He managed to see the worst part of the city and not get attacked by bandits or one of the tattered people begging for money or food. Once, he did see a pair of men with knives threaten the purse from a woman. The people around them turned away and tried not to see it happening. The woman gave up her purse then ran as the men split her coppers between themselves. Earlier, he was glad not to see any guards. Now, he wanted nothing more than to see how these brigands would fare against swordsmen instead of helpless women. He saw other revolting sights, such as beggars missing limbs and dirty children in torn clothing lining the streets.
By the time he returned to the inn he was tired of seeing poverty. He walked though the door, not paying any attention to the people gathered at the end of the bar. It wasn’t until a man in leathers raised a sword towards him that he stopped and looked up.
The man was better kept that the other residents, which was to say his clothing was in fair condition and he was shaved. His dirty blond hair was tied back in a ponytail.
“Better move on, mister, if ya know what’s good for ya,” he growled.
Five other men dressed the same were with Marla and her family. One man held Betty by her hair as two others bracketed Marla and the gray-haired man. Two more held the boys at bay with swords.
“You hard of hearin’?” the man before him asked heavily.
Tayan looked the brigand in the eye. “Why rob these people? They have nothing.”
The one holding Betty laughed and shook the girl’s head. “They got her, and that just happens to be the price for doing business here.”
“Let her go, we’ll come up with silver for ya,” Marla begged.
The one holding Betty grinned. “Oh, yeah? I figure this little slut will be worth about two hundred gold on the market. Got that much?”
Tayan had heard stories about families selling their children into slavery. He wondered how many of those girls were stolen from their real families by men like this. He backed up and stepped around the man holding the sword. Stopping clear of the nearest men, he noted their positions. He could get back out the front easier than trying to go through the kitchen. “I have a better deal for you. Let her go, and I won’t kill you.”
The men laughed but didn’t take their eyes off him. One waved his sword at Tayan and asked, “Who’re you, the friggin’ Red Man?”
Tayan kept his eyes on the one holding Betty. By what he saw, this one was the leader. “I’m going back outside. When you come out, don’t have the girl. If you do, I promise not one of you will live.”
The man doused his grin. “All right, go on out. We’ll be by in a minute to slice you up. First, I want to get a taste of my new slut.” He pulled Betty’s head back, which made her cry out. Holding her chin, he bent to kiss her.
The nearest table still had one of Marla’s bowls on it. Snatching it up, Tayan threw it, catching the leader on the ear. He backed up as he watched them. Two started his way, and he put a table between hlm and them and backed towards the door.
The man let Betty go and drew his sword. “No one does that to me!”
“Don’t kill him, he’s a payin’ customer!” Marla cried. The man nearest to her slapped her.
Tayan made a beckoning gesture with both hands for them to follow him. “Let’s see if you can do more than beat on women.”
The table went over with a crash as one man threw it out of his way. All six came after him in a steady walk. He led them outside and seeing an alley, angled towards it. They picking up their pace. He turned and ran down the alley.
“We’re gonna slice you up!” the leader roared.
Tayan ran straight for a pile of broken boards lying against the side of the inn. The thugs spread out in a line as they chased him. Grabbing a six-foot section of plank off the top of the pile, he turned and swung at the lead man. The man caught the blow in his stomach. As he bent over, Tayan kicked him in the face and took his sword. Another man made a clumsy chop at him, which he parried then sliced the man‘s belly open.
The alley shook with the gargoyle’s roar as it appeared behind the men. The last two had time to turn and open their mouths in a silent scream before it slammed them into bloody pulp against the sides of the buildings. Tayan gored one of the remaining men through the heart then slashed the other, who had turned to gape at the gargoyle. The gargoyle killed the last one then sat down and looked at him.
Glaring at it, he told the beast, “I don’t need you--leave!”
With a flap of its wings, it disappeared.
At the end of the alley, people began to gather as he picked up the swords. No one ventured in, but a decent crowd, which included Marla’s two boys, watched as he collected the weapons. When he walked towards them, they parted, eyeing him in wonder and fear. He ignored them and went into the inn.
