Basha shuddered, petting Talan and glancing at the saddle in the corner of his stall, where his Coe Anji sword was still attached--that was another problem, the name ‘Coe Anji’ sword. There had to be another name for it--he heard dogs barking not so far away from here, and remembered the kennel he had passed by on his way to the stables. Somebody was coming, or passing by close to here.
He lifted his head, and saw Gnat coming into the stables. “Basha?” She called.
“Over here, Gnat!” He cried, waving his hand so that she could spot him amidst the stalls.
Gnat hurried over. “Basha, thank goodness. Are we alone here?” She asked, almost in a whisper as she glanced around.
Basha frowned and shrugged. “I don’t know, I assume so. I haven’t heard anyone else in here beside the horses.”
“That doesn’t mean there isn’t anybody,” Gnat whispered, going from one stall to the next to check, and examine the corners. Basha, meanwhile, finished grooming Talan and exited the stall, watching Gnat’s paranoid activity with bemusement and curiosity, remembering how paranoid Jawen used to get as well when he was dating her.
“What are you doing?” He asked her.
Gnat turned around and approached him. “Please don’t be upset. I think there is a good reason why you and all of your friends should be careful.” She told him. “I don’t know what it is quite yet, when I have only heard a little of the conversation, but I think you should be prepared to leave, you and all of your friends.”
Basha’s frown deepened. “What do you mean?”
“Please don’t be upset,” She repeated, “But we don’t have much time. Don’t try to leave by the gate just yet, there are other ways out of Coe Aela that are much safer, hidden. I have to plan how best to get you all out of here.” She said, glancing at his horse. “It’s going to be dangerous, and we have to be careful not to attract attention to ourselves, so...I don’t know how it’s going to play out.” She said.
“Is this a game?” He asked hesitantly, almost ready to leave.
“Don’t--it’s not a game, it’s real.” She told him. “Fobata is a Follower of Doomba.” She whispered.
Basha stopped. “What?” He asked.
“Fobata is a Follower of Doomba, and so is Goga, and they’ve got you all trapped in here,” She whispered. “Until they decide what to do with you all. They don’t know for certain that you all are the travelers they have been warned about, but--you have got to get out of here before they decide.” She whispered.
“Are you--sure...” Basha whispered.
“Listen to me, please.” Gnat said, almost in tears. “I took a risk telling you this, and--I’m not important, I’m just a bug around here, and--I have to make you believe this. It’s not important what happens to me, just--get out of here.” She whispered, running away from him.
He could not believe this, he shook his head, trying to reassure himself, he could not believe this. It was just--yesterday, when he and the others had arrived in Coe Aela, there had been a cool reception with weapons withdrawn, and he had the distinct impression that Fobata was not entirely sincere in his welcome, but that had just been the circumstances of the meeting with the Black Wolves involved. However, Gnat had acted frightened just now, and she had believed what she was saying, he was fairly certain of that, although she could be mistaken about what she had seen or heard--he wished that she had stayed so that he could ask her more. Perhaps it was a misunderstanding, or--he was trying to make excuses again.
Black Wolves, a gruelmoff, crows, possibly giant rats, and now--Followers of Doomba. He shook his head and turned back to Talan’s stall, staring at the saddle in the corner where his Coe Anji sword in its sheath was attached. He wanted the sword...no, he did not need the sword. He marched out of the stables, wishing he could go back and fetch it, although that would look suspicious, walking around with a weapon in a place where they were supposedly safe. He was starting to think like Gnat. He needed to go talk to his friends, hear what they would have to say about Gnat’s warnings. Where were they?
He stood in the front bailey, glancing around at the various buildings; the keep or castle, the wall surrounding them, with the guards parading around up top like they wanted to be seen by those trapped inside, the guardhouse, the smithy, the kennels, a kitchen and the stables...what about the rest? He glanced towards the sides of the castle. One area, the eastern bailey he supposed, appeared to be neatly organized, with orchards and gardens, while the western bailey was more overgrown, possibly abandoned.
