The Unwilling Accomplice (Book 5) (21 page)

"What business is it of yours?" Pat shot back. Martley leaned her head away and closed her eyes, but said nothing more.

Martley's eyes opened when she felt someone kneel before her. Ruth sat on her knees in front of Martley, and in her hands was a blanket. "You must be very cold," Ruth commented.

"Yes, but I have been through far worse ordeals," Martley told her.

"This blanket will make this ordeal less worse," Ruth replied. She set the blanket around Martley's shoulders, and the older woman scrutinized Ruth's face.

"You have kind eyes. I am sorry you are forced to see such horrors," Martley told Ruth as her eyes glanced over at Sins.

The assassin was leaned against the railing close to where he'd been reeled in. Canto and Tolen knelt in front of him and inspected Sins' wounds. Blood freely flowed from the jab in the gut and mixed with the seawater to spill like thin paint onto the deck. Sins' teeth ground together as the salt in the water irritated his wounds.

The dwarf frowned at the stab and glanced at the assassin's pale face. "An inch closer to yer heart and Ah wouldn't be needing to look at this," Canto commented.

"Then I am fortunate Captain Lee's aim is not as good as he boasts," Sins weakly replied.

"He will be fine. A bit sore for some weeks, but I will use my skills in medicine to heal him," Tolen assured the pair.

Telana moved forward to stand near Ned at the bow. Her eyes gazed out on the ship retreating beyond the horizon. "Should we follow them? We may be able to catch them," she pointed out.

"But you couldn't harm them," Martley spoke up. With Ruth's help she shakily stood to her feet. "The ship is enchanted and nothing can do it, nor the crew, harm."

Telana looked the woman over with a raised eyebrow. "That is very interesting to know, but who are you and what were you doing aboard that vessel?" she questioned the stranger.

Martley smiled and bowed her head. "I am Lady Martley and as I am sure Ned will not hesitate to inform you I was the intruder into your fine city."

"And what was your dealings with Captain Lee?" Telana persisted. Martley smiled, but her lips remained closed. Telana looked to two sailors who stood behind Martley. "Take her to the hold and watch her carefully."

"Wait," Fred spoke up. He stood, but leaned heavily on Pat. "She isn't with Captain Lee. She tried to help me escape, and might have succeeded if the captain hadn't put these manacles on us," he informed them.

Ned frowned and strode over to the young man. He lifted the manacles in one of his hands and admired the craftsmanship. "This is very powerful castor magic," he commented. He tapped the metal with his staff and the manacles fell onto the deck with a loud thud. Fred grasped his sticks in front of him and was relieved when they transformed into the staff.

Canto scoffed. "Doesn't seem like much magic there," he argued.

"Captain Lee said only a castor could free them," Fred told them.

"A very useful spell if a free castor is not on hand," Ned commented.

Telana looked to Martley's manacles. "Leave hers on until we reach the city and take her below," she ordered Ned and the guards. Martley was marched off to the holding cell. The princess turned to the group. "I feel I must apologize for allowing such a rogue as Captain Lee into the city to cause you such anguish," she apologized.

Ned smiled and shook his head. "If it is anyone who is to blame it is your cousin," he pointed out.

"Then I must still apologize, for he is of my blood," she insisted.

"Nonsense. You could not have known he would be a partner to such crimes," Ruth consoled her.

Telana shook her head. "No, I should have seen that my cousin would come to a bad end, though I must admit I could never have foreseen Captain Lee's attempts to kidnap your friend. I cannot fathom what would have caused him to perform such a desperate and despicable act."

"Money. Ya can't trust these captains," Canto grumbled.

"Whatever their reasons the traitors are revealed," Ned soothed her.

"There are three traitors," Sins spoke up. The group turned their attention to the assassin. Tolen's healing arts had stopped the blood flow and some color had returned to his normally-pale face. "Percy betrayed us."

"Percy?" Pat gasped.

Canto's eyes narrowed and he scrutinized Sins' face. "Why'd he go and do something like that?" he questioned the assassin's words.

"Greed. I have watched him for some time and I believe he was collecting remains of the Region Stones for his own purpose," Sins explained.

Telana furrowed her brow as a memory surfaced in her mind. "He had picked a small portion of the destroyed stone of my city," she reminded them.

Ned sighed, leaned heavily on his staff, and shook his head. "It seems he was more like his father than we assumed. I pity him for the road he has chosen to travel," he commented.

"Ah don't," Canto snapped. He stood and his hands were fists at his side. "If what Sins is saying is true, and Ah won't quite believe it, then that brat's been fooling us since the beginning and was only using us to get at the rocks."

"We must contain our anger for the present, and attend to our companions. No doubt the future will allow us some compensation for this betrayal," Ned advised them.

"We will not need to worry about Percy," Sins told them. The companions glanced at each other, but didn't deign to inquire further. They needed only to know Sins' profession to know what happened to Percy.

Fred looked to Ned with a confused expression. "What happened with Ransan?" he wondered.

Telana sighed. "My cousin assisted Captain Lee in setting the Diluvian bees loose on my city. He was to give the blame to your friends and be rewarded by my father for his services. Fortunately, we discovered one of his men setting a box and confronted my cousin with the truth," she revealed.

Fred furrowed his brow. "Ransan, Lee, and Canavar," he muttered.

Ned overheard the final name and raised an eyebrow. "That is our tale, but what of yours? How did you come to be aboard Lee's ship and what did he say to you?" he asked Fred.

"It was Canavar. He led me to Lee, and the captain meant to take me to Canavar in that ship of his," Fred told them.

Ned stroked his beard and there was a deep frown on his lips. "Very troubling. Did Lee happen to say where you were headed?"

