The Mysterious Coin

by James E. Wisher

  “Wish us luck.” Yaz waved and nudged his horse.

  He and Brigid rode slowly towards the Cobb estate being careful to make no moves that might cause the guards to use their crossbows. They reined in ten paces from the closed gate, a massive oak and iron set of double doors twice as tall as Yaz. He hated to think of the battering ram you’d need to break that door down.

  A man in mail armor wearing a blue tabard with a wagon on it stood directly above the gate looking down at them. “What’s your business here?”

  “We were hoping to speak to Randall’s wife,” Yaz said. “We’re from Dragonspire Village. We believe he was kidnapped along with our families and many others. You haven’t heard from him, have you?”

  The guard looked hard at them. “What makes you think he was taken from there?”

  Yaz pulled the coin out of his pocket. “We found this outside the inn. I think he might have dropped it when he was taken.”

  The guard squinted, but it was doubtful he could make out any details from so far away. At last he said, “Wait there.”

  Five minutes passed, then ten. Yaz was beginning to think the guards were having a joke at their expense when a loud thud sounded from beyond the gate and it slowly swung inward. Ten guards, including the man from the wall, accompanied a woman in her midfifties. From the looks of her, she hadn’t slept in many nights. Her pale skin held an ashen tint and dark circles surrounded her eyes. The look of exhaustion combined with the fine, pale-green silk dress led Yaz to believe this was Randall’s wife.

  “Gerard says you believe my husband was taken from Dragonspire Village,” Lady Cobb said. “I have reason to believe he was taken on the road somewhere south of here. Why should I trust you?”

  Yaz offered the coin a second time. “We found this outside the inn in the village. A scholar in the City of Bells identified it as belonging to Randall. My name is Yazgrim Yeager, my father was village chief. I sold wolfskins to your husband a while back. My companion is Brigid Dahl. When we returned home everyone in the valley was missing without a trace. The only clue we found was this coin. If you can tell us anything at all, we would be most grateful.”

  She gestured at Gerard who hurried over to collect the coin. When he handed it to Lady Cobb, she gasped. Looked like they hadn’t been led astray. It was Randall’s coin.

  “It seems we have much to discuss,” Lady Cobb said. “Will you come in?”

  “Yes, ma’am. And thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me yet. I fear I have little to offer in the way of good news.” She turned to the guards. “You may return to your duties. Gerard, take their mounts to the stable.”

  The gathered men all gave Yaz and Brigid a hard look before dispersing. Lady Cobb had loyal retainers for sure.

  Yaz and Brigid dismounted, handed their reins to Gerard, and fell in beside Lady Cobb as she walked toward a large, single-story manor. The gate slammed shut behind them and a massive bar was set in place. It seemed a bit excessive for the middle of the day in a time of peace, but it wasn’t Yaz’s place to say anything.

  A female servant wearing a deep-green uniform opened the manor door at their approach. As she passed, Lady Cobb said, “We’ll have tea in the lounge.”

  The servant curtsied and closed the door behind them. Inside, the manor was a combination of home and museum. Relics of all sorts decorated tables and hung on the walls. Yaz recognized imperial busts, Kingdom of Aqua paintings, and a number of more modern pieces. In addition to the items he knew, there were dozens he’d never seen before. Years of exploring ruins had clearly left Randall with a fine collection. Even if he wanted to, Yaz couldn’t begin to calculate how much all this was worth.

  The first room they came to at the end of a long hall was filled with mahogany and leather furniture, two chairs and a couch surrounding a rectangular table that held a single rolled-up scroll. Lady Cobb sat in one of the chairs and waved them onto the couch.

  When they’d seated themselves, she said, “Tell me everything.”

  Yaz did as she asked, starting from when they returned to the valley and ending with their arrival here. What happened earlier was none of her concern. When he finished Yaz said, “You said you had reason to believe Randall was kidnapped on the road. Who told you that?”

  She raised a trembling hand and pointed at the scroll. “Read it.”

