by I K Spencer
A half-hour later Anthen watched as the figure entered a small house along a dense row of identical dwellings. He waited there to see if the man might come out again but after an hour of watching the dark bungalow he left to seek Garrick after marking the dwelling's location in his memory.
Already closer to the elder guardsman than to his own room, Anthen decided to walk instead of fetching Rorc. It was prudent as well as quicker; the large horse would only rouse more notice and at this unfriendly hour, well after midnight, any attention would likely mean trouble. He moved stealthily through the wet, deserted streets of Gates, giving any well-lit or noisy corners a wide berth. His special sense warned him and kept him clear of other nocturnal wanderers who prowled the dark streets with more dangerous intentions. Finally, he arrived at the location, in the northwest part of the community, where Garrick had secured lodging.
The elder guardsman's room, actually a shed at the back of a stable, appeared dark as Anthen approached. At his first knock, however, Garrick was instantly at the door, ushering the younger man inside. Garrick scanned the shadows for any sign of movement, then followed Anthen inside.
"Were you followed?" Garrick asked as he lit a dim lamp.
"Obviously not or I would not be here," Anthen replied curtly, then felt a twinge of guilt. It looked as though the older man had been asleep and he guessed the Garrick was still not fully awake.
Garrick motioned his visitor to a small wooden table, poured them both a bit of whiskey and then lit his pipe. Anthen sipped from his glass as he waited, giving the older man a minute to shed the cobwebs from sleep. Garrick sat down, took a sip of the strong drink, and asked Anthen to tell him all that had happened since they met last, two nights prior.
He began the tale by describing the layout of Cidrl’s land and his arrival at the compound. Garrick listened quietly, puffing his pipe, until the younger man mentioned the initial ambush by his new master.
"I agonized over that one for many hours. I wanted to tell you but was afraid that Cidrl would discern something and become suspicious."
Anthen was initially angered at another sign of Garrick's lack of trust but, as he relived the sudden attack in his mind, he couldn't help but wonder if the elder had made the right choice; feigning surprise in such a situation would be extremely difficult. He resumed the tale, describing in detail, his short stay with Cidrl. When he skipped over any detail, Garrick questioned him at length until he knew every fact the younger man knew. The apprentice could tell the disciplined older guardsman was memorizing the layout of the Cidrl’s house and land.
After Anthen had finished and Garrick exhausted all his queries they sat for a long time without speaking. Both their thoughts returned to the nagging question; how could the young guardsman pretend to be affected by the spell or whatever trickery Cidrl employed to control the minds of his apprentices? Neither offered a solution because they knew nothing of the suspected traitor's methods, thus it would be foolish to do anything until they learned more.
"Now to this man tailing you ..." mused Garrick, changing to a hopefully more fruitful topic.
"What of him?"
"I’m wondering what, if anything, you should tell Cidrl of him. It’s likely there is some connection."
"Perhaps Cidrl is testing me," offered Anthen.
"It is possible, but even so, is it a test you should pass or fail?"
"What do you mean?"
Garrick puffed the pipe before answering. "Perhaps he must gauge your abilities before commencing the spell. If so, he might move more quickly if he guesses you to be less than you really are."
Anthen pondered the idea for a moment before answering. "Perhaps. However, I am against telling Cidrl of the man in black for another reason."
Garrick raised his eyebrows, waiting for the explanation.
"The man may lead us to important information. If Cidrl knows I have discovered the tail, then, at the very least, he will alert the man."
"Good point," agreed Garrick. "It is decided. I will see what I can learn about our friend in black."
Anthen wanted to warn the elder guardsman to be careful but knew that would only cause bitter feelings between them. They had to trust in each other’s abilities. He was worried though; the man in black might be their best hope and certainly for him, a safer way to uncover Cidrl’s plot.
The two men sat for a bit longer but neither had much left to say; other than identifying Anthen’s pursuer, there was little to do but wait. After Anthen left, Garrick resumed his place at the small table and poured himself another drink. Discovering the man in black's home had been a good stroke but the bearded guardsman's mind fastened upon something that Anthen had said during his report. At one point the young man had admitted his concern at being no match for Cidrl’s charm and mastery of social skills. The observation in itself was not astounding but in that instant, the older guardsman had experienced an epiphany, suddenly realizing that his own lack of social graces had been what separated him from the upper echelon of the Guard. He possessed great skill as a warrior and proficiency as a spy but clearly lacked the ability to manipulate others with his words or even conduct polite conversation very well. Never shy; he just was at a loss for words whenever talk turned away from the business at hand. He could never put his finger on the reason and now this apprentice, barely out of the academy, saw it as plainly as the nose on his face.
His respect for the special young guardsman's abilities rose yet another notch.
Chapter 17
Anthen reached his new lodging with only a few hours of darkness left. He watched the entrance for a few minutes, then entered cautiously. His door appeared undisturbed but he still pulled his sword from its sheath before entering. The room, though, appeared to be exactly as he had left it. He slept for a few hours, rising a little later than usual. He finished his normal morning routine and ate breakfast at the tavern across the street before returning to Cidrl.