He assumed his friends would not want to stay inside the keep all day long, as it was a nice day outside and the castle interiors were forbidding enough, so they must have gone outside. He headed for the eastern bailey, deciding to look for them there. But when he did not find them amidst those orchards and gardens, he headed for the back bailey, which turned out to be more of a lawn that contained the barracks in the east, the jousting field, and the training yard at the western corner. He stood on the edge of the lawn, looking out towards the barracks, when someone pushed past him. Startled, he turned around, and stared at a guard.
“Sorry, I was just…” The guard started to say, and then stopped, staring at him. “Eh, are you…you know a young fellow, fairly tall, with dark hair?”
“Yes, I know him, how do you?”
“He just challenged Captain Goga to a duel.” The guard grinned and laughed, running off towards the front bailey through the orchard.
Basha gaped at his retreating back. How could Oaka do such a thing? He then ran off, towards the western corner of the back lawn, the training yard, as he assumed this man must have come from that direction if he had not seen him before. He passed through the jousting yard, and spotted Monika shooting off arrows with a crossbow at a target, perfect shots, before she turned to a couple of young fellows, perhaps the missing stable boys who had not been there when he and Gnat had met in the stables?
“Pay up,” She said to them when he ran up to her.
“Monika, I was…” He started to say, panting heavily as he glanced at the boys, wondering if they would…he decided not to share anything with her yet about what Gnat had said. “Oaka is going to challenge Goga to a duel, I just heard.”
“What?” Monika said, turning to him and dropping her crossbow onto the ground. “He wouldn’t.” She said.
“He would if he was trying to show off.” He remarked.
“We have to stop him,” She cried, running off in the direction he had just come from, east.
“The training yard is this way! Western corner!” He yelled, and then she stopped and turned around.
“Sorry,” She muttered as she went past him, and then he followed after her. They went to the training yard, where a dozen men were already gathered, and more were on their way as word was spreading of the upcoming fight between one of the newcomers and Captain Goga. Oaka stood at the center of all this attention, holding a sword.
“Oaka!” Basha cried as he and Monika tried to nudge and butt their way forward.
Oaka turned around. “Basha!” Oaka gasped.
“What are you doing here?” Basha cried.
“I don’t know, I just…” Oaka gasped, and inhaled. “I just got into a contest with some of the guards, and then they challenged me to fight Goga, and how could I refuse?” He laughed desperately.
“Oaka…” Basha groaned as, in the distance, they saw Captain Goga approach with the man who had been sent after him. The guards whistled, clapped, and cheered as their captain waved a hand towards them. He swung his sword through the air with the other hand and crooned,
I sing of the wolf, chasing the lion,
Howling with blood on his fangs.
And now my sword eloquent will rest upon
The hunting heart, and cut off the mane…
The guards laughed and jeered at Oaka, before parting to let their captain onto the training yard. Oaka blanched as he comforted the middle-aged captain, who seemed so much older and more expe
rienced, composed and nonchalant as if this was just old business for him, which it probably was.
“Let’s get this over with,” The captain remarked to Oaka, then he stretched a little bit before he hunkered down on his side of the yard, ready to attack. Oaka quickly took his own stance, hoping that he was ready for this.
Basha, still thinking of what Gnat had told him, blanched and inhaled, trying to calm himself down as he hoped that…the fight started. Goga launched himself at Oaka, who defended himself admirably.
Goga begrudgingly retreated a few steps as Oaka advanced, but quickly countered as Oaka was forced to duck. “Go-ga, Go-ga, Go-ga,” The guards chanted loudly and furiously, as Basha and Monika half-heartedly said, “O-a-ka, O-a-ka, O-a-ka,” in hopes that he could hear them, but it was doubtful.
