gently place a hand on his side. Fresh waves of pain made him wince and lay down again. He slowed his breathing and kept it shallow, which helped somewhat.

  He strained his eyes to see anything around him, but he was in total darkness. He didn’t feel his pack on his shoulders, so he started to grope the cold ground, hoping it had landed nearby. After nearly a minute of finding only rock, he started to panic. What if it had fal
len off of him during his tumble and was stuck along the slope? What if there was another drop near him that he couldn’t see? Daniel’s mind raced with countless scenarios that only intensified his fear. Finally, he felt his fingers brush over a thick leather shoulder strap. He uttered an audible sigh of relief that made his side flare with fresh pain.

  Daniel pulled the pack to him. His stomach sank when he found no torch strapped to the bottom. With another sigh, he resumed his blind search. It had to have landed near the pack. He ran his hands over the dirt and across stones for only a few moments until he gripped the smooth wood. He relaxed slightly and placed it across his knees as he started to rummage through the pack. He was surprised and thankful that the glass vial of oil had remained intact. He quickly uncorked it and poured some onto the rope wrapped around the end of the torch, trying his best not to waste a drop. Using a quarter of the vial, he then resealed it and pulled his fire-starting kit from the pack. It was a rough steel file, along with a square of spark stone with a small handle attached to one side. He gripped the handle in one hand and started to drag the file across the stone, sending sparks down to the soaked rope and bursts of light that illuminated the dark cave in quick, blinding flashes.

  After several attempts, a flame flickered to life. Daniel held the torch aloft for several moments as the flame grew and his eyes adjusted. When he was able to see properly, he stood and scanned his surroundings. His sword lay just at the edge of the light. He quickly retrieved it and placed it back in the sheath. The simple weight of it reassured him, causing him to breathe a sigh of relief. He looked at the slope he had tumbled down. It was far too steep for him to climb in his condition. Even if he could, he wasn’t sure he would want to. The sun had surely risen at this point, so the satlis that hadn’t been in the cave before would be now.

  Instead, Daniel chose to make his way down the tunnel. Barden had told them this path would lead out eventually. He just hoped it wasn’t too far. He kept one hand on the wall as he walked, making sure to check behind him periodically, though he had no idea what he would do if he found something following him. It just made him feel more in control of the situation. For a long while, he walked with only the sounds of his light breathing and footfalls to accompany him in the hollow tunnel. When he came to a steep upward slope, he paused to examine it.