"No, only that it would take a fortnight to get there at the speed were were traveling," Fred told him.

Pat glanced at Ned. "He meant to take the rest of Fred's soul?" she guessed.

"That is a question best answered by our insane adversary. For now we should allow our companions time to recover, and speak more when our feet are on land and had some rest," he advised.

Their ship returned to the city and sailed into the calm port. The bees were defeated and stored in one of the warehouses, and the ship was met with King Theowin and a small retinue. The plank had hardly been set down before he was aboard.

Theowin's concerned eyes swept across the deck and they fell on Fred's disheveled appearance and Sins' bloodied clothes. "I was informed the ship had sailed, but not given the reason. What is the matter? What has happened here to cause the ship to sail?" he asked the companions and his daughter.

"Traitorous deeds have been done, old friend, but these things are better spoke in private," Ned advised him.

Theowin frowned, but bowed his head. "Of course. Allow my men and I to escort your companions and yourself back to the castle."

"And there is a prisoner, Father," Telana informed him. "She is the same who intruded on the city several nights ago."

Theowin raised an eyebrow and his eyes flitted over to Ned. "More to discuss in private?" he guessed.

"Yes," Ned replied.

"Very well. Lead the prisoner to the dungeons and I will speak with her myself at a later time," he ordered the guards.

The ship guards brought Martley from the hold. Gone was all the majesty she had shown at Galaron. Her hair was disheveled and the blanket still lay on her shoulders. Water dripped from her dress which lay in crumpled folds around her lithe body. The manacles pinned her arms behind her back and ankles, and she shuffled across the deck.

Fred moved to stand close to where the guards led her with his staff clasped tightly in his hands. Pat moved to stop him, but Ned put a hand on her shoulder. She turned and Ned shook his head. When Martley and her entourage reached him her feet tripped and she fell forward. Fred jumped forward and caught her before she fell onto the deck. She lay in his arms so her eyes looked up into his, and a soft smile graced her lips.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want this to happen to you," he told her.

"Always so kind," she whispered to him.

"I'll help you out of here somehow," he promised.

Martley leaned up and pressed her lips against his cheek. She felt cold against his warm skin. Martley pulled away and her expression had changed to bemusement. "You already have," she told him.

Theowin moved to stand beside Fred. "You may speak with the prisoner later, Fred. For now she must be kept secured in the dungeon," he told him. At a signal from their king the guards strode forward and grasped Martley's arms. They pulled them apart and marched her off the ship and away down the docks.

The companions and elves followed behind. A cart was ordered for Sins, but his eyes sneered at the idea and he strode down the gangplank and onto the docks with a confident, albeit slow, stride. Pat stayed at Fred's side as he departed, but physically he was fine. Verbally he spoke nothing and his eyes held a faraway look in them. His thoughts lay with Martley and their conversation below deck. He wanted, no, needed to find out what else she knew, even if he had to sneak inside the jail to see her.

CHAPTER 27

Halfway up the stairs of the city Tolen stopped the party. "I will have an easier time healing your friend's wounds at the library. There are herbs I can use to keep infection away," he informed them. All eyes turned to Sins. His stubbornness had carried him that far up the steps, but the ill pallor had returned to his face and perspiration slid down his forehead.

Ruth moved over to Sins' side and looped her arms through one of his own. "I will accompany you," she told him. Sins' eyes narrowed, but he didn't argue. The three disappeared into the maze of streets toward the library.

The remaining group returned to the castle just as the last rays of the sun disappeared behind the horizon. In the entrance hall the king turned to his guests. "After such a trying day I advise you all to rest and partake of however much food would satiate your appetites. I will have meats and drink brought to the feasting hall," he offered them. "Tomorrow when you are rested and fed we will discuss all that has happened today."

"Ah'll pass on the food. Ah've got a bad taste in my mouth," Canto spoke up. Everyone looked at him in amazement, but he ignored them and marched off to his room.

"It is never easy to learn one among you is a traitor," Ned softly commented.

Theowin raised an eyebrow. "More traitors than Ransan and Captain Lee?" he wondered.

Ned gave a nod. "Yes. I will explain all in your study. If you would-"

"Lady Lamikan!" Brother Birch yelled as he flew from his room. He stumbled down the stairs and tumbled to his knees before the surprised group. "You are safe? You are unharmed?" he asked her.

"Yes, very much so," Pat replied.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank Phaeton! I did not wish the High Priest to be displeased with me for allowing harm to come to you!" Birch told her.

Fred looked at him in disgust. "But what about her?" he countered.

Brother Birch blinked. "Pardon?" he returned.

"Don't you care that she's okay? Don't you care about anything more than your duty to this High fellow?" he challenged the priest.

Brother Birch stood and glared at the young man. "What I care about is none of your concern, but I am very pleased to see Her Ladyship is well, and I doubt it is any thanks to yourself. I did not see you among those fending off those terrible bees."

"Brother Birch?" Pat spoke up.

He looked to her with a broad smile and shining eyes. "Yes, Your Ladyship?"

"Go stick your head in a cantankus trough." Pat turned away from him and to Ned. "Shall we go into the study now?" she asked him.

Ned smiled and bowed his head. "Most certainly," he agreed.

Ned led the group into front room on the left-hand side of the castle, leaving Brother Birch on the floor in the entrance hall. That was Theowin's study, a space filled with extravagantly carved bookshelves and a large desk that filled half the space of one wall. Theowin took a seat behind the desk while Pat placed Fred in a large chair from in front of the desk. Telana stood nearby while Ned stood beside the desk.

"Now what is this about more traitors?" Theowin asked Ned.

"One of our own has left with Captain Lee. Percy, the young man," Ned informed him.