Quest's End: The Broken Key #3 (49 page)

“How are you doing?” he asked the magic user.

“Tired beyond words,” Kevik replied. “I think my staff has regained some of its power. But as for me…” Turning eyes that spoke of complete weariness he said, “I’m not going to be much good until I am able to sleep.”

“Doubt if we’re going to have that luxury any time soon,” Chyfe told him.

“I know,” replied Kevik, giving out with a weary sigh.

“Will you be okay for a moment?” he asked.

Kevik nodded his head.

Nudging his horse into a faster pace, he rode forward until he was next to Bart. “Kevik needs to rest,” he told him.

Bart glanced at him. “Can he still ride?” he asked.

“For now,” Chyfe explained. “But I’m not sure how much longer. Also, I wouldn’t count on him being able to cast any spells until he does.”

Lowering his voice so only Chyfe could hear, Bart said, “We’re being shadowed.”

“What?” Chyfe asked then started to turn his head to search the hills.

“Don’t!” Bart said forcefully. When Chyfe ceased trying to look and turned his gaze back to Bart, Bart said, “As far as I can tell, it’s a lone rider. Not sure if he’s aware that his presence has been detected.”

“We’ll keep on as we have,” continued Bart. “Then just before night falls, we’ll make camp. Even build a fire. They already know where we are anyway. At that point, I’ll sneak out of the camp and eliminate the rider.”

“That’s taking a chance isn’t it?” asked Chyfe. “What if their forces are close? We’d be sitting ducks if we stopped.”

“I know,” agreed Bart. “It’s a chance we’re going to have to take. If the scout remains and continues to alert them to our whereabouts, our chances of getting out of this will be nil.”

Glancing back to Kevik, Bart saw him sitting skewed in the saddle. Nodding his way, he said to Chyfe, “You better get back there. It’ll only be another hour before we stop.”

“Right,” replied Chyfe. Slowing down, he fell back until he was once again next to Kevik. The magic user’s eyes were closed. Reaching out, Chyfe touched his shoulder, “Kevik?”

“What?” he asked, eyes popping open.

“Bart said we’d stop in an hour,” explained Chyfe. “Hang in there.”

Kevik nodded and again, his eyes began to close.

Chyfe continued to ride and kept a constant eye on the magic user. As long as Kevik didn’t skew too far to one side, he’d allow him to get what rest he could as they continued through the hills. When the sunlight was all but gone, Bart called a halt to make camp.

The following morning, Captain Jeka was riding at the fore of fifty mounted men when one of the scouts he had out searching for their prey crested a hill to the south. Riding hard, the scout moved to intercept his captain.

“Captain!” the scout exclaimed when he drew close. “Kegi was killed.”

“Kegi?” asked Captain Jeka.

“He was the one keeping an eye on those we are pursuing,” Lieutenant Ikkeldi explained.

“Damn!” cursed the captain.

“Did you see them?” asked Lieutenant Ikkeldi.

The scout shook his head. “I did find where they made camp,” he stated. “It wasn’t far from where Kegi’s body lay.”

Captain Jeka turned to his aide. “Send out a score of men, fan them out from the southwest to northwest,” he ordered. His aide nodded and began carrying out the order. Then turning back toward his men behind him, Captain Jeka hollered, “Pael!” Pael was the best tracker in his command.

One of the riders hurried forward. “Yes sir?” Pael asked when he came to ride beside his captain.

“Our quarry seems to have killed the scout keeping an eye on them and have disappeared,” explained Captain Jeka. Indicating the scout who had just reported in, he said, “Go with him. He’ll take you to their last known position. Find them.”

“Yes sir,” replied Pael, who was soon riding hard to the south with the scout in the lead.

Captain Jeka kept his men moving on a southwesterly heading. “First they were on the river,” he said to himself, “then they were near Puert.” What are you up to?

“Town up ahead?” reported Seth.

After dispatching the scout, Bart had them back in the saddle and riding hard. Kevik only had a couple hours of rest before he was dragged out of a deep sleep. Though not nearly enough, it did help to clear his mind somewhat and was less likely to fall asleep in the saddle.

Now, they were miles further to the west and hopefully had put a safe distance between themselves and their pursuit. The eastern sky was beginning to lighten with the coming of dawn and the silhouettes of buildings could be seen to the west.

