Eleanor (83 page)

Conlan glanced at Merl and then back to Eleanor. She realised he was quite capable of taking Remic’s knife from her – time to remind them of the power she had at her disposal.

“You wish to disarm me?” Eleanor asked in disgust. “And who is going to do that, Merl? You?” She pulled a tiny amount of energy from the earth, and with a splitting pop she exploded the chair Merl was leaning against, depositing the man in a graceless heap on the floor. Floundering amid the splinters of wood and stuffing, Merl huffed and cursed himself back to his feet. Conlan’s face was a mask of fury as he strode across the room, towering over her but very purposely keeping his clenched fists at his sides. Freddie took a step towards Conlan, while Merl put an arm across his chest and shook his head. Freddie glowered at him but stopped, his body stiff with the effort and indecision on his face as he tried to work out if he could take on both Conlan and Merl.

“We are in the middle of Protector City and you are using magic?” Conlan snarled. “Apologise to Merl!”
 

Dropping her gaze from his blazing green eyes, Eleanor nodded.
 

“I am sorry, Merl.”
 

Merl said nothing and Conlan was motionless. She raised her eyes. He was looking at her thoughtfully. Will and Amelia entered the room behind them.

“Is everything OK, Eleanor?” Will asked in Dwarfish. His tone was mild, but his underlying growl carried suspicion.
 

“Your master was simply about to dispense some much-needed discipline,” Merl snapped.

“My master?” Will asked, amused.

Merl looked at Conlan with a disapproving frown. “Do none of them understand your position?”
 

Conlan sighed and took a step back from Eleanor. “They are not my servants, Merl, they are my friends… my family. Eleanor, go, take Freddie. Make sure you walk just behind him, though, as men do not walk behind women in Mydren. Stay out of trouble and come back here as quickly as you can.”

Eleanor rolled her eyes but nodded. Giving him a small smile she grabbed Freddie’s arm, pulling him out of the door after her, before Merl tried to change Conlan’s mind.

It took them some time to find the right shop. The city was far bigger than any they had been to before, and it sprawled over many miles. Down the street from their inn was a four-storey building with a flag flying over it. The sign over the door said ‘Weaver’s Guild’. It was an impressive building, standing higher than all those around it and high enough that they were able to see the flag from quite a distance, which gave them a reference point to use to get back. Eleanor walked as quickly as she could without looking suspicious towards the main shopping area she had glimpsed on the way into the city. Freddie walked a few steps in front of her as she gave him directions in his head. The jewellery shop with the mountain and diamond symbol over the door was halfway down the wide shopping boulevard. It had a large ornate doorway and a front window that glittered with beautifully crafted baubles designed to entice rich ladies. The shop had only just opened for the day as they entered. The sales assistant, a red-haired woman with pale, freckle-covered skin, looked them up and down before deciding they were not serious customers. She was wearing a full-length, plain-brown fitted dress with long sleeves and a buttoned up collar; her face and hands were the only flesh that could be seen. It seemed to be the standard outfit for all the women Eleanor had seen since arriving in Katadep. She had yet to see a woman in trousers.
 

“Can I help you?” the assistant asked coldly. Not sure if she should trust just anybody with her request for help, Eleanor smiled. It did not hurt to be friendly.
 

“We would like to see the shop owner, please.”
 

“I do not think that will be possible,” the woman replied, her voice dropping a few more degrees in temperature.

“Remic sent us,” Eleanor said, the redheads’ eyebrows nearly disappearing into her hairline in surprise.

“Come with me,” she said, turning on her heel and heading towards the back of the shop. Eleanor jogged to keep up with her long legs and Freddie followed dutifully behind. The woman led them through a beaded curtain into a staffroom. There were tables, chairs, a messy noticeboard, drinks-making facilities, a fire blazing in the fireplace and pegs on the wall with an array of clothing hung on them. On the left-hand wall was a door marked ‘Private’. The woman knocked politely.

“Come in,” said a fragile male voice from behind it. The door opened. Eleanor and Freddie walked into a cramped office, a desk, chair and cabinet practically filling it. Behind the desk was a shrivelled old man in an embroidered padded velvet jacket. He regarded the woman with milky-grey eyes as he absentmindedly scratched his bald, liver-spotted head.