  Yaz and Brigid shared a look before he picked up the scroll and unrolled it. For Brigid’s benefit he read out loud. “We have your husband. He was captured while carelessly traveling the Great Eastern Road with only three guards. If you want to see him alive again, the price is one thousand gold scales. Our messenger will return in two days with instructions for delivery. Anything less than full compliance will result in his instant death.”

  Yaz returned the scroll to the table. The writing was crude, but legible, like the hand of someone barely literate. But some of the word choices gave the impression of someone educated. The combination felt wrong to Yaz.

  “That’s horrible,” Brigid said.

  “Did the kidnappers send any proof that they really had Randall?” Yaz asked.

  Lady Cobb nodded. “His wedding ring. I’m sure it’s genuine. What I don’t understand is, why would they lie about where they captured him? I mean, if he was snatched in your village, why not just say so?”

  “I wish I knew.” Yaz scratched his cheek. “When is the messenger due to return?”

  “Noon today. I have the scale they want. It’s a fortune, but not so much that I’d hesitate to trade it for Randall’s safe return.”

  “Assuming they keep their word,” Yaz said.

  Brigid swatted him on the shoulder. “Yaz!”

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it.”

  “No,” Lady Cobb said. “I’ve had the same thought myself, but what choice do I have? If I don’t give them what they want, Randall is dead for sure.”

  “I know you have no reason to trust us,” Yaz said. “But if we can be of any help, please ask. Randall might be the only person who can tell us what happened in the village and where our parents are.”

  “I accept,” Lady Cobb said instantly with a mix of hope and desperation. “Randall often spoke of the chief of Dragonspire Village being an honorable man. I’m willing to stake his life on your being equally honorable.”

  “Thank you.” Now all Yaz had to do was live up to his father’s legacy.

  Lady Cobb offered them lunch and Yaz and Brigid were happy to take her up on that. As he ate the delicate ham and cheese sandwich, Yaz felt a little bad about leaving Silas out in the wild, but he didn’t fully trust Lady Cobb’s generosity. She was just a little too quick to accept the help of two total strangers. Maybe she was just that desperate. Under the circumstances no one could blame her.

  Brigid didn’t seem to share his mistrust. She had fallen into deep conversation with Lady Cobb. Yaz only listened with half an ear, but it sounded like they were discussing their dogs. Hopefully, such a safe topic would help take the lady’s mind off her situation, at least for a few minutes.

  Yaz finished his sandwich and glanced out the window to try and get a feel for the sun’s position. From the few visible shadows, he guessed noon was quickly approaching. The kidnappers’ messenger should be here soon. When he arrived, things would get serious in a hurry. Lady Cobb didn’t seem overly concerned about the money, as long as she got her husband back safely, assuming he was still alive. It wouldn’t be hard to take a ring off a dead man’s finger after all.

  A soft knock sounded on the door and the maid from earlier poked her head in. “Someone is approaching, my lady.”

  Lady Cobb tensed and pushed to her feet. Yaz and Brigid joined her.

  “I’ll be there in a moment, thank you,” Lady Cobb said.

  The maid withdrew and they were alone again. The pressure in the room was almost physical. Yaz wiped his sweating palms on his pant legs.

  To his surprise, Brigid reached out and put a hand on Lady Cobb’s shoulde
r. “You can do this. We’ll be right there with you.”

  “Absolutely,” Yaz agreed.

  “Thank you both.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’m ready.”

  When they left the mansion, Gerard was waiting with ten guards, the same ten that escorted her to meet Yaz and Brigid. Gerard took his place at her side and Yaz and Brigid followed a step behind with the guards flanking the core group. They all carried cocked and loaded crossbows with matching scowls. Looked like Randall had a loyal collection of men in his employ. Hopefully they all felt that way. While it seemed unlikely the kidnappers would have an inside man, it wasn’t impossible.

  As they strode towards the gate, a group of four brawny guards wrestled the bar out of its cradle and pulled the doors open. Outside, a girl younger than Brigid dressed in an ordinary but neat brown-and-green dress stood waiting.

  “Is that the same messenger as before?” Yaz asked.