The town as it turned out sat at a crossroads of two roads. One ran north and south while another came from the west. Not an overly large town for having the fortune of sitting at a crossroads, it still boasted three score buildings or more.

Bart brought them to a halt while they were still some distance away. Indicating the north road, he said to Riyan, “That may take us to Hylith.”

“I don’t think so,” replied Riyan. Taking out his map, he scanned it for a moment before pointing to a small dot sitting on a road to the west of the Wrath. “I think this is where we are.” The road passing through the town continued north to Tryn, the city near the mouth of the Wrath of Hennon. “And if I’m right, that road won’t take us to Hylith. Instead, it’ll take us back to the town we recently escaped from.”

“Hylith is a long ways from here,” Chyfe said. “How do you propose we reach it with everyone looking for us? It’s not like we blend in with the locals.”

Bart sat there a moment in thought as he contemplated Chyfe’s words. Then he turned his gaze toward the distant buildings at the crossroads. After another moment’s deliberation, he turned back to the others. “Perhaps there is a way.” Getting his horse underway once more, he headed for the town.

“What does he have in mind?” Chad asked Riyan.

Shrugging, Riyan replied, “Haven’t a clue. But he is pretty knowledgeable about such things.” Moving to follow, Riyan and then the others were soon making their way toward the crossroads.

The road running north and south bore traffic; wagons, riders, and those on foot. As Bart led the others closer, a caravan of twelve wagons accompanied by a score and a half guards emerged from the south side of town on their way south.

Coming in as they were from the hills, their approach drew the stares of locals. Such scrutiny made them feel all the more uncomfortable considering they were in all likelihood being pursued.

“All anyone has to do is ask if a group of people from Byrdlon entered from the hills,” Chad said quietly to Riyan, “and they’ll know we’re here.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” replied Riyan.

Seth and Soth rode in the fore again with Bart right behind them. Bart indicated an inn situated on the edge of town and said, “Seth, get us a room.”

“Just one?” he asked.

“Yes,” replied Bart. “I doubt if we’ll be spending much time here.”

“Then why get a room?” Soth asked.

“Just do it,” said Bart. “I’ll explain when there’s little chance of being overheard.”

Seth glanced to Bart and nodded. Quickening his horse’s pace, he was soon at the inn and dismounting. By the time the others arrived, he had emerged. “Got one on the second floor, all the way in the back,” he told Bart.

“Excellent,” Bart replied. Dismounting, he secured his horse to the rail outside. To the others he indicated the rail and said, “Go ahead. With any luck, we’ll not be here long.” Once the others had dismounted and secured their horses to the rail, they went inside the inn.

A few people were about; the innkeeper, his daughter who waited tables, and a group of what looked to be four merchants having an early morning meal. Moving quickly, Bart and the others passed through to the stairs and were quickly in their room.

“Now,” Seth said after they were inside with the door locked, “what’s your plan?”

“I’ll need you and your brother to do a little shopping,” he explained. “A town this size should have what I need.”

“And what would that be?” asked Seth.

Bart told them the items he would require, and it soon became apparent what he planned to do. The two items that confused the others were a cheap longbow and an empty arrow quiver.

“It’s for Kevik’s staff,” he explained. When the others still had confused looks, he clarified. “He can’t very well go around with his staff exposed for all to see. Those who are after us know we have a magic user. So what we will do is cut out the bottom of the quiver and slide Kevik’s staff up into it as far as it will go.”

“All of it isn’t going to fit inside,” argued Kevik. “Won’t it be even more conspicuous if half of it is sticking out the bottom?”

Bart shook his head. “That’s what the bow is for,” he explained. “With it strung and over your shoulder, not to mention carefully arranging a pack or two behind your saddle, it won’t be readily noticeable.” Turning to Seth and Soth, he said, “Better get going.”

Seth nodded, then he and his brother left the room.

All the while they were gone, everyone but Kevik waited anxiously for their return. He on the other hand, had passed out on the bed and was fast asleep. By the time the twins returned with Bart’s items, there was still no sign of their pursuers.

Once they were back in the room, Chyfe took the bow and quiver from them. He then awoke Kevik and together, they began working on concealing his staff. Bart took the cracked wooded bowl from off the small table by the window. Bringing it over to the room’s main table, he got to work.

First he checked to make sure that the small envelopes of powder the twins had purchased contained the correct substances. Then he poured half of each into the bowl with a little bit of water. Immediately, the water began turning dark. He said, “With this, we can dye our skin to look like Tribesmen.”

