Fate Rides Wicked: Volume I of the Lerilon Trilogy (38 page)

“No, they outnumber us too badly. We must think of
another plan. The others will be incapacitated by now.”

“At night, with your night vision and my skills, we
already have an advantage. Numbers are indiscernible in
the dark, and surprise also counts on our side. That gives
us six to their sixty.” The scout turned her horse towards
the western side of the road and urged the steed forward.

Lendril followed, trying to think of a way to break up
their enemies or free the others before taking on the
assailants. In a few minutes the horses led them to a
clearing near a brook, their ears responding to their thirst.
The warriors dismounted and took down their saddlebags.

The princess leaned over to Ofeldar and said, “I have a
plan...”

Night fell a couple hours later. The women
extinguished the fire and each cooled off a log in the creek.
Carefully and thoroughly they took the charred logs and
used pieces to paint their faces and hands black. Donning
their weapons and black cloaks, they headed south towards
the ambush point, Lendril leading the way. Each wore a
backpack filled with torches and a flint set. They had made
the torches while they sat by the fire and they carried flint
sets with them always.

In a little less than half an hour they reached the
ambush point. Broken branches revealed the presence of
the ambushers earlier. They dared not leave the woods on
such a clear night, with the moons shining brightly on the
crushed ground around the edge of the road. Ofeldar
loaded her bow and Lendril watched carefully on the other
side of the road for activity.

“Nobody has reentered over there in a while. No heat is
coming from the broken branches so they’ve been dead a
long time,” said Lendril.

Ofeldar put away her bow. “Use that night vision of
yours to cover me.” Lendril unshouldered her crossbow
and loaded it. Ofeldar slipped out of the woods to the road
and got down on one knee. She carefully examined the
ground for about twenty feet in either direction then
sprinted back to the woods.

“They led the horses back south. They did a lot of
walking in circles to cover up the tracks but the hoof prints
were very distinct. I don’t think, however, that they went
south with the expedition.”

A strange voice behind them said, “No, they didn’t.
They went east.”

The two warriors whipped around but the two men
placed sword points against their chests. “Take off your
hoods.”

They both pulled back their hoods and flung their long
hair. With lightning speed, before the bewildered men
could react, they kicked the soldiers in the groin. The
pained men both dropped their swords and bent over.
Quickly the warriors turned the points up and placed blows
to the back of the mens’ necks. The assailants fell on their
own blades and died.

Silently, they turned east and slipped farther into the
woods. In a few minutes they could see the fires of the
ambushers’ camp. Both warriors reached into their
backpacks and pulled out an armload of torches. Each
resin-topped stick had a different length wick tied to it.
Lendril went to the north to circle and Ofeldar went south,
each tying a torch to a tree and lighting a wick, which got
shorter with each lamp. When they finished, they met at
the east side of the enemy and waited for the torches, which
stood on the north, west and south sides, to light.

A few seconds later they did. The men in the camp
jumped up immediately and woke the sleepers. They began
to organize sorties and formed a wall against the apparent
three sides of the attacking force. Lendril and Ofeldar
crawled in on their bellies as the first scouts began to make
their slow way to the torches. As they had expected, the
men had locked up the expedition in the tent nearest the
east side. In a few seconds they had the back flap open and
began cutting ropes.

Lendril went straight to Blard. “We’ve created an
illusion with torches. Can you add people to it to continue
the distraction?”

“Yes, I’ll make it look like three hundred men are
making their way here.” He closed his eyes and began to
chant.

Lendril slipped over to Tych. “Where are your
weapons?”

“They’re using the magic ones and the rest are in the
tent next to this one. The sleep drug they used is also in
there with the nets and crossbows. They lack
professionalism, so I think they’re mere ruffians, not
soldiers.”

“I don’t want to kill them all and you’ve given me an
idea. Get everybody out of here and into the forest, and
then bring Rendind back with you to set up our trap. We
must move quickly.”

