"Give me a boost," Tedi said to Garth.
Garth looked up and nodded as he also saw the trap door. He intertwined his fingers, and Tedi placed his boot in Garth's hands and jumped up. He slowly and quietly moved the panel away from the hole and peered into the darkness. Kalina, sensing the need for light, cast a spell on her ring and passed the now glowing band up to Tedi. The gypsy prince pulled himself into the attic of the inn while Garth boosted Natia into the hole in the ceiling. Garth and Kalina waited anxiously as the gypsies disappeared from view. Several long minutes later, Natia's head appeared overhead.
"There is nothing up here," she reported quietly, "but there is access to the roof, and Tedi says that he thinks that is the way the thief went. He wants you to head east on the streets below while we track along the rooftops."
Garth, Kalina, and Smokey retreated down the stairs and into the alley. As they walked eastward, Garth kept glancing towards the roofs and saw that the last few buildings were shorter than the rest, with the last one being only one story high. Garth began to think that the thief had used the rooftops just to throw off the trail of anyone following. They halted at the end of the block and waited to see if Tedi and Natia would reach the same conclusion. While they were waiting, Garth heard a muffled cry coming from the alley across the street. He glanced at Kalina, and her expression of concern showed that she had heard it, too. Signaling for Kalina to stay with the dog, he moved towards the mouth of the alleyway. Just before he arrived, two women dressed in brown leather raced out of the alley and fled towards the river a few blocks away.
Curious, Garth glanced down the dark alleyway. He saw a crumpled form on the ground and heard the soft moan of a man. Garth crept forward as his eyes scanned the darkness for any assailants who might still be waiting in ambush. When he reached the fallen man, he bent down to examine him. With a sharp intake of breath, Garth recognized the man as the guild master of barges. Garth stirred Bitsy to life and was instructing her to summon Kalina to heal the victim when the man breathed his last breath. Garth sighed and opened his pocket for Bitsy to climb back into. As Garth was rising to his feet, a door for one of the businesses along the alley swung open, and two Federation soldiers stepped into the alley.
"Halt!" shouted one of the soldiers as the other blew a shrill whistle.
Garth glanced towards the far end of the alley to measure his chances of fleeing, but four more soldiers piled through the door and into the alley. One of them nocked an arrow and aimed it at the Knight of Alcea.
"This man was just assaulted," Garth said defensively as he kept his hands clear of his weapons.
"We can see that," retorted one of the soldiers. "Put your hands flat against the wall. If you move them, you will die."
More soldiers entered the alley at the far end, and Garth sighed in resignation. The soldiers did not appear to be threatening him directly, but they weren't going to let him escape. He nodded slowly and placed his hands against the wall. Two soldiers immediately moved forward and began relieving him of his weapons. One of the men whistled appreciatively as the assortment of knives and throwing stars were piled on the ground.
"Pretty heavily armed for an evening's stroll," quipped one of the soldiers.
"Olansk is a dangerous city," retorted Garth, "but I guess I will be safe now with you guarding me."
"You'll be safe alright," sneered one of the soldiers. "So will the citizens of Olansk once you are taken off the streets."
One of the soldiers took Garth's hands and tied them behind his back. This greatly disturbed the Knight of Alcea, as he had not had a chance to get rid of Bitsy. If the Federation soldiers found the fairy, Garth would be in great danger. That was not something that he would be able to talk his way out of. The soldiers marched Garth out of the alley and along the street towards the stockade. He looked for any sign of the other Knights of Alcea, but he could not see any of them. Unbeknownst to Garth, all of them were watching him being hauled off to the stockade.
Chapter 33
Cracker's Lair
Tedi and Natia watched the soldiers take Garth away and then jumped down from the low roof they had been hiding on. Kalina immediately stepped out of the shadows.
"You saw?" Kalina asked.
"Yes," replied Tedi. "They will take him to the stockade, and I may need my staff to get him out."
