The Hekamon (41 page)

"Your mind will be very clouded in a minute,"
Tregarron shouted, suddenly becoming aggressive.

Tansley stared at the captain. The man's thick, black
hair and dark, deep set eyes bored into him. This did trigger a
memory, someone not dissimilar to Tregarron. Someone tall, with dark
hair and features, why could he only see their eyes? Because they
were masked. They had attacked him in his hut. They had been looking
for something.

"Captain, I've been attacked," he stated
emphatically, looking away from his questioner, the realization
hitting him. Something had been stolen, he was sure of it, but what?
"I think I've been robbed."

Tregarron studied him for a moment, "Who attacked
you and what do you think was stolen?"

"They were— Coralainian I think, yes. I had
made my way home, stopped for an ale, reached my store and realized
there were intruders," some of the details now coming back to
him, "They were looking for some gauntlets but I didn't have
them, they got angry, I tried to escape," he paused for several
seconds, some images came to mind that he found hard to make sense
of. "That's all I remember."

"Gauntlets? Don't you stock plenty?"

"They were looking for a particular pair and I
didn't have them, that much I'm sure of."

"Any other visitors lately, maybe selling has much
as buying?" Tregarron said fixing him with a glare that
suggested he knew, or at least suspected, something.

Tansley tried to buy himself some thinking time, with an
account of a seemingly innocuous recent visitor to his shop.

"There was a man, a southerner, he traded in a
dagger for a coat and some boots."

"Is he of any relevance to the matter at hand?"

"Well, I don't know—" He started to say
before he was cut off.

"Perhaps this might help," unbuttoning his
coat, the captain took out a small fur bag. He untied it to reveal
the contents, a row of ochre colored clay pots, covered in gauze and
with a distinctive mix of aromas already noticeable. "Have you
seen this before?"

Tansley was sure he had. But in some recess of his mind
he knew it was not something he could admit to, or at least, it was
not something to claim ownership of, not to the captain of the guard
anyway. It was a bad thing, harmful, illegal.

"I've never seen that before, what is it?"

"You know what it is, Tansley," Tregarron
said, folding the pouch and returning it to an inside pocket of his
blue guardsman's coat.

"Where did you get it? Why do you think I would
know about it?"

"I took it from a man who we found with you in your
hut."

"Then
you should ask
him
about it," he was starting to piece a few things together now.

"I'll ask him in good time, for now I'm asking
you."

It was only now Tansley that came to relay events to
Tregarron, that he realized he may have had a lucky escape. He had
been in serious trouble, that feeling returned to him now. Cardell
wasn't the only one capable of cruel and inhuman practices. He had
been facing a torturer before his arrival at the fort, and yet
somehow had avoided the worst of it, but how? How was it he came to
be in the Demedelei Fort Prison? Normally a place he would avoid at
all costs, but there were worse situations he could find himself in.

"I'm helping as much as I can Captain, I think I'm
the victim here."

"I'm sure you can give more details if you put
your mind to it. Think man, or you will be spending a lot more time
here than is necessary. In that event, you will not think you are the
victim, you will know it."

Tansley was recalling events as best he could, to answer
some questions of his own, as well as the captain's. There was one
vivid image that came to mind. It seemed important but he couldn't
make sense of it. Two eyes peering out of the darkness. Sharp, clear,
glinting eyes. Wild eyes, not savage like a wolf but powerful and all
seeing, like those of an eagle.

"I would like to stay here for a while, Captain, if
that's possible," he said quietly, almost inaudibly. This
brought a look from Tregarron that he had never seen before, one of
astonishment.

"Maybe your injuries are worse than I realized,
I'll give you more time," Tregarron's expression turned to one
of pity. "Let's see if a good night's sleep helps, I'll tell
Cardell to bring you more blankets."

"Thank you, sir. That's very kind."

Tregarron stood, took down the lantern, and was about to
leave.