“I am sorry to disturb you, Father, but she claims Remic sent them,” the woman said, her tone one of disbelief. At the mention of Remic’s name, the old man’s bushy, grey eyebrows shot up in the same expression of surprise his daughter had inherited. His eyes flicked in Eleanor’s direction; he noticed her fully for the first time and scrutinised her, knowing eyes holding her gaze.

“Eleanor?” the old man said softly. Next to her the red-haired woman gasped. Relieved she would not have to explain who she was, Eleanor nodded and smiled. Walking forward, she lay Remic’s knife on the old man’s desk. The old man smiled back.

“It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Judder and this is my daughter, Leda,” he said, nodding towards the woman, who bobbed a curtsy. “We were told about you. Remic holds you in the highest regard, Avatar of Earth, and I am honoured that you would grace us with your presence. Now then, how may we be of assistance?”

Aware that she had very little time, Eleanor quickly introduced Freddie and then launched into a rapid summary of what was going on, telling the old man about Merl’s friend, the crown and about the possibility of it being a trap, then telling him about her fears for Gregor. Leda went back to tend the shop and the old man listened as Eleanor tried to bring him up to speed, Freddie standing quiet and watchful behind her. Even talking quickly, it took far longer than she had expected. When she had finished, she patiently answered the old man’s thoughtful questions.

“If you are captured you will be taken to the dungeons in the Protectors’ stronghold,” Judder said, frowning. “We would be unable to rescue you from there, so you must get to the main gate. Once there we can help you, because if you do get caught, we will know and we will be waiting. Get to the gate.”
 

Eleanor nodded, wondering how difficult that would end up being.
 

“And Gregor?” Eleanor asked.

Judder nodded. “That is a far easier request; however, it will take a day for the messages to get there and back, so you must return, if you are able.” Eleanor nodded and thanked the old man. Judder had offered all the help he could, she had let someone know what was going on and she had done her best to make a contingency plan. It was time to go back.
 

For the people of Mydren it was lunchtime, and the streets thronged. Moving in and out through the crowds, Eleanor and Freddie headed back towards the flag she could see flying over the Weavers’ Guild building while Eleanor told Freddie what Judder had said. Back at the inn Freddie quietly opened their bedroom door and they slipped inside. Will was sat in a chair by the sorry excuse for a fire that guttered in the grate, Amelia was sat on his lap, leaning against his chest, and they both had relaxed, spacey expressions on their faces. Eleanor knew they were talking to each other.
 

“How did it go?” Will asked as Eleanor sat down in the other chair opposite him. The bits of the chair she had exploded earlier were gone, burnt on the fire, she imagined. She gave them a rundown of her meeting with Judder.

“Did Conlan get back yet?” Eleanor asked.

“He came back briefly, but when he realised you weren’t back he disappeared off again with Merl. That was about an hour ago,” Amelia said.
 

The sun was setting when Conlan and Merl returned. Eleanor had begun to fret and was relieved when she heard his light tread on the floorboards outside the door. Without knocking, Conlan opened the door and walked into the room, his eyes landing on Eleanor still sat in the chair, Freddie sat at her feet. Merl followed behind, giving her an irritated look.

“Did you find the spies?” Conlan asked. Eleanor nodded, giving him a small smile as she pushed an energy string over his shield. He gave her a tired smile in return, dropping to sit on the bed, eyes widening as it groaned beneath his weight.

“So, are we getting the crown tonight?” Will asked.

Conlan nodded. “We sent the message to Arran. He has asked us to meet him in the park in the centre of Katadep a few hours from now. Merl and I have just been there to check it out; it’s a huge area with trees and plants – lots of hiding places and perfect for an ambush, if you’re worried the people you’re ambushing might make a lot of noise.”

“So if this is a trap, what’s the plan?” Will asked.

“We fight back,” Conlan said glibly.

“That’s not a plan, Conlan, that’s a knee-jerk reaction,” Will observed mildly.

“I’m fairly certain these Protectors have never met anything quite like the four of you; however, you’ll be pleased to hear that Freddie and I have come up with some plans,” Conlan said seriously.

