Free the Darkness (King's Dark Tidings Book 1) (12 page)

Frisha looked a bit chagrined as she replied, “Yes, you’re
right. I just didn’t think.”

Rezkin inclined his head and said, “Very well. If you have
no more need to leave your room tonight, then I will place a trap on your door.
Anyone who attempts to open it will be rendered unconscious. Does this suit
you?”

Frisha’s eyes widened, “Do you really think that’s
necessary?”

“I do, unless you would prefer to sleep in my room where I
can better protect you,” he stated with surety.

Frisha’s cheeks reddened, again. She knew he was not
propositioning her – at least, she thought not. He was simply stating a
fact, but her mind had other ideas. “Uh…no…um, I do not think that would be
wise.”

Rezkin cocked his head at her reaction. He thought it would
be the wisest move. A single room would be much more defensible. Plus, he would
not have to concern himself about what was happening two doors down while he
slept. Frisha said that she and Tam were both his
friends,
so he needed
to protect them both. He could not do that as effectively if either of them
were separated from him.

This society seemed to value the rules of propriety over
safety, though, and he could not change that. The thought made him pause. Was
propriety
another set of
Rules
? Were they
Rules
he was supposed to abide by
now that he was in the outworld? His masters had taught him about propriety but
always discussed it as though it was a role to play when appropriate rather
than something by which to live.

“Very well,” he said. “Do not open your door until morning
unless you absolutely must. If you do, then stand behind it as it opens.”

“O-Okay, then. Thank you. Um…goodnight, Rezkin,” she said
with a small smile.

After setting the trap on Frisha’s door, Rezkin stalked back
to his room. He listened carefully with his ear pressed to the door, then drew
Bladesunder from its sheath and slipped it between the door and frame. With one
quick flick, the bar blocking his entry flipped up into the air. He shoved the
door open quickly and caught the beam before it could strike the ground.

Tam jerked up from his bed wide-eyed with shock, mouth
agape. He looked at Rez, then down at the bar in Rez’s hand, then at the open
door, and then back to Rez. “I had no idea…” was all he could say as his words
trailed off. “Frisha?”

“I spoke to her and set a trap on her door. Do not try to
open her door until I have disabled the trap in the morning,” Rezkin said as he
closed the door and put the beam back in place. He drew one of his daggers and
jammed it into the door just above the bar. He turned to see Tam looking at him
questioningly. “If someone slips the bar up, the dagger will fall and clatter
on the floor, warning us that someone is entering.”

“Oh…” Tam replied, still watching Rez move about the room.

Rezkin strode to the window and balanced a long-handled
dagger on the sill, the tip just barely settled into the groove between the
window and sill. “If someone raises the window, the dagger will fall.”

The young warrior removed his sword belt and propped
Kingslayer against his bed. He tucked his belt dagger under his pillow and
removed his boots. He did not want to disarm completely, nor did he wish to
reveal his hidden weapons to Tam, who was still a stranger even if he was a
friend
.
While he was supposed to protect and honor his
friends
, there did not
seem to be anything in the
Rules
stating that his
friends
could
not harm
him
. Even if there were, none of these outworlders regularly
adhered to the
Rules
, anyway, so he would not trust them to do so in
this.

Tam and Rezkin settled into their beds, and Rezkin snuffed
the lantern.

When the sun finally breeched the horizon and the twilight
stars faded from view, Rezkin decided he had waited long enough. He strode over
to the well and hauled up a fresh bucket of cool water. He pulled off his
sweat-soaked tunic and poured the refreshing liquid over his hot head. The
water streamed down his sculpted torso dampening his pants and pooling around
his bare feet. He shook his long, black tresses, squeezing out the dripping
water. The wet strands hung loosely about his head and several fell forward
around his face. Grabbing his tunic, he headed for the back entrance of the
inn. Roxie was standing on the stoop mesmerized.

Rezkin nodded as he passed by and said, “Good morning,
Mistress Roxiella.”

With wide-eyed fascination, she reached out and gripped the
tunic in his hand. “I can wash that for you, my lord.”

Rezkin glanced at her in confusion.
My lord?
It was
not the first time someone had referred to him as such. He released his grip on
the tunic and thanked her. When he returned to his room, Tam was having a
serious conversation with Frisha. Both young people stopped speaking
immediately and stared at him as if he had just turned into a pink dragon.
Rezkin froze.

“What?” he asked hesitantly.

“Your muscles…SHIRT! I mean, ah, where’s your shirt?” asked
Frisha stumbling over her words and blushing furiously. Even as he spoke, she
could not take her eyes from the perfect lines of his exquisite form. She
almost checked to see if she had drool running down her chin.

“Mistress Roxiella has it,” he said as he closed and barred
the door and then sifted through the pile of laundered clothes that had been
left on his bed.

“What!?” Frisha shouted. Her face went from pale disbelief
to flushed fury in less than a breath. Rezkin furrowed his brow in confusion.
He did not know why Frisha would suddenly become angry. Did she think Roxiella
robbed him?

“It got dirty…while I was training. She said she would wash
it,” he clarified.

