Kara

by Scott J. Kramer

  “Not one more word to your animal friends or it will be your last.”

  The soldiers hauled Jesset inside following the one in command. One minute he was being supported and the next he fell to the floor. He coughed as dust went in his nose and eyes.

  In a corner, Birch looked out from behind a barrel. He rocked back and forth. Jesset stared hard at the dog, willing him to stay put.

  “Where is it, Mordock?”

  Confusion spread over Jesset’s face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

  The leader kicked him in the abdomen. He beckoned to his soldiers. “Search the place.”

  A dish crashed to the ground followed by a bowl. Soldiers were kicking at other objects.

  “Sir.” A soldier spoke. “Filo is dead. Caldous is bleeding badly from the antler wound. I’m not sure he will make it.”

  “Put Caldous out of his misery. A punctured stomach is something he will not live through.” The voice did not sound happy.

  The man squatted down, grabbed Jesset by his hair, and pulled upward. Jesset did his best to tilt his head and avoid the stinging pain.

  “Your animals have killed my men. I will not be the embarrassment of the castle because they were defeated by woodland creatures. Get him up!” he ordered. Two soldiers pulled him to his feet.

  Jesset looked up, The leader held a small trunk open. Inside was the piece of mirror Kirt had wanted him to look at. “Aha. At last, we’ve found it,” the commander said. The trunk slammed shut “Bring him and that trunk. We must get back to the castle.”

  Guards lifted the Mordock to his feet and settled him into the saddle of a dead man’s horse. The pain in his shoulder became an aching throb. Every bone in his back felt like it was dislocated. The leader’s lieutenant wrapped the reins around his wrist and led Jesset’s horse down the path toward the castle.

  And all the while Jesset tried to figure out the confusing turn of events.

  All they wanted was that shard?

  Chapter Fourteen

  It took some time before the wizard spoke again. He indicated they should sit. Grace found a table to land on. He poured his guests some tea with the aroma of oranges but tasted of apple and cinnamon without speaking. He asked no questions, yet somehow knew to provide honey for Snow’s and milk for Kara’s tea.

  “I never thought I would see it. Sure, I read about it, but never did I think that I would see it. And never in my humble domain.” He sipped his tea noisily.

  “But what is it? Is it dangerous? Am I going to be hurt by it?”

  “Patience, dear child.” He set his cup in its saucer. “I will tell you all I know but it is my tale to tell. Let me tell it as I wish it to be told.”

  Kara sat back in her chair and sipped her tea. Anxiety ate her up inside, but she would allow him at least a chance to tell the story in his way.

  “A long time ago, which it was, I was one of Longshanks’ spooks.” Ynob held up one finger to silence Kara, her mouth open ready with a question. She closed it. He continued. “This was the father of the one who rules now. La’ard is cruel, but nothing like his father was.” He slurped his tea.

  “I was one of the first spooks in the kingdom, before they were called spooks. The previous ruler, King Vercoz, was murdered by magic. Many, including I, believed that Longshanks had something to do with it. Vercoz had no offspring and Longshanks was the nearest relative left that could take the throne. He was a cousin or some other nonsense.”

  The wizard paused and finished off his tea. He placed his cup on the saucer, apparently thinking, and then set it aside. “After Longshanks took the throne, he started to gather a magic users group. It started with a group of five. We were to be his bodyguards, protect him from the previous king’s fate. He picked some powerful mages for that group. Mind you, most magical personages don’t become strong on their own. The skilled are few and far between. The five he gathered had more talent than the rest of the kingdom combined. That’s what made him nervous after a time.”

  “We were allowed to recruit possible apprentices in that first year of operation. The group expanded to twenty, when each of us took on four. But Longshanks grew fearful. Fear often sprouts hate. And this hate came on fast and furious one night.”

  Ynob stood and went to fetch more tea. He brought the kettle, pouring his first, and topping off Snow’s and refilling Kara’s. She had no idea her cup was empty until the pot came by. Her mouth felt like it had just savored her mother’s apple pie. And her nose could not deny the smell of oranges ready to squeeze. Her eyes, meanwhile, only saw tea.