Goga was pressing on Oaka, who countered the moves as best he could while his steps retreated, but then he countered one move, ducked, and swung around, pressing on Goga now. Goga had the advantage, but he was losing it. Basha was impressed, Oaka had certainly improved, perhaps because of practice in the last week or so.
The guards were starting to bet, some of them siding with Oaka to win instead of Goga now, but Goga was tired of losing. Goga hacked as best he could, trying to find a weakness in Oaka’s defense as their swords crossed again and again. No fire, no fire, Oaka told himself, restraining his powers. Goga twisted low, aiming for Oaka’s legs, and then spun round, his sword meeting Oaka’s just as Oaka was trying to attack Goga’s head. Oaka’s sword went flying, and Oaka had the unpleasant sensation of staring down the length of Goga’s sword, pointed at his neck.
“That’s a fight,” Goga commented, wide-eyed and panting as he stared back down at Oaka. Everyone held their breaths.
“You are the winner.” Oaka said, trying to remain cool and calm, in spite of his fear and anger.
“And what have I won?” Goga asked, flinching slightly.
Oaka winced, but then he realized the sword had not pierced his neck yet. “Um…the right to say that you are the best.” Oaka said slowly.
“That’s right.” Goga said, and then backed off as if he remembered something. “Like I have nothing better to do with my time than to fence some adolescent adversary who doesn’t know any better,” Captain Goga said, rolling his eyes. “I cannot believe this balnor.” He muttered, and then walked off.
The guards looked at each other, and grumbled, following Goga’s lead as Oaka, Basha, and Monika were left by themselves. Oaka flopped onto the ground, groaning on his knees as Basha and Monika slowly approached him.
“At least he spared your life,” Basha said, and then shuddered. It could have been worse.
Oaka shook his head. “He was toying with me.” He said. “He knew that he could take it. I never should have said…”
Basha patted Oaka on the shoulder. “There, there, it’s going to be all right,” He said, breathing a sigh of relief as he hoped this proved Gnat wrong. Goga had a chance to kill Oaka, so why didn’t he do it then?
Monika stared off into the distance, at the guards retreating. “There is something funny going on here.” She said.
“Not you, too,” Basha grimaced.
“What’s all of the commotion?” They heard Fato screech, and then looked up at the falcon flying down towards them.
“Fato, you just missed another fight!” Oaka cried, shaking his head. “I was nearly killed by Captain Goga!”
“Oh.” Fato said as he landed on Basha’s shoulder. “So what else is new?” Fato asked.
Oaka groaned as Basha said, “I had a…strange encounter with Gnat,” and proceeded to tell them what he had heard, even though he knew it might not be true. He just wanted to hear their reactions, and hoped that they might agree with him that there was nothing wrong and nothing to worry about.
Instead, they just stared at him. “Nothing to worry about?” Basha asked again.
“We need to talk with Gnat.” Oaka said, and the others immediately nodded.
Janus had been in the grand banquet hall an hour ago, cleaning up tables like he was doing last night, but as the group of travelers parted after breakfast, he paused a moment before trailing after them. He decided to follow the brown-haired young man, who was apparently the leader of the group as he had spoken to Lord Fobata yesterday morning after the Black Wolves had chased them into Coe Aela. The young man went straight to the stables, as Janus lagged behind, following a short distance away as he kept himself to the edges of the hallways as much as possible. Once outside, Janus crept along the keep’s walls towards the smithy, across the bailey from the stables. He watched the stables, planted firmly upon a barrel, and faintly heard the dogs’ barking in the kennels, turning his head just in time to see a slight figure, Gnat he assumed, dash into the stables.
He whistled softly to himself, and wondered what could drive her in there, when he heard…“Don’t move.” A woman whispered, standing right behind him with a knife-blade to his throat, or so it felt to him.
Janus paused. “A fine mess.” He said.
“What are you doing here?” The woman asked.
“The same as you, spying.” Janus said. They heard a screech in the distance and looked up at the wall to the silhouette of a falcon perched upon the parapet. It seemed to be staring at them before it flew away, chased off by one of the guards.
