by Victor Kloss
“Algete it is then,” Charlie said. “I prefer the sun anyway.”
“It’s not that straightforward. Just because the dark elves occupy the country doesn’t mean visitors are outlawed. The changes are mostly to do with politics. For most people life goes on pretty much as normal – except for the patrols that sometimes roam the streets.”
Ben ruffled his hair in thought. “Which country would my parents have been more likely to go to?”
“I would say Borgen,” Natalie said, with an apologetic smile at Charlie. “It’s the obvious choice if you’re looking for wood elves. Plus, your parents would have visited the country before the dark elves invaded, so that wouldn’t have been an issue.”
“Borgen it is then,” Ben said, thumping his fist on the couch.
Charlie sighed. “I suppose one more insurmountable obstacle doesn’t really matter to a mission that is already verging on impossible.”
“That’s the spirit.” Ben grinned. “So, what now? Do we take that underground dragon train to Borgen?”
“The Dragonway, yes,” Natalie said. “But first, there are a few things we need to get if we're going to last in Borgen.”
“What things?”
Natalie cringed. “You're not going to like this.”
— Chapter Nineteen —
On the Run
“You're kidding.”
Ben had repeated himself half a dozen times in the last minute. They'd checked out of their rooms and were standing outside the hotel in the late morning sun.
“Ben is right,” Charlie said. “It's too risky. If he thinks your plan is dangerous then it must be suicidal.”
“Would you both stop worrying? It's you they're after, Ben. As long as I go by myself I'll be fine.”
“I'm not worried,” Ben said, sounding a little insulted. “I'm simply telling you that going back to the Institute is mad.”
“It will take me less than ten minutes to get in and out. There are a couple of things we need from the Institute that we can't get anywhere else.”
Ben ruffled his hair. “I wanted to get straight on the Dragonway. Draven's cronies could be watching us right now.”
His warning had Charlie glancing around nervously. Ben had already checked the area as soon as they'd left the hotel. There were a few people on the streets and the odd car or horse passed, but nobody paid them much attention. Occasionally something sped by overhead, clearly not interested in them. Yet the Institute knew they were staying at this hotel, so Ben was eager to get going.
“We won't survive in Borgen without certain equipment,” Natalie said. “Don't worry about the Institute – we'll be fine as long as we stay in Taecia. It's leaving that will be a problem. The Dragonway will be guarded.”
“How will we get past the guards?” Ben asked.
“I have an idea, but to make it work there are a few things we need to buy when I get back.”
“Fine,” Ben said, conceding defeat. “Where shall we meet?”
“The food court at Taecia Square,” Natalie replied. “I'll be there in half an hour.”
She gave them directions, which Ben ignored – Charlie was listening and he had a far better sense of direction. Then she waved goodbye and headed back to the Institute, leaving Ben and Charlie alone outside the hotel.
They set off in the opposite direction to Natalie. After less than five minutes they forked left, down the steep hill.
“Just the two of us again,” Charlie said, stretching his arms in an act of freedom.
“Yeah.”
“I wasn't expecting cartwheels of delight, but I thought you'd be slightly happier.”
Ben peered into a pub they were passing. “I don't think we're as safe as Natalie thinks.”
“Why? Have you seen something?”
“No.”
“But?”
“It feels like we're being watched.”
Charlie groaned. “Any chance your eerie sixth sense could be off for once?”
“It's possible.”
As they continued on Ben began to think maybe he was just being paranoid. The more they distanced themselves from the Institute, the better he felt. They came to the bottom of the hill and Ben heard the roar from the Dragonway. The pavement began to get busy as they neared Taecia Square.
And then the Warden materialised on the corner of the street. Ben almost missed him. There was a split second of eye contact before he slipped away.
“Oh crap,” Ben said calmly, not wanting to draw attention to himself.
“I hope that's a good 'oh crap',” Charlie said. “As in, 'oh crap, I just found twenty pounds in my pocket’.”