Eleanor and Freddie stood at the bedroom window watching Merl, Conlan, Will and Amelia walk down the street. None of them looked back. The moment they were out of sight, she and Freddie rushed around and gathered their stuff together because if they were captured, they did not want their belongings falling into enemy hands. Once everything was packed, Eleanor and Freddie rode through the dark, quiet streets of Katadep, pulling the others’ horses behind them to Judder’s house. Eleanor was surprised by their luck when they did not meet any Protector patrols. Judder looked a little bemused to see them on his doorstep, but he happily promised to take care of their horses and equipment until they got back. Eleanor kissed Horse goodbye, hoping it would not be the last time she saw her friend. With Freddie following close behind, they ran towards the park.

Somewhere in the darkness a bird screeched and Eleanor shivered. Freddie tightened his grip on her hand. She closed her eyes, trusting him implicitly to lead her. Conlan had not exaggerated, the park was huge. As they walked as quietly as possible through the undergrowth, Eleanor pushed multiple energy strings into the earth, her mind brushing the ‘awareness’ of the trees, plants and animals around her, looking for clues. She felt branches whipped back, uncomfortably close to breaking point; focusing all her energy strings in that area, Eleanor concentrated and visualised eight men moving towards a small clearing. Eight men were not an attack force, so maybe Arran was just being cautious, too.
Conlan
. Eleanor felt his energy and could not resist caressing it as she passed, before brushing a string against Will. He pulled her in. Amelia was already there, just as Freddie was in her head. Effortlessly, they bound their energy together.

Did you get everything to Judder?
Will asked.

Yes. We’re heading in your direction now, but so are eight other men. They’re going to get there first
, Eleanor said.

Eight men? That’s not much of an ambush
,
Freddie said quietly.

Maybe Arran is just unsure about us
,
Amelia suggested before Eleanor got the chance.

They fell silent but kept their energy strings linked. Eleanor found it comforting and wondered if the others did, too.

As Eleanor and Freddie moved closer to the rendezvous point, she spent a few moments investigating the area, working out where all the men were positioned; three of them were stood out of sight in a rough triangle around the clearing in which their friends were stood. Using a passing shrew’s eyes, Eleanor determined they were only armed with swords. The remaining five men were stood together, hidden in the darkness, and oddly they appeared to be unarmed. Eleanor gave the others this information.

This feels wrong
,
Eleanor whispered, letting some of her worry and fear slip through her mind’s defences.

Yeah! I’m beginning to think this was a bad idea
, Freddie murmured.

Well there really aren’t enough for an ambush, so let’s hope Amelia is right
, Will said.

Still creeping forward, Eleanor and Freddie made it to the edge of the clearing, lying flat on their stomachs, the cold damp of the earth immediately seeping through Eleanor’s clothes and body. Will and Merl were staking torches into the ground and lighting them so they could see when Arran arrived. Conlan stood next to Amelia, his eyes flicking around the surrounding darkness. Eleanor pushed an energy string out to him again and saw the smile that passed briefly over his face.
 

“Hello, Merl, it has been a long time.”
 

The voice was quiet but it carried across the clearing. Will immediately moved back to Conlan’s side. Eleanor had problems locating where the voice was coming from, but as Merl walked forward to greet his friend she understood why. The voice belong to one of the five men she had seen standing in the shadows.
No wonder I couldn’t make them out in the dark.
 

A long black robe covered him and a hood was drawn over his head, his face hidden.
 

Will gasped.

“Hello, Arran,” Merl said.

Conlan froze, shock on his face. “Merl, this is an Enforcer,” he said, his shock turning to fear. Will had stepped in front of Amelia, his face grim.

“Indeed he is,” Merl replied, a nasty smile twisting his lips.

“I understood there would be four Avatars,” Arran said, his voice emotionless.

“Two of them are hiding out in the bushes somewhere, some idiotic rescue plan if this turned out to be a trap,” Merl said, the Dwarfish made an animal-like snarl by his irritation. Eleanor watched Conlan’s body go rigid as he stared at Merl. In her head, Amelia gasped as Will translated Merl’s words.