Silas nodded, letting the revelation sink in. “You said there were three conditions?”
“The third condition was that when we got back to Marenon that I would give you the medallion and send you to find him.”
“The Gatekeeper wants to speak with me?”
“Yes,” Garland answered. “Those were his conditions.”
“Kaden killed Marcus and Theron,” Silas said with a dazed stare. “We almost got away from the Stühocs, but they swarmed the mountain. We didn’t have a chance and now Kaden is their prisoner.”
“That is quite unfortunate,” Garland said scratching his chin.
“And Maroke has the blue medallion,” Silas continued.
Garland nodded. “Another puzzle we must solve.”
“We have to save him, Grandpa.”
Garland waited for a moment then sighed. “We can’t,” he said.
“What do you mean we can’t?”
“He’s too heavily guarded. A rescue attempt would be futile.”
Silas could feel his cheeks burn red. “You mean to say that after all the two of you have gone through, you’re going to just let him rot with the Stühocs?”
“I don’t like it any more than you do, Silas, but we have no other choice.”
Silas stepped back, away from Garland. “That doesn’t sound like you. I’ve never known you to be so callous.”
“Things are different here.”
“No, they aren’t! He’s your friend, you have to help him!”
Garland held up a hand. “Silas, you don’t understand.”
“Don’t tell me I don’t understand! You didn’t train me for seventeen years just to sit and do nothing while someone who gave up his life for me is in chains awaiting execution.”
Perhaps it was his exhaustion or maybe nerves, but anger boiled inside of Silas. He had never been so furious with his grandfather and he had never seen Garland act so coldhearted either. Silas stared at him for a long moment, turned away and began walking. He didn’t know where he was going, but there was no way he was going to let Kaden be destroyed by the Stühocs.
Chapter Twenty-Two
It had been several hours since the group’s arrival at Jekyll Rock and all were exhausted. Julian had given Alric and his gang the payment he had promised from the beginning. It was a large chunk out of the Dunarian budget, but to Julian, it was worth having two medallions in his pocket. There were now only four more to go and they would have this weapon that Holden had told him about. Or at least, Julian would have the weapon. There was no way that Holden would ever get his hands on the medallions if Julian had anything to say about it. He had asked Dublin where Holden had gone and all the old man could say was that there was uncertain business that he needed to attend to and that he would be gone for several days. Dublin found this curious as well.
“It’s no’ often that a member of the Dunarian Council takes off for days at a time and doesn’t say where they’re goin’. I don’ understand what’s becomin’ of the crazy lot o’ yeh.”
Even given the circumstances, Julian couldn’t help but smile at the old man’s animation. There was one thing for sure: Dublin was no traitor. There was not a man more loyal to a cause than he.
Julian wondered what Holden was up to. He guessed that Holden was certain of his presence in Farlaweer castle by now, so he would be suspicious of what Julian had discovered there. Julian knew that Holden was somewhere meeting with the enemy, plotting a new way to get his hands on the medallions and to kill Julian. The man was probably afraid for his life too. With Julian on the warpath there would be no guarantee that he wouldn’t try to kill Holden. But Julian was playing his cards as close as possible. There was no telling who was on Holden’s side.
Word had obviously not yet spread of King Morgan Hobbes’s death. There was probably pandemonium at the castle in Farlaweer, but the people of Canor would not know of his death for several more days. News would then travel to every corner of Marenon and the discussion about a new king would be conducted. Julian knew his brother had not named anyone to be his successor. There was no one that Morgan trusted. This left the throne open to the people to decide who would be the next king. Normally the king’s council of advisors would have a say in the matter, but that group now consisted of only Spencer. Even Spencer could not devise a way to have so much power that he could choose the next king alone, or declare himself so. Julian knew Marenon needed a king that was sympathetic to the Dunarians. It was the only way that The Reckoning could be seen to the end.
The Reckoning. Garland Ainsley had built the operation and Julian needed a strong ally more than ever. He thought that if he could trust anyone to remain true to The Reckoning that surely the one that created it would be the one to confide in. That is unless Garland had created it for a purpose entirely different than what Julian and the rest had been told. Julian doubted this. He knew in his heart that the goal was to eradicate the Stühocs from Marenon forever and send them back to where they belonged. But it was turning into something entirely different by Holden who took advantage of Garland and Kaden’s absence.
Julian paced the halls of Jekyll Rock, distractedly making his way to the dining area.
The dinning hall was through an entrance to his left, but before he turned to join the others, he saw Garland looking out over the city atop the eastern balcony. The man looked as though something had been troubling him and Julian suspected it could be a number of things. Julian walked to meet Garland. He didn’t have the chance to consult with Nalani first about talking to the old man. She would either confirm his instinct or reject it, but he was already determined to ask for Garland’s help, regardless of the outcome.
As he stepped onto the balcony the wind caught his long, brown hair, tousling it to his right. Garland said nothing as Julian approached his side. He was deep in thought.
“Things not go so well with Silas?” Julian asked.