"What was he doing in that alley?" asked Natia.
"We heard a cry and he was curious," Kalina responded. "He found a recently murdered body in the alley. I suspect that the soldiers think he did it."
"Why would they suspect him?" asked Natia. "He has more gold on him than most of the people in this city, and he doesn't know any of the citizens."
"There you are wrong," sighed Kalina. "The man who was killed is one we met not an hour ago, and Garth had a fight with him in a very public common room. I am afraid that things do not look good right now. You go with Tedi and find that staff. I am going to get as close as I can to the stockade in case Garth needs my help."
"Magic?" frowned Natia.
"If that is what it takes to save my husband," Kalina replied tersely, "then so be it. I will pulverize this city to its very foundations before I will abandon Alex."
"Careful," Tedi warned softly. "That is the first time you have mentioned his real name. Do not get careless."
Kalina blinked as if she had been unaware of her verbal slip. "You are right," she conceded. "I must focus on the problem and not my emotions. What did you find on the roofs?"
"I am pretty sure that the thief did not enter any of the other buildings in this block," answered Tedi. "That means that he merely used the rooftops to avoid being followed. I suspect he would have dropped to the ground around here. Where is Smokey?"
"Just around the corner," Kalina answered. "Garth dropped the torn white cloth when he left, and Smokey is guarding it. Take him with you. I will have no time for dogs where I am going."
"We will keep in contact with the fairies," Tedi assured her. "Don't worry, Kalina. We will get Garth back."
Kalina frowned deeply and shook her head. "He has Bitsy," she swore softly. "If they find a fairy on him, word will spread all over Zara by morning. That must not happen."
* * *
The Federation detachment at Olansk was one of the smallest in the Federation. The land it served besides the city of Olansk was mostly farmland, and it was only a three day ride to either Giza or Zinbar, so the area it had to cover was small. As a result, a posting to the Olansk stockade was considered a dead-end posting with little chance of advancement. The garrison was made up mostly of misfits or those that superior officers wished to put out of the way.
Captain Takir had been one of the latter cases. He had had the misfortune of getting caught in a squabble between two superior officers. No matter which one he sided with, the other was sure to punish him. In the end, he had merely told the truth, but his career had been ended. His posting to Olansk had been his punishment. The only saving grace to the situation had been his rank of captain. As the highest-ranking officer in the garrison, no one bothered to tell Takir what to do. It was as close to freedom as one could get in the Federation army, but Takir still hoped that one day he might win the notice of some superior officer and be removed from Olansk.
Captain Takir was young for an officer, and he was broad shouldered, although he was clearly not one of the horse people for his face was tapered with a pointed chin. His youth had shown to be a negative for the position as garrison commander as many of the misfits making up the garrison were older and used to defying orders on a regular basis. At first they mocked his youth, but Takir had not made captain in the army because of his stupidity. He was in fact quite intelligent, and he used his superior mental skills to bring the garrison into line, not that anyone outside of Olansk would be impressed, but he was proud of his achievement. It took a few months for him to gain the respect of his soldiers, but he now had an inner core of favorites who kept the rest of the riffraff out of his hair
.
"What is going on?" Captain Takir asked as he saw the soldiers bring in a prisoner and start piling weapons on a desk.
"The barge guild master has been murdered," reported the soldier. "We caught the murderer standing over his body."
"Anyone I should know about?" asked the captain.
"Nah," replied the soldier. "He's a stranger to Olansk. He didn't even put up a fight."
Captain Takir chuckled at the soldier's obvious dismay. "Perhaps he will give a fight when the noose is put around his neck," the captain stated. "Has the guild master's family been notified?"
"I sent a man to take care of that," reported the soldier. "Some of the lads want dibs on the weapons we took from him. It may cause a problem when it comes time to divvy it up."
"Bring his weapons in here," ordered the captain. "My men will get first pick of everything."
"I was hoping you would say that," grinned the soldier. "I will bring them in here personally."