Going to the bar, he dropped the swords onto it then selected one for himself. Seeing Marla and the older man watching him intently, he said, “Give one to each of your boys and hide another behind the bar. One in the kitchen, too. You can probably sell or trade one for a few weeks worth of flour.”
Eyes wide, the older man asked quietly. “You him, mister? You the Red Man?”
“He’s gotta be!” one of Marla’s boys said from behind him. “You should see the mess in that alley--he tore them fellas to bits!”
“Shut up, Randy,” Marla breathed as she eyed Tayan cautiously.
Tayan turned his hard gaze to Randy and the crowd that followed him in. Part of his anger was for the brigands, the other part for these people thinking he was his father.
“I’m nobody,” he stated.
“You ain’t got a name?” Betty asked curiously and got smacked on the back of her head by Marla. As he turned back, Marla quickly offered, “Thank you for saving my Betty.”
Instead of telling her it was only the right thing to do or saying something profound, he just went up to his room.
The old man was wheezing out snores as Tayan settled down against the wall opposite him and inspected his sword. It was a common straight blade that tapered down to a sharp point. The handle was wood wrapped with crisscrossed leather thong for a solid grip, and the guard was a simple strip of steel. Laying it beside him, he let his thoughts drift. It occurred to him those men had to be as evil as they came. The gargoyle hadn’t hesitated--it began ripping into them just as fast as it had torn into the city guards. Father Ross had told him it was near him to protect his person. He had thought it would come only to cause mischief and attack the people he didn’t want harmed. Apparently, it didn’t care who it attacked.
This was something he could use. With the gargoyle near him, whatever did attack him was in for a big surprise. He could travel the plains and walk right into that damn city.
Shifting his gaze over to the piece of wood on the floor that someone had used to wedge the door shut, he noted it was bent. Picking it up, he remembered the message Odif had left.
“Well,” he mused, “I guess I’m ready to go.” The only thing he needed was a way to travel. He didn’t have close to enough money for a horse, and banished any thoughts of attempting to return to the elven district to acquire one. Digging in his pocket, he found a couple gold and a few silvers. If he was lucky, he might be able to get back to the river and buy a rowboat. He knew some halshaken words in case he ran across any rowing his way north. Any clans that remained hidden in the Jude would know of Zodiac. If nothing else, he might be able to travel in peace. His plan was far from set, but at least now he had a direction to go in. He no longer felt so helpless.
He went down to find Randy and his brother telling what they had seen to a throng of eager ears as they ate their noon meal of bread and gruel. He slipped around the end of the stairs and made for the kitchen unnoticed, or so he thought. One cloaked figure slipped away from the crowd and followed him.
In the kitchen, Marla and Betty were baking bread. Seeing him enter, Betty gave him a broad smile. “Mister,umm, Nobody, would you like some lunch?”
“Sure.” He sat down at the round table on his rickety box. Betty was quick to bring him his gruel, which now sported a few floating pieces of vegetable. She set down a quarter of a loaf of bread in front of him. From what he had seen so far, this was a king’s feast.
“We don’t want you to think we ain’t grateful,” Marla told him as she scooped out another bowl of flour from the bag. “I’ll feed you the best I can, and I won’t pry into your affairs. Maybe you can tell us what to call you besides 'Nobody.''”
From by the door, a female voice said, “He is Lord Tayan Montara of Elrad, and he is my Master.”
He turned to see Ellie standing just inside the door. Her hair was in disarray. She looked at him with hollow eyes, one of which bore a purple bruise.
“Who?” Marla asked breathlessly.
“Ellie, what in the abyss are you doing here?” he cried.
Walking towards him, she asked, “Did you get the scroll Jeni had for you?”
He focused on her bruised eye. “What happened to you?”
She fell to kneel beside him. “I didn’t give it up, no matter what they did to me that night.” Tears welled in her eyes. “I told Sister Amber about it, she said she gave it to you. Please tell me you got it.”
