The silence lasted for several momentsbefore Garth spoke. “It has been many years since any of my mengave me a dressing-down,” he chuckled. “This one has been welldeserved. I think some of your particular talents may well prove tobe useful.”
“Do you mean like Lord Wasongoing before the Council to seek better relations with Targa?”Fredrik asked.
“Or someone with lock-pickingability getting thrown into the dungeon?” added Tedi.
“A magical diversion,”suggested Fredrik.
“Or better, a beautifuldiversion,” Tanya chuckled as she threw her long blond hair overher shoulder.
“I like them all,” laughedGarth and noticed that Kalina was laughing so hard, she was doubledover.
Niki pouted about not having anythingto offer to their grand plan and left the campfire. Nobody tookspecial notice of her leaving. Garth instructed Fredrik to spendsome time with Kalina for magic tutoring and then he challengedArik, Tedi, and Tanya to try him with their practice swords. Thethree warriors readily agreed and raced to the open area to gettheir wooden swords.
The three young warriors proved thatthey could work as a team and Garth got a decent workout from them.He was tempted to protest when Tanya got his legs wrapped up withthe bola, but realized that practice was best when it came close tosimulating the real world. Instead, he spread his legs as far apartas the bola would allow, and swung his sword to sever the cord.Tanya let out a yelp when she saw that her bola would have beensliced into pieces if Garth had more than a wooden sword, but Garthdid not give her time to cry. He threw his body to the ground andquickly rolled into her and Arik, knocking them to the ground.Garth was up again quickly enough to fend off Tedi, who had leapedover the two bodies. Eventually, the cord around his legs did Garthin and the three young warriors converged on him for thekill.
“I’d like to replay that witha real sword,” chuckled Garth.
“What made you think ofcutting it?” Tanya asked. “If you had a real sword, the bolawouldn’t have even slowed you down.”
“I don’t know that it issomething I can teach you,” Garth answered. “You train your body toreact to threats. With enough practice, you do things by instinct.I don’t know what instinct would make me react to a weapon, which Ihave never faced, but it did. The only advice I can give you inthis area is to keep practicing. Even after you are the best thereis, keep practicing.”
The warriors returned to the campfirediscussing different portions of the practice and sat down to cupsof coffee. They were discussing plans for Alcea when Kalina andFredrik returned to join them. They discussed contingency planafter contingency plan until sleep started to overtake them and oneby one they drifted off to their blankets.
Chapter 19
Tagaret
Niki was in despair. Arik spent all ofhis time with Tanya, Fredrik hung on Kalina’s every word, and Tedispent his time alone. Garth didn’t even know she existed. Niki wasused to being the center of attraction, but ever since everyoneelse had such a grand time rescuing her in Melbin, nobody paid anyattention to her anymore. She vowed that Tagaret would bedifferent. She would find some way to make them pay attention toher again. Perhaps she would rescue this prisoner who everyonethought was so important. She would use her magic skills to breakopen the dungeon walls or freeze the guards and just walk in. Shewould do something grand.
Niki woke out of her musings wheneveryone started talking excitedly. She looked up and the city ofTagaret, or Alcea, whatever people were calling it, was spread outin the distance. It looked much larger than either Melbin orTrekum. There appeared to be at least three walls. The first wallmust have been miles long and it appeared fairly new. Far beyondthat, she could just make out a smaller wall, which was probablythe size of Melbin’s. Yet up on a hill in the center of the city,she could see a third wall surrounding a large castle which must bethe Royal Palace. Her despair gave way to excitement. Even if shecould not rescue this General, there must be people in a city thislarge that would accept her as their Queen. Niki definitely beganto get a good feeling about Tagaret.
“The arrangement we had inMelbin worked fairly well,” Garth said. “Kalina and I will stay atthe Sword and Shield. Fredrik, Arik, and Tedi at the Palace Shadow.Tanya and Niki will use the Golden Sword. Remember, if anyone needsto get a message to the others, go to the Pawn Shop and ask for abook about growing turnips in a sandy soil. Leave your message inwhatever book the clerk gives you. The message will bedelivered.”
“What is this about turnips?”Niki asked.
Garth and Kalina exchanged glances.Kalina had noticed the way Niki was acting and believed it was aleft over effect of the drug that was used on her in Melbin. “Tanyawill explain it to you,” Garth answered.
As they got closer to the outer wall,Garth reached into his pack and extracted a gray hat, which heplaced on his head and lowered it to conceal his face as much aspossible. Next he extracted a gray cloak and fastened it around hisneck. The simple disguise could not hide Garth if you were lookingfor him, but it changed his appearance enough to think him astranger if you were passing him on the street.
“Fredrik,” Garth saidsuddenly, “you need to replenish your wardrobe at the firstopportunity. One fancy suit will not go far in convincing peoplethat you are a Lord. If you know the colors of Cidal, get Arik andTedi appropriate clothes in those colors or have some made up.These people may be fools in some respects, but in others, do notunderestimate them. If you run into anyone from Grecho’s company,you may be in trouble.”
“We will be all right,”supplied Arik.
The conversation ceased as theyapproached the gate through the outer wall. Garth’s eyes roamedeverywhere. The guards on the gate wore standard Targa uniforms andthey were very young. People roamed the streets with a casualattitude and there didn’t appear to be any omen of distress hangingover the city. Fredrik, Arik, and Tedi picked up their pace and putdistance between themselves and Garth, while Tanya and Niki laggedbehind. They were three separate groups traveling who just happenedto have entered the city at the same time. Nobody would give it aserious thought.
The city had grown tremendously sinceGarth was here last. The outer wall did not exist then and most ofthe buildings between the two walls were new. Garth had seensimilar things all over the continent. People were abandoning theirfarms and land and moving to the cities for protection. The banditshad become brazen and well organized and a single farmstead was tootempting for them to leave it alone for long. In normal times theresults would have been disastrous because the farm output woulddrop precariously, but these were not normal times. The constantlack of sunlight since the Collapse had already destroyed mostfarming. Cows, pigs, and horses were now raised in cramped quartersclose to the cities. Smaller animals were even raised in people’syards.
Garth saw the three boys far ahead ashe and Kalina turned down an intersecting street. The Palace Shadowthat the boys were going to was probably the fanciest inn in thecity and was next to the Royal Palace. Garth and Kalina would bestaying in much more modest accommodations, with Tanya and Nikisomewhere in between. The Golden Sword was not far from the Swordand Shield and the girls followed Garth’s turn.
Garth passed the Golden Sword andcontinued on a short distance to the Sword and Shield. After theydismounted, Garth told the stableboy he would be staying if therewere rooms available. The young boy took the reins and nodded.Garth and Kalina entered through the back door, which led to ahallway instead of the common room like many other inns. Garthgazed down the hallway to the small counter where the innkeepernormally stood. A young man he did not recognize looked back athim. Garth signaled that the man should come to him and hedid.