by Jamie Davis
Cari nodded. “I told the innkeeper back at the crossroads where we were going. We stayed there last night.”
Granny Gerald turned to her son. “Go saddle a horse and ride into town right away. You can stay there for the night and come back tomorrow. Tell old Bertram to keep his mouth shut about Cari and her friends staying here. Tell him if he lets out one peep about her, I’ll take it out on him personally.”
“OK, Momma. What’s this all about?”
“Don’t you worry about that for now. Just do as you’re told. I’ll explain everything when you get back tomorrow.” Granny watched her son leave then turned to Cari and her companions. “You all look like you could use some help getting washed up and a place to sit and relax for a bit. Come along into the main house. We’ve got a nice brass bathtub. I’ll have Hank’s wife start heating the water to fill it.
“That would be wonderful,” Cari said. “I think we could all use a nice soak in a tub.”
“It goes a long way to curing the ails of a long time on the road. Come along.” Granny led them into the house and seated them in a well-appointed living room. There were several upholstered chairs and a cushioned sofa.
“Becca never told me you had such a nice home Granny.”
“Becca’s got a mind of her own and doesn’t like to compare what she has with what we have. Besides which, she and Heath have done very well all by themselves, especially with the help you gave Heath with his blacksmithing.”
Granny paused as a woman who was about forty years old came in carrying a tray with a tea kettle on it and four cups and saucers. She set them down on the table in front of Granny Gerald. “Will there be anything else, Momma?”
“No, Sophie. You can go back to what you were doing. I’ll take care of things from here. By the way, this is my friend Cari, her husband Rodrigo, and their child Janie.”
Granny shot Cari a glance as she told her daughter-in-law the small fib about who Janie was. Given the situation and Granny’s subterfuge, Cari wondered if the old woman suspected who Jaycee really was.
Sophie smiled and greeted the three of them with a nod, then left them alone again.
After she left, Granny leaned towards Cari. “There’s a whole bunch of people looking for you, girl. I’m glad you made it here, but I have to wonder why you came?”
“If you know they’re looking for us, Granny, then you know or at least suspect who Janie is. You also know why it’s my job to get her to the capital and ensure she receives what’s rightly hers.”
Cari chose her words carefully while saying enough to make sure Granny got her meaning.
The old woman nodded. “You’re safe enough here for now. That, I can assure you. As to getting you three into the city, I’m not sure if that’s a good idea. Everyone is looking for you. Whether it’s soldiers or common people, everyone wants a piece of the prize money for capturing you.”
“There must be a way for us to get in. Is there no one you can trust?”
Granny paused in thought for nearly a minute, staring out the window while she pondered the problem before she answered. “There are a few farmers around who don’t care much for the way the Duke of Charon has been doing things regarding local farm goods and supplies for his soldiers. I think we can count on their discretion.”
Granny stopped for a few seconds as she considered the problem at hand. “There’s a delivery of fresh hay from this region every few weeks to the main stockyards at the western gate. That’s where all the caravans come into the Crystal City. They have lots of livestock and need more hay to feed them than can be grown locally right around the capital. It’s just over a day’s travel by wagon from here with an overnight stay. If you don’t mind getting a little itchy, we could probably hide you under the haystack in the back of one of the wagons until you’re inside the city gates. The next load is scheduled for later this week.”
“If that’s the best way you can think of, Granny, then that’s what we’ll do.”
Granny smiled and poured tea into the four cups. “Good, then it’s settled. You’ll stay here for a couple of days, while I arrange for the wagon train to come by here on their way to the city. You’ll be safe enough in our home in the meantime. I have a few grandchildren about Jaycee’s age who would love to have a new friend to play with for a few days. If anyone does show up looking for you. It’ll be easy to hide her amongst all the grandkids.”
Cari smiled. Granny was always so willing to help. It was one of the things she liked most about her. She was glad she had the chance to come back and visit on her way back to the capital.
She sipped at her hot tea and sat back while Granny Gerald chatted with Jaycee about the names of her two rag dolls. The little princess had carried them in from her saddlebags. It was going to be nice to be able to rest here for a few days. It was exactly what they needed.
It took three days to gather together the wagon train. During that time Cari, Rodrigo, and Jaycee spent their time relaxing and gathering their strength for the final push ahead of them. Jaycee, in particular, had shown a great deal of grownup resilience along the journey so far. Here at Granny Gerald’s, she became a six-year-old girl again. Cari was happy to see her be able to play with children her own age. It had been a while since she’d been able to do that.
Most of Granny’s family gathered to see Cari and the others off. Everyone agreed that Cari should come back and visit again soon. Cari and Rodrigo helped Jaycee climb into the back of the leading wagon and then they climbed up with her. They had a basket of food to share for the journey along with what the wagon drivers carried.
The three of them were able to sit in the open for the beginning of the journey, but Cari knew once they reached the road, they’d have to sit in the bottom of the wagon covered with hay.
Cari smiled as Granny came over and reached up over the side of the wagon and grabbed her hand. The old woman gave it a squeeze and said, “You be careful, girl. I don’t want to hear anything about how you got yourself hurt or killed in the midst of doing what you have to do.”