“Fato remembers me.” Janus said.
The woman paused now. “Who are you?” She asked.
“Janus is what they call me.” He said. “The name doesn’t matter.”
The woman frowned, he suspected. “Why do you talk like that?”
“I have no other way of talking, jokes are all I have got.” He said, smiling. “There is not much more to life than this.”
“Why do this?” She asked.
“I have nothing else to do. It is a way of earning trust.” He said.
“Why…Who…you are no ordinary servant.” She said.
“I suspect as much.” Janus said, smiling.
“Leave them alone.” The woman said. “They are not to be harmed.”
“I will try my best, but I cannot say the same for others,” Janus said, turning his head towards her slightly. His eyes gleamed as he studied her facade. “I am helpless here. I must stay low.” He faced forward again. “I cannot help them anymore than I can be a clown here, my mission depends on it. Your mission calls for discretion as well, I imagine, and I believe that you will lose that discretion if you kill me. I will be noticed if I am missed, if my body is found here, and I imagine that you will be detained, along with others, if they decide to investigate what has happend to me. I am worthless to them except for what I have been charged to do. You will be safe here if you let me go.”
The other woman trembled, but finally she lowered her knife-blade slowly. “If you betray us, I will kill you.” She said.
“I do not expect anything less,” Janus said, still sitting on the barrel and facing straight ahead as he did not want to alarm her. When she began to back away, he asked, “By the way, what is your name?”
“Nisa.” She said.
“Nisa. Such a pretty name.” Janus grinned. In the distance, he saw Gnat run out of the stables, and by the time Basha came out, Nisa was gone. He remained where he was as Basha left the front bailey, thinking that he was not spotted, and then Fato flew down to land on his shoulders.
“Fato, you should not be here.” Janus said, glancing around to make sure that no one was watching him.
“What’s going on? What happened with that woman?” Fato asked, staring around.
Janus shook his head. “She’s with the group you’re traveling with, I imagine.”
“She’s not with my group!” Fato exclaimed.
“Quiet, Fato. She is, or at least she’s watching out for them.” Janus said. “Who are they?”
“They’re travelers, on a quest for Tau’s Cup.” Fato said. “And they’ve got Black Wolves, and who knows what else after them.”
“Yo
u should have told them to stay away from Coe Aela.” Janus said.
“You try telling them that!” Fato cried. “And I couldn’t expose myself to them, I’ve got secrets, you know.”
“Everybody has secrets,” Janus said, shaking his head. “Go back to your friends, tell them the truth for once. The brown-haired fellow just headed towards the back bailey a few minutes ago, just after Gnat left.”
“Basha. Gnat.” Fato said, staring up into the sky. “Is there still a gruelmoff around here?”
“I don’t know, I assume so.” Janus said. “Avoid the tower where it resides.”
Fato flew off to find Basha, after making sure that everything was clear.
Janus sighed, it was a hectic day. He could not believe everything that had happened, and this group! He did not know who they were, what they were supposed to be doing, but they were causing quite a stir in Coe Aela. He thought they might be important, or it might be just a bunch of hoopla over nothing. He hoped that they would be okay, and that he would not get caught up in their wake. He had to make a speech to Marlo, what would he say to the steward about these newcomers?
“Harmless?” Fobata exclaimed, reading the report his steward had handed to him a few moments ago. “How can he…harmless?” He exclaimed, pacing back and forth.
“What is the matter with you, my lord?” Goga asked reluctantly, not wanting to get into details. He sat in the corner of the study he and Lord Fobata went to almost every other afternoon before dinner, currently drinking a bottle of wine by himself. Most afternoons Fobata and Goga would play a game of chess, or drink and talk about the daily affairs of Coe Aela, occasionally touching upon issues of national importance that might concern their duties to Doomba.
Servants and Followers (The Legends of Arria, Volume 2) Page 20