  “Yes,” Lady Cobb said. “I’m uncertain if she’s actually one of the kidnappers, or just some poor child they pressed into service. I find myself hoping the latter though why I have pity for someone working for kidnappers I haven’t the least idea.”

  “It’s because you’re a decent person, my lady,” Gerard said.

  She offered a faint smile. “Thank you, Gerard.”

  They reached the gate and stopped just inside.

  “Is the money ready?” the messenger asked without preamble.

  “It is,” Lady Cobb said. “But you won’t see a coin of it until I’ve seen my husband alive and unharmed.”

  “I’ll guide whoever you wish to send to where he’s waiting. The exchange will happen there. Once we have the scale, you can have him and be on your way.”

  “I’ll prepare a company, my lady,” Gerard said.

  “One person only,” the messenger said. “I’m not taking a small army to where my people are waiting.”

  Lady Cobb shook her head. “One person could be easily killed and the money taken without them ever seeing Randall. That’s not at all acceptable.”

  The messenger shrugged. “Guess you don’t want him back very badly. I’ll tell the others. Next time I come back it’ll be with his head.”

  “Archers!” Gerard said. Ten crossbows snapped up and pointed at the girl’s chest. “You’re not going anywhere until we have a deal.”

  She raised her arms and closed her eyes. “I’ll accept death before I betray my people. But understand that if you kill me, you kill Randall as well.”

  Yaz looked closer at her bare arms. There was a small tattoo of a coiled dragon on the inside of her bicep. He knew that design. It belonged to a group of fanatics called the Scaled Society. But they were dragon worshipers, not kidnappers. Why in the world would they have grabbed Randall? He didn’t know, but there was no question that if she was a member of the society, she would certainly die before betraying them. Maybe there was another way.

  “Lady Cobb, may I have a moment?” Yaz asked.

  “Watch her, Gerard.” Lady Cobb moved a few yards away from the gate, far enough so the messenger couldn’t overhear them. “What is it?”

  “She’s part of a cult called the Scaled Society and will absolutely die before betraying them.”

  “What are you trying to say?”

  “I suggest you send someone with her along with the money and let us follow them from a safe distance. If they try anything, we’ll be in a position to intervene and we might just find out where Randall is. I know it’s a risk, but I think it’s one worth taking.”

  She chewed her lip as she considered her options. In reality she only had two choices, give in or give up on her husband. Rotten options, but there it was.

  “Very well, but won’t the messenger wonder where you two have gone?”

  “No.” Yaz forced himself not to show any emotion. “I assume there’s another way out of this compound?”

  “There’s a small sally door in the rear wall.”

  “Perfect. When you’re ready I want you to scream at us and order us out of your sight. Say you’ll never abandon Randall no matter what the risk, that sort of thing. We’ll retreat through the manor and out the back so we’ll be ready to follow as soon as they leave. Send your best fighter. If there’s trouble, we’ll need all the advantages we can get.”

  Lady Cobb nodded. “You’re a very clever young man. I’m pleased you’re my ally and not my enemy.”

  “Likewise,” Yaz said. “Whenever you’re ready.”

  Lady Cobb screwed up her face and screamed. “Get out of here! I won’t even consider abandoning Randall. Go now before I set the guards on you!”

  Yaz and Brigid hurried back toward the mansion. As soon as they were through the door Brigid asked, “Is this cult dangerous?”

  “I wouldn’t have thought so before now.” Yaz ducked around a corner and jogged down a long hall decorated with some kind of weird masks toward the rear of the house. “The book I read only held limited information about them. Mostly they preach about how dragons are a superior species and humans shouldn’t hunt them or use their body parts in alchemy, not even shed scales. Certainly no mention was made of them kidnapping people.”

  They exited the rear of the house and found a closed and barred door in the back wall so narrow it was all they could do to squeeze through. Yaz doubted a man in armor could even force his way through the gap. Once they were outside, they jogged a wide loop toward the grove of maple where they left Silas.

  Hopefully, the wizard had gotten rested, since Yaz figured they were going to be pretty busy for the foreseeable future.

