Last Knight (The Champion Chronicles Book 2), page 5
“So you just up and left?”
“No, not right away. We tried to make it work. I love her and she loves me. We were still going to get married, but my father and her father could not get along. They got into blows and then my uncle and one of her cousins got in a fight. That’s when the accusations of witchery really went crazy. My father actually convinced the village to build a burning pile to burn her alive. That’s when we left. It’s been several weeks that we’ve been in the forest, heading to Iseron. It’s the closest city and we can start fresh.”
“You two, all alone,” Conner said. “You’re pretty brave.”
“No,” Steven countered. “Pretty stupid. We weren’t careful and we came across that group.” He glanced down at Conner’s bloodied shirt. “Thank you for coming to our rescue. If not for you, we would be dead. I’m just sorry that they hurt you.”
“I’ll be fine,” Conner said. “But you won’t have to worry about them anymore. I’ll take care of them.”
“Conner, please don’t. There are too many of them. Not just those four, but so many others. They run in packs. You might come across them when there are twenty of them. You may be a knight, but surely you can’t go against twenty? We will be okay. We just need to stay to the deep parts of the forest. It’ll take us longer, but we’ll make it.”
Conner looked away, a furious anger burning inside of him. “They hurt me and they’re going to pay. Last time I wasn’t prepared. I didn’t have any weapons. This time I’ll get myself a sword and then we’ll see how well they go against a Karmon Knight.”
“Can you really swing a sword injured like you are? As soon as you try, you’ll tear the threads, the wound will open up and you’ll bleed to death. You need to heal. Stay with us at least to Iseron. Laurin can clean your wounds and put more salve on. In a week, you will be almost whole again.”
Conner looked from Steven to the forest. The bandits were out there somewhere, roaming free and without care. They were probably laughing about the death that was slowly coming to Conner.
“They already know you survived, and it’s been three days. We haven’t seen any signs of them. They are probably off in some other place, terrorizing some other poor traveler. But as long as we stay to the deep forest, they won’t find us.”
Laurin walked into the clearing, a smile on her face. “Sir Conner! How do you feel after eating?”
Conner touched his chest, feeling the squishiness of the salve under his tunic. “No longer famished. Thank you again for a fine meal.”
“You keep touching your wound, is it sore?” Laurin asked.
“A little uncomfortable. Not really painful.”
“It will be for a few days. But a strong knight like yourself, you must be used to combat and wounds!”
Conner smiled and chuckled, not sure what to say. This was truly the first injury that he’d ever experienced. He hoped it was his last.
“Conner is going to stay with us to Iseron,” Steven announced.
Laurin’s smile grew even wide. “Great! It will be good to travel with a third. We are all packed and ready to go. Do you feel strong enough, Sir Conner?”
Conner nodded, still uncomfortable at being addressed with the title, as he knew he didn’t deserve it. But he had to admit to himself that he liked how it rang in his ears.
***
It was slow going through the forest. Not only because of the underbrush that they had to continually skirt, but because Laurin did not have the same stamina as the men. She did not complain or make any excuses, she simply trudged on. But Conner found himself constantly looking back at her, waiting for her to catch up.
Steven kept them moving in a generally southwest direction. Although he had never been to Iseron himself, he knew where it was. All roads in this part of the empire led towards that city, so as long as they found themselves on a road, they could just follow it into the city. But they did stay away from any roads or paths that they came across. They certainly did not want to run into Harmack and his band of outlaws.
Although they spent much of their travels in the trees, they tried to stay within sight of the edge of the forest or a road. This allowed them to keep moving in the right direction without getting lost, but maintain the cover of safety. Several times through the day, voices carried to them and they hunkered down and let travelers pass them by. None seemed to be a threat, but there was no sense in pushing their luck. As long as the baby stayed inside Laurin, there was no real hurry to make it to Iseron. Safe and slow would get them there alive.
As the sun started to make its fall from the height of the day, Steven looked back at Laurin and realized that it was time to rest. They had been on the move since morning, and even Conner was starting to get a bit fatigued.
“We’ll push a bit deeper into the forest,” Conner said. “The underbrush should clear up and we’ll be able to find a nice clearing to rest.”
“If we go far enough in, we should be able to make a fire for hot food.”
Conner wrinkled his nose. Although the vegetable stew that Laurin had made was tasty, his stomach was aching for something with a bit more meat.
“Enough of her stew, huh?”
Conner simply smiled his reply.
“What we had, Harmack and his men took,” Steven explained. “We were only able to get about half our stuff back. And that was thanks to you.”
“Oh?”
“Well, you made a pretty big scene when you came upon us, announcing yourself and all. After that, they seemed more interested in killing you than dealing with us. So as soon as you and Harmack got into it, Laurin and I grabbed what we could and just ran into the trees.”
“They never followed you?”
Steven shrugged his shoulders. “Might have, but we ran for a long time. I guess they figured you were more fun than we were. I’m sorry we didn’t stay and help.”
“I’m glad you didn’t. If you had, they would have killed you. But I am glad that you came back to help me.”