"Before I go. Did you give anything to Croneygee,
or his apprentice, something different from your usual wares. If you
did, It's important that you tell me."

Once again the captain's words brought a memory to the
fore. He had met with Galvyn and he could see his face. Something had
passed between them but he couldn't recall what it was. His senses
had recovered enough for him to know that he should be careful what he
said.

"Some items for repair, Captain, but what, I don't
know."

The captain looked at him for a moment, Tansley thought
he saw a faint smile cross the man's lips, but with Tregarron he
could never be sure. It seem though that his request to stay in the
prison for his own safety had been understood.

"If it makes you feel any better. The men I believe
assaulted you are here and in my custody. You are safe as long as you
co-operate."

Tansley was surprised by this, his mind raced to make
sense of how. Among the talk of his hut, the intruders and the
armorer's apprentice, the image of a broken chain came to mind. He
couldn't be sure why, but he knew it held some relevance. Something
powerful had been unleashed by a seemingly innocuous chain. In his
groggy state of mind he was finding it difficult to think straight,
or at least, rationally or logically. He was relying on the deep
and subconscious part of his mind, his intuition.

Maybe it was the rock surrounding him, or the fiery glow
of the lamp and the shadows it cast. Maybe it was the piercing stare
of Tregarron's eyes or the taste of his own blood. Something had
brought out a primeval feeling, one of survival and acute aversion to
danger. Something wild and hard to tame had been released and would
be harder still to contain.

"An injustice has been done," Tansley said. He
felt sure of it, but didn't know what it was, or how he knew. He did
feel some culpability, though, and that worried him.

"Correcting injustices is why I'm here. Your memory
will have returned by morning, I'll talk with you again then."

The half-dead man coughed and writhed on the ground,
until it seemed he'd brought up enough of the river water that he
could start breathing again. Then, after a few more coughs and
groans, the man settled and stopped moving, with his face in the
dirt. As he lay there, each breath kicked up a small cloud of the black,
dried silty dust that formed the surface of the Fennelbek Way.

Kormak looked at the man, whose retching had been the
only sounds to break the silence, his struggles the only movement. It
was a sight that had certainly got the attention of the guards
watching from the other side of the bridge. They, like the ferguths,
stood their ground, with neither side speaking or intimating they
might leave.

Kormak thought it might be incumbent on them to do the
explaining.

Although they controlled this side of the bridge by
rule of the Aquassent Treaty, it also said that safe passage for
travelers should be maintained and, if possible, guaranteed during
the hours of daylight. The man before them had journeyed from the
Demedelei side, was wearing some clothing that identified him as
potentially one of theirs and it was still daylight, if only just.

"I think they are waiting for an explanation,"
he said to Tolle.

His patrol leader must have agreed with him, because he
walked forwards onto the bridge and called across to the guards on
the other side.

"This Coralainian has been apprehended for crimes
we know he has committed and for others he is suspected of,"
Tolle shouted across, loudly and with authority.

Kormak watched as the two guards conferred with one
another.

"What crimes?" One of the guards asked,
equally loudly, so as to make himself heard.

"Theft. He is also suspected of assault,"
Tolle hesitated and glanced at him, before continuing, "and
possibly more serious crimes."

"What evidence do you have?"

"Items were found on his person and he has
confessed."

Tolle gave some emphasis to the last word which,
combined with his need to shout, made it sound strained. Perhaps it
was because Kormak knew it was an exaggeration that he picked up on
it. While the guards conferred again, he took the chance to have a
quiet word with Tolle, and walked forward and joined his friend on
the bridge.

"If Alyssa doesn't return, or we can't find her, we
might need their co-operation."

No sooner had he finished speaking, than the guards
ended their discussion and the seemingly more senior one spoke again.

"The man you have there might be wanted for
questioning in relation to some crimes that have been committed in
Demedelei."

He and Tolle looked at each other.

"It's as we feared," Tolle said, before
considering a response.

