Julian had listened in intense silence, but knew Robin was not to blame for Ruben’s death. The only people to blame were Spencer and Julian’s foolish brother.
Julian had known Robin for a long time. He had even been the one to first teach Julian to use a sword and the little bit of magic he knew. Julian had been about thirteen years old and he loved every session they had together. King Ruben eventually began working outside of the kingdom, however, and Julian started seeing Robin less and less as the captain accompanied the king in his travels. The thought had never occurred to Julian that he could possibly be king someday and that Robin would be there to try to protect him from harm. It was good to be with an old friend again. But being old friends didn’t mean he had to tell Robin what he was up to. It wasn’t Robin’s business. It was only Julian’s.
He had told Robin that it was a diplomatic mission in an attempt to show the smaller villages that they were just as important to their king as were the larger cities. Robin nodded and smiled, no doubt thinking the mission was pointless, but of course, he held his tongue.
Julian had dressed himself in his dark hunting cloak, which he felt was considerably more comfortable that the usual ‘kingly’ garb he wore during his working hours. Where he was going he wanted to lay low, and he wasn’t sure how he would accomplish this with all the soldiers riding behind him in the red royal armor. At some point he was going to order them to stay behind. Robin would have a fit, but he would ultimately have to listen to the king wouldn’t he?
They traveled mostly in silence, passing by several villages and towns along the way. In each place they passed, people would stare as they paraded by. Julian couldn’t help but smile as a group of children marched side-by-side with the Guard, pretending to be grand soldiers until their mothers called them back. Some villagers seemed honored and stood at attention as the travelers on horseback passed. Others waved cheerfully, and some barely looked up before getting back to their duties.
By the early afternoon they had come to the outskirts of Homestead. As Julian stopped his horse, Robin raised his fist as an order for the others to do likewise. Robin gave Julian a puzzled look and asked him if anything was wrong.
Julian tapped his finger on his thigh, thinking of what he would say. For some reason he felt nervous, like he would get in trouble if he asked to go in alone. It was stupid, he knew, but he had never been in this situation before. He decided that asking would not be the way to go about it. He was the king. He would order it.
“I want you and the rest of the men to stay here until I get back,” Julian said not taking his eyes away from Homestead. He wanted to look nonchalant about it, as though it were a simple order that would be taken easily, but he knew he just didn’t want to face the unbelieving stare of Robin.
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but that’s out of the question,” Robin said with a bit of hesitation. “Homestead isn’t the most reputable place in Marenon. I would not be doing my job if I let you go in there alone.”
“You wouldn’t be doing your job if you didn’t follow my orders.” Julian bit his lip as he said the words, knowing he should not have let them pass his lips. He was coming across as rude and authoritative to a man that had known him since he was a child. His words reminded him of Morgan and he hated it.
Robin sat on the horse without speaking, clearly put in his place. Julian tore his eyes from the small town and looked at the man apologetically.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” he said. He pulled his horse in front of Robin’s so he could face him directly. In a low voice, almost a whisper, he spoke. “I didn’t exactly tell you the truth about my reason for coming here,” he explained.
Robin said nothing.
“I’m looking for someone, a man named Wilkes. He’s got information about something that I need to figure out, and I can’t go marching in there with fifty soldiers. I have to be more discreet than that.”
“I’ve already lost one king by heeding that command,” Robin said. “I request that you will be willing to at least let me go with you. Surely I would not be putting your mission at risk by being near you, my lord.”
Julian considered his words for a moment. Having Robin next to him would be undoubtedly beneficial should things not work as planned. What if Spencer was sending Julian to a trap and Wilkes was a hired thug to kill Julian when he came calling? Spencer would have known that Julian would come asking questions wouldn’t he? The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea of Robin coming. He still didn’t want the whole Royal Guard to follow him, but one other sword would prove helpful indeed.
“Your colors,” Julian said as he raised his eyebrows in appraisal of his friend. “Do you have anything less…red?”
A faint hint of a grin formed at the corner of Robin’s mouth as he crawled off his horse and dug into his saddlebag for supplies. “They’ll never know men of Farlaweer ever came into their midst as far as I’m concerned,” Robin said.
After changing his armor and ordering the rest of the troops to make camp far from viewing range of the town, Robin got back in his saddle and the two made their way to Homestead.
The village was small, but not so small that it didn’t carry some measure of defense. To the east and south of the town was an open field of grass that seemed to have no end. The north and west part of the town was covered by wooded terrain. Encircling the village stood a thick wooden wall with each post sharpened to a point. It was by no means Farlaweer Castle or even Jekyll Rock for that matter, but it could hold its own.
The two of them finally reached the gate where two guards stood at the entrance carrying a couple of axes, large enough to cut through a horse. From the looks of them, Julian wondered if they weren’t so much as guards as they were merely two men who were on watch as part of their weekly duty. One of them held up an arm as they approached.
“Ho there!”
Julian lifted a hand in acceptance. “How goes it?” Julian called back.