Tych got up and led the others out while Ofeldar and
Lendril slipped next door to the weapons tent. Again, they
silently cut the back of the tent and crawled in. They found
the sleep drug in little vials and passed them out with the
nets and crossbows. Lendril gave a rope from the tent to
Ofeldar and she took it to the jail. Each warrior tied an end
to the center post and took the other out with her.

Lendril crawled up next to Rendind. “Go back and tell
the others that when Tych shouts, they should make as
much racket as possible and come running towards us.”
The hiftnuvin scrambled back to the expedition. “Ofeldar,
undress completely and grab a vial,” she whispered to the
scout. “Tych, load these three crossbows with the nets,
cover your mouth and coat them. When we come charging
through this side, shout.”

She handed a vial of sleep to Ofeldar and said, “Go
through the tent holding your breath and sprinkling this
stuff. Follow my lead on the other side and break the vial
as you run back through. Watch what I do when we get
out.”

Both warriors took a deep breath and entered the tents,
spreading drops of liquid as they went. When they reached
the outside front, Ofeldar looked over at Lendril. The
endaril loudly said, “Hello, soldiers, if you can catch us
we’ll give you rewards, if you understand my meaning.”

A dozen soldiers ran towards each woman, some
dropping their weapons and working on their clothing. The
warriors turned and entered the tents. They ran through,
smashing the vials behind them and holding their breath.
Ofeldar imitated Lendril as she waited a moment, and then
picked up the rope connected to the pole and pulled.
Tych’s shout created bedlam behind them. As the tents
collapsed on the twenty or so sex-driven men, the rest of
the expedition came into view. The remaining ruffians
panicked and came together in the middle of the clearing.
Lendril, Tych and Ofeldar picked up the crossbows and
fired.

They took only a few seconds to fall asleep and Nandel
cast a spell to neutralize the drug. In less than an hour the
expedition placed all of the ambushers by the side of the
road, tied and gagged, with magic protection against
escape. The pemilons returned with the horses a short time
later. Deciding the moonlight shone bright enough for
riding, they mounted and began the ride to the capital
again.

Before leaving, Tych leaned out of his saddle and spoke
to the leader. “Your movement will fail.”

As the expedition rode off, the leader, a man named
Thilearian, thought,
We will meet again, Prince Tych di
Corl
, and tried to itch the three-inch scar across his
forehead by crinkling his face. He knew the captain at the
border would ride by in the morning, coming to check on
the prisoners on his way home to a nearby town. Then, his
freedom won, Thilearian could plan his revenge.

The nineteen expedition members rode into Fendolak
exhausted. They had ridden half the night and now
morning seemed too close for comfort. They knew,
however, that they needed to find a safe place to sleep.
With this knowledge, Tych turned to the one person best
suited to find a trustworthy inn. “Aquendar, lead us to the
best inn in which to stay in light of today’s events.”

“With pleasure.” The warrior rode to the front and took
them down narrow streets between two to three story
houses. The city density exceeded all of the other capitals
they had been in but the streets and alleys appeared clean.
As was bound to happen, they turned a corner right into a
city guard patrol.

“What brings a score of strangers into town this late at
night?” said the captain, his brown and gold sash visible in
the moonlight.

“Ah, Aquendar, it is Captain Druery. Pass onwards but
keep out of trouble. You ride with a strange bunch.”

Aquendar did not respond as they rode past the captain
and his men. After a few more turns and a few more
blocks, they came to an inn. The expedition followed
Aquendar’s lead and dismounted. He led them through an
alley to a door, which he knocked on. A little man opened
it slightly to see who stood outside.

“Open up, Ty, it's Aquendar.”

The door swung open and the warrior and stable hand
exchanged hugs. “The master will be pleased to see you,”
said Ty as he led them into the stable and tied up the
horses. He pulled Aquendar aside. “There is a price on
your head. The master has determined that the King is not
involved, only Captain Druery and the border crossing
captain.”

“Demon droppings! I just saw Captain Druery. No
wonder he didn’t recognize me. We were ambushed earlier
today and he probably thought I was dead.”