  “I am blessed with insomnia. Blessed, because it saved me that night from a spook’s fate. Longshanks hired assassins to murder and cremate the original five. Our quarters were currently in close proximity to the blacksmith’s brazier, a brazier that was often used to burn trash, diseased livestock, and bodies.

  “Longshanks could not have planned this any better. Three of the mages were killed outright and one went out fighting. Or at least tried to. A magical flameburst lit the roof of our dwelling on fire. Wizards need precise aim as well as diction to perform a spell. This particular mage had bit his tongue when he was startled awake, and his arm was knocked aside while casting the spell.”

  “We’d all be dead, except I happened to be in the stables when I saw the fire. It was too late by the time I arrived. Most of the recruits had been burned. One assassin was escaping and didn’t expect to run into anyone. He happened to bump into me. I recognized his guild. I did some quick magic work by swinging a shovel and knocked the man out. My brain worked fast, putting the pieces together. I plied most of the facts about the mission from his mind while I had him unconscious.”

  Ynob sat back in his chair and stared into his tea. Kara sat on the edge of her seat, waiting for information that pertained to her. It looked like he finished telling his tale. That worried her—bothered her to the point of speaking out.

  “And what about this necklace?” It came out a bit rude but she didn’t care.

  “I told you girl, all in due time.”

  “No. You can’t just tease me with information and then go into the story of your life. Exciting as that is, it does not help explain this necklace.” She looked down and noticed it was shining brighter now.

  Ynob, ready to retort, noticed the glow too. He paused as his mind shifted gears. “Have you had dreams yet?” His voice shook slightly.

  “Why?” Kara asked. The pendant’s color darkened but still glowed strongly.

  “I had no idea it was active! Such a fool!” Ynob whispered under his breath. He stood up violently, knocking his teacup and saucer to the floor. “You need to leave. Now!”

  Kara, Snow, and Grace sat there stunned. They looked at one another for an answer and then to the wizard who waved them out.

  “If I said anything….”

  “No, it is not that. But you need to leave now!” Ynob threw her shawl upon her, trying to hide the necklace. “And cover that up!”

  Grace took to the air, and Snow got to her feet. Kara stood too, but did move toward the door.

  The wizard muttered incantations with one arm outstretched and the other hand at his temple. Every so often, a thin arc of light appeared around him.

  “Go, you must leave now!” Ynob said again, and then went back to conjuring his spell.

  Grace twittered and Snow nodded. “Maybe we should just go.”

  “But he knows something.”

  “Go!” the wizard roared from the bottom of the stairs.

  And suddenly, she felt herself flying, pulled backward, up the steps and out the door. Snow seemed caught by the same invisible force. And the door slammed shut, becoming tree trunk again. They sat on the forest floor. The spell had been rude, but not rough when it dropped them to the ground.

  “What just happened?” Kara rubbed her backside as she got to her feet. She helped Snow up.

  “I’m not sure.”

  Grace flew down by the othe
r two. She started chirping. About mid chirp, a blur from the left hit Grace, and the sprite disappeared from their sight.

  Kara and Snow stared toward where the blur had materialized and saw a woman emerging from the bushes. Her silver eyes sparkled in the noonday light.

  “Kara, run!” Snow screamed. Schunk! She instantly changed into a rabbit and sped off.

  Kara hesitated a moment. What was going on? Was this lady a threat?

  She started to follow Snow, but three steps later, someone grabbed her from behind. She fought to free herself but her assailant shoved a cloth against her mouth and nose. She felt herself falling and everything went dark.

  ***

  “That is not funny.” Dante sulked as he and Hambone made their way through the forest. He trotted along in fox form, usually easier for him when taking long journeys through the woods.

  “I’m sorry. It’s just I haven’t seen Ra’na in awhile so things just got out of hand.” Hambone said, blushing with a big grin on his hairy face.