The next several days followed a similar pattern. Anthen spent a night in the tower room, then stayed in Gates the next day or two. While in the country, the apprentice would report to Cidrl, train with his new master, and try to learn more about the man. He got to know the two servant women better and could still detect nothing but respect and adoration for Cidrl. Other workers he met on the estate offered similar responses. He was coming to the conclusion that Cidrl either kept his other activities separate from the farm, or, more appalling, had managed to keep everyone surrounding him somehow spellbound. As the days passed, Anthen became more concerned, fearing that he would be unable to detect the sorcery before it was too late.
In town, he became more familiar with Gates and, as was his assignment from Cidrl, its more notorious inhabitants. He observed the man in black following him regularly and only shook the tail, rather easily, prior to meetings with Garrick.
Garrick too, grew more troubled as days passed with no perceived action from the suspected traitor. Perhaps they were being overly concerned since they had no experience with Cidrl's timetable but the waiting proved very difficult, like awaiting an anticipated punishment. The elder warrior watched Anthen very closely when they met but he could discern no difference in the younger guardsman's behavior. Another cause for anxiety was that he had learned nothing useful of the man in black. The man appeared to be much the same as Anthen or Garrick, an anonymous transient who paid in advance for his lodging, talked little, and remained unknown to his neighbors. He learned nothing from following the man.
The one bright spot for Anthen was the anticipated arrival of Urvena. He found his thoughts more and more on the maiden as the likely day neared, a week after he had reached the border town. He guessed it would not be appropriate to call on her the first day but in exchange for his self-control, he would permit a visit to see if the fair young woman had arrived. In truth, depending on the difficulty of her trip, she might have arrived a day or two earlier but the guardsman forced himself not to check sooner, though the urge was strong.
As Anthen made his way toward the memorized address, he braced himself for the possibility that Urvena might not have arrived yet. It would not be unusual for a journey over the mountains to be delayed or take longer than he expected. The anxious apprentice had eaten a hasty lunch with Cidrl and then had ridden hard to Gates, not stopping at his room on the way. Rorc was still cooling down from the run when he turned within sight of the bungalow, though still a good distance off. His blue eyes quickly scanned the dwelling and surrounding grounds, looking for signs of inhabitation. His heart soared as he caught sight of a serving woman, then he gasped as his gaze came to rest on the fair maiden herself as she knelt in the garden, planting flowers
The street was empty and the distance great so he risked a look through his telescope. He gasped again as he witnessed her beauty for the first time in the full light of day. Somehow he managed to allow only a brief moment to gaze at her through the glass but he knew the image would stay with him for a long time. The desire to be near to her was strong but he did not give in, instead turning Rorc away, however, in truth lonely as well as homesick for the academy, he could not stop smiling as he rode back through Gates toward his room.
Late the next afternoon he rode back to her lodging, nervous once again. He had considered sending a message but could not risk a rejection without being near her at least once more. He could not help thinking that she had probably forgotten all about him. He rode up to her cottage and dismounted, queasy with nervous tension. He chastised himself for being so weak as he walked to her door, a bouquet of spring flowers clutched in his shaking hand. He composed himself and knocked. It was the maiden herself who opened the door and he extended his arm, expecting a formal greeting. Instead, she jumped into his arms.
"Master Anthen! Where have you been? I was beginning to worry for your safety."
Urvena hugged him, burying her face against his neck. He did not return the hug at first, then held her stiffly, having no experience in such matters. Her cheek was so soft and she smelled wonderful, a mix of enticing scents. The maiden broke the embrace and stood back to look up at his face; she looked even more beautiful than he remembered.
"I thought you had forgotten all about me," Urvena admonished but smiled a warm, welcoming smile.
"No Miss Urvena. I just wanted to give you a chance to get settled," Anthen replied sheepishly.
"Come in," she said, taking his hand and pulling him inside. "We arrived the day before yesterday and the house is in order. Come. I am eager to hear about your journey."
She led him to a couch and returned with a decanter of wine and two glasses, saying they must celebrate the reunion. The bungalow was small but expensively furnished. A couch and two large chairs opposite filled the parlor, adjacent to a hearth lit with a warm blaze. Near the front door a cluster of windows offered the best light and Anthen saw an easel and painting supplies set up there. Next to the parlor was a small alcove containing a dining table and a door that he guessed led to the kitchen. Another door, probably to the bedroom and bath, stood beside the fireplace.
She poured them each a glass and then sat beside him, urging him to tell her of his travels since Verilia. He did so, though omitted many of the details. As he spoke, she was very attentive, her eyes continually gazing into his and her fingers often brushing his arm or hands. Needless to say, the young guardsman found it difficult to maintain his train of thought.
At the mention of the attack on the road to Gates, she clutched his hand and covered her mouth in fright. "Heavens! Were you hurt Master Anthen?"
"Not a scratch," he replied reassuringly.
The guardsman described the skirmish but softened the violence, skipping the fact that two of the highwaymen ended up dead. He finished with a description of Cidrl's estate.
"Tell me of your journey Miss Urvena," he said after finishing his tale.
"Boring and dusty." She dismissed the subject with a wave of her hand.