The soldier left the office, and Captain Takir returned his attention to the reports he was reading through. He heard the soldier enter the office and deposit weapons on the floor, but he didn't bother to look. He read another report and set it aside as the soldier made a second trip. As he picked up the last report, his eyes narrowed. He looked up to find the soldier entering a third time. His eyes were drawn to the pile of weapons, and he blinked in surprise.
"Is this all from one man?" the captain asked.
"It is," replied the soldier.
The captain rose from his chair and walked over to the pile of weapons. He pulled the long two-handed sword from its sheath and held it appraisingly. He nodded in appreciation and sheathed it. He placed the sword back on the pile and picked up a throwing star. He fondled the star for a moment and shook his head.
"Have you ever seen anything like this?" the captain asked.
"No," admitted the soldier. "It's a nasty looking thing, but I can't see why anyone would want one. You're more likely to cut your own hand as harm someone else."
The captain nodded, but he carried the star back to his chair and placed it on his desk. He picked up the last report he had been reading and held it out to the soldier.
"It seems as if the guild master had a run in with someone earlier this evening," stated the captain. "Go see the innkeeper and inquire about the fight. If the assailant looks anything like the man you brought in, have him come here and identify the murderer."
The soldier left, and the captain picked up the star again. He weighed it in his hand and wondered how it was used. As he pondered the mysterious weapon, another soldier entered the office. The captain placed the star on the desk and looked up questioningly.
"We went to the guild master's house," the soldier reported, "but there was no one home."
"Where is his wife?" asked the captain.
"I do not know," shrugged the soldier.
"Well, find her," scowled the captain. "We cannot divide the spoils until we know what belongs to the guild master and what belongs to the murderer."
The captain sighed in frustration as the soldier hurried out of the office. The one thing Captain Takir would not allow in his garrison was stealing from the citizens. The law was clear on that matter, and Takir was not about to forfeit his life for some trinkets. The wife would be allowed to take whatever she claimed belonged to her husband, but the rest was Takir's to divvy up as he saw fit.
A moment later the captain heard another commotion in the guardroom. He stepped out of his office to see an innkeeper being led to the cells. Curious as to what kind of man felt the need to carry so many weapons, the captain followed at a distance. He watched the innkeeper peer through the small window in the door of the cell and nod his head.
"That's the same man," the innkeeper declared. "He flattened the guild master with a single punch."
Takir's eyebrows rose in surprise. He knew the guild master, and knew him to be a rough fighter. He kept his men in line by smashing them a time or two, and his workers were no slouches when it came to fighting. His curiosity grew, and as the innkeeper moved away from the window, Captain Takir peeked in. He noticed that the prisoner's hands were tied behind his back and ordered the cell door to be opened. As the innkeeper was led away, Takir entered the cell and stared at Garth.
"I didn't kill him," Garth declared. "I did punch him at the inn, but that was only because he was beating a woman to death. If you don't believe me, check my weapons. There is no blood on any of them."
"So you just happened to be standing over a dying man?" chuckled the captain. "And that is the same man you just happened to have had a fight with less than an hour before? Please spare me the sob story."
"It is the truth," Garth replied in an even tone. "If I could easily beat him with my fists, why would I need to ambush him in an alley?"
"Maybe he tried to ambush you," shrugged the captain.
"Then I would have been defending myself," Garth pointed out. "You don't hang a man for that."
"I can hang a man for any reason I want," retorted the captain. "Don't tell me what Federation law is."
"And what of the real killers?" asked Garth. "Are you just going to let them get away because you found me responding to a man's cry?"
"Killers?" echoed the captain. "Who said there were more than one?"
"I saw them leave the alley," answered Garth. "Two women in brown leather left the alley as I was approaching it. I thought they might have been escaping an ambush, but now I know differently."
The captain's eyes grew wide, and he hurried out of the cell. The door was slammed shut and locked as the captain headed towards the guardroom.
