“The prince is going to make many enemies with his reforms.” Bazur knew that giving to one group often meant taking from another. Reforms, like the ones the prince was talking about, help the poor and common folk of Draisha, but it would erode the wealth and power of the elites. Those with the most often didn’t like to lose anything.
“He already has,” said the healer. “Otherwise, why would he need the likes of you two to investigate. I hear there has been a bit of an uproar among the royals about such distasteful individuals being given royal brooches.”
Bazur grinned. “The royals don’t like seeing a half-blood and a woman wearing their marks?”
“You know damn well they don’t. The prince made Kyra and you two of the most powerful people in all the kingdom. That upset many of the royal tit suckers. But too bad I say. You and the woman have done a better job surviving than the last three investigators, and judging from the number of wounds you have, I’d say Kyra is the brains of the operation.”
“You’ll get no argument from me on that one,” agreed Bazur.
“It’s time to feed Kyra. I’ll wake her and you two can talk.”
While the healer woke Kyra and checked on her, Bazur thought about his conversation with the grumpy old healer. He’d enjoyed the conversation with the old goat. Conversation wasn’t something Bazur got a lot of in the badlands, and for the most part he was happy with it that way, but once in a while it was good to talk with someone like the healer. Someone who said what he was thinking and had opinions that mattered. While Bazur loved food and discussing it with people like Hoggard, sharing recipes and cooking techniques was a selfish passion. The healer thought only of his community and its people. It reminded Bazur of the orcs. Sometimes Bazur missed being part of a community.
“Are you going to stand there staring at the wall or are you going to come talk to me?” asked Kyra from her bed.
Bazur looked to her bed. Kyra was sitting up and the healer had already left them. “Sorry, I was thinking.”
“Yes, I can see that. I can also see some new wounds. Your tunic is getting rather tattered.”
“Scratches,” said Bazur. “Nothing more.” A shirt could not show if one was a warrior of respect. His tattered tunic was well earned.
“Good. If you die, who is going to protect me?”
“You are in the royal palace and the prince has placed royal guards at every entrance. Only the healers and myself are allowed in this area. I think you are safe for now.”
“Ya, for now. Tonight they’re moving me to a room in the palace, and even there I’ll be under protection, but until we solve this case, Vargas will come for us.”
She was right. Vargas would come for her and that was on him. “That is my fault. I screwed up when I underestimated him in the desert.”
“No, it’s our fault. We both underestimated him, and I pushed you to follow him. If we’d killed him when he first saw him, we wouldn’t be in this situation. And you don’t have to lie to me. I know you are hunting Vargas.”
Bazur put his hand on top of Kyra’s. I know you wanted to track him and hope he leads us to his employer, but we don’t have that sort of time. Vargas is hunting us. He’ll try killing you, and I won’t let that happen.”
“You are the one with fresh wounds. I would say you have more to worry about than I do. I’m sitting here in the prince’s care. You are the one who needs to be careful. But I agree. We can’t worry about who is behind Vargas. We know enough about Vargas and Prince Astor that I should be able to figure out who is behind the attacks. I can feel it in my brain. I am missing something small and stupid that I’ve already seen. Once I figure that out, we’ll deal with the mystery man. For now, you need to go deal with Vargas before he gets to us. I don’t want to lose you.”
Bazur felt a surge of emotions deep within his chest. It had been so long since anyone had cared if he lived or died, he’d forgotten what it felt like. “I should go; you need your sleep.”
“No.”
“No?” asked Bazur.
“You are not leaving me yet. I know you, Bazur. As soon as you feel anything, you turn and run. You don’t think I haven’t noticed this. I know it because I’m the same. But I’m not running from this. You are my partner and my protector, and I don’t want this to be a one-time deal. I don’t want you disappearing back to the badlands the minute you think the job is done.”
Bazur felt his chest pounding. The turmoil within him was intense. On one hand, he wanted Kyra. Wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anything before, but he could not take being banished again. The orc part of him recoiled at his sudden cowardice, but this was a battle he could not win with his blade or fists. This was a battle between his heart and his mind. His heart yearned for someone of its own, yet in his mind he knew the pain of being rejected was too much to risk. Perhaps it was better to be alone forever and not feel that pain again.
“When the job is done, you won’t need a partner anymore. Your prince will be glad to see me gone, I’m sure.”
Kyra shook her head. “Actually, the prince was here earlier today. He is very pleased with our results so far. He likes having investigators with strong underworld ties. It gives him options outside of the royal guards. He’s already hinted he wants both of us to continue working for him after this case. He seems confident that we are going to solve the mystery. He’s more confident than I am actually.”
“The prince would be a fool to not want you around. You are the most beautiful and intelligent woman in all of Draisha. You should stay with the prince.”
“Is that a little jealousy I hear in your voice?” teased Kyra.
“Maybe.” It was hard to admit to himself he was jealous, even more so to admit it to her, but Bazur knew that when it came to Kyra his normal boundaries and feelings were all out of whack. “The most powerful man in all the kingdom has taken a personal interest in you. There is no room for men like me when a future king enters the equation.”
