Going back to Kyra’s room at the Yawning Bear Inn, they started going through the prince’s notes and ledgers. There had to be a pattern to the attacks, something that tied them all together. While Kyra delved into the books, Bazur was having a much harder time concentrating on the task. His mind kept wandering back to the strange scene in the brothel. The sex had been interesting and enjoyable, but it wasn’t the carnal acts themselves that filled his mind as much as it was Kyra. There had always been a bit of chemistry between them, but they’d always kept the relationship professional. This was a completely different and new dynamic. One that he wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about it. And how quickly she seemed to forget what happened in the brothel and get back to business as usual was disturbing. It didn’t bother him that she was eager to solve the crime, but his own inability to understand her feelings was irritating. Did she share similar ideas as him, or had the sex simply been another seduction technique to drawn him further into her web? Perhaps for her it just had been simple sex for the sake of pleasure? He couldn’t afford to dwell on those thoughts, he couldn’t let her steal his heart so casually.
“I think I’ve found something,” said Kyra, interrupting Bazur from his thoughts. “There is no logical pattern that I can find on who the targets are besides the fact that they have something to do with Prince Valentine, but almost every shipment or caravan that has crossed the badlands has been hit.”
“That’s not surprising, the badlands are a great place to mount an attack.”
“Exactly. Which is why we can also assume that the next caravan to cross the desert will be hit.”
Bazur thought about it. She was right. This was the thread they were looking for. They might not know who was behind the attacks, but if they could figure out when the next attack was coming, they could stop it and learn more about who was behind them. “I see what you mean. When is the next opportunity for a badlands attack?”
“From the information that Prince Valentine gave us, I’ve found a caravan that is scheduled for next week. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t others.”
“No, any business ventures not partially owned by the prince will be on your list. We need to canvas his business associates and find out who might be traveling through the badlands. We can start making a list of who hasn’t been hit yet, and start with them.” It wasn’t a foolproof plan, but it was someplace to start. If they guessed right on the next target, they could get a step ahead of the attackers. The attackers had successfully used the badlands to attack their victims, but Bazur knew the badlands as well as any bandit. Finally, they would have a chance to become the hunters. However, they still needed to figure out who was the next target.
Kyra stood up. “I’ve made a list of the ten people I think are most likely candidates to have business in the badlands. None have been hit yet, but all are known associates of the prince. Someone on this list is our guy, I’m sure of it.”
…
The first three names on this were dead-ends. Two didn’t have any trade goods leaving for months, and the third had canceled his shipment. “I’m not going to end up like the others,” said the merchant. Bazur couldn’t fault the man for holding off.
The fourth merchant, Mauri Planche, was a different story.
“I’m sure the prince means well, sending… you two. However, I have things well taken care of, and do not need assistance. I’m going through the badlands the day after tomorrow. I have business in the Oclesh city of Brauni,” said Mauri in a cocky and nasal tone when questioned about his business trips. “I’ve hired a dozen mercs to accompany me, so you needn’t worry yourselves. With my planning and the swords of a dozen mercenaries, I see little you could do to assist.”
Bazur wasn’t so sure. The attackers had been willing to take on a large number of royal guards and had come back with a large number of men even after Bazur had helped foil one attack. If Mauri was the next target, the hired mercs might not be enough to save him. “What route are you traveling?”
Mauri Planche pulled out a canvas map. “We’ll go through Pera and then north to the Westmere watering hole. From there we’ll head north to the Vara river and into Oclesh territory. Nobody but my scouts and now you know this. As you can see, we’ve thought this through thoroughly. I’m sure the trip won’t encounter any problems.” Mauri smirked. “You’d be best served talking to some of Prince Valentine’s less creative associates. The ones who actually need your assistance.”
Bazur nodded. The route was a logical one. The trip into Pera would be expected but going to Westmere was more off the beaten path. Mauri seemed confident in his plan, too confident in Bazur’s opinion. “Good luck and safe travels to Brauni.”
Mauri shook his head. “Luck has nothing to do with it. Proper planning being smarter than the enemy is what is going to get me to Brauni.”
When Bazur and Kyra left Mauri, Kyra turned to Bazur. “That pompous ass is going to get himself killed. He thinks he’s smarter than everyone. I almost want to let him go.”
Bazur agreed with Kyra’s assessment of Mauri. The man was pompous and nowhere near as smart as he thought he was. “You are right. The bandits will have no difficulty tracking Mauri and his mercs across the badlands no matter what route he takes. Setting up an ambush on any trail will take them little time. However, if we want to get paid we do need to stop the attack, or at least capture one of the bandits so we can get information.”
“Fine, but when we are done, I’m robbing him. The way that man looked at me was not pleasant.”
Bazur knew exactly what Kyra meant. From the moment they’d introduced themselves as investigators for Prince Valentine, Mauri had been compliant, answering all their questions, but it was obvious he felt they were beneath him, and the only reason he was speaking to them was because he didn’t want to risk angering the prince. If anything, the arrogant merchant had been happy to gloat about his superiority, a sure recipe for disaster. “We have a day before they leave. We’ll canvas the remaining names on your list and see if anyone else is crossing the badlands soon. Perhaps there is still a more obvious candidate to attack.”