Frisha was overcome with relief and utter embarrassment. Tam
eyed the young woman speculatively. She averted her eyes and refused to meet
her friend’s gaze.

Tam turned back to Rez and said, “The sun has barely risen,
and you’ve already been training? How long were you out there?”

Rezkin shrugged, “A couple of hours.”

“Do you do that often?” asked Frisha.

“I am accustomed to practicing my physical
Skills
most of the day and night when I am not studying other subjects or sleeping.
 Since I have been traveling, I have been lax in my physical training.

“Ah, that explains it,” said Tam.

“Explains what?” Rezkin asked perplexed.

Tam waved his hand around in Rez’s general direction, “All
of…
that
.”

Rezkin looked down at himself and could not see to what Tam
was referring. The healers had done an admirable job over the years, so he bore
few scars and those he had were barely visible. There was nothing particularly
notable about his appearance. Rezkin shrugged off his confusion and changed the
subject.

“If you wish to be a soldier, Master Tamarin, it would
behoove you to become accustomed to rising and training early. You will be
required to do so during your basic training and will probably continue doing
so during the majority of your career,” Rezkin stated as he began dressing.
Frisha, knowing she absolutely should leave to allow Rezkin to dress in
private, found that she could not, for her life, force her feet to move.

“Ugh,” Tam moaned, “are you serious? I hate getting up
early.”

Rezkin noted that Frisha was still silently staring at him,
so he asked, “Mistress Frisha, are you alright?” He glanced down at himself and
said, “Is something amiss?”

She jerked her eyes away from his chest that was now fully
covered with a dark green tunic and met his eyes. “Ah, yes. I’m great. Um…” Her
eyes widened as he began untying his black pants.

Tam nudged her with his elbow, “Frisha, perhaps you could go
order us all some breakfast. We’ll meet you in the common room shortly.”

Frisha’s eyes darted to Tam as though she just realized he
was present. Her cheeks flushed at realizing she had been caught ogling the
amazingly fit warrior. She hurried from the room slamming the door just as
Rezkin dropped his pants.

Tam snickered, “You really had her going. I don’t think I’ve
ever seen her so flustered. She was being rude by not allowing you your
privacy.”

Rezkin thought the statement ironic since Tam had not
offered him any privacy either, but perhaps this was part of the
propriety
with which he was supposed to be concerned. He cocked his head in thought.

“She should not have been locked in this room alone with two
men in the first place,” Rezkin said. He meant it as a question but it sounded
more like a statement.

“True, and as her protector, I guess I should have insisted
she leave earlier, but I really didn’t think about it. I grew up with three
brothers, not sisters. You’re much better at these things than I am, so maybe
you can remind me when I forget,” Tam stated.

Rezkin cocked a brow, “If
I
am to be responsible for
our group’s propriety, then I am afraid we will have little of it. I am more
concerned with safety. There will be many situations while traveling when it
would be best for us all to stay together rather than take the risk of
separating simply for appearances. We will have to be satisfied with knowing that
we will treat each other with honor.”

Tam studied Rez closely as the young man tied on his boots.
“You really mean that, don’t you?”

“What?” asked Rezkin.

“That you will treat her with honor,” Tam stated.

Rezkin was surprised that Tam would have to ask. “Of course.
I will treat you both with honor. It is
Rule 1
.”

“Protect and honor your friends?” asked Tam, remembering
Rez’s words from the night before. Rezkin nodded. Tam said, “You truly follow a
Code…like a Knight of the Realm.”

A code?
He pondered the question. Well, a code
is
a set of rules. Rezkin stretched his lips into the smile everyone seemed to
like and said, “Always.”

Both young men descended the stairs in a hurry. Tam was
simply hungry and eager to get on with the day. Rezkin was concerned about
Frisha being left alone in the common room. Just as the men sat down at the
table with Frisha, Roxie arrived carrying a tray with three platters of
breakfast. It was a modest but tasty meal of eggs, sausage, and fresh-baked
rolls. Roxie filled Rezkin’s tea three times before he finally had to politely
inform her that he had consumed enough.

Rezkin noticed that Frisha was oddly quiet, and he was
concerned she might be ill or uncomfortable with his presence. “Mistress
Frisha, is everything well? You
do
still desire my assistance in your
travels?”

“Oh, yes!” she said as she met his gaze. Her thoughts seemed
to scatter as soon as she looked into those crystal blue eyes. He looked at her
with genuine concern. “I do desire you…” her voice trailed off. Tam sputtered
and coughed as he choked on his food, which recaptured Frisha’s attention.
Realizing what she had just said, she practically shouted “…TO COME WITH US!”
Tam was still trying to clear his airway as she scowled at the young man and
kicked his shin under the table. Rezkin’s attention was on Tam, now, and she
hoped he did not take notice of her embarrassing blunder. Frisha continued,
anyway, “Please, Rezkin, just call me Frisha. I told you we’re friends. There
is no need for formalities.”

Tam, finally getting himself under control, said, “Yeah,
Rez, you can just call me Tam.
Master Tamarin
just sounds so
old
.
Besides, we’re friends, too.”