Garland remained silent. The golden sun was slowly falling behind the mountains on the horizon. Garland seemed content to see it off for its journey until it returned the next morning. Julian couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for the man. He wasn’t quite sure why, but Garland seemed sad.
“I want to apologize for the way I lashed out at you in front of the council the other day,” Julian said. “We have been working so hard to obtain a goal and I just didn’t want to see things go wrong.”
Garland broke his gaze with the falling sun only to stare down into the Dunarian city below him. Merchants and shop owners were beginning to close their doors, making their way with the crowds headed for the taverns to sip a cool beverage after a long day of work. “I understand,” Garland said. “I would have done the same if I were in your position.”
“We have worked so hard, but it is for nothing,” Julian said. This caused Garland to finally look Julian in the eyes.
“We have a common enemy and it’s not just the Stühocs,” Julian continued.
Garland didn’t speak, but his stare was confirmation that he wanted to hear more of what Julian had to say.
Julian took a deep breath. This was it. He was putting everything on the line. “I didn’t fail to get the medallion from Farlaweer the other night. I have it with me right now.”
“You what?” Garland said.
Julian raised a hand. “Calm down, old man, I’m not lying about the medallion for my own gain here. I’ve been lying about it to keep it from Holden.”
“Why?” Garland asked.
Julian dared to tell the man what he had witnessed inside the castle. He told him of the meeting with Spencer, Holden and Maroke. He decided, however, not to mention anything of the king’s death. It was a side issue that would have to be dealt with at another time.
Julian then linked the meeting with Holden’s mysterious disappearance.
“Yes, that is quite odd,” Garland said looking toward the sunset again.
Julian told Garland every possible reason Holden might be doing such a thing, b
ut still had no conclusion to offer.
“This is a sensitive matter,” Julian said. “We have no idea who is loyal to Holden. You, myself and Nalani are the only ones that know about Holden’s plot as far as I can tell.”
Garland nodded. “We need to keep it that way.”
“And what of Kaden?” Julian asked. “We have to help him somehow.”
“For now, Kaden stays where he is,” Garland answered.
Julian was about to ask him why he thought this was the best course of action, but he was stifled by the sound of approaching steps.
“Good Sirs!” said Dublin. “Dinner is served. Please make your way into the dinin’ hall. The others are already seated.”
The two of them looked at each other, both knowing that they were at an understanding not to speak about their conversation until later.
*****
As the group started to gather around the prepared table, a cloud of awkwardness shrouded them. Silas’ anger toward his grandfather was subdued only momentarily when Inga walked into the room. Nalani had provided her with a soft green dress that wrapped around her body like a flower ready to bloom in the spring, yet it flowed as gracefully as a willow tree. His breath was taken from him and his excitement heightened even more when she walked to where he was seated and asked if she was welcome to sit next to him for the dinner. At first he was speechless. He then shook his head to bring himself to reality and stood to pull back a seat for her.
“Of course, Inga,” he said. “You look…” Again words escaped him. Her beauty had bewitched him since the moment he had first seen her, but seeing her dressed in clothes of femininity was tantalizing.
“Are you going to ever finish that thought, Silas Ainsley?” she asked as she sat down with an eyebrow raised.
“You’re perfect.” The words came out before he could stop them. A rush of blood ran to his cheeks as he took his own seat next to her at the far end of the table. Coffman and Alric came into the hall and sat directly across from Inga and Silas. Silas felt another twinge of jealousy when Inga motioned for Lorcan to sit next to her on the other side. He hated that he felt that way, but his initial animosity toward Lorcan had yet to be shaken even though the Erellen had saved his life.
Nalani came in the dining hall followed by Julian and Garland, both of whom did not look overly excited about the dinner before them. Julian sat to Silas’ left with Nalani across from him and Garland sat at the other end of the table. Silas’ jealous twinge was replaced with his newfound anger against his grandfather who had just told him that nothing was going to be done about Kaden’s capture. He still couldn’t believe his grandfather. That was not how Silas had been raised. Of course, Silas hadn’t been raised in a place where the Stühocs roamed freely and the potential to be eaten by a dragon was an actual threat, but that was not the point. The point was principle. The Stühocs would torture the man until he broke in an effort to turn his loyalties. Kaden had told him of that danger in the caves before he killed Silas. Kaden had saved him from a fate that many would consider worse than death.
When all were finally seated, Dublin gestured for the servers and cooks to bring out the meal. The table was full within minutes and rows of duck, turkey and ham towered through the middle surrounded by bread, cakes, fruits and vegetables. It was more than enough for the group of eight individuals, and it was a welcome, hearty meal. Everyone dug in without needing to be told.
“Will you be leaving us in the morning?” Garland asked Alric.
Alric’s mouth was stuffed and could not speak. He held up a finger to say he would answer momentarily, but Inga beat him to it.
“Yes,” she said. “We will be gone in the morning.”
“Where will you go?” Garland said.
