by I K Spencer
She quickly glanced back to make sure the dressing room was in order. With the threat of an imminent search, she had packed up all her gear and stowed her pack at the far end of the dressing room. The room’s width extended only slightly beyond the span of the door but if she froze against the wall, the man might not notice anything if he did not actually walk inside the dark cell.
Teya heard him just beyond the door and flattened herself in the corner next to the entrance. A moment later, the door swung open and the thickset figure stepped into the doorway, thankfully blocking most of the light. Teya knew that it would take a few moments for his eyes to adjust from the sunlit outer room to the relative darkness of the dressing room.
The man took one step into the room, then another. One more and she would strike. In the closed space, she could tell the man badly needed a bath, reeking of sour ale and old sweat. The seconds seemed endless to Teya as the man looked around, his focus mainly on the far end of the dressing room. Then he took a step back, turned away from her and walked back out. She noiselessly let out the breath she had been holding and shifted slightly.
Suddenly a hand shot around the doorway and grabbed her by the throat. Caught by surprise, she lost the handle of her knife when the strong arm yanked her around the doorway and pinned her against the wall. He held a large knife in his other hand and pressed the blade against her cheek.
"Well, well" the man jeered, inches from her face. "Ain't you the clever one. Hiding under the very nose o' the beast." Teya guessed he meant Anthen. The Dolonarian was dark and in need of a shave as well as a bath, his face covered with thick stubble.
"Sorry Arny. You 'ad a nice run but 'tis over." The man was obviously not a bit sorry; a wide grin displayed several missing teeth. "This should do me well with the captain eh? Maybe even a reward!"
Teya shook and feigned terror and, as usual, the man underestimated her even though he had been warned that she had killed three guards and disabled two more. When the highly-skilled warrior felt the vice-like grip on her throat loosen slightly, she moved in a flash, knocking the hand away with one blow and propelling the soldier back with a forearm to his chin.
The furious guard recovered quickly and rushed forward, swinging his blade in wild arcs that Teya easily dodged. She knew she must end it quickly before the man thought to cry out. After the guard's next awkward thrust she moved in and landed a series of blows, the first of which knocked the weapon from his grip and the rest driving him back again. While he staggered backwards she deftly scooped up his weapon and finished him when he rushed again, blind with fury.
The fallen sentry had barely hit the floor before Teya was dragging him into the dressing room. She knew it likely that other guards were searching the nearby rooms and could walk in at any moment. She pulled the heavy guard to the far end of the dressing room and ran back with one of the table linens Anthen had taken from the kitchen. Working quickly but noiselessly, she mopped up the trail of blood and covered the corpse. She then picked up a chair that had been knocked over in the struggle, and after a quick look around, raced back into the dressing room and pulled the door closed.
Teya's mind raced as she took deep breaths, recovering from the exertion as well as trying to calm herself. She had to think. The guard would be missed, but when? Would they know he was last searching this area? Her chances would be greatly reduced if she tried to escape before darkness fell. Teya waited and listened, her knife in one hand and Anthen's miniature bow in the other.
After just a few minutes, Teya jumped and tensed as the outer door banged open. It sounded as though an entire squad had burst into the chamber.
"Gregor you drunken sod! What're you up to?" a high voice bellowed.
"Where is he?" A second, deeper voice. "Are you sure he came in here?"
"O' course. I was just across the hall." It sounded like a third voice, thin and nasal.
Teya listened closely, trying to keep track of their location and count voices. It sounded as though the men had halted by the door to Cidrl's adjoining chamber.
"Mayhap he's in the other one's room," piped in the high, first voice.
"No. I was in there." It sounded like the second voice.
"I know where he is," quipped the high voice. "I'll wager you a rum he stole off to the tavern for an ale."
"No one is fool enough to take that bet," the deep-voiced one replied with a snort.
Teya heard their receding footsteps as they continued to joke about their now-departed comrade. She heard the outer door close and crept from the dressing room to listen at the door. She heard the men's voices fade as they moved down the hallway. The men were still joking so there seemed to be no cause for immediate alarm. She walked back to the dressing room and waited, desperately hoping the man would not be missed before darkness fell.
********
Cidrl and Dolkes sat across from each other at one of the palace's dining halls, eating their evening meal. Cidrl was tired of eating alone in his chamber and they had matters to discuss. Privacy was not an issue since the Dolonarians spurned them, leaving the two foreign diners to an entire trestle table of their own.
"You worried about Vlaednyk?" Dolkes asked with his mouth full. "Those men looked to be proven warriors."
"No." Cidrl sipped from his tea and glanced around the room. "With a mission of such great importance, I expected them to send their best men. Even twenty of their best are no match for us. Our only risk now is discovery."
Dolkes nodded and returned to the whole roasted chicken that sat on the table before him.
"Have you noticed anything unusual about the apprentice?" Cidrl asked, his eyes wandering aimlessly about the room.
Dolkes shrugged. "Seems like all the others to me; not that I've watched any too closely." He shivered. "The monsters make my skin crawl."
"They all have minor differences but sometimes he seems more human than the others. He does things that draw my attention, though I do not know why. And I find myself watching him more and more."
