Knights of Alcea

by Richard S. Tuttle

  "I think so," nodded Bin-lu. "Do I still have to be careful about how I show it at the temple?"

  "No," Wei-ra shook his head. "Almost everyone will defer to you when they see it."

  "Almost everyone?" pressed Bin-lu. "Please explain. I do not want to embarrass you."

  Wei-ra smiled at his student. "I do not think that is possible, Bin-lu, but I will explain. Only a Priest of Balmak can rightfully challenge you, but some Black Cloaks may seek to test you anyway. If challenged, show your credentials as an Intelligence Officer. That should suffice. If things really get out of hand, you can call on Wu-kang, but try not to do so. It will become a black mark in your record if he is bothered by something trivial."

  "I shall uphold the standards that you have taught me," promised Bin-lu as he saw an open letter on the dresser.

  Wei-ra smiled again as he ushered Bin-lu out of the room and locked the door. "I would like to stay and talk, but I must hurry if I am to catch the boat. I still have not informed Wu-kang that I am leaving."

  "I can tell him for you," offered Bin-lu. "It will save you time, and you will not miss the boat because you stopped to explain things to me."

  "Excellent," Wei-ra said appreciatively. "I will try to be back in a week, but it may be longer. Keep practicing daily, and attend all sessions at the temple."

  "You can count on me," smiled Bin-lu.

  Wei-ra hurried along the corridor, and Bin-lu also headed away from Wei-ra's quarters, but at a slower pace. As soon as Wei-ra was out of sight, Bin-lu turned around and headed back towards Wei-ra's quarters. A couple of officers happened along, and Bin-lu had to pass up his first opportunity to pick the lock. He waited until the officers were out of sight and moved to the door as if he belonged there. By the time he reached the door, a thin strip of metal was already in his hands. He hoped that Wei-ra had not forgotten anything, which caused him to return.

  Bin-lu picked the lock and entered Wei-ra's quarters. He went straight to the dresser and picked up the letter from Chi-Chan. It confirmed his worst fears. Rut-ki had been captured. Bin-lu knew that if he didn't beat Wei-ra to Chi-Chan, the female spy would die, and Bin-lu would be exposed. Bin-lu took the letter and shoved it into his pouch. The spy gave a quick glance around the room. He would have liked to search the room, but he was running out of time. He exited the room and nearly bumped into Wu-kang, the head of the Intelligence Section.

  "In a hurry?" asked Wu-kang with annoyance. "Does Wei-ra not give you enough time to perform your duties in a professional manner?"

  "A thousand apologies," Bin-lu said as he bowed low. "Wei-ra is in a terrible mood. He has a splitting headache from our practice today, and he ordered me to leave him alone."

  Wu-kang looked at Bin-lu and then gazed at the door to Wei-ra's quarters as if he was undecided on his next course of action. Bin-lu's teeth pressed firmly together as he waited to see if Wu-kang would open the unlocked door.

  "I guess it can wait," shrugged Wu-kang. "Perhaps your practice sessions are getting a bit rough. I heard that you were a remarkable student, but do not go maiming my officers."

  Bin-lu detected the humor in Wu-kang's voice and smiled meekly. "I am also one of your officers now," he grinned. "One of us is bound to get hurt occasionally."

  "That is true," chuckled Wu-kang.

  Wu-kang turned and left, disappearing around the nearest corner. Bin-lu sighed with relief and hurriedly locked the door to Wei-ra's quarters. Hurrying along the corridor in the opposite direction, Bin-lu made his way to Za-hong's office. He marched through the outer office with his face averted from the soldier on duty. Without knocking, he opened the door to the inner office and marched in. The soldier in the outer office jumped to his feet, protesting the lack of protocol. Fortunately for Bin-lu, General Za-hong was alone in the office. The general moved quickly to the door and addressed the soldier in the outer office.

  "Go to Za-chan," commanded the general. "Tell him I request an appointment with him this evening for dinner."

  The soldier halted with surprise on his face. As the general's words sunk in, he turned around and hurried out of the office.

  "You have five minutes," the general said to Bin-lu as he closed the door. "Use them wisely."

