Assassin's Rise (17 page)

He led Jeklor to the
eating area, where Li Ho, Andros and Dragon sat cross-legged around
a low table; Li Ho did not believe in chairs around his table.

Andros and Dragon
jumped to their feet, and Roland saw a moment of concern flickering
across Li Ho’s face. Andros immediately started firing off
questions, and Dragon dashed over, patting Jeklor’s arm.

“Wait,” said Roland and
held up his hand. “I first need to stitch his cheek.”

Li Ho left the room
unseen, and returned moments later with a curved needle and thread.
Roland nodded his appreciation and then said, “Dragon, I need a
length of cloth to tie Jeklor’s ribs.” Dragon knocked the table the
length of the room as he ran for the item.

His cheek stitched,
Jeklor told the men what had happened while Roland tied his ribs
(Roland did not think them broken). Jeklor hung his head in shame
as he retold the part of him waking up and finding the remaining
wares. “ ... I will go back to the village tomorrow and find out
where I can find this Agron and get the coin back,” said Jeklor.
“I’m sorry, Dragon.”

Dragon waved both his
hands, shaking his head frantically. The message was clear; Jeklor
had no need apologising for anything.

“No need go tomorrow,”
Li Ho said for the first time. “I know where find him.”

“Where?” growled
Jeklor.

“Take path to village.
Where path fork, go opposite side. Path goes through woods and then
down in valley. Agron build camp in valley – good view over camp
from top of path – but not for you, Jeklor. Must rest first,” said
Li Ho, waving his finger, and then he looked at Roland. “What you
do?”

“I will go tonight,”
said Roland, sounding calm, but the thin white scar above his left
eye bank showed purple, belying his voice.

“Sorry, Li Ho, but I,
too,” said Jeklor, groaning as he stood upright. “I can’t leave
this to Roland. I’ll be shamed for the rest of my life.”

Dragon thumbed his
chest with his fist, and then pointed at Roland.

“You go, too?” said Li
Ho.

Dragon nodded
vehemently.

“And I,” said Andros,
raising himself.

A small smile turned Li
Ho’s lips. “Follow,” he said, and led them to the back of his
cabin. He slid his sword between the wooden planks and pushed the
wall back, revealing the hidden room dug into the rocky hill. It
was the first time showing Andros, Dragon and Jeklor the room, and
their awed expressions said everything there was to say about the
weapons.

Roland leaned in the
doorway, an amused look on his face. He remembered what it was like
seeing the room for the first time, and the wild theories that had
spun through his mind about who exactly Li Ho was. The bandy-legged
man had not yet confided in him, but it did not bother Roland
overly much: there were some things in life that you shared with no
one.

Dragon reached out and
lifted a huge, double-headed axe from the wall. He grinned at his
reflection in the butterfly-blades. Andros picked a recurve bow and
hooked a quiver filled with feathered arrows around his shoulder so
it hung on his back. Jeklor picked a thin-bladed sword with a green
jewel set in the pommel.

Roland saw a flicker of
what he thought was pride crossing Li Ho’s face, but then he
smoothed his features quickly and said, “Not gift. Only lend for
one night. If die, make sure bring weapon back first.”

“Are you coming with?”
Andros asked Li Ho, sounding hopeful.

“Not my problem. I wait
patiently for weapons to come back.”

Roland stayed behind as
Andros, Dragon and Jeklor left the room, and then Li Ho waved him
inside. Li Ho opened a wooden chest in one corner and lifted a
light mesh shirt. “Take off top,” said Li Ho, and Roland lifted the
crossbow harness clear and removed his shirt. Li Ho lowered the
chain shirt over Roland’s head. It was sleeveless, and the metal
links felt cool against his skin.

“Will protect from
clumsy blows,” said Li Ho as Roland rewrapped his shirt and
readjusted the harness over the mail. He slipped the zhutou back
between sash and waist, one prong hooked around the thick
material.

Li Ho took a coal-black
cloak from the chest and swirled it around Roland, tying it at the
front. It covered Roland from neck to feet, hiding his weapons,
hands and arms. He showed Roland a black hood and a black silk
scarf and said, “For hiding face, but I think tonight, you want
show face.”

Roland bowed low, his
long hair falling past his face and said, “I am in your debt,
Master.”