“I’ll do my best, Granny. We have a lot to accomplish, but I’m confident we can get it done. That’s thanks in no small part to the generosity and hospitality you and your family have shown us. I’ll make sure it’s not forgotten.”
Granny shook her head. “We just do what we’re supposed to do. Doing the right thing is not something that should be commended. It is something that should be expected.”
Cari couldn’t argue with that.
Granny stepped back and raised her hand, motioning the wagons forward. Her eldest son, Hank, drove the lead wagon. With a flick of his bullwhip, he got the team of horses moving.
There were eight wagons full of hay in the wagon train. It moved along slower then Cari would’ve liked. But, maybe that would serve to hide them in plain view. Whatever their speed, they were back on the road to the Crystal City. This time, she was confident they’d be able to get inside without getting caught.
Chapter 32
The journey from the farmstead to the Caravan Gate on the west side of the Crystal City took just under two days. It was longer than expected because of the numerous inspections by imperial troops along the way. They camped that first night by pulling the wagons into a clearing off on the side of the road. Forming a semi-circle and settling in for the night, the farmers who made up the wagon train got ready to make themselves dinner before turning in.
Several times while they were preparing the camp and throughout the next day, mounted soldiers patrolling the road passed by. Cari could hear them as their horses clip-clopped past the slow-moving wagons. On one occasion, an officer stopped and conversed with Hank as he drove the wagon in which Cari and the others hid. It turned out the officer and Granny’s son knew each other from previous journeys to the capital with farm goods. Cari overheard their conversation from her spot beneath the hay.
“Hank, I don’t suppose you could be persuaded to deliver your load directly to my garrison’s stabl
es?”
“I’m supposed to take everything to the main stockyards, but I suppose I could divert my wagon if the price was right.”
“I’ll make it worth your while. Plus you’ll be able to drive right into the city without going through the checkpoints. I can write you a pass.”
“What’s all the hubbub about, Captain? It seems like there’s a lot of soldiers out and about. Is there trouble in the city?”
“Just taking precautions. The new Emperor is to be crowned in the next week and the Duke of Charon doesn’t want any trouble. There’s rumors someone is trying to usurp the throne from Prince Timron. You should stay and enjoy the coronation celebrations while you’re here.”
“I don’t care much about what the royals do, Captain. Besides, my mother will have my hide if I don’t head back with the wagon of trade goods she has me picking up to bring home.”
The officer laughed. “You’re a grown man, Hank. Your mother shouldn’t be able to tell you what to do anymore.”
“You don’t know my mother. Believe me, you don’t want to cross her. She’s a very determined woman.”
“I’ll take your word for it. Here’s your pass. Show it at the gate and they’ll wave you through to head directly to the garrison inside. My quartermaster will pay you for the load when you get there.”
“Good enough. Pleasure doing business with you, Captain.”
The patrol moved off down the road. Hank called back to the rear of the wagon. “This pass’ll get us into the city right quick. We should have you all safely inside before nightfall.”
“Good. Thank you, Hank.”
It was late that afternoon when they arrived at the Caravan Gate. This was the moment of truth. If anyone were to catch them, Cari and Rodrigo would be forced to fight their way free of the gate’s guards.
It turned out the pass from the patrol captain did the trick. Hank mentioned the officer’s name and showed the pass. The guard at the gate told them to continue on through.
Through a small gap in the hay, she could see to the rear. The other five wagons behind theirs were stopped and guards began to clamber up and search them. Cari didn’t like to believe in luck but this time she was willing to make an exception. They would have been discovered for sure if their wagon had been searched that way.
They trundled over the cobblestones for a few more minutes after leaving the gate behind them, then the wagon stopped. “You can climb out now,” Hank called out. “It’s safe and we’re out of view of the gates.”
Cari moved the hay from over her head and stood up. They were in a side street off the main avenue. There was no one else nearby. Cari helped Jaycee get out of the wagon then jumped down, followed by Rodrigo.
She turned to Hank. “Thank you so much for everything you’ve done. I’ll make sure the princess doesn’t forget the service you did for her these past few days.”
“Oh, it wasn’t much of a fuss. Granny wouldn’t want us taking credit for just doing the right thing. You heard her back there when we left.”
Cari smiled and reached up to clasp wrists with the man. He shook the reins and cracked his whip. The team of horses moved forward once again.
Quest completed — get Jaycee to the Crystal City
15,000 experience awarded.
As the wagon drove away, Cari and Rodrigo looked around, trying to get their bearings. It took Cari a few seconds to remember to pull up her Earth Sense map display. Once again, she focused on the Crystal City and zoomed in the view to get a close-up look at where she was in relation to other landmarks she knew and recognized.
She was looking for a particular location from her first time in the city. She could see the blue dot marking their position and, after scanning the map, Cari found their destination. She marked it with a red dot and mapped out the quickest path to reach it. They were headed to the Last Retreat Tavern. It wasn’t far away from their present location. Cari hoped the friends she’d made there before she left the city would be able to help her again.