  "I need a better way to speak to you without being seen," Bin-lu sighed.

  "Come to my quarters at night," suggested the general.

  "Next time I will," nodded Bin-lu, "but this cannot wait. I am leaving Ongchi for a while. I want you to send a secure message to Tagaret. The Temple of Balmak in Ongchi is a rebel base. I suspect the same will be true for every Temple of Balmak."

  "Are you sure of this?" asked Za-hong.

  "Positive," answered Bin-lu. "It is with sadness that I must also report that your Intelligence Section is riddled with rebels. Wei-ra and Wu-kang are among those working with the followers of Balmak."

  "I will have them arrested immediately," scowled the general.

  "No," Bin-lu objected. "Wei-ra is already out of the city, and we should leave Wu-kang in place for a while. I may be able to get more information out of him when I return. I tell you about them so that you are careful what information is shared with them."

  "That is dangerous," frowned Za-hong. "If Wu-kang suspects that we know about him, he may become great trouble to the governor."

  "There is more going on here than just a plot to overthrow Za-chan," declared Bin-lu. "Wu-kang might be the only link we have to the rebels right now. Try to keep him alive until I return."

  "And when will that be?" asked the general.

  "I am not sure," Bin-lu admitted. "I need to find a way to beat Wei-ra to Chi-Chan. He just left on the weekly boat."

  "That will not be easy," replied Za-hong. "The boat stops in Chi before getting to Chi-Chan, but it is only an overnight stop."

  "Can you find a reason to delay the boat one day?" asked Bin-lu.

  The general thought for a moment before nodding. "I can buy you a day, but that will still leaves you little room if you are traveling by horse."

  "I will be taking your fastest horse," Bin-lu informed the general. "I also need some travel money. I may be forced to buy some horses."

  Za-hong nodded and opened a desk drawer. He took out a pouch of gold and handed it to Bin-lu.

  "There is enough gold in there to buy a few dozen horses," smiled the general. "How do you plan to sleep and still beat the boat to Chi-Chan?"

  "There will be no time for sleeping," answered the spy as he handed Wei-ra's letter to the general. "Rut-ki has been captured by the rebels."

  * * *

  "The wagon is loaded," reported the young man as he entered the rear door of an inn in Southland.

  The innkeeper nodded thankfully and dismissed the young man. He turned to the fair, young woman standing in the kitchen doorway.

  "Twenty barrels of Southland's finest ale," he smiled. "Shall I put it on the baron's bill?"

  "Oh, no," Sheri smiled. "I will pay you for it. The baron is not to know about it."

  "I wondered why you were driving the wagon instead of one of the baron's soldiers," commented the innkeeper. "What is going on?"

  "It is a surprise birthday party for Baron Timor," Sherri whispered. "He doesn't have a clue that anyone has even remembered his birthday. I am sure he will be surprised."

  "I doubt that the baron would be surprised at anything you do," chuckled the innkeeper. "You have been like a breath of spring air ever since Wylan brought you here. You have organized the social life of Southland as if we were a large city. The baron will not be surprised."

  "Well I will try to surprise him anyway," giggled Sheri as she handed a pouch of gold to the innkeeper.

  Sheri left the kitchen and headed for the rear door of the inn. She noticed a group of six strangers hurrying up the stairs, but it did not alarm her. As she opened the rear door, she saw a man drop to the ground from a window above her. She stared at the face in surprise. The man looked at Sheri with fear etched on his face.

 
"Hide me, please," begged the man.

  "Get in the wagon," ordered Sheri. "Hide behind the kegs of ale."

  The man disappeared under the canvas, but Sheri did not hurry to the seat of the wagon. She stood next to the seat and waited for the expected voice to ask the question.

  "Did a man just jump into the alley?" called a voice from the window above the back door of the inn.

  "Yes," Sheri yelled to the man as she stared intently at his face. "He nearly scared the daylights out of me."

  "Where did he go?" shouted the man.

  Sheri pointed down the alley towards the city gates. "He was running pretty fast," she yelled. "Is he a thief?"

  The man did not answer, and his face disappeared from the window. Sheri hopped up to the seat of the wagon and started the team moving away from the gates.