Li Ho beamed, and once
Roland lifted his head back up, he would never guess from Li Ho’s
face that it had ever showed an expression apart from impassive.
“Training for eight month now. Tonight, show results,” said Li
Ho.

*

Roland, Jeklor, Andros
and Dragon reached the fork in the trail. They had walked in grim
silence. Jeklor’s fresh stitches dripped occasional blood, and he
walked slightly hunched over, his ribs paining him. He was pale and
sweat beaded his brow, but he looked resolute, his face set. Dragon
had slung the axe over his shoulder, his expression strangely
unreadable. Andros looked a little whiter than usual, but he, too,
carried an air of determination.

“I will scout the way.
There might be lookouts out on the trail. When you reach the top of
the valley, wait for my word before you go ahead,” said Roland, and
with that, he melted into the shadows, disappearing between the
trees.

“He’s starting to turn
into Li Ho,” whispered Andros, squinting his eyes but unable to
follow Roland’s movement.

The three men resumed
their walk, trees creaking ominously alongside the narrow trail. It
was half-moon, and there was just enough light to outline their
dark shapes. Andros walked with his bow held before him, an arrow
knocked into place. Each time a night sound came from the trees he
swung the bow in its direction, baring his teeth.

“Roland will make sure
no one stands in our way,” said Jeklor as Andros yanked his bow
around for the fiftieth time.

“You trust him that
much?” whispered Andros.

“Do you not?”

“I do ... well – I mean
he freed me ... and Dragon. I trust him with my life ... I’m just a
little bit jumpy. Roland is only one man, and he can make a mistake
...” He smiled nervously and Dragon patted him on the shoulder.
Andros looked a bit affronted by the comfort.

“I’ve never met a man
more focused than he,” said Jeklor. “The girl he loved was raped
and murdered by a noble man, and he was thrown in prison for it –”
Roland had not told Andros and Dragon about it, but Jeklor felt
they needed to know. Roland would not hold it against him. “– and
when they brought him to the cell I was in, he was unconscious, his
face beaten black and blue. Once he realised that the noble – his
name’s Sirol Vanderman – would go free, he immediately started
making plans, asking me about The Tomb and Drifters’ Hell, writing
letters ... You see, they wanted to send him to The Tomb, to keep
him out of the way, making sure he never talked about what really
happened. Once I heard Roland’s story, I had thought he would
immediately try to escape – that’s what I would’ve done – but
instead he wanted to go to The Tomb, because Drifters’ Hell is
close by, you see. At that time, I had no idea how far along he had
planned, but I had an inkling of what he wanted to do. I still had
a year left in prison, and at that moment, I wanted to go with him
... go to The Tomb. Thinking back, I already realised back then
that Roland would somehow make it, would somehow escape ...” Jeklor
shrugged. “If he sets his mind to it, I would put all my coin on
him succeeding. I mean, look at all he has done so far: Escaped The
Tomb, made it all the way to Drifters’ Hell, faced down the
villagers and somehow found the most dangerous bastard I have ever
laid eyes on to train him, promising him a sum that no one would
believe. Yet, Li Ho believes Roland, and I’m sure that when I say
that Li Ho is a good judge of character, I’m right. And that’s only
what I’ve seen him do. Did you know that Roland, as a commoner,
managed to get accepted into Academia Amlor before his woman got
killed – an academia for nobles? He was on the path of becoming a
Healer before his future got ripped apart!”

Andros and Dragon
listened with rapt attention as Jeklor spoke, the night sounds and
their destination forgotten. Jeklor, for some reason grew angrier
and angrier as he told the tale and he spat as he finished,
breathing quickly, ignoring the pain in his ribs.

They continued in
silence, Andros relaxing his grip on the bow, and Jeklor finally
said, “Thanking you for coming with me.”

A low grumble came from
Dragon that Jeklor assumed meant he was happy to be here, and
Andros said, “No need for that. We’ve been through enough
together.”

*

Roland sat on his
haunches a little off the trail, watching a fire flickering far
below him in the valley. Where he sat, the trail crested before
sloping down into the valley; Li Ho was right, it was easy to keep
an eye on Agron’s movement. Roland had already scouted Agron’s
camp, and had retreated to wait for Jeklor, Andros and Dragon. He
had found no lookouts at the camp nor in the woods – the men seemed
to think attack impossible – and he was amazed at their
laxness.