Chyfe looked dubiously at the liquid in the bowl. “Are you sure?” he asked.

“Fairly,” replied Bart. He stirred the mixture for another minute then picked up a small piece of cloth. Turning to the others he asked, “Who wants to be first?”

When no one stepped forward to volunteer, he sighed. Taking the cloth, he dipped it into the mixture. After scraping off the excess, he dabbed the mixture tinted cloth to his arm. He applied it from his elbow to wrist, and when he was done said to Seth, “Come here and place your arm next to mine.”

Seth came forward and laid his arm on the table next to Bart’s. It was clear that the dye had worked. It wasn’t an exact match, but the dye had darkened Bart’s skin to almost the same color as Seth’s.

“Satisfied?” he asked Chyfe.

“Yeah,” Chyfe nodded.

Holding up the cloth, Bart asked, “Now, who wants to finish me?” Riyan stepped forward and took the cloth.

“I’ll get some food,” suggested Seth. Leaving the room, he headed downstairs to the kitchen.

Over the course of the next hour and a half, everyone but the twins had their skin darkened. Once it dried, the dye tended to become a bit lighter, so they started in on a second coating. When the mixture ran out, he used the rest of the powders to make more.

They had just begun the second coating of Chad when Seth said, “I think they’re here.” Standing at the window, he glanced to the others. “Soldiers, lots of them.”

Bart was at the window in a flash. “Time to go,” he said.

“But you haven’t finished with me,” stated Chad. He was the last to have the second coating applied. He looked pale compared to the others, but may escape notice as he was nowhere nearly as pale as he had been.

“It’s going to have to do,” Bart said. Moving to the bed, he pulled off the sheet and then went back to the table. As he started putting everything used in making and applying the dye onto it, he turned to Riyan. “Take Seth, Chad, and Chyfe and get out of town. Head north and don’t stop until you reach Hylith. They’re looking for a group of seven. So if we split up, we may be able to escape their notice.” Turning to Seth he asked, “You still have the ring?”

Seth nodded and held up his right hand which bore the ring.

“Good,” Bart said. To Riyan, “If you get into trouble, let us know.” When they hesitated, he hollered, “Move! They’ll be here any minute.” He glanced to Riyan and said, “Don’t worry about us, we’ll be right behind you.”

Riyan nodded. “Good luck,” he said. Then he and the others grabbed their packs and were out the door in a flash. Their footsteps could be heard thundering down the hall and then down the stairs.

Kevik indicated the bundle in Bart’s hand. Stains from the mixture were already starting to show through. “What do you plan to do with that?”

“Taking it with us,” he explained. “Can’t leave it here and let them know what we did.” He paused a moment before leaving the room to give Kevik a once over.

No longer wearing his robe, Kevik didn’t look himself in regular clothes. Of course the strung bow slung across his back didn’t help any either. The bottom end of his staff was visible despite being behind the end of the bow. But he figured that once he was mounted, they could hide it. He positioned Soth on that side of Kevik so his body would help keep the staff’s end out of sight. Giving Kevik a nod, he moved to the window.

Down below, he saw Riyan and the others mounted and moving off down the street. His attention was then drawn to a soldier standing near the inn speaking with a local. The local nodded and pointed to their inn. As the soldier began crossing the street toward them, Bart turned to Kevik and Soth. “They’re coming,” he said. Stuffing the bundle containing the dye paraphernalia into his pack, he headed for the door.

Panic leapt into Kevik’s eyes. “Easy,” Bart said. “Only one soldier is headed this way,” he explained. “We’ll go down to our horses, mount, and then leave town.” As Kevik nodded and headed for the door, Bart laid a hand on his shoulder. “If we give them no reason to think we’re the ones they’re after, we’ll be able to sneak out of town under their very noses.”

“Absolutely,” agreed Soth with an air of optimism.

Kevik took a calming breath to get himself under control. “Okay,” he said.

“Now, quick but not too quick,” Bart told him.

Moving from the room, they made for the stairway and without hesitation, descended to the ground floor. Bart was in the lead, with Soth walking next to Kevik to help conceal the protruding end of his staff. Bart cast a quick glance back to Kevik before they reached the last step. If he hadn’t of been looking for it, he probably wouldn’t have noticed where the staff stuck out. Turning back, he came to an abrupt halt as he almost ran into the soldier he had seen from his window.