  “Then warn me next time. It was a bit embarrassing.”

  “I will.”

  Their day so far had been a long hike. First, they had checked Katrena’s booth in Aladedas, finding it shuttered and showing no signs of life. Quickly, Dante checked the nymphs’ booth but found out that Lyllianna was not working today. Hambone sighed in relief. It saved him the time it would take to drag the fox away from the market. They then had visited Ra’na, to find out where Katrena lived. Ra’na provided the directions, and Dante and Hambone set out for Katrena’s house.

  “Figures she’d live by the gulch.” Dante grunted as he climbed a steep hill. They crested the rise. The gulch lay before them, a V-like cut into the earth as if some giant had sliced out a piece of pie. It was a huge area, and a tremendous drop-off. Dante looked over the edge and saw only rocks, trees, and a hint of a small stream. He quickly pulled himself away.

  Wordlessly, Hambone pointed north and they continued.

  “Keep your voice low.” Hambone whispered.

  “Why?”

  “I would rather surprise whatever lives here than it surprise us.”

  Dante stopped and looked back at the dwarc. “And what it are you thinking of coming upon to accidentally surprise?”

  Hambone waved him forward. The forest clustered tightly around the gulch, hiding that which was right in plain view. Eventually, parting some of the foliage, they saw Katrena’s cottage. It looked fairly normal from the outside. Dante led the way to the building from where they watched the house for five minutes to see whether they could notice any activity. When they didn’t, Hambone crept behind him. Every few feet they paused, listening. Once the pair made it to the side of the house, they waited again.

  “I don’t think anyone is home.” Dante whispered.

  “Let’s look up front.”

  As they rounded the corner of the cottage, Dante stumbled over a body, a small one, but definitely a dead one. “Yipe!” he yelped.

  Hambone shushed him, and Dante put his paw to his mouth. They both froze and stared down at what remained of Skrag. A few rats waddled away, while some of the insects remained undisturbed by the clumsy fox.

  No one came out of the house or yelled at the two intruders. All was still quiet.

  “Well, I guess we know what happened to the goblin,” Hambone said quietly.

  “Did…did she do that to him?” Dante said, still very unnerved by the corpse.

  Hambone took a stick and poked at the remains, inspecting him. “Looks like he was attacked by something, maybe partially eaten.”

  Dante suddenly was on all fours, very alert and looking over his shoulder. “Do you think…think whatever it was is still here?”

  Hambone also looked into the woods, but then reassured Dante. “No. The body would be gone if it were. At least, that’s what I think.”

  “We…we should go.” Dante circled around, trying to keep an eye on everything. Hambone was a bit uneasy too. He looked around at the house, waiting for Katrena to pop up. Then he noticed the door ajar. He made a step toward it.

  “What are you doing?” Dante almost screamed when he realized Hambone’s intent.

  “Shhh!” The dwarc continued forward until he was at front of the door. With his foot, Hambone casually bumped the door so it opened a bit more. “Hello?”

  Dante held his breath. No answer came from inside. The door opened wider and the Hambone went in. The fox remained rooted to his spot, anxious, and ready to run at the first sound of trouble.

  “Hello. Katrena?” Hambone called out again.

  A raven buzzed Dante’s head. “Dragon!” he screamed and took off running into the forest.

  Hambone, startled, ran out the door where he almost collided with the bird. All he saw of Dante was his bushy tale snaking into the forest.

  “Dante!” But the fox was long gone.

  Next to the dwarc sat the raven. “What did you do that for?” Hambone scolded the bird, who only squawked back at him. It lifted its leg out to him. Confused at first, he thought the feathered creature was trying to shake hands. Then he saw a note tied to its leg. His big fingers had a hard time undoing the knot and the raven pecked him a few times.

  It jabbed him once more when he removed the note before it flew off in the direction Dante had run. Hambone watched it go, rubbing his needled hand. The note was folded crudely, and once opened, Hambone saw one word on it followed by a single initial.

  Church, K.