"Maybe your spell didn't work all the way," Dolkes said with a chuckle, adding, "Perhaps you were having a bad day!" He roared with laughter at his own joke.
Cidrl did not laugh or give any indication he had even heard the joke. His eyes continue to wander, lost in thought, as he sipped his tea.
Chapter 30
Anthen hurried over to the dressing room door as soon as he entered the chamber. Before he could knock, the door opened and Teya stepped out. Each began to speak at once, assuming theirs news to be the most important. Teya drew his attention to the cloth-covered body behind her and he closed his mouth abruptly.
"The guard was searching the chamber. I tried to hide but he saw me and my hand was forced."
Anthen nodded, his mind already racing with questions. "This one was alone?"
"Yes. He searched alone. But then others came to search for him."
Anthen nodded, waiting for the rest. He knew there must not be reason for immediate alarm or she would have fled and he would likely be in irons or fighting for his life at this moment.
"They spoke as if they believed he had deserted his duties in favor of a tavern and sounded as though they might do the same."
"How long ago?" he queried.
"Nearly two hours and all has been quiet since."
"So he is yet to be missed," Anthen mused out loud. "But for how long?"
"We have no way of knowing," she shrugged.
"Aye. We risk discovery at any moment but your chances would be much improved under the cover of darkness."
"What about you? Why did they search here?"
"A full search of the palace was ordered this morning but I had no way to warn you." Anthen thought for a moment. "Considering what they think me to be, there is a chance I may not be implicated, though they do know you were aided. I don't know. Let me tell you what I learned first."
Before doing so, he grabbed the dinner tray and split the food between them, Teya just inside the dressing room
and he leaning against the bed a few feet away. While eating, he described the meeting between Cidrl and Vlaednyk, highlighting the fact that it sounded like their target was beyond Isaencarl's borders.
"There is only one destination that occurs to me," Anthen conjectured. "The only caves I am aware of are the maze of passages that are said to be found beneath Mount Baenkeep."
"Oh Anthen!" Teya cried, visibly shaken. "I know what the monster means to do. We have to stop him!" Teya looked terrified, displaying far more fear than he had seen from her at any other time, even in the face of torture.
"What? What is it?" Anthen quickly asked.
"The unicorns! The madman means to use their magic!"
"The fabled unicorns that live atop Mount Baenkeep? But that is just a myth?"
"No!" Teya angrily shook her head. Her voice shook with fear and anger. "You do not understand! Your people have lost touch with that aspect of the world but it is real! That is why the magnificent creatures were forced to flee. If Cidrl taps into that power, such a darkness will befall the world that you will wish you never awakened!"
Anthen drew back from the intensity of Teya's ire, trying to figure out why she was so upset without getting her more so. "Calm yourself Teya. I believe you. I am trying to understand."
Teya's face softened. "I am sorry to lash out at you Anthen but this is an incredible blow to me. Your people, as well as the Dolonarians, lost their respect for magic centuries ago. The unicorns, fearing something just like this might happen, created a refuge and removed themselves from our world. The labyrinth, and the foul creatures that live there, are their creations to insure that man could never reach them. Your traitor must know the way through the maze!"
Anthen knew the story but thought it just an ancient children's tale that, even if true, had no importance in the present day. "The unicorns are still there?"
"We have no way of knowing thanks to your ancestors," Teya replied bitterly. She took a deep breath and then continued, the anger replaced by sorrow. "They stopped caring and lost their reverence. Once that happens, you stop believing and eventually, you pretend a thing does not even exist. The gentle creatures saw the world changing and, in recognizing the threat their awesome power could be in the wrong hands, withdrew from the human world. I guess we know they are there now; Cidrl's mission proves it."
"What does it mean? How will Cidrl use this power?"
"Any way he desires," she nervously answered. "Take away your army's will to fight. Drive Jamen to madness. Send a plague to kill all our children. Who knows? The divine creatures are all-powerful."
"I guess that explains his use of the Dolonarians. Once their purpose is served they will be forced to accept his leadership."
"And Arnedon will follow," Teya added in a quiet voice. "He surely means to rule and enslave the world."
Her face turned ashen and Anthen knew she must be thinking of what that horrible world would be like. He felt his own fear rising but forced his mind back to their present situation. At least one of them must escape and warn the outside world. If possible, Cidrl must be eliminated, though there was no guarantee that he alone knew the way through the labyrinth.
"You must escape and I must deal with Cidrl," Anthen asserted, voicing the previous thought.
"We must eliminate the monster and then both escape," she corrected.
"No," Anthen disagreed. "That is too risky. Both of us might be captured, then all is lost. You will sneak to the stables and flee at the same time I am taking care of Cidrl."
"Why not the reverse?" Teya argued.
"Because you know I am better suited for that purpose and you know the escape route better. I may have the element of surprise and have sparred with him so I know his weaknesses." He did not add that he had more reason to kill Cidrl and deserved the opportunity for what had already been taken—his hope and his love.
"And he knows yours," Teya added halfheartedly, resigning herself to Anthen's plan. "One thing, though," she added, her voice insistent. "I will wait for you by the stables. If you can dispatch him without notice, then we will escape the palace together."