Kyra turned and tilted her head, raising her eyebrow until it furrowed into her forehead.
Bazur shrugged his shoulders and lifted his arms in a sign of defeat. “I know, but we still talk to the list, just in case.
…
As Kyra had predicted, the rest of the list produced no other immediate candidates for attack. Those who might’ve normally had trade caravans were too frightened to move their goods. Another couple men, who normally traveled at the time were staying home. Fear had all of the prince’s associates staying close to home.
So Bazur and Kyra headed into the badlands the evening before Mauri Planche, and his mercenaries were scheduled to leave. They stopped halfway between Draisha and Pera for the evening. Bazur built a fire while Kyra stretched out on the desert sands. She was in good physical condition, but not as accustomed to walking the badlands like Bazur was.
When the fire was built, Bazur crouched down on his haunches beside Kyra.
“Okay partner, I did my part and figured out the who and the when, now it’s up to you to figure out the where. You know the badlands as well as anyone. Where do you think the attack will come?” asked Kyra.
Kyra was right. It was her research that had gotten them this far, and he knew that she’d be asking him that question. Ever since they found out that Mauri Planche was indeed intending to cross the badlands, Bazur had been contemplating how the previous attacks had happened and how he thought the next one would be. “Whoever is behind the attack has military experience. They’ve used high ground or places with cover to hide large forces and attacked from hidden dugouts on ground one wouldn’t expect to be attacked from. The bandits also have always attacked in areas that had easy escape routes, and where they were far enough away from anyone who could help the caravans.”
“So they are smart,” said Kyra.
“Very,” replied
Bazur. “However, since we know the size of Mauri’s group of mercenaries we can surmise that the bandits will attack with an equal or larger number of warriors. That will require a large amount of cover for an ambush. It greatly limits the number of places where they can attack.” Bazur grabbed a stick and started drawing a map in the sand. “It isn’t likely that they would make the attack too close to Draisha. They wouldn’t want to risk a large force of royal soldiers being close enough to make chase. There are normally patrols between Draisha and Pera. So the attack is most likely to come after Mauri and his men have passed Pera and moved north towards the Westmere watering hole. The trail to Westmere is mostly flat through occasional dunes, decent cover but not enough for a large force to hide. From Westmere to the Oclesh border is much rougher land. You could hide an army in the small canyons out there.” Bazur drew the watering hole and the Oclesh border and drew a big circle around the area between the two. “This is where they will attack.”
Kyra scratched her head then waved her hand at his makeshift map. “That does narrow it down a lot, but what do we do about it?”
That was another problem that Bazur had been sorting through in his mind. He didn’t want to put Kyra in harm’s way, but they needed to find out more about the attackers, and in order to do that they needed to be close. He put his stick down on the ground marking a spot. “Here, there is a rock formation, the Devil’s Arm, that has a higher elevation than any other point between the watering hole at Westmere and the border. The main trail, the one I suspect Mauri and his men will be following, goes right beneath the rock tower. From this point, we can observe the entire trek from the watering hole into Oclesh land.”
Kyra frowned. “The Devil’s arm? That doesn’t sound ominous at all. You want to watch the attack? Are we going to try to stop it?”
“I don’t know that we can stop it. If the opportunity arises, I’ll join the fight. But watching the attack will give us more knowledge about the attackers. We can track them down and see where they go after the attack. I’m not going to die because Mauri Planche is a pompus fool.”
“Good. I’d rather you didn’t die as well. You’d be hard to replace,” said Kyra with a wink.
Bazur chuckled. “You are just being cheap. You don’t want to have to pay another warrior or two to be your bodyguards.”
Kyra shook her head. “Actually, I was thinking about watching you with those two hussies, I was a little jealous. I’d hate to have you die before I got a turn with you.”
Bazur raised an eyebrow. She’d been jealous? That made his heart grin. He suggested she might be amendable to what he was feeling. “You think mixing business and pleasure is a good idea?”
“No, it’s a terrible idea. That is why you and I aren’t going to sleep together. Not until we are done with the prince. After that can be a different story.”
Bazur tried to hide his disappointment. Back to being difficult human. There was nothing wrong with getting physically involved while working together. Who knew if they'd survive this job. But at least he knew now that the idea intrigued her, and the interest wasn’t strictly one way.
Kyra could obviously sense his disappointment. “Don’t worry big fella, a little flirting doesn’t count. Besides, you still need to cuddle me to sleep. A girl gets cold you know.”
Great thought Bazur. As if behaving like a gentleman wasn’t difficult enough, especially with having visions of her naked body seared into his mind from the encounter in Grundal’s, now he had to picture her cozying up to him, so close that her scent would fill his nostrils, her smooth skin against his, and still behave himself… Just great.