Kyra scoffed. “Oh please, I’m not one to get wet knickers at the thought of a throne. Prince Valentine is a good man, and an attractive one who knows how to be charming. However, he isn’t my man, nor could he ever be. He has no understanding of the type of person I am. I will gladly keep working for the prince. It is a good job. In fact, besides the minor fact it’s the most dangerous job I’ve ever done, it is the most interesting. I like the challenge, but I don’t know if I can do it without you.”
It was good to know that Kyra wasn’t interested in the prince. For his own selfish reasons, Bazur hated the idea of her falling for the prince. But the way Kyra explained it made sense. The prince was from a different world from them. That Kyra didn’t want to be part of that world was a relief. But knowing that she wasn’t interested in Prince Valentine didn’t help his own dilemma. It was obvious that Kyra wanted him to stay her partner and possibly more, but the longer he stayed around the spirited little vixen, the deeper he fell. Could he stay in Draisha? Would he dare risk completely falling in love with her, when he didn’t know how she felt about him? “I will consider staying in Draisha as your partner. But for now we have to concentrate on General Vargas. Making plans for the future is pointless as long as he is alive.”
“Fair enough. We can discuss our future later. Let’s talk about Vargas then. What did you discover today besides how to get more injuries?”
“As far as I can tell, if someone wanted to hire a man like Vargas, they would speak to one of three men: Hoggard, Grundal, and Black. I spoke to all three today. Only Black claims to have had any contact with Vargas, and he says that he hasn’t hired the man in years, too bloody.”
“That is a reasonable list. There are a few other names that could be argued but those are the same names I came up with. Do you believe them?”
Did he believe them? Bazur had a naturally high level of distrust, so he never fully believed anyone. “They all told the truth, or at least partial truths. Of the three, I suspect Black of being the least honest wh
en it came to the question of Vargas.”
“Really? He was the only one that admitted having dealings with the man.”
“Yes, but he made sure to suggest that his dealings were all old. I don’t trust that his idea of what old entails is the same as ours. For now, I’m focusing my efforts on the villages to the south. I’m told that mercenaries who might not have allegiances with the royal family are much easier to find there.”
“Good thinking. I would start with Southend. Now about those new wounds?”
“After I visited the Black Widow, I was attacked by a lone assassin. Luckily, he made the mistake of not accounting for the sun. If it weren’t for that, I might not be here. It seems that we have General Vargas’s attention now, and he intends for us to join the previous investigators in permanently ending our investigation.”
“And by permanently ending our investigation you mean we are both dead.”
“Precisely,” said Bazur. “But you should be fine here. Don’t go anywhere or do anything foolish. I can’t be worried about you and investigate the general.”
“You just make sure you stay alive. Besides, I am here for my brains. I don’t have to go anywhere. I just have to rattle things around long enough to figure this mess out. There is a common thread that will lead us to who is behind the attacks. I am sure of it.”
If anyone could figure it out without leaving her bed, it was Kyra. The reason she was so good at forgery was her perfect recall. Once she saw something, she remembered it precisely. After reading all of the prince’s notes and business ledgers she had a ton of information available, but mentally sifting through it and making sense of it was something Bazur couldn’t imagine trying to do. He would leave that to Kyra. Going to Southend and bashing heads until he got a name was much simpler. “Okay. You figure that out and I’ll deal with Vargas. You should interview the prince again. The prince knows whoever is behind the attacks.”
“You sure about that?” asked Kyra.
“I’d bet a hundred coppers on it. The attacks have all been designed to weaken the prince. To kill off and terrorize his supporters until he is alone. They are doing this now because his father is almost dead. Once King Astor dies, the prince becomes ruler and he’ll implement more reforms. Reforms that will hurt the rich of Draisha. Whoever is behind the attacks either wants the prince so weakened and terrified that he changes his mind, or they intend to kill him after his father dies. Either way, the end result is the reforms die. Greed is a great motivator.”
Kyra smacked her head. “Why didn’t I think of that earlier. I’m such a doe head.”
“Think of what?”
“Death. I’ve been asking Prince Valentine all the wrong questions. I need to rethink everything…”
Bazur could see that something he’d said had clicked in her brain and she was furiously grinding away at this new angle. Having watched her thinking before, he knew she could say nothing for hours as she mentally compared facts. “I’ll leave you to it then. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Don’t forget to interview Prince Valentine.”
“Goodnight, my dear. I’ll expect you tomorrow,” said Kyra before she zoned back on her newest train of thought.
Goodnight my dear, thought Bazur. What had she meant by that? Bazur walked slowly back from the palace towards the Yawning Bear Inn. The city was different in the evening compared to the day. During the day the streets were alive with swarms of people. It had its own sound, its own smell, its own feel. Nighttime changed Draisha. The majority of the people were off the streets, only a few wandering souls like himself making their way down the wide cobblestone boulevards. The musky, sweaty smell of heat was replaced with a fresh evening breeze that hinted of pine and the forests to the west. Something about the feel of the night in Draisha comforted Bazur. It reminded him of his home in the badlands. Solitude. He would never truly be alone like he was back in his cave, but here walking the street at night he felt alone, like he wasn’t being crowded for space, rushed to move and think. It was a pleasant feeling to look up at the night’s sky and see the familiar stars, the dark cover of night.