The man walked closer as the horses came to a stop. Both of them were untidy, almost dirty, and very stocky with thick bulging arms. Judging by their blackened hands and soot-covered hair, Julian figured they might be the town’s blacksmiths, which would mean they probably made the axes themselves.
“What brings you to Homestead, friends?”
They weren’t hostile, their words were friendly, but the axes in their hands were warning signs telling troublemakers not to mess with them. Julian liked them instantly.
“I’m traveling from Farlaweer on my way to Berato,” Julian said. “I was hoping one of you fine gentlemen could show us to the nearest pub where we can settle down for the evening.”
“Still got a few hours till dark don’t ya?” asked the one on the right.
Julian nodded. “I get thirsty real early if you know what I mean,” he grinned mischievously, hoping one of them would bite.
The two guards looked at each other and the one on the left nodded. “I’ll show you where it is.”
“Great!” Julian said as he and Robin dismounted their horses. The guard from the left walked next to them as they entered the city, still holding his axe firm and ready. Julian assumed this was merely standard procedure, and not a threatening gesture.
“Sorry about the hesitation,” the guard said. “It’s not often we get outsiders and when we do, we like to be careful. We’ve heard the Stühocs have been on the move. We know you ain’t Stühocs, but you can never be too careful, you know?”
“Oh, I know,” Julian said.
“The name’s Charlie,” he said, extending a hand. Julian and Robin both shook it as they continued to walk. “The other guard you saw was my brother Travis. He’s only been in Marenon about four months. Got shot in the war.”
Julian raised an eyebrow. “War?”
Charlie nodded. “Yep. Big one. Travis said it’s Earth’s biggest yet. I don’t guess it matters here so much.”
The three walked together down the streets of Homestead. It was not
a crowded bustling city like Farlaweer or Canor, but more spread out and spacious while still teeming with life. People seemed generally happy. Some small children played with each other as their mothers watched. Some worked diligently at their jobs and all went about their day, not even noticing the Human king of Marenon and his royal guard. This is good, Julian thought.
After a few minutes, Charlie pointed to a small pub to his left, and showed them where they could tie up their horses. Julian offered to pay him for his assistance, but Charlie refused. “Today it’s my job to defend and help,” he said. With a wave, he turned and walked back to his post at the end of the town.
Julian and Robin both walked into the pub and were instantly hit with a cloud of smoke and the strong smell of alcohol. Julian hadn’t expected it to be so busy so early in the day but it was crowded. Good. They found two seats at the bar and the bartender walked up to them. He was a small man, skin-and-bones and pale as a ghost, but he seemed friendly enough.
“New faces! Haven’t seen any new faces in while now. What drink are you having?”
“We’re looking for someone,” Julian said right out. “His name is Wilkes, do you know him?”
The man’s smile vanished quickly and was replaced by narrowing eyes and long scowl. “I’d prefer if the two of you just bought drinks and went on your way. Or you can skip the drinks and just leave now.”
Julian raised an eyebrow. “I’m sorry, is there something wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” the man said tapping his fingers on the bar. “I just need you to order a drink or leave.”
“You obviously know something about this man, now please, just tell us where we can find him.”
The bartender stood unfazed by Julian’s raised voice. Instead he looked over their shoulders and nodded to someone in the back corner. When Julian and Robin turned they were met by a very large man whose sleeves could not conceal the massive stone-like muscles underneath.
“They don’t seem interested in ordering anything,” the bartender told the man. “I thought I’d give them another chance to get a drink or leave. Then it’s up to you.” He looked back down at Julian and Robin. “Now, gentlemen, what are you having?”
Julian sat with his jaw clenched tight. Robin tapped him on the back. “I think we should probably go, Your Highness.”
Julian couldn’t help but wince at Robin’s words.
“Pshht… Your Highness?” the bartender mocked. “Who’s this guy, the king of Farlaweer?” A few men who had been listening in let out a small chuckle. “I really don’t like the strange type that come in here,” the man said. He reached down behind the bar and pulled out a long dagger and stabbed the blade into the wooden bar, leaving his fist wrapped around the handle. “In fact,” he continued, “when I see strange guys come in here, not even bothering to get a drink, asking about people they shouldn’t be asking about, I start to think they just might be one of the enemies.”
Robin instantly grabbed for his sword, but Julian held up a staying hand, not looking away from the bartender.
“Listen friend,” he said, lowering his voice below a whisper. “I’m not an enemy. I am the king at Farlaweer and I’m looking for a man named Wilkes. Tell me where I can find him.”
The bartender burst out in laughter and smacked his hand against the bar, causing Julian to jump unexpectedly. “Did you hear that boys? This guy’s the king! The real Human king, sitting in a pub in Homestead Village!”
This caused several to laugh out wildly, while most others just kept to themselves, not wanting to be bothered with anything. The bartender’s face suddenly became very serious as he looked up to the large man behind Julian and Robin, and motioned to the back door. Before either of them could draw a weapon, the man grabbed the two by their cloaks and pulled them off their seats. He dragged them through the back door where they came to a back ally, hidden from view of any passerby. Julian and Robin both yelled to be let go. The large man threw them to the dirt and stood ready, daring either of them to try and fight him. Of course, Robin instantly drew his sword, standing in front of his king to protect him.
