“I saw the thief,” the sivak said. “One of the men on the posters.” His hoarse voice drew a puzzled look from the Knight. The disguised sivak gestured down the street. “He was running that way. I’m searching this alley for his companions.”
That seemed to satisfy the Knight, and he turned away. Ragh was quick to rejoin Dhamon, who had hid his victim’s body behind a crate. Dhamon kept his grip tight on his sword as he glanced out onto the main street.
“So… you should kill me here,” the draconian stated. “My usefulness has been served. My body will take on your appearance, and the remaining Legion of Steel Knights in this town will think someone killed you. In death I will aid you.”
Dhamon inhaled deep and considered doing just that.
“You would wear my guise, revealing your slayer,” Dhamon said. “I thought you turned to stone or exploded or something.”
“Bozaks.”
Dhamon cocked an eyebrow.
“Bozak draconians explode when they are killed. Baaz become petrified like stone.”
Dhamon nodded, recalling that the sivak he killed in the mangrove took on his appearance. He hadn’t had much experience with draconians.
The sivak glanced away, listening to a Knight passing by on the street. The Knight was talking to himself and shaking his fist in the air. He hadn’t noticed them in the shadows, and so the sivak returned its attention to Dhamon.
“You will have little peace in this part of the world if the Knights continue to post signs and seek to—”
“Bring me to justice?” Dhamon gave a clipped laugh. “I haven’t known peace for quite a long time.”
The sivak took a deep breath. “Peace would be yours if you killed me, if the Knights found your body here in this alley. They would think you dead and end their postings.”
A length of silence passed between them, then Dhamon said, “I’ve got to find Varek, get back to Mal and Riki.”
The sivak nodded. “If you are not going to kill me, I will find Varek. It is too risky. It is your turn to… stay put.”
Several minutes later, the sivak, still looking like the Legion Knight, was leading a surprised Varek into the alley. Dhamon’s hand was instantly on the young man’s throat, cutting off his words and his breath.
“You pompous young fool,” Dhamon snarled through grinding teeth. “You’ve not got the sense of a pack mule.” He relaxed his grip, then dropped his hand to his side. “Do you have any idea what you could have done, Varek, coming into this town with the Legion here? Do you? You walk right in, bold as a rooster, strut right up to the commander. The Legion of Steel Knights—any Knights for that matter—are to be avoided.” He glared at Varek for several moments. “C’mon, we’ve got to find Mal and Riki.”
They headed back, circling Graelor’s End and aiming toward the rise where Dhamon had sent Maldred and Rikali. As the three jogged toward the forest, Ragh dropped his Knight guise. Varek rambled on about the town, telling Dhamon and the sivak that he learned Graelor’s End was named for a wizard of the Red Robes, Cazen Graelor, who more than a hundred years ago died successfully defending the settlement from a force of brigands. Now a dozen Legion Knights were stationed there for defense.
“I could care less what the town’s named for,” Dhamon said. “I’ll not be visiting it again.” He picked up the pace.
As he neared the trees, a shrill scream broke the stillness. Dhamon tripped once, on a twisted piece of root hidden by the tall grass, but he picked himself up swiftly and rushed to the top of the rise. A moment more, and he was into the cover of the trees.
The screaming stopped.
Chapter Thirteen
Mazes and Veils
Maldred hurried toward the southwest, eyes trained on the forest and hand wrapped tightly around Riki’s. “Faster,” he told her. “I’d rather face another village of spawn than deal with the Legion of Steel right now.”
The half-elf could hardly keep up. “Slow down, Mal,” she gasped, attempting to pull her hand away. “I ain’t so fast anymore, what with being pregnant. I’m runnin’ for two now.”
He accommodated her, but only a little.
“Pregnant? Running for two? Well, you’ll be dead for two if the Legion catches up with us.”
“Pigs, but we shouldn’t’ve stole from them in Khur,” she said “Should stick to stealin’ from common folks.”
“Common folks don’t have much worth stealing.”
They ran toward the trees, weaving their way around a tangle of bushes and finally reaching the rise. Maldred paused so the half-elf could catch her breath.
“I hope Dhamon finds Varek and don’t find no trouble there,” Riki said. She was bent over, hands on her knees, sucking in air. “None of us needs more trouble.”
Maldred nodded in agreement. “Come. Let’s wait in the woods for Dhamon. I’m sure he won’t be long, and I’m sure he’ll find Varek and keep out of trouble.” He was halfway up the rise when he added. “This Varek, Riki. Do you really love him?”
The half-elf pretended to keep her eyes focused on the ground so she wouldn’t trip over the myriad of fingerlike roots that seemed to run everywhere. “Yeah, Mal. ’Course I love Varek. I wouldn’t’ve married him otherwise. And I wouldn’t be havin’ his baby if I didn’t care for him.”
The trees at the top of the rise were varieties of maples, oaks, and walnuts. Maldred’s boots crunched over acorns that had fallen. He put his back to an especially thick oak and looked out toward the town. From here, he could easily see if someone was coming—Dhamon or Legion of Steel Knights.
Riki sagged against a crimson maple. “That map of yours, Mal… how much farther past that town is this pirate treasure?”
“Some distance,” he answered after a moment.
. :
“Pigs, but I’m tired of walking, Mal. We’ve got to get us some horses if we’re goin’ ‘some distance.’ And I think…” She pushed away from the tree and turned to peer deeper into the woods.
“Did you hear that, Mal?”
“Hear what?”
“A babe cryin’. I’m sure I heard a babe cryin’.” She glided away from Maldred and down a narrow path. “Hear it? So soft. I think it’s a babe cryin’ for help.”
Maldred shook his head. “I don’t hear anything, Riki, and I think we should stay here, wait for Dhamon and your Varek. Riki?” He glanced over his shoulder and groaned. She was gone. “Riki.”
A last look toward the town and he hurried down the path, catching up to her in minutes.
“Hear it, Mal?”
The big man nodded, finally hearing a soft cry. “Might be an animal, though, Riki. Hard to tell.”
She shook her head and pressed forward. The woods were darker here, the leaves close and thick overhead and blocking the sun. It was pleasantly cool, and a faint breeze stirred the air.
“It’s not an animal, Mal,” she said after several more minutes. “I don’t see any animals here. Not even a bird.”
A shiver danced down his neck. There were insects, as he pointed out to her, beetles in profusion along some of the lowest branches. Spiders the size of walnuts clung to the maple trunks. Large webs hung from some of the trees, and these were dotted with dark green spiders that scurried toward the center of the webs when Maldred and Rikali passed by. The webs were thicker ahead. The cry persisted.
“We’ve got to be gettin’ closer, Mal.” “Closer to something,” he answered.
* * * * *
“Riki?” Dhamon shouted. “Riki!”
Varek pumped his legs harder in an effort to catch up, but he could not muster the same speed. Dhamon raced out of his view, followed by the wingless sivak.