“Not quite. It's 'oh crap, I just saw a Warden spying on us'.”
Charlie ran a hand over his face. “Are you sure?”
Ben nodded. “It's the same guy who was watching us yesterday at Starbucks. Those lanky legs and pointy chin are hard to miss.”
“What do you think he wants?”
“I don't know. Just try to act normal and don't look round.”
Charlie immediately looked round, staring anxiously at everyone he could see.
“I said don't look round.”
“Sorry. Where is he? I didn't see him.”
“That's because he's hiding. Calm down and keep walking.”
“What are we going to do?” Charlie asked, a note of despair in his voice. “If he spies on us he'll know exactly what we're up to.”
Ben thought for a second and then smiled. “Let's lose him.”
“Lose him? This isn't a Hollywood movie, Ben. We need to—”
Ben took a sudden right down a small alleyway, cutting off Charlie's protests and leaving behind the hustle and bustle of the main pavement.
“I'm not sure this is a good idea,” Charlie said, breathing heavily. Ben had increased his pace and they were now speed walking. “In fact, I know it's not a good idea.”
“Did you have a better one?”
“I did actually,” Charlie said. “But it relied heavily on the Warden accidentally falling over and crippling himself.”
“Brilliant. Why didn't I think of that?”
The alleyway split two ways and turned out to be the perfect place to make an escape. It was a little maze, with roads splitting off at all sorts of angles. Some roads doubled back, others were dead ends.
“Could we rest a second?” Charlie asked. They had been walking and running for the last five minutes and Charlie was panting. “We're not all future Olympic athletes. Have we lost him yet?”
They paused at the corner of a street and Ben peered round. Ten seconds passed and nobody came. Twenty. Forty.
Just as Ben was beginning to relax, the Warden appeared.
He was closer now and in full view, giving Ben the chance to take a proper look at him. Taller than Ben remembered, he had a really gangly stride and a chin that probably entered rooms a good second before the rest of his face. Ben's eyes went to the holstered Spellshooter and his stomach lurched.
“We need to keep moving,” he said.
The Warden was proving particularly good at tracking them, considering he rarely had a line of sight. Ben grit his teeth and doubled his efforts. They jumped over walls, climbed through open windows, slipped in and out of houses and created false trails by doubling back.
“I can't take any more,” Charlie panted, sagging against an old brick house. “You keep going, I'll risk the Warden. If he's still tailing us, he's some sort of tracking god.”
Ben stared grimly down the narrow path. “He's still tailing us.”
“That's not possible,” Charlie gasped.
“Must be magic,” Ben said. He grabbed a protesting Charlie and hauled him to his feet.
“I wasn't joking when I said I can't go on.”
“Change of plan,” Ben said, ignoring Charlie's protests. “This Warden could probably find us if we hid under a rock on planet Narg. Let's head back to Taecia Square. At least we'll be safe in the crowd.”
“As long as we stop with the obstacle course. Lead on.”
“Lead on? You're the one who got directions to Taecia Square.”
“Yes, from the hotel, not the middle of nowhere.”
“So we're lost?”
“Of course we're lost,” Charlie said, exasperated. “Have you seen where you've been taking us? A skilled ranger with an iPhone and a pet bloodhound would be lost.”
“Point taken,” Ben said. He put an arm around Charlie's waist and half walked, half dragged his exhausted friend onwards. They had to keep moving.
The Spellshooter was now in the Warden's hand and he was getting closer, walking just that bit faster than them. Ben increased his pace despite Charlie's protests, but the Warden did the same and the gap kept narrowing. Even if they ran, the Warden would probably be that bit quicker. Ben had a feeling they were being toyed with.
They were now taking every turning they came across so the Warden wouldn't get a clear shot. The roads were getting really narrow and Ben was concerned they would hit a dead end.