"Your party had no serious difficulties I hope."
"Only inferior lodging and ill-prepared meals," she replied, then stood.
Anthen quickly stood as well, sensing an end to their reunion.
"I am sorry Master Anthen. I have plans and must get ready," she said as she led him to the door by the arm.
He felt crushed, his mind immediately jumping to the possibility of a suitor. He stumbled for something to say, fear seizing him. "I ... May I call upon you again?"
When they reached the door she turned to face him. He felt reassured by the way she held his gaze, her eyes giving all the answers he needed.
"Dear Anthen. I would like nothing better," she murmured.
They made the arrangements and he turned to leave, not sure how to say goodbye. As before in Verilia, the maiden took the initiative. She touched his cheek softly and pulled him down to kiss her. It was a soft, chaste kiss but left no doubt that her interest was beyond friendship alone.
Anthen walked away from her door with his feet barely touching the ground. As soon as he was no longer in view of her cottage, he pulled Rorc to a halt and sat there, savoring the visit. He couldn't remember what he had said but he would never forget the way she looked at him and the feel of her lips against his own. Breathing in, he could still catch a trace of her perfume. With a sigh, he pushed away the pleasant images. He knew he should not let the maiden dominate his thoughts and forced her from his mind.
He returned to his room and spent much of the evening in various shabby taverns, listening for useful bits of gossip, though his thoughts often returned to the brief visit with the maiden. Near midnight he called it a night and made his way to Garrick’s door. Sitting at the small table, Anthen made his report, a brief one since nothing of importance had occurred. Garrick could tell something was different, though, and pestered Anthen until he confessed to the meeting with Urvena.
"Do not become entangled," Garrick said with a scowl. "Such a liaison can only end badly."
"I know the rules," Anthen said quietly.
"Guardsmen and women, except for whores and the like, do not mix," the elder guardsman continued.
"You have satisfied your duty and warned me," Anthen replied in a curt tone as he rose to leave. "I will keep the proper perspective. Your interest in my affairs with the maiden is finished." The younger man shot the elder a venomous look as he departed and though Garrick said nothing further, he suspected the apprentice, despite his words, did not have the proper outlook whatsoever.
The next few days dragged for Anthen while he waited to see Urvena again. The spring rains returned and the continuously gray skies seemed to make the days lag. There was still no change regarding Cidrl and the man in black so he was bored, which lengthened the days for him even more.
Finally, the day of their next meeting arrived and he returned to Urvena's door in a rented coach, wearing his best suit of clothes. He felt his heart skip a beat when her door opened and she stood before him. She wore a diaphanous white gown cinched at the waist with a gold chain. She stood framed in the light from inside the dwelling and he could see the soft curves of her body through the thin material. When she greeted him with a warm smile he became so tongue-tied that his reply was barely coherent. She laughed at his obvious discomfort and took his arm in hers as they walked back toward the coach.
During the coach ride the maiden hugged his arm in hers and he delighted at the feel her soft, warm breast against his forearm. To his relief, she directed the conversation, mostly talking of the horrid weather, then her first portrait subject, the wife of a local merchant.
Since few gentry dwelled in the rugged border region, there was little demand for refined restaurants and the handsome young couple made do with one of Gate's finer taverns. Throughout dinner, Anthen gazed contentedly across the table at Urvena. Her long, fair hair was pulled behind in a long, intricate braid and he admired the delicate curves of her neck and shoulders and the way her dark eyes sparkled when she laughed.
The young guardsman's nervousness rec
eded throughout the course of the meal and he conversed with more ease as the evening progressed. Urvena, he learned, was raised in the south, daughter of a high-ranking military officer. Both her parents were deceased but she and an older brother had inherited sufficient fortunes to live comfortably. He had to tell her something about his background so he told her that his own family owned a large estate and cattle farm near Carael.
Toward the end of the meal, she rose to excuse herself. He jumped to his feet as she stood, then returned to his seat after she moved away from the table. Sitting there alone, the young guardsman realized he hadn't even taken the time to survey his surroundings or the establishment's other patrons. He chastised himself for this oversight and took a look around the room. The tavern was plain but clean and well lit. He had chosen the place because it had two rooms, with the diners separated from those there purely to imbibe. Most of the other tables held groups of men but none were raucous or seemed to warrant his further scrutiny.
All at once there were loud shouts from the barroom, immediately followed by a woman's scream. Anthen was on his feet in an instant, racing into the other room. He quickly scanned the room and located the source of the trouble. At the far end of the bar two men were bothering Urvena. One brute held her wrists while the other, with his back to the guardsman, roughly held her chin up appraisingly. The barkeep, apparently having attempted to intercede, lay slumped over the bar and several other men, some shouting oaths and others shouting encouragement, were gathered in a circle around Urvena and the two men. The two men seemed unsteady on their feet so he was not too worried that they represented any real threat. Both men wore shabby clothing and had the look of common thieves. He pushed through the crowd and tapped the closer of the two on the shoulder.
"Good sir. Please release the maiden. You are drunk. Let us not have any further trouble eh?" Anthen used the most charming tone he could muster.