Villain's Assistant

by Carley Hibbert

  The Lieutenant pulled his makeshift cloak around himself and shielded his face. Benjamin headed to the back entrance where the laundry hung. A broad-shouldered woman fidgeted with some rugs on the line. She held an oddly shaped stick to beat the rugs. She caught Benjamin’s eye and then purposefully stepped behind a rug. He checked that no one was in the area and cautiously approached.

  “Excuse me,” he said. “I’m looking for Helda.” Benjamin stepped behind the cover of the rug, but out of reach of her rug beater.

  “Of course you are. Benjamin?”

  “Helda?”

  “Was it you who spread the rumors about the gold pouring out of the mountains?” Helda grinned, one tooth missing.

  Benjamin nodded and peered around to let her know he was in a hurry.

  “I put a little sleepy in the men’s breakfast…the ones who are left.”

  Benjamin smiled thankfully back.

  “Listen,” she said, “do you have someone else in the fortress besides me?”

  “Yes. Why?” Benjamin examined her with suspicion.

  “You shouldn’t tell me his name, but I must know. Is it Baldo? That runty kid? Shreb’s personal servant?”

  “Wait—he’s Shreb’s personal servant?”

  “Listen. Does he know about me?”

  “No, I just found out about you yesterday.”

  She nodded in appreciation. “Good. You can’t trust that kid. Maybe he is helping you, but not without helping himself first. When Baldo first showed up here, some other boys gave him trouble, and not less than a week later, one boy had an accident. A barrel fell on him in his sleep. Another fell down the stairs and cracked his head almost in half.”

  Benjamin had nothing to say to that. A sinking feeling in his stomach swallowed all his words.

  “The other boys just up and ran off after that. Pretty sure that runty kid doesn’t care for competition or people giving him a hard time.”

  Ice spread through Benjamin’s chest as he remembered Baldo watching him enter the courtyard. He had assumed he waited for his brothers. How much had Denny told Baldo about him? Something, obviously. Benjamin snapped back to his task.

  “Where are Mouthrot and Shreb now?”

  “Shreb is shut up in his rooms upstairs, as usual. Mouthrot has been in tirades about losing so many men. He should be reporting his daily lies to Shreb, but he threatened to wake the night watch, if there’s any left. Don’t let him do that.”

  Benjamin thanked her as he ran across the laundry. He slowed as he entered the hall. Men were bunched up, pretending to drink their penny ales. He saw Denny in a corner looking around the hall, probably for Baldo, who wasn’t there. Odie walked past and raised his eyebrows questioningly. Benjamin swatted the silent question away. Nothing good would come of telling the brothers about Baldo now. He wasn’t even sure there was anything to tell.

  He didn’t know who to talk to first. The Lieutenant was going after Mouthrot. Keston was to arrest Shreb. Benjamin surveyed the congested hall. The Lieutenant must have already gone upstairs. They were expecting Mouthrot to be there, in the opposite wing from Shreb.

  Keston approached the stairs with a cluster of men. Benjamin crossed over to him before he got to the stairs and motioned to him. The captain drifted over while the others continued toward the stairs.

  “One of our informants says that Mouthrot is suspicious and threatened to wake the night watch. I think the Lieutenant went up looking for him, but it’s very likely Mouthrot’s not there.”

  “That changes things, doesn’t it?” Keston looked back at his men, who had gathered at the bottom of the stairs waiting for him. “Should I go support the Lieutenant or continue to Shreb?”

  Odie and Denny started toward them. Benjamin and Keston moved to the center of the room to avoid drawing attention to the stairs, though there weren’t any guards visible in the hall.

  “We think that Mouthrot may have woken the night watch. He’s suspicious.”

  Denny bit off an oath and fiddled with the sword under his cloak.

  Wait, Benjamin thought. How did he get a sword? Does everyone else but me have a sword?

  “The guards are the biggest threat.” Benjamin gripped his long knife with a sweaty hand. “I think Keston and his men should head down there. If the guards haven’t been alerted, they can head back to us for support.”

  “None of you are strong enough fighters to take on Shreb or Mouthrot if he’s over there.” Keston cast a look toward his men. “You’ll need support!”

  “Odie could probably handle it, but I’d rather not take that chance,” Denny said, glancing up at his brother.