  "Thank you," the man whispered from behind the ale kegs.

  "You don't remember me, do you?" asked Sheri.

  "Have I met you?" he asked. "I do not remember."

  "On a voyage a long time ago," Sheri replied. "You and your brothers."

  The sailor gasped. "I remember you now. You are a Knight of Alcea. Get us someplace safe quickly," the man said. "Your life might be in danger, too."

  "We are going to the castle," Sheri answered. "No more talking until we are inside the castle grounds. There are people about."

  Sheri drove the wagon with haste, but not fast enough to raise alarm. She sighed with relief as the wagon entered the castle grounds, but she did not stop until she arrived at the side door where the kitchen was located.

  "Come with me," ordered Sheri as she jumped down from the seat.

  The sailor crawled out of the wagon and followed Sheri into the castle. She led him through a maze of corridors at almost a run. Finally, she threw open the door to the training room, and the class turned to stare at her and the sailor. Only the instructor and two soldiers who were fighting him with staffs seemed oblivious of the couple entering the room. The sailor stared at the instructor and nodded in recognition, remembering him as the blind Knight of Alcea. The instructor wore the eye patches of a blind man, but he parried the blows of the students with an expertise most men would never achieve.

  "Learn to work together," instructed Wylan. "If you each keep coming at me singly, you will both be on the floor as soon as I get tired of toying with you. Start attacking like a team."

  The two soldiers backed away momentarily and nodded to each other. In unison they charged, one lowering his staff, and the other going for a headshot. Wylan lashed out at the higher staff, knocking it aside, as he jumped into the air to avoid the lower staff. He twirled the staff in his hands and extended it out before him as he landed. With a short jab to the chest of one of the students, Wylan pushed the man out of the ring. He immediately pivoted while bringing his staff low, sweeping the feet out from under the second student. The soldier hit the floor and lost his staff.

  "Better," Wylan said as the students rose and retrieved their staffs, "but you still need a lot of practice in teamwork."

  "Wylan," Sheri called across the room, "I need to talk to you right now."

  Wylan nodded without turning around to look at his wife. "I want you to break off into teams of three," instructed Wylan. "Each group will practice what I have just displayed."

  All of the students rose and began to form groups as Wylan turned around and marched towards the door. Although Wylan wore the eye patches of a blind man, he was no longer blind, although only a few close friends possessed this knowledge. His colorful patches had tiny holes in the center, which lessened the light reaching his sensitive eyes. He gazed at the face of the sailor with confusion.

  "We need to talk," Sheri said softly. "This man is in trouble."

  "And a long way from Dalek," Wylan nodded. "Come into my office."

  "How does he know who I am?" the sailor whispered to Sheri as Wylan led them to the office.

  "I know everything," chuckled Wylan as he opened the door. "My hearing is rather good, too. Which brother are you?"

  "I am Cirris," answered the sailor. "You remember me?"

  "I remember all of you," answered Wylan as he ushered them through the door and shut it. "But I never could tell you apart from one another."

  "It is getting easier to do so," Cirris said sadly. "Kurl and Mando are dead."

  "I am sorry to hear that," Wylan replied. "What brings you to Southland?"

  "Wylan!" scowled Sheri. "There are men trying to kill Cirris, and you are treating him like he came for tea."

  "It won't help anything to get excited," sighed Wylan. "I am asking what I need to know."

  "I am fleeing for my life," answered Cirris. "There are men after me who want to kill me."

  "Why?" asked Wylan.

  "I am not sure," admitted Cirris, "but I think it has to do with that voyage we went on a few years back. If I am right, both of you are in danger as well."

  "Why Southland?" asked Wylan. "There is nothing here for a sailor."

  "That is exactly why I am here," answered Cirris. "We all figured if we left the coast, we could hide from those chasing us. It hasn't worked out very well so far. Kurl was murdered not far from Dalek. I found Mando's body outside Cleb."

  "What about the other three?" asked the Knight of Alcea.

  "I am not sure," answered Cirris. "Ecaro spoke of taking a ship to Cordonia, and Garander set sail for Marchek. I am not sure which direction Alando ran."