A man stepped out of the shadows and said, “Then you
and your friends better stay in the secret place my friend.
They will surely make an attempt on your life while you
are here, and Druery knows you often stay here.”

Tych came forward and addressed the man Ty called
master. “Perhaps we should not stay here then.”

The master shook his head. “He has enough spies that
hidden here is the safest place to be. Follow me.” The
stout muscled man took them into the stall with Blarn the
hiftnuvin’s horse in it and reached down into the thick hay.

He lifted up and said, “Go down these stairs. There’s a
torch at the bottom and some flint. Besides having no
windows, this is the most comfortable of bed areas.”

“Is there an entrance into the inn?” asked Tych.

“No, this is the only entrance, but that makes it easily
defensible if they discover it.” He handed the trap door
handle to Aquendar. “I’m going to go back inside and be
visible in case one of Druery’s spies comes around. I want
to make sure nothing is told that shouldn’t be.”

As the master walked away, Tych asked, “What should
we call you?”

He said, “You will only know me as the Master of the
Calo Inn. Only Aquendar knows my real name.” He
entered the inn.

Tych turned to the others and said, “Get your
saddlebags and strip the horses quickly, then get down
there. Aquendar and Reichet stay up here with me but get
your stuff down there. We’ll only need light weaponry and
bows if you have them.”

In a matter of minutes the team efficiently stripped their
steeds and headed down the stairs. After closing the door,
Aquendar turned to Tych and said, “Why are we staying up
here?”

“The minute the master captured our attention, Ty
disappeared. I don’t know if the master is also involved,
but I’m not taking any chances. I want you to get on the
roof of the building across the street and Reichet in the
alley just outside the door. If any strangers or danger
approaches, I want Aquendar to fire an arrow into the alley.
When you see the arrow, Reichet, I want you to knock
twice then both of you come in. When the attackers get
here, they will find a very large gold dragon blocking their
way.”

“So be it. I was looking forward to some sleep,”
grumbled Reichet.

“If my hunch is right, you still will,” answered Tych.
The warriors left and Tych sat down on a stool in one
corner of the stable.

It only took about ten minutes. Reichet knocked twice
and came in. “Aquendar has fired his arrow.”

Tych started to tell him to go down but a lot of noise
began to come from the kitchen, which opened up into the
stable. Aquendar came running through the door and said,
“They’re inside. Ty led Captain Druery here then Druery
killed him in the street. Obviously, Ty didn’t tell him
where in the inn the hideout is, judging from the racket in
there.”

“How many are there?” asked Tych.

“Only two but they’re strong. We should go help him,
but it would give away our existence here to any spies
inside,” commented Aquendar.

“Each of you take up positions and load your bows in
the stalls across from the door. I’ll stand next to it in case
anybody makes it past the arrows.”

The three warriors took up their positions and waited.
The noise in the kitchen quieted and the silence almost
deafened them. Tych heard a body press up against the
door to the inn.

Suddenly, an explosion of splintered door marked the
flight of the master into the stable. One glance allowed
Tych to notice that a large crossbow bolt in the chest had
propelled the man out the door. It must have been shot at
close range, and the two archers confirmed this. They each
fired and thuds told Tych they each hit.

It had transpired in seconds. Druery and his companion
stumbled down the short flight of stairs, arrows in their
necks, still trying to put up a fight. Each feebly tried to yell
for help and draw their swords, then fell next to the master.
No sounds came from the kitchen so Tych motioned to the
others and they rushed to the trap door. By the time the
spies inside came to the stable, all trace of the killers of
Druery had vanished and the knowledge of the trap door
died with the master. In the end, the three only lost a half
hour of sleep.

The next morning they climbed out of the mini-inn they
had slept in the night before, saddled the horses and left.
The spies had removed the bodies of Druery, his
companion, and the master by some means the expedition
could not fathom. They stayed on the main streets, tight as
they were, all the way to the castle. The large gates stood
open and they rode into a clean but cramped courtyard.