“I just thought of plan C,” Ben said. He was now breathing hard as well; Charlie was not light. “We—”
He stopped. Voices! A distant murmur coming from somewhere ahead. The road split before them. Which way? No time to pause and debate.
“Left,” Charlie said, in a voice that left no doubt that he too had heard the voices.
The noise became louder with every step. A different noise came from behind. Pounding footsteps.
The Warden was running right at them.
“Run!”
With a surge of energy fuelled by pure terror, Charlie let go of Ben and put in one last dash. Ben followed, hoping they ran into someone soon as Charlie was already slowing after his initial burst. The road forked again, but this time they were close enough that even Ben could hear which way to go.
He rounded the corner and ran headlong into a mob of people in some sort of marketplace. Stalls lined both sides of the street and the colourful scene dazzled his eyes just moments before the aroma hit him. Sweets. Chocolates. Ice cream. All shapes and sizes. There were boys and girls everywhere, eyes like saucers as they walked from stall to stall, and many followed by haggard parents. A large banner fluttered overhead reading “Taecia Sweet Market.
"Blend in," Ben said, tearing his eyes away from the stalls.
They walked until they were safely in the heart of the market. Ben scanned the crowd searching for the lanky Warden, but there was no sign of him. He took a deep breath and relaxed. Even if the Warden had entered the market, he would never try something in this crowd.
"Now what?" Charlie asked, eyeing up a strawberry tart.
"We need to get directions back to Taecia Square."
They started searching for a vendor who wasn't occupied; most of them were trying to serve half a dozen kids at once. Eventually Charlie spotted a stall selling multicoloured toffee apples that was momentarily empty.
Ben was so focused on getting to the idle apple vendor, he almost missed the Warden slinking behind the stalls. Ben stopped, slapping an arm out to halt Charlie.
"What was that for?" Charlie asked, rubbing his chest.
He didn't answer. It wasn't the Warden after all. This man was tall and well proportioned, not lanky like the Warden. He wore a hooded black cloak that concealed most of his face, but Ben could just make out gold flecks in his eyes.
It was Robert, Commander of the Institute.
"I don't see him," Charlie said, following the line of Ben's pointed finger.
"There!"
Most of the vendors seemed oblivious as the Commander passed behind their stalls. Those who spotted him did nothing more than casually shift aside.
"I see him!" Charlie said finally. "Wow, how did I miss someone that big?"
"I don't know. Let's follow him."
They continued down the centre of the market, almost parallel to the Commander. There were so many people around, it was easy to blend in.
"I wonder what he's doing here," Ben said.
"Maybe he's got a sweet tooth."
Unless Ben kept a good eye on the Commander, he lost sight of him easily. As Charlie led the way, Ben put a hand on his shoulder so he didn't have to worry about where he was going and could focus on their target.
"Sorry, my mistake!"
Charlie came to a halt and bent over to pick up a bag of sweets he must have knocked over. Ben was only distracted for a second, but it was enough. He lost sight of the Commander. He scanned the stalls, but there was no sign of him. It took him a moment to guess where the Commander must have gone.
There was a gap between the stalls ahead. Through that gap he could see a small, dilapidated shop. The sign above it read Irvine Rainwater Boks. There was a missing letter in the last word, which Ben assumed was supposed to spell “books”.
The Commander must have walked inside. Ben thought he could detect a whiff of dust coming from the recently opened door.
"Not the most welcoming book shop, is it?" Charlie commented, as they looked over the store front. It was dull compared to the vibrant colours of the surrounding market. The books in the window had accumulated so much dust Ben couldn't read the titles and people passed the shop as if it didn't exist. Surely the Commander was the first customer the shop had seen in some time.
“I wonder what he's doing here,” Charlie said.
“Well, he's in a book store. I know it's a long shot, but could he be looking at some books?”
“You know what I mean,” Charlie said, with a roll of the eyes. “There must be a million books in the Institute library. Why come here? It probably has fewer books than my bedroom.”
