Once they stepped out of the alley, she leaned down and held out her hand to the rat she hoped to make her familiar in this town. “Come here, Ara. Let me get you some cheese. Thank you for your help earlier. Would you like to stick around and help me more from time to time? In exchange, I will take care of you, keep you fed, and get you off the streets? Would you like that?”
“You will take care of Ara? Ara will be good help if you get her off the streets and give her food,” the rat answered, naturally settling in on Tianna’s shoulder.
“Good. You are now my familiar and friend, Ara. I think you are going to be a tremendous help,” Tianna said.
Kara gave her a strange look. “I can’t get over you talking to rats, or how much kinder you seem when talking to it. You have gentle eyes when talking with the animal, like you prefer them to humans. But you are right. She can get into places and get information for us without ever being noticed. Despite all that is going on, I think that it was my lucky night when I ran into you. I would not want to be dealing with this situation on my own. You are not what I expected upon meeting an elf, but I suppose, in a place like this, that is a good thing.”
Tianna actually smiled, a rarity for her. “I would not want to be dealing with this alone either. We were both brought together by something larger than we ever believed. I think there is a reason that we are here and a reason we found each other.”
“I agree. Now, shall we go to Phinelope’s and see if we can discover anything else? Tomorrow, we start asking around and trying to find this Alenon and continue to dig up the truth on Delmar,” Kara said, leading the way.
“And feed Ara?” Ara squeaked.
Tianna laughed. “Yes, and feed Ara.”
Chapter Four
More Questions
Kara and Tianna spent the night sleeping in Phinelope’s home where no one bothered them. At first light, they started to search through everything in the house. “There has to be something here, something about Delmar if they were so close,” Tianna murmured as she sat another book aside. “These books are all common in our culture, nothing helpful.” She moved away from the bookshelf in disgust. “Have you found anything in the rest of the house?” she called to Kara.
“In her bedroom, I found some jewelry that is not what you would expect someone living in the Swamp to have or of a modest elf. They were pretty well hidden, or I am sure the murderer would have taken them. Want to guess who gave them to her? I found confirmation from a note,” Kara answered.
“Delmar,” Tianna said matter of fact.
“Yes, they were definitely lovers. If that played into her murder, I don’t know, but these jewels are not what you would expect a woman living in these conditions to have,” Kara said, tossing a few boxes to Tianna.
Once she opened them, Tianna whistled. “Damn these would buy the rest of the Swamp themselves. Delmar is sure more than a simple merchant. Question is, what is he up to, and how involved was Phinelope? Did she know what her lover was up to, and did she help him?”
“Have you been through her desk yet? Anything in there?” Kara asked, coming into the main part of the living area.
“No, I went through all the books first, hoping to find something hidden. It does not look like Phinelope hid much. She kept everything out in the open. Which means she had nothing to hide, or she was very naïve,” Tianna said as she sat down and started to go through the papers on the desk. “A lot of things that we already knew. Petitions to the city council to try to clean up the Swamp. Denials of most of those petitions. Nothing that can help us, nothing on Delmar and what he was doing, and no mention of Alenon at all. This feels like a wild goose chase.” She slammed a drawer in frustration.
As she rummaged through another drawer, she pulled out a bundle of letters. “These are from Shea, the leader of my order, the one who sent me here. It appears that they were indeed quite close. Shea asked a lot about Phinelope’s work, and there are a few mentions in passing of Delmar, nothing to raise suspicion though,” Tianna mumbled as she read quickly through the pile of letters.
“Here Shea mentions me, saying that someone with my skills can help. How was I supposed to help clean up a town that I have never been to before? Sure, I can get answers from people, and I have been known to deal out justice to those who deserve it, but I still don’t understand why I have been sent here. I don’t go around making my living as an enforcer. Shea also mentions that she will be writing to your order for help. I guess that explains why you were sent here as well.”
Kara nodded. “I am still not sure what I am supposed to be doing here either. I am a warrior. I would be no use to political endeavors. From what I have seen, you are a keen warrior as well. It is almost as if Shea sensed Phinelope had been in mortal danger, and that is what we were sent for. We are here to clean up the mess, to use our skills to avenge any wrongdoing. That is how I see it now.”
Tianna nodded. “I think that you are correct. This last letter urges Phinelope to stay vigilant and safe. Looks like that wasn’t enough. But here is the interesting line from Shea, ‘Keep up your work, it is all part of our bigger plan. Remember that other forces are at work, and we are just small parts of the whole.’ What the hell is that supposed to mean? What is really going on here?”
Kara shook her head. “I don’t know. We need to write to our Orders and see if we can learn more. In the meantime, we can explore the Swamp, see if we can track down this Alenon. We know he ordered the hit on Phinelope, and that is something straight forward that we can both handle.”
“Yes, indeed. First, we will seek justice for a senseless murder. He seems like a vile person, and even his own men fear him. He is the immediate concern. As we search for him, we will continue to dig up information on Delmar as well. And yes, we should both write our Orders, let them know of Phinelope’s death, and see if they will tell us more of why we were sent here in the first place. Perhaps, they have more orders for us. Perhaps, they will let us in on the bigger picture Shea spoke of in her letter. Right now, we are blind as to our true purpose here,” Tianna said, already getting out parchment and pen to write.