  Hambone flipped the paper over, looking for more, but found nothing. Church was mostly a human thing. He had overheard the term once or twice while eating at the market but didn’t know much about it. And what was the K all about? Was that something to do with church?

  He threw the paper aside and looked toward where Dante had run. Maybe he should get out of here before Katrena did show up. She might not be very happy to see that her front door was open and somebody had read a letter addressed to her.

  ***

  Jesset didn’t recall much of the ride back to the castle, other than it must have been the rockiest trail in the kingdom. Every bounce and jolt of the horse sent pain through his shoulder and back. At times he felt himself start to black out and then another dip in the road brought his senses to life again.

  Throughout the ride, Jesset cursed himself. He had gotten too comfortable there in Willow Haven, thinking no one would bother an old Mordock. He also mourned the loss of his animal friends that had so desperately tried to ward off the attackers. Maybe if they hadn’t arrived so quickly, he could have made a clean getaway.

  Would they torture him to find out where Kara was? And why did they want the girl in the first place? Was it another magical gathering? Weeding out any potential threats to the crown?

  Upon arrival at the castle, they unceremoniously took him from the horse and made him stand in his weakened condition. The guards did not make eye contact with him. Silly fears based on untruths ran rampant about Mordocks. Some believed that if they caught your eye, a Mordock could hypnotize instantly. It was a common festival trick or tavern scam mainly done with someone in on the deal faking hypnotism.

  Jesset possessed only his animal skill, but held his face serious and stern so all the guards would be nervous. The Witch Guard didn’t seem to hold these same ideas, but every so often Jesset saw one look away if he stared too long.

  They lugged him to the dungeon, his body fatigued from the loss of blood. Sunlit day vanished into the dark gloom of the underground prison. Torches illuminated the vault. Jesset, not lucky enough to be near the source of the light, got a cell barely lit by the corridor flame.

  A little straw littered the floor, mostly there to suck up the moisture left from the last tenant’s demise. Thrown in, Jesset landed nose first in some dinner leftovers. They had probably gone stale and moldy a week ago.

  The guards laughed as they slammed the cell door shut. “Stupid Mordock.”

  Very little energy coursed through his helpless body. His no
se screamed for freedom from what smelled like fetid pig slop. Jesset commanded the arm with the working shoulder to push against the stone floor.

  With a grunt and tremendous effort, the Mordock rolled to his side. He was unable to stop himself from rolling on his back. A lump in the floor hit him right in the wounded shoulder. Tears forced their way out of his eyes, the ones he had been holding back.

  His whimpers were soft, and no one heard his soft cries over the whip crack and muted screams echoing down the corridor. Jesset drifted off to sleep listening to the guards talking and chains rattling.

  Fred….

  A voice sounded close to his ear. Jesset stirred. Gradually, his eyes creaked open, only to see gray fur and a pink tail right in front of him. A rat.

  What did I tell you? A smorgasbord. Sounds of chewing and gobbling came from in front of him. The rat tail twitched back and forth.

  And if this fellow here dies, we may be able to get a juicy bit off him before they take him away to the pile. The rat in front of him sat up on its haunches, a piece of the stale bread clutched in its claws.

  Jesset tried to speak, to tell the rats he wasn’t dead but only managed to moan. It was enough to get their attention. The rat blocking his view jumped and scattered to the corner.

  “Not dead.” Jesset tried again. He willed his muscles to work. With an agonizing groan of pain, he was able to sit up.

  Oy! He’s speaking our language! The rat nearest the bars started to retreat. The other rat had run to a dark corner of the cell.

  I wouldn’t go too near. Might be a ruse.

  “No fear. Good. Safe. Mordock.” Jesset’s words came out in short bursts. It felt as if his left lung had collapsed.

  The rat by the bars came in closer and then right up to Jesset when it noticed the prisoner’s breathing problem. Just slow your air, chap. There’s a nasty wound in your back that’s probably causing that breathing thing. This rat stood up on two legs and put a paw on top of Jesset’s leg.