  "Did you have plans to meet up with them?" asked Wylan.

  "In a year," nodded Cirris. "We figured that would be long enough for our pursuers to get tired of looking for us. We were to meet back in Dalek in a year. Half that year is already gone."

  "Who are the men after you?" asked Sheri.

  "I have no idea," replied Cirris. "Groups of strangers began asking questions in Dalek about the voyage we made. At first we thought it was just idle curiosity, but Reese finally got us together and told us to take some time off and travel. He gave each of us a healthy purse and told us to split up and head inland. I guess he thought it would keep us safe."

  "Does Reese know that these men are still chasing you?" asked Wylan.

  "I doubt it," shrugged Cirris. "We each vowed not to return for a year. I can't imagine how Reese would know."

  "How did anyone even find out about the voyage?" asked Sheri. "We were told not to talk about it."

  "All of Dalek knew that King Arik sailed from there on a ship just before the Darkness fled offshore," reasoned the sailor. "It wouldn't take an awful lot of imagination to figure that the voyage had something to do with the sky clearing."

  "Was there talk about the six brothers who crewed the ship?" asked Wylan.

  "I suspect there was," nodded Cirris, "but it was not spread by me or my brothers. We never spoke of that journey after we returned from the Island of Death. We had been asked not to."

  "Did these strangers also ask about who else was on the ship?" asked Sheri.

  "That is possible," answered Cirris, "but most of the Knights of Alcea were unknown to the people of Dalek. I suppose that they would have known about King Arik and maybe Alex and Jenneva, but I had never seen or heard of the rest of you. I doubt any of the other villagers had either. They might have mentioned an elf and a dwarf, but that would not identify anyone."

  "Does Reese know where the ship went?" asked Wylan.

  "I don't believe so," replied Cirris, "although Captain Hill surely did, and the people of Dalek will surely remember him. I should have mentioned that to Reese. I think he retired after that voyage. I am not sure where he went."

  "You seem to think the deaths are related to that voyage," remarked Wylan. "Are you sure of that?"

  "There is only one way to be sure," replied Cirris, "and I am not anxious to find out. I am pretty sure, though. Both Kurl and Mando were tortured before they died. It is obvious that those killers wanted information."

  "Do you think they got it?" asked Sheri.

  "Are they stil
l after me?" quipped Cirris. "My brothers would never reveal what the king has asked us to keep secret. Nor will I."

  "I am sorry for asking," Sheri said with embarrassment. "I just don't know what else to ask."

  "I understand," sighed Cirris. "I did not mean to be so crude with my answer. In fact, I have asked myself the same question. None of us knows what a man might say when he is tortured. I would rather kill myself than endure such a horror."

  "Maybe we are asking questions of the wrong person," mused Wylan. "Can you describe the men trying to kill you?"

  "I think so," nodded Cirris. "I have not had the time to study their faces, but I have had a few glimpses of them."

  "I saw one clearly," offered Sheri. "I would recognize him if I saw him again."

  Wylan listened to the sailor's description of the killers and then called a soldier into the room. He ordered the gates of the city closed until further notice and led Cirris into the courtyard to describe the killers to the assembled soldiers.

  "I want these men found and captured," ordered Wylan. "Try not to kill any of them if you can. I want them to answer questions."

  The soldiers filed out of the courtyard and Wylan led the sailor back inside. He assigned a squad of six soldiers to guard Cirris and then left to join the search. Sheri followed close on his heels.

  "They will know that we are hunting them," declared Wylan. "With the gates closed they will react like caged rats. Wouldn't it be safer for you in the castle?"

  "How could I be safer than in the presence of you," smiled Sheri. "Besides, I can identify one of them."

  "I thought you would say that," sighed Wylan. "Stay close to me."

  Wylan knew the soldiers would check the inns first, so he and Sheri walked down the alleys that ran behind the shops. He was halfway to the southern gates when a soldier ran up to him and reported.

  "We have found two of them so far," the soldier said, "but each of them has committed suicide."

  "How?" asked Wylan.

  "A knife to the heart," replied the soldier. "No hesitation at all. They know that they are being hunted. We couldn't even get close enough to stop them."