Kara followed suit, and once their letters were written and ready to post as soon as the made it back into Port Stone proper, they decided it was time to try to locate Alenon and make him pay for his murderous ways.
Back out on the streets of the Swamp, Tianna felt like they were sticking out immediately. She suspected Phinelope had been the only elf in this part of town, and Kara appeared every inch the warrior, so there would be no going incognito. They decided to hit a few pubs, start to ask around, and see if they could find any Black Jackets to get information out of. There had to be some who knew Alenon and where he did business, some that could be persuaded to talk whether they wanted to or not. Yet, no Black Jackets could be seen out in the light of day. Nor anyone willing to talk to them, the fear of the Black Jackets and of talking to strangers kept their lips sealed.
As they continued their search, Tianna got the distinct feeling that someone followed them. She motioned for Kara to turn down a deserted alley, and soon, two men in ragged clothes followed them. These two did not look like Black Jackets, but they meant to do Tianna and Kara harm nonetheless based on the swords that they were carrying.
“We don’t want any trouble. Let us pass, and we can forget this whole thing,” Tianna said even as she pulled a dagger out. Kara similarly unhooked her war hammer.
“You two don’t belong here. We don’t take kindly to nosy outsiders here in the Swamp. Especially not two women. We are going to teach you two a lesson about minding your own business,” one of the men said as he made lunge for Kara.
“I don’t much like lessons from men,” Kara answered with a mighty swing of her hammer. It made contact with the man’s ribs with a sickening crunch, though his sword still managed to swipe her across the face before he crashed in an injured heap on the ground.
In the meantime, the other man charged at Tianna, cutting her arm befor
e she could get out of the way. In the blink of an eye, she spun and threw her dagger at him, hitting him in the left eye and taking him down. He cried as he pulled the knife from his eye socket, “You blinded me!”
“Consider yourself lucky that is all that I did.”
The men must have got the message, for they gathered themselves up and staggered from the alley, muttering curses as they did.
“Do you think they were sent after us by the Black Jackets?” Kara asked.
“Who knows? They did not seem affiliated, and we are not very welcome here by anyone, so they could have just been common criminals.”
“Do you think that we should have questioned them?”
“They wouldn’t have answered us. No one will talk to us here.” Tianna sighed.
Just when they were despairing that their trail had went cold, they were approached by a ragged old man. “I know whom you search for and where to find him. I can help you, but we must get off the streets. We don’t want to be seen together. Please, follow me.” The man then began to shuffle away.
Tianna and Kara glanced at each other before shrugging and deciding to follow the man. After all, what other leads did they have? No one else would speak to them, not with the reputation of the Black Jackets scaring them. It made sense that the strange old man wanted to speak to them somewhere private. Plus, how much harm could a little old man be?
Once they entered the hovel the old man had led them into, he threw off his rags of a coat and stood in brilliant white clothes, depicting himself as a wizard of the first class. “A wizard? How did I not sense your power?” Tianna exclaimed, shock rolling through her and putting her on the defense in light of all the magical power in front of her.
“Fear not, child. I am here to help you. I cloak my powers here in Port Stone. There are too many people who would want to get their hands on a wizard. Who knows what they would attempt to make me do. It is better to go unnoticed in this town, which is when you can truly learn what it going on. Something that the two of you could take a lesson in. A large female warrior and an elf? It was not hard to track you two down. And you can be sure that if I know that you are here and what you are asking, others do too. The Black Jackets for instance, it is by no mistake that you have not found any of them today. Alenon knows you are after him, and he had his people in street clothes, keeping tabs on the two of you.”
“Is that why no one will talk to us now?” Kara asked.
“Partly. They know the Black Jackets want you. They likely wouldn’t talk anyway. You are strangers asking questions about a dangerous group. Those are the kind of things that get you killed if you talk too much,” the wizard answered. “Please, sit. I have much to tell you about Alenon. I know where he is, but it will be wiser to wait for cover of nightfall until you attempt to go after him.”
Kara readily took a seat, but Tianna remained standing. “How do we know that we can trust you? Wizards have no allegiance to the good or the light. You could be in cahoots with Alenon for all we know.”
To her surprise, the wizard just laughed. “You are the skeptical elf. That’s wise of you. You don’t know for a fact that you can trust me, but I mean it when I say that you can. I have kept an eye on the two of you, and I like what I see. I, too, try to fight on the side of the righteous, to go after the wrongdoers in our mist. I also know that sometimes, you have to fight violence with violence, something that you seem to be very aware of yourself.”
Accepting this explanation, Tianna sat down, giving a small sign of trust. “Okay, then help us get Alenon. Tell us where his hideout is, and we will take care of him. It is the right thing to do. If we do not punish him for Phinelope’s death, no one will.”