* * *
Tedi let Smokey smell the torn cloth again as he took it from between his paws. The dog rose to his feet, his tail wagging happily. Tedi told the dog to search. Natia giggled, but the dog put his nose to the ground and began moving around.
"I don't think anyone is giving Smokey enough credit," Tedi said softly. "He knows what we want him to do."
"Or he just likes the attention," Natia replied. "He doesn't seem to be able to find anything."
No sooner had Natia spoken than the dog barked once and started heading towards the river. Tedi and Natia followed Smokey to the banks of the river. The dog disappeared over the edge of the bank, but the Knights of Alcea halted at the top. Tedi stared down and saw Smokey half way down a steep cliff. The dog was on a ledge, and it was obvious that he had lost the scent.
"Do you think he jumped into the river?" asked Natia.
"No," Tedi shook his head. "There must be another explanation. I am going down to take a look."
Tedi slid down the embankment to where Smokey had stopped. He leaned over the edge and stared at the swift moving river a story below him. He could not see any land below that the thief could reach. Puzzled, Tedi turned around to go back up to Natia. When he turned around he saw a small opening in the face of the embankment. The hole was about chest high, and Tedi studied the dirt at the lip of the hole. It was clear to the Knight of Alcea that someone had crawled into the hole, not once, but many times. Not wanting to shout about his discovery, Tedi woke Button and instructed her to tell Natia where he was going. As the fairy leaped into the air, Tedi climbed into the cave opening.
The entrance hole was small, but the cave soon opened up enough to allow Tedi to stand erect. It was pitch black in the cave, and Tedi waited for his eyes to adjust while he listened for any sounds of people present. Hearing nothing, Tedi moved cautiously forward. After moving a hundred paces into the cave, Tedi came to an intersection. Looking to his left or straight ahead, the way was dark, but off to the right there was a torch in the distance, its flickering light barely reaching the intersection. Tedi decided to try the tunnel to the right, but as soon as he made the decision and moved towards the entrance, he felt cold steel on his neck and the weight of a sword on his shoulder.
"You obviously don't know where you are going," sneered an unseen voice, "but I will ask you for
the password anyways."
"I must be lost," Tedi said as he tried to turn his head to see where his adversary was.
The blade of the sword bit into his neck and Tedi froze.
"That's a good way to lose your head," taunted the unseen man. "Who are you and what are you looking for down here?"
"I seem to have lost something earlier tonight," admitted Tedi. "I would pay handsomely to ensure its return."
"Would you now?" brightened the hidden thief. "What did you lose and how much are you willing to pay for it?"
"I lost a pack of figurines and a black staff," answered Tedi. "I would be willing to part with a sizeable ruby to get my things back."
"Sizeable?" echoed the thief. "Let me see it."
"Are you the elf who stole my stuff?" questioned Tedi.
"Show me the ruby or I will just take off your head and retrieve it myself," threatened the thief.
"I don't have it with me," replied Tedi. "I would have to go get it."
"And where would you want to go to get it?" pressed the thief.
"To my room," answered Tedi. "I don't carry such things around with me."
"Then all I have to do is find out where your room is," sneered the thief. "You just outlasted your usefulness."
Tedi felt a slight lightening of the blade from his shoulder and knew that the killing blow was on its way. He immediately ducked low and heard a cry of surprise as he did. He heard the sword strike the stone floor as he whirled around and grabbed the thief by the neck. He looped a foot behind the thief's legs and pushed, sending the thief smashing to the floor. Only then did he see the knife protruding from the man's arm.
"You shouldn't go off alone," Natia berated Tedi. "Suppose I hadn't decided to come after you?"
"Yell at me later," retorted Tedi as he knelt on the thief's chest and pulled Natia's knife from the man's arm and held it to the thief's throat. "I'm a little busy right now."
"He's not an elf," Natia pointed out as she brought Kalina's glowing ring out of her pouch.
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