Shifting on his rickety perch, he faced her. “Ellie, I was kidnapped. I haven’t been at Lady Salinthia’s estate since you last saw me.”
Ellie swayed as she held her right hand to her face. “I failed you. I am garbage.”
He grabbed her hand and lifted her chin to look at him. “You are not garbage,” he told her gently. “How did you get here?”
“I followed you at first. Then when I lost track of you, I kept going the way you were. I thought I saw you earlier today; then when I heard the roar I knew you’d be close by.” Looking up at him with liquid eyes, she said, “You did not sentence that B-lord, and you never got the scroll, did you?”
He knew whom she meant but had no idea what she was talking about. “Ellie, start from the night I left for the duke’s place and tell me everything.”
She did, saying only that Belenaris’s men hurt her when they came for the scroll. She finished by telling him about the coach ride, and Amber’s facing down the gargoyle. When she was done, he knew the fake was doing as much damage as he could. Still he asked the most important question on his mind.
“Ellie, did that thing hurt Amber?”
“No, Master. It left before I got to the corner.”
“And how about you? Are you bruised badly?” he asked.
Sliding her left sleeve up, she showed him the stump of her wrist. “I can no longer serve well. I understand if you want to put me out of my misery.”
“Dear Odin,” he breathed as he held the scarred end of her arm. “They did this to you?”
She looked down. “They did more,” she said quietly.
The brutality done to her staggered his mind. What was worse, she had let them do that to her only because he told her that stupid scroll was so important. Belenaris’s men might have done the torturing, but it was he who was responsible for her injuries. He pulled her into a hug and stroked her hair.
“I’m so sorry, Ellie.”
“I failed you,” she sniffed. “I am ready to die now.”
He wanted to tell her the truth, that he didn’t give a damn about that scroll. To do so would let her know that her suffering had been for nothing. Somehow, he just couldn’t bring himself to do that. Leaning to whisper in her ear, he said, “Ellie, I failed you. I am not going to kill you for a...horrible mistake I made.”
Pulling back, she looked up at him quizzically. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s best you don’t,” he assured her. “I’m going to have someone take you back to Sister Amber. She has to know the man pretending to be me is a fake.”
Ellie furrowed her brow. “No,” she replied firmly. “I will not be separated from you again. Terrible things happen when I am.”
“I can’t argue with that,” he muttered. “Have you eaten?”
Ellie frowned as she thought. “I had breakfast yesterday. At least, I think so.”
He looked up to ask Marla if she could give Ellie some bread. Marla was gaping at him. To her side, Betty wore a grin that stretched from ear to ear.
“I knew you were someone special!” the girl said triumphantly.
“Here, I am still nobody,” he told them. “Marla, could you get Ellie something to eat?” He motioned to the box beside him. “Ellie, sit up here.”
Ellie got up and perched on the box beside him. Looking at his lunch, her jaw dropped. “Slaves eat better than what you have!” she cried. Whipping her head towards Marla, she tightened her one fist. “You give my Master something decent to eat, right now!”
“Ellie!” he barked, which made her swivel her head back to him. “This is all they have. Keep quiet.”
Ellie bit her lip and looked like she was about to cry again, but did keep quiet. Marla, who was normally terse with him, wore a forlorn look. “I am very sorry we do not have more,” she apologized.
“This is fine,” he said. “Besides, you make the best bread I have ever tasted.”
A smile came to Marla’s face, making her look ten years younger. “Thank you.” She hesitated then asked, “What do we call you?”
“Bob.”
“Thank you...Bob,” Marla said tentatively, and went to get Ellie some food.
Still grinning broadly, Betty got a whole loaf of bread and set it on the table. “Here, Mr. Bob...and Ellie. Can I get you another bowl, Mr. Bob?”
“This is more than enough,” he told her. Beside him, Ellie looked ready to faint. She stared at the bread as if it had something crawling on it. The bowl of gruel Marla set in front of her she ignored until he started eating his. Only then did she suffer through drinking it and measuring out a smaller piece of bread to eat than what he had.