“Oh, I quite agree. He has a warehouse that he has converted into his headquarters. It is near the end of the wall, by the river. It’s easy to protect, or so he thinks. He only thinks of people here in Port Stone. Those on the other side of the wall would never care enough to attack him, and the people here in the Swamp are too scared to ban together. He has grown complacent and feels safe. Even with the two of you asking questions, he feels that two females can easily be dispatched. Clearly, he has not watched you as I have.”
“How many people are in the warehouse at a given time? What kind of guards does he have in place?” Kara asked, leaning forward.
“The number of guards in the building varies. I do not know how many may be in there when you attack. There are usually two guards outside at all times.”
Tianna reached into her bag and pulled Ara out, “Oh I think we can find out more about the layout and number of guards in the warehouse before we enter. You’ll help us won’t you, Ara?”
“Ara always helps,” the rat said, nuzzling Tianna as she did.
“Yes, she does,” Tianna said fondly, digging into her rations for a small bite of cheese for her new familiar.
“You are full of surprises, young elf,” the wizard said, a slight smile playing on his face. “It is not often that I am surprised by someone.”
“What is your name, wizard? I have never heard of a wandering wizard taking refuge in a city such as this. Sure, some serve great lords and try to make a name for themselves, but for one to live in a shack such as this?” Tianna asked.
“A wizard goes where he feels that he is needed.” The man shrugged. “As for my name, I have many, but you can call me Yarol. Here, both of you have been injured. Let me heal your wounds as you make your plans.”
He approached them, putting a sweet smelling ointment on their cuts while muttering spells under his breath. Right before their eyes, the gashes began to shrink and heal, until only the faintest scars remained.
Tianna stared at her arm in shock. “Never have I seen this kind of healing magic by a non-elf! Even our healers can’t do it this fast. Thank you!”
“You are most welcome. It is the least that I can do if you are to go up against Alenon. Now you must eat and rest. You will need all of your strength to go into the stronghold of the Black Jackets.” Yarol went to the kitchen and soon returned with two bowls. “It’s not much, but it will give you strength.”
Tianna took her bowl. “Thank you. Now tell us everything you know about Alenon and what led to the murder of Phinelope.”
Chapter Five
Time for Action
After Yarol healed their wounds and they had eaten and rested, he agreed to take them to Alenon’s warehouse, though he steadfastly refused to go in and help fight. “My powers are needed here for other matters. Someone has to try to help and heal those in need here in the Swamp. Matters of violence and revenge are best left to others. I am useless in a fight.”
They came to a stop in a darkened alley where they could observe the warehouse without being seen. Two guards stood outside, the only light came from burning barrel. Kara leaned in, “Those guards should be easy enough for us to take. There’s just two of them, and we are tougher than them.”
“There could be more inside,” Tianna replied, reaching up and taking Ara off her shoulder. “Could you go in that warehouse over there and tell us how many people that you see in there?”
“Yes, Ara can do that for kind elf.” With that, the rat ran across the open lot and got into the warehouse with no problems, blending into the darkness and trash of the Swamp.
As they waited, Yarol said goodbye. “This is where I must leave you. All I can say, is keep your wits about you when confronting Alenon. He did not build his empire of crime by being stupid. Also, remember that nothing is ever as it appears here in Port Stone. You know where to find me if you should need my services again.” Before they could answer, he had disappeared.
“Well, he was helpful and not at the same time. Having a wizard with us would have made me feel better,” Kara admitted.
“He led us to Alenon. We can handle the rest. Not everyone can handle violence, and I respect him for knowing his limits,” Tianna said as she watched Ara running back towards her. “What did you learn, my sweet girl?”
/> “The building is one hallway. You can go either way and still come back to the entrance. Many doors along hallway. Big area on one side, small rooms on the other. There are two people walking the hall. Three more people in rooms, not all together.”
“Very good job, Ara.” Tianna stroked the creature. “You earned lots of cheese as soon as we take care of business in there.”
“Bad men in there. I can smell their badness.”
“Don’t worry. We will be careful,” Tianna answered before relaying the information to Kara.
“Seven against two. Not the best odds,” Kara muttered.
“Not the worst either, plus, we have the element of surprise. We can take the two outside without anyone being any the wiser. Same goes for the two in the hall. Then we pick the three off in the rooms one by one. And one of them has to be Alenon,” Tianna answered with confidence. “Why don’t you get the guards attention, draw them away from the door, and I will slip behind them. We can take them quickly and silently.”
“How am I supposed to distract them?”
“Play the damsel in distress or something.”
Kara actually laughed. “Have you seen me? I’m bigger than either of those men. They are not going to come rescue me from anything.”
“Then challenge their manhood. Just get them away from the door,” Tianna said as she slipped into the shadows almost as easily as Ara.
Kara boldly walked out into the middle of the field before the warehouse. She stood there for a moment, waiting for the guards to notice her. When they saw her, she taunted them. “I hear this is where the toughest men in Port Stone are. Good, I need some sparring partners, though the two of you will hardly be a challenge.” She grabbed her war hammer and took a combat stance. That did it. The men came rushing at her, swords drawn.
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