“Thank you, Frisha, Tam.” Rezkin stood and said, “I think it
is time to head to the docks. You know, it is not necessary for all of us to
go. I could make the arrangements while the two of you stay here. The district
near the docks is filled with seedy people who are more than willing to cause
trouble for unsuspecting travelers.”

“Well then, we’re not really unsuspecting, now, are we?” Tam
asked. “Besides, I don’t want to stay here all day. I want to go see the docks,
and you know we can’t leave Frisha here alone. We’ll just all go together,” he
continued as Frisha nodded her approval.

Rezkin inwardly sighed. These two outworlders were
determined to make his job difficult. “Very well. Let us depart.”

The three travelers toured a winding circuit of roads and
footpaths between buildings on their way through the western part of the city.
To Tam and Frisha, their trail seemed to make no sense, and both knew they
would never be able to find their way back to the inn.

“Um, Rez, are you sure this is the way?” Tam asked. “A lot
of people use the docks, and I really don’t think most travelers would go this
way. I must admit I’m completely turned around. I have no idea where I am,” he
admitted with concern.

Rezkin simply shrugged, “The main thoroughfare to the docks
is rife with thieves. Neither of you would probably make it to the docks and
back with your purses. In addition, those people will know you are looking for
passage on a ship, which means you will have to return via the same route with
the rest of your belongings when you depart. It would be an ideal situation in
which to arrange an ambush. And, while this route seems confusing because we
have made so many turns, it is actually the most direct route with the
exception of a few detours I took to avoid thieves who were lying in wait.”

Frisha’s eyes widened, “What? There were thieves waiting for
us?”

Rezkin nodded, “We have already avoided three such traps
plus a few pickpockets I deterred.”

“How did you scare off the pickpockets? I didn’t see you do
anything,” asked Tam.

“I looked at them,” Rez stated. “Once you identify a
pickpocket, he or she would have to be an idiot to try, so they will just look
for another target.”

“How did you know there were thieves waiting for us?” asked
Frisha.       

“It is a learned
Skill
. You see up ahead and to the
right…” he tilted his chin, “next to that stand with the potatoes? There are several
men who look like they are performing their duties but are actually waiting for
people to approach. When we get there, they will start a confrontation with
each other. Many people would be uncomfortable with such a situation and would
choose to cut between the buildings over there to get to the next street over.
There will be several thugs in that alley ready to rob anyone who takes that
route.”

Tam looked at Rezkin skeptically, “How can you tell any of
that?”

“The man on the left, there, in the brown tunic, has moved
those same four barrels twice already into the same places. The one in the grey
shirt is ringing the wash and hanging in on the line, only he keeps taking the
same rags from the line and throwing them back into the wash. That potato merchant
is probably not a part of the scheme, but he does not want to interfere,
either. He is avoiding looking at any of the men and keeps nervously glancing
in our direction. There is a small-man playing lookout on that roof over there
above the alley. He is signaling how many people are approaching and the level
of risk,” Rezkin explained quietly to the two as they approached the
intersection in question.

Tam’s eyes took in all of the sites Rez pointed out and
realized he
could
tell something was amiss. Frisha whimpered and grabbed
onto Rezkin’s arm. He forced his muscles to relax a little as he suppressed his
natural instinct to protect himself from the physical contact.

“Are you sure we should be going this way?” she queried
barely loud enough to be heard.

“Tam, could you please take charge of Frisha? I would like
to keep my arms unhindered in case I need to draw my weapons,” Rezkin
requested. To Frisha he said, “Do not worry. If we choose not to take the
alley, there is little chance anything will happen to us. The locals are
familiar with the ploy and would know how to avoid it. We will do so by simply
continuing straight ahead.”

Tam took Frisha’s arm and held her as they walked. He tensed
when they reached the intersection and found himself gripping the handle of his
dagger. He tried to appear calm and avoid looking at any of the thugs but knew
he probably failed miserably. Rezkin, on the other hand, blatantly glared at
each of the members letting them know he was aware of their plot and would not
be fooled. The man who had been moving the barrels nodded in acknowledgement,
and the three travelers passed beyond the intersection without incident.

Frisha and Tam each let out a breath as the tension eased
and smiled at each other in relief. Tam laughed and said, “You must be from the
city to know so much about these things. I’m really glad you’re with us, now.
If these things are normal, we would be in major trouble.”

Rezkin shook his head, “This is my first time to the city. I
arrived yesterday, not long before you. But, do not be overly concerned. This
is not necessarily normal except in this part of the city. Most of Justain is
relatively safe, although you will find pickpockets everywhere – even in
the affluent areas, although there are fewer there, since stealing from a noble
is a hanging offense.”

“I hear they cut the hand off someone caught stealing from
merchants and other commoners,” said Tam.

Rez nodded, “Yes, but the thieves must be caught. If you
have not noticed, there are few guards or city watch patrolling this area.”

“So, you were trained as a soldier, then?” Tam asked.

Rezkin considered this. He had been trained as many things.
A soldier was just one of them. “Yes,” he said, “and more.”

“When I’m a soldier, I’ll be able to figure these things out,
too?” asked Tam with interest.