"We will interrogate him further. If we find out
anything that is of relevance, it will brought to your attention."

"Was the man traveling alone or was he with
someone? He may have an accomplice."

"He was alone," Tolle called back.

This seemed to satisfy the guards who, after a brief
exchange, signaled that the meeting held across the length of the
bridge, was concluded. The two guards turned and started back along
Tivitay Street.

Tolle let out a breath, Kormak also. They had seen
guards before, numerous times, but only from a distance and they had
never spoken to them. On the few occasions matters were discussed,
Voight Vondern took it up with Lord Jephson in person. Those men had
been two of the three signatories to the treaty and seemed to have an
understanding, but even that was a rare occurrence.

It was rarer
still for guards and ferguths to converse directly. Each had their
own territory, their own dominion. They kept themselves to themselves
and preferred it that way.

"What do we make from that?" Kormak said, as
he and Tolle walked back to where Palfrey and the twins were standing
with their prone captive.

"The guards said he had an accomplice and this
Coralainian said Alyssa was with someone. Someone who claimed he
could help find her necklace," Palfrey said.

"Yes, it's safe to assume it's the same person. I
have to go and find her, she is in danger, I'm sure of it,"
Kormak said, feeling a cold sweat forming and agitated twitching in
his neck. She was being tricked, Tregarron didn't have her necklace,
Tansley did.

"I'll come with you," Tolle said, you can't go
alone.

"I can and I must," he said, with a
determination in his voice.

"She is my betrothal, I have been promised her, it
should be me that goes," Tolle replied, equally determined.

"She is my sister and I left her behind. It's for
me to put right, I need to go and get her."

"Kormak, I can't let you. If someone has hurt her
it is my responsibility to bring them to justice."

The two squared off, and with seemingly neither prepared
to back down, Palfrey stepped in with a suggestion.

"We need to get this Coralainian back to Egret
Stockade and he is heavy, Tolle we might need you for that. And since
Kormak has made more excursions south of the river, and is more
familiar with the area, he might be better at searching for her. We
don't know anything about her whereabouts. It might be more about
reconnaissance than enforcing justice, tonight anyway."

The two ferguths softened their stance and looked to the
rest of the patrol.

"I think Palfrey's right," Moxley said, and
Loccsleah nodded in agreement, "The man will not be easy to
carry and we might be able to get more useful information out of
him," she added.

Kormak placed his hand on Tolle's shoulder.

"See what more you can find out from him and use
whatever means necessary. I'll reconnoiter and bring back any
information I can."

"If you bring anything back, try to make it
Alyssa," Tolle said, mirroring his gesture, "If not we'll
do everything we can to bring her back tomorrow. We'll find her."

"Take this back to Egret for me," he said,
giving Tolle Alyssa's dagger.

"Won't you need it?"

"No. I'll use my own."

He then watched as the four ferguths lifted up the
captive and started to carry him away, along the Ochre Way and deeper
into the marshes. It had been a while since they had prisoner at the
stockade and their interrogation techniques were likely to be rusty.
Kormak hoped his patrol would send word of their captive to Vondern.
Since the voight would be much quicker at ensuring the man reveals
everything he knows that might prove useful.

Turning his attention back to the bridge and the street
beyond, Kormak could see the guards were still visible. He decided to
give them a little more time. He would wait until they were past the
bend in the road before crossing to their side of the river.

As he waited, he considered where he would begin his
search. He didn't know how reliable the information was, but it
seemed his sister was in the company someone who was, at the very
least, an accomplice to theft and violence. And since the two of them
were last seen near the village of Tivitay, the village is where he
would start.

Alyssa lead Galvyn through the woods and into the
clearing. As far as she knew, everyone called it Tivitayall, even
though there was no building here. Just a circle of large stones and
a large, ivy covered, sandstone outcrop to the south west of the
clearing. Friezes and symbols could be seen carved onto the few areas
of stone not hidden by the rampant vines.