“Well,” Steven said sheepishly. “That was really Laurin’s doings. I wanted to keep going, but she insisted on coming back to see if you were still alive. We waited for some time and when we did come back, they had all left and it was just you tied to that tree.”
Conner glanced at Laurin, who was struggling to pick up her feet as she walked. Then he looked around at the trees and the cover that they offered. “Maybe we should call it a day. Make a nice fire, catch a nice fat rabbit.”
“Rabbit sounds nice,” Steven said. “But we have no bow.”
“Trust me,” Conner said with a wide smile. “I know a much easier way. I’ve spent much of my life in the forest, and catching rabbit is my specialty. You two get comfortable and rest. And start a nice fire because there’ll be meat for dinner!”
Borrowing the necessary supplies from Steven, Conner turned into the forest, rejuvenated at being able to be productive and find food for their dinner.
Most of his time was spent finding the right place. Game trails for the larger animals were easy to spot. They tended to be well worn and packed. Locating a path frequented by smaller animals was something that was difficult, but not impossible. Through his time alone in the forests of Darkenwood, he learned to pick out the tell-tale signs of a path left by the small animals of the forest. As he slowly walked, his eyes scanned the forest floor for the signs and once his trained eye saw the path, he began to lay out his plan.
He dropped to a knee, which caused a burning pain in his chest. The pain had subsided enough that he had forgotten about the wound. But the moment he leaned over, the sharp pain surprised him and caused him to let out an audible gasp. He hoped it was not loud enough to scare away any small game that was nearby.
It also brought back the anger that had built up inside of him. It was more than just being hurt; they had humiliated him. He knew it was his own fault for being overly aggressive and confident that his own skills were better than anyone else’s. It wasn’t that they were more skilled than he was, it was that they knew how to fight. Master Goshin had taught him how to swing a sword, defend himself in combat, and attack in combat. But the elbow to the face was a harsh lesson in the difference between fighting and combat. A lesson that if he didn’t remember, he knew would come back to haunt him.
His mind had drifted so far from his task, that he wasn’t sure how long he had been sitting on the ground. He stood, stretching out his stiff knees, and walked slowly along the barely noticeable path. It wound its way through the underbrush in almost a straight line, probably towards a small watering hole or a creek. At what he hoped was the perfect choke point, a place on the trail where the animal was certain to cross, he setup the simple snare trap. He tied one end to a nearby tree and the other end an open loop along the trail.
He took a quick measure of the forest around him. He spotted several trees that made good reference points so that he could easily find his way back. It could be some time before a rabbit or squirrel decided to take the path and if he were to stay around to watch it, they would certainly stay away.
As quietly as he could, he returned back to Steven and Laurin.
He found the open clearing, and even found their provisions on the ground next to an attempt at making a fire. But they were gone. His heart pounded hard as he looked around in a panic.
Chapter Six
Hibold pulled the fur-lined cloak over his shoulders and pulled it tight around his body to keep himself warm. The luxurious item had been payment from the regional governor of the northeast territories after Emperor Hargon had sent him there to investigate a sudden drop in tax revenue. Among the many issues he discovered, it was revealed that the governor was engaging in a relationship with one of his own second cousins. Rather than exposing the affair to the governor’s wife and to the emperor, Hibold took payment in the form of this wonderfully warm cloak, as well as a chest full of gold coins. Half made it back to the castle in the form of taxes owed, while the rest stayed hidden in his house. Even his wife didn’t know about it.
Although Prince Tarcious mentioned the various emissaries that were readily available in the palace, Hibold knew that was really not the case. They stayed in the palace because the only way they could get a job was to beg and bribe their way to be chosen. If he himself wasn’t going to be on the delegation to go back to Karmon, he needed to make sure that the job would get done right, and he only knew of one person that would be able to pull that off. Once found, Hibold was sure that he would jump at the opportunity, but finding him was not going to be easy.
Daytime was not the time to find this man, so Hibold waited until the sun had set. Cold and wind made the walk miserable, but the street lamps were lit, allowing him to see his way through the city. There were several places of disrepute that the man could be in, but there was one that was known to be his favorite, so Hibold took the chance on going to it first. It was the farthest away, so by the time he walked through the door, he was thoroughly frozen.
A very large man stood on the other side of the door, which protected him from the wind, but not the cold night air. Made to look even larger by the thick wool clock he wore, the man was an imposing figure that stood well over Hibold’s height. The large man glared down at the much smaller Hibold. But his demeanor changed when Hibold slipped him a large coin with the face of the emperor on one side, and the image of an eagle on the other. The large man’s expression softened and a wry smile slipped out. With a quick wave of his hand, he let Hibold pass.
The hall ran for some distance before it reached a stairwell that led down to a lower level. A chandelier hung from the ceiling of the stairwell, providing more than enough light for Hibold to descend. As he neared the bottom, raucous sounds and voices could be heard, which meant that he was nearing his destination. There was also the slight scent of perfumes and incense that brought back images of his own wild youth. Twenty years ago, he would have been panting and bursting at the seams with excitement at what the place offered, but now that he was older, and much wiser, he could only push aside the depravity that he was about to see.