“Maybe he's not looking for a book. Maybe he's looking for someone.”
Charlie followed Ben's gaze to the sign. “Who? This Irvine Rainwater bloke?”
“During the Executive Council meeting, the Commander asked Victoria, the Director of Scholars, if she knew where a colleague of hers might be. What if that person was Irvine Rainwater? If he runs a book shop he could easily be the scholarly type.”
Charlie tapped his chin thoughtfully. “You could be right. But what does that prove, other than your detective prowess?”
“Nothing,” admitted Ben. “But I don't think the Commander is as strange as Natalie claims. I wonder if he could help us."
“No way,” Charlie said, shaking his head vigorously. “Remember what Natalie said? Even Wren thinks there is something odd with him. I know he looks normal enough, but you've only met him once. Wren knows him far better. I think we should trust her."
Charlie had a point, but Ben still wasn't convinced. He eyed the shop door. What did they have to lose by approaching the Commander? They might not get another chance. Ben recalled those strange eyes within the cloak. They had looked determined, thoughtful, not strange. But a peculiar doubt tugged at him and it took him several minutes before he could work out what it was. The Commander could remove that ridiculous declaration of treason on his parents with a click of his fingers. But he hadn't, which meant he was either clueless or thought Ben's parents were guilty. Neither scenario was good news. Yet, there was something about him Ben couldn't ignore. He held answers, Ben was certain of it.
He was still lost in thought when the Commander re-emerged from the shop and continued on his way.
What to do? He had to act now.
"Let's do it," Ben said. He grabbed Charlie's arm, anticipating the usual protest.
But Charlie wasn't there. He looked around desperately and saw him standing by a bright yellow market stall some twenty paces away.
"Charlie!" Ben said, waving at him furiously.
Charlie waved back enthusiastically, oblivious to Ben's urgency.
"Good news! These guys are heading to Taecia Square and they said we can follow them."
Ben cursed. The Commander was disappearing down the street. Ben considered running after him, but he didn't. He watched until he could no longer see the black cloak and then he
turned reluctantly towards Charlie.
— Chapter Twenty —
Taecia Square
They followed the family through the market back to the small, winding lanes. Ben was relieved to find a growing number of people taking the same route; that would deter the Warden. The main road kept getting wider until there was enough room to land a 747. A mighty arch came into view, towering above the buildings. On the front it read “Queen Elizabeth’s Taecia”. It reminded Ben of a holiday to Paris where he saw a triumphal arch.
As soon as they passed underneath, the pavement opened up to a square surrounded on all sides by timber-framed shops. In the middle was a throng of people, many walking with shopping bags, others basking in the sun or drinking coffee at one of the many outdoor cafés.
“I guess this is Taecia Square,” Ben said, raising his voice above the hum of activity.
It looked like Oxford Street in London on a Saturday. Twice already he had been barged into with a subsequent apology.
“Natalie said to meet her at the food court,” Charlie said.
They made their way to the tables in a corner of the square. Surrounding them were pastry shops and cafés, and the smell of bread and coffee filled the air. They sat down at one of the few empty tables. It was easy to relax amongst all the people, the delicious smells and the balmy weather, but Ben still kept an eye out for the Warden.
“Did we make it here within half an hour?”
“Incredibly – yes,” Charlie said, after asking a stranger the time. “Natalie should be here soon.”
Five minutes passed and Ben was starting to get concerned, when Charlie spotted her. She had changed into a jumper and jeans but didn’t appear affected by the summer heat. On her arms were two jackets and over her shoulder was a backpack.
“Mission accomplished,” Natalie said with a smile. “I got into a bit of trouble with the apprentice in charge who had a go at me for missing this morning's classes.” She showed them the jackets. “But it was worth it for these.”
“Did you notice anyone following you?” Ben asked, searching the crowd.
Natalie rolled her eyes. “Of course not. I told you, we're safe unless you try and leave Taecia.”