The trio walked together down the busy city streets. Market vendors still had their stalls open and were calling out their wares, listing all of the wonderful things they had for sale. This close to the Caravan Gate, the variety of things available for sale was much larger than in other parts of the city.
Many of the caravan merchants unloaded small portions of their goods to the vendors here for sale to the city’s populace before selling larger stockpiles to the merchant factions inside. The marketplace was crowded, which Cari was glad to see. It would serve to help them hide in the crowds as they headed to the tavern.
Twice imperial patrols passed by them. None of the soldiers were from the city watch. All wore the colors of the Duke of Charon’s troops.
Rodrigo nodded at them as one of the patrols passed by. “They aren’t even hiding the fact that they are in control anymore. You have to wonder if they’ve locked up all of the supporters of the old Empress we knew back at the Empress’ Rest Inn.”
“I’m not sure if they’d do that, though I wouldn’t put it past the Duke to at least lock up the leaders of the movement. Remember, the Empress is dead and the people don’t know about our young friend here.”
“I hope you’re right. Otherwise, there isn’t going to be anyone to come to our side when the time comes to act.”
They arrived at The Last Retreat Tavern as the sun set over the western side of the city wall nearby. The common room was already half full as patrons drifted in after their workday. Those who were there sat eating their evening meal served by the innkeeper and the few tavern girls working the night shift. Cari scanned the bar looking for either Harley Denne, the city guardsmen who’d helped her escape the city, or the barmaid, Mitzi Berry.
She spotted Mitzi first. Cari waved as Mitzi walked past carrying a tray of empty tankards and plates back to the kitchen. The girl’s eyes grew wide in shock and she nearly stumbled and dropped the tray. She recovered, though, and quickly crossed to the bar, setting the tray down and gesturing for another one of the girls to grab it for her.
Mitzi rushed over to Cari and the others. “What are you doing here? Don’t you realize every guard in the city is keeping their eyes open looking for you and that girl.”
“That’s why we came here, Mitzi. We need your help. Is Harley here?”
The tavern maid shook her head. “Not right now. I think he’s on duty at the north gate tonight. He should be back before too long. He’s off at sundown.” Mitzi looked around, then beckoned to Cari and the others. “Come with me. We need to get you out of sight.”
Cari followed Mitzi, who took them to a back room down a long hallway. It looked like it was a spare storeroom, judging from the sacks of grain and rice stacked along the walls.
“You three stay here. Do you need food?”
“Food would be nice,” Rodrigo said.
Mitzi nodded and smiled. “Give me a few minutes. I’ll come back with some food for the three of you.”
Mitzi left, closing the door behind her. Cari sat down on a stack of flour sacks and leaned back against the wall. Jaycee sat down on the floor at her feet and leaned up against her legs. Rodrigo paced back and forth in the small room, waiting for Mitzi to return.
“You don’t have to be so nervous, Rod. After you and Timron escaped the city the last time we were here, I was captured by the Duke. Harley and Mitzi helped me escape the city. Harley and Mitzi are good people. They were loyal to the old Empress. They’ll be loyal to Jaycee as well.
“I don’t like being in here where I can’t see what’s going on out there.”
“There’s no reason for you to have to stay in here with us. No one is looking for you. I’m the one with her face out there for the guards to recognize. You can go sit in the common room if you want. In fact, that might be a good idea. It will give you a chance to spot trouble long before we would back here.”
Rodrigo nodded and pulled the door open. He glanced both directions, then left pulling the door shut b
ehind him. Cari smiled and reached down to stroke Jaycee’s long blonde hair with her hand. “Would you like me to braid your hair for you? Granny gave me a hairbrush. Maybe I can get some of that dust and hay out of your hair.”
“That would be nice, Cari. Make the braid just like yours. I like looking fierce like you do.”
Mitzi arrived soon with a tray of food. “I spotted your friend out in the common room. He told me he was going to keep watch out there. Here’s some food for you and the little one.”
As she put the tray down and handed them the plates, the serving girl’s eyes kept shifting back to glance at Jaycee. She stood to leave then turned back and said, “The girl. Is she really…”
Cari nodded. “We don’t want to make a big fuss. But yes, she is who you think she is.”
Mitzi stopped what he was doing and offered a brief curtsy in Jaycee’s direction.
Jaycee giggled, “You don’t have to do that.”
“But I do, your Majesty. It wouldn’t be right for me not to show you respect.”
“Cari says respect must be earned. I haven’t done anything to earn it. Not yet, anyway. Don’t worry, though. I will. I’m going to be a great warrior like Cari and like my great-grandmother.” The little girl drew her belt knife and held it up in front of her as if she were fending off an attacker.
The gesture made Mitzi laugh out loud. “You are very fierce, your majesty.”
“I think we should dispense with the royal honorifics, Mitzi. Jaycee is right. Please call her by her first name for the time being.”
Mitzi nodded and picked up the empty tray. “I had one of the busboys run out and take a message to the North Gate where Harley is standing watch.”
“Isn’t that taking a risk, letting someone else know we’re here besides you and Harley?”