“No!” Julian said, half to Robin, half to the oversized man. “We don’t want a fight. We just wanted to find out some information.” He desperately didn’t want a bloodbath. He was confident in his abilities with the sword and magic to eventually be able to defeat the man, but he didn’t want to fight. This man was a citizen of Marenon. It would not do well to have him killed or injured by the king, or the king’s bodyguard.
“If you let us go, we’ll be on our way,” Julian said.
The man just snarled more, not acknowledging that words had even been spoken to him. Julian wondered if the man even knew that he was talking. He reached under his cloak, feeling for his dagger, knowing he may have to fight if it came to it.
Behind the large man, the back door of the pub opened slowly and the small bartender came into view with a loaded crossbow in his hands, pointing it at Julian. Robin instantly put himself between the arrow and Julian.
“The only reason you’re not dead right now is because your little guard-dog here called you Your Highness,” the bartender said. “When somebody comes in asking for Wilkes, I ask them what they’re drinking and they tell me that a water with lemon will suffice. You said no such thing. So tell me, why shouldn’t I put this arrow between your eyes right now? I’m giving you one chance to answer, so you better make it count,” he said training his sight on Julian’s head.
Releasing his hold on the dagger underneath his cloak, Julian reached his hand to his neck and pulled out the chain holding the golden key underneath. “This is why.”
A look of recognition spread across the bartender’s face and he lowered the crossbow slightly. “Where did you get that?”
“I don’t know any secret words, I don’t know what this key opens. I just need to find a man named Wilkes. I’ve been told he can tell me what this is for.” Julian let out a breath, not able to even guess what the man would do next. “Please tell me where I can find him.”
The bartender looked at the ground for a moment then back up to Julian and let out a sigh. “I don’t know who gave you that key, and I don’t know who you are, but I can show you to him.”
“You can?” Julian said, relieved.
The bartender nodded. “Yeah, you’re looking at him.”
Chapter Six
Nalani Geldwin wiped the sweat from her forehead and handed the scope to Alric Thirsk on her left as the huge man on her right, Coffman, struggled to pull the dusty cloak over his head. The noonday sun was beating down on them in the desert dunes and Nalani knew they wouldn’t last long in the blistering heat without shelter.
They had left the three sarians about a mile back because they were so close to the city and the small group needed to be completely covert. Before Nalani left, Julian had given her a small whistle, identical to his own, that now hung around her neck. The call would summon the sarians to her whenever she would need them. It was a nice gesture by Julian, but she hoped she wouldn’t need it.
“All I can see are fumes,” Alric said. “Coffman, you got anymore water?”
“We’re out,” the big man answered.
“We gotta move.”
Nalani nodded. This was her mission and she was happy to have Alric and Coffman with her. No others knew the terrain quite like they did, and she needed all the help she could get. She had spent the past five or six months planning a way to get the orange medallion from Voelif, but every plan seemed to have holes in it. Finally when the mercenaries showed up and she learned of their knowledge of Eastern Marenon, she knew she would have to ask them for help. The fact that Coffman and Alric agreed to help came as a complete surprise to her. She had no money to offer them, nothing but the satisfaction that came in knowing it was for a good cause.
Alric didn’t seem to care much about good causes, but his companions did. Coffman seemed to have a heart of gold that wanted to help everybody. Inga was so enthral
led with Silas, the Meshulan, that she wanted nothing more than to stay and help train him. Nalani sensed that Lorcan wanted to be near Inga, but Alric? Alric didn’t care so much about the Dunarians. They had never done anything for him other than pay too much for one medallion. But here he was, working for free, offering his services. She knew Alric craved the adventure, but to do it without payment wasn’t usually his style. She didn’t expect him to have the same loyalty to The Reckoning as she did. He never would. Nalani felt that her devotion to the cause was as strong as anyone’s. With the threat of betrayal within the council’s ranks, she knew she had to remain strong. For all she knew, she and Kaden were the only ones left on the council who weren’t secretly working with the Stühocs.
With the constant thought that danger loomed in every hallway, she felt relieved to be under the burning sun, so near to the enemy city. It felt safer somehow. Of course there had been no proof yet. The idea that the council was working for the Stühocs seemed to be an absurd accusation, but Julian had felt so sure about it. She knew he would be working to find the proof somehow. She hoped desperately that Julian was wrong, though.
She shook her head, trying to erase the thoughts from her mind. It didn’t matter now. She had a job to do, council or no council. She reached down into her pack, pulling out the Nestorian mask and Alric did the same. The mask was flat until the bridge of the nose where it then protruded to accommodate for a large nose. It was wooden, though the holes for eyes provided no cover. Putting on a mask in this kind of heat seemed like a horrible idea, but there was no other way they would get into the city. The plan was simple. Since Coffman was too big to be a Nestorian of Voelif, he would have to pose as their prisoner, another slave to add to the camps.
The Marenon Chronicles Collection Page 34