  Odie nodded and revealed the sword under his cloak.

  Seriously! Benjamin growled to himself. Is someone handing out swords?

  Benjamin looked around, trying to look casual. He flipped through the pieces of the plan in his head. Pete shuffled their way with two mugs of ale in each hand, followed by another man who was similarly attired. They passed out the mugs.

  “What’s the problem?” Pete guzzled his ale.

  Benjamin waved away the mug; Keston held his stiffly. Pete shrugged and finished Benjamin’s. Benjamin explained about Mouthrot and the guards.

  “Easy enough.” Pete belched and handed the empty mugs to one of the men wandering around. “You and me up to Shreb’s, and soldier boy here off to the guards. That isn't a deal-breaker.”

  Keston nodded, and his men trickled up the stairs, while Pete got a group singing blushworthy drinking songs. Then Pete accompanied him upstairs with a dozen men. “Another half dozen will be up when they’ve started the next song.”

  They turned right at the top of the stairs, and Benjamin tried to remember everything that Denny had said about Baldo. “He was clever,” he’d said. “You’ll get along.” No mention of an interest in villainy. Benjamin caught Pete eyeing him.

  “So what’s the horrible bit you didn’t tell us down there?” Pete asked, searching for guards.

  “Let’s just say there may be a factor we didn’t take into consideration.”

  Pete wiped the back of his dirty hand on his nose. “Always is.”

  Benjamin peered at the brothers walking stiffly ahead of him. What if it were true? They hadn’t recovered from losing their parents yet. Losing a brother? It couldn’t be true, even if his gut screamed otherwise.

  As Benjamin counted doors, he heard a door open behind them. Baldo poked his pale face into the hall, a dark smudge under one of his wide eyes. Denny motioned for him to get out. He raised a delicate hand in acknowledgment and slunk back in and closed the door.

  “I hope he’s smart enough to stay out of the way,” Denny whispered to Odie, who nodded and cast glance to Baldo’s closed door.

  The group approached Shreb’s door and lined up the additional six men approaching quickly behind them. Benjamin arranged for a few men to stand guard. He would be crazy not to watch his back. Pete said that he’d take Mouthrot if he was with Shreb. Denny volunteered with Odie to take Shreb.

  “Benjamin,” Pete said, “you just make sure that no one escapes. I’ve got a score to settle with Mouthrot.” Pete spit on the ground and wiped his mouth on his arm.

  “We need him alive!” Benjamin said, grabbing Pete’s gritty sleeve. “The king needs him alive.”

  Pete’s dark eyes narrowed, but he nodded in acceptance. “It doesn’t mean he can’t get hurt though.” He winked and burst into the room.

  FIFTY

  Benjamin and Denny had to shove their way into the room. All the men stood in the doorway but hadn’t moved any further. Finally Odie parted the men so that the three of them could gape at the scene as well.

  In front of the fireplace, Mouthrot sat glaring through a gag, his hands and feet tied securely to a chair. One of his men lay on the floor, bleeding out.

  Benjamin’s insides turned to ice as he looked at Denny and Odie. Pete stared blankly.

  Benjamin gripped the knife on his hip and barked orders to t
he men in the hall. “Let no one pass!” He sprinted down the hall, drawing his long knife as he neared Baldo’s door. Odie and Denny were close behind him, but probably not for the same reason. He pushed through the door.

  The room was empty except for a large chair, almost like a throne. Benjamin ran around the room checking behind tapestries covered in swans and horns but found nothing.

  “Someone go find out if anyone went downstairs!”

  Odie made eye contact with Benjamin from behind his older brother. He did not look confused.

  Denny panicked. “Where’s Baldo? Did Shreb take him?” He ran to the door to issue commands.

  “There has to be a door in here. A hidden staircase? A passageway? Something!” Benjamin fiddled with the arm of the chair. “There has to be a lever somewhere.”

  He paused midscramble to meet the still Odie’s dark-brown eyes.

  “You knew?” Benjamin asked. Odie closed his eyes and nodded. “Maybe we’re wrong. There could be another explanation.” Benjamin continued to frisk the chair.

  “There won’t be.”

  Benjamin turned, open-mouthed like a fish, as Odie’s rough whisper rattled his bones. He saw it then. All of Odie’s fears he never dared to utter. Hoping his silence would keep the truth unreal.