"I do not know exactly when the opportunity will present itself," he admitted. "You mustn't wait too long."
"Then I will wait until shortly before dawn. That is when the guards will be most lax anyway."
"Or if the alarm is sounded," he said, not adding what that would likely signify.
She started to protest but then just nodded in resignation.
The pair both looked out the window, each judging the time remaining before darkness fell and when they would separate, perhaps never to see each other again. With nearly an hour of daylight left and nothing left to say, the two young warriors were each left to their own thoughts.
********
Cidrl and Dolkes walked quickly through the palace toward the young captain's chambers, following the soldier who had interrupted their meal with news that the captain wished to see them immediately. Cidrl doubted anyone had actually caught the Arnedonian woman but perhaps they found some sign of her. Cidrl smiled at the thought of how he would enjoy watching the spy tortured. There was no longer time for subtlety. She must be forced to quickly tell what, if anything, she knew of imminent Dolonarian invasion, then with whom she had shared the information.
The captain met them at the door as they entered his chamber. "We found an item of interest during the search. It is from your homeland I believe."
He held out his palm. In the center was a shiny, metal disk. Dolkes started to reach but Cidrl snatched the item first and held it up to the light, peering closely at both sides.
"Where did you find this?" snapped Cidrl, suddenly very excited.
"It was found upon the man guarding the outer dungeon door the night of the escape. He admits that the gold piece drew his attention and the last thing he remembers is stooping to pick it up."
"You are sure that he is telling the truth?" Cidrl asked.
"Oh yes." The captain's lips formed a malicious grin. "Complete truth is the only option left for the poor wretch."
"Is that a—" Dolkes started, but was cut off by his master.
"Follow me!" Cidrl whirled and hurried out the door, trailed by Dolkes and the Dolonarians.
"What is it?" Dolkes inquired when he had caught up with Cidrl.
"This is a freshly minted piece. What is the most likely way it could travel from Carael into Dolonar in such a short time?"
"The apprentice?" Dolkes asked in astonishment as they climbed the stairs three at a time. "But how?"
Cidrl shook his head. "I do not know that the accomplice is our young Anthen but he is the most obvious bearer of this item."
Cidrl stopped at the landing of their floor and waited for the Dolonarians to catch up with them.
"You take these three and wait outside his door," he said in low tones to Dolkes. "I will take the rest and enter his chamber through our adjoining door."
"You suspect the undead one?" the young captain asked in astonishment.
"Not now." Cidrl shot the captain a look of warning and put his finger to his lips. "Quietly."
The party moved noiselessly down the hall to the area in front of the guardsmen's rooms. Cidrl waited for Dolkes and his three guards to get in position in front of Anthen's door, then opened his own door, motioning the rest of the Dolonarians to follow. Cidrl drew his sword and entered his own chamber. He proceeded directly to the adjoining door to Anthen's chamber and after pausing a moment, threw it open wide.
Cidrl's face reddened with rising fury as his gaze traveled across the room, seeing not a single sign of the apprentice. He spied the dressing room door and hurried over to it. He raised a boot and kicked it open but the dressing room was also empty. The huge guardsman roared in rage and, with no other target available, slashed his blade down through the top of a nearby wooden chair, cleaving it in two.
"Sound the alarm!" Cidrl bellowed at the young captain, who knew better than to question the order. "He
may have the woman with him. Have all the gates closed at once. I want them alive!" he called after the retreating captain as he ran out the door, colliding with Dolkes.
"The apprentice?" Dolkes queried, obviously unable to believe that one of Cidrl's spellbound converts had rebelled somehow. "How is it possible?"
"Not now you fool!" Cidrl turned on Dolkes and the man staggered backward at the fury in the traitor's face. "Follow me!" he roared to Dolkes and the apprehensive Dolonarians. "He will head to the stables." The soldiers fearfully stepped out of the way as the enraged giant westerner passed through them, then followed him as best they could as he raced through the palace.
********
Anthen and Teya sat in a dimly lit storeroom, waiting for the cover of full darkness. The cramped room was almost nearly dark already, the only light coming from the small window above their heads.
Teya had not argued a short time earlier when the young guardsman had suddenly become agitated, warning they must flee immediately. Anthen knew she did not want to leave without him anyway. The feeling of impending danger had been unmistakable and he had known they must get away from the chamber immediately. Anthen had dragged the guard's corpse into the dressing room in Cidrl's room while Teya donned the dead man’s clothes and helmet. Teya had looked concerned and cast sidelong glances at Anthen but evidently sensed it was not the time to question him.
They had been barely free of the chamber and around a corner before hearing the rapid footfalls of several men approaching quickly from the opposite direction. The pair then had made their way through the castle toward the area where Teya knew the stables to be located. At times they had hidden and at times they had simply walked through busy sections with Teya trailing the feared guardsman, pretending to be his escort. She had pulled her hair up inside the large helmet and kept her head down, the bulky uniform rendering her a passable Dolonarian soldier at first glance, usually the only one cast in Anthen’s direction.