Alric had swallowed and looked at his three comrades. “This was, uh, kind of our biggest job in a while and the Dunarians have paid well for our services. I think we might take some time off from working for a little bit. We’ll lay low and start again in a few months. We haven’t decided.”
“Going into Anwyn territory and stealing their prized possessions and managing to come out alive is quite an accomplishment,” Garland said. “Not many would be able to do such a thing.”
Alric gave a glance at Silas and blushed. He never thought his plan would have worked without a sacrifice. He looked back at Garland. “We are the best, sir. I’m sure that’s why Mr. Hobbes hired us in the first place.”
“Your reputation precedes you,” Julian said not looking up from his plate.
Silas’ face lit up with an idea as it struck him like lightening. He kept it to himself as Garland prodded Alric for stories about their adventures on some of the jobs they had done. Alric told about how they had all been nearly killed several times, but escaped because some member of their team possessed a skill that they needed. Inga, Lorcan and Coffman chimed in as they relived their adventures. However, they all avoided talking about the recent job in Timugo so as not to dwell on the plan of using Silas as bait.
The new idea in Silas’ brain churned with each passing story until he convinced himself that what he had just thought would be the best plan of action. There would be a way of rescuing Kaden from the Stühocs in Mudavé. But it could only be done if he had support from those who knew how to run covert missions. He stared at them intently. Before asking any of them to do such a thing, Silas had to be one hundred percent sure that there was no plan to help Kaden. Garland had made his plans obviously clear, but he was going to give his grandfather one last chance.
“Marenon is full of adventures, isn’t it?” Garland said with a smile after one of Alric’s stories.
“It sure is,” Silas said. “Speaking of adventures, I’ve got one that will top them all.” Silas stood, all eyes fixed on him. “This one was recent, in fact. I remember just like it was yesterday. Here I am, searching for some stupid medallion with my grandfather. He gets shot, and from the dead he sends me a protector named Kaden!”
“Silas,” Garland said, narrowing his eyes.
“I’m not finished,” Silas said as he held up a hand to Garland. “All of a sudden, hordes of Stühocs come after me for some reason I don’t know. After hours and hours of fighting and running, Kaden and I find ourselves cornered and he looks at me and stabs me through the heart!”
“Silas.”
“In the few moments that I’m suspended above my body, I see that Kaden is being bound and taken by the Stühocs and I wake up in a world where I have to fight monsters, steal more medallions and fly on giant birds to get from place to place. On top of that I find out that I’ve been lied to about my parents my whole life and I’m part of some sort of ancient prophecy.”
“Silas,” Garland said a little more loudly.
“And this is the best part!” Silas began walking around the table, all his words directed toward Garland. “Just before I get to eat a scrumptious meal of roast duck and buttered bread, I am told that the man that saved me from the fate of the Stühocs will have to stay in that hellhole for the rest of his days because there is, I quote: nothing we can do about it.”
“Silas!” Garland stood, his face red and jaws clenched. “You don’t know what you are talking about!”
“I know exactly what I’m talking about,” he came back. “I’m talking about risking my life to help someone that did the same for me. I’m talking about you risking your life to help someone that is about to lose his because of something you ordered him to do!”
“One does not simply walk into Mudavé, break into their prisons and rescue a captive. You are talking about a certain death.”
“Will you help me get him out of Mudavé?” Silas asked.
“Silas, please listen to me.”
“Will you help me get him out of Mudavé?” Silas repeated spit flying.
Garland took a deep breath, never turning his gaze from Silas’ eyes. “Kaden Osric sacrificed his life to keep you from becoming one of them. I will not help you make his sacrifice meaningless.”
They stood there glaring for a long moment. The room was silent as the others watched the grandfather and grandson. Neither would budge and neither would win. Silas turned away from his grandfather and walked out of the dining hall without another word. Garland may not have been willing to help Silas get Kaden back from the Stühocs, but one thing was for sure, Alric Thirsk still owed Silas a favor.
Chapter Twenty-Three
It was near midnight and everyone in Jekyll Rock seemed to be sound asleep except for Silas. For most of the night he had paced his room trying to figure out exactly what he was going to say to Alric to convince him to guide Silas to Mudavé. No persuasive words came to his mind, so he finally just decided to go in and demand it.
He walked down the long hallway, candle in hand until he finally reached the room where Alric was sleeping. He could hear snores of exhausted men roaring through the rough, thick wood. Silas took a deep breath and opened it. When he walked in, he half expected to be greeted with a knife or a sword pointed at his chest, but Alric, Lorcan and Coffman were all sound asleep in their separate beds. There was no movement or even acknowledgement of Silas’ presence, only snorts and wheezes.
He walked to the far side of the room where the remnants of a roaring fire once blazed in the fireplace. Its embers were glowing slightly, the coals still hot. He set his candle down and placed two logs lying on the hearth onto the smoldering remains. Within a few minutes the fire began to catch and Silas added more logs until the room was bright and sweltering. He saw some movement from Alric’s bed.
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