As they ate, Marla and Betty stood by as if they were servants waiting for orders. After a few minutes of this, he couldn’t take any more.
“Marla, I am no different than anyone else. Please don’t make a fuss.”
“I heard about you,” she told him. “You killed a dragon, and your wife is the princess of Elrad. Heard tell you’re the one who got Lord Zodiac and his Company together. I bet you even know the Red Man personal-like.”
“That’s his father,” Ellie said absently.
“You even know Odif the Druid?” Betty asked, bouncing in place.
Before he could say anything, Ellie piped up, “She’s his sister.”
“Ellie, shut up!” He had no idea when she heard those things and was not happy she was sharing them so freely. “Here, we are nobody, got it?”
She lowered her head with a “Yes, Master.” She started to slide to the floor then glanced at him and moved back in place.
“What in the abyss are you doing here with us poor folks?” Marla asked.
The look Ellie gave him said she had the same question. He told them the only thing he could. “It isn’t safe for people to know where I am right now. If word gets out, thousands of lives will be in danger. It is very important no one knows I am here.”
Marla nodded. “Ya can trust me and Betty.”
Betty’s face became stricken. “I can’t tell no one I was saved by Tayan Montara himself?”
He shook his head. “Not a soul.”
“Awww, damn!” she cried, stomping a foot.
“Betty!” Marla barked with a glare. “Mind your tongue!”
“But, Ma,” she complained, waving an arm at him. “This is the Tayan Montara!”
Red-faced, Marla glared at her, “Didn’t ya hear what he just said? He’s hiding here to keep people from being killed!” Her mouth hung open as she realized the impact of that statement. Slowly, she turned to him. “That means we’re in danger, too?”
Seeing her concern, and Betty’s exuberance at finding out whom he was, he didn’t dare stay here any longer. “No, I’m leaving.”
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br /> “We’re leaving,” Ellie corrected.
“You can’t leave,” Betty whined. “There’s still bad men here!”
“There will always be bad men around,” he sighed. “At least the boys have swords now.”
Tipping up his bowl, he drank his gruel and waited for Ellie to finish eating. He noted she acted like she hadn’t eaten in days.
Trying to think what to do with her, he decided to keep her as close to him as possible. If something did attack, that damn gargoyle would take care of it. “Ellie, I want you to stay within arm’s reach of me unless I tell you different.”
Holding the last bit of her bread in her hand, she said, “Yes, Master” with a mouthful then inched closer to him.
The door opened and Randy came in. “What’s all the--” Settling his eyes on Ellie, he grinned. “Wow, we got us a slave!”
“She ain’t ours,” Marla said quickly.
“She a runaway?” he asked.
Before too many questions got asked, Tayan decided to get the boy’s mind on something else.
“I need to go north--do you know of any merchants heading out, or maybe a caravan?”
Randy jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “That general has got his big steel wagons in the fields outside town. Maybe you can hitch a ride with them.”
“Randy, no foolishness!” Marla said, eyeing him.
Tayan perked up. “Can you show me where they are?” Randy nodded, so he put another silver on the table. “Marla, thank you for the hospitality. Will you let Randy take us out to General Cooper?”
“That’s his name, Cooper.” Randy nodded. “Just follow the main road out, can’t miss ’em.”
“Thanks,” he said as he got up. Beside him, Ellie swallowed her last bite and shot to her feet. He helped her pull her hood up so her face was covered then gave Betty a stern look. “No one will know, right?”
Betty squirmed in place and forced out a “Yes, sir.”
“I’ll see to it,” Marla told him.
Going back up to his room, he got his sword and the bent piece of wood. When he came down and walked through the common room, the people made a path for him, eyeing him with a mix of fear and awe. Marla’s boys had probably embellished a little on what happened outside; then again, no one had actually seen anything. No amount of fictionalizing could encompass the horror that was in that alley. In the crowd, he noticed a couple men who wore clothes similar to the men he and the gargoyle killed. Stopping at the door, he turned and addressed the crowd.
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