The idea of staying in Draisha was a seed planted in his mind. It wouldn’t be so bad, not if he could spend his evenings walking the streets enjoying the solitude of the night. The main allure to the idea was Kyra, which was a double edged sword as he hadn’t yet decided if he should be pursuing a relationship with her or staying as far away from her as possible. Yet, when he removed her from the equation, he still found the idea had appeal. The position of royal investigator was intriguing. He didn’t have Kyra’s brain for puzzles and mysteries, but he was enjoying his own role and finding it challenging. He’d assumed when she first approached him about the idea, he’d just be her muscle and protection, a glorified bodyguard. Yet, Kyra treated him as an equal, as did her associates. And his role in the partnership seemed undefined. He’d led the way during the time in the badlands, and now she was trusting him to track down Vargas. His role as royal investigator was ever evolving and changing, but he certainly wasn’t just hired muscle. And yet, he was still able to get his hands dirty as needed. Perhaps he should consider it. These last few weeks had been the most interesting he’d had in a long time. Kyra and Draisha itself pushed him beyond his comfort zones, but there was a degree of satisfaction that came with meeting the challenge. Did he even want to go back to his old ways? Perhaps Draisha was like kemper fish, a tasty dish when taken in small amounts but one that would kill you if you had too much.
“Good evening, Bazur. How is the new bed treating you? I hope it is too your satisfaction.”
Bazur had been so deep into his thoughts about possibly staying in Draisha that he had hardly noticed he was already back to the inn. The innkeeper, his name Bazur couldn’t place at that moment, was waiting to hear his response. “It’s rather comfortable, and sturdy. I cannot remember having a bed as well built.” The statement was true. He’d only ever had one bed growing up, and in his cave, the bed consisted of the ground and furs, no building required. But the innkeeper obviously took pride in having the bed built, so no point bringing up the fact he wasn’t well versed in the quality of different beds. To be fair, it certainly was the best bed he’d ever slept in at an inn. Most were flimsy and not designed for one of his size.
“Excellent, excellent. Ms. Kyra is one of my best customers and any friend of hers is a friend of ours.” The innkeeper paused for a moment, like he was debating saying something else. “I have to say, when I first heard you would be staying here… well, I was terrified. I have a cousin in Pera and every time he visits, he tells me stories of the legendary badlands savage who destroys bars, beats up all customers, and eats virgins for breakfast. I feared you’d destroy my establishment, but you’ve been nothing but a gentleman. I’m starting to think my cousin made up those stories.”
Bazur smiled. “Your cousin might’ve embellished a detail or two, but I do have a history in Pera that involves more than a few barroom fights. I can’t say the eating virgins for breakfast is something that happened. Well, at least not often.” Bazur gave the innkeeper a wink. “As you said, Kyra is one of your best customers and my friend. I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize her accommodations. There will be no barroom brawls here, at least none started by me. I like the Yawning Bear, and there is a possibility that my stay in Draisha is going to be extended. I would think that if that were to happen, I’d stay here. The bed is excellent, and the food is decent. I question the cook’s choices of spices at times, but that is of small consequence.”
“Actually, I do a majority of the cooking around here, but I don’t take offense to that comment about my spices. As a young lad I had a perverse obsession with spicy food, hotter the better. Damned if I didn’t destroy my taste. I can hardly tell the difference between spices any more. If I don’t keep things in the right order, all chaos breaks out. I deliberately under spice things these days as to not destroy meals, something I’ve done in the past. Any time you’d like to join me in the ki
tchen, I would gladly accept having a taste tester around. But if you do decide to stay in Draisha longer, you will need a bigger room. One with a view. I have just the room. Say the word, and I’ll have your bed moved into it. Also, it has the benefit of being by the back staircase. You could come and go without having to walk through entire Inn.”
The friendly innkeeper’s name popped into Bazur’s mind. “I’ll keep that in mind, Abal. I will come visit you in the kitchen tomorrow morning and discuss spices and bigger rooms.”
“What do you want for breakfast? I am going to bake tonight.”
“That pumpkin pan bread was good. This time add a pinch more of salt and cinnamon. You could add just a touch of ground borga leaf if you have it.”
“Pumpkin pan bread and a half dozen eggs. See you in the morning.”
Bazur left Abal and headed to his room. He added the friendly innkeeper to the positive column of his mental checklist comparing the pros and cons of staying in Draisha. Kyra may have planted the seed, but the friendly Abal had just added water to the mix.
16
“HOW is my favorite patient doing?” asked Marcus.
“Favorite patient? Only patient from what I can see,” replied Kyra.
“Only royal family members and special guests use the royal infirmary. I also oversee the city infirmary, but there are several healers who do the day-to-day tasks.”
“I am lucky then,” said Kyra.
“No, I would say that it is a perk of the position. Royal investigator is a dangerous business, access to the royal infirmary is logical. You shouldn’t consider yourself lucky. That underrates the skillset you possess. You wouldn’t be in the position if you were without unique talents. Is it true you have near perfect recall?”
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