11
BADLANDS
BAZUR silently led Kyra through the badlands. Again, he’d woken up with the vixen snuggled up against him, and the memories of her warm body against his was filling his mind. It wasn’t the physical aspect of Kyra cuddling up with him during the night that was troubling Bazur, it was the feelings she stirred within him. He was starting to care for her. Since the death of his family and his expulsion from the orc community, Bazur had been alone. Sure he spent some time in Pera, and occasionally enjoyed the company of some of the local females, but he’d always been detached emotionally. It was better not to have emotional connections with other people. It could only lead to heartache and disappointment. It was one thing to be physically attracted to Kyra. Any rational being would be. Her body was a temple built to pray to the gods upon. Yet the more time he spent with her, the more his emotional wall started to crack. He’d always seen Kyra as an attractive smartass. Her quick wit and flirty nature along with her physical attractiveness was something he’d always been drawn to. From the first time they met, and every other occasion they’d worked together, he’d felt the attraction to her. But the both of them had maintained boundaries. The flirting between the two of them had been mostly banter and innuendo. Also, the jobs had been short. He’d never spent nearly as much time alone with Kyra as he had on this job. He was starting to learn more about her and every little bit he learned left him wanting more. He’d always known her tongue was sharp, her quick wit had gotten the best of him many times. However, she was much smarter than he’d assumed. He’d always been aware of her impressive forgery skills, but the way she was able to make deductions about the prince’s case was even more impressive. Three separate investigators had tried to figure out the attacks. None had made any headway. Kyra had been able to figure out the pattern that trained professionals had missed. Bazur knew on his own he would never have been able to put the dots together just by reading the prince’s notes. But there was something else beyond her brains and the sexual tension between the two of them. There was pain in her past, something she hadn't yet shared with him, but he could feel that she had suffered great losses. Her sassy, tougher than nails persona wasn’t the real Kyra. There was darkness and pain hidden in her eyes, darkness that reminded him of his own. It drew him towards her in a way he never expected, and it made him nervous.
Bazur shook his head and pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind. He would be better served thinking about what was to come. The badlands were filled with dangers and crossing them at the best of times was treacherous. Going into a location where they expected to meet a large enemy force was not the time to have his mind filled with doubts and thoughts of a woman. If they were to survive, they needed to be sharp. They were hunting a predator. The man behind the attacks was a dangerous man with a talent for desert warfare. If they weren’t careful, they would go from hunting him to being hunted. The three previous investigators the prince hired had suffered that fate, Bazur didn’t intend for Kyra and himself to be the fourth and fifth names on that list.
While Mauri Planche and his mercenaries were traveling to Pera, Bazur and Kyra were taking a different route to the watering hole at Westmere. Bazur was trusting his instincts about where the attack on Mauri would happen. If he was wrong, they would gain nothing from this trip into the desert, but if they followed Mauri and his men, they risked being spotted by their unknown enemy. In order to track the enemy or interrupt the act they needed to be invisible. To do that, they needed to be ahead of Mauri and his men. Going to the Devil’s Arm was a gamble, but it was a chance they needed to take. So by cutting across the desert and avoiding Pera, they gained a day of travel time. But it was a full day of travel away from any water. Bazur, long acclimatized to living in the badlands, could travel days at a time without water. Kyra was a different story. She’d need twice the water he would in order to make the journey to Westmere. However, between the two of them they had two full goatskin water sacks, more than enough to keep her hydrated until they arrived at the next watering hole.
Bazur stopped for a moment. A few yards up the trail was a human skeleton, the flesh was completely gone, but bones were freshly picked. Further off the trail Bazur could see more bones. They had stumbled into the feeding grounds of one of many dangerous predators that called the badlands home. “Kyra.”
“I see t
hem,” Kyra replied. “What killed them?”
“I don’t know but we’d best be careful or we’ll be next on the menu.” Bazur pulled his war scythe from its sheath on his back. The trail they were following was a shallow ravine, likely an ancient riverbed long dried out, which winded and twisted through the desert, limiting their visibility to the next turn in the path ahead. They now faced a choice. Turn back and travel around the area or continue along the trail. To turn back might be safer, but the ravine was relatively hard and flat ground, making it easy to traverse. Going a different route would slow them down significantly. Also, at this point they had no idea what had been the cause of death of the skeleton on the trail. It might’ve been dehydration or an injury that brought death to the unknown wanderer. However, the signs of more skeletons, human and otherwise, further up the trail indicated that his original presumption was likely correct. Someone was waiting to jump out of the shadows in orc like fashion to club them. They would go forward, but warily.
As they passed the first skeleton, Bazur looked for signs of struggle. Had the wanderer died here? Or had something dragged it here? The badlands were an unforgiving place, and whatever had killed this man was worthy of paying attention to. Any little detail Bazur could find was important. The answer came a few feet past the skeleton. Bazur found the remains of a boot, half torn to shreds and likely dragged off the body. Something had dragged the body to its feeding grounds. Whatever the beast was, it was big enough to drag its prey. Bears were not common in the badlands, occasionally one could be found in the higher mountain regions but not in this region. Wolves and vraber were big enough to drag a corpse, but he saw no signs of either creature.
A movement off to the left of them caught the corner of Bazur’s eye. He turned to see a claw coming out of the sandbank at the edge of the ravine. With one hand, Bazur pulled Kyra to his right. Placing himself between her and the animal.
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