  Click.

  The throne tilted back. Underneath it was a spiral staircase heading straight down. Denny returned. Shouts echoed in the hallway.

  “No one’s come down since—” His words cut off as he caught sight of the dark hole under Shreb’s throne. “We’ve got to get down there. Shreb took Baldo down there.”

  Denny shoved past Benjamin, nearly knocking him over.

  “Wait!” Odie said.

  Denny’s only response was to set his jaw and forcefully and push his way down the dark stairs.

  “I’ll get a lantern!” Benjamin spun around to look.

  Odie raised a lantern, filled and trimmed. “Baldo left this behind the door.” He flexed his jaws.

  Benjamin swallowed the knowledge that they were walking into a trap, a trap set by a cherished little brother. He raced down the stairs, nearly tripping twice. “Denny!”

  “I found a lantern!” Denny called up the stairs.

  Denny fumbled with an unlit lantern as he climbed the stairs. Benjamin twisted a piece of parchment to light his lantern. Before Denny could bolt, Benjamin grabbed his wrist and nearly fell face first down the stairs.

  “These lanterns were left for us.”

  Denny stared furiously back at him. Odie seized Denny’s other arm so Benjamin could shove past and take the lead.

  The stairway twisted and twisted down. There was a landing that must have been on the main floor not far from the hall. He could hear tables being overturned. Men yelled and glass broke. Benjamin pressed on, scraping his hands as he caught himself from falling.

  “He’d have gone all the way down,” Benjamin said over his shoulder.

  The brothers’ footsteps were the only response he got. Denny’s breathing sounded near panic levels. Benjamin prayed that Odie could keep Denny in check when the time came.

  Benjamin was shoved into the icy stone wall, as Denny stumbled into him. His forearm and knee screamed. Limping on, he knew he had to stay ahead of Denny. Denny could not be the first one to see whatever was at the bottom of the stairs.

  Denny thrashed at Odie, who held him back. Benjamin growled as his skin burned. Please let me be wrong. It was nothing but a feeling, really. He could be wrong about something, someday, and this could be it. Maybe they’d all have a good laugh about it after Denny punched him in the face for thinking his baby brother was the most conniving villain the kingdom of Lam had ever seen, on or off of the Thieves’ Plain.

  Denny’s subjective claims of Baldo’s brilliance and his eagerness to help them, even providing means for them, did not help. A boy who didn’t like competition wouldn’t want Mouthrot around, Benjamin thought as he reviewed the situation. Could he be the real threat on the plain? Shreb was merely a mask he wore. No, no. Baldo could just be loyal to him. He had been working with Shreb for a while now. It was a way out for him.

  Benjamin stopped on the stairs as they ended in front of a wall. He held out an arm that Denny nearly pushed through. Odie dragged him back again.

  “That’s the end?” Denny cried, pushing his locks, damp with sweat, out of his eyes. “There’s got to be a way through!”

  Denny was wild eyed and near sobbing, his face flushed from their descent. Odie hauled his brother back a few steps to give Benjamin room. Denny collapsed against the wall, exhausted from fighting Odie the whole way. Benjamin felt around the walls and stairway, finally tugging and twisting a hook at the bottom of the stairs until it gave. The wall screeched aside, as stone grated against stone.

  Odie drew a sword in one hand and a long knife in the other. He furrowed his brows at his brother, willing him to stay there. Denny rolled his head against the wall and closed his eyes, swallowing. He looked slightly green. Benjamin pulled out his long knife and waited, his grip tightening around the handle until his hand ached. Odie raised his sword, casting a shadow in front of the lantern as he bounced on his toes. Denny pressed his back against the wall, breathing heavily.

  Odie bolted through the door first, his weapons ready to defend or attack. Benjamin followed closely behind, unsure if Denny followed or not. No one could get past Odie, who filled the narrow tunnel. There was one lit torch at the end of the tunnel where it turned sharply—another breadcrumb. They trudged on and on, more than the length of the fortress. Soon the smooth walls gave out to rough-cut rock. The air in the tunnels grew warmer. The floor beneath their feet was uneven, and loose rocks ground under their tread. Benjamin tripped and jammed his right hand into the wall.