  Yaz, Brigid, and Silas were trailing Gerard and the messenger girl, keeping fifty yards back, and using what Silas assured them was a simple spell to make sure their targets didn’t make an unexpected move. They’d left Thunder and Silas’s horse tied up in the maple grove. Traveling on horseback would make them too easy to spot. Yaz and Brigid had liberated their spears before setting off. Somehow, he suspected they’d need them.

  They were a mile from the manor and the messenger showed no sign of slowing. She also showed no sign of heading for the city. Yaz had assumed they’d keep Randall locked in some basement somewhere. Of course, what he knew about kidnapping would fill a short book indeed.

  “I’ve never heard of the Scaled Society,” Silas said. “Why would anyone want to worship dragons? I mean, they’re powerful, magical animals, I grant that, but even so, worshiping them seems dumb. I doubt they’re even capable of appreciating adoration from a human. They should find an actual god to worship, not that I’m a big believer in that sort of worship either.”

  “I’m not surprised you’ve never heard of them,” Yaz said. “The cult is a small one, at least according to the book I read. Maybe that’s why they need the money. If there aren’t enough people contributing things might be tight.”

  “Is it me, or are there a lot of crazy people in the world?” Brigid asked.

  Yaz shook his head. “It’s not you.”

  “Hang on, guys,” Silas said. “They’re turning off the road and entering the woods on the right.”

  “Let’s try and get ahead of them.” Yaz led the way, slipping between a pair of skinny oaks and into the shadowy forest. The temperature instantly dropped about ten degrees.

  They angled toward the messenger’s path, moving quickly between the trees and weaving around scattered shrubbery.

  “They’re still heading deeper into the forest,” Silas said. “Right towards us.”

  Yaz slowed. If Randall and his captors were here, they should be close.

  The thought proved prophetic. Twenty yards further was a clearing with a single figure tied to a stake driven into the ground. The man looked rough. His dark hair was greasy, stubbly beard covered a square jaw, and he wore a ragged tunic and pants stained with dirt. Definitely looked like a prisoner. Unfortunately, he had green eyes. Randall’s were brown. Whoever was tied to the stake, it wasn’t Randall Cobb.

  Yaz to
uched his lips and snuck around behind the bound man. The ropes weren’t knotted and he held a long dagger in his right hand. The situation became instantly clear. Kill Gerard, take the gold, and make Randall disappear forever. That wouldn’t do at all.

  Yaz eased back and whispered, “That’s not Randall.”

  “I guessed that when I saw the dagger,” Silas said. “The others will reach that clearing in seconds. What do you want to do?”

  “Can you bind the assassin with magic?” Yaz asked.

  “Sure, that’s easy enough.”

  “Great. Brigid, would you swing around to the opposite side of the clearing to make sure the messenger doesn’t escape when her trap fails? Try and keep her alive if possible.”

  “Got it.” Brigid snuck off leaving him alone with the softly mumbling Silas.

  Given his lack of experience with magic, Yaz was curious to see what Silas’s spell did. At first there was no change in the clearing. Then he noticed it. The shadows around the stake had shifted and wrapped around the assassin’s arms and wrists. Since shadows had no substance, they must’ve served as a conduit for the magic.

  His analysis was cut short when Gerard and his guide entered the clearing. The bulging bag of gold looked like about all he could carry.

  “There he is,” the girl said. “Check him over if you want.”

  “I intend to.” Gerard crossed the clearing and bent down. “My lord?”

  The assassin tried to lunge at Gerard, but Silas’s magic kept him from moving.

  Gerard rose and spun to face the girl. “What are you playing at? This isn’t my master. You can’t possibly have imagined such an imposter would fool me.”

  The girl looked at her confederate, her eyebrows drawn together in obvious confusion. Time for the next step. Yaz pushed through the branches and stepped into the clearing.

  “We neutralized your assassin.”

  “You!” Gerard stared, wide-eyed. “Lady Cobb sent you and your friend away.”

  “Yes, she’s a fine actress. In order to fool your companion, it was necessary for you to believe you were on your own. It seems to have worked. Now it’s just a matter of getting them to tell us where Randall really is.”