The land around the
camp was flat and overgrown with knee-length grass. The woods
continued down into the valley, growing about thirty paces to the
east of the camp. Twenty men were gathered at a campfire, drinking
ale and swapping jokes. Behind them was a long wooden barn, and
next to it a stone house with a sod roof. The buildings were old
and in need of repair, but the men did not look the type to care.
There were no men inside the wooden barn (Roland reckoned that the
men around the fire slept in the barn – trunks and blankets were
scattered inside) and there was one man inside the stone house.
Roland thought that he must be Lord Agron, since only he stayed in
the house, and he was twice the size of any man Roland had seen
before. He would even tower over Dragon, Roland reckoned.

While Roland waited, he
tried formulating a plan. He did not want to expose Andros, Dragon
or Jeklor to unnecessary danger. He would have preferred going
about it alone, staying hidden, but with the three men in tow, he
would have to expose himself to keep them safe. Andros and Dragon
he could hide, but Roland already knew that Jeklor would not sit
quietly and would insist on accompanying him.

Roland heard stealthy
footsteps approaching his position and he pushed himself upright,
slinking back into the shadows. It was Andros, Dragon and Jeklor,
their eyes shining unnaturally bright in the moonlight.

“I’m here,” whispered
Roland, hoping none of them would shout in fright. They tensed, but
made no sound, and Roland stepped in front of them.

“What did you find?”
whispered Jeklor.

“Twenty men – no
lookouts. They are drinking and unaware – they do not expect
us.”

“What should we do?”
whispered Andros, sweat beading his upper lip.

“I have a plan, but I’m
counting on you to do exactly as I say,” said Roland. “The woods
are about thirty paces to the east of their camp, facing the
campfire. Andros, I want you and Dragon to go off the path and move
through the woods. Get close to where the men are at, but do not
reveal your position. As I said, they are talking loudly and are
unaware – they will not find you as long as you stay hidden.

“I will count to two
thousand before I go down there, giving you enough time to get into
position. I will then go and speak –“

“And I?” whispered
Jeklor urgently.

“You go with Andros and
Dragon,” said Roland.

“No, I owe Darse and
Rael!”

Roland sighed and said,
“But stay at my side, and slightly behind me. Do not speak
unnecessarily. Leave the talking to me, and keep your sword at your
side – but do not make threatening movements unless you must.”

Jeklor nodded and
Roland could hear Andros swallowing loudly. Roland then said,
“Jeklor and I will go meet them at the fire, while you, Andros and
Dragon, remain hidden in the woods. If Agron’s men for some reason
rallies and attack Jeklor and me, I’m counting on you and Dragon to
make as much noise as possible, and to fire arrows into the men. Do
it quick though, and then you run back to the cabin through the
woods – do not try and help me. The noise you make will give me and
Jeklor time to escape in the confusion.”

“Do you expect that to
happen?” Andros asked hoarsely.

“No, but that does not
mean one should not plan for it ... and another thing – do not look
straight into the campfire, it will prevent you from seeing in the
dark afterwards. Now go, be careful.”

Roland watched as
Andros and Dragon disappeared into the woods, and he started
counting silently in his head. This was it; there was nothing more
to think of. The only thing left was to follow through with his
plan.

Jeklor stood in silence
next to him, his eyes fixed on the campfire below flickering like a
red star in the dark valley.

Roland walked in plain
view toward the gathered men, Jeklor slightly behind him. He halted
just outside the glare of the fire, and stood still in the
semi-dark, watching the men with an unreadable expression. Agron’s
men were laughing at a raunchy tale involving donkeys and serving
women, and no one noticed Roland nor Jeklor.

Roland hesitated, and
then he could hear Li Ho speaking in his mind. As clear as if Li Ho
was standing next to him, his many teachings flooded to the
forefront.

I have knowledge, but
not courage. I fear death – that is why cannot be assassin. You
must throw away hope to become assassin, or you will die, and if
die, must welcome death. Whenever faced with group, and cannot, or
want not escape, death is very close. Must talk first, and must not
fear ... death is certain unless accept death. Talk clear – keep
words short. Take lead.