  “Old crow droppings!” He pressed his bloody knuckles to his mouth. He looked up to see Odie’s faint outline as he turned. “I can see light around the bend.”

  FIFTY ONE

  Odie and Benjamin burst out into the light. Odie raised his weapons and turned right, while Benjamin turned left to secure their backs, which nearly sent him over a steep ledge. He scampered back into Odie, who stood firm as a pillar of stone. They were standing on a narrow path dug into the ravine wall behind the fortress. Benjamin turned to warn Denny, but he wasn’t in the tunnel.

  A man stood before Odie, wearing a gray traveling cloak over fine blue-and-red silks. His dark hair feathered away from the fine features of his face. He held a sword point under Odie’s chin. The many jewels mounted on buttons, cufflinks, and rings glinted in the sun. A family could live off the jewel on his left pinky for the rest of their lives.

  This had to be the “Mighty” Shreb, Benjamin surmised.

  Behind him, a waif sat on a rock. He wore coarse clothing, but his grin shone with intelligent malevolence. Baldo held a small chest under his arm. He looked directly at Benjamin and winked.

  Heat rose in Benjamin’s cheeks. This little twerp was no innocent! In fact, he was the most arrogant kid Benjamin had ever met.

  “You must be Benjamin,” Shreb said, tilting his head to look around Odie’s wide frame. “My waif here told me about you. Black-Eyed Barnaby’s son, eh? Trying to overthrow me like your old man did?”

  Benjamin balked at this. His father’s identity was not a widely known fact. No one outside his small circle knew who his father was. Baldo wagged his eyebrows at him and grinned wider. Benjamin glared at Odie, who shook his head, denying any transference of knowledge and held his weapons at the ready. Shreb laughed as his fingers traced the brocade of his waistcoat.

  “Thank you for taking my overly ambitious VA off my hands. Handing him over to old Barnaby is a much better punishment than a little poison or a knife in the back.”

  “His name is the Lieutenant, not Barnaby!” Odie rumbled through stiff lips.

  Shreb lifted his eyebrows in surprise. “What do I care what his name is?”

  He drew his sword back to strike Odie, but his blade met unyield
ing steel. Swords rang. Odie pressed forward. Shreb reluctantly fell back, his eyes wide. Gravel skittered down the ledge.

  Benjamin glanced up at Baldo, who smirked and climbed up the rocks to a higher path. Flashing steel filled the entire path in front of Benjamin as he slid his knife back into its sheath. He’d have to climb up and over. He turned and faced the wall of rocks and reached for a handhold. Denny emerged from the tunnel, dropping his lantern.

  “Denny, I need a boost!” Benjamin called.

  Denny grabbed him and shoved him upward. Benjamin grabbed a hold and scrambled up the rough wall, slipping on loose rock that tumbled under him. Please don’t hit Odie! Denny would be okay, though.

  He followed a curve inward to Baldo’s easier route up the hill. Baldo was running on the path above, stick arms and legs slicing through the air, the chest still tucked under his arm. The rough climb on the rock scraped more skin off Benjamin’s knuckles and knees. He slipped and slammed his chin against the hard ground but quickly locked his fingers on a nub of rock.

  His head buzzed with the shock of this injury and muted the screams of his lesser scrapes. There was a tang around his tongue, and he spit out blood. He pushed upward through the swell of pain. He couldn’t lose Baldo now.

  Benjamin rolled onto the narrow path and scrabbled after the kid, running full out to close the gap between them, focusing on the curve where the small boy disappeared.

  A yell erupted from below. Benjamin hoped that was a good thing, because he knew he would be no match for anyone with a sword. He rounded the corner and slid on loose rock. He felt something whizz by his head and crash on the rock next to him. Baldo burst from his hiding place. Benjamin didn’t see what Baldo had thrown, but he was pretty sure it was meant to kill him. Benjamin drew his knife, holding it in front of him, his only shield against flying daggers or bolts. He approached the next blind spot more carefully, only to see that Baldo was gaining a wider lead on him.

  “This is ridiculous!” The wind swallowed Benjamin’s words and blurred his vision. He wiped his eyes, feeling the sting on his knuckles. He had to find a way to get in front of Baldo. Otherwise, he’d just keep running into traps, which wouldn’t end well.