The bottom of the stairs opened up to a large room filled with people from the higher echelons of the political scene. In a time long past, being seen at such a place would have been the ruination of one’s career, but now, if you weren’t seen, then you would be looked down upon. But that was for the young and needy, the political up and comers who needed a boost in their career. With his own career set, as well as his finances, there was no need for him try and impress his peers by frequenting these types of establishments.
But as he looked around the room, he was reminded at the fun these parties offered. Most of the immoral activity took place in one of the many small chambers that opened up off the large main room. But inebriation removed many barriers of inhibition, so there was quite a number of sexual acts taking place in the open room. Pitchers of thick, syrupy liquids were passed around to make one forget about what was going on, or the activities that one was doing. Sometimes they were too potent and those that drank them would fall over and never get up. But that was a part of the excitement. Once you stepped through the doors, you never really knew if you were going to leave on your feet. Or at all.
As he made his way through the room, he wondered if anyone at all used the private rooms for their banal activities. Every time he looked in a different direction, there were couples or groups of people copulating with no thought or regard to those around them. Of course, with plenty of potent liquids to share, no one really cared. He tried to avoid looking, or even staring, but it was hard to avert his eyes. It wasn’t that he was a prude or disapproved of their behavior; it was just a bit over the top for a sober person to witness. But he had to at least look at the faces to see if one of them might have been the man he was looking for.
When he did see him, he let out a long sigh of relief. Not only was he here, but he still had all his clothes on. He was standing among a large group who were passing a large earthen mug among them. Everyone was laughing and spilling as much of the liquid as they were drinking.
The man noticed Hibold as he approached and called out to him.
Hibold smiled and walked straight up to him. “Berrien! I am so glad to find you.”
“And me as well!” Berrien replied with a slight slur in his speech. “I have never seen you here! Have you decided to finally let your hair down and partake in the magic of the night?”
Hibold wrinkled his nose at the mug that was shoved at him. “No. I have come to see you.”
Berrien laughed and the rest joined in. Hibold was not quite sure what was so funny, but he joined in anyway.
Once the laughter subsided, and Hibold got Berrien’s attention again, he leaned forward and said, “I have a job for you.”
“A job?” Berrien repeated. He continued to chuckle as if he could not control it. “What job?”
“It is a good job and it pays very well. But you must leave immediately.”
“And leave all this,” Berrien said with a wave of his hand. “The night is still young!”
Hibold grabbed Berrien by the front of his shirt and pulled him away from his group. Berrien tried to protest and fight his way out of the grasp, but in the end he was compliant and let Hibold lead him away. Once they were far enough away and out of earshot of the group, Hibold said sharply, “Listen, I am giving you a chance. Do you want it or not?”
Berrien glanced back at his group, but his eyes were fully cleared up. “What is it?” Berrien asked, his slurring speech gone. “What is the job?”
“How much have you drunk?” Hibold asked.
“Same as every night,” Berrien said. “Just enough to look like I’m drinking. That stuff tastes like death.”
“Prince Tarcious is putting together a delegation to Karmon.”
“Tarcious?” Berrien asked.
“Don’t worry, he won’t know that it is you who will be going. At least not until you are there.”
“So he hasn’t forgotten?”
“If you were him, would you have forgotten?”
“I said I was sorry.”
“You broke his leg.”
“He recovered.”
“He has a long memory,” Hibold said. “He won’t let it go, but if you do this, then he will finally forgive you.”
“Are you sure? Being on the bad side of the emperor’s brother has not been really that great for my career.”
“Which is why I’ve always been around to help you.”
Berrien glanced around a moment and then looked back at Hibold. “You have, but I think you have gained more than me with all these little jobs that I’ve helped you with. How’d that thing go with Sir Heffinfool, by the way?”
“Lord Neffenmark,” Hibold said. “And not well. That’s why I need you.”
“Always cleaning up your mess, huh?”
“Do you want the job, or not?”
Berrien looked around one last time, thinking about all the fun and depravity that he would miss. “What’s the purpose of this delegation?”
“It’s too loud here,” Hibold said.
Berrien smiled and laughed. “Of course it is. The perfect place for sharing secrets?”
“Has a loud room ever stopped you from picking up what you wanted to hear?”
The smile got wide. “Of course not.”
“There is a ship leaving for Karmon tomorrow. It is a small cargo ship. Be on it. I will give you all the information you need there.”
“Tomorrow?” Berrien asked, his eyes looking back at the entertainment around him.
“First light.”
“I’ll be there. Do not worry.” He patted Hibold on the shoulder and returned to the laughter of his group.
***
Queen Elissa stepped through the exit, holding the metal grate above her head. Once through, she let it down slowly so that it wouldn’t make any sound. She paused for a moment, and thought of Conner. He had been here, only a few weeks ago, as he made his escape from the castle. She wondered how he had felt at that time. Was he scared and alone? She could not imagine him being scared. He never showed any fear, which surprised her. She had seen the greatest of knights show fear, and admit to it. But Conner was fearless, she knew. And a survivor.
